Even though Caleb’s comment bordered on being corny, she felt her cheeks getting flushed. This man was making her feel flustered.
“I’m going to make sure Hattie is all settled,” he said. “Hope to see you soon, Sophia.”
“Night, Caleb.” Her eyes trailed after him, lingering on his rugged physique and the huge amount of swagger he exuded.
Caleb Stone was turning out to be someone who intrigued her way more than she had ever imagined. There seemed to be a lot more to him than met the eye, and she was eager to find out more about this mysterious man.
CHAPTER SIX
Caleb was more excited than he’d been in a very long time. On his way to work he drove leisurely along the lake area, enjoying the stunning view of the mountains and the last remnants of thawing snow. He couldn’t ignore the raw beauty of his surroundings. Sometimes he felt as if he was living in a postcard or a vivid painting. Being back in Moose Falls was full of discoveries, mostly good ones. His favorite thing about Alaska was the abundance of trees—spruce, evergreen, hemlock, and birch dominated the area. The other day during their hike his mother had identified several species of eagles, which excited her to no end.
He could tell that she had been a bit emotional about revisiting the places in Moose Falls that had once meant the world to her. Despite being a tough cookie, Daisy had a marshmallow at her center. She was sentimental like Landon. Caleb was going to miss her a lot, but he was happy she’d been in Moose Falls to celebrate True and Xavier.
Feeling upbeat, he turned on the radio and let it blast. Driving on Alaskan roads was so much easier, now that the roads weren’t covered in snow and ice.
This morning’s meeting with Hattie was full of so many possibilities. Coming to Alaska to explore an inheritance had been a no-brainer, but doing so had delayed him from trying out for acting roles in Hollywood. If he could be the face of Yukon Cider, it would fill a void in his life and allow him to pursue his creativity in front of the camera. He didn’t want to assume anything, but if the campaign was even a modest success, he would be grateful.
As he headed into the corporate building, Caleb was greeted warmly by various employees. He loved the social atmosphere here more than anything. Everyone treated him and his brothers like they were old friends. That was a true benefit of living in a small Alaskan town. People weren’t strangers for very long. He had come across so many folks who remembered him from when he was little. They always had a story about his parents or memories of Caleb with his brothers. It served to remind him that he was part of the fabric of Moose Falls. He hadn’t expected to be so accepted by the townsfolk after being MIA for two decades. All of a sudden he was being inundated with a lot of sensory memories from childhood. Moose Falls had been his happy place.
He made his way quickly to the conference room after dropping his leather work bag in his office. The last thing he intended to do was make Hattie wait for him. She wasn’t the type of person who responded well to tardiness. It didn’t matter if they were blood relations. She wouldn’t hesitate to dress him down in public.
When he crossed the threshold of the conference room, Caleb stopped short. Sophia was standing by the table, sipping a cup of coffee. She was dressed professionally in a beige-colored suit and black heels. He sucked in a deep breath. Sophia should come with a warningsign like the ones he saw in Arizona.Dangerous Curves Ahead.
“What are you doing here?” Caleb asked, his tone radiating surprise.
“Hattie invited me. I’m going to be one of Yukon Cider’s employees,” she explained. “I’m super excited to be working for such an amazing company.”
He hadn’t been prepared to see Sophia this morning at a meeting Hattie had set up for him to attend. As far as he’d known, the meeting was just for the two of them. Wasn’t it classic Hattie to throw him a curveball?
“As a photographer?” he asked, taken aback by this turn of events.
“No, as a taste tester,” she said with a smirk. “Of course as a photographer. It is my profession. Sadly, I don’t have many other skills.”
“I find that very hard to believe.” He locked gazes with her, tumbling headfirst into her beautiful brown eyes. They were like a vortex, pulling him in.
Something hummed and pulsed in the air between them. He wondered if she felt the sparks. Honestly, how could she not? There always seemed to be a layer of tension between them that had everything to do with attraction. Although he was still wary of getting involved with anyone, it was going to be impossible for him to ignore his feelings for this woman.
Just then Hattie walked into the conference room dressed all in green, leaning heavily on her cane. Caleb wasn’t sure if it was her pride or stubbornness, but she rarely used her electric scooter at work. Everyone respected Hattie, but he sensed she was worried about being perceived as a weakened leader. His wish for his grandmother was that she could spend the rest of the time she had left doing all the thingsshe couldn’t from within the confines of her office. Yukon Cider was a magnificent accomplishment, but he wasn’t sure Hattie should spend her remaining time consumed by work. It wasn’t his decision to make, but he wondered if she would rather be playing blackjack in Vegas or canoodling with Jacques.
“Good morning, beautiful people. It’s a wonderful day to have a wonderful day.” Hattie was grinning from ear to ear.
“Morning, Hattie. That color looks gorgeous on you,” Sophia said, warmth radiating from her voice.
Hattie patted her on the hand. “Thank you, Sophia. I love colors. Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve chosen to wear vivid hues.” She let out a throaty chuckle. “It used to frustrate my mother something fierce trying to find yellows and oranges and lilacs. Talk about a challenge.”
“I can imagine,” Sophia said, her eyes widening. “I guess that I should be jumping for joy that Lily isn’t a fashionista.”
“Yet,” Hattie said. “That could change in the blink of an eye.”
Caleb pulled a chair out for his grandmother and said, “Here you go, Grandmother.”
Hattie looked over at Sophia as she sank down into the leather seat. “Isn’t he a gorgeous boy?”
Sophia’s lips twitched. “He sure is,” she said in a chirpy voice. He sensed she was holding back a fit of laughter.
Her response flowed over him like warm honey. It didn’t matter that Hattie had put Sophia on the spot. For Caleb it was a win. Sophia thought he was good-looking! Since when had he needed affirmation about his looks? He couldn’t recall a single instance.
“Let’s get down to business,” Hattie said in a crisp tone as both Caleb and Sophia sat down. “I figured the two ofyou should meet in a professional capacity since you’ll be working together.”
