“So, you forgive me?” she asked, her heart thumping wildly in her chest.
“Tell me again how amazing I am and I’ll consider it,” he said in a playful tone. Something had shifted between them in the last few moments, letting Sophia know that Caleb was softening up toward her. Her chest loosened up a bit, and her pulse slowed down. Maybe she wasn’t toast after all.
“I think I’ve said enough for one day,” she answered.
Caleb stood up so that he was facing her, their bodies mere inches away from each other. He was standing so close to her that she could hear the sound of his light breathing. Her gaze found his mouth, and for what felt like the millionth time, she wondered what it might feel like to kiss those amazing lips. She suspected it would be some kind of wonderful.
“I forgive you, Sophia Brand. Everyone makes mistakes.” He leaned in closer. “And now that I know you like me…”
Her stomach was fluttering, and she almost felt like ateenager in the presence of her first crush. “You’re not going to let that one go, are you?” she asked.
“Nope,” he said, showcasing his dimples as he smiled. “I’m having way too much fun with it. I might just have a T-shirt made.”
Sophia giggled. She was so relieved that things were back on track with them. “I’d pay actual money to see you sporting a shirt like that.”
His lips twitched. “Don’t tempt me.”
“I should let you get back to work.” Although she could stand here all day and talk to him, they both had things to do. Today was Lily’s early day at preschool, and she didn’t want to be late picking her up. She had memories of being the last kid picked up at school, and she never wanted Lily to feel that way.
He reached out for her hand, taking it in his. “Thanks for stopping by. It means a lot to me that you cared enough to seek me out.”
“I owed you an apology,” she said, meeting his gaze head-on. He had the most beautiful eyes. They were the deepest shade of brown with gold flecks. Her insides were rejoicing at the way he was looking at her. Not with anger, but with admiration.
“And by the way, Sophia, I like you too. But I’m guessing you already knew that.”
Bam!His words were like a jump start to the heart. If she was being completely honest with herself, Caleb was a clear and present danger to her carefully curated world.
Ever since having Lily, she had constructed a life for herself based simply on the two of them. Men need not apply! She was good on her own. But that was then and this was now. Caleb intrigued her, and she wanted to peel back his layers. She wanted to see what was possible!
What was it about this man that caused her to get tongue-tied in his presence? She thought of a dozen snappy comebacks, but not a single word emerged from her mouth. So instead Sophia gave him a little smile and beat a fast path out of the room.
Even though she could feel his eyes trained on her as she walked down the corridor, Sophia reminded herself not to turn around. DO NOT TURN AROUND.
Play it cool.
Just as she reached the stairs, Sophia gave in to temptation and glanced over her shoulder.
Caleb was leaning against the doorjamb with his arms folded. She could see his grin from all the way down the hall.
No matter what she’d thought before about possibly getting involved with Caleb, Sophia now knew with a deep certainty that she wanted to explore things with him, no matter where they led.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Clearly, winter weather wasn’t quite done with Moose Falls. The fluffy white stuff had left a snowy covering all over town. Caleb wasn’t used to driving over snow-covered Alaskan roads, but nothing was going to get in the way of his coffee date with Sophia at the Charmed café. Maybe “date” was the wrong word to use. Meetup? Caleb wanted it to be a date, but he was still testing the waters with Sophia. Ever since their face-to-face last week when she’d apologized to him, thoughts of Sophia hadn’t been far from his mind.
The café was located in the heart of the main downtown area. He pulled up in front of a pink gingerbread-style house that looked as if it had come straight out of a storybook. Even the windows had colorful shutters that brought to mind Hansel and Gretel.
Once he walked inside, the smell of baked goods and coffee assailed his senses. The aromas were tantalizing, making him observe that he was hungrier than he’d realized. Or maybe it was just the heavenly aromas swirling around the establishment. A brick hearth boasted a roaring fire.
Caleb quickly realized that Sophia had beat him to the café. She was sitting at a table waving at him. She couldn’t have looked any more vibrant in a poppy-colored peacoat and a jaunty black beret. She stood up when he reached the table, and they shared a quick hug. He inhaled the light fragrance that clung to Sophia.
“This is a nice spot,” Caleb said, looking around after they both sat down. The interior was cozy with pictures of fairy-tale stories hanging on the walls. The colors were bright and warm.
“It’s new,” Sophia told him. “Owned and operated by my good friend Vincent Loupin. He’s so creative.” She gestured toward the menu. “What do you want? It’s my treat as part of the apology tour.”
“That’s not necessary,” Caleb said. “I invited you.”
Sophia winked at him. “Vincent gives me a pretty good discount, so just go with it.”
