“I start on Monday, and from what Hattie told me, shewants us to get started right away. I would love your input on some brainstorming I’ve been doing. I want to do a lot of outdoor shots to take advantage of the gorgeous Alaskan landscape.”
“I like the idea of a natural setting. Maybe by the mountains or the falls,” he suggested. “We took my mom on a hike near the mountains, and all I can say is it was pretty incredible.”
“That’s what I was thinking as well,” Sophia said, excitement laced through her voice. “Hattie gave me some information about the new campaign. This cider is going to be like nothing on the market. All natural.”
Caleb was excited about the idea of the campaign being successful. “I’m hoping to help knock this one out of the park. I really want to make a contribution at Yukon Cider.” He didn’t want to take anything for granted. This was an amazing opportunity for him to prove his worth.
“Are you enjoying working at the company? Is it in your wheelhouse?” Sophia asked.
“I’m actually surprised by how much I’m enjoying it. I’ve never done anything like this before. I never felt particularly good at anything growing up. Xavier had sports. Landon had the laboratory. And I didn’t really have anything until I tried out forRomeo and Julietin middle school.”
“Let me guess. You won the part of Romeo.”
“Oh, no. That went to my best friend, Hal. I got the part of Tybalt, and if I may say so, I ate that role up. The acting bug bit me, and ever since then it’s been my passion.”
She knitted her brows together. “So how did you end up on reality television?”
A sigh slipped past his lips. “Rodney, my agent, thought it would be a great stepping stone. He believed that America would fall in love with me, and I could write my ticket inHollywood.” He let out a snort. “Here I was imagining myself as the next Michael B. Jordan, when in reality that show sank my credibility and made me a laughingstock.”
“That’s tough,” Sophia said, her eyes radiating compassion. “Is it still a passion of yours?”
“Yes,” Caleb admitted. “I tried for a long time to get acting gigs, but it never went my way. Now, after being onLove Him or Leave Him, nobody wants to even give me a shot at auditioning. But, honestly, I still harbor the dream of being a working actor.” He ran a hand over his jaw. “I can’t seem to let it go.”
“Maybe being the focus of this campaign will change things for you. Repping Yukon Cider will put you out there in a new light.” Sophia was nodding at him from across the table as if it weren’t a fantastical thing for him to aspire to.
That was Caleb’s hope. If the campaign and product took off, Caleb might gain a little traction in the entertainment world. If he did a good job, who knew where this could lead? He tried not to dream too big or allow his mind to wander to a life in California as an actor. Caleb knew it was a long shot, but stranger things had happened. Who would have thought that Xavier would become an NFL player and win the Super Bowl with his teammates?
Dreams, as his mother often said, were hopes wrapped up in ambitions.
Why shouldn’t he continue to hope for all of his Hollywood dreams to come true? Honestly, it was all he had ever truly wanted. Sometimes it seemed as if he’d been born with this particular dream etched on his heart.
“And you… what do you dream about, Sophia?” he asked, hoping for another glimpse into her heart and mind.
“Well, I love what I do. This chance to work for Yukon Cider is beyond my wildest dreams. Being able to make a wonderful life for my daughter is pretty high on my list.”The tenderness laced in her voice was telling. A mother’s love for their child was like no other.
“Something tells me you’ve already created an amazing world for Lily.” He reached across the table and squeezed her hand. Caleb sensed that Sophia worried a lot about Lily. His mind flashed back to the moment in the attic when she’d burst into tears at the idea of not making it back home to her daughter. Caleb just knew that Sophia was an incredible, caring mother.
Sophia ducked her head and focused on the table. When she finally drew her head up, he spotted a sheen of moisture in her eyes. “Thanks for saying that. As a single mother I’m always questioning if I’m doing right by her.”
“Is she a happy kid?”
“Yes, I think so.” Sophia crinkled her nose. “She likes to laugh a lot. And she’s super funny and smart.”
“If she’s happy, then you’re doing loads of things right,” Caleb said. “And I was raised by a single mom. And look at how I turned out,” he said, playfully puffing out his chest.
Sophia giggled. “Daisy did a great job with her three sons. She’s an inspiration to me.”
“I come from a long line of outstanding women,” Caleb acknowledged. He considered himself privileged to share blood ties with them.
Forty minutes later he and Sophia were saying their goodbyes outside on the sidewalk. Sophia stood up to give him a hug goodbye and the soft tendrils of her hair brushed across his face. His stomach started doing flips and bounces. He very much wanted to kiss her, wanted to pull her against him and press his lips against hers. But they were in broad daylight with town residents rushing by all around them. Life was all about timing.
He took a step toward her so that there was very littlespace between them. Caleb was feeling so good about Sophia at this moment. He wanted to stretch out their time together as much as possible. She was looking up at him with a certain brightness in her eyes that made him think she wanted to be kissed. One step closer and their bodies would be touching. He reached out and brushed his palm across her cheek. Caleb was within a hair’s breadth of placing his lips on hers. It was becoming harder and harder for him to remember his vow to not become embroiled in a romantic relationship.
At the moment the urge to lock lips with Sophia was more potent than anything else.
No, he would wait until the time was right. When he didn’t have a single doubt in his mind that kissing Sophia was something they both wanted and needed. And when that moment came, he had the feeling it just might be like fireworks in December.
The moment had quickly passed during which Sophia had believed that Caleb was mere seconds away from kissing her. Her face heated at the memory of how she’d turned her face upward in anticipation of the kiss. She had been ready, willing, and able to lock lips with him. Rather than lay one on her, Caleb had stepped back and told her that he would see her on Monday.
