“She’s in her princess era,” Sophia said in a loud whisper.
“Shh, Mommy. He’s about to start the story,” Lily said, frowning.
“Once upon a time,” Caleb began, using his most dramatic, princely voice, “there was a beautiful little princess named… Lily.” Lily’s eyes went wide. Caleb had changed the name, just to see her smile. Mission accomplished.
By the time he was finished reading, Lily was fast asleep. Caleb gently stood up and closed the book. Sophia tiptoed over to Lily’s bed and placed the cover on top of her until only her face was showing. She leaned down and pressed a kiss on Lily’s forehead. “Good night, sweetheart,” she whispered. A soft night-light glowed next to her bed.
“Good night, Princess Lily,” Caleb said, before taking Sophia’s hand and heading out of the bedroom. They stepped outside into the hallway, with Sophia softly closing the door behind them.
“Thanks for reading her a bedtime story,” Sophia said. “That was awfully sweet of you.”
“My pleasure,” Caleb said. “That used to be me as a kid. Always clamoring for a story before bedtime.”
“Just like Lily,” Sophia said. “You two are birds of a feather.”
“I should head home, since we’ve both got work in the morning,” Caleb said, “but I’m so glad I stopped by.”
“I am too,” Sophia said. “And thanks again for bringing my purse over. I’m sure panic would have set in once I realized that it was missing.”
“Happy to oblige,” Caleb said. “Meeting your family, especially Lily, was incredibly special. She’s one amazing kid.”
“I’m so lucky,” she said, letting out a contented sigh. He was happy to see her in such a good place after her frustration earlier over her ex. Being with family and Lily had to feel reassuring, he imagined.
“I hope to see you tomorrow,” he said, knowing hewouldn’t be working with her again for a few days. She’d told him earlier that they were going to do an outdoors shoot by the mountains. He rubbed his hands together and shifted from one foot to the other.
“Me too,” she said in a soft voice. He knew she was probably talking in a low voice so she didn’t wake Lily up.
Caleb leaned down and brushed a kiss over her lips. Sophia reached up and placed her arms around his neck and kissed him back with an abundance of tenderness. In its own way this kiss was just as spectacular as their earlier one. After it ended, he was buzzing with endorphins.
A few minutes later he was in his vehicle driving back to Hattie’s house. The moon was brilliant in a pitch-black sky. The back roads were dark, save for the moon and a smattering of twinkling stars. The soft rhythms of an R & B station filled the air. He began to hum along to the music, experiencing a peace of mind he hadn’t enjoyed in quite some time. Never in a million years had he imagined finding such peace here in Alaska. It was strange how one’s life could turn on a dime. Coming to Moose Falls had been a risk, but at the moment he felt like it had been one of the best decisions he’d ever made in his life.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The rest of the work week passed by in a blur with Sophia’s workload centered around the new campaign featuring Caleb. Although they took more pictures, she was so busy trying to get the project off the ground that there was no time to really connect with him. He had invited her to dinner, but she had asked for a rain check for another time. Between work and spending time with Lily, she was totally swamped.
It was a shame, since she enjoyed every moment she spent in his presence.
Sophia had an important meeting with Hattie, who weighed in on the initial batch of photos. Although she didn’t usually get nervous about her work, Sophia knew there was a lot riding on this campaign. Like Caleb, she didn’t want to let Hattie down.
“I’m thrilled with what you’ve done so far,” Hattie told her. “These photos are all winners. Not a bad one in the bunch. You’re good, Sophia.”
“Thank you,” she said. “It’s pretty incredible to be able to do what I love. And thanks for hiring me. Working for you is a privilege.”
Hattie had reached over and patted her hand. “The privilege is all mine. Working with so many young people is giving me life.” She cackled.
“Hattie, I’ve never met anyone who has a bigger zest for life than you do.” And she meant it. Hattie was such an inspiration for all those in her circle and in the Moose Falls community. She was still pushing and striving despite a diagnosis that would have kept most folks confined to their beds. Sophia was going to soak up everything she could from Hattie in the weeks and months ahead.
“Have you shown these to Caleb?” Hattie asked, tapping the photos with her finger.
“Not all of them. The first day we were shooting I gave him a peek at some of the initial shots. He was pretty excited.” Just the thought of Hattie’s grandson made her smile. It had been a pleasure to work with him. He had a good attitude and a strong work ethic. He also had a great sense of humor.
“I think that I’d like to see how it goes if we bring in a female model to shoot with Caleb. We’re going to show these photos to some test audiences, and I’m curious as to how they’ll respond to a romantic angle. What do you think?”
“Honestly, I can’t imagine the photos turning out better than these, but it’s a good idea. Caleb has lots of masculine appeal, so he could generate some real chemistry.”
“Sounds like a plan. Let me know when you book a model and plan the shoot. I love being on set to watch it all unfold,” Hattie said, sounding gleeful.
“Will do,” Sophia had said, making a mental note to contact a modeling agency ASAP. This campaign was proceeding at a lightning-fast speed. She wondered if Hattie was fast-tracking it due to her illness. Maybe she wanted to see this new line—and Caleb—take off into orbit.
