“Hey, why don’t you get some shut-eye?” he suggested. “It’s been quite a day for you.”
She let out a yawn and covered her mouth. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I really am beat, and this upcoming week is important. We need to do our on-location shoot and wrap up this campaign.”
Caleb was a bit surprised. The campaign was rolling along like a freight train. “It’s going at warp speed. I’m no expert, but this is fast, isn’t it?” He had a bit of a perspective since he’d been a cast member onLove Him or Leave Him, although he knew marketing a product was different from promoting a reality show.
Sophia bit her lip. “I know. I have a hunch that Hattie istrying to wrap things up before her health declines even further. She wants to see this come to fruition before she goes. Most of all, Hattie wants to see you repping Yukon Cider.”
Caleb was a bit speechless. He hadn’t even considered that possibility. Hattie had lots of life in her yet.
“Hattie’s not going anywhere. That lady is the toughest woman I’ve ever known,” Caleb said. He could hear the defensive tone in his voice.
Honestly, it gutted him to think that his grandmother was trying to get her affairs in order before she passed on. Feeling this way was ridiculous, since Hattie’s impending death was the very reason he was here in Moose Falls. Sometimes he felt as if he were operating in reverse. Instead of leaning toward accepting the inevitable, Caleb was chafing against the reality that Hattie wouldn’t be around a year from now. His chest was suddenly tight, and he was feeling a bit panicky. What was going on with him? None of this was new information, but all of a sudden it was hitting him like a ton of bricks.
“Caleb, are you okay?” Sophia asked in a soft voice. “I’m sorry if I spoke out of turn. The situation with Hattie must be agonizing, especially since you two are so close.”
“I’m fine,” he said, standing up from his seat. He wasn’t really feeling fine, but it wasn’t Sophia’s fault. “But it’s getting late and you need some sleep.”
“If you like, I can make lunch for you tomorrow. It’s the least I could do after you saved my bacon. How about it?” she asked.
“I’m not one to turn down a lunch invitation from a pretty girl,” Caleb said, flashing her a smile. “Mama didn’t raise no fools.”
Sophia made a move to get up, and he stopped her with a gentle hand on her shoulder. “I can see myself out, Sophia.You get some rest. I’ll see you soon.” He pressed a kiss on her forehead and beat a fast path toward the door.
Caleb knew that he hadn’t done a good job at hiding his feelings about Hattie. There was something so sobering about the fact that Hattie might be trying to put finishing touches on her legacy before her illness worsened. Would it be weeks? Months? It hurt his heart to think about losing his grandmother. Slowly but surely he was putting things in perspective. He thought back to how heartbroken he had been after losing Abby, and although it was a different type of love, it paled in comparison to what he was feeling now.
Caleb inhaled a deep breath as he stepped outside into the chilly night air. It was so cold he could see his breath in front of his face. As he drove back to Hattie’s house, his mind was racing. He was starting to experience a sense of belonging here in Moose Falls. He was no longer a stranger getting reacquainted with his childhood hometown. He enjoyed his work at Yukon Cider and the many friendships he’d developed with his colleagues. Living with his brothers under Hattie’s roof took him all the way back to his younger years, when he woke up in the morning and looked out of his bedroom window to the sight of majestic snowcapped mountains. Words couldn’t describe the way that northern lights shimmered and pulsed in the skies. While his relationship with Red was far from close, they were on solid ground. And Hattie—feisty, irrepressible Hattie—easy to love and tattooed on his heart for all time.
And now, he was establishing a bond with Sophia and her daughter. It was nothing like anything he had ever known. He hadn’t expected this thunderstruck feeling, this desire to spend every waking moment with her. In actuality, he’d been running from the mere prospect of catching feelingsfor anyone. But now he knew with a deep certainty that he wasn’t in love with Abby anymore.
Up to this point he hadn’t allowed himself to admit the depth of his feelings for Sophia. He was falling for the gorgeous single mom, and it scared him to death.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
After Caleb left her house, Sophia forced herself to get up from the couch, even though she could easily drift off to sleep right here. Sophia locked up, turned off all the downstairs lights, and trudged up the stairs. Quietly, she stepped into Lily’s bedroom and walked over to her bed. Her daughter was sleeping like an angel, peacefully curled up with her teddy bear in her arms. The night-light softly illuminated Lily’s brown skin, making it glow.
“Good night, sweet girl,” she whispered, leaning over and placing a kiss on her temple. Lily was sleeping so soundly she didn’t even stir. The love she held in her heart for Lily was so strong and powerful it made her feel weak in the knees.
As she fell asleep, Sophia had a picture in her mind of Caleb—his infectious smile, his dimples, and his warm brown skin. The way he looked at her as if she were all that mattered in the world. She drifted off thinking about him.
The following morning, Lily was up and at ’em right after Sophia herself woke up. Her daughter couldn’t stop talking about the events of the previous day and how much fun it was.
“I had three sitters,” Lily told her over breakfast.
“Three?” Sophia asked as she took a big gulp of her coffee.
“Yep,” Lily said, smiling as she ate a spoonful of her cereal.
Sophia frowned at her. “What were their names?”
“Caleb was the boss. Umm,” Lily said, as if trying to remember.
“Was one Landon?” Sophia asked.
Lily nodded before slurping down her cereal milk. When she finished, there was a milk mustache above her mouth. “And one was called X something.”
“Xavier, right?” Sophia already knew the answer. The three Stone brothers were as thick as thieves. A contemporary Three Musketeers.
“Yeah, but I couldn’t say his name, so he said I could call him X,” Lily told her. “We had so much fun.”
