“Not in so many words. I know there’s an inheritance at stake and ownership of Yukon Cider, but I don’t know the particulars. And I can’t pry into his family’s business like that. To make matters more complicated, he’s always wanted to be in the entertainment industry. That’s the whole reason he went on that stupid show in the first place.”
Skip chuckled. “Umm, so now it’s a stupid show? You watched it faithfully every week. Some might say you were the show’s number one fan.”
“That was before they did a number on Caleb,” Sophia said in a raised voice. “They could have portrayed him in a way that didn’t demonize him, but they wanted over-the-top ratings and a scandalous storyline, all at his expense. If only they had shown his strength and humor, along with his compassion and drive. Things would have been so different. The audience would have fallen in love with him.”
Her father studied her from across the table. His expression softened. “Like you have?”
She swallowed past the huge lump in her throat. Even though she’d been worrying about falling in love with Caleb, the truth was radiating from her father’s eyes. He’d come upon the realization before she had.
She was madly, wildly, deeply in love with Caleb Stone.
Caleb was trying not to be annoyed by the fact that Sophia had just turned down his lunch invitation, citing a prior engagement. Was she really unavailable, or was Sophia blowing him off? A groan of frustration slipped past his lips. Why was he acting like such an idiot? Sophia was an honest person, and there was no reason for her to lie. A part of him knew that he was looking for problems when none existed. It wasn’t at all like him to have self-doubt when it came to women.
He let out a snort. Prior to finding his passion for acting, wooing females had been Caleb’s number one skill. He was ashamed to admit it now, but he’d been proud of that particular claim to fame. He had been a lady’s man, to say the least. He’d evolved enough to know that he had needed to be good at something. Anything, simply not to be mediocre.
Perhaps his current angst was karma biting him in the butt. For so many years he had played with women’s heartstrings, never making sure that their feelings were protected. His relationship with Abby had been cosmic payback. He’d been put through sheer agony as a result of giving his heart away to someone who hadn’t truly wanted it.
And now things had come full circle.
Caleb didn’t want to have all of these feelings swirling around inside him, but they were impossible to ignore. He didn’t want to count on Sophia being in his life when he’dvowed to never place his faith in a woman again. That’s when the rug got pulled from underneath a person. That’s when one made a fool of oneself. And Caleb didn’t want to go out like that. Not again. Been there, done that. He had the scars to prove it.
The last thing Caleb wanted to do was hurt Sophia with his indecision. His life was in limbo at the moment, and he couldn’t offer her anything of substance. Perhaps he was becoming a better man because he was actually thinking about how his actions would affect Sophia. He cared about her.
Being in Alaska for a year had been part of the agreement with Hattie. Time was flying by, and before they knew it, he and his brothers would have to make a huge, life-altering decision about Yukon Cider. Would Moose Falls be a good fit for him long-term? He thought it could work out, but a niggling thought was bothering him. He’d never managed to quash his dreams of making a name for himself in the acting world. Oh, he knew that it might never work out for him to become a big Hollywood name, but he would be content to find work in the industry. Would he be able to let go of his big dream in order to pursue other aspirations right here in town?
His phone buzzed, and he frowned at the screen, not recognizing the number that popped up. He impulsively decided to pick up the call, figuring he could always block the number if it was a telemarketer.
“Hello,” Caleb said.
“Is this Caleb Stone?” the voice on the other end asked.
“Yes, this is Caleb.” His tone was crisp and no-nonsense.
“This is Eddie Maynor. I’m a talent agent.”
Caleb froze. “I-I know who you are,” Caleb responded. His heart was thundering in his chest. Was he being punked? Why would Eddie Maynor be calling him?
“I hope you’re doing well, Caleb. I’m calling because I’m interested in offering you representation. I’m a big fan of your Yukon Cider campaign.”
“Wow,” Caleb said, feeling a bit blown away by this unexpected call. “I’m a bit surprised at the call. I haven’t had an agent in a minute.”
“I’m aware. You were working with Rodney Tolliver, weren’t you?” Eddie asked.
“I was,” Caleb admitted. Their relationship had soured after his disastrous stint onLove Him or Leave Him. “He hasn’t repped me for quite some time.”
“Well, Caleb, I would love to fly to Alaska and discuss this over a meal and some hard cider. How does that sound?”
“I’m open to it, but not promising anything,” Caleb said. “This time around, I’m going to weigh my options.”
“Hey, let’s just meet up and see what happens,” Eddie said, sounding agreeable.
“I’ll call you if I decide on whether I want to take the meeting,” Caleb said.
After the call ended, Caleb sat for a moment marveling at how swiftly things could turn on a dime. He didn’t want to get his hopes up, but this opportunity could be life-changing. The campaign had gone viral, and he was being referred to as the Yukon Cider Hottie. Hattie was getting a serious kick out of that nickname. And if he was being honest, he was savoring it as well. Who could blame him? For so long his name had been dragged through the mud, and he hadn’t been taken seriously within the industry.
Red had invited him and his brothers to hang out with him this evening. Xavier was busy with Jaylen, and Landon had caught a bad cold, so neither one of them was available. Because he was still trying to find his footing with his father and build a relationship, Caleb accepted the invite. Maybe hecould do a little digging and get some answers about Red’s vanishing act and the reasons his marriage had fallen apart. This would provide him with a perfect opportunity to open up a discussion with his dad.
How could he truly move forward with his own future if he didn’t even understand his own past? When he was a kid, before the divorce, he’d idolized Red. Caleb remembered how he had been his dad’s shadow, trailing around after him like he was the Earth, moon, sun, and stars. All of that had shifted once his parents split up.
