“Did you assume she wanted a big wedding, or did she assume you wanted one, so she’s trying to make you happy?” Caleb loved a party, after all, and Wes never had the sense that Isabel liked being the center of attention.
“Don’t all women want a wedding like that?” Caleb sounded puzzled.
“Isabel isn’t all women,” Wes reminded him.
“I don’t know,” said Caleb thoughtfully. “I guess we didn’t talk about it? Like, I proposed, and we were happy and stuff, but we didn’t talk details. We went to Mike’s wedding around then, and we were talking about how cool it was, I remember that. It was on a boat, huge blowout.”
“Maybe you should talk to her.”
“It’ll probably pass. I’ll deal.” He sighed, and Wes could almost see him shake it off. “Enough of me. How’s your investigation going? How’s Nadine?” He drew the name out like he did when they were teenagers and Caleb was ragging on him about his crushes.
He couldn’t help smiling. “She’s good. Easy to work with.”
“No problems from the other night?”
“We’re kind of sleeping together now.” When Caleb made a humming noise, Wes went on alert. “What?”
“Be careful, okay, man?”
He stiffened. “Careful how?”
“You don’t usually do casual.”
“There’s a first time for everything.”
“There is, but is this it? How are you going to mesh your need to get in there and be Mr. Fix-It for everyone’s lives with letting things just happen?Casualmeansno feelings.”
“It’s called caring for others, and I can do both.”
Caleb laughed as if genuinely amused. “Are you serious? You can’t move out from your mom’s place because you’re worried she’ll be upset. There’s caring, and there’s self-sacrifice.”
Wes wanted to argue, but Caleb had known him for years and was only echoing what Amy had also said.
“Wes?” asked Caleb.
“That doesn’t have anything to do with Nadine.”
“You seriously don’t see it? How you put everyone over yourself and how that’s not the best way to start a casual thing with a woman you actually might like?”
“I can handle this.”
“Sure, bud. How about I think about talking to Isabel and you think about what you’re doing with Nadine?”
“Deal.”
They disconnected as Nadine’s voice came from the conservatory entrance. “Wes? It’s dinner.”
“Coming.”
She waited for him, looking adorable with an apron wrapped around her clothes and her hair a tousled mop. “I made dal,” she said. “It’s my brother’s girlfriend’s recipe.”
That explained the bright yellow stains on her apron. Turmeric. “Sounds good.”
He offered her the bowl of chopped garden cilantro, and she waved it away. “It tastes like soap. I don’t like it.”
“Then why did you prepare it?”
“In case you wanted it.” She handed him the salt and smiled at him. His heart jumped. “Who were you talking to earlier?”
