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“I should take this. It’ll only be a minute. Make yourself at home.”
Aaron nodded and went on to the kitchen while Caleb turned back to the living room.
“Hey, Phil. This—”
“Caleb, what are you trying to do to us?” His agent never was one for small talk. “You’ve been cleared to skate, and yet you’re still up there relaxing with your hometown crowd. And I’ve seen pictures of you on ice with kids. What’s going on?”
“If you know I’m cleared to skate, you know that happened, like, three hours ago. As for the kids, I’m helping out a friend who coaches a local team. I’d think you’d love that kind of publicity.”
“Not while you’re supposed to be injured! If you’re going to do that kind of stuff, you should do it here so local TV can cover it, not in some small town no one cares about. You know what you do in the media is even more important with the upcoming contract negotiations.”
“Important to you, or to the team?” Caleb tried not to get frustrated since Phil worked for his best interest, but he wasn’t in the mood for a lecture. “I’ve got more than a decade in New York. If they wanted me to be in the city, I’d be—”
“It’s perception, Caleb. You’ve done this long enough—”
“I’m not having this conversation right now. I’ll call you tomorrow.” He disconnected before Phil could piss him off further, then put the phone on silent. He took a deep breath before he went returned to the kitchen, where he found Aaron sitting at the island. “Sorry about that.”
“That was bubbling and sending sauce onto the stove,” Aaron said, pointing to Caleb’s workstation, “so I stirred it and cleaned up.”
“You didn’t have to do that. Most of it splattered before you got here.”
“Not a problem. It’s the least I can do for the meal.”
Caleb checked the pot before turning quickly back to Aaron. “I’m an awful host. Would you like something to drink?”
“No, I’m good.”
“I’ve got a great wine to go with dinner. We’ll be ready in just a few minutes.”
“I’m impressed with all the work your parents did on the house.”
Caleb opened the oven and pulled out the garlic bread. “They renovated right after they retired, and this was their biggest project. I don’t think they even use the living room anymore. They usually just sit where you are and do whatever, especially since they put the TV in.” Caleb indicated the screen mounted to the wall with a pivot so it could be seen from the adjacent dining room or anywhere in the kitchen. “Or they just sit on the deck,” he said as he transferred the bread into a serving basket, “where they essentially built a second living room.”
“Where are they, anyway? On the way here, I was trying to remember the last time I’d seen them in town.”
“Let’s see. Today I think they’re in Rome.” Caleb picked his phone up from the counter and flipped through some screens. “Yup, Rome today and tomorrow. They’re doing an around-the-world trip.”
“That’s a bucket-list thing for me. They’re having a good retirement, I hope.”
“Oh yes. They’ve even learned how to use Facebook Live to show Pam and me things in real time.”
“You set all that up for them, didn’t you?”
“Yeah. They gave us a lot growing up, and I was in a position to help them do anything they wanted. Redo the house. Go on a trip. Whatever.” The timer dinged, and Caleb pulled the pot off the stove and carefully emptied the contents into a large bowl. “Dinner’s ready. We can eat here, in the dining room, or outside.”
“Outside? Really?” Aaron sounded dubious. “It’s nice out, but a little chilly.”
“Trust me. I can fix that. Just follow me.” Caleb took the big bowl of steaming pasta and the garlic bread.
“I’ll grab these.” Aaron took the plates, napkins, glasses, and utensils from the counter and followed. He stopped just outside the door to the deck. “Whoa. This is nice.”
“Hang on.” Caleb set the food down on the table and returned to flip some switches on a panel by the door. Two heaters turned on, a waterfall activated farther away, and outdoor lighting illuminated the entire yard.
“Dang,” Aaron said.
“They wanted to extend spring and fall just a bit. Be right back. Just need the wine.” Caleb darted back inside.
When he returned, Aaron had set up places on the table. Caleb watched from behind as Aaron served the food. Was this what life could be like if he settled down with someone—really took the time to find the right person and build a life? A simple weekday meal on the back deck, home-cooked, winding down at the end of the day.
