Chapter Eight
CHAPTER EIGHT
Clearly, winter weather wasn’t quite done with Moose Falls. The fluffy white stuff had left a snowy covering all over town. Caleb wasn’t used to driving over snow-covered Alaskan roads, but nothing was going to get in the way of his coffee date with Sophia at the Charmed café. Maybe “date” was the wrong word to use. Meetup? Caleb wanted it to be a date, but he was still testing the waters with Sophia. Ever since their face-to-face last week when she’d apologized to him, thoughts of Sophia hadn’t been far from his mind.
The café was located in the heart of the main downtown area. He pulled up in front of a pink gingerbread-style house that looked as if it had come straight out of a storybook. Even the windows had colorful shutters that brought to mind Hansel and Gretel.
Once he walked inside, the smell of baked goods and coffee assailed his senses. The aromas were tantalizing, making him observe that he was hungrier than he’d realized. Or maybe it was just the heavenly aromas swirling around the establishment. A brick hearth boasted a roaring fire.
Caleb quickly realized that Sophia had beat him to the café. She was sitting at a table waving at him. She couldn’t have looked any more vibrant in a poppy-colored peacoat and a jaunty black beret. She stood up when he reached the table, and they shared a quick hug. He inhaled the light fragrance that clung to Sophia.
“This is a nice spot,” Caleb said, looking around after they both sat down. The interior was cozy with pictures of fairy-tale stories hanging on the walls. The colors were bright and warm.
“It’s new,” Sophia told him. “Owned and operated by my good friend Vincent Loupin. He’s so creative.” She gestured toward the menu. “What do you want? It’s my treat as part of the apology tour.”
“That’s not necessary,” Caleb said. “I invited you.”
Sophia winked at him. “Vincent gives me a pretty good discount, so just go with it.”
Caleb held up his hands. “Okay, it’s your treat. Now I just have to decide what to order.” He picked up the menu and began looking it over. “I love these fancy names for the drinks. Merry Matcha. Lover’s Latte. Ever After Espresso.” He let out a chuckle. “Someone has a great imagination.”
“Well, thank you very much,” a thickly accented voice said. “I’m the owner, Vincent.” A tall, balding man in his mid-thirties stood next to their table, smiling broadly.
“I’m Caleb. Caleb Stone,” he said, introducing himself.
Vincent’s eyes lit up. “Hattie’s grandson? It’s a pleasure to meet any relation of Hattie. I’m a huge fan of hers.”
“If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard that since I arrived in Moose Falls, I’d be a rich man,” Caleb said. “Is that a French accent I hear?”
“Oui,” Vincent said with an amiable smile. “I’m from a small town in the south of France. La Gaude. I came to Alaska about five years ago, and only some months ago opened up this café. My life’s dream.”
“It’s a wonderful place, Vincent,” Sophia gushed. “Wait till you try les patisseries, Caleb. The croissants are to die for.” She closed her eyes and let out a moan of appreciation.
“Merci, Sophia,” Vincent said. “I’m grateful for your patronage.”
He knew from his high school French that patisseries meant baked goods. Other than that he was lost with the language. He did believe that everything sounded better when spoken in French.
“You don’t have to tell me twice. The moment I walked in, the aroma nearly brought me to my knees.” Caleb sniffed the air. “If you could bottle this scent, people would line up to buy it.”
Vincent nodded at Caleb. “I like your style. Let me know if I can help you with the menu. Sophia here is an expert, so you’re in good hands.”
“He’s nice,” Caleb said once Vincent had walked away. “Loads of personality. And creativity. It takes a lot of courage to open a new business, especially these days.”
“He’s the best,” Sophia said. “I hope this place takes off with the locals. He’ll be crushed if it doesn’t.”
“I’ve got a good feeling about it. I’ll spread the word at Yukon Cider to my colleagues. They’ll fill this place up fast.”
“That would be wonderful,” Sophia said. “I’m going to slip Hattie his card so she can use his services for any upcoming events she might be hosting. He has a full-service catering menu.”
Caleb chuckled. “Are you sure you’re not his business partner? You’re really hustling for him.” He liked seeing Sophia stepping out and doing a good deed to help someone else. It told him a lot about the woman he was just getting acquainted with. Vincent was a small-business owner who could use the boost to his business.
“So, what looks good to you?” Sophia asked. “I’m eyeing the gingerbread swirl latte and the chocolate croissant.”
“This is a tough choice,” Caleb said, frowning as he studied the menu. “I’m just going to bite the bullet. I could stare at this menu all day.” He stroked his jaw. “How about I try the cinnamon mocha cappuccino and the sourdough doughnut?”
She gave him an approving nod. “Great choices.” She turned to wave at the waitress, who quickly came over and took their order.
“I’ve got something for you,” Caleb said, leaning over and reaching into the bag he’d brought with him. He had wrapped the Leica in tissue paper and a soft blanket with an abundance of caution. A little research had shown him that the camera was a rare piece that sold for a great deal of money. He wanted to make sure he handed it over to Sophia in one piece.
She let out a gasp of surprise mixed with joy as he handed the camera over. “Here’s your baby. Why don’t you take the bag as well? For safekeeping.”
Sophia reached for the camera, her movements gentle as she ran her hand over the Leica. She looked through the lens as a huge smile broke out on her face. It was evident to him that she was handling the camera with love and care. She still seemed in awe that Hattie had given her such a precious gift. It was apparent that she would treat it with reverence. Hattie must have known Sophia would deeply appreciate the gift, because as much as Hattie treasured the memory of her precious husband, she had gifted Sophia with his camera. Once she’d lovingly inspected the Leica, Sophia wrapped it back up and gently placed it back in the bag.
“Thanks for reuniting me with this,” she said. “If you can’t tell, I’m over the moon about it. Some girls love Louis Vuitton purses, but I’m all about vintage cameras.”
“So, what led you into photography?” he asked. As someone who had a creative side himself, he was always fascinated with origin stories. He wanted to know everything he possibly could about Sophia. Her likes. Dislikes. What made her tick.
“It was the only thing I was ever any good at,” she said.
Caleb rolled his eyes. “That’s doubtful.”
“No, seriously, my dad was the one who stumbled upon an amazing camera, a Nikon. He owned a vintage store, and cameras were always big sellers. This particular one was a beauty.” She let out a low whistle. “I fell in love with it, and rather than selling it, my dad gifted it to me for Christmas.” Her face lit up at the memory. “If you had seen me open that box up on Christmas morning, you would have known that at that moment I was the happiest little girl in the world. Ten years old and I had my own Nikon. It still gives me goose bumps.”
Just then their order was delivered to their table. Steaming mugs of coffee were placed in front of them, filling their space with heady aromas. They both dug into their baked goods. Caleb had never had a sourdough doughnut before, but this was delicious. He was discovering that sourdough was a thing in Alaska. Sourdough bread in particular was a regular staple here.
“Mmm. Good, huh?” Sophia asked after taking a bite of her croissant.
“Delicious,” he agreed, blowing on his coffee before taking a sip. “So when do you start at Yukon Cider? I’m looking forward to being in front of the camera.”
“I start on Monday, and from what Hattie told me, she wants us to get started right away. I would love your input on some brainstorming I’ve been doing. I want to do a lot of outdoor shots to take advantage of the gorgeous Alaskan landscape.”
“I like the idea of a natural setting. Maybe by the mountains or the falls,” he suggested. “We took my mom on a hike near the mountains, and all I can say is it was pretty incredible.”
“That’s what I was thinking as well,” Sophia said, excitement laced through her voice. “Hattie gave me some information about the new campaign. This cider is going to be like nothing on the market. All natural.”
Caleb was excited about the idea of the campaign being successful. “I’m hoping to help knock this one out of the park. I really want to make a contribution at Yukon Cider.” He didn’t want to take anything for granted. This was an amazing opportunity for him to prove his worth.
“Are you enjoying working at the company? Is it in your wheelhouse?” Sophia asked.
“I’m actually surprised by how much I’m enjoying it. I’ve never done anything like this before. I never felt particularly good at anything growing up. Xavier had sports. Landon had the laboratory. And I didn’t really have anything until I tried out for Romeo and Juliet in middle school.”
“Let me guess. You won the part of Romeo.”
“Oh, no. That went to my best friend, Hal. I got the part of Tybalt, and if I may say so, I ate that role up. The acting bug bit me, and ever since then it’s been my passion.”
She knitted her brows together. “So how did you end up on reality television?”
A sigh slipped past his lips. “Rodney, my agent, thought it would be a great stepping stone. He believed that America would fall in love with me, and I could write my ticket in Hollywood.” He let out a snort. “Here I was imagining myself as the next Michael B. Jordan, when in reality that show sank my credibility and made me a laughingstock.”
“That’s tough,” Sophia said, her eyes radiating compassion. “Is it still a passion of yours?”
“Yes,” Caleb admitted. “I tried for a long time to get acting gigs, but it never went my way. Now, after being on Love Him or Leave Him , nobody wants to even give me a shot at auditioning. But, honestly, I still harbor the dream of being a working actor.” He ran a hand over his jaw. “I can’t seem to let it go.”
“Maybe being the focus of this campaign will change things for you. Repping Yukon Cider will put you out there in a new light.” Sophia was nodding at him from across the table as if it weren’t a fantastical thing for him to aspire to.
That was Caleb’s hope. If the campaign and product took off, Caleb might gain a little traction in the entertainment world. If he did a good job, who knew where this could lead? He tried not to dream too big or allow his mind to wander to a life in California as an actor. Caleb knew it was a long shot, but stranger things had happened. Who would have thought that Xavier would become an NFL player and win the Super Bowl with his teammates?
Dreams, as his mother often said, were hopes wrapped up in ambitions.
Why shouldn’t he continue to hope for all of his Hollywood dreams to come true? Honestly, it was all he had ever truly wanted. Sometimes it seemed as if he’d been born with this particular dream etched on his heart.
“And you… what do you dream about, Sophia?” he asked, hoping for another glimpse into her heart and mind.
“Well, I love what I do. This chance to work for Yukon Cider is beyond my wildest dreams. Being able to make a wonderful life for my daughter is pretty high on my list.” The tenderness laced in her voice was telling. A mother’s love for their child was like no other.
“Something tells me you’ve already created an amazing world for Lily.” He reached across the table and squeezed her hand. Caleb sensed that Sophia worried a lot about Lily. His mind flashed back to the moment in the attic when she’d burst into tears at the idea of not making it back home to her daughter. Caleb just knew that Sophia was an incredible, caring mother.
Sophia ducked her head and focused on the table. When she finally drew her head up, he spotted a sheen of moisture in her eyes. “Thanks for saying that. As a single mother I’m always questioning if I’m doing right by her.”
“Is she a happy kid?”
“Yes, I think so.” Sophia crinkled her nose. “She likes to laugh a lot. And she’s super funny and smart.”
“If she’s happy, then you’re doing loads of things right,” Caleb said. “And I was raised by a single mom. And look at how I turned out,” he said, playfully puffing out his chest.
Sophia giggled. “Daisy did a great job with her three sons. She’s an inspiration to me.”
“I come from a long line of outstanding women,” Caleb acknowledged. He considered himself privileged to share blood ties with them.
Forty minutes later he and Sophia were saying their goodbyes outside on the sidewalk. Sophia stood up to give him a hug goodbye and the soft tendrils of her hair brushed across his face. His stomach started doing flips and bounces. He very much wanted to kiss her, wanted to pull her against him and press his lips against hers. But they were in broad daylight with town residents rushing by all around them. Life was all about timing.
He took a step toward her so that there was very little space between them. Caleb was feeling so good about Sophia at this moment. He wanted to stretch out their time together as much as possible. She was looking up at him with a certain brightness in her eyes that made him think she wanted to be kissed. One step closer and their bodies would be touching. He reached out and brushed his palm across her cheek. Caleb was within a hair’s breadth of placing his lips on hers. It was becoming harder and harder for him to remember his vow to not become embroiled in a romantic relationship.
At the moment the urge to lock lips with Sophia was more potent than anything else.
No, he would wait until the time was right. When he didn’t have a single doubt in his mind that kissing Sophia was something they both wanted and needed. And when that moment came, he had the feeling it just might be like fireworks in December.
The moment had quickly passed during which Sophia had believed that Caleb was mere seconds away from kissing her. Her face heated at the memory of how she’d turned her face upward in anticipation of the kiss. She had been ready, willing, and able to lock lips with him. Rather than lay one on her, Caleb had stepped back and told her that he would see her on Monday.
Talk about feeling deflated. She didn’t think she had ever been as disappointed in her life! It had been ages since she had enjoyed a wonderful kiss, and every instinct told her that Caleb was an amazing kisser. Those lips of his didn’t lie. Sophia burst out laughing at the direction of her thoughts. This is what happened to a person when they went too long without romance in their life.
Over coffee and treats at Charmed, Sophia had found out a lot about Caleb. Being on the reality show had clearly been a misstep, one that continued to affect him. And it wasn’t fair that Caleb had been made to feel as if his dreams couldn’t come to fruition simply because of a reality show that had presented a slanted view of him.
“That’s okay, Caleb. You’re going to be a rock star by the time I’m through with you,” Sophia said. She felt such a burst of confidence about shooting Caleb and him being the star of the ad campaign. She knew from having watched him on television that the camera loved him.
There was nothing she loved more than a challenge when she was doing photo shoots. Bringing people out of their shells, making a plain person pop on film, creating magic out of the ordinary. But Caleb was extraordinary, and with the right setting and wardrobe, he could really take off as a brand ambassador. With his looks and personality, he would do well in commercials and interviews. It had been a burst of genius from Hattie to pick Caleb as the spokesman. For a woman who was counting down her days, Hattie Stone wasn’t resting on her laurels. She was continuing to make an impact.
Just getting her grandsons to come back to Moose Falls after a twenty-year absence had been miraculous. And everyone in town wanted to give her a standing ovation for bringing three of the hottest men in creation to Alaska. Sophia tried to keep her sadness at bay at the reality that their return wouldn’t completely be a happily-ever-after. Hattie was slipping away from them, more and more with every passing day.
I’m dying, but I’m still living. Hattie’s motto came to mind, serving as a reminder that Hattie still had a lot of living to do. Sophia totally wanted to be a badass like Hattie when she grew up. She wished that she could be more like her—fearless and bold.
When she pulled up in front of her house, she was surprised to find Donny standing by his parked car. She had no idea what he was doing here, unannounced and unwanted. Sophia groaned as she stepped out of her vehicle. This day had started out so well, but now it had taken an unpleasant turn. Nothing good ever came from Donny’s surprise visits.
“Donny. What are you doing here?” she asked as she walked toward him.
“Aren’t you going to invite me in? It’s cold out here.” Donny flashed her a dazzling smile, the same one that had caused Sophia to fall head over heels in love with him. Lily had the same stunning smile on a heart-shaped face.
“You can come in, but I need to pick up Lily soon at her playdate.”
“Well, that’s what I want to talk to you about. Lily.”
Something about his expression told Sophia he was serious about whatever had brought him here. She turned toward her house and walked down the snow-covered path until she reached her front porch. Donny trailed behind her, his feet making a shuffling sound in the snow. Once she was inside, Sophia ushered Donny in and led him toward the den.
She looked at her watch. “I would offer to make you some tea, but I’ve barely got ten minutes before I need to get on the road.”
Donny sank down into a leather chair while Sophia sat in the matching love seat next to him. “What’s going on? You mentioned Lily,” she said, waiting with bated breath for him to speak.
He fiddled with his hands and let out a nervous cough. “I-I want to set up a formal custody agreement with you.”
“We already have one, Donny,” she said with a sigh. “And the majority of the time you don’t honor it. I had to stop even telling Lily you were coming to get her so her little heart wouldn’t get broken when you didn’t show up.”
Donny winced. “I hate that I did that to her, but that’s all in the past now. Lily and I had a great time together, and I want more moments like that with my daughter.”
“Well, start showing up when you’re supposed to,” she snapped. “That would be a good start.”
“I want joint custody, Sophia.”
BAM! His words exploded like fireworks.
“What?” she shouted, thinking she must have misheard him. “You’ve got to be kidding me!”
He clenched his teeth. “I’m serious. I want to make a commitment to our daughter.”
“Wh-where is this coming from?” she sputtered. “You’ve barely spent any time with her at all, and now all of a sudden you want joint custody.”
“I don’t want to miss out on any more of her life. It may seem hard to believe, but I’m being sincere.”
Sophia shook her head, filled with disbelief. “This isn’t a game, Donny.”
“I’ve retained an attorney, Sophia. If nothing else, that should show you that I’m serious.”
She couldn’t believe his nerve. All this time and she had never once resorted to retaining an attorney. Not when he’d missed child support payments or bailed on visitation. Yet now, out of the blue, he was making demands and throwing down the gauntlet.
“I-I think you should leave my house,” she said, gritting her teeth.
“Sophia, let’s not make this adversarial—” he began.
“Stop trying to gaslight me!” She jumped up from her seat, clenching her hands into fists at her side. “That sailed out the door when you went to consult an attorney before having the decency to talk to me first.”
“I had every right to talk to an attorney,” Donny said.
“All the times I’ve shown you grace, and this is how you repay me? By making demands and threatening me with legal action?”
Sophia stormed toward the front door and wrenched it open. “Go, Donny. Leave. Right now. I don’t want to talk to you. I mean it.” The tone of her voice brooked no argument. He knew she wasn’t playing around.
Donny walked over the threshold and out of the house. After walking a few feet away, he turned around and said, “This isn’t over, Sophia. Lily’s my daughter, and I have rights that I fully intend to exercise.”
She went back into the house and slammed the door, dissolving into tears as soon as she was alone. Donny had sounded serious about seeking joint custody. She had never imagined this day would come. And she couldn’t imagine sharing custody with Donny. He was irresponsible and completely undependable. He knew nothing about Lily’s daily routine, the names of her best friends, or her favorite stuffed animals. Donny had been breezing in and out of her life ever since the day she was born.
What was behind this sudden desire to be more present in Lily’s life? Shared custody? If it wasn’t such a serious situation, she might laugh at his audacity. She didn’t even know where to go from here. Should she retain legal counsel to advise her? Not that she could afford it, at least until she started her new position with Yukon Cider. Maybe this was just a passing fancy with Donny. All she could do was hope that in a few days he would reverse course and drop this nonsensical plan.
Leave it to her ex to ruin a perfectly nice day.