Chapter Twelve
CHAPTER TWELVE
“It’s about time we talked,” Xavier said as he sat back in his chair and crossed his hands thoughtfully in front of him on his desk. It was their Friday lunch hour, and Xavier had called an emergency meeting for the Stone brothers.
“We talk all the time,” Caleb said, unwrapping his turkey-bacon sandwich from the plastic wrap and taking a huge bite.
“But not about our mindset regarding Yukon Cider. We’ve been avoiding this discussion,” Landon said. He dug into his own lunch, two Caesar wrap sandwiches and a large bag of chips. For someone so lean, Caleb was noticing Landon could really pack it in.
“We’ve all been busy,” Caleb told them. He didn’t know why, but he felt a little defensive. Making a decision about whether or not to stay and run the company was getting more complicated by the day. In the beginning, their grandmother was just a fuzzy memory from their childhood. But after living and working with Hattie for the past months, she was now permanently tattooed on their hearts. It was hard to believe that she hadn’t always been a presence in their lives.
“This is important stuff, so we have to make time to discuss it,” Xavier said, sounding like the older brother that he was. This was Xavier’s sweet spot. Taking charge and leading the way. Now that he was engaged to True, Caleb was curious about his thoughts on the matter.
“You’re right,” Caleb conceded. “Time is ticking away.”
“So, where do you stand?” Landon asked, looking at Xavier.
“It’s tough because I’m engaged to True now and we’re going to be living in Moose Falls, at least for the foreseeable future. I can’t see True wanting to relocate, especially with Jaylen still in school.” He reached for his Coke and took a swig of it. “That being said, there’s still the question of whether or not I see myself running Yukon Cider, along with the two of you.”
“Honestly, that’s the enticing part,” Caleb admitted. “Working alongside you knuckleheads.” Neither of his brothers objected to his use of the K word, since they all knew it was meant as a term of endearment.
“It’s been nice being back together again and living under the same roof,” Landon acknowledged. “Working at the lab got lonely, especially when everything went south.”
It made Caleb angry just thinking about what Landon had been put through. He was the smartest brother and had always been dedicated to academic and scientific pursuits. His work at Abbott Laboratories had ended with his integrity as a scientist being questioned. He had been thrown out of the lab on his ear and accused of manufacturing data. All of his research had been confiscated.
All three of them had gone through rock-bottom moments in the last few years, with Xavier suffering through an injury that had ended his NFL career. He had also been dumped by his fiancée, Heather, who had been cheating on him with his friend and teammate. Thankfully, Xavier had met True, the love of his life, here in Moose Falls.
“It has been nice,” Caleb recognized, “but we all came here with goals in mind that we haven’t met. I just don’t want to lose sight of that.” He had come to Alaska with the express purpose of exploring Hattie’s inheritance and rediscovering his past in Moose Falls. On some level he had always figured that he and his brothers would sell Yukon Cider once they had met the requirement set by Hattie to work at the company for a year. His big dream was to carve out an acting career for himself in California. If he chose to stay and run the company, those dreams would go up in smoke.
“You’re right about that,” Landon said. “I’m more determined than ever to get my good name back in the scientific community. I was scapegoated by the laboratory, and I’m not letting them get away with that.”
“Good for both of you for holding on to those dreams,” Xavier said. “Before coming here I desperately wanted to get back in the NFL world, even though I knew my playing days were over. I couldn’t let go of that dream of football glory.”
“Until you met True,” Caleb said. Everything had changed for Xavier on that fateful day. She had turned his world upside down and broken down all of his walls.
“And the rest is history,” Landon said with a flourish. “Love. Engagement. All the feels in the world.”
Xavier nodded. “My situation is a little different because of my commitment to True, but the fact remains that we have to make a unanimous decision. If we don’t, it goes to charity.”
“While giving it all to charity would be honorable, this is our grandmother’s life’s work,” Landon said passionately. “Carrying on her company after her… passing would be upholding her legacy. I’m not going to lie. That would be pretty powerful.”
“I feel guilty about disappointing Hattie, even though she might not be around to see our decision,” Caleb said, feeling glum about their options. On one hand, he hated the idea of giving up on his dreams; while on the other hand, he didn’t want to feel like he had thrown away a family legacy. “Yukon Cider means something to the folks here. We mean something to them. They’ve welcomed us to town with nothing but goodwill.” He winced. “I hate even thinking about their reaction if we sell.”
“And Hattie’s,” Landon said, his eyes welling up. “She might haunt us from beyond like in one of those spooky movies.”
Caleb and Xavier tried to hold it in, but they both burst out laughing. In his mind’s eye all he could see was Hattie’s ghostlike figure reprimanding them in her harshest tone. Landon was always so dramatic with his words that it was hard to take his comment seriously.
Landon made a tsk ing sound as they continued. “You two are the worst. Laughing at our grandmother’s demise is pretty low.” He stood up and grabbed his brown paper bag and crumpled it up.
The more Caleb tried to stop laughing, the harder he howled. Ditto with Xavier. There was no way in the world they were finding humor in Hattie’s terminal illness, but something about Landon’s referencing her as a ghost sent them into hysterics.
“I’m out of here,” Landon fumed. His face was flushed, and his movements were jerky. Caleb was used to the telltale signs that his younger brother was upset. Being the youngest had often left Landon feeling a little out of sorts. He was also more sensitive than Caleb and Xavier, often taking things to heart.
“Hey, Landon. Don’t leave. We were only letting off steam,” Caleb said, trying to explain their laughter. “We weren’t being cruel to Hattie.”
“We’re all under a lot of pressure whether we realize it or not,” Xavier said, gripping Landon’s arm to keep him from storming out. “There’s so much at stake here, and we’re all afraid to make a wrong move. Plus, knowing Hattie’s dying adds an extra layer, an emotional one. We’ve all grown close to her, and that factors into our decision.”
Xavier was saying all the things Caleb himself was thinking and feeling. His older brother had a knack for speaking eloquently from the heart. He could see Landon softening and lowering his defenses. They were all under a huge amount of stress, and it was healthy to offset it with laughter.
“I-I just didn’t think it was very funny,” Landon muttered. “We’re going to lose Hattie and, as a result, nothing will ever be the same again.”
And here it was. Landon was emotional about what was going on with Hattie. No matter how much they tried to carry on as if nothing was catastrophically wrong, there was this huge shadow hanging over them. How were they supposed to make such a monumental decision about Yukon Cider, knowing what their grandmother truly wanted them to choose? For a moment he envied Xavier. Having True as his future wife gave him more of a reason to stay in Moose Falls and run the company. But, as they knew, their decision had to be unanimous. As brothers they all needed to be on the same page regarding the decision so there weren’t fractures in their relationships.
“No one or nothing.” It was what Daisy had always told them since they were small. No one or nothing could get in the way of what the three Stone brothers had.
“Point taken,” Caleb said, putting his hand on Landon’s back. Sometimes he forgot how his brother was—loyal to a fault. He would have reacted the same way if he’d thought someone was disrespecting him or Xavier. And that was just one of the many reasons to adore Landon.
“We need to keep talking about our decision and keep the lines of communication open,” Xavier said. “It’s the only way we’re going to make it through this and come to an amicable decision that we can all live with.”
“Agreed,” Caleb said, knowing that with each passing day they were coming closer to having to make a decision. And it wasn’t going to be easy, much like today’s tension-filled lunch. There would be strain and disagreements and discord, but eventually they would be in accord. They had to be. Brothers Stone above all else. All for one and one for all.
There were a lot of things Caleb didn’t have figured out, but he knew one thing for certain. No one would have laughed harder than Hattie if she’d heard Landon referencing her as a ghost coming from the beyond to haunt them. That was the type of woman she was. His grandmother was always able to see the humor in situations, and he loved her for that more than words could express.
In Sophia’s experience, when it rained it turned into a tsunami. A flat tire on her way to Yukon Cider had resulted in her sitting in a cold car while waiting for emergency roadside service. While rushing inside the Yukon Cider building, she had missed a step and fallen, landing on her butt. Now, she had just gotten off the phone with Lily’s sitter, Yolanda, who had suddenly taken ill. From the sound of it, she was suffering from the flu, which meant Sophia didn’t have coverage for her photo shoot tomorrow with Malina Blackrock in Anchorage. Thankfully, her dad was able to go to her house today and relieve Yolanda, but tomorrow he was going to be out of town on a trip with friends. It wasn’t as if she could bring a four-year-old with her on a professional photo shoot. And it wasn’t likely that Yolanda was going to recover from the flu overnight.
She was wracking her brain and coming up empty. Despite her issues with Donny, she would ask him in a heartbeat, but his schedule as an EMT didn’t permit him to take time off at the last minute. There was literally no point in asking.
It was massive bad luck that this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity was falling apart right before her eyes. Nothing was more important in her life than Lily, but yet and still, she wanted this opportunity to come to fruition. Who knew when another chance like this one would come along?
A knock at her studio door dragged her from her thoughts. She definitely needed a distraction from her current situation. Sophia was starting to feel sorry for herself, and years ago she’d made a vow never to get stuck on the pity train. It never led anywhere good.
“Come in,” she called out, her stomach doing flip-flops at the sight of Caleb in the doorway. This was the perfect pick-me-up. Just seeing him made her feel better.
“I hope this isn’t a bad time to stop by,” he said, dimples on full display.
Sophia sat up straighter in her chair. “Of course not. It’s nice to see you.” Even though her brain was telling her to play it cool, another part of her wanted Caleb to know she appreciated this impromptu visit. It was hard not to feel excited when he was in her orbit, even in the midst of a bad luck day.
“I come bearing gifts,” he said, advancing toward her desk and holding out a small brown paper bag. She felt a little jolt as his fingers brushed against hers.
“Something smells good,” Sophia said as she opened the bag. A big fat chocolate chip cookie sat inside. “Oh, my goodness. How did you know these are my favorite?”
“Aren’t they everyone’s?” he asked, smiling.
“If they’re not, they should be,” she said, pulling out the cookie and splitting it evenly in half. “Here you go. Halfsies.”
“I bought the cookie for you. Sharing isn’t necessary,” he said, taking a seat in a chair by her desk.
“I’m about to take a gigantic bite out of this, and I don’t want to eat alone.” She pushed his half of the cookie toward him.
“If you insist,” Caleb said. He immediately took a bite and let out a satisfied sound. “Almost as good as my mom makes.”
Sophia bit into her half and sighed. “This cookie is good enough to almost make me forget this dumpster fire of a morning.”
Caleb frowned. “You look a bit stressed. What’s going on?” he asked, leaning forward in his chair.
She let out a ragged sigh. Although a part of her didn’t want to unload her problems on Caleb, another part of her yearned for listening ears. “My shoot with Malina isn’t going to work out the way I planned,” Sophia told Caleb, doing her best to sound unbothered about the situation. It was actually one of the most devastating career disappointments she had ever faced. There was nothing she could do about it, but being this close to a huge career opportunity only to have it slip through her fingers was heartbreaking.
“Why not? Malina didn’t back out on you, did she?” The fierce expression etched on Caleb’s face was endearing. He looked as if he was ready to wage war on her behalf.
“No, it’s nothing like that. It’s Lily. I don’t have anyone to watch her tomorrow. My sitter suddenly took sick,” she explained. “And my dad is going on his annual fishing trip on Kachemak Bay with his buddies. I know he’d cancel if I asked, but I can’t do that. He’s looked forward to this trip all year.”
“How about Patience? Can she swing it?” Caleb asked, his brow furrowed.
“She’s out of town herself on assignment.” Patience traveled where the stories took her. This week she was in Nome writing a piece on the Iditarod Race.
Caleb shook his head. “There’s got to be a way.”
Frustration flooded her. Opportunities like this one were rare. Being asked to photograph a famous Alaskan singer was an honor and a privilege. She couldn’t imagine being asked again if she canceled at the last minute.
She bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from screaming. Life wasn’t always fair. And even though she was eager to boost her career, Lily always came first.
“Any way Lily’s dad could watch her?”
Sophia swallowed past the huge lump in her throat. “I could ask him, but as an EMT it’s near impossible to get time off at the last minute. I need to just put my big-girl panties on and tell them I can’t do the shoot.” Sadness enveloped her. Why couldn’t things ever work out for her?
Caleb reached out and took her hands in his. “Sophia, that can’t happen. You’ve got to do the shoot. I can watch Lily.”
“What? You can’t be serious,” Sophia sputtered.
“I wouldn’t make an offer like that if I wasn’t.” He made a face. “And acting so mystified at my offer is a tad insulting, just so you know.”
“But how would that work?” Her mind was racing. She wanted this opportunity so badly she could taste it, and the last thing Sophia needed was to get her hopes up. What did Caleb know about watching a four-year-old?
“I, Caleb Stone, will watch Lily while you fly out to Anchorage. I’ll entertain her, cook for her, play dolls with her.” He grinned. “I’ll be a veritable Mary Poppins.”
Sophia chuckled at the visual image Caleb’s comment brought to mind.
“Caleb, do you really cook?” she asked, surprised that he would even offer. For some reason she couldn’t imagine him at a stove, even though he would look all kinds of hot wearing an apron.
“Of course I do. Daisy made sure all of her boys could cook. She said it was her gift to our future partners.”
“I like your mom’s style,” Sophia said with an approving nod. “What’s your signature dish?”
“Bourbon chicken or my famous slow cooker mac ’n’ cheese. I’ll let you decide when I invite you for dinner.” He playfully winked at her, distracting her for a moment from the issue at hand.
“That sounds nice, but back to Lily. If you’re serious, I’ll be taking an early morning flight and getting back early evening.” She bit her lip. “Do you think that you can handle her for that length of time?”
“Of course I do,” he said, sounding extremely confident. “Lily and I are buddies. It’ll be a piece of cake. And a nice way to spend a Saturday.”
Sophia didn’t know what he was imagining watching a four-year-old would be like, but she trusted him to keep Lily safe and secure. And from the sound of it, he would feed her and keep her entertained.
“She’s four, Caleb,” Sophia pointed out. “Nothing with that age group is a piece of cake. They fight against nap time. A temper tantrum can happen at the drop of a dime. And one minute they love chicken nuggets and the next they’re yucky.”
“We’ll be fine. I’m creative and funny, not to mention that I bring the fun. We’re going to have a blast.” Caleb rubbed his hands together. “Matter of fact, I might become her favorite sitter of all time.”
“You’re all those things and more,” Sophia said, feeling warm and fuzzy about his generous offer. Not only did it salvage her photo shoot with Malina, but he was also making her believe that she could count on him in a crunch. This was different from anything she had ever experienced in the romance department. Even with Donny she had never been able to rely on him in difficult situations. Caleb Stone was a unique kind of man.
“I appreciate you,” she said, coming from her side of the desk toward the other side where he was seated. Caleb stood up, as if sensing she needed to hug him.
She reached up and placed her arms around his waist and leaned against his chest, hugging him for all she was worth. Being in his arms felt safe, something she hadn’t experienced before in a man’s arms other than her dad’s. Sophia didn’t know where this thing was headed with Caleb, but for the moment he was making her feel that anything was possible.