Chapter 31 Emma
Emma
I watched, a little awestruck, as the extended Colburn clan strode in like they’d been here a thousand times, boisterous, noisy, talking over one another, laughing but also jostling on purpose as they squeezed into the kitchen.
Hazel was first, carrying a foil-covered platter that smelled like bacon and sausage, grinning and giving me a saucy eyebrow waggle as she caught sight of me standing there in Caleb’s shirt and sweats. She set her platter down and hugged me, then Caleb.
“Thanks again,” she whispered to him, and I knew she was talking about the finish-carpentry contract for the Henderson job.
“Anything for my favorite sister,” he whispered back. “Don’t tell Kiera I said that.”
Ryder maneuvered his way in next, Abi on his shoulders, a hand on Penny’s lower back. Penny was holding a foil-covered platter, wearing a dreamy recently loved-up-on expression as she cheerfully waved at me.
Hank was next, smiling brightly at the sight of me with an “ah,” which I interpreted as Nice to see you again.
Tucker was right behind him, carrying a massive take-out bag from Al’s Diner in one hand and Alex on his shoulders.
He nodded at me, then went to set the bag down on the counter next to where Hazel was currently placing her platter.
Their arms brushed, and for a single heartbeat, their gazes met before both turned away from each other without a word.
Interesting.
The twins were let loose, and they immediately began running in circles around the island, through the living room, back around the island, and then the living room again.
Followed by the dogs.
“Unca Cal Cal, someone ate your couch!” Alex yelled.
I laughed at the look on Caleb’s face. He’d forgotten. He caught Alex on his next loop. “Hey, bud, do you want to adopt Calvin and Klein?”
“NO!” Kiera yelled at her brother, the caboose on the crazy train, shoving everyone aside to get to the stovetop.
“My famous crepes, everyone,” she said proudly, then shoved a finger in Caleb’s face.
“And if you give my kids your dogs, I will drop them all off here and go on a year-long cruise. Now we are all going to eat my crepes.”
Behind her back, all three brothers grimaced, and Kiera caught it. “Hey!” She pointed at them with a spatula. “I’ll beat you all senseless if you make that face where the heathens can see you.”
“So violent,” Tucker murmured.
“Shh, don’t let it hear you,” Caleb murmured back. He put his mouth to my ear. “If you value your life, don’t eat the crepes.”
Kiera whacked him in the chest with the spatula.
Alex and Abi came racing back into the kitchen again, each holding a leash with a dog attached. The four of them knocked into counters, nearly tipped Hank over, and accidentally dumped the trash.
Caleb whistled sharply, and all the chaos stopped on a dime as everyone looked at him. “I’m going to need everyone to at least pretend to be human.” Then he pointed at his dogs. “Sit.”
The dogs sat.
He pointed at the twins. “Sit.”
The twins sat.
“Don’t even think about telling me to sit,” Ryder said.
Caleb rolled his eyes and disconnected the boxers from their leashes before eyeing the twins. “We don’t leash the dogs in the house. Do it again, and I’ll leash you.”
Kiera nodded approvingly. “Should’ve thought of that.” She turned to me, took in my attire and bedhead, and smacked Caleb again, this time on the back of the head.
“Ow,” he said, rubbing the spot. “What the hell?”
“You didn’t warn her.”
“About what, that you crazy lot would shove your way in here and ruin my morning? Slipped my mind.”
She smacked him again, then turned to me. “He was raised by wolves.”
“So were you,” Caleb muttered, and then, to my utter shock, he stepped into me, bracing his hands on the kitchen counter on either side of my body.
“Love the way you look in my shirt and sweats,” he whispered in my ear with a filthy chuckle.
“Especially since I know you’re not wearing anything beneath.
” He lowered his head and gave me a big ol’ smooch on the mouth, right there in front of his entire family, before turning his attention to the food.
“Oh, please for the love of God, don’t let him catch you staring after him like that,” Kiera said.
“Like what?”
Hazel was munching on a piece of bacon. “Like he’s breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert.”
Kiera grimaced. “Gross.”
“Also true,” Hazel said.
Caleb was at the stovetop, directing Ry to heat up Kiera’s crepes while hanging both twins off his back, one of each of their feet in a big hand over his shoulder like he was a jungle gym.
The kids screamed with glee, laughing the sweetest little belly laughs I’d ever heard.
“Break one of the toddlers,” Kiera told him, pulling down plates, “and you have to make me another. I’m out of commission in that department.”
My gaze flew to Caleb, sure I’d see him make a face, hating the idea of having kids.
But he only laughed. “All in good time.”
No one even blinked at that. Well, except for me. And he caught me at it, too, turning to look at me, that smile still on his face, his happy, joyful smile, the one his family brought out in him.
And me, I realized. He always gave me that smile too.
“Can you grab silverware?” Kiera asked me.
“Sure,” I said. Like my world hadn’t just been rocked to the core. I was counting out forks when I felt a tug on my shirt. I looked down to find Abi staring up at me with those beautiful hazel eyes.
“Do you wear big-girl panties?”
I blinked. “Uh—”
“’Cause I do. Mommy just got them for me.” She yanked down her pants and patted her butt. “These are Paw Patrol. What are yours?”
“Um…” I was commando.
Caleb leaned into my other side and whispered in my ear, “I know where they are. They’re on my bedroom floor, where they fell after I removed them. With my teeth.”
I felt my skin heat.
“Cozy,” Tucker said, shoulder bumping Caleb away from me to reach between us and take the silverware in my hands. He winked at me and headed to the table to hand everyone a fork.
“You didn’t even give him shit,” Kiera complained to Tucker.
“Saving it for later,” he assured her.
***
When the door shut behind his family an hour later, Caleb turned to me and waggled his brows. “Alone at last—” He broke off when he realized I’d picked up my backpack. “You leaving?”
I shifted on my feet. “I was going to head into the office and get some work done.”
“Can you work remotely? There’s plenty of room here.”
I hesitated. “I thought maybe you’d need your own space.”
“Not from you.”
I wanted to ask how long until he got tired of me and needed me to leave—
“Hey,” he said, coming close. “There’s no expiration date on my offer. Stay forever if you want.”
My heart gave a hard kick, my age-old fear of abandonment rearing its ugly head. I wasn’t sure what exactly he meant and was afraid to speculate. All I knew was that I was in way too deep, and if I lost him now, lost his unwavering acceptance and unconditional support, it would level me.
He reached for my hand. “I’m serious, Em. Stay as long as you want.”
“I just can’t live here for free, and I know how much it costs to rent a room in this area. I couldn’t afford it.”
“You don’t know what I’d charge.”
I stared at him, almost afraid to ask. “If you say it’s free—”
“Keep me in mug cakes.”
“Mug cakes,” I repeated.
“Specifically your mug cakes.”
I narrowed my eyes, but he just smiled sweetly. Innocently. As if he’d ever been innocent a day in his life.
He shrugged. “I’m a simple man.”
“You’re the most un-simple man I’ve ever met.”
“Maybe,” he agreed. “But I can promise you, I only say what I mean. Always.”
I was getting that. “I appreciate the offer,” I said softly. “And I’d like to stay for now. I just…I don’t know how to live with someone I’m…”
He raised a brow.
Caleb was going to make me say it. I sighed. “Sleeping with.”
He chuckled, then lifted a hand to gently stroke a finger over my heated cheek. “Cute.” He brushed his lips to the spot, making me shiver. “I’ve had my mouth on every inch of you,” he murmured. “And, hell, only a little bit ago, you had your mouth around my—”
I put a hand over his mouth.
“You’re scared,” he said behind my fingers.
“Aren’t you?” I whispered.
“Terrified.”
That startled a laugh out of me. “Good to know I’m not alone.”
“You’re not,” he said very seriously. “That’s my whole point.”
I drew a deep breath. “Touché.”
“Look, we’ve got plenty of time to figure this out.” He pulled out his phone, then thumbed something into it, and my phone pinged.
“That’s the entry code to get into this house. Come and go as you want, just promise me you’ll at least sleep here.”
I stared down at my phone screen, trying to remember the last time anyone had done something like this for me, much less cared about my well-being as much as he seemed to.
“Emma.”
I met his gaze. “Caleb.”
His mouth quirked, but he remained serious. “Please, don’t use staying here as an excuse to friend-zone me again.”
My heart kicked, but I put a smile in my voice. “Pretty sure you friend-zoned yourself the first time. And neither of us is good at this sort of thing. A thousand ghosted women in your wake and all that, remember?”
“I can’t change my past. But I also refuse to give up trying.”
“Trying for what?”
“The dream,” he said. “The house, the kids, the white picket fence.” He lowered his voice to a barely audible whisper. “L-O-V-E.”
I choked out a laugh. “I think if you have to spell it instead of say it, you’re not ready.” But I paused. “You want a white picket fence?”
A wry smile curved his lips. “Go figure, right? Just promise me you’ll sleep here, or if that really doesn’t work for you, that you’ll stay with Suzie or with someone where you’re safe.”
My heart felt like it turned over and showed its underside. “I promise.” I waited for the nerves to hit, but none came. “And now I really do have to go to the office, after a shower.”
His eyes glazed over, and it seemed like his words left him.
“The thought of work?” I asked.
His voice was sin personified. “The thought of you in my shower again.”