10. Caleb
Caleb
W ednesday afternoon and Dean’s kitchen smells like coffee and whatever Lila’s been baking. She’s got baby clothes spread across half the table, sorting tiny yellow outfits while Julian does his bookkeeping at the other end. At eighteen weeks pregnant, she’s practically glowing.
“Coffee’s ready,” Dean says, bringing me a mug. “You look like hell, by the way.”
“Thanks. Your bedside manner hasn’t improved since we were kids.”
“Neither has your ability to sleep when something’s bothering you.” He settles across from me. “Want to talk about it?”
I watch Julian organize receipts like he’s conducting surgery. Everything in neat piles, labeled and categorized. Makes sense—guy’s an accountant.
“Civilian life kicking your ass?” Dean asks when I don’t answer.
“Something like that.” I take a sip of coffee. How do I explain that I’ve been lying awake thinking about a florist who used to follow us around when she was ten?
“Oh,” Lila says without looking up from tiny overalls. “This is about Sadie.”
Heat crawls up my neck. “What makes you say that?”
“Because you get that same expression Callum used to get before he finally worked up the nerve to really talk to me.” She grins at Callum. “Overthinking everything and driving yourself crazy.”
“I was mysterious and brooding,” Callum protests. “Very attractive.”
“You were a mess,” she corrects. “Just like Caleb is now.”
Julian glances up from his spreadsheets. “Also, you fixed her roof and then disappeared for three days. Classic avoidance.”
“I didn’t disappear. I texted.”
“Once,” Dean points out. “About construction updates. Very romantic.”
I set my mug down harder than necessary. “Look, I don’t know how to do this civilian thing yet. Back in the service, everything had protocols. Clear objectives.”
“And now?” Lila asks.
“Now I’m supposed to figure out how to ask out a woman I’ve been thinking about since the berry festival without coming across like some kind of creep.”
Dean leans back. “What’s really stopping you?”
The question hits deeper than it should. “She’s got other people interested in her. Men who actually know how to date instead of just showing up to fix things.”
“Levi?” Julian asks.
“And some architect taking her to dinner.” The words taste bitter. “While I’ve been trying to figure out appropriate timelines for expressing interest, they’ve actually been expressing it.”
“So you think you’re too late,” Dean says.
“I think I’m out of my element.” I run a hand through my hair. “Back overseas, I knew my role. Keep everyone safe, complete the mission. Here? I don’t know what I’m supposed to be.”
Lila sets down the baby clothes and looks at me. “You know, just because she’s got other alphas interested doesn’t mean you’re out of the running.”
I stop. “What do you mean?”
“I mean you’re thinking about this like there’s only one spot available.” She gestures around the table. “Look how well it worked out for us.”
Something shifts in my chest. Not jealousy about Sadie having other suitors, but... curiosity about being part of something bigger.
“You think she’d be open to that?”
“I think,” Lila says carefully, “that Sadie doesn’t even realize she’s being courted yet. She probably thinks Levi’s just being nice and Reid’s just doing business.”
Julian looks up from his papers. “Well, Levi kissed her Monday night. So she might be starting to figure it out.”
The words hit me like a punch to the gut. “He what?”
“At the bookstore,” Julian says quietly. “Dean heard it from River.”
Dean sees my expression and leans forward. “Hey, that doesn’t mean you’re out of the running. Just means you need to be more direct about your intentions.”
“Right,” I say, though my voice sounds hollow. While I’ve been overthinking approach strategies, Levi’s already made his move.
“That’s actually why talking to him first makes sense,” Lila says. “See where his head is. Maybe you’re not as late to this as you think.”
Dean grins. “You thinking what I think you’re thinking?”
“I’m thinking maybe I should talk to Levi first. Alpha to alpha. See where his head is.”
“That’s actually mature,” Lila says, sounding surprised. “And smart.”
As I drive toward the bookstore, my head feels clearer. The military gave me frameworks for everything—assess situations, build teams, accomplish objectives. Maybe civilian life isn’t that different. Just different types of missions.
The bookstore’s closed sign is flipped, but I can see Levi moving around inside. When I knock, he looks surprised but opens the door.
Ashpine Books smells like cedar and old paper when he lets me in. He’s got that careful way of working that suggests someone who thinks before acting. The kind of person Sadie would trust.
“Coffee?” he offers after I explain why I’m here.
“Sure.”
We settle into worn leather chairs, and there’s something about the space that puts me at ease. Comfortable. The kind of place where actual conversations happen.
“So,” he says, settling across from me. “Sadie.”
“Right. Look, I heard about Monday night.”
Levi goes completely still. “What about Monday night?”
“The kiss.” I lean forward. “I’m not here to start a fight or stake territorial claims. I’m here because we both care about the same person.”
His shoulders relax slightly. “How did you… Dean.”
I chuckle as I nod. “Look, I have feelings for her too. Strong ones. And I’m pretty sure there’s a third alpha in the mix with that architect.”
“Reid.” Levi nods. “Yeah, he’s been... attentive.”
“So here’s what I’m thinking. Instead of us fighting over her like idiots, what if we work together?” I meet his eyes. “In my experience, the best way to accomplish complex objectives is coordinated effort.”
Something shifts in his expression. Surprise, maybe. Then consideration. “You’re talking about pack dynamics.”
“I’m talking about alphas who want the same thing—for Sadie to be happy and taken care of.” I lean back. “Question is, are you open to that?”
Levi is quiet for a long moment, processing. “What about Reid?”
“He needs to be part of the conversation if we’re doing this.”
“And what exactly are we doing?”
“Coordinated courtship instead of competition.” I extend my hand. “Partners in this?”
“Partners.”
We shake on it, and something settles in my chest. Not tactical satisfaction, but the deeper contentment of finding allies who share your objectives.
“I’m taking her to dinner tomorrow,” I say. “Making my intentions clear.”
“Good. I should probably talk to her about where we stand after Monday night.”
“And Reid?”
“I’ll sound him out. See if he’s thinking along the same lines.”
I feel like something fundamental has shifted. Instead of trying to figure out who I’m supposed to be as a civilian, maybe I just need to be who I’ve always been—someone who builds teams to accomplish what matters.
And Sadie matters.
Her shop is still lit when I stand outside. Through the window, I can see her moving between arrangements, completely absorbed. Just like when we were kids and she’d get that focused expression working on some project.
When I push through the door, the bell chimes and she looks up with surprise that melts into something warmer.
“Caleb.” Her voice carries genuine pleasure. “Twice in one week. This is becoming a habit.”
“Maybe it is.” The moment I step inside, her honeysuckle and vanilla scent hits me so hard I have to grip the doorframe. My mouth waters and something primitive in my chest purrs. “Shop smells incredible.”
She takes a deeper breath, her pupils dilating slightly as she catches my sandalwood in return. Her body’s responding whether she realizes it or not.
“New shipment from the wholesale market. Maeve’s friend came through with some beautiful late-season blooms.” She gestures toward tall vases filled with deep purple and gold flowers. “These are for the Randall anniversary party this weekend.”
“Lucky Randalls.”
She ducks her head with that shy smile. The same smile she’d give when Dean and I would actually let her tag along, only now I see her… really see her.
“How’s the adjustment going? Being back?”
“Better than expected. Turns out small-town pace suits me.”
“Planning to stay long-term then?”
The question holds weight. “Depends on whether I find reasons to.”
Her cheeks flush pink, and her scent sweetens. “Oh.”
I step closer, close enough to see her pulse fluttering at her throat. “Sadie.”
“Yes?”
“I need to tell you something. About Saturday. About why I really offered to fix your roof.”
Wariness creeps into her expression, but her scent shifts with anticipation. “Caleb?—”
“It wasn’t charity. Wasn’t me being neighborly.” I move closer still, until I can see how her breathing quickens. Part of me wants to mark that delicate skin at her throat. “I volunteered because I wanted time with you. Because I’ve been thinking about you since the berry festival.”
Her breath catches, and something shifts in her scent—deeper, richer. “You have?”
“Constantly. The way you talk to flowers like they understand you. How you remember exactly what Mrs. Woodbury needs every week. The fact that you take care of everyone in this town and never expect anything back.”
“Caleb.” My name comes out breathless, and her suppressants must be wearing off because being this close to an interested alpha is clearly affecting her more than it should.
“I know there might be other people interested in you. And I know I disappeared after Saturday instead of having this conversation then.” I reach up to touch her cheek, and she leans into it like she’s starving for the contact.
Something protective rises fierce in my chest. “But I need you to know that when I fixed your roof, it wasn’t about the roof. ”
“What was it about?”