Chapter Fourteen
Emma eyed the boxes cradled against Caleb’s forearm. Of course, he’d changed and freshened up before coming over. Brand new flannel. And his smell…it was like the woodsy aroma found in the lodge’s main building, but there was something else, too.
If it was his natural scent, she was hooked.
“Emma?”
She blinked to consciousness. Caleb’s expression had shifted. His eyes were full of worry.
“Sorry, I got…distracted. Come in.”
She stepped aside and let him into her cabin. “I realized on the way over here I should’ve called to be sure it was okay. But then my arms were full, I couldn’t remember the number to this cabin, and then I realized I don’t even have your phone number…” Emma took the containers from him.
“You’re fine, Caleb! I was going to take a shower, but unless I’m nose blind, I don’t think I smell too bad.”
He cleared his throat. “You smell just fine. I think. I mean, I’m not close enough, really…” She had to wonder if he was thinking the same thing she was…
You can come closer if you want to.
She swallowed down a cheeky reply. She didn’t want to weird him out, especially after their earlier kiss. He was tentative, and she didn’t want to take advantage of that. “Good to know. Let’s eat, huh?”
They set up at the small kitchenette. Caleb had thought of everything, even bringing them both a couple of beers. And water. And soda.
He was so thoughtful she worried her heart might explode.
They settled into the small kitchen table. The space was so tight their knees touched.
“I should prepare you for bingo,” he said. “The biddies run their bingo games like they belong in a Vegas gambling hall. Which, on occasion, includes musical acts and scantily dressed waiters.”
Emma chuckled. “High rollers only? Do I need to stop at the ATM before we head over there?”
“C-notes only,” Caleb joked as he took the lids off their food.
“Ooh, that pot pie looks divine.” Emma reached her fork toward the container. “Thank you for remembering. You’re very thoughtful.”
“I try to be,” he said simply.
They fell into silence while they set out their food. She took her first bite and let out a low, pleased sound.
“Yum.”
She caught Caleb’s quirked eyebrow and nearly choked. “I’m sorry. My love affair with carbs is lifelong.”
He snapped open his beer can. “Same. I’ll toast to that.”
She opened her beer and clinked her can against his. “I had a really good time with you today, Caleb. I’m kind of glad the day isn’t quite over.”
He scratched at his beard. “Me too. I was worried you’d be sick of me after all day together in town.”
“I had the best day in like…a long time. December can be a tricky month for me.”
He cleared his throat. “Are the holidays hard for you, usually?”
Emma stabbed at a gooey blob of chicken and vegetables.
“Yes, and no. I learned to set my expectations low. I’d usually visit Davis’ family wherever they were spending the holiday that year.
It was rarely in Ottawa, where he’s from.
They’re very upper-class. The type to discuss mathematical theorems and world politics over dinner. A bit much for a former foster kid.”
He cleared his throat. “I’m sure you’ve seen by now that my family is kind of a wild bunch. I wouldn’t have it any different, though. Even if sometimes I have to go sit in a dark room and breathe for a few minutes. They can be overstimulating.”
Emma smiled. “I get that. Life at the Hendersons was kind of nuts. There were us foster kids and the Hendersons had their kids and grandkids. I kind of miss it. Even though Aniyah—my foster sister—and I would sometimes ‘go for a walk’ to get away from the chaos.” She mimed holding a cigarette to her mouth.
Caleb laughed. “Oh, so we’re the same that way then. Mom would always fuss about how when my cousins and I would come back from one of our walks, we smelled like the devil’s lettuce.”
She brought her hand to her mouth to keep food from flying out. “I should’ve expected that from you. Wild middle child.”
He nudged her slightly with his elbow. “And to top it off, I’ve always been one more for natural remedies, if you catch my drift. My sister always says I smell like patchouli and nag champa. It’s just the soap I use.”
“You’ll have to tell me what soap it is.”
Their eyes met. He reached over to squeeze her hand. “These last couple of days have shaken me out of my winter blues.”
“And you’ve helped take my mind off of…” She pointed to her bare ring finger. She worried that she felt too happy only days out of a long-term relationship. Clearly, she’d made the right choice.
His face softened. “I guess we’ve been good for each other, huh?”
She leaned forward, bringing their mouths together. “Yes, I think we are.”
* * * *
“High stakes bingo! Come get your pull tabs here!” Babs stood by the front door, her wacky Christmas sweater haphazardly blinking red and green Christmas lights.
“I don’t know if my sister and brother-in-law would want you to be running a gambling ring out of the lodge.”
Babs lowered her glasses to the tip of her nose and rolled her eyes at him. “Of course, everything is legal. See, Eleanor is over there!” She pointed inside the lounge. “Would we really be running an illegal gambling ring if the recently retired sheriff of Falling Leaves was in attendance?”
“I suppose not,” Caleb said carefully.
“So, if you want to come, you’ll need to pony up the dough. The minimum is twenty dollars, six dollars per sheet. Pull tabs start at three dollars and increase from there. We’ll have a special raffle mid-tournament. The prize is a room refresh renovation from Ellis & Daughter!”
Caleb snorted. “That’s news to me. But hardly the first time my sister has signed me up for something without telling me first.”
Emma reached for her wallet before Caleb got the chance. “You got dinner, I’ll get the…gambling.”
Caleb was desperate to get away from Babs, whose gaze was currently darting back and forth between them like she was watching a tennis match.
Once she’d bought several pull tabs and bingo sheets, they made their way into the lounge. Nearly every table was full, save for one in the back, next to his parents.
“Caleb, are you okay?” Emma’s hand came to his arm.
He leaned down to speak to her over the noise. “The only table left is next to my parents. You sure you haven’t had enough of my family?”
She laughed as she angled herself against him. “Davis’ parents used to quiz me on Canadian politics. They had a buzzer when I got the answer wrong. I’m not even Canadian! Yours can’t be as bad.”
“Well, I guess we have no choice but to find out, as my mom just spotted us.”
Lainey Ellis stood and began waving her arms. “Caleb! Emma! Over here!”
Emma gave his arm a squeeze. “We can handle it. And if not, booze will help.”
He exhaled. Even amidst the chaos of nearly a hundred guests and Falling Leaves locals piling in for bingo, Emma gave off a calming air.
He just hoped that it wouldn’t disappear the longer she sat next to his mother.
Lainey came around the table and ambushed them. “I was hoping you two would show up tonight! Emma, have you met Caleb’s dad Glen yet?”
His dad, to his credit, gave a half-hearted wave before turning back to watching a basketball game on his phone. Dad knew as well as he did that his mom would give him a hard time if she found him on his phone once bingo started.
Emma and Lainey began chatting amicably. Perhaps he was harder on his mom than he should be. Even though he’d been back in town for over a year, he still wasn’t quite used to her being a part of his day-to-day life.
His dad looked up as he sat down. “I ordered you two a couple of beers—they should be here shortly. I figured you’d need them.”
Caleb chuckled. “Hey, while I’ve got a minute with you, I was wondering if we could get a meeting on the books for early next year. To discuss the future of the business and all that.”
Glen turned his phone face down on the table. “Did you get another job, Caleb? If you did, don’t worry about me. We can figure it out.”
His father wouldn’t ask for help if he were dangling off a cliffside. He was the stoic type, no matter what. Last year, Sabrina and their mother had almost lost their minds trying to get him to attend his therapy sessions after surgery.
“I haven’t applied for a teaching job in months, Dad. Not that environmental engineering jobs are that plentiful in this part of Virginia anyhow.”
“Then what is it?”
Caleb shot a glance behind him to be sure Emma wasn’t in over her head with Lainey. The two chatted as if they’d known each other forever.
“I was thinking maybe it’s time for me to take a bigger stake in the business. I know Sabrina is working with the inn more during the busy winter season. Come spring, she’ll have more time to work on jobs. But we could expand the business beyond what it is now.”
Glen smiled. “Haven’t seen that spark in your eyes for a while, son. What were you thinking?”
Since so much of their business revolved around renovating older homes, he was always looking for ways to make the builds more environmentally friendly. He’d come up with a half-hearted business proposal to add environmental services to the business—consulting, sales, that sort of thing.
It wasn’t fully fleshed out yet, but he thought there was real promise in the business.
Feedback screeched through the room as Babs approached the microphone. Caleb brought his hands to his ears.
“Sorry, sorry. It’s time to get started now, everybody. Please take your seats.”
“Can we talk about it after the holidays? I want to get all my thoughts together.”
Glen chuckled. “Sure. I’m looking forward to it.”
* * * *
“Okay, hustler.” Caleb bumped his elbow against Emma’s.
She fanned herself with a stack of twenty-dollar bills. She’d not only won bingo twice but had also won third prize in the nightly raffle—a dinner date for two to Luci’s, the finest restaurant in town.
“Should I have mentioned that I used to play bingo with the Hendersons once a week in the church basement? And it was how Ma Henderson funded her twice-yearly Caribbean cruises? Maybe I should’ve mentioned that.”
He pointed to the corner where the biddies were eyeing her with a mix of awe and frustration.
“Well, I’m not saying you had to, but I’m not so sure they’ll be inviting you back for next month’s bingo.”
As soon as the words passed his lips, he regretted them. Emma wouldn’t be here next month. She’d be back to her big city life.
Wouldn’t she?
Emma waved to the biddies with her free hand as they left the lounge. “I’ll have to remember that,” was all she said.
Not exactly a confirmation or a denial of her future plans. He took a breath. Maybe it was time to pump the brakes on this. It’d only been a handful of days, yet he felt like Emma had been in his life forever.
The lounge was still bustling with activity, but the rest of the lodge was settled down for the night. Only a few guests were huddled around the large fireplace, talking.
Funny how he’d balked when Brandon and Sabrina had shown them this place. But after they’d shared their vision, he’d been on board. Now, they were living the dream.
“You okay?” Emma asked.
He exhaled. “Yeah. Just a little tired.”
She yawned into the crook of her arm. “It’s been a long day. A good one, though.”
“Yeah, a good one.” He held open the back door leading to the cabins. A burst of cold wind hit them.
“You don’t have to walk me. I’ll be okay.”
“What kind of gentleman would I be if I didn’t?”
He took her arm, and before she could protest, he pulled her down the steps and across the bridge to her cabin.
Their breath spiraled in front of them as they laughed. Stopping at her cabin door, they exhaled.
“It really is cold out here.”
She turned and took his hands. She looked so beautiful under the twinkling lights. A breeze brought her hair across her face before returning it to her shoulder.
“Which is why you should come in, don’t you think?” She cocked an eyebrow.
“Are you sure? I mean…”
“You don’t have to say it, Caleb. I don’t want to think too much about this. We’re having fun. That’s what matters, right?”
He squeezed her gloved hands.
“Right.”
Emma scanned her card, and the door beeped. She pushed it open and stood in the doorway.
He followed her without hesitation.