Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX
Lena hadn’t taken two steps before he’d internally acknowledged he’d been hard on her. Only, he couldn’t make himself get up and follow her.
He spent a week in a dark, self-deprecating mood until his mother finally pulled his ear, both literally and figuratively. It was Milo’s concerned expression that had done him in. His boy never got to know his mother, but he had Kaleb.
“Why don’t we grab some ice cream in town?”
Milo’s eyes grew twice their size with excitement. “Yes!”
Scoop Scoop Hooray had not been around when he was a child, but their selection of homemade ice cream flavors blew his mind every time they visited. Walking hand in hand with Milo, a familiar curvy woman caught his attention.
Without a second thought, Kaleb dropped to a knee and turned to Milo. “Do you mind if we invite Ms. Lena along?”
Milo twisted and turned until his gaze landed on her, and his free hand pointed. “Her?”
Smiling, Kaleb lowered his hand. “It’s not nice to point, but yes, that’s Ms. Lena. Remember her from the grocery store?”
Milo nodded. “She’s nice!” he said as he turned on his heels and ran from Kaleb.
He pushed to his feet and ran a hand down his face.
His mood the last week had more to do with how he’d snapped at Lena than the role he felt he played in Jennifer’s death.
Logically, he was aware Jennifer’s addiction had gone under the radar and he was not to blame.
It didn’t stop the moments when guilt crept in.
“Ms. Lena!”
Lena turned around, searching for the voice calling to her before finding Milo steps away. Her brows knit in confusion as she bent at the waist to bring herself closer to eye level with Milo. The beaming smile she offered him dimmed when she spotted Kaleb’s approach.
“Hi, Kaleb.”
If not for the breathy way his name sounded on her lips, he would have worried she wasn’t happy to see him.
“Hi, Lena.”
“Do you want ice cream?” Milo blurted as he bounced on his heels.
“Ice cream?” she asked, a hesitant expression directed at Kaleb.
His heart squeezed at the guarded look in her eyes. He’d put it there, and he hoped she would give him a chance to rectify his behavior. “What Milo was supposed to say was, would you like to have ice cream with us?”
Lena stood her full height and peered from Milo to Kaleb. “I don’t want to intrude.”
Kaleb stepped closer and lightly grasped her elbow. “Please?”
“Please!” Milo squealed before a butterfly caught his eye as it landed on a nearby flower.
“Kaleb—” Lena whispered in warning.
“I’m sorry I was a jackass the other night. We’d really love it if you joined us.”
She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, a tell she’d had since a child denoting her nervousness. “I’m not sure that’s a great idea. Kids are impressionable and—”
He cast his son a glance, making sure he hadn’t moved from the old wine barrel, before stepping into Lena.
Cupping her cheek, he ran a thumb over the soft skin he wanted to explore.
“I haven’t had any interest in dating until I bumped into you.
There’s no good excuse for how I snapped at you, but I’m sorry.
I can’t promise I won’t do it again, but I do promise to do better.
I’d really like to get to know the woman Lena Butt grew into, if you’ll allow me to. ”
She licked her lips and gave him a small nod. “I’d like that too.”
Grinning, he intertwined his fingers with hers and turned them. “Who’s ready for ice cream?”
Milo’s gaze zeroed in on their hands. Kaleb’s breath lodged as he waited to see what his son would say. “I am!” he said after a second. Grinning, he rushed to Lena’s side and grabbed her free hand.
Life had a funny way of surprising him, and Lena was the cherry topping to his banana split of a life.
* * *
Thank you for reading The Boy Who Left! I hope you enjoyed Lena and Kaleb’s story as much as I do! If you loved St. Fleur, head back with Widower’s Aura today!