Chapter 10
10
Caleb
C aleb chuckled. “Roman? Mad ? I think he’d be more upset that he didn’t get to see a beautiful woman play his guitar.” He froze, realizing what he’d just let slip from his lips. He shouldn’t have said that. He definitely shouldn’t have given her any indication of the thoughts that had started to invade his logical mind. Caleb coughed and moved closer, motioning toward the guitar once more. “I’ve never heard that song before.”
She turned her eyes to the guitar, not lifting them again. “That’s because I wrote it.”
He should have been surprised, but he wasn’t. Emily was a musician. She’d found a way to play even though she hadn’t brought an instrument on her vacation. Actually, he was probably wrong on that last bit. This wasn’t a vacation for her. It was an escape.
Caleb had only heard the last bit of her conversation with whoever was on the phone, but based on what he’d heard, she was hiding from something—seeking a refuge rather than running from the law.
His heart went out to her. He could appreciate the desire to feel safe. Wasn’t he in search of the same thing? Though, his desire for security was more related to emotional struggles rather than physical ones. He couldn’t be certain of Emily’s struggles, but he had a feeling they were just as important.
The temptation to settle down beside her in the shade and listen to her play was almost more than he could bear. He had nothing else to do today. All the animals were cared for. Would it be so bad to sit down and rest while listening to her play?
Without really thinking about it, Caleb took a seat a few feet away. “Mind if I listen for a little while?”
A smile tugged at her lips, and her eyes sparkled more than he’d seen before. “You want to listen to me play.”
He lifted a shoulder. “Why not? Are you prone to stage fright?”
She laughed, taking him by surprise. “Hardly.”
Caleb lifted a brow. “So, if you don’t get stage fright, what’s the harm?”
Emily pursed her lips together, then pulled them to the side. “I suppose I could play it for you.” She plucked the strings and then moved to brushing her fingertips across all six of them. Her eyes closed and she swayed to the music.
“Does it have any lyrics?”
Her eyes flew wide and she stared at him, making him regret that he’d interrupted her. Emma blinked a few times, then seemed to remember that he’d asked her a question. “No. Not yet, anyway.” Her eyes flitted upward to meet his. “I’ve been playing since I was big enough to hold a guitar, but I’ve never been very good at writing lyrics.”
Caleb lifted up his knee and rested his forearm on it. He had a hard time believing what she said. If she could make up music, it should be simple enough to write the words in her heart as well. He himself had a knack for putting words to paper when the moment called for it. “No offense, but have you even tried?”
She gaped at him, then tossed her head back and laughed. “I assure you, I’ve tried many times, and each time I’ve failed miserably.”
His brows pulled together as he recalled the music she’d been playing when he’d intruded. “Sounds like a love song.”
The corners of her mouth quirked upward, and she tilted her head to the side. “You’d be right about that.”
Caleb rubbed his jaw, the words coming easier to him the more he thought about it. “What about… Now every sunset’s a painting in the sky …” His eyes locked with hers. “ And every moment with you feels like the first time .”
She blinked, her mouth falling open. Tension built between them, washing over him once again. He felt the heat flood within him, starting in his chest and moving up the back of his neck. Caleb looked away, but her words dragged his focus back to her. “Keep going. I like it,” she whispered.
He swallowed hard, searching his thoughts for what could come next. “ Now every sunset’s a painting in the sky, and every moment with you feels like the first time. ” His eyes met hers once again. “ Darlin’, you’re the reason I believe in love again. In this dance we’re in, I can’t help wishing it never ends .”
Emily adjusted her guitar in her lap and strummed out the notes that fit his words perfectly. It wasn’t the first verse. It sounded like it might be the chorus or a stanza before the chorus. Her smile broadened as she played with the notes and adjusted the melody slightly.
But it wasn’t until she started to sing the words that he realized just how talented she was. Her voice held a richness that could have made an angel cry. Caleb gaped, unable to hide his surprise.
By the time she was done playing around with the verse, her expression had brightened a great deal more than he thought possible. Her gaze found his when she strummed the end of the verse. She let out a laugh. “What’s that look for?”
“You… can sing.”
She laughed again. “Yes, that usually comes with musical abilities.”
“So does lyric writing,” he pointed out. Caleb shook his head. “But your voice… have you ever considered singing professionally?”
Her eyes darted away and she strummed her guitar again. “I’ve thought about it.”
“Well, apparently, not hard enough. You could really make something of yourself.”
Emily’s eyes lifted to meet his, a small smile on her lips. “And what about you? What are you doing mucking out stalls and training horses when you could be a writer?”
Caleb chuckled dryly. “Where’s the money in that? I would be a starving artist if I were to leave this place and try to make it on my own.”
“I beg to differ.” She continued plucking at the instrument absent-mindedly. “There are more opportunities out there than you think. You just need to get your foot in the door.” Her soft words were kind and thought-provoking, but he would never be able to let them take hold of him like she probably meant them to.
Caleb rose and held out a hand to her, to which she stared with confusion. He cocked his head slightly, then jerked his chin toward the barn. “How about we go for a ride?”
Emily laughed. It was a sharp bark of laughter, one that made him jump a little. “If I never see another horse, it would be too soon.”
“You can’t think of it that way,” Caleb murmured, dropping his hand to his side. “Have you ever heard the phrase?—”
“If you fall off a horse, you have to get back on? Or some sort of similar nonsense?” Emily stood beside him, the guitar firmly in her hand. “I think I’d rather head inside and fix us something to eat. I really don’t think I should get back on a horse any time soon. I was lucky I didn’t break my neck the first time.”
Caleb nearly argued with her, tempted to manipulate her into coming on a ride with him. He told himself it was for her benefit and not his own that she face this fear. But he could see it in her eyes. She wasn’t ready. It was just as well. While they had seemed to make a connection with the song, they were still strangers. He nodded sharply. “I’ll lock things up and be inside soon.”
He turned and headed for the barn. There wasn’t much he needed to do to lock up. The horses were all cared for, fed, and their stalls cleared out. Caleb didn’t even know why he’d told her that he needed to do anything. What was he stalling for? It wasn’t like she had given any indication that she liked him at all. They tolerated one another at best.
And yet here he was, pacing the aisles of the barn while he contemplated the feelings she had stirred within him. Her voice. Those eyes. Everything about her seemed to draw him in like a moth to the flame.
The words he’d put to her music had spoken to him in a way he wasn’t prepared for. It was as if those words were meant for her, but that was crazy.
Wasn’t it?
People met and experienced feelings in various ways all the time. Just because he hadn’t had any intention of developing feelings for this woman didn’t mean he couldn’t.
What on earth was he thinking?
Even if he was open to developing a relationship with Emily, it would never work out the way he’d want it to. She was a tourist. One day soon she’d walk away from this place and never look back. Any feelings that he might have would have to be shielded.
All Caleb had to look forward to was having a little bit of fun. Emily could be a distraction, but that was it.
Only a distraction.
He found his way back to the front door and paused, his hand resting on the wood. This was it. Caleb had a knack for wearing his heart on his sleeve. If she got any indication that his attraction for her had shifted, then he wouldn’t hear the end of it. Caleb took in a deep breath until his lungs ached, then he released it and entered the house.
Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup were already set out on the table when he reached the kitchen. Emily glanced at him as he entered and nodded toward the food. “I’m not much of a cook, but my sister always asks me to fix her this exact thing whenever I come home.”
He pulled out a chair and took a seat. “If it tastes as good as it smells, I’d have to argue with your assessment.” Caleb pretended not to notice the way his statement caught her off guard. Much like himself, she couldn’t hide her reactions. Her small smile was more than enough to give him that thrill his heart sought.
Emily sat across from him, offering him a glass of lemonade as she did. “Are the animals okay?”
Caleb nodded. “And the puppies?”
“They seem to be doing just fine with their mother, but I’m not sure I’m doing everything I should be.”
“I’m guessing you’re doing fine. They’re so new that they’re not going to need much besides making sure they get enough to eat from their mother.” Caleb took a bite of his sandwich. The buttery, crispy crust crackled in his mouth. The cheese oozed warm and gooey from the sandwich as he pulled his bite away. Caleb swallowed with an appreciative nod. “You might actually be a better cook than a singer.”
Emily laughed—a sound that he’d grown to love. “I’ll make sure to tell my sister your thoughts. Once or twice she’s told me I missed my calling.”
“She might be right.” Their eyes met, and Caleb grew still. He couldn’t bring himself to look away. Why was he suddenly questioning his beliefs on trust? What was it about this woman that made him want to believe he’d been wrong?
Music was a powerful motivator, he reminded himself. Emily was a talented musician. That was the only rationale he could muster.
Emily was the first to break eye contact. She picked up her sandwich and dipped it into her tomato soup. Their meal was completed in an awkward sort of silence. Even though they hadn’t learned much more from each other, he felt he’d gotten to know her better than he knew most people in Copper Creek. That had to count for something.