Chapter 14
14
Caleb
E verything Caleb had shared with Emily was surface level, but he’d found himself wanting to give her more. The temptation had been so great that he’d had to tell her to go inside last night rather than spend more time with her.
He couldn’t scare her off. Not when he craved her company like he did. The way he saw it, there were two possible outcomes at this moment. She was a tourist. That meant she didn’t plan on staying put. But there was a chance that things could change.
People made moves across the country for less.
His heart burned for that possibility. He’d long since given up on sticking with his plan to keep her at arm’s length. Lately, Caleb had been a good judge of character. Emily might be a tourist. She might still be a stranger by some definitions. But she was real . She was genuine. Emily was the kind of person he could give his whole self to.
Caleb couldn’t see any problem that couldn’t be overcome. He just had to figure out a way to make sure she was on the same page. Their ride had helped him see the possibility, and he was ready for the next step.
It was strange how he’d gone from being against marriage and letting someone into his life to suddenly having the desire for it. Maybe all he’d needed was a taste of what a life with someone could be.
Living in Mateo’s house with Emily, sharing meals with her, and talking about the most mundane things actually brought him joy. He would never tell Liam that. His brother would only laugh at him and throw his own words back in his face. None of his family could know what was going on. Not even Daniel, who seemed to be the most understanding of all of them.
No, he’d keep this little secret to himself and treasure it. He’d make sure to secure Emily for his own before he chanced an encounter with anyone in his family. The way he felt about Emily was his joy and his alone.
The days seemed to go faster in her company. He could usually hear her playing her guitar near the house when he was out working with the horses. The more she played, the more lyrics he’d come up with. She loved the words he’d given her already. Now she had a first verse, and all she needed was two more.
He hummed the song as he worked, his thoughts drifting to her and how much everything had changed. After Carter had left, Caleb hadn’t thought he’d be able to trust anyone again. Emily had proved him wrong.
While he’d been more open with her than he had with anyone else, he’d kept one thing to himself. As far as Emily knew, he had been raised by his siblings because they were orphaned. But that wasn’t even close.
The more he thought about Emily and how much he wanted her in his life, the more he realized he wouldn’t be able to do that without being willing to share every last detail. There was something he’d never even told his siblings—he’d never wanted to.
Maybe now was a good opportunity.
He cleaned up the tools, feed, and supplies he’d been using in the barn and headed for the house. Lunch had been pleasant. While they’d both been rather quiet after their little date the other night, there had been a sort of comradery between them. More than once, he’d caught her looking at him. And more than once he’d found himself wanting to reach out and hold her hand.
Caleb trudged up the stairs to the house and pushed open the door. He pulled off his boots and hung his hat. Supper was ready, but then he’d expected that. Over the last couple of days, it had turned into a sort of game between them—which one of them got to the stove first.
He smiled as he moved through the house. It felt so real—this life he was leading. He could almost believe that this was his home. That she belonged to him. That they could have a future together.
When he reached the kitchen, Emily was placing the dishes on the table. She looked up with a smile. “The vet said that the puppies are doing great. They all got their shots. They’re growing well. Has Mateo called about them yet?”
He shook his head. “No word on how things are going with them.”
She frowned, one hand on her hip. “I hope everything is okay. I really like them.”
“Yeah, me too.” He pulled out a chair at the table and settled down onto the seat. She dished him up some pasta with red sauce along with some garlic toast, and then she sat across from him as was their usual seating arrangement.
Caleb gazed at her across the table, and then, on a whim, he picked up his plate and moved around the table so he could take a seat beside her. She looked at him in surprise but didn’t say anything. He lifted his nose appreciatively. “This smells great.”
“I hope it’s as good as it smells, then. For your benefit.”
“I’m sure it will be,” he said with a chuckle.
She watched him expectantly as he took a bite. Then he groaned with exaggeration, drawing a laugh from her lips. Emily shook her head. “You’re ridiculous.”
“And you’re more talented than you realize.”
Emily ducked her head, taking a bite of her own. “How are the horses doing?”
“Fine.” He glanced at her again, so many words wanting to spill from his lips at that moment, but he landed on only one thing. “I lied.”
Her hands went still and her expression remained frozen before she looked at him with what could only be fear.
Quickly, he placed a hand on hers and shook his head. “It’s nothing bad. You see, I don’t really trust people that easily.”
“So, you thought it would be better to lie to them?”
Heat seared his face. “That’s not exactly where I was going with this.”
“What did you lie about?” She placed her fork on her plate, pulled her hand away from his, and then clasped both hands in her lap tightly. “Is it that you don’t really want me to stay?”
Caleb’s head whipped around, and he stared at her in surprise. “What? Of course not. I—” The heat intensified. “Geez, it’s not that bad. I just didn’t want there to be any secrets between us.”
Still, she looked incredibly uncomfortable. “You don’t.” It wasn’t a question. There wasn’t a degree of hope or emotion in her tone. He didn’t think she was capable of speaking so flatly.
“Of course not,” he repeated, wishing he’d kept ahold of her hand before. His tongue felt swollen and incapable of being used. Sweat dotted his brow for no other reason than he felt like he’d intentionally tricked her. Caleb released a breath. “I wasn’t orphaned.”
Emily’s brows pulled together. “Oh? So you weren’t raised by your siblings?”
“Oh, I was definitely raised by my siblings. But my parents weren’t dead at the time. I think some of my brothers believe they are now. I hired a PI to track them down and found out my dad passed away about a year ago. My mother changed her name and is living somewhere in Idaho, last I heard.”
Emily didn’t move. He’d expected her to tell him that she understood why he might not want to share this information. Heck, he would have loved to hear her tell him that it was none of her business. Instead, she looked sick to her stomach. Her skin had turned a visible shade of green.
“I don’t know why I lied,” he said. “The only thing I can think of is that I didn’t want you thinking any less of me.”
“Why would I think less of you?” she asked hollowly.
He shrugged. “Because you’re close to your family. I know you would do anything for them, just by the way you talk about them.”
“That doesn’t mean I would think less of you for being abandoned by your folks.”
“It’s not the fact that I was abandoned. It’s that I know where my mother is, and I have zero intention of doing anything about it.”
Her eyes flitted up to meet his. “Why?”
“Why would I? She’s the one who doesn’t want me.” He could hear the defensiveness in his tone rise. That wasn’t what this conversation was supposed to be about. He’d wanted to have a moment where he was vulnerable in front of her so when he told her how he felt, she’d believe him.
It looked like he was failing even worse than he’d thought possible.
“Why are you telling me this now? It wouldn’t matter if you never told me.”
“It might,” he whispered. When she continued to stare at him with questions, he sighed. “What if one day she showed up on my doorstep and I had to explain to you why she was there? I wouldn’t want to—I don’t want to lie to you. Emily, you’re the first person in my life that I’ve wanted to be completely transparent with. It doesn’t even make sense, but there it is.”
“You’re right,” she whispered.
“I am?” Hope flooded his chest, practically cutting off his air supply.
“You’re right that it doesn’t make sense.”
And just like that, his heart dropped into the pit of his stomach. “What?”
She pushed away from the table and rose to her feet. “We barely know each other. You don’t have any reason to feel this way.”
He shot to his feet as well, desperation taking over that failed hope. He grasped her upper arms and peered at her, watching her intently. “My reasons don’t have to make sense. My intuition is all I need. Can’t you feel it? Tell me you understand what I’m trying to say.” Caleb’s flustered words were only making matters worse. His eyes dipped to her lips and a lightbulb went off in his head. Maybe if he kissed her, they could put the awkwardness behind them. “Emily,” he whispered, moving closer, “I?—”
“There you are.”
Both Emily and Caleb jumped at the intrusion.
Caleb’s head whipped around to find Daniel standing in the doorway. “Daniel? What are you doing here?”
His brother’s focus bounced from Caleb to Emily and back again. “You said you were staying for a week. It’s been over that.” He shifted in the doorway, his arms folded. “Wade wanted me to check in with you.”
Caleb didn’t miss the way Emily ducked her head to hide her face from Daniel, so he moved her behind his back and strode toward his brother. He grasped Daniel by the upper arm, but since Daniel was the tallest of the Keagan household, he felt like a zebra leading a giraffe. “You can’t be here, Daniel,” he said. “Tell Wade I’m fine. Mateo asked me to stay longer.”
Daniel spun to face him, a smirk on his face. “You sure that’s all it is?”
Rolling his eyes, Caleb pulled the front door open. “I’m just helping out a friend.”
“Who was?—”
“She’s Sophia’s friend, and she didn’t have a place to stay. It’s really none of your business, anyhow. And it’s definitely none of anyone else’s business either.” He gave his brother a pointed look.
Daniel continued to smirk at Caleb but finally took his leave with a chuckle. “Your secret’s safe with me.” He shook his head as he climbed into his truck. “I never thought I’d see the day…” His voice trailed off just as he shut his truck door.
Caleb watched his brother drive away, then rushed back to the kitchen, only to find it empty.
Rats! She’d run away. Why couldn’t he have said something sooner? Better yet, why didn’t he lock the door before coming to dinner? At least then they could have avoided Daniel’s intrusion.
He balled his hands into fists, wondering if there was anything he could salvage from their conversation.