Chapter 20
20
Caleb
C aleb lay beside Emily, his hands behind his head as they stared up at the night sky. She’d been awfully quiet since he’d picked her up. All he wanted to do was ask her what was bothering her. He wanted to tell her that even though they’d only known each other for a short time, he felt like they’d known each other for much longer.
Hours felt like weeks. Days felt like decades. Did he know every little detail about her past? No. But deep in his heart, he cared for her. He wanted to spend his life with her. All she had to do was let him in.
Turning his head, he gazed at her. It was dark, but not so dark that he couldn’t see the outline of her face. Even her silhouette was beautiful.
Think. Come up with something to say to break the tension . What could he talk about that would get her mind off whatever was bothering her?
He lifted his head onto his hand as he turned to his side. “You’ll never guess what I heard today.”
She didn’t turn toward him. Her eyes remained on the sky overhead. “What’s that?” she murmured.
“My little sister… Charlotte—but we call her Charlie—anyway, she was telling me about this singer.”
Emily turned this time, making it difficult to see her eyes now that they weren’t reflecting the stars. “A singer?”
He nodded. “There’s this singer who’s from LA. Turns out she’s been missing for like a week or maybe two, I can’t remember. Anyway, she’s gone missing, and her manager is trying to get the public’s help in finding her.”
Emily swallowed audibly. “Why wouldn’t they get the police to help?”
“That’s what I said.” He chuckled as he dropped back and shifted his focus to the stars. “Can you believe it, though? Some famous music star has up and disappeared. I bet you anything something happened to her.”
“Why do you say that?” she asked quietly.
He snorted. “Think about it. She’s rich. She has everything she could ever want in her life. She’s got the wealth, the power, the popularity, adoring fans… Why would she want to risk all of that?”
Emily went quiet, and he turned to face her again, only to find her staring at the sky.
Caleb inched closer to her and shifted his arm beneath her head to cushion it. “People like that don’t just walk away from what they have. They’re selfish beings.”
“Have you met one before?” Her voice almost sounded tight; then again, he couldn’t get a read on her expression, and he was probably assuming something that wasn’t there.
“No. I can’t say that I have.”
“Then you don’t know.”
He laughed. “I do know. I’ve watched enough people to get a good feel for why they do things the way they do. Think about it. If you went through all the trouble to claw yourself to the top, would you risk losing it all?”
“Maybe she had a good reason.”
“Like what? There’s nothing more she could want. I’m telling you, that woman, bless her soul, is probably in a whole lot of trouble. Someone took her or she’s running from something. One thing is for certain. It’s not of her own free will.”
Emily went quiet again, making him wonder if he’d offended her.
He could feel his desperation kicking in, and he grew restless. “Let’s say that the news reports are right,” he said. “This Emma Hart they’re looking for decided to run away for personal reasons. If that’s the truth, then she won’t want to be found. She’s got the money and the fame to believe she can do whatever she wants without suffering the consequences.”
“What consequences?” Emily mumbled.
“I don’t know. Job security, maybe. Or legal recourse. There are a lot of people who count on her—it’s not the job I would want, but she’s hired people. Either way, she’s either in a lot of trouble or she is the trouble. Neither option is a good one.”
“And what does your sister have to say?”
“Oh.” Caleb chuckled. “She can’t stop talking about it. She thinks that it’s a big publicity stunt for her next tour. She says she wishes that the singer was here in Copper Creek so we could get the concert. But I had to remind her that we’re not built for a gathering that big. It could very well destroy our town. Can you imagine? There are already too many people coming and going because of Shane’s equine therapy services and his country club. If people got word that a famous star came here to get away from it all, then Copper Creek would never be the same.”
“I suppose you’re right,” she said quietly.
“Have you ever heard of her? Emma Hart?”
“I think I’ve heard her music on the radio,” she said even softer.
“Anything I might know?”
She twisted her head around and stared at him. He couldn’t see her eyes, but he could feel them. It was almost like she wanted to say something, but she wasn’t sure she should. Caleb nearly told her to just spit it out, but he didn’t. She was clearly dealing with something, and she wasn’t ready to share it with him. He couldn’t even blame her for that.
A change in subject would have been nice, but if pop culture gossip wasn’t enough to distract her, then nothing would.
As it turned out, being alone and unable to trust anyone was just as hard as finding someone he did trust but not knowing how to help them when they were struggling.
He pulled her tighter against him, allowing her to rest her cheek against his chest. His thoughts continued to spiral as he considered his options. What could he say that wouldn’t scare her off? How could he bring up that he wanted to be there for her?
Caleb cleared his throat and shifted beside her. “So… Sophia is letting you stay with her a while longer.”
Emily nodded.
“That’s nice of them.”
“It is.”
“Do you know when you plan on heading home?”
She fidgeted and sat up. “I don’t.”
“I’ve never met anyone who could take a vacation and have it be so flexible. What did you say you did for work?”
“I work remotely.” She pulled her legs to her chest and rested her chin atop them. “I’ve been able to work all over the country.”
“Oh. I didn’t realize…” Caleb sat up beside her. “That must be nice for when you want to visit places like this, huh?”
She turned her head and rested her cheek on her knees as she gazed at him again. “Yeah. It’s nice to meet new people.”
He frowned, then schooled his features, thankful for the cover of darkness. If there was one thing she didn’t seem to like, it was meeting new people. “What’s the best part about your job?”
Emily turned her face away from him, focusing on something out in the darkness. “I guess the best part is that I love what I do. Not many people can say that. Most of the country has to go to work every day dreading it. You know the phrase work to live, don’t live to work?” Her voice softened, and even from her profile he could see a small smile form. “I had thought I was overwhelmed, and maybe I was. But the truth is, even if I wasn’t getting paid my current salary, I would still want to do it.”
“You’re right. Not many people can say that they have their dream job.”
She took a deep breath. “No, they can’t. The thing is, jobs aren’t supposed to be perfect one hundred percent of the time, are they? They’re supposed to be hard sometimes—otherwise they wouldn’t be worth it. You need to have the bad so you can appreciate the good. And looking at the bigger picture is what we have a hard time doing.”
As her words sunk in, Caleb realized he’d been doing the exact same thing when he thought about his family and the way things were changing. He had only been focused on the bad rather than all of the good things that he’d experienced. He’d dwelt on every betrayal and let it poison him.
Emily had been the one person who had managed to break that cycle. He reached for her hand and laced his fingers within hers before bringing it to his lips and brushing a kiss across her knuckles.
She glanced at him, and not for the first time did he wish there was better lighting. If there had been a full moon, he might have been able to see exactly how she felt in this moment. For him, he’d never felt closer to a person—more in tune with who they were deep down.
That was how it had always been with Emily. The more he thought about it, the more he simply had to accept that she’d been put in his life for a reason. She was here to teach him a lesson about trust and gratitude. He only wished he could do something just as good for her.
He’d get to her one way or another. Whatever it was that hurt her—that made her feel unsafe even in a small town like Copper Creek—he’d fix it. Emily needed someone to make her feel whole, just like she’d helped to heal him.
But not tonight.
She was still struggling, and something told him she wouldn’t be open to such an intervention. He’d give it a couple more days. He got the distinct feeling that she was nearing her rock bottom. She hadn’t been this despondent since they’d met. Perhaps she’d had that much-needed conversation with her sister that she’d been avoiding.
That made the most sense. Whenever she’d gotten a call from her sister, her demeanor had shifted. He hadn’t missed the fact that she hadn’t brought her phone on their little stargazing venture. While it had been nice not to be interrupted by the constant buzzing sounds, he couldn’t help but wonder what had transpired.
Another time , he reminded himself. Tonight would be just for the two of them.
He tugged her back down onto the blanket he’d spread out in the bed of the truck. “Let me show you my favorite constellation.”
She snuggled against him and let out a sigh. “I thought you didn’t like to read.”
“You don’t have to read to know the constellations,” he grumbled.
There was a smile in her voice. “No, but it helps.”
Caleb rolled his eyes. “I learned in school and from…” His voice caught in his throat.
“And?”
“My brother.”
“Which one?”
He didn’t answer right away. The cool air grew even colder.
She sat up and stared down at him in the darkness. “Your twin?”
A lump formed in his throat. “Carter always liked astronomy. He could tell you every story there was about every constellation. It was actually really annoying.”
“And yet it was something you two enjoyed together.”
The lump in Caleb’s throat grew larger. He’d been the poet, and his brother had been the astronomer. As cowboys, they hadn’t exactly fit in. But that didn’t stop them from pursuing the things that made them happy—even when that happiness came at a cost. He cleared his throat. “It’s ancient history now.”
She didn’t move. Her gaze remained locked on him, though he couldn’t tell if she could see much. Then, without warning, she brushed a kiss to his lips. Caught off guard, he froze. Her kiss warmed him, pulling him in. Slowly, his arms wrapped around her, holding her closer. He kissed her with a newfound desperation—reveling in the connection they’d found together in this moment.
If his life as he knew it ended right here, right now, he would die a happy man. Thankfully, he didn’t have to think about that. Whatever it took, whatever price he had to pay, he’d do it. He’d crawl over hot coals if it meant a life with her.