CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
The following Wednesday, I was determined to stay focused on the business and forget about Caleb. I drove straight past the building site and I didn’t even glance over once.
I nipped over to see Rosie and that cheered me up a little, seeing her looking so positive and happy. Her mum certainly seemed to be enjoying herself on the stall, chatting to all the customers. Hopefully, she’d be able to persuade her husband that returning permanently to the UK would be a good thing for the whole family. Because I knew that would be the icing on the cake for Rosie and Amelie.
I was just finishing serving a line of customers and preparing to shut up shop, when I thought I heard my name being called. I turned, puzzled. Then I realised and groaned. It was Ivan and his loud hailer again...
Will Katja please report to the portacabin?
Katja to the portacabin! Katja to the portacabin!
As soon as you like and faster if possible, please.
I chuckled, looking around for him – and then he appeared, marching towards me and repeating the whole thing over again.
He looked so comical walking along and shouting into that old antique loud hailer of his that I burst out laughing.
‘What on earth’s going on, Ivan?’ I demanded with an embarrassed smile because everyone was staring at us.
‘I’ve been wanting an excuse to try this thing out.’ Grinning, he held up the weird contraption. ‘It works pretty well, don’t you think?’
‘It does. But why do I need to report to the portacabin?’
Was this something to do with Caleb? He seemed to conduct meetings in there, although I preferred not to think about how long he was closeted in there with Loretta the previous Wednesday...
Ivan shrugged. ‘Actually, you don’t. I made up the bit about reporting to the portacabin. No, I was just wondering if you’d like that tour of the eco house that I promised you?’
‘Oh.’ My heart sank a little.
‘You did say you usually had some spare time before going on to Primrose Wood?’
‘Yes. I... normally have a bite to eat in a lay-by on the way.’ I shrugged and smiled. He looked so hopeful. ‘I suppose I could eat my sandwich as you’re showing me around?’
‘Lunch is all taken care of.’
‘It is?’
What did a builder’s lunch consist of? Doorstep meat sandwiches, probably. (Now who was being sexist.)
‘Yup. So I’ll meet you back at the site when you’re finished here?’
‘Okay. Two minutes.’
I felt bad for wishing it could be Caleb showing me around the eco house. Ivan was doing his best and he’d definitely grown on me. He always made me laugh.
But where was Caleb today? Off with Loretta somewhere, probably.
I finished packing up the van then drove it over to the site and luckily, there was a parking space nearby. Ivan had abandoned the loud hailer, thankfully, and was waiting for me at the entrance.
‘Come on. Lunch is ready and you haven’t got much time.’ He set off, his long legs striding over the distance so fast, I had to keep breaking into a little run to try and keep up with him.
He walked right past the showhouse, which I thought was a bit weird, and we finally stopped outside another house, which was furthest from the entrance to the site.
The front door was slightly ajar.
Ivan ushered me straight inside. ‘This is the kitchen,’ he said, walking down the hallway and pushing open a door at the end. ‘Lunch first, tour after. The chef has been very busy.’
‘The chef ?’ I breathed in the delicious herby aroma filling the room and felt my tummy rumble in response. A pan on the hob was covered with a lid and two plates were laid out with cutlery alongside. ‘Crikey, Ivan, is this how you greet all the people who come to look at these houses?’
He chuckled. ‘No. The boss is very particular about who he cooks for.’
‘The boss ?’ I stared at him. Then, hearing someone coming in the front door, I swung round just as Caleb walked in.
‘Katja, hi. Sorry, I meant to be here but my meeting ran over.’ He looked a bit distracted. Not his usual calm self at all. ‘Thanks, Ivan.’
‘No problem.’ He winked at me and melted away.
‘So... have you got time for some lunch?’ Caleb looked at me rather sheepishly, and I suddenly realised he was nervous.
‘Er, yes. That would be lovely,’ I said, bewildered. I felt as if I’d walked into another dimension. What on earth was going on?
Caleb removed the pan lid and my gaze fell on what looked like two homemade burgers with mozzarella cheese melted on top. He removed the lid of another dish to reveal two split burger buns. ‘All the trimmings?’ he asked. ‘Tomato, lettuce, mayo, jalapeno peppers?’
‘Er, yes to everything, please.’
‘Sorry I haven’t got a table yet,’ he apologised, handing me my delicious-looking burger on a plate. ‘It’s being delivered next week. I thought we could eat in the living room. There’s no furniture in there, either, but there’s a window seat.’
‘Right. So this is your house? The one you’ll be living in?’
He nodded. ‘I’ll give you the tour later if you’ve got the time before you shoot off to Primrose Wood.’
‘Plenty of time.’ I glanced at my watch.
We sat down on the window seat, turning slightly to face each other. The burger looked too good to resist. I took a very inelegant bite, which resulted in lettuce flapping on my nose. The food tasted even better than it looked. ‘This is delicious. But what’s it all in aid of?’
Caleb took a bite himself and chewed. Then he said, ‘It’s a peace offering, really. And a hope that we can continue where we left off. Before all the Loretta confusion?’ His eyes were still wary, as if he thought I might be about to yell at him, Mo-style, that all men were ignorant nob heads and I wouldn’t touch him with a bargepole.
‘That... sounds good,’ I murmured, my heart hammering wildly.
He nodded, gazing at me intently.
Oh, my goodness, how romantic was this? Sharing a window seat and gazing into each other’s eyes over burgers made specially for me...
‘Er, you’ve got mayo on your nose,’ he said.
Ah.
I rubbed my nose hard. ‘Gone?’
He smiled, his blue eyes twinkling. ‘Gone.’
‘Erm, there’s just one thing . . .’
He nodded. ‘I know what you’re going to say.’
‘You do?’
‘I think so.’ He gave a rueful smile. ‘Ivan said you came over to see me last Wednesday but I was in the portacabin. Apparently, he told you I was in there with Loretta?’
‘So you weren’t? In there with Loretta?’
‘No, I was . But I knew as soon as Ivan mentioned he’d seen you that you’d think something was going on between Loretta and me Which it absolutely wasn’t. Not that way, in any case.’
‘Right. So why . . .?’
‘We were having a long chat about things.’ He shrugged. ‘After talking to you about her, I realised I needed to make the situation quite clear to Loretta. I didn’t want her hoping that we might get back together at some point in the future. She needs to be free to move on.’ He looked directly into my eyes and paused before he spoke. ‘Just like I already have.’
‘You’ve moved on?’
‘I’ve moved on,’ he repeated firmly. ‘My focus is on you now. If that’s what you want.’ He shrugged. ‘But... maybe you’re not ready to move on yourself? You didn’t think you were the last time we spoke.’
‘I know. I think that was because I didn’t know if I could trust you. And after Richard, my ex... well, it’s hard.’
He nodded. ‘Of course it is. But you can trust me. One hundred per cent.’
‘I sort of believe you?’ I gave my head an impatient little shake. ‘No, I do believe you, Caleb. I really do.’
‘Well... look, it might take a while for you to forget what happened with your ex. I mean, to leave it behind enough to really trust that I’m not going to hurt you the way he did. So if you don’t think you’re quite ready yet for a new relationship, I’ll understand.’ He leaned back against the wall, folded his arms and smiled that gorgeous crinkle-eyed smile at me. ‘I’m a patient man, Katja. And I happen to think you’re well worth waiting for.’
My heart bounded with happiness at his words.
‘But I am! Ready. I think,’ I blurted out.
He chuckled. ‘So that’s a definite maybe, then.’
‘Oh, God, I’m sorry. Look, I’m just really scared, that’s all.’
‘And I understand.’
‘I know you do. So... I might have to ask for a little bit of that patience of yours.’
‘You have it,’ he said simply. ‘We can take this as slowly as you need to. Slower than a snail’s pace if that will make you trust me.’
I nodded gratefully, my eyes pricking with tears at his understanding.
‘You set the pace. I’ll follow your lead. We can be just friends for a while if that’s what you’d like.’
I gave him a mischievous look. ‘I’m not sure “friends” is possible. Not after... well, you know...’ Heat flooded my face and I saw he was smiling, remembering back to our one incredible night together.
‘Well, that’s a relief,’ he murmured, a twinkle in his eye. ‘I’m only human, Katja. And I’m not sure how long I’d have been able to hold out without at least kissing you again.’
I chuckled. ‘So go on, then.’
‘Sorry?’
‘Kiss me again.’
I put down my plate and stood up, and after a second’s hesitation, he did the same. I moved closer so I could feel the heat of his body and I was breathing him in and desire was flooding through me.
Our eyes locked and held for a long moment.
And then he reached for me, pulling me against him with a low groan of frustrated longing.
‘Katja.’ He brushed my skin with burning kisses – my mouth, my neck, my temple – and I shivered at the tantalising feel of his hot breath against my ear.
I responded passionately, winding my fingers in his hair and pulling him down to me. Locked together, so I was left in no doubt about the depths of Caleb’s desire for me, we kissed for a long time and I felt myself flying through the stars in an ecstasy of feeling I’d never experienced before.
Finally, we broke apart, each of us gasping for breath, although Caleb kept his arms firmly wrapped around me.
Laughing, I looked up into his eyes. ‘Hey, aren’t we supposed to be taking it slowly?’
He raised his eyebrows at me. ‘Er, I was following your lead, remember?’ he murmured with a mischievous smile. ‘I believe you asked me to kiss you again?’
‘Oops, so I did. Sorry about that.’
‘About what?’
I shrugged. ‘Making up relationship rules and then flouting them straight away.’
He chuckled. ‘Funny, I’ve always enjoyed a bit of flouting.’
‘I could definitely get used to being a flouter. As long as it’s you who’s kissing me.’
His blue eyes glittered dangerously as he smiled down at me. ‘Well, in that case... I’m thinking maybe we should –?’
Reaching up, I silenced him with a long, lingering kiss on the mouth.
And after that, we flouted the rules just a little bit more...