Chapter Three
CHAPTER THREE
Caleb fought the urge to rub his eyes to make sure he wasn’t seeing things. Was Daisy really standing a few feet away from him? She had vowed a long time ago never to return to Moose Falls. Not even if her life depended on it. Yet here she was looking at him with an expression of mortification etched on her delicate features.
“Mom. Wh-what are you doing here?” he asked. As far as he knew, his mother was back home in Arizona teaching art classes and organizing poetry readings. She hadn’t set foot in Alaska in twenty years.
“Do you think I would miss my firstborn son’s engagement party?” Daisy asked as she made her way past Xavier and Landon. “Not on your life I wouldn’t.”
She reached out and brushed her palm across Caleb’s cheek. “My sweet boy. How I’ve missed seeing your beautiful face in person.”
“I’ve missed you too. You sure kept this surprise under wraps,” Caleb said. He still felt as if he was imagining things. He and his brothers had missed their mother something fierce. She hadn’t given them her blessing to come to Moose Falls for their inheritance, so the situation had been slightly awkward. Having her here in the flesh was a wonderful surprise.
“Hattie arranged it as a surprise for all of us,” Landon said. “We started to get worried when we couldn’t find you, and you weren’t picking up any of our calls, so we combed through the house.”
“Then Hattie mentioned that Sophia had disappeared, and we saw her heels on the landing,” Jacques said. “That led us straight to you.”
“We thought you needed rescuing,” Xavier said, wiggling his eyebrows.
“We did,” Sophia said, sounding heated. Her cheeks were flushed. His big brother’s innuendo hadn’t been lost on her.
“I was bit by a bunch of carpenter ants,” Caleb explained. “My whole body is itching and on fire, which is why I took off my clothes.” He was tripping all over himself to explain.
Xavier and Landon burst out laughing. They didn’t even bother to hide the fact that they found the situation highly entertaining, even though it was incredibly stressful for him.
“This could only happen to you,” Landon said, clutching his stomach. “Literal ants in your pants.”
“Totally,” Xavier said, shaking his head and chuckling. “Who knew carpenter ants bit people?”
Caleb glared at them. Neither one had any chill whatsoever. They hadn’t even asked him if he needed a doctor. These bites were no laughing matter, and they were embarrassing him in front of Sophia.
“You poor thing,” Daisy said, her voice oozing sympathy. “I can whip up a remedy for you. Baking soda and apple cider vinegar.” Her gaze swung to Sophia, and her eyes narrowed in on her like laser beams. “Caleb, introduce me to your lovely companion.”
His mother was always trying to pair him off with women. Clearly, nothing had changed in that regard. She always told him that “the love of a good woman will change your perspective.” He had always thought her outlook was pretty remarkable given her and Red’s tangled history. But Mama knew best. She’d never once steered him in the wrong direction.
“This is Sophia Brand, Mom. And we’re not together,” Caleb explained. “We were just stuck up here at the same time.”
“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Stone,” Sophia said, sticking out her hand to shake Daisy’s.
“Call me Daisy, Sophia. It’s a pleasure to meet you, even under these unusual circumstances.” She shook her head and chuckled.
“If you’ll excuse me, I really have to get back to my post. I’m the photographer tonight,” Sophia explained. “I don’t want to disappoint Hattie.”
“Hattie knew something was off when you disappeared,” Jacques said. “We were hoping there wasn’t an emergency at home.”
Sophia placed her hand against her chest. “No, there wasn’t. Thank goodness for that.”
For the first time Caleb noticed that his dad was standing at the bottom of the steps. Red was pacing back and forth as if he didn’t quite know what to do with himself. Caleb imagined that seeing his ex-wife after all this time was intense. From what he knew, Red and Daisy hadn’t spoken to or seen each other in a very long time. With Red traveling out of town a lot on Yukon Cider business, he didn’t get to see him much.
“Thanks for the rescue,” Sophia said. She turned toward Caleb. “Take care of those bites, okay?” They locked eyes, and for a moment, it seemed as if it was once again just the two of them in the attic.
“Will do,” Caleb said, wishing they weren’t surrounded by so many people. Everyone had their eyes glued to them, going back and forth between them as if they were watching a tennis match. He wanted to shout, “Nothing to see here, people. Nothing to see.” Normally he didn’t mind being the center of attention. Some might even say he craved it, but at this moment he wished that he’d had more one-on-one time with Sophia. With every moment that went by, he’d felt as if he was peeling back her layers. Something about being trapped in the attic had allowed them to open up to each other.
“Let me assist you,” Jacques said, holding out his arm so Sophia could lean on him as she navigated the stairs.
Sophia was still one of the most beautiful women he’d ever seen, and they’d bonded a bit in the attic. Once she’d confessed about being claustrophobic, he had glimpsed a softer side of her. Maybe they could meet up for coffee or a night out at Northern Exposure. His soon-to-be sister-in-law had just purchased the establishment from Red, which made True the official owner.
Before he could think of a suave way to ask her to hang out with him, she was walking down the stairs and away from the attic. And he didn’t fail to notice that she looked just as good walking away as she did coming. Have mercy!
“I see you,” Xavier said as soon as Sophia was out of earshot. A smug smile was plastered on his face.
“What are you babbling about?” Caleb asked, annoyed at himself for showing such an obvious interest in Sophia. He should have known that his brothers would be all over it like white on rice. First rule of being a Stone brother: Never show the cards you’re holding.
“We all see you,” Landon said. “You’re practically drooling.”
He gritted his teeth, from both pain and annoyance. “I am not drooling. I might be foaming at the mouth due to these ant bites, but I am not drooling.”
“Could have fooled me,” Xavier said, smirking.
“Enough of this nonsense, all of you. Caleb needs my salve and cold compresses,” Daisy said, sounding annoyed. She made a shooing motion with her hands. “Xavier, go back to the party and True. Landon, come help your brother out. We need to get him to his room.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Landon said, immediately following her instructions and heading over toward Caleb.
Red came up the steps. “Let me help,” he said, darting a glance in Daisy’s direction.
Oh, this should be fun , Caleb thought, with his father tiptoeing around his mother like an awkward teenager. Not that he blamed him. Daisy Stone was a badass who didn’t hold back on telling it like it was. Over the years she had gotten even tougher, most likely due to having to raise three boys on her own. Caleb wished life had been easier for their mother, but things hadn’t worked out that way. She’d carried the weight of the world on her shoulders for so many years. He still hadn’t forgiven his father for dropping the ball so disastrously. So far he’d put on a smile around Red, never letting him see how deeply his absence had affected him. At some point, Caleb knew his feelings would bubble over and explode. All this time his emotions had been simmering, but being in his father’s orbit changed everything.
“Guys, my body is on fire, but my legs are still working. I can walk out of here under my own steam,” Caleb said, shrugging off Landon’s arm.
“Aren’t we testy,” Landon said, rolling his eyes. “You didn’t even thank us for coming to your rescue.”
“You would be annoyed too if you had insect bites in your nether regions,” Caleb muttered. “It’s uncomfortable.”
Xavier and Landon looked at each other and burst into another round of laughter.
Daisy shook her head. “And here I thought that the two of you were slightly mature. I see that you’ve reverted back to your middle school years.” She rolled her eyes.
Caleb let out a snort. “You’re giving them way too much credit. I’d say they were still in elementary school.”
He bent down to pick up his shirt and spotted the Leica camera on the floor next to the crate where Sophia had been sitting. In all the commotion, she had forgotten her precious possession. Caleb reached for it and tucked it under his arm. He planned to hold on to the camera for a little bit.
This way he would have a reason to see Sophia again, if only to reunite her with her vintage camera. They had shared a few bonding moments in the attic that made him want to learn more about Sophia. She intrigued him. And maybe, just maybe, he could convince her that he was way more than the man she’d gotten a glimpse of on reality television.
Sophia nestled into her comfy knitted blanket and burrowed her head under her pillows. Contentment oozed from every pore in her body. Her alarm kept going off, but each and every time she reached for it and set it back on snooze. Sleeping in on the weekend was hard to resist.
“Mama, wake up.” Lily’s voice washed over her like a bucket of cold water. She slowly pulled off her eye mask as streaks of sunlight streamed through her blinds. What time was it? Clearly, judging by Lily’s appearance bedside, she’d overslept. She had been having such a wonderful, relaxing dream, the type you didn’t want to wake up from.
Although the details were a bit hazy, she knew Caleb had featured prominently in her dream. Her cheeks flushed at the realization that she couldn’t even escape him when her mind and body were the most relaxed. There was simply no denying reality. She was wildly attracted to the middle Stone brother. He might be the Love Rat, but he was also the hottest man who had ever stepped foot in Moose Falls. Maybe in all of Alaska if she was being honest.
And maybe, just maybe, there was more to him than the reality show had revealed. Or perhaps she was just fooling herself. In her experience, men who looked like Caleb had massive egos. Or was she simply putting up barriers to protect herself against Caleb’s charms?
“Good morning, sunshine,” she said to her daughter, patting the space next to her so Lily could join her. Without hesitation, Lily jumped up on the bed and snuggled up against her. “I’m sorry that I overslept.”
“It’s okay, Mommy. You were up late last night at the party.” Lily sounded so matter-of-fact and way more mature than her years. Sophia wanted to keep her as little as possible for as long as she could. As it was, she was growing up way too fast.
“What do you want for breakfast? I can whip up some pumpkin pancakes if you want,” Sophia suggested. Those were Lily’s favorite, especially on a lazy Saturday morning.
“Can you make them into Minnie Mouse ears?” Lily asked, crossing her hands in front of her in a prayerful pose. “Pretty please.”
“You got it,” Sophia said, sitting up and swinging her legs over the side of the bed. “I’m just going to grab my robe and slippers. Okay?”
“You didn’t say anything about my outfit,” Lily said, sticking out her lip. “I got dressed all by myself.” She jumped down from the bed and did a few twirls.
“You sure did,” Sophia said, her lips twitching as she checked out the plaid leggings, pink dress, and red button-down sweater decorated with hearts. As mismatched as the outfit was, Lily still looked adorable. And Sophia was a big believer in not stifling her child’s creativity.
“You look fabulous!” she said, bending at the waist to place a kiss on Lily’s temple. With her mocha-colored skin and big brown eyes, she was Sophia’s mini me. She couldn’t love this child more than she already did. Donny may have been a bust, but he’d given her the greatest blessing in Lily.
“Thank you, Mommy. I can’t wait till G-pop sees this fit,” she said, grinning from ear to ear. “Maybe we can bring him some pancakes.”
“Oh, I think he’ll already have eaten breakfast by the time we get there. He invited us for lunch, and you know how he likes to cook.” Her father was self-taught, and now that he was semiretired, he enjoyed cooking up a storm in his newly renovated kitchen. Sophia couldn’t bring her dad anything that he couldn’t whip up on his own ten times better.
Sophia headed to the kitchen with Lily at her heels. Her daughter was such a morning person, full of sunshine and smiles. Try as she might, Sophia couldn’t make herself enjoy mornings.
“Can I watch Bluey while you make the pancakes?” Lily asked.
“Sure thing,” Sophia said, heading toward the playroom and turning on her daughter’s favorite show. Lily didn’t watch a lot of television, but she was a Bluey fanatic at the moment.
Once she’d set Lily up, Sophia headed toward the kitchen and began to assemble her ingredients for pancake making. Despite her best efforts to focus on the here and now, thoughts of last night wouldn’t leave her alone. Caleb’s gorgeous face kept popping into her mind. Dimples. Check. Russet-colored skin. Check. Six feet tall. Check. This man literally checked off all the boxes.
As much as Sophia had been ecstatic about being rescued from the confines of Hattie’s attic, she hated the fact that his brothers seemed to think she and Caleb were involved in some hanky-panky. Yes, Caleb was half dressed when they were discovered, but he’d also been covered in red, angry bug bites. Sophia didn’t want any assumptions being made about her due to Caleb’s past indiscretions. She supposed the Stone brothers’ suspicions made sense considering Caleb’s history of being a player, but it was still annoying to be dragged into the situation. She remembered Caleb acknowledging having a messy past in his video diary on Love Him or Leave Him . With his killer smile and gorgeous dimples, he’d looked straight into the camera and said, “Don’t hold my past against me. I’m a player by nature, but willing to be reformed by the love of a good woman.”
Sophia let out a snort. Caleb had been full of crap. It had been a tagline to gain the public’s attention, as well as Gillian’s, the star of the show. His shtick had worked perfectly for him, as well as his good looks, earning him a place in the finals.
Now that she had been up close and personal with Caleb, she could see how he used his charisma to win people over. If she had been trapped with him in the attic any longer, she might be singing his praises right now. He had that type of over-the-top magnetism! No wonder he’d sought out the limelight. It totally made sense.
Sophia hadn’t been interested in anyone in almost four years. What were the odds that Caleb Stone would come along and make her pulse race? He had a certain swagger that money couldn’t buy. He was the sort of man who walked through life effortlessly. Caleb led with confidence.
Stop thinking about him. Focus on something else, like feeding Lily.
Once she’d finished making breakfast, Sophia sat across from Lily at the butcher-block kitchen table, eating pumpkin pancakes in the shape of Minnie Mouse ears, scrambled eggs, and sausage. Afterward, she placed their dirty plates and utensils in the dishwasher, then headed upstairs to take a quick shower and get dressed. Forty minutes later they were in the car and on their way to her dad’s place.
While she was in the shower, she had been hit with the realization that she’d left the Leica camera in Hattie’s attic. With all the commotion related to their rescue, Sophia had completely forgotten to grab it. She would have to head over to Hattie’s place at some point to reclaim it. After all she’d gone through to get it, she didn’t want to let it slip through her fingers. And as Caleb had pointed out, Hattie wanted to pass the camera on to her. Knowing that such a dynamic woman as Hattie Stone valued her meant the world to Sophia.
Sophia loved antiques, especially cameras. It brought her back to her childhood and discovering her love of photography through her father’s eyes. He had been the owner of a vintage shop called Remember When here in Moose Falls. Sophia had loved to putter around the shop while her dad was working. Right before her freshman year in college he’d sold the place. Sophia had always wondered if he’d done so to pay her tuition bills. She had once asked him, years later, and his response had been cryptic. There wasn’t a single doubt in her mind that she would also make huge sacrifices for her own daughter.
Lily ran ahead of her once they had arrived at her dad’s home and parked. Her daughter didn’t bother knocking or ringing the doorbell. She simply turned the knob and pushed her way in, beckoning to Sophia to hurry up.
“Hey there, Daddio. What’s cooking?” Sophia asked as she followed the aroma emanating from Skip Brand’s kitchen. As usual, her father was standing by the stove stirring a pot of something that smelled heavenly. She sniffed the air, immediately recognizing his world-famous chili.
“G-pop,” Lily cried out as soon as she spotted her grandfather.
Skip opened up his arms and bent down to embrace his granddaughter. Sophia loved the joyful expression etched on her father’s face as he rained kisses down on Lily. As close as she had always been to her father, his relationship with Lily was like no other. Her daughter needed a strong man in her life, since Donny wasn’t much of a father. He barely saw his daughter and couldn’t be bothered to even remember her birthday. Sophia had swallowed her bitterness against her ex in an effort to make the relationship between father and daughter easier, but so far it hadn’t worked. Ever since Caleb had talked about the absence of his own father during his formative years, Sophia hadn’t been able to stop thinking about the damage the situation was inflicting on Lily.
Just the thought of Lily bearing the weight of Donny’s neglect caused a hitch in the region of her heart. With her lovely brown complexion and light brown eyes, Lily was a beautiful child, inside and out. According to most people, she was Sophia’s mini me, which served as a blessed relief. She knew it was a petty feeling, but she was thankful Lily didn’t resemble Donny.
“The two of you are a sight for sore eyes,” Skip said, turning toward Sophia and pulling her in for one of his famous hugs. Just being held in his arms made Sophia feel like a little girl again.
“Right back atcha,” Sophia said. Being able to see her dad on a regular basis was good for the soul. It was also important for Lily to spend time with a male role model who adored her. Skip thought the sun rose and set on his granddaughter.
“How was the shindig at Hattie’s house?” her father asked as he handed a juice box to Lily, who scampered off toward the playroom and the three-story dollhouse G-pop had handcrafted for her.
“It was… interesting,” Sophia said, making a face.
“Well, that’s a loaded comment. How so?” he asked. Sophia loved how her father soaked up all the details of her life. He wasn’t just asking either. Skip truly wanted to know all the goings-on in her world. And she enjoyed having a father she could confide in. When the storms of life came, he was always there in her corner.
She quickly filled him in on getting stuck in the attic with Caleb.
Her father winced when she got to the part about the insect bites. “Carpenter ants? Oh, those can be painful. I’ve endured quite a few over the years.”
“He was a good sport about it, especially since his brothers thought it was hilarious.” She made a tutting sound. “I felt bad for him.”
His eyes widened. “I can’t believe you’re feeling sorry for him. Wasn’t he the one on your favorite reality show? The guy you loved to hate?”
She folded her arms across her chest. “Hate is a very strong word. Let’s just say I disliked him intensely. He was pretty awful.”
He frowned. “Really? I kind of felt bad for the guy. He was caught between a rock and a hard place. I only watched a few episodes with you, but he seemed genuine.”
Sophia let out a groan. “You’re such a softie. He was a walking red flag.”
Pop stirred his chili. “And now? Is he growing on you?”
“I wouldn’t go that far, but he’s not on my awful human list.” She was reluctant to admit it out loud, but Caleb wasn’t anything like she’d imagined him to be. He had been a reassuring and comforting presence in the attic. She knew that her own experiences with Donny had left her jaded, so a part of her wondered if she had been biased against him.
“Well, Hattie seems to be over the moon about those boys being back home, so that’s a good thing. She deserves some happiness after everything she’s done for Moose Falls.” He took a spoonful of chili and blew on it before turning toward Sophia and offering her a taste.
“Don’t mind if I do,” Sophia said, taking the spoon from her father and putting it in her mouth. She closed her eyes and let out a satisfied sound as the spicy flavors hit her tongue.
“What do you think?” Skip asked, his gaze narrowed as he carefully watched her reaction.
“I think it’s amazing,” Sophia gushed. She handed the spoon back to him. “I can’t wait for lunch, and that’s saying something, since we had a big breakfast.”
Her father grinned. “That’s what I like to hear.” A timer rang out from the direction of the stove. “There goes my cornbread. I need to check it real quick.” As always, he became a whirlwind in the kitchen, turning down the heat on the chili before opening up the stove and peering in to check on the cornbread. “Perfect,” he said, reaching for oven mitts and pulling out a beautifully cooked sheet of cornbread. Sophia’s stomach grumbled at the delightful aroma circulating around the kitchen.
Her cell phone began to ring with the ringtone of her favorite Beyoncé song, “Halo.” Although she wasn’t inclined to answer her phone during family time, a quick glance at the screen showed that Hattie was on the other end of the line. She only called Sophia for important matters such as last night’s gig. She wasn’t about to ignore the call.
“I’ve got to take this,” she told her father before reaching for her phone and answering the call.
“Good afternoon, Sophia. It’s Hattie.” The older woman’s voice sounded a lot less robust these days, although she would know Hattie’s voice anywhere. It still rang out with distinction.
“Hey, Hattie. How’s it going?” Sophia asked. “You threw a wonderful party last night. I so appreciate you hiring me to capture the event.”
“Thank you. I’m very regretful about you getting trapped in my attic. Those hinges must be a little rusty.”
“No worries. I made it through in one piece,” Sophia reassured her. At this point in Hattie’s life she didn’t need to feel guilty about a single thing.
“I hope my grandson kept you entertained.” Sophia wasn’t certain, but she thought Hattie’s tone sounded a bit mischievous. “Caleb is quite the rascal.”
“Well, he was calm and cool under pressure while we were stuck up there. I’ll give him that,” Sophia said, as memories of him talking her through the panicky feelings washed over her. He had really grounded her so that she wasn’t freaking out about being confined in a small space.
“Sophia, the reason I’m calling you is because I’d like to offer you a full-time position at Yukon Cider. We have a lot of new campaigns starting, and I really enjoy your photography work. I would love to have you on board to help us capture the essence of the brand and boost our social media reach. Perhaps we can meet up this week and discuss the particulars if you’re interested.”
Was she interested? Sophia felt like doing a cartwheel in celebration of Hattie’s offer. Honestly, it couldn’t have come at a better time. Her financial situation was dicey at the moment due to limited work hours, paying a mortgage, and a lack of child support from Donny. Working for an established company like Yukon Cider would be a dream come true.
“That would be fantastic,” she replied, practically sputtering out the words. Pure adrenaline was racing through her veins. Her head was spinning at the possibilities. If this worked out, being employed by Hattie could help her out financially and creatively. There was so much she could learn by working at Yukon Cider.
“How does Wednesday sound? We can meet in my office,” Hattie suggested.
“Wednesday is perfect. I so appreciate the opportunity,” Sophia said, her stomach doing flip-flops. She certainly didn’t want to get ahead of herself, but this sounded promising.
“Your work is impeccable, so it’s well deserved, Sophia. See you soon,” Hattie answered.
“Thanks again, Hattie.” Sophia ended the call and clutched her phone against her midsection. She turned back toward her father, feeling a bit breathless. If everything went smoothly, she would be working for Hattie Stone, the grande dame of Moose Falls. Sophia had always held Hattie in high esteem. Even as a little girl she had looked at her as if she was the queen of a kingdom.
Her father was regarding her with a quizzical expression. “What was that about? It sounded important.”
She could feel her smile stretching from ear to ear and threatening to crack her face wide open. “That was Hattie,” she said, sounding as breathless as she felt. “She’s offered me a position at Yukon Cider. I’m going to meet with her this week to go over things.”
Skip let out a loud whooping noise. “Way to go, Sophia. You must have really impressed her last night. This is great news. I know you’ve been waiting for something to change with your career, and this could be it.”
Lily came running into the kitchen. Her eyes were as wide as saucers in her little face. “What happened? I heard you shout.”
Sophia went over and scooped Lily up in her arms. “Oh, it’s nothing to worry about, sweetheart. Mommy just got some good news and G-pop was excited.” She pressed a kiss on Lily’s cheek.
“Did you win the lottery?” Lily asked, her expression serious.
Skip and Sophia chuckled.
“I guess so, in a way,” Sophia answered. “Mommy has a wonderful opportunity to work with a great lady she really admires.”
“Oooh,” Lily said. “I like that.”
“I like it too,” Sophia said, pulling Lily close to her chest for a hug.
This job working for Yukon Cider could be life-changing. She didn’t want to assume that she had the position until she met with Hattie, but it sounded like she was being offered the job. At Yukon Cider, one of the most prestigious companies in Alaska.
Things were definitely looking up.