Chapter Fourteen
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
After Caleb left her house, Sophia forced herself to get up from the couch, even though she could easily drift off to sleep right here. Sophia locked up, turned off all the downstairs lights, and trudged up the stairs. Quietly, she stepped into Lily’s bedroom and walked over to her bed. Her daughter was sleeping like an angel, peacefully curled up with her teddy bear in her arms. The night-light softly illuminated Lily’s brown skin, making it glow.
“Good night, sweet girl,” she whispered, leaning over and placing a kiss on her temple. Lily was sleeping so soundly she didn’t even stir. The love she held in her heart for Lily was so strong and powerful it made her feel weak in the knees.
As she fell asleep, Sophia had a picture in her mind of Caleb—his infectious smile, his dimples, and his warm brown skin. The way he looked at her as if she were all that mattered in the world. She drifted off thinking about him.
The following morning, Lily was up and at ’em right after Sophia herself woke up. Her daughter couldn’t stop talking about the events of the previous day and how much fun it was.
“I had three sitters,” Lily told her over breakfast.
“Three?” Sophia asked as she took a big gulp of her coffee.
“Yep,” Lily said, smiling as she ate a spoonful of her cereal.
Sophia frowned at her. “What were their names?”
“Caleb was the boss. Umm,” Lily said, as if trying to remember.
“Was one Landon?” Sophia asked.
Lily nodded before slurping down her cereal milk. When she finished, there was a milk mustache above her mouth. “And one was called X something.”
“Xavier, right?” Sophia already knew the answer. The three Stone brothers were as thick as thieves. A contemporary Three Musketeers.
“Yeah, but I couldn’t say his name, so he said I could call him X,” Lily told her. “We had so much fun.”
The fact that Caleb’s brothers had helped watch Lily cracked Sophia up. Clearly, Caleb had needed reinforcements. Sophia couldn’t blame him. Lily could be a whirlwind at times. Being responsible for small children wasn’t for the faint of heart. According to Lily, they had all been amazing caretakers. She had been very impressed with their willingness to play dress-up.
Sophia was still chuckling about it as she got ready to host Caleb for lunch. Instead of cooking anything elaborate, she’d prepared some teriyaki salmon, jasmine rice, and a big salad. Promptly at twelve-thirty, Caleb arrived, carrying two bouquets of flowers. Lily came racing to the door, chanting Caleb’s name as soon as she laid eyes on him.
“Lily,” Caleb said, scooping her up in his arms and hugging her. “Long time no see.”
“I just saw you yesterday,” Lily said, looking up at him with wide eyes.
Caleb and Sophia chuckled at the confused sound of her voice.
“Right you are,” Caleb said as they walked toward the brightly lit kitchen.
Since Lily had already eaten her lunch, Sophia and Caleb sat down by themselves at the butcher-block kitchen table while Lily colored in the playroom. It was cozier in here than in the larger dining room. The table being set for two lent an intimate vibe to the space. Sophia laid out the food and the place settings, along with tall glasses of iced tea.
“I like the flavor of this,” Caleb said after taking a bite of the salmon.
“Thank you. I marinated the salmon in teriyaki sauce,” Sophia said. “It really does taste nice.”
“Thanks for inviting me over,” Caleb said. “I know weekends are precious.”
“Of course. It’s my pleasure. Lily tells me that you had company yesterday,” Sophia said, her lips twitching with laughter. Ever since finding out, Sophia had wished she could have been a fly on the wall. The thought of Caleb watching Lily was adorable, but knowing it had been the Brothers Stone as a babysitting crew was magnificent.
A guilty expression came over his face. “Busted. I hope that was okay. Now I’m thinking maybe I should have asked your permission before I invited them over.” Caleb looked nervous.
“No, that’s fine,” she reassured him. “I trust your judgment, Caleb. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have let you watch Lily or stay at my house. Landon and Xavier are great. I’m really happy True and Xavier are getting married.”
“Phew,” Caleb said, letting out a breath. “I have to admit, taking care of a four-year-old is much harder than I imagined.” He made a face. “She ran me ragged.”
Sophia burst out laughing as an image of an exhausted Caleb chasing Lily ran through her mind. “Been there, done that,” Sophia said. “I could apologize, but you were pretty insistent about watching her.” She took a sip of her iced tea. “And if I haven’t thanked you profusely enough, I’m incredibly grateful for your help yesterday. Lily thinks you hung the moon.”
“As Hattie would say, she’s the bee’s knees as far as I’m concerned.”
Caleb’s comment caused a warm sensation to flow through her. Lily deserved to have as many people as possible in her world who held her in high esteem.
“As a mom, it’s always heartwarming when someone values your child. So thank you for seeing Lily.” Not everyone enjoyed children, so this was another green flag as far as she was concerned.
“You’ve been great about letting me into your world, Sophia.”
“Well, I was sort of hoping you would return the favor. I haven’t forgotten. You owe me a story.” Sophia hoped she wasn’t overstepping, but she wanted to know what had gone down with Abby. The real scoop that the reality show hadn’t depicted. He’d promised to tell her, so she was holding him to it. If their relationship was going to deepen and flourish, he had to peel back the layers. She sensed that if she dug a little, she would hit pay dirt and discover so much about him that he didn’t normally share.
Caleb fidgeted with his hands. “To tell you the truth, I hate talking about this, but I know you must be curious after what was shown on television.”
“Believe me, I get it. Making ourselves vulnerable in relationships isn’t easy. And then to have it all blow up in your face must’ve been excruciating.”
He shrugged, his sweater taut against his chest. “Maybe I’m just embarrassed that I thought Abby and I were the real deal and, much to my surprise, it was anything but authentic.”
Sophia could hear the pain laced in his voice and it gutted her. What had Abby done to him? Anger swiftly rose up inside her. Poor Caleb!
“I think loving is what we were put on Earth to do, so you should never feel embarrassed or foolish about having given yourself wholly and completely to another person,” Sophia told him. Honestly, it caused a groundswell of tenderness toward him to wash over her.
“When I went on the show, I never imagined making it all the way to the finals. I honestly did the show because I was told by my agent that it would be a great way to get exposure that could lead to acting roles. Famous last words.” His jaw clenched tightly. “I really liked Gillian. She was beautiful, smart, and funny. And I truly believed she’d come on the show in the pursuit of love. But as time went by, I knew that I wasn’t falling for her. Yet every week she kept picking me to go forward. Behind the scenes, I was falling for her twin sister, Abby, who was on location with us and had a small role on the show.” His eyes lit up. “I don’t know how else to say it, but I was drawn to her. We could talk for hours about everything under the sun. Movies. Food. Our favorite musical artists. I’d never vibed with anyone like that before.”
“Wow,” Sophia said. Caleb’s story was intriguing, and she was following along with rapt attention. How wrong she’d been to judge him.
“Abby and I started spending a lot of time together away from the cameras, so no one really knew that we were connecting. She was sweet and kind, and she made me believe that I could do just about anything.” He wrinkled his nose. “Confessing that I wanted a professional acting career has never been easy, but she was so encouraging and enthusiastic. Everything felt as if it was falling into place so effortlessly.”
“You fell in love with her,” Sophia said. It was clear from the look on his face and the softness in the way he said her name.
He nodded. “I fell for her hard, like someone knocked me over the head with a ton of bricks. We were in love and planning a future together. Or so I thought,” he said, quirking his mouth. “At the same time I was advancing on the show. I kept telling Abby that I needed to bail on the show so we could be together. I didn’t want Gillian to get hurt or end up being blindsided, and I knew everything was coming to a head. There were a few episodes where I tried to push her in another direction, but she always picked me.” A huge sigh slipped past his lips. “And then Gillian discovered Abby and me together while the cameras just happened to be running. Abby came out smelling like a rose.” He let out a brittle laugh. “And I ended up stinking to high heavens.”
Sophia frowned. “Do you think they were in cahoots?”
He leaned forward and splayed his hands on the table. “Well, think about it. They framed me as the bad guy, got explosive ratings for the show, then parlayed the drama into a spin-off featuring both of them. It’s the only thing that makes sense to me.”
Twin Shot at Love was a brand-new reality series featuring Abby and Gillian’s attempts to find love after betrayal. Part of the narrative was that Caleb’s cheating ways had wounded both of the twins and damaged their relationship. They had both courted the media with their tales of woe and their desire to love and be loved.
“Did you ever try to talk to Abby about all of this?” Sophia asked.
He ran a hand across his jaw. “She cut me off completely. Changed her cell phone number so I had no way to reach her. A few of the guys from my season let me know that she’d made some noise about a restraining order if I tried to get in touch with her.” Caleb shuddered.
“That’s pretty diabolical,” Sophia sputtered. “They extended their fifteen minutes of fame at your expense. Not to mention smearing your good name.”
Caleb made a face. “One hundred percent. They took my pain and used it as a springboard into a lucrative contract. I think they were both in on it, setting themselves up as the victims and me as the Love Rat.”
Sophia was horrified that the twins had gotten away with it. “And no one has ever pointed a finger at them or cast doubt on their story.”
“Nope,” Caleb said before downing the rest of his iced tea. “It made for good TV and stellar ratings. That’s all that matters to some people.”
“I’m so sorry this happened to you,” Sophia said, tears misting in her eyes. What kind of woman would treat a man like Caleb in this horrific manner? He had given Abby his love, then had those feelings thrown back in his face. Not to mention the fact that his reputation and budding career had been trashed. Life could be so unfair.
“It’s okay,” he said with a shake of his head. “Actually, it’s not okay, but I’ve managed to move on from it. Hopefully, I’ve grown as a person.”
Sophia got up and went over to his side of the table. She placed his head between her hands. “You’re an incredible man, Caleb Stone. She didn’t deserve you.” Her body trembled with outrage for what he’d been through. She ached with sadness for him.
Caleb placed his arms around her waist and pulled her down onto his lap. Sophia looped her arms around his neck and gazed into his eyes. “My taste has matured since then.”
“Oh, really?” she asked, meeting him halfway in a blistering kiss that seemed to take them both by surprise. Sophia knew that she was falling for Caleb, and it was far too late to make an exit plan. She wanted to take away all the hurt and restore his belief in love. She placed her hands on both sides of his neck, tenderly grazing her fingers against his skin. As the kiss soared and crested, Sophia didn’t want it to end. She wanted to hold on to this moment as long as she possibly could. Her mouth opened and their tongues met, savoring, exploring, each other. She melted into him, sucked into a vortex of pure need.
“Mommy.” Lily’s little voice rang out in the stillness, startling both of them. Sophia swung her gaze toward the entryway where Lily was standing, a confused expression on her face. “Why are you kissing Caleb?”
Caleb and Sophia pulled apart at the sound of Lily’s voice, despite the fact that it might have been the hardest thing he’d ever done. The look of shock on Sophia’s face told him that she wasn’t used to her daughter catching her in the act of smooching.
“Lily! I-I thought you were coloring,” Sophia said feebly.
“I was,” Lily said, “and I wanted to show you my picture.” She held up a brightly colored drawing.
Sophia let out an exaggerated gasp. “Oh, that’s fabulous. A masterpiece. You’re my little Picasso,” she gushed, holding her hands to her cheeks.
Caleb let out a whistle. “No one told me you were an artist.”
“Why were you kissing?” Lily asked again, looking back and forth between them. Clearly, their attempt at distraction wasn’t working.
“Umm, well I—” Sophia began, fumbling with her words.
“Lily,” Caleb said, interrupting Sophia. “Sometimes when grown-ups really, really like each other, they want to spend time together. And when they’re with each other, they kiss to show each other just how much they like each other.”
Lily looked up at him with her big brown eyes. Sophia was totally tongue-tied by his side.
“Does that make sense?” Caleb asked, reaching out and squeezing her hand. Lily nodded and said, “Yes. And I don’t mind,” in a solemn little voice.
“Thank you for that,” Caleb said, trying not to laugh. Lily seemed to be rather serious about the whole matter.
Lily gifted him with a beatific smile and held out the drawing toward him. “For you,” she said, ducking her head down.
“Can I get a hug?” he asked. “This is a great present.”
Lily didn’t hesitate to hold out her arms and fall into his. Hugging Lily made him feel protective. She was so little and innocent, full of goodness and light. A scent of vanilla and soap clung to her. He totally understood why she was the center of Sophia’s world.
When he let go of Lily, she gave him another smile and skipped off toward the playroom. Caleb looked down at his drawing, a smile twitching at his lips.
“She’s something else, but I’m guessing you already know that,” Caleb told Sophia.
“She’s everything,” Sophia said, tearing up. “Thanks for stepping in like that. I had no idea how to answer her, and that never happens to me. It just makes me realize that as she gets older, the questions are going to get harder.”
“I agree, but you’ve got this. Lily adores you, and you’re a nurturing and loving mother. A child couldn’t ask for a better home in which to thrive.” He placed his arm around her shoulder and pulled Sophia against him. She had the same strength as Daisy—raising a child on her own and doing it like a rock star.
“You’re going to give me a swollen head, Mr. Stone,” Sophia said, leaning her head on his shoulder. They sat like this for a few minutes, comfortable in the silence that stretched between them. Caleb was content in a way he hadn’t experienced before. He didn’t need to be doing anything at all with Sophia in order to feel this way. No bells or whistles. No fancy clubs or the glare of the spotlight.
Being on reality television had done a number on his self-esteem. Sophia was enough to silence that little voice inside him that told him he wasn’t worthy of a happy ending.
Despite the winter thaw in Moose Falls, temps were still chilly as Caleb posed for Sophia’s camera at an outdoor shoot by the town’s historic waterfall. The last time he had seen Sophia had been a few days ago at her house when Lily had walked in on them. Even though they’d just been kissing, Sophia had been a little freaked out. Lily had never seen her kissing a partner before, not even her dad. And the little girl had later peppered Sophia with endless questions. He had to admit to being relieved that he hadn’t been present for the grand inquisition.
Like the true chicken he was, Caleb couldn’t handle such intense questioning. Being a sitter he could do, but being grilled by a four-year-old was out of the question.
His current backdrop was the gorgeous mountain range—craggy, towering mountains that seemed almost surreal. He couldn’t remember ever seeing anything so beautiful in his entire life. The sky—a pristine robin’s-egg blue—only heightened the effect. Judging by the sounds Sophia was making as she checked the photos on her camera, the end result was amazing.
“Just a few more,” Sophia called out. “Let’s get some shots with you on the snow machine with Hazel.”
It always cracked Caleb up that snow mobiles were called snow machines here in Alaska.
“Sounds good,” he said, rubbing his hands together. Thankfully, he had been given thermal gloves to wear during the shoot. Otherwise, his fingers would have been frozen to the bone. This photo shoot was shaping up a little differently than the previous one. This time he had a costar. Hazel Alexander was a model hired for the shoot due to Hattie’s belief that a romantic storyline might enhance the campaign. With black shoulder-length hair and stunning cheekbones, Hazel radiated model vibes.
Caleb and Hazel were led over to the snow machine by Sophia’s assistants, Max and Laura. The married couple had been working as a team for a decade, working on brand campaigns and enhancing the shoots with their experience in photography.
Caleb sat down on the snow machine with Hazel sitting in front of him, striking a pose as Sophia snapped away. Sophia called out compliments, praising them for nailing the shots. Although Hazel was a stunning woman, all Caleb could think about was the woman behind the camera. He loved watching her in action. Her movements were fluid and graceful. Poetry in motion. She was giving him the confidence to be completely at ease and in control of his own image. It was a nice feeling to be creative and finally have some autonomy.
For the longest time he’d been keeping a lid on the part of him that wanted the spotlight. He’d come out of his experience on the reality show feeling as if he should stuff all of his aspirations down into a dark hole and never pursue them again. He had changed his mind after licking his wounds. Now he still harbored hope that he could turn things around and pursue an acting career.
As the shoot concluded, Sophia and her team gave them a standing ovation.
“I think we’ve got it,” Sophia called out. “We’ve got some great stuff here.”
Caleb gave Hazel a hug. “Nice working with you, Hazel. Let’s hope we created a little magic on camera.” So much was riding on this.
“Same,” Hazel said with a grin. “It’s been a lot of fun.”
Caleb wasted no time making a beeline in Sophia’s direction. Whenever she was in a five-mile radius, he just wanted to be as close to her as possible. Hazel was a stunner, but he hadn’t even thought twice about her.
“Hattie’s going to be really pleased with these photos. We got a little bit of everything,” Sophia raved. “You and Hazel’s chemistry was off the charts.”
“She’s sweet, but I think my chemistry with the photographer is much more intense,” Caleb said, resisting the urge to give her a celebratory kiss. Since they were on a shoot, he knew that showing his affection in that way would be crossing a line. He wasn’t going to do anything to jeopardize Sophia’s professional reputation. She had worked tirelessly to make a name for herself in the industry and her efforts were beginning to pay off.
He would be content just to admire her from a foot away. She was wearing an adorable white parka, a matching hat, and dark jodhpur-style pants. Her brown cheeks were rosy from the cold, and she’d stuffed her long tresses under her hat.
“I have an idea,” she said. “Have you ever gone snow machine riding?”
“I can’t say that I have,” Caleb said. “I was a little too young when we left here to be able to ride.”
“Well, there’s still enough snow to do it. We could hit the trails and see some scenic views.”
“That sounds like my kind of fun,” Caleb said. “Just tell me when and where.”
“Lily is spending the weekend with her dad, so I have some free time on my hands,” Sophia told him. “I can pick you up at Hattie’s house.”
“How’s everything going with that situation?” he asked. Sophia hadn’t told him anything more about the custody issue, and he hadn’t wanted to broach the subject.
“Things have been quiet on that front, thankfully,” Sophia explained. “I’m hoping his custody talk was just a passing fancy. I don’t need or want any drama.”
“I hear that,” Caleb said. “I’ve had enough drama for several lifetimes. Who knew my life in Moose Falls would be so chill?”
Sophia grinned at him as she packed up her gear. “Alaska is a very chill place.”
He couldn’t agree with her more. Lately he’d been asking himself if he could imagine himself becoming a permanent resident of Moose Falls. At moments like this one, it wasn’t hard to envision at all.
Caleb helped Sophia carry her gear to the work van. They headed back to Yukon Cider, where Sophia focused on checking the images from today’s shoot and comparing them to the ones she had previously taken. Caleb popped in the pics. He gave off star vibes. It wasn’t just his good looks either. He projected an effortless cool, the sort that was hard to come by. He radiated confidence. Every instinct told her that he was going to soar in this campaign. The public was going to love him, and by extension, the new hard cider product. The commercials would be icing on the cake.
Sophia couldn’t help but wonder if Caleb would stay in Moose Falls once this campaign blew up. After all, it was his dream to become an actor. The reality show hadn’t been a great stepping stone, but this Yukon Cider campaign could give him a shot at fame. She’d seen it happen before with ad campaigns and models who became personalities. The thought of losing Caleb made her pulse race and gave her an uncomfortable gnawing in her belly.
It would hurt to lose him just as they were starting to build something. But he deserved to live out his dreams. And even if it killed her, she would cheer him on.
By the end of the week, she had taken all of Caleb’s campaign photos and filmed two commercials. She wasn’t sure which of them was more excited about the upcoming ads. Sophia knew this was going to be a career high for her, and that felt exciting. Yukon Cider was a quality company, and if this campaign was successful, she might have a strong future with the company. That would help her establish a secure foundation for Lily, which was all she had ever wanted in this world.
When Saturday rolled around, Sophia handed Lily over to Donny for an overnight visit. Although it wasn’t easy, Sophia put her big-girl panties on and smiled at her daughter as if she were going on a grand adventure. She gave an Oscar-worthy performance. Thankfully, Lily enjoyed spending time with her dad, which made the situation more palatable. Sophia knew from her own life and experiences the importance of daddy–daughter time. If Donny had decided to spend more time with Lily, then she needed to encourage it and try to minimize any conflict. He needed to prove to her that he could be a consistent, responsible parental figure in their daughter’s life before she agreed to grant him joint custody.
While Lily was away, Sophia planned to spend the day with Caleb. She had dressed in the perfect gear for snow machining—a lightweight snowsuit—advising Caleb to do the same. There was still a lot of snow on the trails despite the spring thaw. She had grown up snow machining with her dad, and it was something she truly enjoyed. And she wanted to share this pastime with Caleb.
When she swung by Hattie’s house, Sophia didn’t even have to step out of her vehicle. Caleb was at the front door in minutes, raring to go. He quickly made it over to her truck and stepped up into the passenger seat. “Good morning,” he greeted her, along with a wide smile. Sophia had to hand it to Caleb. He always had a positive outlook and a cheerful disposition. She wondered if that was part of a coping mechanism from a chaotic childhood torn apart by divorce and moving away from everything he’d ever known. Smiling through the pain.
“Morning, Caleb,” she said warmly, giving him a subtle once-over. He was decked out in snow pants, a navy turtleneck, and a lightweight parka. As usual, he looked amazing.
“Thanks for picking me up,” he told her. He held up a brown paper bag. “Landon baked some chocolate chip cookies, and he insisted we take some along with us.”
“Aww, that’s sweet of him. I love that he bakes,” she gushed. The idea of Landon up to his elbows in flour and chocolate chips was heartwarming.
“Well, I helped,” Caleb quickly added.
“Did you?” Sophia asked. “What was your role? Taste tester?”
“How did you know?” he asked, chuckling.
“I just had a feeling,” Sophia said, laughing along with him. She would love to have seen him as a little kid. She just knew he’d been mischievous and one of a kind.
She heard a rustling sound, and out of the corner of her eye she saw Caleb digging into the brown bag. “Want a bite?” he asked. A quick look confirmed that he’d already dug into one of the cookies.
“It’s kind of early for a cookie,” she answered.
He let out a gasp. “Seriously? Is that even a thing? In my world it’s never too early for a chocolate chip cookie.” He let out a moan of appreciation as he bit into the treat. The aroma of chocolate wafted over to her, serving as a temptation she couldn’t easily ignore.
“Wow. It’s so rich and gooey,” Caleb said in a garbled voice.
“Gimme some of that,” Sophia said, holding out her hand.
“You sure? I wouldn’t want you to sacrifice your principles on my account.”
She let out a little growl. “If you don’t break me off a piece of that chocolate deliciousness, we might never make it to JR’s.”
“Okay, okay,” Caleb said as he handed over half of the cookie. Sophia kept one hand on the wheel and took the cookie from Caleb. Instead of biting into it right away, she lifted it to her nose before taking a huge whiff.
She took a bite, letting out a little sound the moment the flavors hit her tongue. “Oh, my goodness. This is incredible. Like seriously amazing.”
“Why, thank you. Landon and I make a good team.”
“These cookies are bakery worthy,” she raved, taking little nibbles so she could savor the experience. “I’d love the recipe.”
“Hattie’s recipe,” Caleb said. “She handed it over under strict orders that it was for our eyes only.”
“Aww, bummer. I totally get it, though. My dad has so many secret recipes they could fill a cookbook. If they weren’t secret, that is.”
Conversation flowed easily between them in the truck. There wasn’t a single moment where the conversation lagged or became stalled. They shared a good rapport, and he made her laugh like no other. There was so much about Caleb that she found to be endearing. It was both scary and exciting to realize the depth of emotion he brought out in her.
When they arrived at JR’s Snow Patrol, there was a short wait to rent the snow machines. It was a crisp, gorgeous day, so she wasn’t too surprised that other folks wanted to take advantage of the weather. After renting helmets and the snow machines, they headed over to the area where the snow machines were located.
“If you’ve ever ridden an ATV, this is pretty similar,” Sophia explained. “As long as you understand the basic mechanics.”
“Yep. ATVs are big in Arizona. We grew up riding them as teens,” Caleb said. “Those were some great adventures.”
“Well, you’re going to love this. I promise,” Sophia told him.
Sophia gave Caleb a detailed overview, explaining the mechanics and how to accelerate and brake. He picked everything up quickly, seemingly at ease with the snow machine. When they started off on the trail, Sophia advised Caleb to go in front of her so she could watch him until he found his groove. As they set off, she reminded him to watch his speed and let her know if he wanted to take a break. The trail was easily marked with colored dots based on the difficulty level. They were starting off on the beginners’ trail, then planning to switch to intermediate. Sophia figured the difficult trail could be attempted on another day. There was no point in pushing it. After a while they switched over to the intermediate trail, with Caleb having increased his speed. He was doing fantastic. A real pro, even though it was his first time.
All of a sudden Caleb’s snow machine abruptly accelerated rather than braking as they reached a fork in the trail. Caleb let out a yell, and the snow machine lurched forward. Seconds later the machine crashed into a bush, sending Caleb flying into the air. He landed with a thud in the snow. Sophia hit the brake and jumped off her machine, running to Caleb’s side. He was lying on his stomach, appearing very still.
“Caleb!” she shouted, shaking him. “Are you all right?”
She wasn’t breathing properly until he let out a groan and turned on his side. Signs of life. She had been imagining the worst.
“Oh, wow. That was a complete face-plant,” he said, lifting his snow-covered face up from the ground. He looked like the abominable snowman, covered in the fluffy white stuff.
“Does anything hurt?” she asked, grabbing ahold of his elbow. “Let me help you get up.”
“I might need a kiss to make it better,” he said, pointing to his lips. Feeling relieved, Sophia kneeled down and swept a kiss against his frosty lips. Caleb placed his hands on her arms and pulled her down so that she was next to him in the snow. Despite the cold temps, their kiss warmed her up, making Sophia forget all about the cold. As the kiss soared and deepened, she felt a fluttering sensation in her chest. This man made her feel more alive and present than she had ever felt in her life other than the day Lily was born.
“Do you need help getting up?” she asked, still worried about any potential injury.
“I’m fine, just took me by surprise,” he said, standing up under his own steam. He looked over at the snow machine resting against the bush. “I hope it’s okay. JR might not be too happy with me if I wrecked one of his machines.”
“It looks fine to me,” Sophia said, giving it the once-over.
“Then let’s get back to it,” Caleb said, grinning. “I’ll let you lead for the rest of the trail.”
“Are you sure you’re okay to continue? You might have a few bumps and bruises tomorrow.”
“Are you kidding me?” he scoffed. “I’m a Stone brother. Bumps and bruises come with the territory.” He laughed as he jumped back on the snow machine. He tested it out by slowly reversing, then putting on a little speed.
“In that case we can finish the trail then loop back to our starting point. Sound good?”
Caleb gave her a thumbs-up, and she took off with him following at a safe distance. He had rebounded quickly from the incident with his snow machine. Once they reached the end of the trail and headed back to JR’s shop, they both pulled over to turn in their snow machines.
“That may have been the coolest thing I’ve done since coming back to Alaska,” Caleb raved. “Thanks for the invite. I can’t wait to tell Xavier and Landon all about it.”
“You’re welcome. There’s nothing quite like it if you ask me,” Sophia said. “The view. The feel of the cold air against one’s cheek. The feeling of flying through the air.”
“Literally,” Caleb said with a deadpan expression before bursting into laughter. She chuckled along with him, enjoying the fact that he could laugh at his snow machine mishap.
She pulled out a thermos from her bag and lifted it in the air. “Snack time. Hot cocoa coming right up!”
Caleb rubbed his hands together. “Oh, I’ll definitely have some of that to warm my insides.”
“I’m really sorry about your fall off the snow machine. You were such a good sport about it,” Sophia said. Caleb could so easily have gotten hurt. Wearing a helmet and being in great shape had really helped him.
“No worries. The only thing hurt was my pride.” He chuckled, showcasing pretty white teeth. “I’m not a fan of embarrassing myself in front of someone I’m dating.” He playfully hid his face with his hand while holding his hot cocoa in the other.
Dating? It was nice hearing him confirm what they were doing. In past relationships she had “dated” men who had their own lingo for what was going on between them. Hanging out. Hooking up. Passing time together. Netflix and chilling. Now that she had Lily, she couldn’t afford to be so cavalier. Although she was gun-shy about romance, the truth was that she wanted to be in a committed, loving relationship. She had worked very hard to ignore this reality, but just seeing other couples like True and Xavier find their happily-ever-after cemented the fact that she wanted her own.
“I could get used to this!” Caleb said, looking around the wooded area. “This must be the most pristine air I’ve ever breathed in.”
Sophia nodded. “It’s as close to perfect as it gets. You and your brothers must have loved living here as kids. There was always so much to do. Skating. Skiing. Sledding. Hiking.”
A wistful expression passed over his face. “We loved living in Moose Falls. It all ended rather abruptly with the divorce and all. We moved to Arizona, which is the very opposite of Alaska.” A sigh slipped past his lips. “I missed the snow and the cold and wearing sweaters.”
In her mind’s eye Sophia could picture an adorable, pint-size version of Caleb. He would have stood out in a crowd. Charming and hilarious.
“We must’ve crossed paths as children, right?” Caleb asked. “This town is pretty small.”
Sophia let out a raucous laugh. “Maybe, but I think that I would have remembered you if we had. For a while after my parents divorced, I went to live with my mom in Homer, so we probably missed that connection.”
Caleb scrunched up his nose. “To this day I hate that word. The D word.”
She reached out and touched his gloved hand. “Why? It’s just a word.”
“Not to me. It’s the thing that changed everything in our lives. It’s the reason we had to leave Moose Falls.”
“I get it. For me it was almost a relief from all the stress around the house. Other than having to live in Homer for a few years, it wasn’t horrible.” She bit her lip. “I just wish that my dad had found someone else to love. He’s been alone all this time.”
“Have you ever asked him if he’s looking for love? He might be content being single.”
“I’ve hinted a few times, but he always shuts me down,” Sophia admitted. It wasn’t a comfortable topic with her dad even though they shared a tight bond. Sophia had a hunch that her dad didn’t want to be vulnerable in a relationship again. Of all people, Sophia understood that predicament. Once bitten, twice shy. Donny had taken a bite out of her that had left permanent marks. Putting herself back out there wasn’t easy.
But meeting Caleb made Sophia want to take a chance. If she didn’t, she would always regret it.
“My mom has been single for a long time and, honestly, it doesn’t bother her. I think her rationale is that she had a big love and in the end things didn’t work out.”
“What about Red? I don’t know him very well, but I don’t recall hearing him linked up with anyone here in town.”
“I have no idea. Our relationship was nonexistent for many years. Our entire childhood basically after we moved to Arizona,” Caleb explained in a tone laced with sorrow. “I can’t imagine being an absentee father. Why did he allow that to happen?”
“Sounds like something the two of you might want to spend some time repairing,” Sophia suggested.
“We’re working on it, but it’s slow going. I want to ask him so many things, but the words just keep getting stuck in my throat.”
“Why do you think that is?” Sophia asked. She was finding out more and more about this man as time progressed, and this was baffling. He wasn’t bashful or awkward, so why was he having such a hard time talking to his dad?
“Because a part of me doesn’t want to know the answers,” Caleb said. “Sometimes it’s better just to stick your head in the sand.” He shrugged. “Sometimes the truth hurts.”