Chapter Sixteen
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
In the weeks after the campaign rolled out, it became abundantly clear to Sophia, and everyone else in creation, that Caleb Stone had star power. Social media was abuzz with chatter about his dark good looks and magnetic personality. As a photographer, Sophia knew that certain people popped on camera and came vibrantly alive. Caleb was one of those individuals. And the public was eating him up with a spoon. It was too soon to know if sales of the new product had been positively impacted, but hope buzzed in the air.
Sophia was getting a lot of accolades as well for the campaign, but she knew Caleb was the true star of the show. She was just happy to have been a part of the process. So far, working for Yukon Cider was a dream job, one that allowed her flexible hours and a generous salary. Seeing this campaign soar filled her with pride and a wild sense of joy. Her life was getting better by the day. She had grown so much in the last four years.
Caleb’s past on Love Him or Leave Him was mentioned, but not focused on, as he had feared. This, she realized, was the best news possible for his future. Being on the show had tarnished his image. Being the ambassador for Yukon Cider was a golden opportunity to turn things around. Sophia couldn’t help but wonder what was next for Caleb. Would this catapult him back into a world that had chewed him up and spit him out? Or would he stick around Moose Falls? He did seem exceptionally close to his grandmother. Perhaps he would choose to honor her wishes and make a life here in Alaska.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Her father’s voice drew her out of her thoughts as he walked into her kitchen as she washed dishes from lunch. Spending time with her father always made Sophia happy, and with a scheduled day off, she’d wanted to treat him to a meal while Lily was at preschool. Their strong bond was one of the main reasons why she wanted to keep an open mind. There had always been a kernel of hope in her heart that Donny would grow into his fatherhood role and become the type of presence in their daughter’s life that Lily deserved, one like Sophia had. She had to admit that he’d stepped up in the last few months. He was putting his words into actions and keeping his promises.
“You might have to raise your rates,” she teased. “I’m thinking some pretty deep thoughts, I’ll have you know.”
“Care to talk? I’m always here to listen to my girls.” Skip looped his arm around Sophia’s waist. Sophia turned her head toward her dad and pressed a kiss on his cheek.
“I’ll take you up on that. Why don’t you put the kettle on, and we can chat over tea and some of the oatmeal raisin cookies you brought over?”
“Sure thing,” Skip told her, turning away from her to begin making the tea. Sophia quickly finished up the dishes.
She sat down at the table just as a teacup and saucer were placed down in front of her, along with milk, lemon, and sugar.
“Thanks, Daddio,” she said as she blew on the steaming liquid.
“My pleasure,” he said, sinking down into a seat across from her with his own cup.
“This is about Caleb,” she explained. “I think about him all the time now.”
Skip smiled at her, little creases forming at the sides of his mouth. “And is that a bad thing?” he asked.
“I’m not sure,” she said, shrugging. “When I met him, I thought he was just a big ol’ flirt with zero substance. I judged him unfairly.”
He let out a snort. “Based on that reality show, I presume.”
“Yes,” she said with a nod. Guilt had taken hold of her. It had been pretty shallow to judge Caleb before she had ever met him. She really should have known better, since a lot of reality shows were scripted or shot in a way to make certain participants look like they were villains. And viewers ate it up with a fork and spoon.
He had texted her a little while ago about taking her out to lunch, but she’d told him that she was busy. Even though she would have loved to see him today, maybe it was important for her to take a little step back from him before she tumbled over the edge.
“Having met Caleb, I can only tell you that he struck me as one of the good ones,” her father told her. “A really decent guy.” He knitted his brows together. “Are the two of you an item?”
“I think so. Sort of. Ish.” She bit her lip. “We’re definitely seeing each other, but neither one of us has put a label on it.”
Skip shook his head. “I miss the old days when things were more transparent. Back in the day we didn’t have to scratch our heads about it. When I met your mother, I made it clear that she was my girl and I was her guy.” His voice cracked a little bit, causing a pang in Sophia’s heart.
“Oh, Dad,” she said, reaching out and patting his hand. “I know you’ve been through it with Mom.”
“And so have you, sweetheart. If I could have, I would have taken every ounce of heartbreak and put it on myself.” His face crumpled, and he appeared to be fighting back tears. “It’s agonizing seeing one’s child so broken, all because she fell in love with the wrong person.”
“My heart healed from that experience, but I’m wary now of falling for Caleb. He might not be sticking around Moose Falls,” she said. “If he leaves, it’s going to be really hard for me.”
“Have you asked him what his plans are? That might help.”
“Not in so many words. I know there’s an inheritance at stake and ownership of Yukon Cider, but I don’t know the particulars. And I can’t pry into his family’s business like that. To make matters more complicated, he’s always wanted to be in the entertainment industry. That’s the whole reason he went on that stupid show in the first place.”
Skip chuckled. “Umm, so now it’s a stupid show? You watched it faithfully every week. Some might say you were the show’s number one fan.”
“That was before they did a number on Caleb,” Sophia said in a raised voice. “They could have portrayed him in a way that didn’t demonize him, but they wanted over-the-top ratings and a scandalous storyline, all at his expense. If only they had shown his strength and humor, along with his compassion and drive. Things would have been so different. The audience would have fallen in love with him.”
Her father studied her from across the table. His expression softened. “Like you have?”
She swallowed past the huge lump in her throat. Even though she’d been worrying about falling in love with Caleb, the truth was radiating from her father’s eyes. He’d come upon the realization before she had.
She was madly, wildly, deeply in love with Caleb Stone.
Caleb was trying not to be annoyed by the fact that Sophia had just turned down his lunch invitation, citing a prior engagement. Was she really unavailable, or was Sophia blowing him off? A groan of frustration slipped past his lips. Why was he acting like such an idiot? Sophia was an honest person, and there was no reason for her to lie. A part of him knew that he was looking for problems when none existed. It wasn’t at all like him to have self-doubt when it came to women.
He let out a snort. Prior to finding his passion for acting, wooing females had been Caleb’s number one skill. He was ashamed to admit it now, but he’d been proud of that particular claim to fame. He had been a lady’s man, to say the least. He’d evolved enough to know that he had needed to be good at something. Anything, simply not to be mediocre.
Perhaps his current angst was karma biting him in the butt. For so many years he had played with women’s heartstrings, never making sure that their feelings were protected. His relationship with Abby had been cosmic payback. He’d been put through sheer agony as a result of giving his heart away to someone who hadn’t truly wanted it.
And now things had come full circle.
Caleb didn’t want to have all of these feelings swirling around inside him, but they were impossible to ignore. He didn’t want to count on Sophia being in his life when he’d vowed to never place his faith in a woman again. That’s when the rug got pulled from underneath a person. That’s when one made a fool of oneself. And Caleb didn’t want to go out like that. Not again. Been there, done that. He had the scars to prove it.
The last thing Caleb wanted to do was hurt Sophia with his indecision. His life was in limbo at the moment, and he couldn’t offer her anything of substance. Perhaps he was becoming a better man because he was actually thinking about how his actions would affect Sophia. He cared about her.
Being in Alaska for a year had been part of the agreement with Hattie. Time was flying by, and before they knew it, he and his brothers would have to make a huge, life-altering decision about Yukon Cider. Would Moose Falls be a good fit for him long-term? He thought it could work out, but a niggling thought was bothering him. He’d never managed to quash his dreams of making a name for himself in the acting world. Oh, he knew that it might never work out for him to become a big Hollywood name, but he would be content to find work in the industry. Would he be able to let go of his big dream in order to pursue other aspirations right here in town?
His phone buzzed, and he frowned at the screen, not recognizing the number that popped up. He impulsively decided to pick up the call, figuring he could always block the number if it was a telemarketer.
“Hello,” Caleb said.
“Is this Caleb Stone?” the voice on the other end asked.
“Yes, this is Caleb.” His tone was crisp and no-nonsense.
“This is Eddie Maynor. I’m a talent agent.”
Caleb froze. “I-I know who you are,” Caleb responded. His heart was thundering in his chest. Was he being punked? Why would Eddie Maynor be calling him?
“I hope you’re doing well, Caleb. I’m calling because I’m interested in offering you representation. I’m a big fan of your Yukon Cider campaign.”
“Wow,” Caleb said, feeling a bit blown away by this unexpected call. “I’m a bit surprised at the call. I haven’t had an agent in a minute.”
“I’m aware. You were working with Rodney Tolliver, weren’t you?” Eddie asked.
“I was,” Caleb admitted. Their relationship had soured after his disastrous stint on Love Him or Leave Him . “He hasn’t repped me for quite some time.”
“Well, Caleb, I would love to fly to Alaska and discuss this over a meal and some hard cider. How does that sound?”
“I’m open to it, but not promising anything,” Caleb said. “This time around, I’m going to weigh my options.”
“Hey, let’s just meet up and see what happens,” Eddie said, sounding agreeable.
“I’ll call you if I decide on whether I want to take the meeting,” Caleb said.
After the call ended, Caleb sat for a moment marveling at how swiftly things could turn on a dime. He didn’t want to get his hopes up, but this opportunity could be life-changing. The campaign had gone viral, and he was being referred to as the Yukon Cider Hottie. Hattie was getting a serious kick out of that nickname. And if he was being honest, he was savoring it as well. Who could blame him? For so long his name had been dragged through the mud, and he hadn’t been taken seriously within the industry.
Red had invited him and his brothers to hang out with him this evening. Xavier was busy with Jaylen, and Landon had caught a bad cold, so neither one of them was available. Because he was still trying to find his footing with his father and build a relationship, Caleb accepted the invite. Maybe he could do a little digging and get some answers about Red’s vanishing act and the reasons his marriage had fallen apart. This would provide him with a perfect opportunity to open up a discussion with his dad.
How could he truly move forward with his own future if he didn’t even understand his own past? When he was a kid, before the divorce, he’d idolized Red. Caleb remembered how he had been his dad’s shadow, trailing around after him like he was the Earth, moon, sun, and stars. All of that had shifted once his parents split up.
When he was a kid, his father would often take him to the movies when they lived in Moose Falls. It was how Caleb had developed his love of all things Hollywood at an early age. Red had been a big fan of classic movies like The Wizard of Oz , Blazing Saddles , and Chinatown . He had even taken his son to see The Godfather once, which had become Caleb’s favorite film. They had tried to keep it a secret from Daisy due to the onscreen violence, a fact that made him laugh out loud whenever he thought about it. Like a true bloodhound, his mother had found out anyway and laid into Red something fierce. To this day, he remembered the feeling of sitting in the darkened theater and watching the drama unfold. Red had given him a window into the world of make-believe and he’d loved it.
The classic being shown this evening at the theater was a movie called Carmen Jones , another gem, featuring Harry Belafonte and Dorothy Dandridge. They were Black actors from the 1950s who had made a splash in Hollywood with their good looks and talent. Caleb had seen the movie on numerous occasions, but watching it on a big screen like this never got old. It was cool being able to spot new details he’d never noticed before. The movie was based on the opera Carmen , which he’d once seen in New York City, and he’d never realized that the two main leads had their singing voices dubbed.
“Large popcorn, right? It comes with free refills,” Red asked, wiggling his eyebrows.
“I’ll never say no to movie popcorn with lots of butter on it,” Caleb said. “And a soda. Need something to wash it down with.”
“You and your popcorn,” Red said, chuckling. “I used to have to buy one just for you because you didn’t want to share.”
He laughed along with Red. “Believe it or not, I remember that,” Caleb said. “Those movie outings were the best. Probably some of the most memorable moments of my childhood. That’s when I fell in love with cinema.”
Red looked sheepish. “I’m glad that I could give you that at least.”
An awkward silence stretched between them. Caleb didn’t know what to say. Was this his father’s way of acknowledging his deficits as a father and the fact that he hadn’t been around? He kept his mouth shut rather than disputing Red’s comment. He hadn’t told any lies. Love of cinema was one of the major things he’d passed on to Caleb. They both knew there should have been so much more.
They headed into the theater and immersed themselves in the movie for the next two hours. There weren’t many places on Earth that Caleb felt more comfortable. The reclining seats and the heady smell of popcorn wafting through the theater. The hush in the air just as the movie began to play. Every single time it gave him a rush.
When the final credits rolled, Caleb wanted to stand up and cheer in the darkened theater. As the lights came on, he and Red exchanged a look that signified their deep appreciation of the film. No words were needed between them. When it came to cinema, they had always been on the same wavelength.
“Dinner at my place? I have some chicken, collards, and black-eyed peas that I made earlier. And some cornbread. Enough to feed a small army,” Red said, a hopeful expression on his face.
“Say less. I never turn down collard greens,” Caleb said, his stomach grumbling. Red had always had a way around the kitchen. Bittersweet memories of his parents cooking together flashed in his mind. At one point their home had been a happy one.
Caleb followed his father to his house, which was the same family home they had all lived in during their years in Moose Falls. The ranch-style home had been the perfect size for their family of five. He couldn’t help but wonder why Red had held on to the house all these years. Perhaps he was way more sentimental than Caleb realized. Perhaps he’d built up this image of Red based on his past actions that wasn’t necessarily accurate.
Once they were inside, Caleb helped Red heat up the food and gather their plates and utensils. They sat down in the kitchen, forgoing the dining room, since it was just the two of them. Caleb had worried things would be awkward between them because they really hadn’t hung out alone. Red had hosted him and his brothers for dinner, but Xavier and Landon had helped to make things less tense. So far they were vibing really well together. Red told such interesting stories, and due to his travels, he knew a lot about the world that Caleb hadn’t yet experienced.
“If you get the chance, explore Bali and Ireland and Vietnam. There are so many corners of the world to check out,” Red gushed. His entire face lit up with excitement, to the point he almost resembled a little kid.
“Sounds amazing,” Caleb said. “As soon as I can, I’d love to see the world.”
Sophia would also love an opportunity to travel. She would be over the moon taking pictures of incredible sights like the Taj Mahal or Stonehenge. Maybe an African safari or the fields of lavender in Provence. He could picture seeing the world with her, with Lily in tow. A wistful feeling swept over him. Although it would be nice, was it realistic? She had a life in Moose Falls raising her little girl and doing all the responsible things that came with motherhood. And he had to keep his eye on the prize—a career in show business or bust.
Now that he had Red’s full attention, Caleb needed to broach a sensitive topic with him. Hopefully, his father would be receptive and it wouldn’t put a damper on the evening.
“Can I ask you something?” Caleb leaned across the table.
Red pushed his plate away and wiped his mouth with a napkin. “Ask me anything. I’m an open book.”
Caleb hesitated. This wasn’t an easy topic to broach with his father. A huge divide stood between them despite a recent thawing due to their return to Moose Falls. There were just too many things Caleb was still confused about.
“I’ve got some questions that have been weighing on me. What went down with the two of you? Did you cheat on my mother? Is that why she left Alaska with us?” The words tumbled off his lips before he could second-guess the wisdom of bringing up this topic.
Red looked at him with an air of complete bewilderment, his mouth hanging open. “Wh-what? You cannot be serious. Why would you ask me something like that?”
“Because of the way she left with us and never came back. Plus, she shuts down our questions whenever we’ve asked.”
“I see that you’ve been stumbling around in the dark about this,” Red said, running a hand over his face.
He shrugged. “We’ve had to fill in the blanks ourselves. We were kids, and no one told us anything, although we witnessed a lot of arguments and felt the tension in our household.”
Red splayed his hands on the table. “Listen to me, son. I would never have stepped out on your mother. She was the most magical, brilliant person I had ever encountered in my life. I was shocked she even went out on a date with me, let alone agreed to marry me.” He let out a brittle laugh. “She was like a shooting star in the night sky.”
“So you really loved her?” Caleb asked. Even as he spoke, Caleb already knew the answer. Although the memories had faded over time, he knew his parents had loved each other deeply.
“Absolutely. Madly. Profoundly. There’s never been another.” He thumped his chest with his palm. “I take the blame for all of it. I wasn’t present. I took her for granted, and I didn’t appreciate the beautiful life we’d made and the family we created.” He let out a tortured sigh. “Whenever problems came up, I vanished, physically and emotionally.”
Caleb was shocked to see tears in his father’s eyes.
“I don’t know if Daisy would be okay with my telling you this, but it’s my story too, I suppose.” He bit his lip. “Daisy had a miscarriage.”
“Mom was pregnant after Landon? Why didn’t we know that?” he asked, flabbergasted.
“We were planning to tell you boys at the three-month mark, but she lost the baby a few days before we reached that milestone.” He shrugged. “Perhaps it was too painful for her to ever tell you and your brothers about the loss, even when you became older.”
“So… how did that lead to the end of your marriage?” Caleb asked, frowning. “It’s tragic, but not insurmountable.”
“I couldn’t handle seeing her in such emotional pain, so I left her in the lurch. I did what I’d always done. I took off.” He put his head in his hands. “There was no coming back from that, although Lord knows I tried.”
“I-I can’t imagine leaving her like that if you loved her.” Caleb’s mind was racing. He knew his father had dealt with childhood trauma after witnessing his father’s tragic death while mountain climbing. But that didn’t excuse Red for abandoning his wife during a health crisis.
“I’ll always be ashamed of that, Caleb. Do you remember me showing up in Arizona?” Red asked, his features creased with anxiety.
“Vaguely.” He had a fuzzy memory of Red standing in the doorway of their house with presents in his hands.
“Your grandpa wasn’t too happy to see me,” Red said, quirking his mouth.
Caleb could imagine! His grandpa had been a feisty but loving man who was overly protective of his only daughter. From what Caleb had gleaned, Grandpa Joe had objected to Daisy marrying Red in the first place. He’d never fully trusted him due to his wealth and position, fearing that he would hurt Daisy. He had been more than happy to open his home in Arizona up to them when they’d left Moose Falls.
“Come to think of it, neither was your mother.” He visibly winced. “Trying to fix things after they’re irretrievably broken is almost always impossible.”
“I imagine so,” Caleb murmured. Relationships were hard in general. Fixing a damaged one would be like trying to glue back together something that had shattered into a hundred little pieces.
“Caleb, if you’re ever lucky enough to find the one, hold on to her. Treat her right. Listen to her worries and fears so she doesn’t have to shoulder them all by herself. Don’t ever take love for granted.”
Caleb was blown away by Red’s honesty and vulnerability. One never knew what lurked inside the human heart. He was finding out things about his father that he had never known before this moment. They had never talked like this up to this point, and now Red was speaking from the heart and revealing so much about himself.
“You still love her, don’t you?” Caleb asked. He was pretty sure that he already knew the answer, but he wanted to hear it from Red’s lips.
“Always,” Red answered. “That will never change. But I’m not harboring any illusions that we’ll get back together. That was once in a lifetime.”
As he headed back to Hattie’s place, Caleb tried to process everything he’d learned today from Red. He felt closer to his father than he had ever felt in his life. Red’s experiences deeply moved him. He’d lost it all due to fear and neglect and being blind to the needs of his partner. Caleb hated what it had done to his mother, but he also felt a huge amount of compassion for Red. He had realized all his wrongs, but it had been too late to salvage his marriage. While he, his brothers, and Daisy had been together, his father had been alone. He wasn’t letting Red off the hook either. He was simply giving him grace.
Above all he was realizing that love, true love, endured. And if a person was lucky enough to find love, it was worth holding on to with all one’s might.
On his way home, he made an impromptu stop for flowers. Something was telling him that he needed to heed Red’s advice. His feelings for Sophia were increasing by leaps and bounds. He was falling in love with her. The idea of building something lasting with her and telling her how he felt was a terrifying thought, but the idea had crept into his brain more than once. And even though the concept of forever scared him, the idea of losing this incredible woman frightened him even more.