Chapter Seventeen
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
When the doorbell buzzed, heralding Caleb’s arrival, Sophia beat a fast path to answer the door. She’d been eagerly looking forward to having a date night with Caleb. As soon as she pulled open the door, a sandalwood aroma drifted under her nose.
“Come on in from the cold.” She invited him in with a hand gesture.
“Don’t mind if I do,” Caleb said, rubbing his hands together. “I’m still getting used to this unpredictable weather.”
Caleb was right. Alaskan weather, even with spring approaching, was a bit on the temperamental side.
“The flowers you sent are gorgeous,” Sophia gushed the moment she saw Caleb at her front door. The floral delivery had arrived at her house earlier, giving her a boost. “Thank you again for being so thoughtful.” She had immediately texted him a picture of the bouquet so he would know they’d arrived.
“I’m glad you like them,” he said, dipping his head down and placing his lips over hers.
They had plans tonight to head to Northern Exposure for a little dinner and dancing.
Lily was with her dad tonight. When Donny had come to pick up Lily, there had been zero attitude and no bravado. He’d been quiet, as if he had something on his mind. That was the best-case scenario as far as Sophia was concerned. The less he said, the better, especially with Lily around. Their daughter had big ears and a habit of listening in on grown folks’ conversations.
Not a snowflake was in sight as Caleb drove them over to the tavern. The night sky was stunning with a smattering of twinkling stars and a sliver of a moon. She let out a sigh. Nights didn’t get more perfect than this, especially with Caleb at her side. He entertained her with Stone brother stories during the ride, causing her to clutch her stomach with laughter.
“You can’t be serious,” Sophia said after hearing one of his tales about a plot to make a skunk the family pet.
He glanced over at her with a knowing look. “I swear it’s true. It took my mom days to get the skunk smell out of the house.”
“And what happened to the skunk?” she asked, still chuckling at the thought of them trying to make a skunk a new pet and bringing the animal home.
“Mom had to call a place that rescues animals and places them back in nature,” he answered, making a face. “I swear, just talking about it brings that funky smell back.”
“Eww, that must’ve been awful,” Sophia said. Skunk odors were some of the worst smells in nature. Her own mother would have lost her cool if she and Patience had done anything like that.
“Well, it was and it wasn’t. Flower was an amazing pet, if only for those few short hours.”
“Flower, huh?” she asked, her lips twitching. The Stone brothers must have been hilarious.
“Of course, in honor of the legendary Flower from Bambi . He was pretty iconic,” Caleb explained. “The name was an homage.”
“Of course it was.” Sophia shook her head. “You boys sure kept your mom busy.”
Their household must have been full of mischief and fun. And an abundance of love and brotherhood. She would love one day to give Lily a sibling or two and to fill her own household with the energy of a bunch of kids. If so, she would pick the father of her children more wisely. Next time, she would choose someone who didn’t bail at the first opportunity. Someone who meant it when he told her that they were forever.
When they arrived at Northern Exposure, Caleb quickly came around to the passenger side and opened the door for her. This was simply more confirmation that Daisy Stone had raised her sons right. She couldn’t recall a single time anyone had done this for her. Score! Not only was Caleb an Alaskan hottie, he was a true gentleman. He gently took her by the arm and helped her out of his vehicle.
Caleb wrapped her hand in his as they walked toward the entrance. True immediately spotted them as they were seated at a table by one of the waitstaff.
“Hey! It’s great to see the two of you at the tavern. Date night?” True asked, her gaze swinging back and forth between them.
“Yeah, we heard there’s a great band playing here tonight,” Caleb said, looking around. “Where’s Xavier? I thought we might see him here.”
“He’s supposed to be here, but he may have gotten tied up at work,” True said. “I think he had a meeting with Hattie. I was hoping Landon would show up. It would be great to see him come out of his shell.”
Caleb let out a laugh. “Good luck with that. My little brother isn’t really social, and he doesn’t like to dance.”
“Well, he can just sit at a table and look pretty.” True winked at them. “There are plenty of ladies in Moose Falls who are into his nerdy science guy vibe.”
Caleb grinned. “He’s a good one. Sensitive and warm-hearted. Whoever ends up with him is going to be one lucky lady.” He put a finger to his mouth. “Don’t tell him I said that. We like to give him a hard time, but we think he’s pretty amazing.”
Sophia loved the protective tone in Caleb’s voice. He was such a solid guy. Her initial impression of him had been way off base. She was a bit proud of herself for falling for such a wonderful man. After Donny she’d vowed to watch out for signs of potential issues since she had ignored many in that relationship. In retrospect she knew that she’d gone along to get along, especially after falling pregnant with Lily. Because she had been deeply affected by not having both parents in the home, she’d wanted her daughter to have better. But, from what she had learned from the experience, living in a home torn apart by tension and indifference was never healthy for a child. So far, she was holding things down as a single mother and doing a pretty kick-ass job at it.
“I’ll send Bonnie over to take your order,” True said before heading toward the bar.
A few minutes later Bonnie came over to their table. She was their waitress tonight.
“Hey there, guys,” Bonnie said with an ear-to-ear grin. “Good to see you here tonight.”
“Hi, Bonnie,” Sophia said, warmed by the woman’s enthusiasm. She wasn’t sure there had ever been a time when Bonnie hadn’t been pure sunshine.
“Bonnie,” Caleb said. “Nice to see you as well. I’m having fun working with Tucker at Yukon Cider. That dude keeps us in stitches.”
“That’s my guy,” Bonnie said proudly. “He’s a real keeper.”
It was nice seeing Bonnie so in love after everything she had been through. Truly, it gave Sophia hope that she too could wind up in a faithful, loving relationship that went the distance. With Caleb now in her life, she couldn’t help but dream about him filling that role. She just had to keep believing and not give in to doubts and insecurity.
“So, do y’all know what you want to order?” Bonnie asked.
She took their order without even writing it down—an app of chicken wings, an order of slow braised ribs with rosemary mashed potatoes, and salmon with truffle fries and green beans. For drinks they both ordered iced teas.
“Coming right up,” Bonnie said. “The music is going to start in about forty minutes, so you’ll get a chance to eat first.”
“Good deal,” Caleb said as Bonnie walked off to put in their order.
Sophia inhaled the aroma of the food emanating from other tables. “I can’t wait to eat, if I’m being completely honest. The food smells incredible.”
“I’ve never been disappointed. True takes great pride in Chef Ito’s fare.”
Laurie Ito was an award-winning chef hired by True to inject new life into the tavern’s menu. She had succeeded way beyond True’s wildest hopes. Anyone who wrote Northern Exposure off as just being a bar was mistaken. In the last year eating at the tavern had become a culinary experience.
Sophia looked around in awe. Over the years True had made major changes to Northern Exposure, all for the betterment of the establishment. She could only imagine that things would keep evolving, now that True owned the tavern. This place was her pride and joy. It was nice to see that hard work and dedication paid off. She thought of her own career path in the same manner. The sacrifices she’d made were now beginning to pay off.
Their drinks and appetizer came, followed by their delicious entrees. Sophia ate with gusto, not bothering to hide her appetite. It was nice feeling so comfortable with Caleb that she could scarf down her food without worrying about being dainty. She’d dated men in the past who seemed to think women should just exist on water and air.
“Chef Ito really put her foot in that,” Caleb said, wiping his mouth with his napkin and pushing his empty plate to the side.
“She sure did,” Sophia agreed. “Let’s make sure to tell True how much we enjoyed the food.”
“She’s doing such a bang-up job here. I know my grandmother is beyond proud,” Caleb said. “As we all are, but they have a special relationship.”
“As do you,” Sophia said, carefully watching his expression. Lately she had noticed a pensive expression etched on Caleb’s face whenever the topic of Hattie came up. She imagined he was wrestling with the inevitability of losing her, even though he rarely discussed it with her.
He ducked his head and looked at the table. “I never imagined that we would build such an unbreakable bond. She’s the real cherry on the sundae as far as I’m concerned.”
“You should tell her that,” Sophia blurted out. While you can . Although the words rattled around in her head, she stopped short of saying them. Caleb didn’t need any reminders that Hattie was slipping away from them. He saw her every day at home and at Yukon Cider. Saying those words would just be rubbing his nose in it, and she couldn’t do that to him.
“Maybe I will,” he told her before standing up and holding out his hand to her. “Let’s dance.” The band had begun playing a few minutes ago, and couples were now filling up the dance floor. Although she did want to shake what her mama gave her, Sophia had the feeling that Caleb was using dancing as a diversion from talking about his grandmother’s decline.
“I thought you’d never ask,” she said as he pulled her to his side and brought her into the middle of the floor.
“I want everyone to be able to admire my beautiful girl,” Caleb said in her ear, drawing her against him as they began to move.
Being held in Caleb’s arms gave her a feeling of security that she’d never known with a romantic partner. He was solid and strong. He cared about her. She felt it deep in her bones. And he was a total smoke show.
They moved in time to the music—a slow song by Alicia Keys—their bodies in perfect sync with the band’s rhythms. Although there were other couples on the dance floor, to Sophia it seemed as if it were only the two of them. She wrapped her arms around his neck and melted into him, feeling as if all was right with the world. As far as she was concerned, it didn’t get any better than this.
Suddenly, the flash of lights in the darkness blinded her. She heard snapping sounds, one after the other, followed by more intense flashes of light. Sophia put her hands up to shield her eyes.
What in the world was going on? After a few moments of feeling dazed and confused, it hit her. Someone was recording them. Taking pictures of her and Caleb. She could only think that they were being pranked by someone.
Caleb raised his arm up and shielded her from the glare of the bulbs. She grabbed onto him, fighting against a sensation of dizziness. He placed one arm around her, and she felt herself being held against a rock-solid chest. All of a sudden the lights came on, and she squinted to see what was going on. A camera crew. A group of people focused on them. A woman was standing next to them—a very striking, familiar-looking individual.
Caleb’s voice rang out in a sharp tone. “Abby! What in the hell are you doing here?”
Caleb’s knees nearly buckled at the sight of Abby Taylor, the woman who had torn his heart out of his chest and fed him to the wolves during the filming of Love Him or Leave Him . Was he having an out-of-body experience? There was no way Abby was standing mere inches away from him in Alaska of all places. Was there?
Caleb felt disoriented as Abby stood so close to him, surrounded by a camera crew. Someone had turned on the lights in the tavern, so there was no mistaking the sight of his ex-girlfriend. She was looking up at him with that same butter-wouldn’t-melt-in-her-mouth look that he’d fallen for hook, line, and sinker during their time together.
“Hey! You don’t have permission to film in here,” True shouted above the music as she came storming over to them. “I’m the owner, and this is out of line.”
Why was Abby here with a camera crew? And why had they been filming him and Sophia?
“Are those cameras still rolling?” he asked, trying to make sense of things. His anger and frustration were rising exponentially.
“We wanted to capture you in an unguarded moment,” Abby explained.
Abby was still as beautiful as ever with shoulder-length black hair that gave her a sophisticated air. Her skin was the color of almonds. When they had been together, she hadn’t been into makeup or designer clothes. She’d changed since the last time he had seen her, with a new, sleek hairdo and upscale clothes. He had a feeling the makeover was due to her starring in the spin-off show.
But what was she doing in Moose Falls, Alaska? She still hadn’t given him any explanation.
Before he knew what was happening, Abby flung herself against his chest. He was so stunned, he froze and let the memories sweep over him. The scent of her coconut body lotion rose to his nostrils, as did a floral scent from her hair. He tried to disentangle himself, but Abby was holding on to him for dear life. With what felt like superhuman strength he managed to remove her arms from around his waist.
She was looking at him with puppy dog eyes. “Caleb! I’ve missed you, and I came all this way to Alaska to see you.”
“And you brought a film crew with you to document it?” he asked, frowning. He didn’t know exactly what was going on, but his Spidey senses were on full alert.
“I’m sorry to ambush you, but I wasn’t sure you’d want to see me if I reached out. The show wanted everything to look natural.” Abby had a tendency to talk in a baby voice, and at the moment it was like nails on a chalkboard. Grating and annoying.
His jaw nearly dropped to the floor. “The show?”
“Yes,” she said solemnly. “ Twin Shot at Love .” She shot him a beatific smile. “Have you seen it? I’m one of the stars, along with Gillian.”
Did she seriously think he was watching her new reality show where she and her twin were looking for love? This had to be a joke. One look at her face dispelled that notion. She was dead serious.
“No, I haven’t checked it out, but I’ll put a reminder on my phone,” he responded, biting the inside of his cheek to stop himself from going off on her. She couldn’t hurt him anymore, so he didn’t need to lash out.
“Who is this ?” Abby asked, blinking like an owl. He had the feeling she was trying to bring on the waterworks for sympathy.
Sophia! In all the mayhem he had totally forgotten that Sophia was standing beside him. He turned to look at her. Sophia stood with her arms wrapped around her middle. She was tapping her foot on the wood flooring. He was a bit surprised there wasn’t steam coming out of her ears.
“Oh, don’t mind me,” Sophia muttered. She wasn’t even making eye contact with him. Was she blaming him for Abby turning up at Northern Exposure? This was the last thing he would ever want in a million years.
Caleb wished he could focus on Sophia, but he needed to deal with Abby before he did so. There would be ample time later to make things right with Sophia.
Caleb fought against a rising sense of frustration. Abby was dodging his questions and trying to deflect. “Abby, it’s actually none of your business who she is. Let’s focus on the gigantic elephant in the room. Why are you here?”
“You really don’t know?” Abby asked. “I’m here for you, Caleb. I want you back.”
Sophia let out a loud groan. “Oh my god! Gimme a break. How long has it been? Two years?”
He appreciated Sophia having his back, but he didn’t want her to even engage with Abby. Abby clearly had an agenda, which he still hadn’t quite figured out. What if she got Sophia tangled up in her mess?
“Sophia, I’ve got this,” he said, trying not to sound too curt. Her eyes widened, and her mouth settled in a hard line.
“Can we have a few minutes alone?” Abby asked, glaring at Sophia.
Caleb felt like a deer caught in the headlights. He opened his mouth, then shut it. What could he even say to Abby at this point? When it had truly mattered, she had turned her back on him and thrown him under the bus. Thanks to her betrayal, his name and reputation had been trashed. All because she’d wanted to extend her fifteen minutes of fame.
How many nights had he gone to bed wishing that Abby would take him back and say how wrong she’d been? Back then he would have jumped for joy over her tracking him down and expressing her feelings like this. But that was then, and this was now. He had Sophia. She was honest and solid, the very opposite of Abby, who’d done nothing but lie to him throughout their relationship.
“I’d rather not, Abby,” he said. And he meant it. There was nothing Abby could say to him in private that could sway him in any way. Without even realizing it, he’d completely moved on. He was miles and miles away emotionally from the days when he’d been in love with her.
“I want you to be on the show with me,” she said, a pleading tone in her voice. “Imagine how much the viewers would eat it up if we got back together. The ratings would be through the roof.”
And there it was. Abby and her film crew were here to lure him back to California to be on her reality show. She didn’t love him. He was fairly certain she never had. The only thing honest about her was what she’d just said about wanting him on her show. For ratings. For more fame. It was sickening and utterly despicable.
“Abby, I don’t have time for this nonsense. I’m sorry you’ve wasted time traveling all this way to Alaska, but I actually have a life here in Moose Falls that I really love. Something tells me you know I’m the spokesman for Yukon Cider’s new campaign.” He locked eyes with her. “Isn’t that part of the reason I’m suddenly on your radar?”
She didn’t even need to respond. He could see the truth emanating from her eyes. This time around he wasn’t hurt. She no longer had the power to bring him to his knees. And that gave him such a rush that he thought he might explode from happiness.
“I feel sorry for you, Abby. Chasing reality show fame isn’t ever going to bring joy into your life.” He shook his head at her.
Her face fell, then seconds later her expression hardened.
“So now you’re full of yourself because you’ve got a little buzz as a cover model?” She let out a brittle laugh. “Who are you to look down on me? It wasn’t so long ago that you wanted to be reality show famous.”
She was right. Back then he’d believed that being a contestant on the show would catapult him into fame and fortune. For a while that’s all that had mattered to him. He’d had blinders on, fueled by a desire to make it in the entertainment world.
“The thing is, I’ve grown up since then. Maybe it’s time you do as well,” Caleb said.
Suddenly, True stepped toward Abby so that they were practically nose to nose.
True’s expression was fierce. “Caleb is too nice to tell you to go, but you need to vacate the premises. Leave. Scram. Kick rocks.”
Abby appeared flustered. “Who are you to tell me to leave?” Abby asked.
“I own the place, so I reserve the right to choose my clientele.” True perched a hand on her hip. “You’ve outstayed your welcome. We’re really nice here in Moose Falls, but you crossed the line.”
“Don’t you know who I am?” Abby asked, with her hand at her throat.
“I have a vague idea,” True said, “but I really don’t care.” She turned toward Caleb. “Do you?”
He folded his arms across his chest and rocked back on the heels of his shoes. “Not even a little bit.”
Abby let out an outraged gasp and turned around to leave. He didn’t think he had ever seen her so horrified or at a loss for words. The jig was up, and she knew it. Her entire MO in the past had revolved around using him, and he wasn’t going down that road again. Not in this lifetime or any other.
“And take your camera crew with you,” Caleb yelled after her.
True followed behind Abby and the crew, making sure they left the tavern. “Don’t let the door hit you where the good Lord split you,” she called out.
Caleb looked around, wanting to make sure Sophia had witnessed the way Abby had been dispatched from Northern Exposure. He was proud of himself for dealing with her head-on and not falling back into old patterns.
The truth was, he didn’t love her anymore. He was a one-woman man, and all of his affection was squarely focused on Sophia. This felt like a triumph.
Only thing was, he couldn’t seem to find her. She wasn’t anywhere in the vicinity or hanging out by the bar. Had she stepped into the ladies’ room?
“True! What happened to Sophia?” he asked as she came back and began breaking down tables. “Where did she go?”
True quirked her mouth. “She left.”
“What do you mean she left?”
“Did I stutter? I think she got tired of watching your reunion with your ex. She probably felt like a third wheel.”
“Nothing was going on between us,” he protested. “I was surprised to see her, that’s all. And I had zero interest in her plan to get back with me.”
True sucked her teeth. “I’m going to keep it real with you. You let that woman hug you for way too long.” She shook her finger at him. “That may come back to bite you in the butt.”
“That’s ridiculous,” he said, feeling heated. He wasn’t the one in the wrong here. Abby had shown up without warning and blindsided him. He’d done his best to handle the situation without making a huge scene. He was now a representative of Yukon Cider, and with a film crew rolling, he really would have gone viral if he’d gone off. Under the circumstances, he thought he’d done a damn good job at containing Hurricane Abby.
“Don’t blame the messenger,” True said as she went about the business of closing up the tavern.
Caleb ran a shaky hand over his face. True’s intel, combined with the dazed expression that had been on Sophia’s face when the cameras began to flash, didn’t bode well. No woman ever left a date night if things were going well. And it was a first for him. He’d messed things up badly with Sophia, and he had no idea how he was going to fix it.