Chapter 11
The morning rush at Frost + Foam had slowed, and Rhys left Sam to handle customers so he could take care of some bookkeeping. He tried to focus on his cost analysis spreadsheets, but he kept replaying the night before at Cloud Nine in his head.
What had come over him? Had he fallen and hit his head but didn’t remember it? Had he really run there in the rain, hardly even noticing how wet he was, and then told Caleb he couldn’t concentrate with Caleb shirtless? His face grew so hot at the memory that he had to fan himself.
No way had he just straight up admitted that he was horny for Caleb.
He was surprised Caleb didn’t kick him out after that.
He was watching you too. You know he was.
Maybe, but Caleb also might have been trying to make sure Rhys wasn’t going to make some unhinged move on him.
He was flirting with you.
Was he? Rhys had no way to be sure. Flirting was a mystery to him. Possibly, Caleb just thought he was crazy.
And now he was supposed to go apple picking today.
He couldn’t see Caleb in front of other people.
Not when all he’d be thinking of was Caleb shirtless and the moment when he leaned closer, when Rhys had thought Caleb was going to kiss him.
Rhys wanted him to so badly, but then he’d backed off, and Rhys had to pretend he was a reasonable person who could say goodbye and not run away like he had so many times before.
He wasn’t even sure how he would be able to work with Caleb that evening, but no way could he be with him when Tessa was watching. She’d pick up on what was happening immediately.
He called Tessa. “I can’t come today.”
“What? Why not?”
He forgot everything he’d planned to say. “I’m… I need to work.”
“Did Sam call out?”
He glanced toward the counter, where Sam was making a cappuccino. “No, they’re here, but I’m not at all ready for the festival.”
“You are not skipping our annual apple picking trip to work on your festival entry. Agnes needs to calm down. This isn’t a do-or-die situation. Frostwick Harbor is doing great, and even if we weren’t, it’s not your responsibility to change that single-handedly.”
He wouldn’t be single-handed now that he was working with Caleb, but he didn’t say that. Tessa did not need to know about the insanity of last night. “I still don’t have any good ideas, so I should stay and experiment some more.”
“No, you’re coming to Briarwood Orchard. I know you don’t want to miss the doughnuts or the bunnies.”
Briarwood had a rabbit hutch filled with rabbits from a rescue.
Most of them loved people. They would hop up to the fence, hoping for pieces of grass or other treats that could be bought at the farm stand.
Rhys usually spent a long time sitting in the grass by their fence, feeding them and enjoying watching them chew on lettuce leaves or grass stems. He didn’t want to miss that.
Theoretically, he could go another day by himself. They’d be open to the public for another month. Would he, though? Not likely. It was hard enough for his friends to get him to take time away from the store. It wasn’t easy for him to break his daily routine.
Maybe he could avoid Caleb. Could he orchestrate things so they split up and Caleb went with Tessa while he went with some of the others? As long as he and Caleb didn’t have to interact much, he might could pull it off.
Tessa made the decision for him. “I’m picking you up at one, and you’d better be ready, or I’ll make you come as you are.”
Rhys let out a long breath. “Fine. I’ll be ready.”
He crossed his fingers Caleb was driving himself or riding with someone else.
Tessa couldn’t fit all of them in her small sedan, and he assumed Finn would be with her.
Of course, he wasn’t that lucky. When Tessa pulled up in front of his house, Finn was in the passenger seat, and Caleb was in the back. Rhys wasn’t sure how Caleb’s long legs could even fit.
Why hadn’t she offered to let him sit up front? Then they could chatter, and Rhys and Finn could just listen.
Rhys contemplated faking a sudden illness or trying to sprain his ankle on the way to the car. Of course, Tessa would try to make him go anyway. He drew in a deep breath and opened the back passenger door.
“All right. We’re ready to go to the orchard,” Tessa said.
“Marianne and Jonah are meeting us there,” Finn said.
Rhys knew Tessa had planned this. His heart was racing, but he was determined to survive somehow.
“I hope you had a good morning,” Caleb said. Why was his voice so sexy?
Rhys studied his hands as he said, “I did.”
There was a brief moment of silence, and then Tessa said, “How about you, Caleb? How was your morning?”
Shit. Rhys should have asked that. He was so focused on not looking at Caleb and embarrassing himself that he didn’t remember to keep the conversation going.
“Busy,” Caleb said. “I didn’t realize how many people would be up first thing on a Sunday.”
“A lot of the tourists want to take advantage of every moment they’re here,” Finn said.
“They sure do.”
“We had a lot of tourists too,” Rhys said.
He couldn’t resist looking at Caleb any longer. He was smiling at Rhys. “I’m glad.”
The words seemed to brush across his skin.
Rhys managed not to combust during the half-hour ride. Fortunately, even though they weren’t sitting together, Tessa and Caleb did most of the talking.
They didn’t touch a single time, but Rhys was so aware of Caleb’s body near his that he would have sworn he could feel Caleb’s warmth like his thigh was pressing against Rhys’s.
Whenever Caleb slid his hand along his own leg, Rhys couldn’t help but watch.
One time, he laid his hand on the seat between them, and Rhys had to twine his fingers together to keep from reaching for it. This man was making him unhinged.
Rhys practically jumped out of the car when they reached the orchard. He took deep breaths after feeling like he couldn’t breathe properly while sitting that close to Caleb.
Thankfully, Jonah and Marianne were already there, so they didn’t have to wait around. Rhys deliberately trailed behind as Tessa directed them all to the stand where they would pick up baskets for apple picking.
“Let’s get doughnuts first,” Jonah suggested, just like he did every year.
Marianne laughed. “You know Tessa’s not going to let us do that. You have to do the work first and then get the doughnuts.”
“Maybe one day, we’ll just ride out here and get doughnuts. How about that?”
Tessa rolled her eyes and motioned everybody ahead. When they had all collected baskets, they headed out into the orchard.
Caleb was the tallest, so he got tapped for picking lots of apples no one else could reach. Rhys and Finn focused on the easy picks. They were there more for doughnuts and animals and the chance to spend a beautiful day outside.
Rhys managed to avoid having any moments where he had to talk one-on-one with Caleb. When everyone’s basket was full, they headed back to the stand to pay and select other goodies. After selections were made, they got in line for doughnuts.
Rhys handed Tessa some money and said, “I’m going to go see the bunnies. Please get a couple of doughnuts for me.”
“Sure, I’m already getting Finn’s too.” He’d already left to go have a look at the goats and sheep. He kept talking about getting some for himself.
Rhys headed down a dirt path to the rabbit hutch.
He was glad to be on his own for a few minutes.
Without the concern that he was going to embarrass himself in front of Caleb, he was able to really take in the beauty of the farm.
When he reached the top of a hill, he looked out across the acres of apple trees and the playground, where kids were swinging and climbing, and then to the pond, where ducks and geese swam, and finally to the rabbit hutch.
There were a few kids who were picking grass and feeding it through the wire to the bunnies, but Rhys had one side of the hutch to himself, so he sat on the ground and began feeding them the bunny-safe treats he’d purchased.
He loved watching their little noses twitch and petting their soft fur, but he also enjoyed this part of the farm because it tended to be the least busy.
From his spot, he could see most of the other animals and not have to interact with any people other than the occasional kid who said something to him about the rabbits.
He’d been enjoying sitting right there since he was a kid.
The rabbits had changed, of course, but there were always at least three of them. This year, there was a tiny, fluffy black one, a few larger gray ones, and a white one with long, floppy ears.
Rhys heard footsteps on the path behind him, but he kept his focus on the gray bunny who was eating the treat Rhys had dropped in front of him.
“They’re cute, aren’t they?” It was Caleb. He sat down beside Rhys, making his pulse speed up. He was so close Rhys could smell whatever alluring cologne he always wore, but Rhys kept his eyes focused on the rabbits.
“Yeah, they’re cute.”
“Have you ever had a rabbit of your own?”
“No. I don’t know if I’d want to. I’ve heard too many sad stories from people whose pet rabbits didn’t last long, but I do like playing with them when I come here.”
Caleb held out his hand, and Rhys gave him one of the treats. A shiver ran through him as their fingers brushed.
Rhys could feel Caleb looking at him, but he kept his gaze down.
He didn’t want Caleb to see how affected he’d been by that simple touch.
It was ridiculous. He had to get over this intense attraction.
He was going to have to work with Caleb behind a counter in one of their coffee shops for who knew how long until they got their drink perfected. He needed to get it together.
Caleb’s interested too. He almost kissed you last night.
No, that was in my imagination. Rhys shook my head to clear his thoughts.
“Are you all right?” Caleb asked. “You’ve been very quiet today.”
Rhys shrugged. “I’m quiet most days.”
Caleb didn’t say anything else. He fed the treat Rhys had given him to the black bunny, then started picking grass to feed the others like the kids who were near them.
“You can have more of these,” Rhys said. He tilted the cup toward Caleb so he could reach in and get a treat for himself.
He took another one, and then they sat beside each other in silence for several minutes. It felt comfortable instead of awkward. Rhys didn’t get the sense that Caleb was waiting for him to speak. Instead, it felt like he was just as content as Rhys to sit and feed the rabbits.
Jonah called their names from the path, ending the quiet moment. “We finally got through the doughnut line,” he said as he approached them. “I brought yours to you since the tables are crowded, and there are a lot of bees.”
“Yikes.” Rhys shuddered.
“Are you allergic?” Caleb asked.
“No, they just make me nervous.” He sighed. “That probably sounds stupid.”
“No it doesn’t. Who wants bees flying in your face while you try to enjoy a doughnut?”
“Exactly,” Rhys said.
Jonah handed them a box with four doughnuts in it. “I’m going to go check out the farm stand again. I think I might get some caramel to take home.”
Caleb smiled. “Good idea.”
Jonah left them, and Rhys turned to Caleb. “Do you want to eat these now or keep feeding the bunnies?”
Caleb glanced down at the doughnuts, then gave Rhys a sheepish look. “I really want to try these.”
Rhys smiled. “Of course you do.”
“I have a sweet tooth, so what?”
“The doughnuts are incredible. Just because I don’t like overly sweet coffee doesn’t mean I don’t like baked goods.”
“That’s good to know.” Caleb held his gaze, and Rhys’s pulse sped up. Were Caleb’s eyes darker, or was that his imagination?
Rhys’s gaze dropped to Caleb’s mouth. He wanted to know what it would feel like to suck on his thick lower lip. He shouldn’t be thinking about Caleb this way. Especially not here, not in public. He looked away, focusing on the bunnies again.
“We’ll probably head out from here soon. When do you want to meet up to work on our entry?”
“I could pick up dinner at the pub, and we could brainstorm while we eat if you want to meet up at Cloud Nine around”—he glanced at his phone to check the time—“six thirty.”
That would give Rhys at least an hour home by himself to relax after being around people for the afternoon.
He could shower and make himself a little more presentable, and there would be plenty of time for him to panic about seeing Caleb and maybe decide this was a terrible idea and Caleb should enter on his own and Rhys should just give up on the festival.
He nodded. “That sounds good.” It did, but should it? It wasn’t like it was a date. They could eat dinner together when they were working. That was fine, wasn’t it? “I’ll have to go to Frost + Foam if we start experimenting, but I can go get what I need after we talk.”
“Sure. It may take us a while to develop our ideas and learn what’s most important to each of us.”
“Right. Like I said before, historically, I’m not great at collaborating.”
Caleb smiled. “I think we’ll manage.”
“You do?”
“Yes.”
Rhys wished he were as sure. He doubted it would take long at all for him to piss Caleb off. Just the thought of having to compromise on his own standards already had him agitated, but it really was the best way to give the town a chance to win.
Hopefully, it wouldn’t take forever to figure out an entry.
The less time he spent in a confined space with Caleb, the less likely he would be to say something else as insane as telling Caleb he couldn’t think when he was shirtless.
Right now, Caleb only knew that Rhys found him attractive enough to be distracting, but who wouldn’t?
His hotness was obvious, right? It didn’t mean anything that Rhys was attracted to him. He just needed to avoid acting on it. He would not let Caleb kiss him, no matter how much he wanted him to.
Rhys knew he couldn’t handle what would happen after a kiss.
When Caleb realized Rhys was too difficult and too particular and not someone he wanted to pursue a relationship with, Rhys would be devastated.
He wouldn’t be able to fight the urge to hide himself away from Caleb, from the town, from everyone who would see his undoing play out on Front Street.