Chapter Nineteen No More Pretending
Caleb
“Kitty.” My hand cupped her chin before I could second-guess myself, thumb warm against her jaw, the word leaving my mouth like it had been waiting there all along.
She tipped her head up without hesitation, eyes steady, trusting.
I kissed her because the space between us had become unbearable and because I was tired of pretending I didn’t want exactly this.
The kiss was slow and unhurried. Just the two of us in a quiet room that smelled faintly of old paper and lemon polish, the kind of room where truth seemed easier to say. I pulled back first, only enough to see her face, to be sure this was what she wanted.
She smiled, small and real. “Hi.”
“Hi,” I said, and felt something settle in my chest that had nothing to do with relief and everything to do with choice.
I rested my forehead against hers for a moment, breathing her in, steadying myself. “I don’t want to pretend anymore.”
“Neither do I.”
The words came easily for both of us, like they had been waiting their turn. I stepped back just enough to give her space, because choosing something meant making room for it.
“I like you,” I said. “I want to date you. I’m just worried that my past is going to affect you and your family.”
“I understand that, but I think that’s a risk I should get to choose to take. It’s not going to be easy, but if we want this, then we can make it work,” Kitty quietly insisted.
I trailed my thumb along her cheek. “Then I guess we will figure it out together.”
Her shoulders eased, a tension I hadn’t realized she was carrying slipping away. “Good.”
“We can’t hide this,” I continued, because this part mattered. “I’ve been trying to hide for a long time, and it hasn’t worked. I don’t want to put you in front of anything you didn’t ask for, but I’m done disappearing. If it gets to be too much, you can tell me. We adjust together.”
She nodded. “No secrets.”
“No secrets,” I agreed, and meant it.
We stood there a moment longer, not touching now, just looking at each other like we were taking inventory of what had changed. It felt solid and grounded. Like something I could build instead of outrun. For the first time in a long time, I felt like I was finally back in control of my life.
A muffled voice drifted through the door. Glenna, humming loudly outside.
Kitty winced, then smiled ruefully. “We should probably face the world.”
I opened the library door to come face to face with Glenna.
“There you are,” Glenna said brightly. “I was worried you would get distracted.”
Her eyes flicked between us, reading more than we had said aloud, and her smile widened with triumph. “I knew it.”
I took a breath. “Glenna, we need to talk.”
She clasped her hands. “Of course. I have been saying that all day.”
“I’m so sorry, but you don’t have a room here,” Kitty said evenly. “Your reservation is canceled. You’ll be refunded in full.”
Her smile faltered, just slightly. “Oh, no. That won’t be necessary. I’m sure you’re not at full capacity. I don’t need a big room, but I do want to stay.”
“The reservation is cancelled. You need to leave, Glenna,” I responded.
She laughed softly, indulgent. “You always get dramatic when you’re stressed.”
Kitty stepped forward then, voice calm and clear. “Glenna, the SnowDrop Inn has a policy that allows us to refuse service to any guest for any reason. We’re exercising that policy right now.”
Glenna looked at her, genuinely puzzled. “But I haven’t done anything wrong.”
“You crossed boundaries in the past. Repeatedly. You showing up here means that you intend to keep crossing those boundaries,” I dryly observed.
Her lips pressed together in a thin displeased line. “I know my rights.”
“And we know ours,” Kitty replied. “You’re not welcome here.
I will be putting your name on the no booking list. If you continue to hang around the property, I will have to get the police involved.
It’s not something that I want to do. You can avoid that by getting your things and leaving now please. ”
For a moment, I thought she might argue. Instead, she sighed, wounded but resolute. “I suppose you’ll regret this at some point. I don’t suppose I can stay with you, Caleb?”
“Please leave,” I repeated.
The front door opened before she could respond.
Great Aunt Cathy swept inside, immaculate and purposeful, her gaze locking onto me with immediate surprise then satisfaction. “Caleb! I’m so glad you’re here.”
She took in the scene in a single glance, the space between Kitty and me, the tension hanging in the air. Her smile sharpened. “I see you’ve made a decision.”
“I made a decision already. That hasn’t changed,” I replied.
“I knew you would come around. Anne will be relieved.” It was obvious Cathy had ignored my response.
“No. I’m dating Kitty,” I firmly told her, putting my arm around Kitty.
The temperature in the room dropped.
Cathy’s smile vanished, replaced by a look of pure affront. “Excuse me?”
“I’m dating Kitty. That’s not changing,” I repeated.
Glenna smiled. “She’s perfect for him. Don’t you like her?”
Cathy rounded on her. “This has nothing to do with you. I don’t even know you. Keep your unwanted opinion to yourself.”
“Oh, it has everything to do with me,” Glenna shot back. “I’ve been looking after him for years.”
“Then maybe you can talk some sense into him,” Cathy growled. She turned to glare at me. “You’e leaving an opportunity to keep your shop open by simply dating my granddaughter.”
“Keep your shop open?” Kitty glanced at me, an eyebrow raised. “I think we need to talk about this.”
I nodded and followed her down the hallway and away from the two arguing women. “You’re great aunt came into my store today. She knows that the shop isn’t doing well and offered to pay me to date Anne.”
Her eyes widened slightly. “You’re kidding.”
“She also said that if I should marry Anne, she would settle enough cash on us that we wouldn’t have to worry about money,” I dryly said.
“Are you sure you don’t want to marry Anne?” Kitty blinked then put a hand over her mouth. “Please don’t. I know I’m flat broke with student loan debt but at least I like you.”
I laughed. The sound surprised me but the day had been entirely absurd. I smiled at Kitty. “I might not be in debt but I have a zero balance in my checking account.”
“Then we’re perfect together,” Kitty mentioned with a grin.
Behind us, voices rose as Cathy and Glenna argued, each convinced she knew what was best for me.
Kitty checked her watch. “I need to be in town for the vendor market setup.”
“I’ll drive,” I offered.
She smiled, warm and sure. “I would like that.”
As we headed for the lobby together, I took hold of her hand. Cathy and Glenna continued to bicker while a bemused William watched them.
“What is going on here? Do you know what this is about, Kitty?” he questioned.
“Glenna needs to be escorted to get her things, be refunded, and escorted from the property. She’s not welcome here. Great Aunt Cathy has taken tremendous dislike to her,” Kitty mentioned.
“That’s not the reason. I will call my lawyer to get the restraining order reinstated,” I explained.
“Ah. I see,” William murmured with a nod. I wasn’t sure he fully understood but he moved forward. “Glenna? I assume. I’m here to make sure you get your things and return our room key. Let’s go now.”
“Oh! Do we have to?” she questioned.
“Do you want my help?” I offered to William .
“No, no. Braxton is upstairs and I can grab him if I have any trouble,” William easily mentioned. He motioned to the stairs. “This way Glenna.”
She scowled as she marched past him towards the stairs.
William followed her.
“When you come to your senses, give me a call,” Cathy held out a business card.
“No thank you.” I grabbed her coat from the rack in the hallway, holding it up so she could slip into it. “Shall we go?”
“Please,” Kitty said as she put on her outerwear gear.
The drive into town was quiet. Snow lined the streets in uneven piles, storefronts strung with lights that looked warmer than they felt.
“I should apologize,” I said after a few blocks. “For Glenna and that interview. For any of my baggage touching your life at all.”
She shook her head. “I don’t want apologies from you for things you didn’t do. These are the actions of other people.”
“I still feel guilty,” I murmured.
“It was Lydia who misinterpreted what the interview was about. I’m not going to apologize for her. She was the one who apologized to me for her mistake,” Kitty told me.
The directness of her reasoning made something loosen in my chest. “Thank you.”
We pulled into the square as people were unloading tables and crates. The vendor market was half started, with others setting up in their zones. It took a bit to find a parking space, and we ended up walking half a block back to where everyone was.
Dex was wrestling with a folding table when he spotted us. “Perfect timing. We need help from people who understand the layout.”
Lucy waved from behind a stack of boxes, her scarf already coming loose. “And someone who can tell us where the power is supposed to go. I can’t read Dex’s map for the life of me.”
“It’s perfectly clear,” Dex said as he rolled his eyes, but I could see he was smiling.
Kitty was in motion greeting people, taking in their questions, directing them as she assessed the situation. I hung back for a moment, watching the way she stepped into the center of things without fanfare, the way people naturally made room for her because she made sense of the chaos.
“Okay,” she said, clapping her hands once. “Let’s reset. Tables along the east side first so we leave room for foot traffic. Power runs from the bakery in this section, not across the square.”
Dex grinned. “See, this is why I like working with Bennets.”
Lucy glanced between the two of us, curiosity sparking. “Did I miss something?”
“We’re dating,” I said, because hiding had already proven useless.
Lucy’s face lit up. “Finally.”
Kitty shot her a look. “You knew.”
Lucy shrugged. “I suspected.”
Dex laughed. “She speculated for three hours on the subject yesterday.”
“Hey, stop giving away my secrets,” Lucy teased.
We worked for the next hour, shifting tables, solving small problems before they became big ones. I handled power cords and surge protectors, grateful for something concrete to focus on.
Eva appeared midway through the chaos, arms full with a tote of her handmade creations, her smile wide when she saw us together.
“Well,” she said, setting her things down. “About time the two of you paired off. If my thickheaded brother gives you any trouble, let me know.”
Kitty laughed. “Is this your booth?”
“It is. I sell pottery and candles,” Eva mentioned. She leaned closer to Kitty, voice dropping just enough to be private. “You should come by the rink later to meet the other instructors. See if it feels like something you might want to do.”
Kitty hesitated. “I don’t want to overcommit.”
Eva nodded knowingly. “You won’t know until you find out what it all entails. Mostly it’s a part time position anyways unless it’s time to train for the ice carnival.”
“I’ll come to get more information but no promises,” Kitty said finally.
“That’s all I’m asking,” Eva replied, clearly pleased.
By the time the last table was in place, the square had been transformed for tomorrow morning’s market.
People lingered, chatting, already imagining what it would be like when the event opened.
Kitty stood for a moment, hands on her hips, surveying the space with a look that was equal parts exhaustion and satisfaction.
“You did good,” I complimented, stepping up beside her.
“We did,” she corrected.
“Thank you,” I softly said.
She turned to me with a slightly confused look. “For what?”
“For not asking me to be someone else,” I mentioned as I took hold of her hand.
She smiled. “I wouldn’t know how.”