Chapter 14
“You’re never going to believe what she said!” Snow yelled as she burst into the apartment, throwing her purse and coat on the couch on her way to the kitchen.
By Thursday, she’d grown used to finding Caleb whipping up some delicious dinner for the both of them. Snow learned quickly that a mouthwatering meal could be a sensual experience, and watching her husband work around a stove was a complete turn-on. The combination of food and virile male was putting a dent in her determination to send her husband packing.
In truth, everything Caleb did turned Snow on. From the smile he gave her in the mornings, to the way his coin-bouncible cheeks looked in a pair of black boxer briefs.
“Who?” Caleb asked, wiping his hands on the new, manly gray apron she’d bought him. “Who said what? ”
“The appraiser,” Snow answered, dragging her mind away from the image of her husband in nothing but the apron. An image that traipsed through her brain with unnerving frequency of late. “It’s real. And it’s valuable,” she said, resisting the urge to kiss the cook. “God bless William Norton and your good eye.”
When she thought about the things she could do with the amount of money this painting could bring, Snow wanted to dance a jig.
“I’ll take equal credit with Mr. Norton, sure. But how much are we talking?” he asked.
Snow contemplated her answer and with a smile said, “How about, make-Jackson-McGraw-jealous money.”
“Then it is worth more than Dad’s?”
“According to Ms. Bolliver, I shouldn’t take less than thirteen thousand for it, but she believes it would go even higher at auction.”
“Woo-hoo!” Caleb exclaimed, lifting Snow into a spin. Her laughter echoed off the black-and-white tile before he planted a hot kiss on her lips. Caught off guard, Snow held tight to Caleb’s shoulders as she kissed him back, ideas about how they should celebrate coming to mind.
Very naughty ideas.
When her husband broke the kiss and flashed a grin that made her toes curl, Snow almost suggested they take things to the bedroom. Instead she said, “Put me down,” in a voice that betrayed his true effect on her.
Snow’s weakened state was completely Caleb’s fault. He’d been planting sexy thoughts in her head at every turn. In addition to the amazing meals, he’d adopted the habit of walking around half-naked at every opportunity. And then there were the more subtle tactics—leaning a little too close, rubbing a little too much, touching a little too often. All the things that dating couples did. And in order to keep up the pretense of giving their relationship a chance, Snow had to endure the torture .
Something that would be easier to do if she hadn’t begun to really like him. As a person and a friend. Even a roommate. He had yet to master the seat-down thing, but Caleb didn’t leave shavings around the sink and only forced her to watch sports on certain occasions. Like when his Saints played on Monday night.
By the middle of the second quarter, Snow had been yelling at the refs right along with him. Turned out football wasn’t so awful to watch after all.
Instead of dropping her as quickly as he’d swept her off her feet, Caleb lowered Snow slowly, keeping their bodies in contact the whole way. By the time her toes touched the floor, Snow was ready to climb back up and take a second ride.
“So what’s next?” he asked, desire evident in the darker shade of his eyes.
“What do you mean?” Snow asked. She couldn’t stop staring at his mouth. Remembering how it felt, and not just against her mouth. “What do you want to do?”
If ever there was a rhetorical question.
Caleb chuckled, and Snow felt it ripple down her spine. “I mean with the painting.”
Blinking in confusion, Snow tried to remember what painting they were talking about.
“Oh,” she said, stepping back. “The Norton.” Bracing a hand on the edge of the sink, she looked anywhere but at her husband. “I don’t know. I guess I’ll put it in an auction.”
“You have to make sure it’s the right auction. With the right buyers.”
“Yes, that’s what Ms. Bolliver said.” Snow drew a glass off the shelf and filled it with tap water. She was in dire need of a drink, though she wished there was something stronger than water close at hand. “She’s going to keep an eye out for me and let me know when the right opportunity comes up. ”
“Then it sounds like you’re in good hands.” Something spattered behind him, and Caleb swung to the stove. “You distracted me, woman,” he said, flipping two beautiful salmon filets.
“Sorry,” Snow said, “but I couldn’t wait to share the news.”
Pulling her against his side, Caleb set the spatula on the counter and tested each filet with the tip of a finger. “I think I saved them,” he said. Then he gave her waist a squeeze. “I’m proud of you, darling.”
“Thanks,” she said, leaning her head against his shoulder. “I would have missed that painting if not for you.”
“Then it’s a good thing I was here.” He kissed her hair as his thumb rubbed the skin above her jeans, increasing Snow’s heart rate. “You ready to eat?” Caleb asked as he shifted the pan to a cool burner.
Snow sighed and reminded herself that this was nothing but pretend. At the end of the month, she would send Caleb on his way. She had to. Better to break her own heart than let Vivien break them both.
“I’m ready,” she said. “I’ll get the plates.”
“You almost ready?” Caleb asked for the second time, peeking into the bedroom to see Snow staring into the mirror at her third outfit in ten minutes. The Ruby Restoration meeting was scheduled to start in less than thirty minutes. If they were going to make it on time, they needed to leave in the next five.
“I don’t know what to wear,” she said, turning his way. “How does this look?”
He took in the burgundy sweater and skinny jeans, and experienced the same reaction he’d had the last two times she asked. You’d look better wearing me. Once again keeping the thought to himself, Caleb stepped closer to settle his hands on her hips, feigning interest in the clothes.
“Looks good to me. ”
The moment he touched her, Snow leaned into him. She’d been doing that more every day, which was why he made sure to touch her at every opportunity.
“You said that about the last two.”
With a tug on her belt loop, he dropped a quick kiss on her lips and said, “I can’t help that you look good in everything.” Which she did. But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t prefer she take the clothes off rather than put them on.
With a dazed look on her face, she said, “Try to focus.” He wasn’t sure if she was speaking to him or herself. “Is this appropriate for tonight?”
Rubbing his chin, Caleb asked, “Have you ever been to one of these meetings?”
“No, but Lorelei is on the committee. I should call her.” Snow reached for her cell, but Caleb cut her off.
“We need to leave in a few minutes, and Lorelei won’t be able to see what you’re wearing through the phone.” And if she called Lorelei, Snow might learn where he planned to take her after the meeting.
Tonight was their first official date since the do-over started, and he planned to get Snow onto a dance floor. The few times he’d taken her dancing in Nashville, she’d claimed a lack of rhythm, and he’d acquiesced, not wanting to push while their relationship was still new.
The free pass ended tonight.
“I could text her a picture,” Snow said, still stalling.
Caleb’s brow shot up. “Are you fifteen?”
Giving him a dirty look, she surveyed the clothes scattered across the bed. “I think a nice top and cardigan would be better.”
“So ... outfit number one?” Truth be told, the little white tank had done wonders for his wife’s amazing breasts. And it didn’t hurt that the neckline offered him a clear view down to the lacy number beneath.
“Give me two minutes,” Snow said, shooing him out of the room. If they weren’t in such a hurry, Caleb would have insisted on helping her change .
Two minutes later, Snow stepped out of the bedroom wearing the burgundy sweater. To Caleb’s confused stare, she said, “What?”
“Forget it.” He would never understand women and their fashion struggles, so there was no sense in trying. “It’s time to get this night started. The sooner the meeting is over, the sooner we start our date.”
As he dragged her to the door, Snow asked, “Are you going to share the details of this date?”
“You’ll find out soon enough,” he said, spinning her onto the porch before locking the door. She displayed enough rhythm to make a perfect turn without losing her balance. “Now let’s go before we’re late.”
They were down the steps before Snow realized the Jeep was running. “Were you in that much of a hurry?” she asked, jogging to keep up with him.
“I wanted to warm it up for you,” he lied, then lifted his petite wife into the passenger seat and dropped a kiss on her temple. As he marched around to the driver’s side, Caleb thought about warming something else up later tonight, and hoped this meeting didn’t take too long.
Snow tried to focus on the meeting ahead and what it would mean for her going forward. After tonight, there would be no sending Caleb home without anyone in Ardent Springs being the wiser. Though she supposed that ship had sailed five days ago, the idea of having to put on an act as young lovers taking the next step in their relationship put her nerves on edge.
Especially since it didn’t feel like an act.
Snow’s libido had been arguing the case for days. Why couldn’t they have sex and still go their separate ways? Why should she go without? Why deprive herself of the delectable man who’d been showing her in every way possible that he was ready and willing to make her see God?
And he could do it, too. He’d certainly done it before .
Halfway to the restaurant, Caleb’s cell phone went off. “See who that is, would you?” he asked her, handing over the phone he’d pulled from his shirt pocket.
At the name on the screen, Snow’s blood turned to sludge. “It’s your mother,” she said, her libido instantly silenced. This was why Snow couldn’t have nice things.
“This night is not to include my mother.” The Jeep rolled to a stop at the light at Main and Fifth, and Caleb took the phone, swiping to send the call to voice mail. “I’ll call her back in the morning.”
She didn’t know how often Caleb ignored his mother’s calls, but she hoped it wasn’t too often. All she needed was Vivien getting the idea that Snow was telling him not to answer and who knew what she’d do. Or what she’d tell her son in retaliation.
“I don’t mind if you call her now,” she said.
“Don’t be silly.” He squeezed her knee. “This is our first second-time-around date. Whatever my mother wants can wait.”
“Okay,” Snow said, keeping her eyes on the streetlights going by as they crossed into downtown. More to herself she said, “I sure hope that’s true.”
As he parked in front of Lancelot’s Restaurant, Caleb put thoughts of his mother out of his mind. She’d called three times this week, taking every opportunity to ask when he was coming home. He’d told her that was up to his wife, which earned him another reminder of how Snow had abandoned him and that they kept the best lawyer in the state of Louisiana on retainer for these kinds of situations. Vivien had gone so far as to say that for as much as the man cost, surely he could get their son out of an undesirable marriage.
It was at that point that Caleb informed his mother that his marriage was not undesirable. Yes, they’d had this conversation before, and Caleb reiterated his stance— if he and Snow decided to end their marriage, the decision would be theirs and theirs alone. Of course, Caleb had no intention of letting that happen, so his mother could stuff her high-priced lawyer where the sun didn’t shine.
“I see you’re learning your way around,” Snow said as she unclipped her seat belt. “You didn’t need my help to get here.”
Caleb nodded toward the building. “This is one of Gerald’s clients. One of the only places he drinks normal coffee.”
“Normal coffee?”
“You don’t want to know. I’ve seen things this week that I can’t unsee.”
“Oh,” she said, jerking her head back. “I don’t need to hear any more.”
To his delight, Snow waited for him to come around and open her door. A positive change from the Saturday before. They entered the restaurant with his hand on the small of her back, and followed the hostess to the back room. The space was mostly empty, but Lorelei and Spencer were already there.
“Hey, you made it,” Spencer said, extending a hand.
Caleb accepted the greeting as Lorelei and Snow hugged. “Told you we’d be here. Are we early?”
“A bit,” Spencer replied. “Meeting starts in fifteen minutes. The usual suspects typically roll in with a minute or two to spare.”
“You guys look great together,” Lorelei said, gaining confused looks all around. “What? They look nice,” she said to Spencer.
He leaned close but spoke loudly enough for Caleb and Snow to hear. “What did we discuss about your meddling?”
“I’m not ...” Lorelei started. “I only meant ...” To Spencer’s raised-brow look she said, “Fine. You guys ready to sit down and order?”
“We are,” Caleb answered.
The foursome took their seats along the side. The room was set up with long tables arranged in a U-shape, with a podium, shorter table, and projection screen at the front. Orders were taken with pleasant efficiency, and before long the rest of the attendees filed in. Caleb recognized the woman Snow had bid against for the doilies, the owner of the hardware store, and an older couple who ran a B&B on the outskirts of town. Mike Lowry, who owned the construction business Cooper had mentioned, entered minutes before the meeting started and took a seat next to Spencer.
As Caleb ate the best catfish dinner he’d had in a while, Lorelei whispered bits of information on most of the attendees, reserving her least favorable comments for the town mayor. Based solely on the looks Jebediah Winkle was shooting her way, the civic leader didn’t like Lorelei any more than she liked him.
Observing the meeting as an unbiased outsider, Caleb noticed three things—there was a power struggle within the group, Spencer Boyd was the de facto leader, regardless of who held the title, and this project was bigger than Caleb had expected.
Based on what he’d learned, the Ruby Theater deserved to be saved, if for no other reason than the fact it was built in 1937 and was still standing as a single-screen movie theater. It was as if the Ruby was the theater that time forgot. A full restoration would be a major boon for the town.
Leaning close to Lorelei’s ear, he whispered, “Can I see this theater sometime?”
She leaned back and tugged on Spencer’s sleeve. “Caleb wants to see the theater.”
Spencer caught Caleb’s eye and nodded. “That can be arranged.”
Snow asked, “What’s going on?”
“I asked to see the theater.” Caleb kept his voice low as they’d begun to draw attention. “I have some ideas.”
She blinked in surprise. “Really? Has your family helped restore a theater before?”
Caleb shook his head. “No theaters, but several churches and countless historic buildings in New Orleans, especially after Katrina.”
“Oh,” she said, awe in her voice .
“Don’t be too impressed. My parents simply wrote a check. It’s not as if they got their hands dirty.”
“Are you willing to get your hands dirty?”
He smiled her way. “Maybe. We’ll start with a tour first.”
Snow’s reaction to his answer lacked enthusiasm as she nodded and returned her attention to the speaker at the front of the room.
Snow was seriously questioning her plan. Caleb was never supposed to become part of this town. He definitely wasn’t supposed to make friends. Less than a week in Ardent Springs and he already had a job and was taking a major interest in the Ruby restoration project. Or at least he might be, once he saw the place. Whatever ideas he might have, Snow hoped they would help the cause, but she didn’t want him sticking around to see them through.
The only reason Snow had never joined the committee herself was because she didn’t feel she had much to bring to the table. She didn’t know the first thing about restoring a theater, and when the group extended the call for fundraising assistance, she’d stepped up as a willing merchant. Until Caleb came to town, she’d assumed that would be the extent of her involvement. Now she wasn’t so sure.
If he made commitments before heading back to Baton Rouge, Snow would be obligated to step up in his place. She’d created this cluster of a situation, and she was quickly losing control. She couldn’t exactly tell Caleb to stop talking to people because his time in Ardent Springs was temporary no matter what. Then the arguments and head-butting would start all over again.
While Caleb paid the check at the checkout counter near the restaurant entrance, Lorelei pulled Snow aside. “So?” she asked. “How’s it going?”
Snow watched the young cashier blush while taking Caleb’s money. “Not good,” she said. “Can’t you tell Spencer to ignore him or something? ”
“According to Spencer, Caleb deserves a chance,” Lorelei said.
“You two have talked about this?”
Her friend shook her head. “I didn’t tell him that you’re only pretending to give the relationship a go. I love Spence, but the man code runs deep with him. He’d tell Caleb in a heartbeat.”
“He can’t do that.”
“I know,” Lorelei said, her voice carrying a heavy dose of frustration. “But do you see how he looks at you, Snow? That isn’t the look of a man planning to walk away.”
“I don’t need this right now,” Snow said. She didn’t need Lorelei voicing the doubts dancing through her mind. “We are not staying married.”
“Good Lord, woman. Why not?” Lorelei’s voice shot well past whisper level.
Though the question of their compatibility grew dimmer by the day, Vivien’s threat wasn’t going anywhere. And Snow harbored no illusion that Caleb would be content to remain in Ardent Springs indefinitely. At some point, he’d insist they go back to Baton Rouge, and Snow could not handle a rerun of that miserable episode.
“Keep it down.” Sparing another glance at her husband/date, she whispered, “Whatever you do, do not tell Spencer anything.”
Lorelei huffed as Caleb joined them and asked, “What’s going on over here?”
“Nothing,” they chirped in unison.
“Don’t ask,” Spencer said as he stuffed his wallet into the back pocket of his Wranglers. “We ready to do some two-steppin’?”
“To do what?” Snow asked, cutting her eyes to Caleb. “What is he talking about?”
“I told you there would be dancing tonight.”
“I don’t dance,” she replied, shaking her head double time.
Lorelei took her by the arm. “Relax. It’s like riding a bike. In time to the beat and with a spin here and there. ”
“Oh no,” Snow argued, putting on the brakes as Lorelei pulled her toward the door with an evil gleam in her eye.
Caleb joined the effort and pushed from behind. “Don’t worry, darling. I’m a great lead.”
Before she knew it, Snow found herself being dragged through the entrance to Brubaker’s Bar. She’d never been inside the dance hall before. Had avoided it in some ways because it reminded her of her singing days in the clubs in Nashville.
As much as Music City looked like the friendlier side of the business, the view from inside was as cutthroat and seedy as anything that supposedly went on in New York or LA. And the coating of Southern charm didn’t make it any more palatable.
But she did miss being on stage. At least a little. After showing ID and paying their cover, the group stepped into the bar and wended their way through the crowded room. Brubaker’s was apparently the place to go on a Friday night. Caleb held her hand, cutting a path for her, while Spencer led the charge in front of Lorelei. The music was so loud Snow could feel it in her chest.
Spencer found Cooper at a cocktail table on the left side of the dance floor, which took up most of the room. Couples twirled by while a small group in the center of the floor performed a line dance.
Snow had been out of the scene too long to know the name of the dance. It had always been a good thing that she was on the stage, because she was born without a lick of rhythm. During their two months of dating in Nashville, Caleb had taken her to a couple of similar establishments, but she’d gotten out of having to dance thanks to his large group of friends who exchanged partners like the local church ladies exchanged recipes.
A curvy waitress appeared out of nowhere as the men finished their inaudible greetings. “What are we having?” she asked, slapping four small napkins onto the table .
“I’ll get this round,” Spencer said. “Two beers here. You guys?” he asked Caleb and Snow.
“Bud for me,” her husband said, then looked to her for an answer. She’d expected him to remember that she didn’t like beer, and this didn’t look like a wine sort of joint. “Water or soda?” he asked.
So he did remember. Snow said, “Water, thanks.”
The waitress melted into the crowd as Cooper yelled, “Come on, Lorelei. They’re playing our song.”
Spencer threw his hands in the air as his best friend tugged his woman onto the dance floor. Lorelei blew him a kiss seconds before Cooper spun her into the mass of rotating couples.
“You gonna let him take your girl like that?” Caleb asked Spencer, who didn’t look the least bit put out.
“She knows who’s taking her home.” He gestured toward the floor. “Don’t feel obligated to keep me company. Get on out there.”
Snow used to like Spencer.
“We’re good right here,” she said, straining to be heard over the music.
“Don’t be silly.” Caleb took her hands and, with a single tug, spun Snow until she was tucked against his side. “We’re here to dance, woman. Let’s do it.”
Against her will, and protesting all the way, Snow was pulled to the floor and maneuvered into the churning throng of dancers. She stumbled twice, but Caleb remained patient. “I told you,” she yelled. “I don’t know how to do this.”
He pulled her closer and said, “Follow my lead, darling. Just follow my lead.”
Her eyes locked with his, Snow stepped off with her right, and did her best to echo his movements. After a full turn around the dance floor without a single stumble, she smiled at her partner. “I’m doing it. I’m dancing.”
Caleb’s eyes turned dark. “Yes, you are. ”
With their bodies so close together, Snow enjoyed the feel of Caleb’s thighs pressed to hers. And the flex of his biceps beneath her palm. As they made a second pass around, going much slower than the other dancers, she realized the flexing of another part of her husband’s anatomy.
“Sorry,” he whispered in her ear. “But you’re driving me crazy.”
“I’m not doing it on purpose,” she said, attempting to pull back. “I think it’s time to get off the floor.”
Her husband held tight, keeping his cheek against hers. “The song isn’t over yet.”
She nodded. “Right.” No wonder dancing this way had been frowned upon in high school. This was practically foreplay.
Pulling her in again, Caleb asked, “When can we leave?”
A voice in her head said, Not soon enough, but Snow ignored it. “We just got here,” she answered.
“Okay,” he said, his voice vibrating along her skin. “Fifteen more minutes.”