Chapter 5 #2
But I can’t deny the fizz of happiness that came from hearing him say it.
Realizing I’ve been staring at him far too long, I avert my gaze to the menu and start searching for the cheapest items. “Just a plain coffee,” I tell him. “And a slice of banana bread.”
Caleb frowns. “That’s it?”
“I’m not that hungry. We had a big breakfast—”
“Vienna.” He reaches across the table to cover my hand. “We didn’t have a big breakfast. We had eggs and sausage. And that was hours ago. Order more food. And some to take with us.”
Sensing my hesitation, he adds, “I’m getting one of those fancy coffees with flavored syrups and a design made out of foam on the top.
And I’m getting a bowl of their soup of the day.
Plus a—” He peers at the menu. “A BLT bagel and half a dozen chocolate chip cookies to go. So. What do you really want?”
I hold a quick inner debate about whether it’s charity or not. But if he’s ordering that much, and he’s telling me to do the same, would it be rude to refuse? On the other hand, will he feel like I’m taking advantage—
“Vienna.” Caleb’s voice gentles. “This isn’t complicated. What do you want to eat?”
He’s wrong and he’s right. But if I keep delaying, I’m just going to make things weird. So I scan the menu again before amending my order. “A vanilla latte. With oat milk. And chicken salad on a croissant.”
Caleb stares at me for a second. Then he pushes up from his chair. “Okay. Stay here. I’ll be right back.”
I watch as he heads to the counter to order, noticing at least four other women doing the same.
I can’t blame them—Caleb’s a very good-looking man.
He’s not conventionally handsome in the movie star sense; his features are too rough and his nose has a slight crook to it.
But there’s just something about his tousled hair and striking blue eyes and commanding demeanor that draws your eye to him.
Not wanting to be caught out staring, I shift my attention to my phone so I can check my email again.
I’m waiting to hear back from the insurance company about my claim and if they’ll pay for a rental.
Technically, the tractor-trailer driver’s insurance company should cover everything, but apparently it’s quicker to start the claim with my company and wait for the other company to reimburse later.
Honestly, I don’t care which insurance company pays. I just need a car. And quickly.
“Here we go.” Caleb arrives back at our table carrying a tray with our drinks and food. He places my coffee and sandwich in front of me, then sets a bag printed with pink hearts to the side of it.
“What’s this?” I ask as I start to open the bag. “All I asked for was the coffee and sandwich.”
Caleb takes his seat again. “Something for you to bring back for later.”
I peer inside the bag to find a stack of frosted heart-shaped cookies. “Caleb. You didn’t have—”
“My mom says she always needs sweets on hand,” he explains. “Especially when she’s feeling stressed. And I figured, with everything going on with your car…” His cheeks turn the slightest bit pink. “I know cookies won’t solve it. But they might help a little.”
Oh.
That lump in my throat is back again.
Swallowing against it, I reply, “Thank you. They look really good. I’ll definitely enjoy them.”
A small smile tugs at his lips. “Good.” Then he looks around the room again. His shoulders tense briefly before relaxing.
“Is everything okay?” I ask. “If you’d rather leave…”
“Everything’s fine.” He gives me another quick smile, but this time it’s rueful. “Just habit. Keeping an eye on my surroundings, that is. Back when I served, it was necessary.”
“In the Marines, right?”
“Yeah.” Caleb takes a sip of his coffee, which does indeed have a little foam heart on top of it.
“I was a Raider. So we got sent into some pretty intense situations. Being aware of your surroundings at all times could mean the difference between—” He stops.
“Anyway. I’m not expecting danger here or anything. It’s not that at all.”
“I get it.” Not in terms of danger, but always being aware. “Some of my foster homes weren’t the best. My foster siblings weren’t always happy I was there. Especially if they were bio kids, and I… wasn’t. I tried to watch for potential conflicts before they happened.”
Caleb sets his coffee down. His expression is somber. “Was it bad? Foster care?”
I almost give him my pat answer—it was fine, everyone was nice, no problems to speak of—but something has me telling him the truth instead.
“Not bad, exactly. But not good, either. Going into foster care as a teenager is tough. You figure out pretty quickly that you’re not going to get adopted.
Some of the families just want the money from the state.
Some of the boys… they thought they could try things because I didn’t have anywhere else to go. ”
“What?” His voice takes on the same dangerous tone it did when I told him about my ex-coworker slash roommate’s boyfriend, Garth. “Did any of them—”
“No. I was old enough to stand up for myself. I taught myself self-defense. Wedged a desk chair under the bedroom doorknob—”
Caleb’s furious expression has me backtracking. “Anyway. Nothing happened. It wasn’t pleasant, but it could have been a lot worse. Then I graduated high school and headed to Albany to look for a job. I found a position waiting tables, and that’s what I’ve been doing ever since.”
At least, until I broke my leg and couldn’t anymore.
Caleb releases a long breath. “Do you want to get back to waiting tables? Or do you want to do something else?”
I take a sip of my latte. It’s incredible, and I sigh with pleasure.
Something dark and deep flares in his eyes. But I tell myself it means nothing.
“Short term, I’d like to get back to waiting tables again,” I reply.
“It’s a lot more money than dishwashing.
But I don’t think I’ll be able to work doubles anymore.
It’s just too much for my leg. I’m hoping once I put in some time at The Laughing Goat, they’ll let me take some lunch shifts on. And then—”
“Vienna?” A vaguely familiar male voice carries towards me. “Vienna Watson?”
Caleb stiffens. His shoulders draw up.
I turn in the direction of the voice, still trying to place it.
A couple crosses the room, followed by a second.
They’re all wearing ski gear, complete with neck gaiters and hats, so it’s hard to recognize any of them.
The male half of the second couple touches the shoulder of the first and says something, looking confused.
The man who called to me glances over his shoulder to respond, then turns back and continues towards me and Caleb.
It’s only once they’re a few tables away that I realize who he is.
“Tom?” Of all the places I could have imagined seeing my old classmate, this is the last of them. “What are you doing here?”
Tom closes the distance between us, urging the woman by his side along with him. She eyes me with suspicion, then clasps her gloved hand around his like she’s placing her claim.
Don’t worry, I want to assure her. Aside from studying with Tom a few times—in a group, no less—I’ve never spent any significant time with him, and I don’t plan to.
Not that there’s anything wrong with him. But aside from living in two different states, he’s not my type at all. Tom is slender and blonde and I just know he uses product in his hair. Not like Caleb, who’s the complete opposite, and much more to my taste.
“Vienna,” he repeats once he reaches the table. “I couldn’t believe it when I came in and saw you. It’s been ages. And in this little nothing town, no less.”
“It’s not a nothing town.” It comes out defensively, so I add with a quick smile, “I’m living here now. What about you?”
“Ski trip,” he replies. “Since there’s a fresh coat of snow, we thought we’d head up to Stowe for the weekend. Get some runs in, hit some of the local bars…”
The woman beside him edges closer, so she’s pressed flush against him. “We’re renting a cabin right near the base of the mountain. It has an indoor plunge pool and a sauna.”
“That’s nice,” I tell her, for lack of anything better to say.
“Hello.” Caleb sticks out his hand, his gaze fixed on Tom’s. “I’m Caleb. And you are?”
My cheeks go hot. “Sorry. I should have introduced…” I turn to Tom first. “This is Caleb. A—” What? Friend? Acquaintance? Benefactor? “Friend,” I finish. Then I turn back to Caleb. “And this is Tom. We used to be classmates.”
“Classmates?” Caleb asks.
“A paramedic course we were taking,” Tom supplies. He smiles. “I’ll be done in May. Already been in touch with a few municipalities about starting with them in the summer.”
Gesturing at the woman next to him, he adds, “This is Frieda. And these two behind me are Kale and Molly. They just started the paramedic program this semester.”
“Not me,” Frieda interjects. “Blood makes me queasy.”
Caleb gives her a long look. “Then I guess being a paramedic wouldn’t be the best career choice.”
“So,” Tom says. “Vienna. Are you going to start back with the program again?” He glances beneath the table at my legs. “Your leg all better yet?”
“It’s getting there,” I reply. My smile feels frozen. It’s easier to ignore everything I lost when one of the reminders isn’t standing in front of me.
“Tom.” The man standing behind Tom taps his shoulder. “We’ve got reservations at two. If we want to get there in time, we need to get going.”
“Right.” Tom makes an apologetic face. “We just stopped in for some cookies. But we should get going.”
“Okay.” I steal another quick glance at Caleb. But his expression gives away nothing. “Enjoy your skiing trip.”
Tom nods. “Take care. And if you need anything, you’ve got my number.” Then he turns and heads in the direction of the counter, followed by his friends.
I’m not sorry to see him go. If I’m being honest, I wish I’d never run into him to begin with. And not just because it reminds me of the paramedic program I had to drop out of, but because it cut into my time with Caleb.
Caleb and I don’t talk until Tom leaves the bakery. Instead, I nibble at my croissant while Caleb stares into his coffee. His silence makes me feel like I did something wrong, though I can’t think of what.
I’m just about to suggest taking the rest of our food to go when Caleb asks, “You wanted to be a paramedic?”
I put my sandwich down. “I did. I was halfway through my coursework when I broke my leg. I couldn’t get to class, so I had to withdraw for the semester.”
“And after that?”
A band tightens around my chest. “There wasn’t any money for tuition,” I admit.
“I didn’t take out loans. I didn’t want to leave school with them hanging over me.
Then everything got all messed up. I wasn’t sure when I’d be able to drive again.
It was too late to apply for financial aid. So I had to drop out of the program.”
Caleb frowns at his plate. His brows pull into a V. “Do you still want to be a paramedic?”
“Yeah. There’s a program near Burlington I could do, once I get everything else figured out. It’ll probably be a couple years, but that’s what I’d like to do.”
“A paramedic.” He nods thoughtfully. “I could see that.” Then he frowns again. “Not a firefighter, though?”
“No, not a firefighter. I’m not sure I’m strong enough for that. Or brave enough.”
He stares at me for a second. “I don’t know, Vienna. You seem pretty brave to me. Although—” He flashes me a crooked smile. “It’s better if you’re not running into burning buildings. It’s too dangerous.”
I’m sure it’s just polite concern. But I can’t deny the burst of warmth in my chest that comes anyway.
The rest of our meal passes in pleasant conversation.
I tell Caleb about my first week at The Laughing Goat and some of the recent shows I watched—well, before my ex-roommate changed the Wi-Fi password so I couldn’t watch anything at all.
He shares his addiction to Star Trek reruns and explains how he got his love of restoring old snowmobiles from his dad.
“I don’t really advertise my business,” he explains.
“It’s mostly through word of mouth. And I only take jobs I’m interested in.
That probably sounds dumb, not trying to make more money.
But I have my retirement from the Marines.
And I’m not trying to get rich. I just do the work because I like it. ”
“Could I see one?” I blurt.
“A snowmobile?” Caleb asks.
My cheeks warm again. “I just thought… Well. I’ve never seen a snowmobile up close.”
Time stretches as I wait for him to answer. And with each passing second, I regret my question even more. What was I thinking, asking for even more than he’s given already? Despite what I told Tom about being friends, we—
“I can show you around my garage,” Caleb replies. He almost looks shy as he says it. “If you’d like, I can even take you out on one.”
“You would?” I perk up. “On a ride?”
He smiles. “I would.” He glances at our now near-empty plates. “Are you done? Or do you want to order more?”
“I’m done.” Anticipation bubbles inside me. I get to see Caleb’s snowmobiles and take a ride on one. Coupled with the trip to the shelter and an unexpected lunch, this day is turning out a heck of a lot better than I expected.
“Okay.” Caleb stands and grabs the two bags of cookies. Then he comes around to my side of the table and pulls out my chair. “I know the perfect place to take you. There are a few hills and dips, but nothing too crazy.”
I rise from my seat, but my leg, stiff from sitting, protests. As it wobbles, I grab the edge of the table for balance. But like yesterday, Caleb is right there, wrapping his arm around my waist and holding me steady.
“You okay?” he asks. His expression is creased with worry. “Do you need me to get you some ice? Do you need to sit back down? Walking back to the car is probably too much. I can drive over and pick you up at the door.”
“No, that’s okay.” I give my leg a quick shake to loosen it. “I can walk. It just gets stiff sometimes. And I haven’t been doing my exercises lately.”
Caleb regards me with concern in his eyes. “I don’t want you hurting yourself.”
“I won’t.” I smile in reassurance. “I’m fine now.”
“Still.” He readjusts his arm around my waist. “I think I’ll hang onto you. Just in case.” His gaze searches mine. “If that’s okay?”
That fizzy warmth in my chest blossoms even more. And I smile at him. “I’d like that.”