Page 48 of Hit the Ground
He fed me sandwiches—two, just like I’d eaten yesterday—then took a long look at me. Whatever he saw made him nod a few times.
“You’re staying here the rest of the day.”
I raised a brow. “I am?”
“Yep. The terrain is rougher up north. I can’t have your brain getting jostled around.”
That made me laugh a little. “Can’t get trampled, can’t get jostled, whatcanI do?”
Caleb guffawed, low and rumbly. “You can take it easy, that’s what.” He gave my head another pat. “I’ll be back in a few hours. You give me a call if you need me before then, and I’ll head right back.”
“I’ll be fine.” Then I decided to tease him again, since I liked hearing him laugh. “But I don’t know what you’ll do without your nail holder.”
He gave me exactly what I’d been hoping for—another roll of thunderous laughter. “I’ll have to make do as best I can.” His smile softened. “See you in a while, Allie. Be good.”
“See you, Caleb.”
That night went much like the one before, except Caleb took a call from Jesse. I listened in as they talked about his day at school. He mentioned I’d been absent from the library, which was a rarity, and told his dad my assistant, Roberta, had said I was sick. Caleb assured him I was probably fine.
I’d never been close with my dad. He’d worked a lot, and when he hadn’t been at the office, he’d only had enough bandwidth for one of his daughters. Silla’s illness had been like a black hole, sucking up our parents’ time, attention, and affection. I couldn’t blame her for that. None of it had been her fault. I couldn’t really blame my parents either. Having a sick child…well, I couldn’t imagine. I hadn’t needed them with the same urgency, so they hadn’t looked my way.
I couldn’t picture Caleb ever turning away from Jesse. Not with how zeroed in he was during their conversation. The questions he asked, the way he nodded along with the stories Jesse was telling on the other end of the line.
After he hung up, Caleb set his phone aside and turned to me. “Are you feeling up for a little reading tonight?”
“I’d really love that.”Such an understatement.
We settled in our corners of the couch, and he grabbed the book from where he’d set it on the side table. He flicked on the lamp, casting the room in a golden glow, and started reading where we’d left off. His gravelly baritone drew me in. Outside,the wind rattled against the windowpanes, but in here, it was warm and still.
I watched him more than I listened to the words. The way his mouth moved as he read. The crease between his brows when he concentrated. Every once in a while, he glanced at me, like he was checking to see if I was following along. I always was. Just…not the story.
I was following him.
I tucked my knees under the blanket he’d given me and leaned my head against the back cushion. I could get used to nights like this.
And that was the problem.
This wasn’t my home. This wasn’t my life. Caleb was being kind because that was who he was. Soon, this house, with Caleb reading to me, dinner dishes drying in the sink, the sound of the horses in the distance, would be nothing more than a really good memory.
I’d leave tomorrow even if Caleb fought me on it. If I stayed any longer, if I let myself slip any deeper into this cozy cocoon, it would hurt to claw myself back out of it.
I closed my eyes, letting his voice roll over me. Tomorrow, I’d go home and get back to my life. I would let myself have this one more night.
Chapter Eighteen
Caleb
Alicehadbeengonefor a week when Jesse and I showed up at my parents’ for dinner. We were greeted by Silas, who rammed his big toddler head into Jesse’s knees, squealing like a conquering Viking. Jesse played along, collapsing in the entry, letting his cousin use him like a jungle gym. I would have been worried for my boy, since Silas didn’t know the definition of taking it easy, but Remi was leaning against the wall, watching his son with a careful eye and a big grin.
I patted his shoulder in greeting. “Kid of yours needs to come with a warning.”
He chuckled. “He’s got energy to spare, that’s for damn sure. If I’d known I was going to have a Hannah 2.0, I would have gotten started younger so I could keep up with him.”
That got me laughing. “Our parents survived Hurricane Hannah. You’ll make it through Silas. Now, if you have another one like him…”
Remi palmed his face, but he was still grinning. “Yeah, I definitely should have started younger.”
Rem and I were the same age and had been friends most of our lives. I didn’t like to think of myself as old yet, but my kid was more than halfway grown. Could I start over again?
