don’t give out their photographs.” The entire time he had known her, she had consistently refused to allow her picture to be taken.
She nodded. “We don’t, typically.” She momentarily considered how much trouble a simple picture of herself as Amber Simmons had caused her recently. But then, this was different: it was for Caleb.
“But you’re special, kiddo. So we made an exception,” Paige announced from the other side of the room.
His head turned in time to see her grin and blow him a kiss before disappearing back upstairs in a blur.
Suddenly, Katrina was standing next to him, and she wrapped her arms around him from behind in a warm embrace. “Happy Valentine’s Day, my love,” she whispered before kissing him on the neck.
He smiled with delight and realized it was indeed the best Valentine’s Day he’d ever had.
* * * *
Another week passed, and Caleb had gotten used to having two additional house guests. It was almost like Gil and Paige had taken up brief residence with them. While he enjoyed having Paige close by, part of him wondered how Gil liked the extended visit. The young aspiring rocker had seemed restless the past couple of days and, while polite, had acted more distant towards him when they chatted. More often than not, Gil and Paige spent their nights out on the town, only to return home long after Caleb had gone to bed. Katrina seemed quite comfortable hosting their extended visit, so he merely continued with his weekly routine.
On Friday, he was pleased that his afternoon at the college was a short one, because he was anxious to initiate his third installment in the Find Caleb series. He decided to move forward with his plans for the construction site. He anticipated that it would prove easy to navigate due to the dormant state of the late-February foliage.
He had some surprises up his sleeve and had purchased a couple of lengths of climbing rope, as well as the gloves and accessories required for climbing and rappelling . One positive aspect of his challenges for Katrina was his growing familiarity with the inventories of the local sporting goods stores.
By late afternoon, he left the college with a trunk load of equipment. He arrived at the abandoned site before sunset and parked his car well off of the road behind a stand of pine trees. Once he had unloaded his gear from the car, he set everything in place. Darkness fell two hours later, and he ate a sandwich and some chips he had brought out to the site. Then he dialed the estate’s number from his cell phone, and someone picked up after only two rings.
“Hello?” Paige answered.
“Paige?” Caleb asked. “Where’s Kat?”
“Hi, tiger,” she replied. “Oh, she’s finishing some laundry. Hey, we’ve been wondering when you’re coming home. Any problems?”
“No problems,” he answered proudly. “Tonight’s another installment in the Find Caleb series for Kat.”
“An abandoned construction site not far from the estate, actually,” he explained. “I have an idea to give me an edge this time.”
“Ha! Good luck, kiddo,” she replied. “Hold on, I’ll get Katrina.”
He gnawed apprehensively at his lower lip at her tone and heard what sounded like wind rushing into the receiver at the other end. Damn, vampires are fast.
“Caleb?” Katrina asked. “We’ve been wondering about you. Do you have to work late tonight?”
He grinned. “Nope, I’m calling to inform you that it’s time to play another installment of Find Caleb tonight.”
She giggled. “I was wondering when you’d spring one of these on me again.”
He appreciated her upbeat tone. “I’m at a place not far from the estate tonight. Do you remember the abandoned construction site not far up the highway?”
She was silent for a time.
“The place with the three-story frame and the overgrown landscape?”
“That’s the one.”
“Time limit?” she asked simply.
“Coming by car?”
“Nope, running,” she answered. “It’s not far, and it’s a great night for a run. I’ll just ride back with you.”
He nodded and glanced at his illuminated watch facing. “Okay then. Twenty minutes from right now.”
She chuckled. “Better get ready...here I come!”
The phone went silent, and he pulled his cell away from his ear to stare at the display. He shook his head and muttered, “Someday I’m going to get in the last word.”
He ran a quick pattern of spreading pre-worn clothing through the trees to diffuse his scent in multiple locations before heading to his staging location. He appreciated the lack of wind on that moonless, cold night