and took them to the table. “They’re going to love you.”
“What’s not to love? I’m every parent’s dream. I have a college degree that hasn’t served me much purpose at all, an apartment I can’t afford, a job in a department store that helps me scrape by, credit card debt, and no particular ideas about my future. Who wouldn’t think I was a prize?”
Caleb laughed as he spun around and grabbed Elena by the waist, pressing her into the counter. His hands went to her cheeks, he kissed her lips soundly, and then threaded his fingers in her hair. “Elena, all my mom will see is a sweet woman who stole my heart. Oh, and cute blond babies. My sister’s kids all have dark hair.”
Elena shuddered, her eyes shooting open wide. “Okay, slow down, big guy.” She flattened her hands on his chest, her heart rate picking up. “Let’s not get carried away.”
He chuckled deeper and then kissed her neck before releasing her. “I was kidding. Obviously eight or nine kids. You can handle that, right?”
“Ha ha.” She joined him at the table when he held out her chair. “Hey, what did you do with that box of letters?”
“They’re on the coffee table. I figured I’d give you some time to go through them this morning.”
“I’d like that.” She’d grown nostalgic since arriving in Canyon Springs, wanting to get to know her Aunt Marge. If Aunt Marge wrote all those letters to her sister, Mabel, who returned them… Damn. There was probably a lot of angst in those pages.
Caleb gave her hand a squeeze and then released it to let her eat.
When she finished, she smiled at him. “Well, at least I won’t go hungry if I let you lure me into your den. You can cook.”
“Yeah, my mama figured if I ever did find a woman, she didn’t want me to lose her because I didn’t know my way around a kitchen.”
“Well, she did a great job then.”
“If you want to get dressed, your clothes are on top of the dryer. I washed them.”
“And you’re just now telling me this?” she teased.
He shrugged. “I like the look of you in my T-shirt. But if you must get dressed…” he joked in return. “I’ll clean up the kitchen while you dig into the letters.”
They rose together, and then Elena grabbed his hand and brought it to her face, brushing the backs of his fingers over her cheek. She loved contact with him. Craved it like a drug. She had to force herself to release him, step back, and flee the kitchen.
Chapter 16
January 6, 2005
Dear Mabel,
It seems like every time I write you it’s with a heavy heart. Mom is gone. Once again, I’m not there. I would have come despite your animosity toward me this time, but Josiah says it just isn’t safe enough to travel in this blizzard.
I miss her so much already. It’s been over two years since I last saw her. She was doing so well. I guess 85 is a full life. She never seemed that old to me. She had good genes, I guess.
Again, I won’t disrupt your life. Apparently, you intend to take your stubbornness to the grave yourself. I’ll come to Hyde Park and visit Mom and Dad’s grave site in the spring. I won’t look you up, but I need to visit them. I need peace. Lord knows I’ll never get it from you.
Love, Marge
Caleb left Elena alone in his living room with the box of letters. It would take her a long time to work through them. Every time he passed through the room, he found her intently reading. She was curled up in the corner of the couch, legs tucked under her, pages in hand, face down. He didn’t think she even noticed him.
He wanted to go to her, sit with her, hold her, read with her. Anything but stay away. However, it seemed prudent to let her work through the emotional rollercoaster on her own. He might have only known her a little over a day, but already he could tell his sweet mate was sensitive. The letters would make her sad.
Lost opportunities. Lost time. Lost family.
He worked in the back yard for a while, mostly trying to occupy himself so that he didn’t go mad from the effort it took to stay away from her. The entire inside of his house already smelled like her. She hadn’t decided to stay with him, nor had she done a single