Once Upon a Love Story

by Beth D. Carter

  ~*~*~

  Once Upon a Love Story

  By Beth D. Carter

  Published by Beth D. Carter

  Smashwords Edition

  2021

  Smashwords Edition, License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, locales or events is entirely coincidental.

  ~*~*~

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Epilogue

  Chapter One

  Caleb held a steaming cup of coffee as he stood in front of the floor to ceiling windows and stared at the Pacific Ocean. The gently lapping water sparkled like diamonds as the new day dawned. Malibu dipped like a J, starting up high in the Santa Monica Mountains and falling almost vertically to the Pacific Coast Highway to curl ever so slightly. Most of the beach houses had to use stilts, not such an unusual sight for a man used to living in Alaska. But the main difference between that and this had to do with permafrost and not beach front property.

  Still, the houses amused him. The old saying “If there’s a will there’s a way” aptly fit to the construction of oddly placed homes on manmade geotechnical engineering. He just couldn’t imagine a home being worth so much for such expensive manipulation and with such little land. Then again, Panthea Winter’s childhood home screamed wealth and he bet his entire year’s pay wouldn’t even cover the taxes on this house.

  Not that he wanted to live permanently in such a sterile and unfeeling home. What he’d had with Claire might not have been so grand as Thea’s home but it had been full of love and warmth. Which was, actually, the only reason he had needed to get away. So while the house might be an unfeeling brute of a building, it was exactly what he needed.

  He finished his coffee and placed it on the kitchen counter. Thankfully the place had come with a bed and he’d pulled out a lounge chair from the pool shed which now sat on the balcony. But he didn’t really need anything else. He ate every night at the small strip of shops at the bottom of the hill and spent most of his days relaxing on the beach.

  Planning to continue with his vagabond lifestyle of late, he headed out of the house, pocketing the key, and started down the driveway. He hadn’t gone too far down the steep and winding street when he heard the unmistakable crack of a tree breaking in two followed immediately by a thunderous crash as gravity pulled the tree onto whatever lay in its path.

  Running toward the sound, he vaulted over a white wooden fence just as the owner of the house rushed out.

  “Holy fuck!” yelled the man, visibly shaken.

  “Are you all right?” Caleb asked, assessing the damage. “Is anyone else in the house?”

  The man shook his head, turning mute as shock settled in. The tree had been old. Caleb saw the withering of roots as it had rotted away, unable to find traction in the new soil gradation used for building. It had fallen onto the garage portion, slicing through sheet rock, metal, and wood like a hot knife through butter.

  “Listen, I’m a forest ranger so I can help you break up this tree, but you’re going to need to notify an electrician, a building inspector, plus some type of geotechnical engineer to help determine the stability of the rest of this hillside.”

  Caleb looked at the man expectantly, but the homeowner just stood with his mouth open wide and hands covering half his face.

  “Hey,” Caleb said, this time with a bit more sympathy coating his words. “My name is Caleb Tasker.”

  He held out his hand and the man finally blinked. He looked down at Caleb’s hand and slowly took it, the shock edging from his eyes a degree at a time.

  “Um, Jake. Jake Coolidge.”

  Caleb smiled, hoping to distract Jake even more from the devastation of his home. “Nice to meet you. So, guess the last thing you expected to do today was deal with this mess, eh?”

  “Yeah,” Jake replied, shaking his head slightly as he glanced back at the ruined garage. “Thank God I didn’t park my car in there last night.”

  Caleb spared a quick look at the sporty little two door sitting benignly in the driveway. “Well, you might have to wash it later, but no harm done there. At least no one was hurt, so that’s a good thing. Though it’s going to be a helluva day for exercise.”

  Jake gave a rueful sounding groan. “Yeah. Listen, I gotta call my work and tell them I won’t be in. Can you hold on for a moment?”

  “Sure,” Caleb said. When Jake moved away to place a call on his cell, Caleb walked around the path of destruction, surveying the wreckage. The trunk had splintered, causing the majority of the tree to topple but some of it still lingered upright, causing another potential hazard.

  “You said you’re a forest ranger?” Jake’s voice asked behind him.

  Caleb nodded and pointed. “This tree has been dying for years. See, there’s insect damage. Abiotic factor is more than likely the cause. Probably when this land was being farmed for building sites, the soil had to be changed to prevent landslides, exposing some of these roots. Borers moved in though I’m not sure what kind. I don’t know Southern California trees, or bugs, that well.”

  “I think I understood most of that,” Jake murmured in wry amusement. “God, what a mess.”

  “Like I said earlier, I can help you with the tree part, but the damage to the building needs to be secure first. The last thing we need to do is cut into something live. Do you have a power switch that you know of?”

  “Is that a circuit breaker?”

  “Yeah, show me that,” Caleb replied, thinking. “You’ll need to call the power company and probably the police, just so they can contact any neighbors of possible similar situations.”

  Jake groaned. “This is going to be blown so out of proportion.”

  “Come again?” Caleb asked, confused.

  “Oh, nothing. The paparazzi are going to love this.”

  Caleb looked around, as if he expected a camera to be in plain sight. “What, are you famous or something?”

  Jake looked at him skeptically. “Are you serious?”

  “Sorry,” Caleb told him. “I’m not from Los Angeles.”

  “I kind of figured that out,” Jake said. “Come on, let’s go make some phone calls and then after, we’re definitely going to need some cold beer.”

  ****

  He and Jake spent the rest of the day dealing with the fallen tree. The police were called and they in turn summoned several officials needed to deal with the soil degradation to determine if the landscape was in need of any further repair. Reports were made and a tree removal service called. Once the electrician determined it was safe, Caleb helped the arborists cut up and haul out the downed tree.

  The sun burned high overhead and sweat dripped down Caleb’s face. He had long ago abandoned his shirt and felt his
skin soaking up the rays. He constantly had to take breaks to clear the fog that lingered on his safety glasses, as well as clean the bits of wood flecks that speckled his face. This hadn’t been what he’d planned to do when he woke that morning, but the exercise felt great and reminded him how much he missed Gates of the Artic National Park. The forest brush always managed to soothe his soul, especially the time after Claire had died. That had been one of the most horrible periods of his life, even more than Claire’s initial diagnosis. It was the solace of the tranquil forest around him that had helped stabilize the tumultuous feelings threatening to break him apart.

  Toward twilight, Caleb sat next to Jake and stared at the decimated garage, sipping on ice-cold beer.

  “Look at that,” Jake muttered.

  Caleb followed where Jake pointed at the opened driveway gate and saw the police telling several men with cameras to leave the area.

  “Who are they?”

  “Papparazzi.”

  “Really?” Caleb looked at Jake speculatively. “You’re that famous?”

  “I’ve been in a few films.”

  “Oh. I don’t watch a lot of movies. There’s not a theater where I’m from so I probably haven’t heard of them.”

  “Are you serious?” Jake asked. “There’s a place on this earth without a movie theater? Where?”

  “River Ice, Alaska. Far north territory. But hey, I just bought myself a tablet so I might subscribe to Netflix. And I’m playing this game called Angry Birds. Have you heard of it?”

  Jake laughed so hard water flew out of his nose. “What are you doing tonight, Caleb?”

  “Nothing much, why?”

  “I have a party I have to attend. Would you like to come with me?”

  “Party? Sure,” Caleb said, shrugging. “Although I need to shower first. And I don’t have a car.”

  “That’s fine. I can drive us.”

  “Ok then. I’m staying at the top of the hill. The glass and white two story-”

  “The Snow residence?”

  “Yeah. Thea’s a friend of mine.”

  “I didn’t know the family, but I’ve heard about the accident, of course.”

  “It was tough for her,” Caleb said. He finished off the beer. “Is there a dress code for this party? I don’t really have anything fancy.”

  “Casual. Jeans are fine.”

  “All right. See ya later.”

  Ignoring the reporters and cameras, he left Jake’s property and headed back to the house, anxious to jump into the shower.

  Chapter Two

  “What’s this shindig about?”

  Jake flashed his pearly whites as he downshifted through a light. “This band I know is launching a new album and their party tonight is going to show the video from the first release.”

  “Oh. What band?”

  “Seven Hills. Ever heard of them?”

  “No. But I like any kind of music.”

  They were on Sunset Boulevard, pulling outside the Beverly Hills area. Lights lit up the sidewalk as people rushed to and fro, even though it was eleven o’clock at night. Jake drove his little silver convertible up to an ordinary looking building and a valet opened his door. Caleb rose from the plush seats onto a red carpet.

  “Seriously? A red carpet? I guess I can check that off my bucket list.”

  Jake laughed. “You are so cool, man. Come on.”

  Police and bodyguards stood all over the place. Watchers screamed and camera lights flashed. Caleb heard Jake’s name being called, almost like a chant, and everywhere he looked tall, leggy women in barely legal dresses walked. The men were more subdued in their clothes, though some of them wore garish colors and ghastly designs. Caleb almost felt underdressed in his worn jeans, red t-shirt, and tan work boots.

  People he didn’t know came up and shook his hand before grabbing hold of Jake’s, assuming he was somebody since he was the guest of somebody. Caleb just let it all wash over him, taking it in as a surreal moment in life.

  Eventually he and Jake made their way into the building. As soon as his eyes adjusted to the darkened interior, a stage with a large screen monitor came into view. Upon the dais sat various band instruments all waiting to be played.

  “I’m going to head to the bar,” Jake said.

  “You go ahead,” Caleb replied. “I want to check out the stage.”

  Jake grinned and disappeared into the crowd. As Caleb headed toward the stage he happened to glance to his right. A beautiful African American woman handed out beer to passing people. The one-piece bathing suit she wore was scarlet red and cut high on the side, showing off her gorgeous long legs. Her black hair fell in a straight curtain past her shoulders and a silver headband held her bangs back. Her dark skin glistened under the overhead lights.

  An unmistakable glint of disdain flashed in her eyes as she smiled at the man standing in front of her. She plucked a bottle from the icy casket in front of her and twisted off the cap with a deft flick of her wrist. The man stuck a dollar in a tip bucket as he walked on, taking a long drink from his beer. The woman said thanks as she turned, the fake smile immediately sliding from her lips. Before he knew what he was doing, Caleb walked over to where she stood.

  “Would you like one?” she said, the fake smile falling back into place.

  “Sure,” he answered.

  She popped the top and handed him one. When he took it, she turned back to look at the crowded room as if waiting for him to go. Only Caleb didn’t leave. He moved to the side as a couple more people came up to get beer.

  “My name is Caleb,” he said, once they were alone again.

  She flicked a cautious look at him and flashed that impersonal smile.

  “I’m sorry for lingering but I don’t know anyone here,” he went on. “And you seem to hold the monopoly on manly drinks.”

  “‘Glass after glass you drain to quench his thirst’,” she quoted.

  “‘Each glass contains a spirit like the first’,” he quoted back without missing a beat. Her mouth dropped open.

  “You know the poetry of Ella Wheeler Wilcox?” she asked in disbelief.

  “Yes. I also know Ernest Hemingway too. Always do sober what you said you’d do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut.”

  She shifted back and looked him up and down. Caleb found himself strangely aroused by her perusal. “Pardon me for saying, but you don’t look like a man who quotes poetry.”

  “What kind of man do I look like?”

  She pursed her lips. “I don’t know. A lumberjack?”

  Caleb scratched his beard and smiled. “Close. I’m a forest ranger, actually, from Alaska.”

  A man walked up, and the woman opened a beer before handing it over with a flirty smile. The man winked, nodded at Caleb and walked away. As soon as he was gone the brightness of her face drained away.

  “What’s your name?” he asked.

  “Candy,” she answered immediately.

  “Really?” He raised an eyebrow, waiting. She started back at him challengingly. “Well, okay.”

  “What’s wrong with my name?”

  “You don’t look like a Candy.”

  She raised a sculptured eyebrow. “What name do I look like?”

  “Something classical, with maybe a touch of exotic.”

  She cocked her head and stared at him. Caleb had the distinct feeling that she was sizing him up, making some type of monumental decision. “Delilah,” she finally said slowly, as if she still wasn’t sure she wanted to tell him. Then she gave a rueful laugh. “I don’t usually tell men my name real name.”

  That confused him. “Why?”

  Another man walked up, and a smile lit up Delilah’s face for the time it took to hand him a beer. When the man had walked away, like before, the smile faded from her lovely face.

  “Candy is my working name,” she told him abruptly.

  “This work?”

  She shrugged and made a sweeping gesture with her hand, encompassing the
whole room. “Weekend work. Pays well, I can keep my clothes on, and I’m home by one am.”

  A hideous thought entered his mind. “Are you trying to tell me that you, ah, you’re a…”

  She seemed to take grim amusement when words failed him. Her shoulders straighten as she stiffened her spine. Her dark eyes watched him, appraising him, and for some reason Caleb felt like he was on trial.

  “I’m a stripper,” she told him bluntly. “At The Pink Pony. Monday through Friday. Stop by if you’d like.”

  It was said casually and carefree, but by the stiffness of her body language she put on a brave face. Funny that he’d just met her and yet he could already see the vulnerability behind her flip words.

  “Not really my style,” he replied, and her chin went up a notch. Two young men came up to her, smiling, and instantly she turned on her megawatt smile, opening two beers before handing them over.

  “Thanks, Babe,” one man said with a wink and sauntered off. Caleb had the insane urge to go after him and beat the shit out of him.

  “Forget it,” Delilah told him.

  Caleb thought she meant forget about going after the punk, but one look at her face told him she meant something completely different. “Like I was saying before those two asses walked up,” he continued, nodding in the direction the two men had walked, “Gentlemen’s Clubs aren’t usually my cup of tea, but if you’re going to be there maybe I’ll stop by. What time do you get off work?”

  “You can come in and watch me until two.”

  The challenge in her tone was unmistakable.

  “Why don’t I come by when the club closes and we can grab a bite to eat? I believe Denny’s is open twenty-four hours.”

  Instantly, her posture changed. Her face turned stone cold as her arms folded across her chest. “I’m no whore.”

  Caleb recoiled. “Of course you’re not. I meant a date, Delilah. I’d pick you up, we go eat and talk. That’s it.”

  She studied him. Her dark gaze burned with intensity as she studied him. Whatever she must have seen she believed because she unfolded her arms, though there was still a wary look in her eyes.