Crushing on Kate

by Theresa Paolo

  She moaned at the pleasure coursing through her body, amazed at how easily he elicited such noises from her.

  “I think clothes would just get in the way.” He pinched the tight bead with his fingers, making her cry out. His mouth came down on hers and he slipped his tongue between her lips.

  Never in her life had she ever felt every nerve-ending in her body come to life. Never had she ever wanted to keep going after having an orgasm, yet here she was desperate for another after already having so many she had lost count. But Caleb did that to her. He made her shed her inhibitions, filled her with an insatiable need to feel his mouth on hers, his body sliding against hers, his hands roaming her body, discovering new ways to make her cry out in ecstasy.

  Every touch from him was fuel to a fire that burned brighter and more intense with each second. He trailed his tongue down her neck to the crook, sucking and licking.

  “Unless of course you want to put clothes on,” he said just before gently biting down on the sensitive skin. Chills ran up and down her spine, goose bumps rising on her skin. She shivered at the onslaught of desire consuming her.

  “No,” she managed though her voice was hoarse. Her stomach growled again, reminding her why they weren’t still in bed.

  He ran a hand over her stomach and smiled down at her. “Let’s get you some food. You’re going to need your strength.”

  He brought her to the kitchen, motioning to one of the stools. She sat down, and the cold leather pressing against her bare skin felt good. Caleb moved around the kitchen, naked and beautiful, opening cabinets. His body from chest to legs was cut and sculpted to athletic perfection, most likely from constant bike rides.

  Kate licked her lips as she watched him gather together ingredients before lighting the stove and placing a frying pan on top.

  She slid off the stool and came up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist and kissing his back. He took her hand and pressed a kiss to her knuckles.

  “What are you making?” she asked as he cracked an egg into a bowl.

  “Omelets, if that’s okay with you?”

  “Mmm perfect.”

  “What do you want in it?”

  “What are you putting in yours?”

  “Spinach, mushrooms, feta, tomato.”

  “I’ll take the same.”

  “Is there any food you don’t like?”

  She tilted her head, thinking it over. She always had a healthy appetite and always liked to try things at least once before she decided if she liked it or not. “Sushi.”

  “I love sushi. It’s so good.”

  “It’s the one thing I just can’t do. I tried. I just prefer my food cooked.”

  “It’s not for everyone.”

  Kate leaned against the counter taking one of the grape tomatoes and popping it into her mouth. “What about you? Is there any food you don’t like?”

  “I’ll eat anything.”

  “There has to be something that you don’t like.”

  He poured the egg mixture into the pan and stared off. His eyebrows pinched together as he thought. Then after a minute he said, “Tapioca pudding.”

  Kate laughed at his enthusiasm behind the words.

  “Hate it with a passion.”

  “That’s so random,” she said still laughing. “What do you have against it?”

  “My mom used to pack it in my lunch when I was in elementary school and this one kid, Michael Stevenson, used to tell me the gelatin balls were fish eyes. That’s all I see now when I look at it. He ruined it for me.”

  “Damn that Michael Stevenson.”

  “Scarred for life. I’ll never eat tapioca pudding again. I don’t care how good it is.”

  Kate noticed that he mentioned his mom, which only made her more curious about the boy she didn’t know. What happened to him? Why was he alone now? She was afraid to ask, to ruin the happy bubble that they were in, but if she was ever going to shed him of his many layers and get to his very core, she had to stop holding back out of fear.

  “What happened to your mom?”

  His body stiffened beside her, but it was only for a second before he grabbed the spatula and folded the omelet into a half moon. “She’s dead, too,” he said.

  When Kate realized, he wasn’t going to elaborate, she pushed. “How’d she die?”

  “Car accident.”

  “How old were you?”

  “Twelve.”

  Her heart broke for the little boy who lost his mother at such a young age. For the young man that grew up without her. For the man he was now who still carried the pain that was evident in his curt tone.

  “What was she like?”

  The tension in his body seemed to ease as a slight smile formed on his face. “Kind, loving, always on my case about washing behind my ears and cleaning up after myself.”

  “She sounds great.”

  “She was. The best.”

  Kate leaned into him, resting her lips against his bicep. “I bet she’d be proud of you.”

  “I hope so.”

  “What about your dad?”

  His body went rigid and tense. The hand that rested on the edge of the counter, tightened its grip until his knuckles were white. “That’s enough for one day,” he said, and even though Kate wanted to keep pushing, she knew that it was best to let it rest.

  At least for tonight.

  Chapter 13

  Caleb met with Mason to discuss business at an old dairy farm up on Maple Hill that he was converting into a brewery. From the outside, Caleb wasn’t exactly sure how he planned to open by mid-fall, but when he walked into the old barn his doubts quickly disappeared.

  The floors were laid with refurbished wood, the ceilings high and exposed. To the left a bar extended nearly from one wall to the next with a maple leaf carved in the middle, the words Five Leaf Brewing Company surrounding it. Long tables and benches sat around the large open space and the walls were decorated with old pictures of the town and vintage beer memorabilia.

  An old tub transformed into a sink sat below a line of taps and to the right of that a row of shelves set into the wall. Caleb imagined that’s where all of Kate’s custom made growlers would sit.

  “What do you think?” Mason asked, coming in from a back door that connected to two walls and that looked out to big silver tanks. He wiped his hands on a rag then stuck it in his back pocket.

  “This place is awesome.”

  “It is, isn’t it?” Mason said, looking around with him. Caleb could see the pride in the slight smile on Mason’s face and in the brightness in his dark green eyes.

  “You really outdid yourself. I’m not going to lie, pulling up I was a little skeptical.”

  “The outside needs some work, but I figure the inside is more important. I have some time. I’m thinking of letting my grandma work her magic out there. The little I do know about shrubbery and flowers I learned from her. Anyway, let’s talk business.”

  Mason walked over to the bar, and Caleb took a seat on one of the wooden stools. “I only have a stout on tap right now. That work for you?”

  “Of course.”

  “Thank god. I was afraid you’d be one of those guys who only drink crappy commercialized beer.”

  Caleb laughed thinking of all the crappy beer he’d thrown back in his life. How many he and his brother snuck out of the fridge when their dad wasn’t looking. “I used to be, but then I discovered craft beer and never looked back.”

  “That’s what I like to hear.”

  Mason filled two glasses with the dark liquid and slid Caleb’s across the bar to him. “To new business ventures,” Mason said, clicking his glass against Caleb’s.

  “To new business ventures.”

  “First things first,” Mason said, taking a sip of his beer then placing it back down on the bar. “You’re dating my sister. I don’t believe the friend bullshit.”

  Caleb let out a breath, not expecting the conversation to take this turn, but since it did
they might as well get on with it. “Okay, what if I am?”

  “You hurt her, I’ll kill you.” Mason’s eyes didn’t waver, and there wasn’t an ounce of humor in his tone.

  “Noted.”

  “Second, I don’t like mixing business with my personal life. Almost impossible in my family, but I strongly believe keeping the two separate. It gets too messy when you mix it up. So, when you walk through those doors to discuss business, you are not Kate’s boyfriend. You are the owner of the Chain and Spoke, and if you two ever break up when we are inside the doors of our businesses, I don’t give a shit. I believe in lasting partnerships, and I don’t want your personal life screwing that up.”

  “Fair enough.” Caleb actually respected Mason’s business ethics and was happy to work with someone willing to put their personal relationship behind them and focus on what truly mattered—the business.

  “Now that’s out of the way. Let’s talk business.”

  Once Mason warmed up to him, he became a little more like Cooper—easy to talk to. He was also an interesting guy who knew his shit. He gave Caleb a tour of the grounds, going through the different processes and how each beer was made. Caleb walked away with more knowledge about beer than he ever thought he would know, but also with a greater appreciation of it.

  They spent a couple more hours discussing ideas and ways they could partner up in the future that would benefit both businesses. Caleb was looking forward to all that was to come. As Caleb was about to head out Mason called out to him. “Do you have a booth for the Annual Fair?”

  “No, should I?”

  “It draws in a huge crowd from all over the east coast. Definitely should have something planned.”

  “I’ll look into it. Thanks,” Caleb said before giving a wave and heading out. When he got in his car he was shocked to see it was after seven. He glanced down at his phone that he had forgotten on the charger and saw a text message from Kate. He tapped it open.

  How’d things go with Mason?

  He typed back a response. Great. Want to come over and I’ll tell you all about it?

  I wish I could. I’m watching a movie with Hadley.

  He liked that she had her own life, and she didn’t sit around waiting for him. Or make him feel guilty about being out later than expected.

  I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow. Have fun, but not too much.

  Without you? Never. Night.

  Night.

  He put his phone back in the cup holder and headed home. He was halfway there when he came up to a tractor slowly making its way down the road. The slurred words of America the Beautiful floated into his open windows.

  Caleb pulled his car to the side of the road and jogged after the tractor. The old man was completely oblivious in a pair of white briefs as he continued forward.

  He jogged along the side and called up to him. “Mr. Simpson!” The old man ignored him at first, but Caleb kept trying until finally the old man peered down at him. His face was weathered and hardened, not in the way Harold Hayes was… No, this was different. Each deep line that cut into his face was a testament of the hard life he had lived. His hair and beard were long and tinted yellow, and if Caleb had to guess he’d say it was from years of cigarette smoke.

  “It’s a beautiful night for a drive, isn’t it?” the old man said.

  “It is, but I think maybe you should pull over.”

  “No can do. I’m on the prowl for booze and women!” Caleb wanted to feel sorry for him, but with the big smile plastered on his face, the determination in his eyes, he just couldn’t. He might be alone, but it didn’t seem to bother him much.

  “I was on my way to get some booze and women myself,” Caleb said. “Why don’t you pull over and you can come with me?”

  “Well, why the hell didn’t you say that from the get go?”

  The old man pulled off to the side of the road and killed the engine. Caleb let out a sigh of relief as the old man crawled down from the seat, landing on the ground on unsteady feet.

  “Lead the way, young squire!” he said, so Caleb started walking toward his car.

  “I’m Caleb by the way.”

  “Bert.”

  “Nice to meet you, Bert.” Caleb didn’t know what he expected out of this encounter, but there was a driving force inside of him that made it feel like it was absolutely necessary. Maybe because a part of him understood what it was like to be alone in the world.

  Kate said the town looked after Bert, and Caleb was grateful to them. He didn’t have a town when he’d hit rock bottom. All he had was the open air and his bike. He had thought it would be enough, but at night when he lay alone, looking up at the stars or some shady motel ceiling, the emptiness would consume him.

  Normally he wouldn’t give two shits about some random drunkard. But there was something about this town that made him care more than he thought he ever would.

  Caleb pulled up to Bert’s house. Old rusty cars and tractor parts covered his front lawn. An old swing set that had rusted god knew how many years ago sat abandoned in the far corner. Caleb got out of the car and opened the passenger door. Bert didn’t as much as flinch. He carried Bert to the couch and grabbed a blanket that was discarded on the floor, draping it over the old man.

  Before he headed out, he picked up a few of the beer cans and tossed them in the trash. Caleb hated to see anyone living like this, but there was nothing he could do. Come tomorrow, the old man probably wouldn’t even remember him. All he could do was make sure he was safe for the night.

  ***

  Hadley’s front door opened, but neither Kate nor Hadley moved since they both knew Shay was on her way. “Sorry I’m late,” Shay said, hurrying into the living room in a huff, her brown hair falling free from its ponytail. “I had a custom order come in this morning for tomorrow and of course I couldn’t say no. Then when I was about to leave Terry cornered me about our apple tartlet cupcake. She wants to bake a few more batches to make sure it’s perfect for the judging next week at the fair.” Shay dropped her pocket book on the counter and joined Kate and Hadley on the couch, resting a box on her lap that displayed the logo of her bakery.

  Kate took her feet off of Hadley’s coffee table and pointed at the bag. “We don’t care if you’re late as long as you brought snacks.”

  Shay rolled her eyes and laughed. “I see how it is. Use me for my treats.”

  “Why else do you think we’ve kept you around for so long?” Kate asked, taking the box out of her hands and lifting the top. Kate let out a happy squeal when she saw her favorite Death by Chocolate cupcake staring back at her. “I love you!”

  “Yeah, yeah. Only when I bring you chocolate. Hadley, I brought your favorite too.”

  “You’re the best and not just for your cupcakes,” Hadley said. “Though it is a nice added bonus.” Kate handed the strawberry milkshake cupcake over to Hadley who graciously accepted it and instantly took a bite. “Damn this is so good.” She then went on to wash it down with a beer that made Kate cringe.

  “Cupcakes and beer—dessert of champions right there,” Kate said as her lip curled in disgust.

  “Shut up and drink your wine. Shay, there’s a bottle in the fridge and a glass on the counter waiting for you. You better get to it before this one over here finishes off the bottle.”

  Usually Shay didn’t hesitate to pour herself a glass, already having one in her hand before sitting down.

  “About that,” she said, and Kate looked at Hadley over her half-eaten cupcake before turning her attention to Shay. “I won’t be drinking anymore. At least for the next nine months.”

  Kate dropped her cupcake back into the box, eyes wide as she jumped closer to her best friend. “You’re pregnant?”

  Happy tears filled Shay’s hazel eyes as she nodded. Kate squealed louder than she did for the cupcake and tossed her arms around Shay. She was going to be an aunt. This was better than any dessert.

  “Holy shit! We’re going to be aunts!” Hadley announc
ed then came over and hugged Shay. Hadley pulled back after a second, her hands holding Shay’s arms. “Does Matt know?”

  Shay lifted a dark eyebrow. “What do you think?”

  “I think he was in the bathroom with you while you peed on the stick,” Kate said. “He wouldn’t want you to know before him.”

  Shay laughed and swiped at the stray tear that fell down her cheek. “That’s why I didn’t tell him about my suspicions until after I took the test. I also might’ve left the empty box in the garbage for him to find.”

  Kate and Hadley smiled, knowing how that must’ve driven their brother crazy.

  “Did he freak out?” Hadley asked.

  “Yes, but when I finally told him we were pregnant he was ecstatic.”

  “Well, if you think he’s overprotective now…” Kate said with a laugh. “He’s going to drive you insane.”

  “Oh god,” Hadley said. “Good luck with that.”

  “Oh trust me he’s already started. Insisting I hire more help at the bakery, telling me I shouldn’t be on my feet as long as I am, calling me every two seconds to make sure I’m feeling okay. I told him if he doesn’t knock it off I’m going to throw my phone in the blender.”

  “He’d just show up at the bakery,” Kate said. “You married him. There’s no escaping him now.”

  “Well, as much of a pain in my butt that he’s been, he’s also been incredibly sweet. He bought a onesie the other day that says There’s a new Sheriff in town.”

  Kate laughed. “I hope he bought it online or the whole town will know by sun up.”

  “Of course. I’m only seven weeks along; I don’t want to tell anyone yet, so you have to promise me you won’t say anything.”

  Hadley made a motion of zippering her lips and tossing the key. “My lips are sealed.”

  “You can trust us,” Kate said, pulling Shay in for another hug.

  “I know and I also know how incredibly lucky this little nugget is going to be.” Shay rested her hand on her still flat stomach. “This is going to be one spoiled baby.”

  “Does Grandma know yet?” Hadley asked with a little too much enthusiasm.