Our Chance (Lake Placid Series Book 3)

by Natalie Ann

  “What’s her name?”

  He could have kicked himself for saying that. He never revealed that much of his life. “Corrine.”

  “Look at that. Our parents both liked the letter C.”

  He shook his head. She said the funniest things at times. “I hope Sparky didn’t frighten him too much.”

  “Not at all.”

  He wasn’t sure what to make of her sly look, but let it pass.

  “So, what kind of cookies do you have today?”

  “Wow, you really are warming up to me. I’m starting to think that you let Sparky out so you’d have an excuse to get dessert out of a visit.”

  He might have if that thought had crossed his mind. Nah, even the idea of dessert wasn’t enough to make him want to be around people often. Not even as much as he found himself wanting to see Celeste.

  She didn’t give him a chance to answer though, only reached forward and grabbed his arm, threading their fingers together and pulling him to the front porch. He wasn’t going to admit he was feeling any tingling in his body right now, either.

  “Sit and relax while I get your coffee. Dessert is a surprise today.”

  He hated sitting there while she waited on him, but he knew Sparky would follow him in the house and he didn’t want to deal with that reaction, so he waited.

  She was fast and efficient as always and came out with a tray and a large slice of cake. “You cut the cake for me?”

  “No. It’s leftover from last night. I haven’t had a chance to do my daily baking yet. The cake went over so well; I was thinking of making a pie tonight. I’ll go back to cookies tomorrow. What’s your favorite?”

  He picked his fork up and pushed it through a huge slice of the chocolate cake. She baked just how she looked. Like an angel. “Why do you want to know?”

  “Maybe if I make your favorite you’ll come visit sooner. I’m trying to figure out if you’ve been busy with work or were too afraid to see me after our date.”

  “Would you be offended if I said it was both?”

  “Nope. I’d be thrilled that you were being honest. It’s a good trait to have.”

  “I’ve always thought so.” He took another huge bite of the cake and saw Sparky eying him, but he wasn’t sharing this.

  “Since we’re being honest, I’ll tell you my brother gave me some grief for not having a way to contact you in regards to your dog. Especially after I said Sparky visits often.”

  Caleb forgot she didn’t have his number. “Do you have your phone?”

  She stood up and pulled it out of the pocket of her long shorts. It was the first time he’d seen her in something other than long flowing clothing. Her legs were long and thin, willowy like he imagined. It was a crime she was so covered up all the time.

  Handing the phone over, she said, “I told Cole you had a sixth sense when it came to your dog, but I don’t think he believed me.”

  He started to program his number into her phone, choosing to ignore her comment. “Here you go,” he said, handing it back.

  She took it and laughed, just like he hoped she would.

  “Warden, huh? That’s cute,” she said.

  “Next time Sparky gets loose, you’ll know who to call.”

  “Only when Sparky gets loose?”

  “Whenever you think you need to use it.”

  He left the rest unspoken. He’d leave it in her hands for now. It was more than he planned on doing when he left the house twenty minutes ago.

  Trust Me

  “Celeste! Celeste, are you in here? Where are you?”

  She turned and wiped her hands on her apron, then faced her brother as he marched into her kitchen in his full force glory, wearing his uniform and causing her guests to sit up a little straighter in their chairs.

  “I’m right here, Cole. As you can see I’ve also got guests I’m tending to.” She turned to the three couples at her large kitchen table. “I apologize for my brother’s behavior. He seems to have misplaced the manners we were taught as children.”

  Cole dipped his head quickly, then apologized, “I’m sorry. I was unaware she was occupied at the moment.”

  “You know my schedule,” she said, eying him.

  “May we speak alone?” he asked, grinding his teeth.

  She wanted to laugh at him but thought better of it. “Please, help yourself to more. I’ll only be a minute,” she said, addressing her guests.

  Walking away toward the little office off the kitchen, she didn’t bother to look and see if Cole was following her.

  “You do that on purpose,” he said.

  “What’s that?” she asked calmly, knowing it would annoy him that she didn’t react to his tone. It always did when they were children.

  “Make me feel about three inches tall.”

  “It’s easy to do when you act like a fool. So what is so important that you had to come barging in here this morning?”

  He pulled out a piece of paper and shoved it under her nose. “Is this Caleb? The Caleb Ryder that you went on a date with?”

  She pushed it back and focused on the picture of Caleb in front of her. Same scruffy hair and day-old-growth beard. He couldn’t even bother to clean up for his driver’s license, but yet he did when he took her to lunch. She was slightly touched over that.

  “Yes. Is there a reason you have that picture?” He pulled it back, but she grabbed his hand. “Not so fast, I want to see where he lives.”

  Hmm, she might have to take a little walk.

  “You mean you don’t know? Never mind,” he said shaking his head. Then he pushed another picture in front of her. “Is this him too?”

  She looked at it closely. “I think so. His hair is shorter and he’s clean-shaven. He looks kind of nerdy there,” she said, scrunching up her nose. “Where did you get that picture?”

  “This is a picture of Caleb Ryder Mitchell. Same person, Celeste. He dropped his last name legally. Do you know why?”

  “No. It hasn’t come up. Though I’m sure you’re going to tell me. Why else would you have come in here ranting and raving like a lunatic?”

  He narrowed his eyes at her insult. “He’s rich, Celeste. He’s one of those Silicon Valley software nerds that sold his company for millions. I mean, a shitload of millions, about five years ago. Then he changed his name and has been moving around since.”

  Wow, wasn’t that interesting? “He said he’s a programmer. What’s the big deal?”

  “This is more than a programmer.”

  “Your point? You should be happy he isn’t looking for a free ride. Don’t you feel better now?” she said, patiently patting his arm.

  Cole snorted and moved his arm away. She loved riling him up this way. “No, I don’t. I don’t like that since he sold his company there is nothing on him, and he changed his name. What’s he hiding?”

  “What did you find out in regards to the sale of his company? Other than he has what you call a ‘boatload of millions.’”

  “Shitload. I said shitload. Why can’t you ever swear?”

  “Grandma said it’s not ladylike. You know that.”

  He ran his hands through his dark hair and yanked it a bit. “I don’t know why I let you get me so worked up at times. And there wasn’t anything to find. It all looks legit. Listen, Celeste. Be careful. This guy obviously has secrets. He’s loaded. I mean loaded, and he is living in some old small cabin in the woods? Why?”

  She wished she knew, but figured Caleb would tell her if he wanted to. “I don’t know. Maybe I’ll get to know him more and he’ll share that with me. Or maybe having all that money made him want to hide from people. You know, people like you looking him up and tracking his every move, then questioning his sanity about why he’s living in a tiny little cabin instead of shouting to the world about his wealth.”

  “I’m only looking out for you. I’m not stalking him or tracking his every move. But I could if I wanted to. I want to meet him,” he said firmly.

  “Excu
se me?” she asked, lifting her eyebrow at him. Oh no, not again. She knew that tone.

  “I’m stepping in, in Dad’s place. I want to meet him. I’ve told you before I wanted to know anyone you dated.”

  She reached out and pinched his arm. “You aren’t Dad, so don’t act like him. I don’t need a protector.”

  “Yes, you do. You’re too trusting.” She twisted his arm harder. “Ouch.”

  “Serves you right,” she said, releasing his skin. “Cole, I know you mean well. I appreciate it, but I’m a grown woman. I can handle myself. I’d know if there was something dangerous about him.”

  “Here we go again. More mumbo jumbo. Don’t waste your breath on me.”

  She put her hands on her hips. “You feel the same things I do. You know it, so why is it mumbo jumbo when I say I’ve got gut feelings and not when you do?”

  He started to look away, guilty. “Don’t tell people that.”

  “Cole, there is nothing wrong with having a sixth sense about things in life. We always have had it. What’s the big deal? Your gut has never led you wrong and neither has mine. Will you give me some credit here?”

  “I still want to meet him,” he said, his stubbornness shining through.

  She knew she was winning now. He wasn’t fighting as hard and his shoulders even dropped a touch.

  “At some point, maybe you’ll meet him. We’ve had one date. His dog comes and visits me. It may never turn into anything else, or maybe it will. Give it time. But meeting you isn’t going to make a difference.”

  “You know it’s going to turn into something else, don’t you?”

  “I thought you didn’t believe in mumbo jumbo?” she said, grinning.

  His teeth started to grind again. “God, you are so stubborn.”

  “Just like my favorite brother.”

  “I’m your only brother.”

  “It’s a good thing, too. If I had to deal with another one of you, I might have smothered you in the womb.”

  “That makes no sense.”

  “It doesn’t have to.” She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. “Let it be, Cole. Trust me. He’s a loner and he has secrets, but don’t we all? He’s not dangerous. I can tell you that much.”

  She walked her brother out a few minutes later and watched him drive away in the State Police car. She loved him, his overbearing ways and all, but she really wished he hadn’t told her about Caleb changing his name. Now she was going to wonder. Not worry, because she really wasn’t worried about him.

  What she told Cole was the truth. Everyone had secrets, good or bad, but they were still secrets.

  Once her brother was out of sight, she walked back to the kitchen and her guests. “I’m so sorry, that was just a little bit of family drama, but you’re welcome for the morning’s entertainment.”

  “No worries, we’ve all got drama in our lives,” Abby Smith, the wife of the youngest couple at her table, said. “But I think it’s sweet your brother is so concerned about you.”

  “He didn’t look concerned to me,” Abby’s husband said. “He looked ticked off.”

  “That’s because you’re a man and you think like one. Her brother was upset because he cares about her. Am I right?”

  “You are,” Celeste said, grabbing the coffee pot and walking around to top off everyone’s mug. “But having a brother that is concerned can get annoying at times.” She pushed the conversation aside. “So, what does everyone have planned for today? Do I need to make some lunches or will you be staying here and relaxing on the water?”

  Betty, the wife of the elderly couple, said, “We were hoping we could have the house to ourselves today. Could we bribe everyone to give us a few hours of privacy by maybe offering to buy lunch for the group?” she asked, running her hand on her husband’s arm.

  Good Lord, they had to be in their eighties. Celeste looked around the table at the other couples and saw their blushes and shocked expressions. Not her though, she wasn’t embarrassed. Instead, she threw her head back and laughed.

  “No bribe necessary for me. It’s a beautiful day for a walk, I’m thinking. I’ll just take off after I clean up breakfast.”

  It was the perfect time to check out Caleb’s house.

  Best for You

  Caleb was deep into some serious code when he heard his phone ringing. He was a master at ignoring it and continued to do so.

  Only five minutes later, it rang again. Then he got a text message, and another. After the third call in thirty minutes, he picked it up and looked at the screen to see his mother’s picture, then hit the button to silence the ringing.

  After a few more minutes, he pushed back from his desk, the guilt getting to him, and returned her call. If he didn’t, she’d keep calling, just like she’d keep sending those emails that he’d been ignoring for weeks, too.

  “Can it be? Is this really my son? Caleb, right? Caleb Ryder?”

  “Ha ha, funny, Mom,” he said, his lips twitching at her tone.

  He loved his parents and his sister. He’d had a normal upbringing, nothing traumatic, nothing overly dramatic, the average middle class family from a small town in Ohio.

  “When I don’t hear from you for weeks on end I start to worry. Everything okay?”

  His mother never used to worry about him. At least she didn’t vocalize it. Now it seemed that was all she did.

  “I’m fine. Nothing major going on. I’m just working on the house and a job.”

  “A house…where?” she asked.

  “Does it really matter? Here, there, anywhere in the US. I’m not in Ohio or California. You should be happy.”

  He heard his mother sigh. “Caleb, we just want what’s best for you. Ohio wasn’t it, and neither was California. We know that. If you’re happy, I guess it doesn’t matter where you are now. Are you staying put for a while?”

  It wasn’t a big deal that his parents didn’t know where he was living. They really didn’t care, but he knew if he told them, they’d show up for a visit and he didn’t want that either. Phone calls and email communications were enough for now.

  He couldn’t deal with their sympathy and pity face-to-face. He’d dealt with it more than he thought he could. It was easier this way. At least for him.

  “I’ve been here about a year and so far it seems like a good fit.” For now.

  “That’s nice. So you mentioned a job, are you working on a new app?”

  “No. I’m doing some contract work for a software company.”

  “Really?” his mother said, her voice rising with the excitement coming through. Just what he wanted to avoid.

  “It’s on my terms. A trial period. We’ll see how it goes and if I decide I want to continue or not.”

  “Baby steps, Caleb.”

  He snorted. He didn’t need to take baby steps when it came to work, but he could let his mother think that. Work never was the problem.

  “How are you and Dad doing? Do you need anything?”

  “Everyone is good,” she said ignoring his second question. “Corrine is expecting, but she wants it to be a secret for now. I figured you wouldn’t tell anyone. She and Guy are thrilled, but I know she is afraid to say anything to you.”

  “There is no reason for her to be afraid to tell me. I’m happy for her. Please tell her that, and that when it’s not a secret, I’ll touch base.”

  “She’d like that, Caleb,” his mother said softly.

  He felt a slight pang in his heart, but pushed it aside.

  “So, you don’t need anything?” he asked again. He really didn’t want to talk about anything else of a personal nature in regards to him.

  “No, Caleb. There is nothing to need. No mortgage, no car payments, no bills. Your father and I are enjoying our retirement. But please, stop it.”

  He couldn’t though. He was raised to take care of his own. He’d always been generous with his family, but when he sold his company he paid off all of his parents’ and sister’s debts and then gave them
each a large chunk of money and told his parents to retire.

  “You’ll let me know if you need more,” he said, ignoring her this time. He could be stubborn, too.

  “Yes, Caleb. I know you’re shutting off from our conversation now, so I’ll let you go. Don’t wait so long to answer me back in the future.”

  “I won’t.” But she knew he would.

  He tossed his phone on his desk, preparing to go back to work, when Sparky started to bark and scratch at something downstairs.

  Standing up, he made his way to the stairs leading from his loft and saw Sparky pawing at the front door. “Hey, cut that out.” He’d been locking all the doors lately when he wasn’t in the mood to chase Sparky down.

  Since he had work to do, he didn’t want to get interrupted by a missing dog. Little did he know he’d have two interruptions today anyway.

  He opened his front door and stood there, leaning against the doorframe with his feet crossed at his ankles, his arms crossed in front of him. “How did you find me?”

  Celeste smiled that bright-as-sunshine smile of hers, as if she hadn’t just discovered where he lived and decided to stop in with an impromptu visit.

  “I didn’t find you. My brother did.”

  That was worse in his eyes. “You’ll have to explain that to me.”

  “I will. Do you mind if I get a drink first? It’s pretty hot outside.”

  He pushed his door open wide and held it for her, then walked in after her. He looked around at his cabin, trying to see it from her eyes.

  There wasn’t much to see. He’d repainted all the walls, gutted and redid the kitchen, small bath and bedrooms downstairs, then turned the attic into his bedroom and office with another bath and a deck overlooking the water.

  It was plain and simple and suited his needs.

  “It’s very neat in here,” she said, following him to the kitchen.

  “Sparky isn’t as messy as one might think,” he said.

  “I meant you, but we’ll say it’s the dog.”

  He heard the laughter in her voice. Opening the fridge, he offered, “Water, water, or more water. Oh, and there’s coffee.”