by Natalie Ann
“It’s too hot for coffee, so I guess I’ll take a bottle of water.”
He reached in and pulled one out for her and another for himself.
“I expected your fridge to be bare of food, but surprisingly it’s rather full.”
“I don’t like to leave the house often, so you caught me after I just stocked up.”
“Do you cook?” she asked.
“Yeah. Not wonderful, but good enough. I don’t hear any complaints.”
She was humoring him, he could see. “So, would you like to know how my brother found you?”
“Yeah, I would.”
“Can we sit?” she asked, gesturing toward the living room.
He held his hand out. “Go ahead.” Once she was seated, he sat opposite her and opened his water. “So…”
“First off, I want you to know I didn’t ask my brother to look into you. That isn’t my way. But he’s very protective of me.”
“So you’ve said. Why’s that? What does he have to be afraid of?”
“There’s nothing to be afraid of. He feels responsible for me. I told you we’re twins, so we have that special bond. But it’s more than that. My father was killed a few years ago. Since then, Cole’s stepped into the father-figure role, regardless of me telling him he doesn’t need to.”
“How old are you?” he asked.
She cocked her head to the side. “That’s funny. I thought for sure you’d mention the fact that I said my father was killed rather than saying he passed away. Instead you want to know my age?”
“I figured you were going to tell me how he died anyway.”
“I was,” she said, smiling slightly. She stopped and took a long drink as he watched her throat when she swallowed. Worse yet, she caught him staring. “I’m thirty.”
Suddenly his own throat was parched. It had nothing to do with her long slender neck. Not really.
He put the bottle on the table in front of him and thought, only a few years younger than him, though he would have pegged it more. “And your brother still feels the need to watch out for you?”
“There’s more to the story, but today is not the day for that. So back to my father. He was an investigator with the State Police. He worked in the drug unit.”
“I didn’t realize drugs were a big problem around here.”
“They’re a problem everywhere in the world. Around here, not so much. What should have been a pretty simple bust turned into a nightmare for my family. The gist of it is, things went wrong fast, and my father was caught unaware and shot and killed by a sixteen-year-old.”
“I’m sorry.”
He didn’t know what else to say. She told that story quick and efficiently, like it was rehearsed enough for her not to let her emotions show. Been there, done that, so he wouldn’t question her, knowing how much he hated it when people questioned him.
“Me too. Cole was in the Air Force when it happened. As soon as he could, he came home and stayed. He’s still in the reserves, but now he’s a State Trooper stationed out of Lake Placid. He also flies helicopters for search and rescue in the area.”
“So that is how he found out where I lived? Ran my name?”
It wasn’t that hard to find him if someone wanted to look hard enough. He was guessing Cole did.
“Yeah. Nothing more than that.”
But there was more to him and he bet she knew that, too. “But you know, don’t you?”
“What? That you have a pretty nerdy picture on your California driver’s license?”
“I was pretty nerdy back then.” Not just in looks but in his demeanor, at times.
“I think I like this look better.”
It shouldn’t matter to him one way or the other, but part of him felt a surge to his ego. “Do you want to know why I changed my name?”
If she saw his picture, then she knew what his full name was, which meant she knew all about his company and most likely what he sold it for. It was all public knowledge if someone dug enough. He had a feeling Cole did.
“Well, knowing you as well as I do, it’s probably to get away from people. And yet here my brother discovered you anyway.”
“That’s about right. I’ve got no criminal record, and I’m not running from the law. I just want to be left alone.”
He saw her cringe when he said that. He hadn’t meant for his tone to be so harsh.
“I think you’re running, but you don’t need to tell me from what.”
He didn’t bother to deny it. “So now what?”
She got up and went to sit next to him on the couch. He held his ground, waiting to see her next move.
“I guess that’s up to you. We’ve been on one date and had one kiss. Whether we do anything else is your decision. If it ends here, then you know you’ve got a friend in the area at the very least. Someone that Sparky can visit and who will serve you coffee and cookies.”
He’d never had anyone say something so simple and yet touch him so much at the same time.
“And if I want more than one date and one kiss?”
She stood up, ran her hands down her long skirt. When she was sitting down, he’d noticed she had little white sneakers on under it. “You know where to find me.”
He nodded his head and followed her to the door. “Can I give you a ride back?”
“No, I’ll walk back. I need to kill some time. A couple of my guests asked to have the house to themselves. I’m hoping it’s been long enough, but they’re in their eighties, so who knows how long it takes.”
“That’s disgusting,” he said, shivering.
She tapped his arm with her palm lightly. “You have no romantic side at all,” she said, laughing.
“There is nothing romantic about that thought.”
“I hope when I’m eighty I feel the same way as the two of them. It was cute and sweet and lovely to see. But I still wanted to get off the property at the very least.”
“If you say so.”
“I do.” She bent down and rubbed Sparky’s head. “If you decide to not be alone tonight, there is a firework show on the lake. I’m sure you can see it from your house easily enough, or you can come down and watch it with me and my guests.”
“How many guests?”
“My five rooms are full right now, like most weeks. Nine people.”
“That is nine people too many for me,” he said, grinning.
“I figured but thought I’d offer it just the same.
He leaned forward and wrapped his hand around the back of her neck, then pulled her forward, kissed her hard and set her back. “It’s more than one kiss now.”
Cookies
Celeste was about five minutes away from Caleb’s on the bike path that led around the lake when she heard a bark and turned.
“Oh no. You might get in trouble for this. I don’t think your dad wants to be bothered anymore with me today.”
Though maybe not. He’d certainly had no problem yanking her forward and kissing her goodbye a few minutes ago. It was brief, but it was enough. Enough to send her heart racing and her hormones into overdrive.
She stopped when Sparky came up beside her, then rubbed his head a few times. “I think you should go home now. Go back. Come visit me another day.”
But Sparky just looked at her with his tail wagging and his tongue hanging out, his big brown eyes staring at her adoringly.
She debated what to do. Caleb did give her his number, but she really didn’t want to call him. At least not after leaving him a few minutes ago.
Well, a text wouldn’t be so bad. If he didn’t get it for a while, at least he would know where his dog was.
Just reporting to the warden. We have a breakout…
She figured it wouldn’t hurt to wait a minute and visit with Sparky some more, just in case Caleb actually saw her message. As luck would have it, he responded back right away.
I know. I was the accomplice on the inside.
Hmm, would you look at that? Okay then, guess it�
��s definitely more than one date and one kiss—correction—two kisses now.
How much more, though? Who knew? For the moment, enough for her.
One last message. She typed back. You know where to find me for cookies and coffee.
She started walking home, not expecting him to answer and he didn’t. But it was progress for sure.
“Since you’re going to be my guard dog on the way back, then I need to give you a special treat today. I know just the thing!” she told Sparky in an excited voice, causing the dog to jump up and down and dance around her.
Together they made their way back to her house, her heart feeling lighter than it had in years.
***
Two hours later—and longer than Caleb thought he’d be—he pulled into Celeste’s driveway. Neither Sparky nor Celeste were anywhere to be seen.
He got out of his truck and was going to make his way to the front door when he heard a bark down toward the lake and decided to detour that way.
There was Sparky chasing a stick into the lake and running back to hand it off to an elderly couple. Try as he might, he couldn’t stop the heat from flooding his face. He knew exactly who the couple was.
Sparky changed directions, racing toward him with the stick in his mouth, then dropped it at his feet. When Caleb didn’t immediately pick it up to throw it again, Sparky bathed him in water, shaking droplets everywhere.
Caleb laughed. “That works at home, but not here. I see you’ve been entertained.”
“Hello,” Celeste said, walking out of the backdoor carrying a tray with cookies, along with three mugs. Looked like he was going to be visiting with the elderly couple while he had his cookies and coffee. “Sparky has been having fun today.”
“I see that. I hope he wasn’t too much of a bother.”
“Nonsense,” the older woman said.
“Caleb, this is Mr. and Mrs. Groomsman.”
“Nice to meet you,” Caleb said.
It was a day of people. First his mother, then Celeste, now an older couple and Celeste again. He should be all set with socializing for a month at this rate.
“Your dog is beautiful,” Mrs. Groomsman said. “Is he a full-bred shepherd?”
“I don’t think so. I think he has a bit of Malamute in him.”
“That would explain the size,” Mr. Groomsman said. “We had a shepherd once. Best guard dog there was.”
“It’s the perfect dog for a warden,” Celeste said, her eyes laughing at him. Their little secret joke. And he liked having that, surprisingly. Something only the two of them shared.
Celeste angled her head toward the cookies and his cup of coffee, so he helped himself, but didn’t sit. He’d been sitting all day and needed to stretch his legs at this point.
He eyed the cookies, noted they were his favorite and smirked, then grabbed one off the tray.
“Doesn’t Celeste just bake like an angel? My wife and I might need to come back every few months for a bit of rest, relaxation, and fun mixed in with her baking.”
Caleb caught the flush creeping up Celeste’s face and knew she caught the old man’s idea of fun, too. She acted like it was all sweet and romantic, but deep down she probably got a little grossed out over the image also.
“She does bake well. She watches my dog when he does his jailbreak routine, then feeds me cookies and coffee before I take him home,” Caleb said.
“Not the other way around?” Mr. Groomsman said. “You aren’t feeding her for watching your dog? Where has this world gone to? In my day, we couldn’t ask a pretty lady out fast enough. And if she did us a favor, well then, it was even more of a special night.”
Great, now Caleb felt like a heel on top of everything else.
“Don’t get on Caleb’s case, Mr. Groomsman. Sparky won’t leave my side if he thinks he’s going to get in trouble. Coffee and cookies lets Sparky know everything is okay.”
“German shepherds are tricky like that,” Mrs. Groomsman said. “I swear they are smarter than humans. Well, young man, take advantage of the sweets while you can. A woman doesn’t give her cookies away to just any old person.”
When Mr. Groomsman laughed and winked at his wife, Caleb thought he was going to gag. Celeste, boy, she was quick on her feet. “I think Caleb likes my cookies. He keeps coming back for more.”
Damn her. He knew his face was red now. There was no way around it.
“Could I speak to you alone?” Caleb asked.
Celeste stood up and laughed. “I’ll be right back. Please help yourself to more.”
He followed her over to a small cabin a few feet away. “Is this another rental?”
“No,” she said. “This is where I live. I like having my own space. It’s not much, but it’s enough for me. I figured since I’ve been in your living quarters, so to speak, I could show you my humble ones.”
There was nothing humble about it, though. Yes, it was small, but it was open. A nice tiny galley kitchen that she probably barely used, two stools against a bar, and a little seating area that boasted a small couch and chair with a nice sized TV mounted on the wall.
“My bedroom is behind that door with a small but efficient bath.”
“It’s cute,” he said.
“Cute?” she asked, smiling at him.
Well, maybe cute wasn’t the best word. It was small but suited her. Not cluttered, but very feminine. Soft colors making him think of whimsical images again.
A light peach tone covered the walls, lots of watercolor prints, a few little knickknacks of angels and surprisingly one of a dog. A shepherd no less.
He picked it up and eyed it.
“That’s Spunky. A little mini Sparky. Don’t they look alike?”
She was something else. Normally he couldn’t stand frivolous little chitchat, but he found he didn’t mind it with her. Looked forward to it, actually.
“He does. I’m sure he’d feel honored to know this is here.”
“I showed him earlier. It was a little warm on our walk back and I wanted to know he would cool off. I kept him in here with the air conditioning on. I thought he’d be bothered, but he was fine.”
Caleb was surprised Sparky didn’t mind being shut in here, too. “Maybe he found comfort in the little figurine.”
“Or maybe he smelled my scent in the air. I had hoped that would calm him and I think it did. Of course I’m sure these treats helped.”
She held out a small clear bag and he could see dog treats inside. “You picked him up some homemade treats. That was nice.”
“No, I made these for him.”
“You didn’t need to do that,” he said.
“I didn’t. But these are healthier. Here’s a bag of the extra pieces, too. No need for it to go to waste.”
“Pieces of what?” he asked, eying the scraps in another bag.
“I rolled the dough out and cut them in the shape of a bone. This is the leftover dough. It’s edible and Sparky won’t care what it looks like.”
“No, he won’t.”
She took the bag out of his hand and opened it. “Here, try it.”
“You want me to taste dog food?” he asked. Now she wasn’t so cute to him. Or so funny.
She laughed and popped a piece in her mouth. “Caleb, its ingredients are right here in my kitchen. Some of the same ingredients that are in the peanut butter cookies you just ate.”
He didn’t believe it, but she did put a piece in her mouth and ate it. He guessed he could, too. Then he wished he didn’t when he started to cough.
“That’s nasty. There is no way the same things in my cookies are in that,” he said.
“Your cookies huh? I thought it was my cookies you were sampling.”
Wow, she had a quick wit to her. “Do you want me to sample your cookies?”
“I would think it’s pretty obvious, but I guess I need to spell it out more. I suppose the question is if you want to or not.”
“I’d be crazy not to.”
“Why’s that
?” she asked, leaning against the counter and getting comfortable.
“Well, like Mrs. Groomsman said back there, most women don’t give their cookies out to just any old person. So I guess that means you see something in me.”
Her eyes traveled from his sneakers, up his legs, over his shorts and shirt, landing on his face. Slow and assessing. “I see a lot in you.” She closed the gap between them, placed her hands on each side of his face, and leaned in to lay her lips over his.
It wasn’t hard and fast like earlier. This was slow and steady and suited him just fine.
Her hands slid around his neck and then into his hair, down his back, pulling him closer and letting him feel all of her against him.
The softness that he was coming to enjoy, the sweet side of her that made him think she was all woman. No tomboy, no rough around the edges, no geeky computer girl. Willowy and sweet were two words that came to his mind when he thought of Celeste.
He placed the bag of treats on the counter next to them and rested his hands on her waist. She never wore anything fitted, but he finally got to feel more of her. There wasn’t much of her under her flowing clothes, he realized.
Again, he wondered why she dressed the way she did. Why she covered so much of herself all the time. Long skirts or shorts, hats on her head all the time, even longer sleeves in warmer temperatures.
He didn’t have time to wonder about that, though. Not when she was opening her mouth under his and her tongue was sliding in.
Nothing sweet here. No she was intoxicating. Drugging him with her essence. The taste, the smell and feel of her clouding his thoughts and killing his brain cells.
If he believed he was under a trance with her before, it was nothing like now. He wasn’t thinking she was the Pied Piper at the moment, but more like a delicious witch come to cast a spell on him. One he was more than willing to succumb to.
But she stepped back sooner than he would have liked.
“That was nice,” she said, all but purring in her throat.
“Only nice?” he asked.
“Well, it’s been some time since I was kissed so thoroughly, so I don’t want to rate you too high just yet. Maybe next time.”
“Going to give me something to work for, aren’t you?”