Now doubly embarrassed, Brooke couldn’t say a word, glad that the darkness hid her face. “I didn’t think you remembered that,” she said, not able to look him in the face.
“I’ll never forget that or the way you looked when you jumped out from under the blankets, but the other thing I’ll never forget is that you took me into your house and took care of me,” Calvin said, then added, “Not everyone would have taken the risk.”
“I couldn’t just leave you out there,” she said, finally looking up at him.
“I’m glad you didn’t and not just because you saved me. In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m really attracted to you, Brooke, and now that we’ve seen each other again I know it’s not just because you saved my life. I stayed away so long because I wanted to make sure, but when I saw you tonight I knew that it’s you, not the situation,” Calvin confessed, shocking even himself with his honesty.
Brooke felt a huge sense of relief, she’d been worried about the same thing. “I was worried about that too, but that kiss...” She couldn’t put into words what she’d felt or for that matter what she was feeling right then.
Although Calvin couldn’t explain it either, he felt it too. “I know, it was...” They both laughed, then his mouth found hers again and there was no more conversation for a long time.
Calvin drove her home that night and walked her to the door, but when she asked him if he wanted to come in, he replied, “I better not. I might be tempted to do something we’re not ready for.” Then he pulled her into his arms and added, “But I would take a goodnight kiss.”
She looked up at him, her heart beating furiously in her chest. “I suppose a goodnight kiss wouldn’t be a bad idea,” she said, smiling up at him.
By the time they parted, Brooke understood why Calvin had decided not to come in. It seemed like when he kissed her, all her normal good sense disappeared. Before he let her go in the house, he said, “I’m going back to South Africa tomorrow, but this time I have to go up to the mine site. I might be out of contact for a few weeks so don’t be surprised if you don’t hear from me.”
Brooke was disappointed but tried not to show it. “Oh, okay. Is it dangerous where you’re going?”
“Well, maybe a little nit, but I’ve got really good guides. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine,” Calvin said, smiling at her concern. It felt nice to have someone besides his family worry about him.
Brooke narrowed her eyes, knowing deep down that he wasn’t telling her the entire truth; how she knew that, she wasn’t sure, but she knew it. “What do you mean a little?”
Calvin looked at her sheepishly. He hadn’t been telling her the whole truth, but he gotten used to downplaying the danger he put himself in every time he went into the backcountry to scout out a mine. “Well, sometimes the native tribes don’t exactly like us being there,” he finally said, but then quickly added, “That’s why I have the guides. They know how to handle the natives. Really, it’s not that big of a deal.”
She studied him again, sensing that she’d gotten closer to the truth. “Just promise you’ll be careful. People I care about have a way of dying on me,” she said, her expression very serious.
Calvin looked at her shocked; he hadn’t seen that coming, “Honey, you seem to forget that I didn’t die on you the last time, so it’s not going to happen this time. Besides, none of that was your fault, you can’t possibly think that.”
“Sometimes I can’t help but think that I’m somehow cursed,” she said, putting her face against his chest to listen to his heart beating.
He tipped her head up to look in her eyes. “What happened to you was definitely awful, but it wasn’t your fault, and I bet both your parents and your grandparents would be upset to hear that you’re blaming yourself.”
“I know, Marissa said the same thing. I’m trying not to feel that way, but sometimes it’s hard. Just promise me that you’ll be careful,” Brooke said.
“I promise I won’t take any unnecessary risks,” Calvin said, then kissed her until her fears had evaporated into a storm of desire.
As she watched Calvin drive off, it occurred to her how much her life had changed in only a few months, and it was definitely a change for the better. She’d come to Coldwater Canyon numb to the world and suddenly had awoken to a world full of possibility on the night she’d saved Calvin’s life. It wasn’t only his introduction into her life that had changed her, it was finding people who were kind and caring, who liked her for who she was.
Chapter 4
The month of November brought winter with it, the temperatures dropping and the rain changing to snow. By the middle of the month, they’d already had an alarming amount of snow and they all had to face the real possibility that they might get snowed in at some point during the winter as the decades long drought California had been experiencing came to a storm-filled halt. Brooke, who thought she was used to snow, found the storms in the mountains behaved much differently, dropping a foot of snow then disappearing just as quickly as they came.
Marissa called an emergency residents’ meeting after the previous storm had dropped a foot of wet snow on them overnight, her concern over their winter provisions and transportation heavy on her mind. “I just want to make sure we’re as prepared as we can be,” she told the assembled group.
One of the men spoke up. “I think we should consider the idea of letting us hunt in the canyon. It would be a fresh supply of meat we could count on. We’ve done our homework. If we’re careful, the population won’t be hurt.” Then the man handed Marissa a formal proposition. “I think you’ll see that what we’ve proposed will work. Take some time and read that, we can answer any questions you have.”
“Thank you, I appreciate all the work you’ve done and I’ll give it some serious consideration,” Marissa said, clearly impressed.
Another woman got to her feet and said, “I think we need to go into town and get stocked up on non-perishables. I wish we had freezers, it would be much easier to keep food fresh.”
“I’ve already ordered everyone a freezer. They’ll be here and installed by the end of the day tomorrow.” Marissa’s words brought a cheer from the crowd. “And I think it’s an excellent idea to go into town and stock up. In fact, I’m thinking about renting a truck so that we have as much space as we need.”
Another cheer went up from the crowd and they immediately began making plans for a caravan of trucks to go to town. It might be the last chance for some of them to get out of the canyon that winter.
Early the next morning, they were all on their way to town, their first destination the warehouse store, then everyone was on their own for the rest of the day. Brooke and Marissa, along with the help of several employees, filled the back of the truck with enough supplies to get the whole canyon through the winter then sent it on its way, then they made their way downtown for some other shopping.
By the time they headed back up the canyon, Brooke had purchased an assortment of things to help her cope with the loneliness she was bound to face during the long winter. Besides a huge bag of books, she’d gotten a record player and some albums in a specialty store they’d found tucked behind a dentist’s office. She’d also added a new assortment of winter clothing she’d never thought she’d wear, including a purple snow suit that Marissa convinced her to buy.
They spent hours in the hardware store picking out paint and wallpaper for the farm house, plus everything they’d need to remodel the existing bathroom and add a new one. If everything went according to plan, she’d be ready for the first guests when spring came, then she could turn her attention to the outside. They’d have to start fresh with the garden and the animals. Brooke hadn’t even decided yet which animals she’d have, but winter would be a good time to make those decisions.
True to his word, Calvin had emailed her up until he went into the mine. She was able to trace his progress from L.A. to South Africa, but then his communications ended. But even with the snow, she’d st
ill gotten two more bouquets of flowers. She knew that winter would prevent very many more, but it was still nice to have the fragrant blossoms in the house. She missed Calvin more than she thought she would and unashamedly reread his emails over and over.
As Thanksgiving approached, she became worried because she hadn’t heard from him. He’d promised to be home for the holiday, but with the celebration only days away, it appeared that he wasn’t going to make it. She, Marissa, and Paige, who Brooke had also grown close to over the last month, were making their final lists for the dinner they would all share that day when she finally had to bring up Calvin.
“I haven’t heard from Calvin in weeks,” she said, quietly.
“We haven’t either, but Cooper says that it’s not that unusual for him to be out of contact this long,” Paige said, noting the concern in her friend’s voice.
“He said he’d be back by Thanksgiving, but I don’t think that’s going to happen now,” Brooke said, more upset than she’d thought she would be by the thought.
“But he will be home. It might not be on Thanksgiving, but if he said he’d come, he will,” Paige reassured her.
“I know I’m just being silly, but...” Brooke did indeed feel silly and wished she’d never brought it up.
But Marissa and Paige rallied around her and had her laughing in only a few minutes with stories of their relationships with Scott and Cooper. Marissa told her all about the Terrells and their wives, and Paige told stories about the people at the university. By the time she left, the depression that was again threatening had been wiped away by her new friends and she felt better able to cope with waiting for Calvin to contact her or make it home.
When the day of Thanksgiving arrived with no word from Calvin, Brooke resigned herself to not seeing him on the holiday, but the day would still be fun because she’d be spending it with her friends and neighbors. Most everyone was going to be at Scott and Marissa’s house for the meal, everyone contributing a side dish or desert, while she, Marissa, and Paige had made the turkey and all the trimmings. The morning had dawned cold but clear, a nice change from the stormy weather that always seemed to be on the horizon.
She’d arrived at Marissa’s early to help with the cooking. Although she’d always enjoyed holidays with her family, there was an easy camaraderie between the women that was just as good. In fact, she realized, as she helped the kids fill their plates, she hadn’t thought of her missing family all day. At first she felt guilty, but then she realized that her family wouldn’t want her to be unhappy; in fact, her grandmother would have been thrilled to see her where she was today.
She had, however, been thinking about Calvin and wishing he was here. It just didn’t seem quite right without him. Watching as the last people in line filled their plates, she was shocked to feel a pair of strong arms wrap themselves around her from behind. Her body stiffened at the contact until Calvin whispered in her ear, “I told you I’d be home and I’m not even late for dinner.”
Realizing it was him, she spun around in his arms and hugged him. “You’re here!” she said, hugging him again.
Calvin looked around the kitchen, then pulled her out the back door onto the porch. Before she could even catch her breath, he had her in his arms and his mouth came down on hers in a kiss that left her knees wobbly and her heart racing in her chest. “I missed you,” he said when they had to come up for air.
Brooke looked at him, then sucked in a deep breath. “You’re hurt. What happened? I knew it was dangerous,” she said, reaching up to gently run her fingers over his very black eye.
“What, this? It’s no big deal, I just ran into a tree branch,” Calvin said, not quite telling the truth. He had run into a tree branch but only because the natives had decided they were done with their guests and had chased them through the jungle.
“Hm, again I don’t think you’re telling me the whole truth, but I’m so glad you’re here I’m going to drop it,” Brooke said, hugging him again, loving the way he smelled. Even after traveling for days he smelled like she remembered.
They probably would have stood out on the porch all afternoon, but Cooper poked his head out of the door and said, “There are other people who want to see you if you two are done.”
Calvin’s face lit up when he saw his brother. Taking Brooke’s hand, he crossed the porch and said, “Well, lead the way then, I feel like I’ve been gone forever.”
After everyone had eaten their fill, people split off in groups to play games both inside and outside, the men finding a perfect opportunity for a pickup football game. Brooke stood on the sidelines and cheered for Calvin’s team, not understanding a single rule of the game, but enjoying it anyway. The men came off the field claiming that they were starving, which seemed impossible to Brooke who had already eaten way more than she should have.
They got out all the food again and saw that everyone was fed, then divided up the leftovers and everyone went home. It had been a full day for everyone, but especially for the kids who were all quickly becoming tired and cranky. When she looked at Calvin sitting at the table with a cup of coffee in front of him, she could see that he too was exhausted and decided it was time for her to go home as well, knowing that if she left, he would too.
She sat down next to him and said, “I think I’ll be going home too, it’s been a long day and there’s snow predicted for tonight. You look like you could use some sleep too.”
“I’ll take you home. I’m not ready to let you go yet,” Calvin said, then yawned.
Brooke laughed. “Maybe I should take you home. Besides, I rode my snowmobile.”
“We can take my truck and I’ll bring you back over here in the morning,” Calvin said, getting to his feet as if the discussion was over, then he saw the look on her face and added, “If that’s okay with you.”
“That’s fine, I won’t need it tonight,” she said, deciding that it was best to let him have his way.
When they got to her house, Calvin made it very clear that he wasn’t going to leave her on the door step tonight. “I’d love to see what you’ve done with the house,” he said as they climbed the stairs to the porch. “I promise I’ll behave myself.”
Brooke didn’t believe him for a minute because as soon as the words were out of his mouth, he’d wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him. She didn’t resist and wouldn’t have been able had she wanted to. When he finally released her, she said, “If that was being good, I can’t imagine what being bad would be like.” Then she opened the door and stepped into the house.
Calvin followed her down the hall to the living room then groaned when he saw her bed in the living room. “Your bed is in the living room,” he stated, feeling his resistance weaken.
He’d told himself over and over to take it slow with Brooke, but it was getting harder and harder to do that. Seeing her bed right there in the living room wasn’t making it any easier, especially when the living room only made him remember what she’d looked like standing over him in her bra and panties. That memory had been haunting him for months; he’d run the scene over in his mind so many times it had become almost surreal.
“Just let me get the fire going again and I’ll show you what we’ve gotten done. I’ve got my solar panels, but there no heat yet because there’s never been any central heat in this house. It would involve cutting holes in the walls and ceilings and that didn’t sound like a good idea in the middle of winter, so I moved my bed down here,” Brooke explained as she brought the few coals left into life.
When the fire leapt to life, the heat it produced could be felt immediately and Calvin was impressed. “Wow, that was fast, looks like you’re quite the fire builder.”
“Well, I don’t have much choice when it’s all the heat I have, but I am pretty proud of my skills,” she said, then added, “I can get it hot enough in here that you’ll be sweating.”
Calvin sat down on the couch that faced the fireplace and met her eyes, then sai
d, “Sweetheart, you don’t have to light a fire to make me sweat.” His desire was clear in the flickering light of the fire.
Brooke was immediately rattled. “Oh, I, um.” Her face flushed with embarrassment, but she couldn’t seem to look away, didn’t want to look away. Men didn’t normally talk to her that way and it was both flattering and scary to see the intensity in his eyes.
“Come over here and sit with me, the tour can wait,” Calvin said, patting the cushion next to him.
Brooke didn’t hesitate, she simply put the fire poker on the stand and sat down next to him. Calvin put his arm around her and pulled her close, just happy to be alone with her after nearly a month away. They sat in silence for a long time, both lost in their own thoughts, but Brooke began to feel sleepy so she decided to ask Calvin about his trip.
“So, did you discover a new diamond mine?”
“No, I’m afraid this trip was a waste of time, but I’ve got a couple other options,” he said, then quickly added, “But I can stay home for a few days before I have to leave.”
Brooke thought about his job for a second. “I hate to sound crass, but why do you even work? I mean you have tons of money, it’s not like you have to,” she asked, cringing at how bad the question sounded.
“Actually, that’s a fair question. Most people in my situation would be off spending money and having fun, but truthfully that kind of life is empty. I was raised to not only take care of myself but to be productive, my mom saw to that,” Calvin said, shrugging his shoulders.
“She must be a very smart woman,” Brooke said, hoping that Calvin would tell her more.
“My mom wasn’t from society. In fact, my dad met her at a café one morning when he stopped to have breakfast. They swear it was love at first sight and looking at them I almost believe that it’s true. My mother thought that it was important that we earned everything we got. We had chores like other kids, went to public schools, and she made us work for our college spending money,” Calvin said, smiling at the thought of his parents.
Never Let Go (Brothers From Money Book 9) Page 4