His cousin seemed to perk up at that. “With the mysterious Sofia?”
“Yeah. Surprised you haven’t met her.”
“Been too busy.”
“Too busy doing what?”
Both men turned to find Apple McCoy standing there. The cool blonde wore a dress more suited for a picnic than a sports bar.
“Dreaming about you,” Preston said.
Her lips flattened. She fixed her gaze on Caleb. “How have you been?”
“Fine.” His pulse sped up a little and not in a good way. The last time Apple had spoken to him, it hadn’t been the most comfortable situation. “And you?”
“The same.” She tossed her hair over her shoulder. “Did your mother get her car back?
Color him confused. “Back from what?”
Her gaze narrowed. “From Sofia.”
“You met her?”
“I know everyone.”
Yeah, he should have left as soon as she’d asked him how he was doing, but he wasn’t an asshole, and he wouldn’t treat her like she wasn’t actually there. “I’m going get a drink from the bar. Anybody want anything?”
Apple crossed her arms over her chest. “Answers.”
“I don’t owe you answers about Sofia.”
Her mouth opened and closed like a fish caught on a hook, except he felt more like the worm. “You owe me—”
Preston stepped between them, grabbing Apple’s arm. “A dance. Let’s go.”
Stunned, Caleb watched as his cousin led Apple to the small dance floor in the corner. Even more shocking was the fact that she allowed him to do so. No one directed any McCoy woman without her permission.
Preston motioned to the DJ, and a slow song came over the speakers. Apple glared up at him before she slowly put her arms around his neck. Grateful for the intervention, he made his way outside.
One day he would have to sit Apple down and clear the air between them. While he knew he hadn’t done her wrong, it was obvious she didn’t feel the same way. Then again, there had never been any lost love between the Lawsons and McCoys. Well, not until his brother married Apple’s sister. And he supposed he could say that he and Apple had been a couple once.
Barely.
He’d taken her to prom and out on a proper date once, but that was at Iris’s insistence, saying that her cousin was too shy and too beautiful to get a date on her own. It had sounded far-fetched to him.
A man in love, however, will do foolish things to please his woman.
Chapter Seven
The search for a job in Jessamine had been a bust. No one was hiring head chefs, or any chefs at all. All the restaurants in the area had the staff they needed, even down to servers, food runners, and hostesses. While Jessamine was a larger sort of small town, it simply did not have the population to support a multitude of eateries.
“Try this one, dear,” Dinah said, handing over the WANT ads. “Holland Springs is bigger than our little town, but it’s almost an hour commute each way.”
Sofia shook the section of paper open, then settled back into the swing beside the older woman. “The cost of gas alone would put a big dent in take-home pay each week,” she grumbled.
Dinah patted Sofia’s knee. “The right job will come along. I know you’re trying to get to Roswell like you’d planned all along, but I want you to know that you have a home with us for as long as you like.”
Her chest grew tight, and tears clogged her throat. “I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to repay you.”
“That’s the thing with family. There’s nothing to repay.” Dinah smiled. “Although I do have to admit I enjoy your help with meal times and around the house. It’s nice to have a young person home again.”
“I’m not that young.”
“Twenty-seven is a baby to me.”
Sofia gazed out at the back pasture, watching cows graze and a donkey rub its head against a large tree. A couple of dogs raced each other down a dirt path. Tassels had sprung from the tops of corn that went for row upon row. Dinah’s garden was fully functional, with bell peppers, squash, and a plethora of veggies that Sofia loved to cook.
While it was warm outside, the ceiling fan kept them cool, and the sweet iced tea in their glasses was perfection. She knew a place like this was bound to have flaws—everywhere did—but in her eyes, the Lawson farm was heaven.
Too bad her plans didn’t include staying here, but even if they did, where would she find work? She wasn’t above taking a job outside her field of expertise, but without experience and a constant kitchen to keep her on her toes, she was afraid she’d forget what she’d learned in school and had put into practice in the subsequent years.
Her phone buzzed, and her heart got all happy at the sight of Caleb’s name. Grabbing her phone with one hand, she put the newspaper on her lap with the other.
Caleb: Bought out the Piggly Wiggly. Hope you can figure out something to cook.
She laughed a little.
I can make a meal out of anything.
Caleb: Looking forward to you making good on that boast. Be there in five minutes.
Folding the paper carefully, she gave it back to Dinah. “I have to go. Caleb is picking me up soon.”
“Another date?” his mother asked lightly.
Standing, she shook out her skirt to make sure no June Bugs had landed on it. “I’m only cooking for him.”
“Food is the way to my Caleb’s heart.”
Unease coursed through Sofia. She didn’t want Dinah to get the wrong impression. “We’re just friends.”
Dinah smiled up at her. “Of course you are, dear. Everyone knows that friends put on their best frocks for courting.”
“This isn’t my best dress.” No, she’d worn her best dress on their first date. This dress was suitable for church and picnics. And second dates.
“Whatever you say.” Dinah added the WANT ads section back to the main paper. “I’ll keep this for you in the magazine rack in the living room.”
“Thanks. I should be home around nine, if I had to guess. I know Caleb turns in early.”
“You don’t have a curfew, but I appreciate the heads-up. Come in through the kitchen; David and I will still be up. But not waiting on you. Unless you need us to. We can make sure Caleb follows whatever rules you give him.”
Sofia laughed. “I didn’t give him any.”
“Oh sugar, no. Every woman has to lay down the rules.”
“Even for your sons?”
“Especially for my sons.” Dinah winked at her. “I hear his truck coming up the driveway now. Have a great time tonight. I’ll go inside so he doesn’t feel like he has to make small talk with me.”
“See you later.”
Heart beating faster than hummingbird wings, Sofia fixed her gaze on the driveway that curved around to the back of the house. She heard Dinah go inside, but the rumble of a truck engine held her attention.
Stop it.
Stop what?
This! You’re like a teenager with a crush.
I don’t have a crush.
So the pushup bra is for who exactly?
Caleb parked his truck, climbing out and striding to her, his gait confident. Once again, he wore a dark pair of jeans and a fitted T-shirt, but instead of a baseball cap, his brown hair was perfectly mussed. She wasn’t sure if he’d styled it like that on purpose or it was the result of driving with his windows down.
Either way, he was too sexy for words.
His dark blue eyes lit up when their gazes met. “Now I know why pretty as a picture is an expression.”
“You’re going to make it very hard for me to find a decent man in Roswell,” she teased.
The light dimmed a little in his eyes. “Are you ready to go?”
Stupid girl. Why say something so dumb? She had to protect herself from becoming attached to this place, but Caleb only made it harder. Yet, here she was going on another date with him.
Last time, she swore silently. After this, she woul
d get a job in Holland Springs, or maybe at the beach where he’d taken her for dinner. No excuses. No leading on this poor man or his family.
“I’ve been looking forward to this all day,” she said, then silently groaned.
His answering smile made her heart flip. “Me, too.”
Caleb’s house was nothing like she’d pictured. She’d fully expected something like his parents’ house—a sprawling farmhouse with double porches and gingerbread lattice. Instead, he lived in a modest craftsman-style house situated on the banks of a large body of water. It wasn’t the ocean, because she could see the other side in the distance.
As they walked inside, she couldn’t help but be in awe of the craftsmanship and careful detail of the home.
“Did you build this?” she asked, taking in the stained glass accents and beautiful hardwood floors.
“Yes. It’s not very big—two bedrooms and two bathrooms. Kitchen’s nice and spacious, and there’s a great view of the Pamlico Sound. Got a dock out back. We can eat on the patio, if you want.”
“Are you trying to sell your house to me?” she asked.
“Would you stay in Jessamine, if I did?”
He couldn’t be serious, but the look on his face said otherwise.
“I do love your home—what I’ve seen of it, that is.” She delicately cleared her throat. “Show me the kitchen and what you bought at the grocery store.”
“By all means.” He led the way. “Is this enough space for you to cook?”
Caleb moved deeper into the kitchen and flipped on the light switch. He heard Sofia gasp.
“This is beautiful.”
“Not as big as what you’re used to, but—”
“The kitchens I worked in were tiny,” she said with a laugh. Running a finger over the butcher-block countertop of the island, she shook her head. “Your cabinets are gorgeous, and the gas stove—I could cook there for days.”
Caleb opened the pantry, wanting her to love every part of his house. A dumb thing, considering she was hell bent on leaving Jessamine. “Supplies are in here, and the fridge is stocked.”
She moved to stand beside him. “When you said you bought everything, you weren’t kidding.”
His face heated a little.
“How long have you lived here?” she asked.
“About six years. I had my eye on this property for a long time, so when the owner decided to sell so she could move closer to her grandchildren, I didn’t waste any time buying it.”
“A man who knows what he wants and goes after it,” she murmured before returning to the middle of the kitchen. “You go relax while I decide what to cook.”
He let her shoo him away, but he didn’t go far. While he pretended to watch television, he kept a close eye on Sofia as she bustled around his kitchen —so naturally, like she truly belonged there.
“Seriously, Caleb, did you go in my diary? This kitchen is perfecto!”
She was perfect.
With a playful smile, she marched to him, holding something in her hand. “Open,” she ordered softly, and his mouth parted. “You will love this, I promise.”
He closed his lips around her offering, connecting with her fingertips. As the salty concoction hit his tongue, he sucked on her skin, and then pulled back a little. “Delicious.”
She cocked her head to one side. “Are you sure?”
“I always mean what I say.”
With a satisfied smile, she whirled away from him, her dress flaring out at the bottom. “Dinner will be ready at five-thirty.”
As he watched her sashay into the kitchen, he realized he was falling for a woman he knew wouldn’t stay. Hell, he hadn’t even properly kissed her.
Maybe he should fix that tonight.
Chapter Eight
After the best dinner he’d ever eaten, Caleb insisted on clearing the table and washing dishes. Sofia protested, but he got her to see things his way when he poured her a glass of wine.
He grinned. It was nice taking care of her like that.
Since Sofia was the type to clean as she went, there wasn’t much for him to do, and he finished rather quickly.
“I think I like your system,” she said as he joined her in the living room. “I cook, you clean.”
“Way it should be.”
She eyed him, her dark brown gaze roaming over him. “You’d be surprised how often it is not.”
“Not really. I have brothers.”
“From what I hear, they’re not your average guys.”
Caleb sat beside her on the love seat, so close their thighs almost touched. “If what you’re hearing is coming from my mother, then I have to inform you that she’s biased. Extremely so.”
“As a mother should be.” With a thick sigh, she laid her head on his shoulder. Man, she felt good—so good that he refused to move a muscle. “I think your parents are lonely.”
He glanced down at her. “What makes you think that?”
“Dinah said she enjoyed having a young person in the house again.”
“She has grandchildren. They come over all the time.” Well, they came over as much as their parents brought them. Everyone had full lives, including his parents, and he knew from all of their complaints that scheduling conflicts happened a lot.
“That’s not the same as someone being there, day in and day out. Your parents are busy people; they’re active in the community, but in my family, the grandparents are special. A son or daughter either moves in with them, or moves them in to their household.”
“No way would my parents give up their house or freedom.”
“I understand, and I’m not criticizing, nor am I saying you should give up your house. I’m only sharing what I see and hear.”
The way she cared about his parents made his head spin a little. His family was truly his greatest weakness and one of his greatest strengths. “That means a lot to me. The thing is, one day, I’ll eventually move back home. I’m the Lawson who farms, and every Lawson who runs the farm has lived in that house. The only reason why I bought this one was so that I could have something of my own for a little while.”
She placed a hand on his arm, still leaning against his shoulder. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up a sore subject.”
“It’s not your fault,” he said softly. “I’m just tired of being the Lawson they all pity.”
This time, she tipped up her chin, a question in her eyes. He braced for it. “Why would they pity you?”
He wanted to tell her about Iris, about the baby ... everything ... but then she would look at him the same as everyone else. Call him selfish, but he wanted time with Sofia to be free of his past ... and he wanted her to view him as a man.
“Because I haven’t settled down.”
Her eyes narrowed slightly. “Are you telling me you’re the wild Lawson?”
He laughed. “That would be my brother, Elijah. He’s a pilot. Travels the world. No telling where he is right now. Could be South Korea, could be Alaska.”
“Have they considered that maybe you haven’t found the right woman yet?” she asked. He liked how she tagged on that yet, because it meant she saw him.
“I’m not sure exactly. I don’t share my business with them,” he admitted. “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m pretty quiet.”
Her pretty eyes widened. “I haven’t noticed at all. Since the day I met you, you’ve talked my ear off.”
“Smart tail,” he chided.
“Doesn’t bother me if you’re quiet.”
He dipped his head. “Why is that?”
“’Cause I don’t need you to talk in order to know what you want. It’s pretty obvious.”
“Oh really?” he asked, and she nodded. “What about right now? What do I want?”
She licked her bottom lip slowly. “To kiss me.”
“Is that a fact?” His voice got all low and rumbly.
Her chin tipped up higher. So close. So damn close. “It’s that obvious.”
S
lowly, he touched the side of her face with the tips of his fingers. “I’d hate to prove a lady wrong, but...”
He kissed her then. Brushed his lips across hers softly so that if she wasn’t of the same mind, she could tell him so.
“Do that again,” she ordered.
He smiled against her mouth. “Yes, ma’am.”
She melted against him, even as he slid his hand halfway around the back of her neck, caressing the side of her face with his thumb. Deepening the kiss, he teased her mouth open and groaned when her tongue touched his. She tasted like sweet wine. His imagination didn’t begin to do the reality of their first kiss justice.
Damn, it had been too long since he’d kissed a woman like this.
Her hand gently grabbed his wrist, but not to push him away. Instead, she glided her hand up his arm, and then back down again.
Desire hit him hard and sudden.
He broke their kiss, dragging in air. “I’ve been wanting to do that since our first date.”
She searched his face. “I’m glad you didn’t wait any longer.”
“Just glad?”
“I don’t want to hurt you, or get myself hurt either, Caleb.” He could hear the sincerity in her voice, but it still stung.
“Look, I get that you’re set on leaving, but until you do, I’d like to be the man in your life. The only one. I don’t do temporary, but I think you’re worth whatever time you’ll give me.”
Her mouth went slack. “You can’t be real.”
“Afraid so, sweetheart. What do you say?” he asked.
***
She’d said yes. God help her, she’d said yes to Caleb so fast that her head had spun around like a top. However, she wouldn’t regret it. She couldn’t regret something so sweet and sensual. That kiss had gotten to her. He’d gotten to her.
Caleb had said exactly what she needed to hear, but she couldn’t dwell on that.
Sofia focused on the bulletin board in the Piggly Wiggly where local jobs were posted. So far, no dice.
Maybe Wednesday was a bad day to come. Later in the week, she come by here and try again.
“Fancy seeing you again.”
Sofia sliced her gaze to the woman she’d met the first time she’d driven into town. “Apricot, right?”
Love So Unexpected (The Lawson Brothers #6) Page 6