Nicole smacked his arm, and Caleb grinned, deciding to err on the side of caution by agreeing with the mother. “Okay, but if you change your mind, let me know. I haven't gotten to see as much of Taylor as I'd like.”
“Thanks, Caleb, and it's been a great party, guys, but it's getting late,” Mike qualified. “So we're gonna head out and pick Taylor up from his grandparent's.”
Nicole added before they left, “It's nice to finally meet you, Emily. Come by Blue Moon sometime and hang out, okay?”
“You can count on it!” Emily promised. “And I can't wait to meet Taylor when you drop him off at Caleb's Monday.”
“Oh? Are you staying there?”
“For now, yeah,” she nodded.
“Great, we'll see you Monday, then!” Nicole smiled, waving as they walked away.
“Later!” Emily called, and after the couple left, she sat back and with a weary sigh, reaching to rub her eyes beneath her glasses.
“You sound tired, too,” Joslyn mentioned.
“Nah, I'm just—,” Emily abruptly stopped when hit with an unexpected yawn, quickly covering her mouth. Once it subsided, she smirked and admitted, “Okay, maybe a little. Guess I just need to catch up on sleep.”
“Do you wanna go ahead and get back home?” Conner asked. “You can take some food for later. Just make sure there's plenty, or Caleb'll eat it all.”
Caleb smirked, surveying his now empty plate. “Can't say he's wrong, and I can give you a ride back if you want.”
At that, Emily's blue eyes lit with extreme interest. The expression momentarily confused him until she admitted, “I've never ridden on a motorcycle before.”
Hearing this, he didn't bother hiding his grin. “In that case, go get some food and I'll be there in a minute. Wanna let mom know we're going, and make a pit stop in the bathroom.”
“Same here,” she qualified, then turned to hug Joslyn in thanks for the awesome party. “This was a blast, and I'll call you as soon as we get there, okay?”
“Please do. We need to keep tabs on everyone.”
Emily agreed, standing to go inside, and Caleb followed—or he would've if Joslyn hadn't asked his name the moment her friend was out of earshot.
“Caleb?”
“Huh?”
“Seriously,” she started, “is Emily getting your instincts going?”
Groaning, he decided to admit the truth if only because he knew Conner would tell her regardless of his promise to keep the information secret. Joslyn was his mate, after all, and mates typically shared everything.
“Yeah, she is.”
Like most wolves in the pack, Joslyn had heard whispers of the infamous story about the human who'd left him after learning the truth of what he was. So he wasn't surprised when she suggested, “Then you're freaked out because she's human.”
“Something like that,” Caleb returned, nearly walking away without another word.
But Joslyn quickly added, “Hey, don't worry so much, okay? Emily's not judgmental, and even if she had the typical human reaction to learning the truth, I know she wouldn't flip out about it.”
Caleb wanted to believe that, and maybe it was just a matter of getting to know Emily for himself before he could trust Joslyn's judgment. Still, irrational fears were called irrational because they never heeded the facts, even when the evidence was right under one's nose.
There was also the matter of trusting his own judgment. Fiona had never given Caleb the impression that she was judgmental either, just shy and maybe hesitant to jump into things without thinking first. But then she'd completely freaked out, and he didn't want to think about the way that infamous story actually ended.
So he only shrugged and replied, “I'll take your word for it, but it's not like I'm gonna act on it anyway.”
Joslyn and Conner both gave him a pointed look that needed no explanation—he knew just as well as they did that lupine instincts didn't work that way. If Emily was the one, they wouldn't let it go, and he'd end up bonding with her regardless of his personal wishes.
Still, Caleb insisted as he walked away, “Seriously, it's no big deal, so don't worry.”
Now if I could just convince myself of that, things might be looking up.
Chapter 9
For some strange reason, waiting to go home with Caleb almost felt like waiting to go on a first date.
By the time Emily finished saying goodbye to everyone, Rose had packed two plastic containers filled to the brim with food, and promised to bring another by in the morning. So all that remained was to wonder where to store the items for the ride—and dealing with an unexpected case of nerves.
She had no idea why, but while waiting next to the bike with the containers in hand, a sense of anxiety plagued her that was all based around Caleb. Questions kept racing through her head over concerns she shouldn't have been bothered with. Had she shown too much interest in riding home with him? If so, had he noticed?
But why did she even care? Sure, Caleb had his appeal, yet she hadn't agreed to ride home out of romantic interest. Then again, maybe Joslyn's teasing was the culprit—if her best friend had caught onto the way she'd stared at her brother-in-law when he'd arrived, then wouldn't he pick up on her enthusiasm?
What if he read too far into it, and actually started disliking her because of it?
As soon as the question surfaced, Emily finally realized the reason for her concern; she didn't want to make him uncomfortable after the mixed reception he'd given her already.
So she took a deep breath, reminding herself that there was plenty of time to earn his approval just as Caleb joined her at his bike. Thankfully, he didn't seem at all put out by taking her home, and even smiled when he arrived, a handsome look that almost distracted her too much to focus when he asked, “You've seriously never ridden on a motorcycle?”
“Nope,” she shook her head, then motioned to the food. “Where should I put these?”
He answered by reaching to a storage compartment behind the seats and sliding the door open, revealing a space big enough to stack the containers on top of one another inside.
“Oh,” she drew out sheepishly, settling the food down and closing the lid. Following the movement, she looked up to see Caleb holding his helmet out to her.
“Uh … don't you need that?”
“Nah,” he shook his head. “I have two, but the other's at home, and I'll feel better if you wear it.”
Nodding, she took the helmet and slipped it over her head while Caleb climbed onto the driver's seat. Though there was plenty of space behind him for her to ride along, she hadn't realized until that moment just how awkward it seemed to sit right behind him after the way she'd been noticing his appeal left and right.
Even now she was almost too busy staring at his broad back in his tight shirt to remember that she had to actually sit on the bike before they could go.
But Emily soon climbed behind him and slipped her arms around his sides, making sure to sit back for a little space as the engine revved to life.
Her plan worked, too—at least, until he was out of the driveway. That's when a sudden jerk with the bike's increasing speed caused her to seize up against his back completely.
Emily held on tight, releasing her hold on her own hands in favor of getting a tighter grip on his body, all while trying to ignore the way he felt against her—which was big. And hard. And altogether impossible to ignore.
It was just a stroke of luck that she found the ride as interesting, and as they sped by houses to eventually find the main road, Emily quickly learned an immutable truth.
She loved motorcycles.
The sights of the inner city weren't the greatest, but when they reached the bridge crossing over a portion of Arkin Lake, she realized it was … freeing. Stars shone brightly overhead with the wind whipping by, slightly chilling her. But Caleb's body blocked most of the breeze, allowing her to focus on watching a boat pass below the bridge with a million lights glittering across the rippling wa
terway in its wake.
Afterwards, they pulled into a wooded area before inevitably reaching Caleb's driveway. As the bike slowed to a stop where he pulled it into the garage to park next to his old pick up truck, Emily knew she'd want to do this again as soon as possible, hopefully on a more scenic route.
Once the blare of the engine had tapered off, he asked, “You okay back there?”
“Yes!”
Her enthusiastic response must've been unexpected—and pleasing—because he looked back with a surprised smile the moment she'd climbed off and removed her helmet.
Taking it from her, he suggested, “Sounds like you had fun.”
Rubbing her arms for warmth, she mentioned, “I'll have to bundle up next time, but I did, and I wanna do it again.”
Caleb's smirk couldn't have been more proud, though he asked in confusion as he stood, “You're cold?”
“Arizona,” she reminded.
“Oh right, desert climates.” Nodding, he motioned to the door as if thinking she'd warm up more quickly inside.
Yet, in making their way to the steps, he suddenly stopped and looked up, almost like he'd heard a sound out in the yard. The garage door was still open, and he gazed through it quietly as if waiting for something specific.
But Emily hadn't detected anything, asking, “What is it?”
“I think that wolf pack's out in the—oh, yeah, that's one of 'em.”
Emily quickly craned her head, peering out of the open garage to see a beautiful silver wolf emerging from the bushes to stand in the yard. The large animal sniffed the air, then turned its head to stare in their direction with deep, golden eyes—and she stared right back in awe.
“Oh wow, he's huge,” she drew out, already pulling her camera up for a few shots.
“That's their alpha,” Caleb remarked.
“He won't attack us?”
“Nah, I've gotten him to take food out of my hand before. Sometimes they get snappy if they're hungry though, so I definitely wouldn't call 'em domesticated. But they know this place is safe.”
Emily grinned, quickly snapping three pictures of the wolf before he finally looked away and disappeared from sight. But she wasn't too disappointed, knowing she'd gotten some decent images, and turned a delighted grin up at Caleb.
Somehow, he looked shaken in response.
Emily blinked. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” he insisted plainly, pushing the door open. “Why?”
She wanted to point out his somewhat pale complexion, but almost got the feeling he was deflecting her question as if uncomfortable.
So she let it go and went inside. “Nothing. But you know what?”
“What?”
“You have an idyllic life.”
“Idyllic?” he asked as if unsure he agreed. “How so?”
Walking over to the sectional, Emily settled her camera on the coffee table and explained, “Well, you live like two seconds from where you work, so you don't have to get up super early for a long commute, and you have this awesome home that's pretty remote and gets visited by kick ass wolves. Also, your family and friends are awesome, and your motorcycle rocks.”
Storing the containers of food in the fridge, Caleb returned, “Yeah, but I'd trade some things off if it meant stuff like having my dad back.”
Emily nodded in concession, able to see how having someone so dear would be worth the loss of material possessions, and he seemed to care a great deal for his family and friends. He'd greeted everyone at the party with enthusiasm, and hadn't hesitated to watch Nicole's baby, even offering to keep Taylor overnight when it wasn't necessary.
That was something Emily didn't think she'd ever witness a man doing—and it didn't make Caleb any less appealing.
“I would, too,” she conceded. “How long have you lived here anyway?”
Returning from the kitchen, he answered, “Since I was nineteen. This was my uncle's home, but he got a promotion, moved, and asked me and Conner to take care of the place. Then Conner went to college, met Joslyn, and I've lived here alone ever since.”
Taking a seat on the couch, she inquired, “Did you go to college?”
“Yeah,” he confirmed. “I just didn't meet anyone like Conner. Lucky bastard.”
Emily laughed—though she had to admit to some jealousy as well. Conner and Joslyn were so dedicated, like a couple someone might read about in a fairy tale. She wasn't oblivious to the way they looked at each other, and comparing that to her relationship with Rob, the envy was almost palpable.
Rob never looked at Emily that way. Sure, there were longing glances and affectionate stares, but she'd never felt as if she were the only thing worth beholding the way Conner gazed at Joslyn. Wish I knew what that was like.
Then again, the lack of chemistry in her previous relationship wasn't surprising considering it now felt as if she'd only started dating Rob out of convenience. They'd gotten to know each other pretty well through work, which made it seem like a good idea to try for something more, but it hadn't flourished, and Emily had never fully given Rob her heart.
Joslyn, on the other hand, was completely head over heels for her husband.
“Yeah, I knew Conner and Joslyn were close,” she started, “but seeing it for myself over the past two days has actually surprised me. You couldn't wedge a crowbar between them.”
Caleb took a seat on the recliner next to the coffee table as she spoke, and though he'd smirked, there was something almost sad about the expression.
But he didn't comment, and asked instead, “Hope this doesn't sound too forward, but what about you? No boyfriends in Flagstaff?”
“Nope, just a guy I'd leave behind again if I had to,” she admitted. “And you?”
“I've had a few flings recently, but nothing serious.”
“Not looking for commitment?”
Caleb shrugged. “Let's just say I'm not expecting anything.”
Emily smiled. “Same. It'd be nice to find someone special, but I'd like to get settled in first, and that'd be a lot easier to do without people breaking into my home.”
Caleb nodded, but the movement seemed distant, as if he were a million miles away. Great, he's zoning out. Emily didn't know if that meant he was bored, or if the mention of the trouble going around had distracted him, but she decided to ask, “Everything okay?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah, sorry. Just wondering how long it'll be before they find anything.”
Sighing, he changed the subject as if unwilling to talk about it, and she wasn't complaining.
“So when's your brother coming to visit?”
“Next week, but I have no idea when. Dad said he's gonna call and set up a meeting time.”
Caleb nodded, then gave her a curious look. “If it's not too personal, why don't you like him?”
Too many reasons to count. Emily grumbled at the thought, unwilling to go into detail. So she offered a vague summary instead. “He was just an ass to me growing up. I think it's because he was jealous of my dads, and the thought that he didn't know his own was troubling for him. So I can't really blame him. But he didn't have to be so cruel about it.”
“Your dads?”
“Yeah, Andrew and Gary.”
Caleb seemed confused. “You were adopted?”
“Oh, no,” she smiled, explaining, “my real dad is Andrew. He came from a religious family and was with my mom for a while, trying to fit in if you know what I mean. But the closer they got, the more she realized he wasn't being himself. So mom talked it over with him, and they broke off their relationship and became close friends. Soon afterward, she found out she was pregnant with me, so they decided to live together and raise me, and when I was five, dad met Gary.”
Emily wondered if Caleb might throw out some negative attitude about her family arrangement, having encountered bigotry on that score too many times to count. For her, having three parents was a blast, and she wouldn't change it for the world. But they'd been harassed on occasion, and the only thing Emil
y wasn't sure of was whether the worst treatment came from strangers, or their own family.
Yet Caleb didn't mention it whatsoever, and merely nodded in understanding. “Was your brother already born?”
Emily was so thankful for his acceptance, she answered without qualm. “Yeah, he's five years older than me. My mom was seeing a security officer named John Cooper who split the moment she said the word pregnant, and she raised Evan alone until she met my dad.”
Caleb shook his head as if he'd never understand how anyone could leave their child behind. “That would mess any kid up. But how was Evan cruel to you?”
“Oh god,” she groaned, saddened by how little thought it took to provide an example. “Okay, one night, he dumped some gasoline on the floor in the doorway of my bedroom and locked me in, then threatened to set it on fire if I didn't give him my new game console.”
Caleb stared at her in shock, his copper eyes darkening in anger. “You're fucking kidding me?”
“Nope, and guess who came to my rescue?”
He stated the obvious answer. “Joslyn.”
Emily smiled. “Yeah, she tackled him away from the door and gave him a black eye, which was funny because she was only seven, and he was twelve. But that's not even … ,” she trailed, almost adding that it wasn't the worst experience she'd had concerning Evan.
Yet, when she actually recalled the worst, she decided Caleb didn't need to know everything.
So she waved a dismissive hand. “Never mind. I'm just glad I didn't have to live with him all the time after that.”
“Why not?”
“Because my mom got a place of her own across town so Evan and I could have our own space. It didn't completely stop him from being a jackass, but it definitely helped.”
It wasn't easy to tell what Caleb might've thought about the story because he'd reached down and lifted Nacho into his lap by the time she'd finished her explanation. But when his gaze returned to her, he asked, “Did you see him much after that?”
“Only when I visited mom. Different school districts kept us apart, and he was a straight A student who rarely got into trouble. So I really think he just hated me personally.”
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