Catching Caroline (Silver Falls Book 1)

by Megan Nugen Isbell

  I thought about turning and walking away and leaving him to sleep. He was obviously tired, but he’d been working all day and I knew he had to be hungry and so I timidly approached him, walking slowly and catching a whiff of the fresh body wash he must’ve used in the shower before gently shaking his shoulder. He didn’t move at first and so I nudged a little harder and leaned close to his ear.

  “Adam?” I whispered and he finally started to stir. He didn’t jolt awake like I expected him to. It was gradual and peaceful, his eyes opening slowly and then looking around in that confused state when you first wake up.

  “Caroline,” he said in his deep voice. It had a rasp to it from just waking up and it did nothing to help diminish the feeling in my stomach earlier when I was admiring him on the couch. “What’re you doing here?”

  “My mom sent me to get you for dinner,” I said to him and I didn’t know why I was still so close to him. He smelled too damn good though. I realized what an idiot I was being and I backed away as he sat up, stretching for a moment. It was then I saw the scar on his elbow from his surgery. I still wanted to know what was going on with that whole situation, but I knew I couldn’t ask.

  After he stretched, he stood up, his six foot four frame towering over me again.

  “I’m sorry I just came in,” I said as he walked over to the suitcase he was living out of and pulled on a t-shirt, putting it on so I was no longer privy to his abs. “I knocked, but you didn’t answer and I just wanted to make sure you were alright.”

  He laughed a little then and then turned to me as he was running his hands through his hair, trying to tame it.

  “Why wouldn’t I be okay?”

  “I don’t know,” I said quickly. “Sawyer said you were in here and when you didn’t answer, I thought I’d come in and check.”

  “You just wanted to sneak a peek of me walking around naked or something.” He grinned and I felt my cheeks turn bright red.

  “No!” I said too enthusiastically and he laughed again. “I mean…I had to make sure you weren’t lying here dead or something.”

  “And why would I be dead?”

  “I don’t know. You could’ve tripped and hit your head or your heart could’ve stopped. You hear about that kind of stuff happening all the time to athletes.”

  “And what if I’d been in here with a woman?” he asked and I openly scoffed. He loved torturing me.

  “Then I would’ve told you to pack your stuff and head to the Holiday Inn because my family’s stable house is not to be used as your own personal brothel.” I tried to make my voice serious and he stared at me curiously for a second before his mouth curled up into a half-smile.

  “I may have a reputation, but after working all day out here, I don’t have energy for sex, so I think this stable house is free from my exploits.”

  His words caused an image to flash into my head that I knew shouldn’t. An image of the perfect torso I’d seen earlier, only this time the shorts were gone. I knew my cheeks were blushing and by the smirk on his face, I knew Adam saw it too.

  “Am I making you uncomfortable, Sweet Caroline?” he asked and I shook my head.

  “No,” I said quickly. “And don’t call me that. I hate it.”

  I watched as the smirk from a second ago turned into a genuine smile and he looked right at me with his blue eyes.

  “I’ve gotta tell you,” he said, stopping for a moment before continuing.“Every time we played a home game and that song would come on in the middle of the eighth inning, I always thought of you.”

  “Really?” I asked softly and he nodded.

  “Yeah, really, so just let me call you it, okay?” he said and I couldn’t help but smile. He motioned toward the door then. “We should probably get to dinner. Your mom’s already nice enough to feed me every night, the least I can do is get there on time to eat and then clean up.”

  “Yeah. They’re probably waiting on us,” I said and we both looked at each other for a second before heading to the door. He pulled it open and I wasn’t expecting to feel his hand on the small of my back as he ushered me outside into the warm summer air. It startled me and it only lasted a second, but it felt like much longer.

  It was quiet as we walked towards the house, except the sound of the dirt and gravel scraping against the soles of our shoes. He held open the door for me after we’d climbed the porch and made our way to the kitchen. The table was ready and my parents were sitting there waiting for us. I wasn’t expecting it, but Adam held out my chair for me. I looked at him and he smiled at me and I sat down.

  “Sorry we kept you waiting,” Adam said as my mom started dishing up.

  “It’s fine, Adam,” she said, piling his plate full of pot roast.

  “He was sleeping,” I said, giving him a teasing smile.

  “Farm life wearing you down?” my dad asked with a laugh as he started buttering a roll.

  “I think it is. Spring training work outs are nothing compared to this.” He grinned as he cut into the pot roast and took a bite. “Thank you for dinner, Mrs. Hale. It’s delicious.”

  “You’re welcome, Adam,” she said, reaching over and patting his hand for a second.

  “I appreciate dinner every night, but I want you to know I don’t expect it. I’m happy to get my own stuff and make it up at the stable house.”

  “I’ll pretend you didn’t say that. I’m a farmer’s wife and as old-fashioned as it may sound to some, I like making sure there’s a good dinner waiting after working so hard all day when I can. I can’t do it every day, but when I can and since you’re staying here with us and helping on the farm, I want you to join us.” He smiled across the table at my mother and nodded his gratitude.

  “Thank you,” he said. “It’s actually really nice to eat home cooked meals. I haven’t had many of those since I left Silver Falls.”

  There was a sadness to his voice and it was quiet for a few moments while we ate.

  “How’re your parents?” my mom finally asked.

  “Good,” Adam answered.

  “Do you get a chance to speak to them often?” she pressed.

  “Not as often as I should,” he said with a guilty look on his face. “They like Florida though. Mom practically lives at the beach and Dad doesn’t miss shoveling snow.”

  “I can’t say I blame him,” my dad added. “Are you planning on seeing them any time soon?”

  “I may take a trip down there for a weekend soon. I’m not sure though,” he said and his statement piqued my curiosity. He’d just gotten to Vermont and I found myself hoping he wasn’t leaving already.

  We finished eating and when Adam offered to do the dishes, I volunteered as well. My parents went into the living room for their nightly ritual: Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy before the nightly news.

  “Your mom’s a great cook,” Adam said as he cleaned the table and brought the dishes to the sink where I was loading the dishwasher.

  “Yeah, she is. She spoils us.”

  “I’ve missed her cooking. My parents aren’t exactly great cooks,” he said with a quiet laugh as he stood beside me.

  “Speaking of your parents,” I began as I continued to load the dishes. “Are you really heading to Florida? I mean, you just got here a week ago.”

  I watched as his eyebrow and one side of his mouth rose up in a smirk.

  “Why do you ask? Would you miss me or something?”

  “I’m simply making conversation,” I said, looking away and focusing on the dishes, but I could tell he was still getting a laugh at my expense. “If you want to keep it a big secret like everything else in your life, be my guest.”

  I glanced at him sideways and saw the smirk disappear. He was now leaning with his back against the counter, his arms folded and looking at me.

  “What secrets are you talking about, Caroline?”

  “I don’t know,” I said turning to face him too. “I guess the fact that you just showed up here with really no explanation. It just seems a li
ttle strange to me is all.”

  “I’m not hiding anything. I just wanted to come home for a little while,” he said and it grew quiet for a few seconds.

  “How could you want to come back to this after everything you’ve done?” I asked him and his brow creased for a moment. He glanced at the floor as he thought and then looked back up.

  “Sometimes things aren’t always what they seem, Caroline,” he said in a quiet voice and our eyes met. I held his gaze for too long and I found myself reaching out and resting my hand on his arm. He looked down at where our skin touched, but then our eyes met again and I told myself it wasn’t causing me to have to catch my breath.

  “I’m sorry,” I said softly and he shook his head slowly. “I’ve been kind of a brat to you since you’ve been here.”

  “You’ve always been a brat, Caroline,” he said with a smile, but I knew he was just being playful. I looked into his eyes again and then pulled my hand away and we went back to finishing the dishes.

  “Have you been to Goodman’s Creamery since you’ve been back?” I asked, referring to the local ice cream store in town, once we’d finished the dishes.

  “No, I haven’t.”

  “You uh…do you want to take a ride down there and get a cone?” I asked and I could feel the nerves in my voice when I asked him. I don’t know why I’d even asked him, but I had and there was no taking it back now.

  “Are you asking me on a date?” He grinned and my face turned red as I rolled my eyes.

  “You wish you were so lucky,” I said and he laughed.

  “I’ll drive. Let me get my keys,” Adam said.

  “I need to change out of my work clothes anyway. I’ll meet you outside in a couple of minutes then,” I told him and he nodded. I heard him say thanks to my parents in the living room and then the front door shut.

  I went upstairs and tossed the jeans and polo shirt I had to wear at the restaurant into the hamper and replaced it with a pair of cut-offs and one of my favorite t-shirts. It was a vintage looking gray v-neck that I wore too often, but loved nonetheless. My hair had been pulled back into a ponytail at work, but I took it out, trying to brush out the crinkles the elastic had left in my hair. It didn’t work and so I pulled it back up, only this time into a messy bun. It made more sense anyway since it was a warm, muggy evening. I brushed my teeth and slid on lip gloss before grabbing my purse and pulling it across my chest.

  I could hear the sound of Alex Trebek’s condescending voice when I neared the living room and saw the contestants in the middle of the Double Jeopardy round.

  “I’m going with Adam to Goodman’s. Do you guys want anything?” I asked and they looked at each other before they both turned their heads to look at me.

  “No, thanks. Have fun,” my mom said and I waved before opening the front door and walking down the porch. Adam was already waiting by his truck, leaning against the driver’s side door and staring down at his phone. He looked up when he heard me. He smiled and then slid the phone into his pocket.

  “I’m sorry to keep you waiting,” I told him as I got nearer.

  “It’s fine, Caroline. I’ve only been here a couple of minutes,” he said, following me as I walked toward the passenger door of his huge truck. Just like at dinner earlier when he’d pulled my chair out, I was surprised when he opened the door for me.

  “I don’t recall you being this polite,” I smirked at him as I set my foot on the running board and climbed inside.

  “I’ve always been a gentleman,” he said with a wink and then shut the door. I felt my cheeks blush as I watched him walk in front of the truck. Was Adam flirting with me? I shook my head. No. He was Adam and Adam would never look at me as anything more than his best friend’s little sister.

  A second later he was inside the truck beside me. After buckling up and starting the engine, we were making our way down the long driveway and then onto the highway.

  It only took fifteen minutes to get to Main Street and I swear Silver Falls was like the town time forgot. That was how a lot of the old New England towns were though. We had the traditional white church steeple in the center of town along with the village green and gazebo. The buildings were all old, but surprisingly well kept and traffic was steady as we drove down the two-lane street.

  As I expected, Goodman’s was busy. It always was in the summer. There wasn’t any parking in front and so Adam maneuvered the truck into the lot near the park. He seemed to hesitate when he turned off the engine, sitting there in the driver’s seat instead of opening the door to get out. He reached over and pulled out a ballcap from the glove compartment, an old faded Red Sox hat, and pulled it down low on his head so it made his eyes difficult to see.

  “Is everything okay?” I asked him and he let out a light laugh.

  “I came to Silver Falls to keep a low profile,” he began and it hit me what he was referring to.

  “And coming into town isn’t exactly a good way of doing that,” I concluded and he nodded. “We didn’t have to come, Adam. We can go back.” I hadn’t thought about him being recognized when I suggested we go out. Since he’d been back, it’d been just like it’d always been before he left. I’d nearly forgotten what he meant to this town.

  “It’s fine, Caroline. We’ll get our ice cream and we’ll go. Being recognized is a hazard of the profession.”

  “You know,” I said with a coy grin, “you should wear a Yankees hat to throw everyone off.”

  He physically winced at my suggestion.

  “Hell will freeze over before I wear a Yankees hat,” he said and I laughed. “One more thing,” he said and smiled over at me. “I have to warn you, should someone recognize me and snap a picture of us and posts it on social media, you’re automatically going to be labeled my new girlfriend, so be prepared. Again, another hazard of the profession,” he said with a quiet laugh.

  “I hope no one recognizes you then,” I said with a laugh.

  “To quote you earlier, you should be so lucky. Now, c’mon, Sweet Caroline. Let’s get some ice cream.” He opened the door and I did likewise, meeting him at the front of the truck.

  We started towards the shop and I noticed how he walked with his hands tucked in his pockets and his gaze aimed down at the sidewalk. I knew why he was doing it and part of me felt a little badly for him. I knew he loved baseball, but I also knew it had taken away his sense of anonymity. Everything he did was open to ridicule and speculation. I’d seen it on TV and social media since he’d made it to the big leagues. The thing was, whenever I’d see him in one of those mediums, he seemed to enjoy it. As I walked beside him now though, it appeared that wasn’t the case.

  Inside the shop, it wasn’t as packed as I thought it would be, but there were a decent amount of people and so Adam and I took our place in line. I noticed he was quiet while we waited and he kept his gaze down. I didn’t talk to him because I didn’t want to draw attention to him, but then it was our turn at the counter and he finally had to look up at the cashier. I watched as the teenage boy behind the counter seemed to jump back a little when he saw Adam. It was like he recognized him, but couldn’t quite tell from where or if he did know it was Adam DeLain, he was pondering whether he should say something.

  “Hey,” Adam said with a friendly smile. “I’ll take a waffle cone with two scoops. One chocolate and the other vanilla.” The boy wrote it down and then Adam looked over to me. “What about you, Caroline?”

  “I’ll have a two-scoop waffle cone as well, but I’ll take strawberry and cookies and cream.”

  The boy wrote it down and then looked at Adam again.

  “That’ll be $9.75,” the boy said and Adam reached for his wallet just as I reached for mine.

  “This is on me,” he said and I knew better than to argue.

  He handed a twenty to the kid and when he gave the change back to Adam, I saw him place the ten-dollar bill he’d received back into the tip jar, only keeping the quarter and sliding it into his pocket.

 
A few moments later, another worker, a teenage girl this time, leaned across the counter and handed us our cones, but then she stopped, her head cocking to the side and her eyes widening. I knew our chances of escaping unnoticed had just ended.

  “Wait,” she said as an excited smile spread on her face. “Aren’t you…aren’t you Adam DeLain?”

  I turned my head to watch Adam’s reaction. A warm smile spread on his face and he nodded.

  “Yes, I am,” he said politely back and the girl looked like she might start jumping in excitement as others started to take notice.

  “Oh my gosh!” she said, turning quickly and disappearing for a second before returning with her phone and rushing towards us from behind the counter. “Can I get a picture with you, please?”

  “Sure,” he said politely and the girl proceeded to wrap her arm around his waist and then held the phone out in front of them, taking a few selfies before moving away from Adam.

  “Thank you so much! My dad is gonna flip! He never misses a game. Never. He’s gonna flip out that you actually came into the shop tonight!”

  “Tell him I said hi,” Adam said and the girl ran away in total giddiness.

  The other people in the store were watching us now and I could feel the awkward stares. Adam didn’t seem uneasy though. He seemed used to it and when a little boy and his father walked towards us, he didn’t balk, he just smiled.

  “I…we…we don’t want to bother you, but…we’re big fans,” the father began hesitantly, and the little boy who couldn’t have been more than eight or nine, jumped in.

  “Big fans!” he said with a wide grin.

  “Could we trouble you for a picture?” the father asked and once again, Adam accepted graciously.

  “Sure,” Adam said and the father reached for his phone. “Would you mind taking the picture, Caroline?” Adam asked and I walked towards the man, taking the phone and trying to juggle it and the cone. They posed and I took a couple of pictures before they thanked him again multiple times.

  “Any idea of when you’ll be coming back? The rotation is tanking,” the father said. “We could use that fastball again.”

  “I’m working on it,” Adam said with a smile, but I wondered if his positive demeanor was truly how he felt.