Catching Caroline (Silver Falls Book 1)

by Megan Nugen Isbell

  “Can I get your autograph?” the boy asked, handing him a napkin because it was all he had to write on. Adam nodded and the father handed him a pen.

  “What’s your name?” Adam asked the little boy.

  “Cody,” the boy said excitedly and then Adam went over to a table and scrawled a quick note on the napkin before handing it back to the boy. “Thank you! Thank you!” I could see Adam had made his day, probably his year, and then Adam and Cody’s father shook hands and they walked away.

  We spent the next fifteen minutes talking with fans and taking pictures and by the time we’d finally escaped, Adam’s ice cream was starting to melt down the sides of the cone.

  “That was interesting,” I said as we walked down the street back towards the park where his truck was waiting for us.

  “I hope that didn’t freak you out too much,” he said and I shook my head.

  “I won’t say it wasn’t a little weird, but you handled everyone so nicely. You didn’t seem bothered at all.”

  “Sometimes I just want to escape from who I am, but I’m not going to be rude to anyone. I remember being a kid and what it would’ve meant to meet a Red Sox player. I’m not going to go all Manny Ramirez on them and be a complete asshole,” he said, referring to a player from the past who was notoriously rude to fans and teammates alike.

  “Well, you were very sweet with everyone,” I said and he looked over to me, taking a lick of his melting ice cream. “You want to head back though? We’ll be safe at my house.”

  “Why do you think I’m staying there?’ he said and I knew why. It was safe. It was quiet and there he didn’t have to be Adam DeLain #16, he could simply be Adam.

  Seven

  “What. The. Hell, Caroline?”

  Erica marched into the restaurant the next day and made a beeline right for me. She wasn’t supposed to work, but she was here anyway and by the way she was looking at me, she meant business.

  “What’s the matter with you?” I asked as I picked up the dishes from a table that had just left.

  “How long has Adam DeLain been in town?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Don’t play dumb. I saw it on Facebook last night. He was at the ice cream shop with you,” she said and I cringed, remembering what Adam had warned me about.

  “He’s been here a couple of weeks,” I relented and she sighed.

  “And why the hell didn’t you tell me?” she demanded and I had to laugh because she looked personally slighted by the fact I hadn’t divulged the information even though I had no clue I was under any obligation to do so.

  “Why would you think I would tell you?”

  “Because I’m your cousin and best friend to boot and more importantly, have you seen that man? Holy shit, I would pay to have one night with him.”

  I don’t know why, but I felt a grimace on my face when she started talking about Adam that way.

  “Stop being ridiculous, Erica. He’s a baseball player, not an escort,” I said, glaring at her and she huffed loudly.

  “Okay,” she sighed. “Perhaps that took it a little far, but seriously, he’s hot as hell and you couldn’t have at least invited me out for ice cream when you two went out to Goodman’s last night?”

  “Give it a rest, Erica,” I said, walking into the kitchen to drop off the dishes on the tray. Not surprisingly, she followed.

  “Do you know where he’s staying?”

  “Yeah. In the stable house with Sawyer,” I said and her eyes got wide.

  “I could punch you in the throat right now, Caroline Hale,” she said and I had to laugh at how she was looking at me, open mouthed and crazy eyed.

  “Why do I deserve such a threat?” I asked, putting my hand on my hip and glaring playfully at her.

  “Because he’s been at your house for two weeks and I didn’t even get a dinner invitation!”

  “He’s not a traveling museum exhibit, Erica. He wants some down time, which is why he’s here. I’m not going to parade my friends in and out of the house so they can catch a glimpse or try and have some kind of hook-up with him.”

  “I’m offended by your insinuation, ya know. It’s just dinner, dammit,” she persisted.

  “How are you offended?” I said and I started to laugh. “You want to pay him to have sex with you.”

  “And it would be the best money I ever spent,” she said, giving me a randy look.

  “You are terrible,” I said, rolling my eyes as I tried to stifle the laughter.

  “So, no dinner invite?” she asked hopefully.

  “Not yet. I’ll keep you in mind though.”

  “Pinky promise?” she said, extending her hand and shaking our pinkies like we used to when we were kids.

  “Was berating me the only reason you came by on your day off?” I asked as we made our way back into the dining room, which was nearly empty. It was three o’clock on a Wednesday, so the lack of customers wasn’t surprising.

  “Actually, there was another reason, but then I saw the Facebook thing and that took over.”

  “What did you need then?”

  “Okay, hear me out before you say no,” she said excitedly and I had a bad feeling where this was headed.

  “Go on,” I said curiously, folding my arms.

  “It’s been a couple of months since things ended with you and Caleb.”

  “You mean it’s been two months since Caleb dumped me,” I said bluntly and she cringed.

  “I was trying to be delicate.”

  “There’s nothing delicate about you, Erica,” I said and she glared at me.

  “You’re such a bitch sometimes,” she said and I just laughed. “Anyway,” she continued, “I think it’s time you get back on the horse and start going out.”

  “Oh, you think that, do you?”

  “I know that,” she said insistently and I just watched, amused, the way I always did when my cousin was scheming. “And I’ve got the perfect start for you.” She was grinning widely now and she could hardly contain her excitement.

  “Oh, you do, do you?” I asked and she nodded. “Who?”

  “Dr. Dylan.”

  “Dr. Dylan? Who is Dr. Dylan.”

  “Well, his real name isn’t doctor Dylan. It’s Dr. Wodowski,” she said. “Don’t judge him by his last name either. It may sound silly, but he is not silly, I guarantee you.”

  “Who is he? You’ve never talked about this guy?”

  “He’s a specialist that comes into the office once a week from Montpelier to see patients here.”

  “You can stop right there. I’m not driving to Montpelier to see anyone.”

  “Would you let me finish, please?”

  “Fine. Continue,” I said, glancing around at the few tables that actually had customers to make sure no one needed anything.

  “He doesn’t live in Montpelier. He lives in Burlington. I don’t know why the hell he practices in Montpelier, but I don’t give a crap about that either. Anyway…” she said, taking a breath, “he is really cute with his sandy blonde hair and green eyes. He’s got dimples in his cheeks and drives a BMW. He’s very chatty whenever he comes to the office and somehow we got on the subject of you.”

  “Somehow?” I said, raising a doubtful eyebrow.

  “Okay, I may have told him,” she admitted. “I’m never going to finish this story if you keep interrupting me, you know.”

  “Then just finish the damn story. Cut to the chase,” I said and she sighed.

  “Fine. I showed him your picture and he is very interested in getting together if you’re interested.”

  I knew where this was going the moment the conversation started, but once she’d actually said it, the humor we’d been exchanging was completely gone and I didn’t know what to say. I knew I had to start dating again eventually, I just didn’t know if I was ready. It wasn’t so much that I missed Caleb anymore, it was more the fear of putting myself out there just to get hurt again.

  “I don’t
know,” I said softly and Erica rested her hand on my arm, making me look into her brown eyes.

  “C’mon, Care,” she said sweetly. “It’s just a date and he’s a really nice guy. Even if nothing comes of it, at least that first first date will be behind you.”

  I was quiet for a few moments as I thought about what she said. I knew she was right. It was just a date and one of my biggest fears was passing that hurdle.

  “Do you have a picture of him?” I asked and she nodded eagerly, doing something on her phone and holding it out to me. She was right. He was cute and he did look smart, especially in the white doctor coat he was wearing when Erica had snapped a picture of him at the office.

  “It’s just a date,” I stated flatly and she nodded.

  “Just a date,” she repeated and I sighed, glancing once more at the picture before looking at Erica again.

  “Fine,” I said and she started clapping her hands excitedly.

  “I’ll give him your number then and you guys can text or chat and set something up if you hit it off.”

  “I can’t believe I’m doing this,” I mumbled as Erica typed hurriedly on her phone before looking up at me like a cat who’d just eaten a mouse.

  “I just know you’re going to like him. You should hear from him soon,” she told me.

  “Can’t wait,” I muttered under my breath and then left to refill the water cups in section five.

  ~~~

  The first text came that evening as I was watching TV in my room. We’d had dinner, but Sawyer and Adam hadn’t joined us. I didn’t know the reason, but I found the table rather lonely with just my parents and myself.

  The text had been a simple hello from Dylan. I’d responded back and after a few exchanges, my phone rang and his voice was on the other end of the line. I was nervous at first. I wasn’t much of a phone talker in general and it was even worse with a total stranger. The whole time I was talking to Dylan, all I was thinking about was Erica and how I’d ever let her talk me into this, but after a few minutes, I couldn’t deny that Dylan was charming and maybe going out with him would be fun. It was just a date. No obligations and no expectations and so when he suggested we go out for dinner on Friday, I agreed.

  I’d been a nervous wreck since the moment I accepted his invitation and it only got worse as I got ready Friday evening. I’d come home from work and took a shower and spent the next hour changing my outfit until I’d finally decided on a casual black dress with a scoop neck and quarter length sleeves. I paired it with a long knit cardigan and a pair of my favorite boots. I looked in the mirror, deciding it was casual enough, but also stylish. I hoped it was okay. I hadn’t done this since I was a teenager though and had no clue what I should do on a first date as an adult.

  Once my outfit was chosen, I turned to my hair. It was naturally straight, but I sometimes used my curling iron to create loose waves, which I decided to do for my date with Dylan. After I was finished with my make-up, it was almost six o’clock. I had to leave if I was going to get to the restaurant on time. We’d agreed to meet some place public first. No amount of Facebook stalking would make me feel safe otherwise, even though I’d thoroughly checked out his profile and after seeing pictures of his family and comments from them as well, he seemed normal enough.

  I grabbed my purse and when I made my way downstairs, I could hear voices in the kitchen. I walked inside and saw my family and Adam sitting down to dinner.

  “I didn’t realize we were supposed to dress up for dinner tonight,” my brother said sarcastically as he looked over to me.

  “Very funny, Sawyer,” I said. “I just wanted to say goodnight.”

  “Where’re you headed?” Adam asked and I sighed.

  “On a date. Erica insisted it was time for me to get into the dating scene again and she set me up with Dr. Dylan,” I answered.

  “Dr. Dylan?” Adam asked with a chuckle.

  “Some eye specialist at the optometry office she works at. He seems like a nice enough guy. We’re just getting dinner. I shouldn’t be out too late,” I said and then Sawyer eyed me with a smirk.

  “Unless the date goes really well,” he said and my cheeks turned red knowing what he was insinuating. I saw my mom hit him on the arm and my dad’s jaw clenched as he glared at my brother. The last thing my father wanted to think about was his daughter having sex on a first date.

  “Like I said, I won’t be home too late.” My eyes shot right at Sawyer and he and Adam just laughed.

  “Have fun,” my mom said and I smiled at everyone, waving to them and heading to the front door. I opened it and walked out to my car and got inside.

  “Here goes nothing,” I said to myself as I headed towards the highway.

  ~~~

  I told myself to calm down as I parked the car in front of the restaurant. A text had come through only a few minutes before from Dylan saying he was waiting in the lobby, but my heart was pounding as I turned off the car.

  “Relax,” I said out loud as I looked in the rearview mirror and fixed a stray hair. “It’s just a date. Be yourself. Have fun.”

  If I thought my positive affirmations were going to help calm my pounding heart, I was sorely mistaken, because I was still just as nervous when I opened the door to the restaurant. It was a small Italian place and it smelled like garlic the moment I walked in.

  I met the eyes of the hostess for a moment, but before I could say anything, a man stepped around the corner and I knew instantly from the picture Erica had shown me that it was Dylan.

  “Caroline?” he asked, flashing me a smile I had to admit was nice. It was almost too perfect actually, but as I sized up the rest of him, it seemed to fit. His blonde hair was styled just right and his dark brown eyes were surrounded by thick lashes any girl would be envious of. He was wearing a pair of pressed khakis and a navy polo shirt. When our eyes met, I wasn’t so nervous.

  “That’s me,” I said with a smile, holding out my hand to him to shake. He took it, but then leaned in, kissing me on the cheek. I was surprised at the gesture, but then I breathed in and when I discovered how good he smelled, I was glad he’d come this close to me.

  “It’s nice to finally meet you, Caroline,” he said when he pulled away. He held onto my hand for a second longer, which I found myself not minding, before he let it go.

  “It’s nice to meet you too, Dylan,” I said, hoping I didn’t appear as flustered on the outside as I did on the inside.

  “Are you ready to sit down?” he asked and I nodded. He gently touched my elbow and led me to the hostess. She gathered two menus and we followed her to the back of the restaurant. She seated us in a booth in the corner. The lights were dim and a candle flickered in the middle of the table. We sat down and the hostess told us the specials and then she left us alone.

  “This place is amazing. Almost as good as the food in Italy,” Dylan said, looking over the top of his menu at me with that overly perfect smile I’d noticed earlier.

  “You’ve been to Italy?” I asked, instantly intrigued.

  “Twice actually. The first time I went to Rome and Venice. The second time I spent time in Florence and the islands off the coast. You should go someday.”

  “I hope to,” I told him, which was the truth. I’d always wanted to travel, but hadn’t done much beyond the East Coast.

  Our waitress came over then and introduced herself. We each ordered a glass of wine and when she returned with our drinks, I ordered the alfredo while Dylan got the spaghetti and meatballs. Once we’d placed our orders, we were alone again and we began eating the garlic bread that had been placed before us.

  “Erica tells me you’re a senior at UVM,” Dylan said as we ate.

  “I am. Well, I will be in September.”

  “What are you studying?”

  “Computer science,” I told him and I saw his eyes widen a little. I could tell he was surprised. I didn’t exactly fit the persona of what most people thought of as a computer person. I wasn’t a huge techy, bu
t computers had always interested me and there were so many opportunities with the major.

  “That’s impressive. What do you plan to do with it?”

  “I’m not sure yet. There are so many things I can do. I plan to do an internship part of my last semester. Maybe that’ll help me figure it out.”

  “Do you know where yet?” he asked.

  “No, but I’ll have to go somewhere other than Silver Falls obviously though,” I said with a laugh.

  “New York or Boston maybe?” he asked and I shook my head.

  “Probably not. I don’t think I’m cut out for those cities,” I said, smiling across the table at Dylan. He smiled back at me.

  “Why don’t you think you’re cut out for those places?”

  “I don’t know,” I said, shrugging my shoulders. “I guess because I’ve always lived here. This is what I know.”

  “Sometimes it’s good to go beyond our comfort zones though,” he encouraged and I smiled again, pushing a piece of hair behind my ear.

  “Maybe you’re right,” I said.

  “Well, I wish you luck with whatever it is you decide,” he said, raising his glass to me. I did the same and our glasses met with a quiet clanking sound before we both took a sip.

  “And how long have you been practicing?” I asked.

  “Five years now,” he said and I was taken aback because he didn’t look old enough to have been practicing that long. “You look surprised.”

  “I guess I am,” I admitted. “You look too young to have been doing it that long.”

  He smiled again at me, taking a sip of his merlot.

  “I’ll take that as a compliment. I’m thirty-one though,” he said and I quickly swallowed the swig of wine in my mouth. I knew he’d be older, but I didn’t realize the age difference would be ten years.

  “Are you okay?” he asked me, reaching his hand across the table as I coughed a little.

  “I…I just didn’t realize you were ten years older than me,” I said, clearing my throat and then I felt like an ass. “I’m sorry,” I said quickly. Dylan just laughed and removed his hand from mine, leaning back in his chair.