“And have a family,” Julie said.
His empty hand slapped the table. The harsh sound echoed in the room. “What?”
“Mentioning you want a family will be the perfect segue to Fair Face’s new baby products. The whole reason Gertie created the line is because she wants great-grandchildren, right?”
Caleb shifted in his chair. “Ri-i-i-ight.”
“But you don’t want to mention Gertie. This is about you, not your grandmother.” The strategic glint in Glen’s eye made him look more like a shark wearing a tie than a business executive. “Say you can’t wait to use the new organic, all-natural baby products on your kids.”
Caleb imagined Becca, her stomach round with their child. What the hell? He shook the image from his head. “I’m not married. Having kids is years off.”
Julie’s excited eyes and flushed face made her look as if she were about to bounce out of her chair. “That’s where the contest comes in.”
Ed nodded. “Good Day Boise wants to run a contest on their website.”
“What’s the prize?” Caleb asked.
Glen smiled. “A date with you.”
Caleb stared in disbelief. “Please tell me you’re kidding.”
“This isn’t any old date,” Julie said, as if he hadn’t said a word. “A dream date. Limousine. Romantic dinner for two at Pacifica. A dance club.”
That was where he’d taken Becca on their first date. He couldn’t take another woman—make that the contest winner—there.
“You can also do whatever else you want once the official date is over,” Glen said with a wink-wink, nudge-nudge to his voice.
Caleb slunk in his chair. Becca was not going to like this.
Not that she had a claim on him, but just the fact he was putting her feeling first was out of character for him. He didn’t understand it. He wanted it to stop.
“We’ll do a billboard to promote the contest somewhere visible where most of Boise can see,” Ed said. “We’ll put it on the Facebook page. Take it national if we can. Offer a plane ticket and hotel accommodations if the winner isn’t from Boise.”
“Who picks the winner?” Caleb asked.
Julie rubbed her palms together as if she were trying to spark a fire. “A modern-day matchmaker.”
Dream dates. Matchmaker. “This has to be a joke.”
“Do I look like I’m joking?” Glen looked ultra-serious, as if the fate of the company were riding on this. “Your qualities for the perfect woman will be listed on Good Day Boise’s website. Viewers who believe they qualify can fill out a profile and see if they’re a match.”
He tossed his pen. It skidded across the table. “That’s...”
“Marketing genius,” Ed said. “If you end up dating the winner—”
“Imagine if you marry her,” Julie said, her voice rising with each word as if Caleb was such a grand prize.
His stomach roiled. He was going to be sick. And it had nothing to do with what he’d eaten for lunch.
He needed to speak up, put an end to the craziness. “I’m seeing someone.”
“Seeing?” Glen asked. “Or dating?”
Caleb hesitated. “It’s not that serious.”
It wasn’t. So why was Becca branded on his brain? Affecting his working life? His family? Why was he putting her feelings ahead of what was best for Fair Face?
“Then it shouldn’t be a problem,” Glen said.
Caleb wished he had that much confidence. He didn’t want to hurt Becca’s feelings. They might not be that serious, but he didn’t want to do anything to push her away. At least not that far away. “Put yourself in my shoes.”
“A pair or two of new shoes might soothe any hurt feelings,” Julie suggested.
Becca couldn’t care less about fancy shoes. But she might like a new pair of grooming scissors. So not enough to smooth out this fiasco.
“This isn’t personal. It’s a business decision,” Ed said. “Remember when we featured Gertie and Courtney in that series of ads for the moisturizing lotion. Sales shot through the roof.”
How could Caleb forget? That campaign’s success had floored everyone, including himself, and driven the company’s brand recognition to new highs. Profits, too. “One in five women in the United States has tried a Fair Face product. You think we can achieve the same results here?”
“I do,” Ed said. “As Bachelor of the Year you’ll be the Grand Marshal of parades, do interviews and cut ribbons at grand openings. By the time we milk the last drop out of your title, two in five moms will be using our new products on their babies.”
“Those numbers would make you happy,” Glen said.
“I’d be thrilled.” And Caleb would be.
He thought about the numbers. The exposure. The profits.
Face it. The website contest wasn’t that big a deal in the grand scheme of things. One date. With a stranger. No big commitment.
Except for Becca.
Becca.
What was he worried about?
He liked her. They weren’t exactly dating. They had fun together. Getting seriously involved with her would be too complicated and only add to his list of responsibilities. Becca. Her parents, Debbie and Rob. All the dogs.
That would be too much with everything else on Caleb’s plate.
This Bachelor of the Year award would be the perfect reason for him to refocus on work and get Becca out of his heart—make that head. He was blowing a few dates—uh, get-togethers—out of proportion. He wasn’t about to fall in love with her.
No worries at all.
Besides, Becca was one of the most practical women he knew. She would understand that he was doing this for Fair Face. She wouldn’t care.
At least she shouldn’t.
They weren’t boyfriend and girlfriend. They hadn’t made any type of commitment to one another. He wasn’t going down that path again any time soon. If ever.
“Okay,” Caleb said. “Let’s make this work.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
AT AN ITALIAN café in downtown Boise, Becca sat across from Caleb. “Thanks for inviting me out to dinner tonight. I didn’t expect this at all.”
“I’m glad you didn’t have other plans.”
She couldn’t think of a better way to spend a Friday evening. “Well, I must admit it was a tough choice. Going out to dinner with you or getting ready for the dog show tomorrow.”
He glanced up from his menu. “I’m honored you picked me.”
Her heartstrings played a romantic tune that matched the violin music playing in the restaurant.
Romantic, indeed, with a lit candle stuck into a wax covered bottle of Chianti. A single red rosebud sat in a small glass vase, looking so perfect she’d wondered if the flower were real. One sniff of the sweet fragrance answered that question.
Real.
Just like tonight.
Becca looked over her menu at Caleb. He wore a navy suit, white button-down collared shirt and a colorful red tie with swirly patterns.
Proper CEO, definitely.
Handsome, oh yes. Swoonworthy, no doubt.
Becca swallowed a sigh. She liked spending time with him. It didn’t matter what they did, either. His company and his kisses were more than enough. A good thing he seemed to agree.
She’d worried what happened at the hospital with Courtney had changed things between them. He hadn’t called or texted. But Becca knew he had to be busy like her. “I wanted you to know Courtney is working on the labels for the dog products. She has an eye for design.”
“Wait until you see the finished product.”
“Caleb...”
“Okay, that wasn’t nice of me.” He looked over the top of his menu. “You’ll be happy to know Courtney’s g
oing to be doing four-week rotations through various departments to see what type of jobs are available at Fair Face.”
“That’s wonderful.”
“We’ll see how it goes.”
“Have faith.”
“You haven’t been through this with Courtney before.”
“No, but I’ve been through it,” Becca said. “Imagine if Gertie hadn’t taken a chance on me. We wouldn’t be here tonight.”
The thought sent a chill down her spine. Becca expected Caleb to say something funny or sincere. She wanted him to smile or laugh. Instead he returned to reading his menu.
That was...odd. Maybe he’d had a rough day at the office. “Good day at work?”
“Typical.”
His one-word answer was atypical. Usually he told her about something he’d done, a story from a meeting or an office anecdote. She wondered if something had happened that he didn’t want to talk about.
“Know what you’re going to order?” she asked.
He perused the menu. “The salmon looks good. You?”
“The halibut special sounds tasty.”
“It does.”
Standard dinner conversation, except it wasn’t standard for them. Each word made her want to squirm in her seat. Maybe she was being paranoid. Overly analytical. Or maybe something was really going on.
She crinkled the edges of the menu. The words blurred. She couldn’t stand it. “Is something wrong?”
“I wouldn’t say wrong.”
Okay, she wasn’t paranoid. But that didn’t make the churning of her stomach any better.
“What’s going on?” Becca tried to sound nonchalant. She wasn’t sure if she succeeded. She took a sip of water, hoping to wash away the lump in her throat.
“I was named Boise’s Bachelor of the Year today.”
Becca choked on the water in her mouth, coughed, but managed not to spit the liquid out. She swallowed instead.
“Wow.” She tried to think of something to say other than But aren’t you going out with me? “You must be...excited.”
“I wouldn’t say excited.”
That made her feel a little better. She bit the inside of her cheek. “So this isn’t that big a deal?”
He set his menu on the table. “Everyone at Fair Face is calling it a PR coup.”
“A coup?”
“I’m being interviewed on Good Day Boise next week.”
“Wow.” Oops. She’d already said that. But her mind was reeling. “A TV interview is huge.”
“I’ve done interviews before.”
Caleb was downplaying this. Maybe Bachelor of Year was like the Sexiest Man Alive award, more of an honorary title than anything else. No reason for her to freak out. They might be dating, but technically he was still a bachelor.
Becca needed to be supportive, not act like a shrew. She raised her glass in the air. “Congrats.”
He studied her with an odd expression. “You don’t...mind.”
“Why would I mind?” She asked the question as much for her benefit as his. “I don’t see a ring on your finger.”
Or one on hers.
But even though she knew better, even though his harsh words at the hospital had stung, she could imagine a tuxedo-clad Caleb sliding a shiny gold wedding band on her finger.
Her insides twisted. She took another sip of water. It didn’t help.
He picked up his menu. “Thanks for being so understanding about this.”
“Why wouldn’t I be understanding?” She asked herself aloud. “It’s an honor.”
“You’re really great, you know that.”
So that was what being understanding got her. She would take it. “Thanks. Though I have no doubt women are going to be throwing themselves at you wanting to capture the Bachelor of the Year’s heart.”
His smile returned, reaching all the way to his eyes. “They can try, but they won’t succeed.”
Caleb’s words put her at ease. His heart wasn’t up for grabs because it was spoken for...by her. Even Becca’s fingernails felt as if they were smiling. “Good to know.”
“Don’t worry about any of this,” he said. “It’ll be a big infomercial for Fair Face’s new organic baby product line.”
“Bachelor and babies. Not the usual combination.”
“It’s how things are done these days.”
Business, she reminded herself. Nothing personal. How many times had she heard that since meeting Caleb?
More times than she could remember. Except...
Something niggled at her. Something she couldn’t quite explain.
The feeling was familiar, like a little voice of caution whispering inside her head. The voice she should have listened to before going out with Whit and his friends that fateful night.
Crazy. She was thinking crazy thoughts now. Going overboard with the paranoia.
Caleb Fairchild was nothing like those rich kids back in high school. He might wear designer labels, drive an expensive car and have a ton of money, but he cared about her.
Everything he’d done, everything he was doing, proved that.
Maybe he hadn’t fallen for her as she’d fallen for him. But he liked her. She should enjoy this time with Caleb, not borrow trouble. Things would only get better between them. A satisfied smile settled on her lips.
“You look happy,” he said.
“I am.”
“You’ve put me in a much better mood.”
That pleased her. “Being with you makes me happy.”
“I want you to be happy.”
Becca’s heart sang with joy. He did care. She knew it.
Ever since Caleb had entered her life, things had gotten better, not worse. The words I love you sat on the tip of her tongue. They would be so easy to say.
But she wanted the timing to be right. She wanted the place to be perfect. She wanted him to say the words back to her.
Becca needed to wait. Just a little while. Let this bachelor thing blow over. Give them more time to make memories together.
But soon. Very, very soon.
* * *
Tuesday morning at the television studio, the lights beat down on Caleb. Sweat streamed down his back, a mix of heat and nerves.
The red light on the two cameras reminded him the show was being shown live. He needed to at least act like he’d rather be here than at the dentist for a root canal.
But sitting on the couch with Savannah and Thad, the hosts of Good Day Boise, was the height of awkwardness. The two looked like pictures from a plastic surgeon’s office with their bleached smiles, pouty fish lips and straight, proportioned noses. They droned on about this year’s bachelor candidates and why Caleb had been chosen number one.
He kept a smile super-glued on his face and nodded when he thought appropriate.
Savannah leaned toward him with a coquettish grin. The V-neckline of her dress gaped, showing her cleavage. Caleb looked away.
Thad laughed, though Caleb had no idea at what. “The big questions our female viewers want to know—”
“Single female viewers,” Savannah interrupted. “Though there may be a couple married ones, too.”
Thad guffawed. Or maybe it was another of his fake laughs. “Is there a special woman in your life, Caleb?”
Becca. An image of her appeared front and center in his mind. Her sweet smile made his day. Her beautiful eyes lit up each time she saw him. Her hot kisses turned him on. She was special, more special than any other woman he’d dated.
Saying Becca’s name would be easy. Saying Becca’s name felt right. Saying Becca’s name wasn’t part of the script he was supposed to follow.
It didn’t matter anyway. She understood. She’d said so herself on Friday night.
She wouldn’t care or be upset. They weren’t serious.
Caleb took a deep breath. “No one special. Which is too bad.”
“Why is that?” Thad asked.
The hosts gobbled the bait, exactly the way Ed had said they would. Time to reel them in with the money shot. Or in this case the perfect sound bite. Caleb straightened. “Because I want to start a family.”
Savannah and Thad exchanged glances. Excitement danced in their eyes. “Boise’s Bachelor of the Year wants a family?”
They spoke in unison, in a creepy kind of singsong voice.
The image of Becca remained front and center in mind, calling to Caleb.
Speak up, his heart cried.
Why the hell was his heart involved in this? It shouldn’t be. No woman could touch his heart. Not even...
Get with the program, Fairchild.
Caleb swallowed around the lump in his throat. He pushed the image of Becca from his mind. He needed to follow the script. “Yes, I want a family. Having one is important to me.”
Savannah touched his sleeve with her bright red painted nails, making him think of a spider, the kind who eats their mates. “What is a handsome, rich industrialist looking for in his perfect woman?”
Perfect woman.
The two words made his stomach turn.
Caleb knew what he wanted. Who he wanted. But the PR department had dreamed up a list for him. A list that technically fit his position and roughly reflected his interests for a woman who Caleb would have, up to this point, considered an ideal spouse. “Educated, a keen sense of humor, stylish, fit, well-traveled, social, a little sophisticated, a foodie, a discriminating ear when it comes to music and plays tennis.”
Each word rang hollow.
Such a woman was safe, dull, orderly.
Like his life.
Becca was so much more than the sum of all those items on the list. Fun, energetic, nurturing.
He wanted to tell the hosts and the audience about Becca, about her amazing qualities. But Fair Face was counting on him. It didn’t matter what he thought. It didn’t matter what he wanted.
Ty was downrange fighting bad guys to keep their country safe. Caleb was stuck on a couch lying his ass off because safe and dull had made his family company successful.
The Man Behind the Pinstripes Page 17