by Cheryl Wyatt
It weirded Kate out that in a few days they’d fashioned a comfortable routine. Almost like a family.
Urgh! Her brain was working against her again. Noon could not get here soon enough.
She hoped Caleb would shave, because last night’s five-o’clock shadow looked even better at 7:00 a.m.—which was actually late for him to be getting up. “Were you awake around four?” She could’ve sworn she’d heard him up and around then.
He shrugged. “Yeah. I go work out then come back. Ready?”
“Sure.” Kate noticed he was avoiding eye contact. “I don’t have a problem with you leaving. That is to say, leaving from here while we’re watching Tia.”
“So, you have a problem with me leaving in general?”
She pulled her purse over her shoulder and kept an eye on Tia, gathering dolls to take along. “To go to Syria? I do, yes.”
Caleb stayed quiet and introspective all the way to town.
While more talkative, he was still subdued as the trio ate breakfast at Sully’s. What was going on in that mind of his?
He looked to be struggling a bit, but with what? Thoughts of leaving? Had her answer made him uncomfortable?
After leaving Sully’s diner and on the way to Kate’s Jeep, Tia skipped close. “Uncle C and Auntie K, will you take me to buy food for Miss Jonah? I have my own money.”
“Sure. But you don’t need to spend your allowance on it. I’ll pay for the food.”
Tia grinned at Caleb with extreme adoration.
He eyed Kate. “You okay with us taking a shopping detour?”
“You kidding? Me, shop? I’m in.”
Caleb bumped her shoulder. Her hand came easily up between his ribs and arm to cup his biceps. They walked comfortably that way several steps. “You okay, Landis?”
His eyelids narrowed in a distant manner and he peered off. “I will be. Things are just startin’ to hit me, ya know?”
She nodded, figuring he meant leaving. “After Bri and Ian return to get Tia, you and I can go have a heart-to-heart if you want.”
He paused and peered down at her. My goodness, his eyes were so gorgeous. “I’d like that.”
The domestic aura surged when Tia reached up and took Caleb’s free hand, making the three of them feel like a family unit on the way into the store.
Caleb cast a sideways glance at Kate that told her their time together was wreaking havoc with his no-dating-Kate resolve as much as it was for her don’t-fall-for-Caleb mantra.
Kate tried telling herself it was because they’d spent so much time together, bonding with Tia the past four days. Once they went back to work and life returned to normal, they’d feel safe and like mere friends again.
Kate veered Tia to the restrooms inside the store. “I’m curious why you didn’t bring Calebina.”
Tia sighed and plucked sadly at Kate’s sleeve. “It’s because she’s in my Bible prayer box. If I keep her there, I remember to pray he won’t hafta go. I don’t want Uncle C to leave, Auntie Kate!” Tia broke down in tears.
Throat clogged, Kate knelt to hug her. “I know. Me, too.”
“I love him,” Tia whispered into Kate’s shoulder. “Do you?”
Kate swallowed. Did she? “Scary as it is, I might be starting to. But let’s keep that between you and me, okay?”
Her eyes lit up. “If you’d marry him, he might stay.”
“But he might not. And that’s not the life I want. Okay?”
Tia nodded. “I understand. I love you, Auntie Kate.”
“I love you, too, Tia. Ready to get shoppin’?” Kate was glad her bubbly persona lifted Tia’s mood. Yet Kate couldn’t rid herself of the dread of Caleb’s departure overseas.
They joined him at the pet aisle. Caleb eyed his watch as Tia decided between three brands of Betta food.
“This one,” Tia announced then exchanged it for another.
Kate leaned close to Caleb and whispered, “She’s female. She’s not only entitled but inclined to change her mind.”
Caleb chuckled. “The fish will starve to death at this rate,” he whispered back as Tia exchanged the food yet again.
“That kind’s the best,” Kate said firmly, hoping it was true.
At the checkout lane, Tia reached for a magazine. “Hey, my daddy watches this old show. She looks like you, Auntie Kate! Like a Western princess!”
Kate froze at the image of Zorro defending a brunette damsel-in-distress.
Caleb looked down and flinched. How strange.
“Me? A princess? On which planet would that be, sweetness?”
While Tia giggled, Caleb visibly squirmed to hear Kate use that endearment. What was wrong with him today?
Kate stared at her apparent likeness on the glossy cover. Tia tugged Caleb’s sleeve. “It could be her, huh?”
“Hmm,” Caleb said in a singsong voice like the one Tia used. He held the magazine next to Kate. “Same regal posture. Classy dress. Hair, height, grace, build, face, strength and all, just like our Kate.” He returned the magazine to the rack like he couldn’t get rid of it fast enough as the clerk rang them up.
Kate tilted her head, studying him carefully.
Once Caleb buckled Tia in and they were on the road, Tia brushed fingers over Faith, her doll. “I wish I was a princess for real. For even a day.”
Kate asked, “Would you like to be a princess at Lem’s storybook ball?”
“That depends. Do princesses have to eat broccoli?”
“Never,” Caleb assured.
“Can they ride in fancy carriages pulled by tall horses?”
“Always,” Caleb continued.
“The fanciest carriages you’ve ever seen,” Kate added.
Tia quieted. “Do princesses have birth moms who never leave them?” Her chin warbled. “My mommy left me. But Bri is my stepping mom. I’m glad. She makes me and Daddy’s life smile.”
Caleb looked the same as Kate felt: punched in the heart by Tia’s words. Yet, for Kate, it reiterated why she and Caleb would be all wrong as a couple. He was going to leave. It didn’t matter that it wasn’t for selfish reasons. He would still be gone more often than he’d be home, and that wasn’t what she wanted for herself or her children.
“I need to check on Asher and Levi more frequently.”
“That’s your explosive-device expert ranger friend, right? The military chaplain?”
“Former ranger. He is ordained and applied to do chaplain stuff at recruiting offices where he lives, but they don’t have a full-time position. He’s a single dad needing to support his son, so he’s looking to relocate.”
“You should invite him here.”
“I have. He’s sounded very strained on the phone the last couple times we’ve spoken. It’s really gotten to me.”
Kate resisted urges to reach her hand and cover Caleb’s. Felt like the natural thing to do. So why couldn’t she force her arm to move? Terror. Afraid he’d reject her, afraid he wouldn’t. “You have a tender heart for others, Caleb. It’s refreshing.”
“Thanks. But tender won’t get me through ranger school.”
“Then maybe that’s not what you’re meant to do.”
Caleb scowled but Kate didn’t care. The more she got to know him the more she was convinced Eagle Point needed him more than the rangers. And if Eagle Point encompassed a too-tough-for-her-own-good former army nurse who spent too many of her days crying behind closed doors lately, well then, so be it.
Once home, they took Tia to her room. Even when he put her down on the bed, Tia snuggled into Caleb, which made him smile. Kate, too. She rubbed Tia’s forehead until her breathing changed. She met Caleb’s eyes. “Caleb Landis, how long have you been staring at me?”
“Not near long enough,” he said in a st
rangely thick voice.
Hard as Kate tried not to, elation broke through in an unstoppable smile. “Every time you break out that killer smile, Kate, it becomes harder for me to look away.”
“What are we doing, Caleb?” Kate’s whisper cut him to the quick. Not only that, the piercing plea in her eyes made him hate himself for upsetting her.
“Wish I could answer that with something other than I think our collective irrational sides have escaped and are running amok.”
That made her laugh. “Not too far from the truth.”
He settled deeper in the cushiony softness, and closer to Kate.
She didn’t move away. “So, what do we do about it?”
“Nothing.”
She huffed. “Duh. I know we’re not doing anything to act on it. I meant, what are we going to do to stop it?”
He looked directly at her, wanting to be sure she didn’t misunderstand him a second time. “Nothing.”
She blinked rapidly then shook her head. “Not a viable answer, Caleb. We have to do something if we want this to stop.”
“When you figure out a solution, I’ll be happy to hear it.” He gave a wry grin.
Her phone beeped with a new text message. He expected it to be Bri and Ian, saying they’d made it back into town and would be home soon, since they were due anytime. But her face paled and she leaped up and away.
He disentangled himself from Tia and kept his ears open for Kate, marching in the direction of the kitchen as she frantically punched numbers into her phone.
“Mom? What’s wrong?” Caleb got up to follow her and watched as, while Kate listened, her face paled more and she bent, fingers in a white-knuckled grip on the countertop.
Caleb flashed to her without thinking and braced her up. She trembled all over and stuttered into the phone, “I’ll b-be right there. Yes, M-Mom. Please h-hug him for me, in case I d-don’t make it in time.” Kate hung up and drew ragged breaths, fighting her body’s attempt at hyperventilation.
“Your grandpa?” Caleb said, instinctually knowing.
She nodded and braced her other hand on the counter. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and with the other, texted Bri: Where R U? Kate Gpa took turn for worst.
Bri texted right back with: Oh no! On R way. Ten mins out.
“Ian and Bri are ten minutes away.”
“Then, do you mind if I go?” Suddenly realizing Caleb physically held her up, she stepped out of his reach. He couldn’t keep frustration from welling. He refused to back away. “I’d rather you wait.”
“I can’t, Caleb. The Chicago suburb where they are is four hours away. He might not have that much time.” She coughed, probably to hide the emotion thickening her voice. Her body quivered fiercely.
“Kate, you can’t drive. Not in this state.”
“Then what do you suggest? The bus and train take forever.”
“I’ll drive you. I can easily have one of the PJs cover my shifts at EPTC.”
Surprisingly, she nodded. “If you’re sure? I don’t want—”
“Absolutely. It’s not an infringement. You’re my friend, Kate. Friends are always there for each other.”
When pain deepened in her eyes, he felt like a jerk. Always there? Right. Some friend he was, leaving in a few weeks.
“Go get your stuff together. I’ll watch T.”
“Don’t let her know I’m upset, okay?”
He tilted his head because he couldn’t promise that. Tia was smart. She’d know. Still, he’d never put undue anxiety on a kid. “Go. Pack a bag. When Bri gets here, I’ll pack mine.”
She nodded and rushed for the door. Paused at the threshold, bolted back, grabbed his face and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you, Caleb.” Her voice choked on his name. Even after the door clicked shut, he stood there stunned.
She’d opened up. A small crack, but still. She’d allowed herself to lean on him, to even go so far as to show gratitude toward him when he insisted on helping her. Granted, she was Kevlar strong. But no one could withstand all of life’s storms at once. This one was her breaking point. And she’d finally begun to let him in.
Caleb went to check on Tia. Mistletoe jumped up and woke her before Caleb could stop him.
Tia rose and rubbed sleep from her eyes. “Hi, Uncle C! Want to play dollies with me?” She herded him to the rug in her room.
“For a few minutes. Listen, I know you’re a big girl and you probably know Kate’s grandpa isn’t doing so well.”
Tia paused as if realizing Kate wasn’t here. She looked up into Caleb’s eyes bravely. “Did he die?”
Caleb swallowed and curled Tia into the cove of his arm. “Not yet. But he might soon. Maybe even today or tomorrow.”
“Well, it wouldn’t be bad for him, just Kate.” Tia held up a doll in Caleb’s face. “Know what her name is?”
“I do not.” But he was sure he was about to find out. He smiled.
Tia tilted the doll back. One of her eyes closed. Tia lifted her upright and the eye opened. “Her name’s Wink. It’s what my church teacher said life on Earth is like for God.”
He nodded. “You’re pretty smart, kiddo.”
“Smart enough to know God’s clock seems broken sometimes. A wink’s an awful long time when you miss someone who isn’t here anymore.” Tia’s chin quivered. She reached for his neck and squeezed. “Uncle, please, please don’t go away to those afghan stands. We have blanket stores here.”
He smiled. “I’m not going to Afghanistan, sweetness. I’m going somewhere else. There are little girls there, too, and they need American soldiers to protect them and bring peace. Okay?”
“Then, when you come back, will you marry Kate? That would make her happy if her grandpa goes to Heaven.”
Caleb smiled. “You are something else, kiddo. But I can’t promise anything like that. Okay? None of us knows the future.”
She pointed at the Bible, where Calebina rested. “God does. We should pray.” Tia grabbed his hands. “Dear Jesus. Please make Kate’s grandpa get better. If you need him in Heaven more, though, help Kate not be mad or so sad.”
Caleb smiled and squeezed Tia’s hand. He summoned courage to urge his own words out. “Lord, I agree with T’s prayer. Help Kate and her family through whatever is to come. If her grandpa’s suffering can’t be fixed here, help Kate and her family be okay with him heading on to Heaven. Please give Kate one last goodbye first.”
“Yes! In Jesus’s name,” Tia concluded. “Amen.” She hugged Caleb. “You’re good at praying, Uncle C!”
He nipped her cheek with his thumb and forefinger. “You’re not half-bad at that prayin’ stuff yourself.”
“Then would you hate me if I prayed very hard you flunk out of the army?”
He laughed. “I wouldn’t hate you for anything, sweet stuff.” The front door opened in the next room.
“Tia? Kate?” Bri’s voice sounded worried. Caleb rose with Tia in arms and met Bri and Ian in the living room. Ian was somber and Bri’s cheeks were flushed. Caleb knew his sister. She felt crummy for not being here when Kate got the terrible news.
“Hi, Daddy!” Tia leapt from Caleb to Ian when Ian reached. He nodded thanks to Caleb and took Tia to gather her things.
“Where is she?” Bri’s eyes bubbled with frantic tears.
“She went to pack a bag.”
“I’ll pack one, too.” Bri started to rush down the hall.
Caleb put a hand on her arm. “I’m going to drive her. Tia needs you here.”
Relief swarmed Bri’s expression. She hugged him and clung. “Thank you, Caleb. If I can’t be there for her, you’re the next best thing.” She sniffled and then looked at him more closely. “Although, something tells me it’s no accident you’re going. Maybe you’re meant to be the first best
thing.”
Caleb stood with his mouth open but no retort or refutation would surface. He didn’t completely know what Bri was getting at and frankly didn’t have the mental capacity to ponder it. Yet.
“I’m going to pack a bag. Be back in five. Don’t let Kate leave without me. I mean it. Take her keys if she tries to take off without me. She’s in no shape to drive.” He knew once she got alone, she’d be slammed with self-conscious backlash and doubt about letting him see her in such a state.
Caleb dashed to the closet where his cash stash and clothes were. He grabbed an extra jacket—an army one since Chicago was cooler than Southern Illinois. He sprinted outside to find Kate and Bri having a standoff in the yard.
Kate’s hand shot out. “I said hand over those keys.”
“No.” Bri’s stubbornness mirrored Kate’s.
Caleb reached for the keys and put his bag in the back of the Jeep. Kate ran around and threw his bag on the ground. “I said that you could come, not that you could take over and make all the decisions! What right do you have to tell your sister to take away my keys?”
Ignoring her, he tossed it back in and got in the driver’s seat then buckled up.
“Fine! I’ll take the train.” Kate whirled.
“Fine,” Caleb said calmly out the window. “I’ll be waiting in Chicago to pick you up from the station when your train arrives. Get in the car, Kate. We don’t have time for this.”
She flung her seat belt on and issued first Bri then Caleb the Stare of Death. It took forty-two miles before she calmed down enough to speak.
“I’m sorry,” she surprised him by saying. “I’m not sure what came over me.”
“It’s fine.”
“It doesn’t feel fine. I hate this.” She sniffed. “Do you have a kerchief?”
He almost reached in his cargo pocket then remembered the blue camouflage kerchiefs she’d already seen the bandit use were all he had. Instead, he handed her a tissue box he spotted on the console. That she hadn’t noticed it in front of her proved he’d made the right call to drive her.
She glared at it. “I’m not going to cry. I need to blow my nose.” Yet tears streamed down her face, causing her cheeks to redden and her forehead to crimp. “I really hate this.”