But Paige’s mouth didn’t obey. “Hasn’t Maggie lived here her whole life? I’m guessing she knows all the men in town. I could be wrong, but her odds of finding someone now are pretty slim.”
Ida pressed her hands over her heart. “God will send her someone—a man who’s just right. For you, too. But you must make time for love, dear.”
Enough. “No offense, but I’m not really looking for that sort of thing.” Paige pulled her plate closer and started eating again.
Ida squinted and shuffled forward. “Are you not sleeping well? You look a mite tired.”
Great. Did she have bags under her eyes?
She’d been up so late last night thinking after she received an email from Mom saying they’d already received an offer on the house. Paige’s childhood home—gone that quickly. Now she’d have to find a free weekend to pick up her belongings because she definitely didn’t want her mom to choose what was worth keeping and what she should toss.
“I just have a lot on my mind with school starting. Besides, the last six months of my life have been a mess.”
“You know, we’re all in the middle of a mess. That’s just life, girl. If you’re waiting for a cleanup crew, well, they’re simply not coming.” She patted Paige’s arm. “Now, look at that—we’re talking about good men and here Caleb turns up. He’s one I’d keep my heart open to if I was you.” Ida motioned toward the window.
“No, thanks.” Paige smiled at the well-meaning old woman. Even still, she peeked out the window to watch the man in question stroll across the yard.
Caleb stepped through the back door into the kitchen. He’d shaved since last night, and it made him even more attractive, if that was possible. Without his beard, he’d shed the mountain-man vibe. Now, with his strong jawline, he looked like a powerful businessman ready to take on the world. He wore the go-to man uniform of khakis and a blue oxford. She noticed a cleft in his chin à la Ben Affleck. Why would he ever hide that behind a beard?
“Morning,” she offered. “Maggie’s sick if you’re looking for her.”
“Actually, I’m looking for you.”
“For me?” Paige’s pulse zinged into hyperdrive. She took in air at the wrong time and started to choke on her bite of pancake.
He wore a boyish smile. “Need the Heimlich?”
“I’m okay.” She gulped down the rest of her water as heat crawled up the back of her neck.
Caleb had an effect on her that she couldn’t deny. Maybe it was because he saw her that first day, so distraught, and treated her with kindness and respect when she fell to pieces. It could be because he’d shared honestly about his wife when she didn’t need all the details—even if his fear from that incident put them at odds over her position at Sarah’s Home. Perhaps her attraction hinged on all the praise she’d heard about him around town or seeing him interact with kids of all ages over the past few days. The man definitely had a paternal drive. Maggie went on about how wonderful he was. Ida did, too. So did the store clerk at the mom-and-pop convenience store.
Or the feeling could have nothing to do with any of that.
Mischief danced behind Caleb’s expression. Looking into his eyes was oddly comfortable, like snuggling by a warm fire on a winter’s night. A sudden desire to lean closer to him overwhelmed her.
And he was only inches away....
Paige rocked back in her seat, breaking eye contact.
Whoa. Let’s not go off the deep end about a guy. Making up her mind too soon about a man had caused trouble in the past. Whatever the reason for the feelings swirling in her heart, the draw needed to go away. Jay, Tommy and Bryan had all seemed nice at first, too. It looked like it was time to put her internal junkyard dog back on patrol around her heart.
Caleb set his keys on the counter but they fell onto the floor. An out-of-character chuckle left his lips and he grabbed them from the tiles. “You left your books in my truck. I thought you might need them.”
“Oh, thanks.” Real eloquent.
“Do you want a ride?”
“Um, sure.” Paige slid off her stool and squeezed past Caleb to get to the sink with her dirty plate. She couldn’t help breathing in his cologne.
Paige paused near him for a moment. Whatever cologne he wore had a sweet, woodsy smell with a mix of vanilla.
Back at home, her mother had a cedar chest in the master bedroom that she stored a fur coat in. In grade school, Paige used to love to sit next to the chest and talk to Mom while she got ready for the day. That smell always calmed her, as if her body knew it meant safety and home.
Caleb smelled like that.
She shook her head. Rinse off the dish already.
After placing the plate in the dishwasher, Paige waved to Ida and then followed Caleb out to the truck. He wordlessly hoisted her bags into the truck’s bed. An awkward silence filled the cab on the drive to the school—no radio, no windows down, no talking.
Paige watched him out of the corner of her eye as he parked in the school’s staff lot. After he shared about Sarah yesterday, she had felt a connection to him. Caleb and she might not see eye to eye on Sarah’s Home, but she had to admit, he was sweet to try to protect her. He didn’t even know her, and he already wanted to make sure she was safe.
No. That’s controlling. And not healthy. Just another Bryan in the making.
She crossed her arms. Somehow in a matter of days, Caleb had worked his way into her heart. That needed to stop.
She tightened the hold on her bag.
As they walked through the hallway students waved at Caleb and a couple of guys exchanged high fives with him. A group of teens started to clap when they passed.
“Mr. Beck, I have you for fourth period. Can we play that game in study hall again?”
“We’ll talk about it then.” Caleb laughed and stopped to joke with some of the students.
Paige kept walking. She should focus her attention on going over her lesson plan one last time and not on how good Caleb Beck looked clean shaven, how he smelled like home, or how much the people in this town loved him.
All those thoughts were far too dangerous.
* * *
“All right.” Caleb stepped away from the podium in front of his classroom. The students sat in pairs behind large black lab tables. He breathed a silent prayer that what he taught them in class would reveal God to them in tangible ways. Goose Harbor High was a public school, but Caleb believed all truth pointed to God.
“I know that bell’s going to ring and you all want to head home, but humor me for these last few minutes. Let’s brainstorm a list of ways science is part of our daily lives.” He rolled up his sleeve and grabbed a marker for the whiteboard. “Think of ways that science influenced something you did over the summer.”
“Can you give us an example?” A boy yawned in the back row.
Caleb set down the marker and instead pulled up a stool and sat down. “Sure. Here’s one. I had a camping trip planned over the Fourth of July, but as you all probably remember, we had rain that flooded the area. So, because of the weather I had to change my plans. That’s science. Those cell phones you’re all texting on behind your desks as if you don’t think I notice—that’s science, too. The technology.”
A couple of students looked up from their phones.
“How about when my mom burned my breakfast this morning so I had to grab a Pop-Tart on the way out the door?” The boy in the back row grinned.
Caleb nodded. “Science.”
“I made out with a girl at summer camp and got mono,” another student offered.
The class erupted in laughter.
“Science...and hopefully lesson learned.” Caleb stood as the bell sounded. Students grabbed their bags and started to make for the door. “We’ll talk
more about this next time, but for tonight everyone write a paragraph about how science affected you in some way this past week.”
Caleb stuffed papers into his messenger bag and locked up his room. Normally he’d stay around for an hour after school in case a student wanted to talk, but no one would need help on the first day. Besides, tonight some of the volunteers at Sarah’s Home were meeting to clean up the building and get it ready for the nonprofit to open its doors for the school season.
Caleb took calculated steps down the hall, because he knew he’d have to walk past Amy’s office. For everything in the world, he didn’t want his boots to squeak on the linoleum floor as he passed by her. Just after her thirty-fifth birthday it seemed like the primal instinct to marry had overpowered her rational work behavior. Caleb couldn’t put his finger on it, but somewhere along the line Amy decided that he was the man for her. The other guys mocked him unmercifully. They harped on the fact that Amy had years on him and consequently dubbed him “cougar bait.”
He hated it all. Hated how embarrassed he got, and hated that she didn’t pick up on any of his hints. A lot of men would have considered her attractive. Gorgeous, even. He wasn’t blind, just not interested.
His shoe caught on a rug between doorways and made a thumping flat tire sound. It was instantly followed by the click, click, click of high heels. Caleb released a hiss of breath and shot up a quick prayer for patience.
“Hey there, handsome!” She wore all red today. Red, tailored suit coat with matching pencil skirt and even redder pumps. Her was face made up, her hair curled and fixed in place. Amy was the kind of woman who was always chomping on gum.
“Why didn’t you stop in and say hi?” she gushed, her hand cupping his elbow. “Oh, no! Caleb, you have marker on your shirt.” She ran her hands up his arms and down his chest, pretending to check for more. “If you want I can wash it for you. I know just the thing to get out a stain like that.” She rested both hands on his chest, a look of concern plastered on her upturned face.
Just then, Paige and Bree walked by. They both looked right at Amy’s hands resting on him. Why now? For some reason Paige’s opinion mattered. She’d been the first person to go toe-to-toe with him in the past two years. His friends in Goose Harbor had coddled him after what happened to Sarah. Hopefully Paige wouldn’t do the same now that she knew the details.
What must she think of his exchange with Amy? Caleb sure didn’t want any of the women thinking he was willing to lead Amy on.
He stepped back, took Amy’s wrists and set her hands back alongside her body. “It’ll wash out.”
“Oh, don’t mind me. I’m just trying to help a clueless bachelor.” Amy leaned toward him, lips puckered.
“Widower.” He took a deep breath. Be kind. “Anyway, thanks for the offer, but I have Shelby if I need help. Speaking of which, I actually have to head home. You have a great evening.”
He ducked out of her reach and kept his head down until he arrived at the parking lot. Caleb sank into the driver’s seat and rubbed his thumbs back and forth over the steering wheel. Should he go back in and find Paige, offer her a ride home again? He’d have to invent a reason....
He put the truck in Reverse but still scanned the lot for a woman with blond hair.
Not outside. Maybe she already left.
Just go home.
Life had become so predictable over the past two years—go to work, go to church, take care of Maggie and Shelby, avoid Amy, try to manage Sarah’s Home—but suddenly Caleb itched for a change.
Chapter Six
Paige hunkered into the seat between Amy and Principal Timmons. Amy narrowed her eyes at Paige and flared her nostrils like it took her every ounce of effort not to start screaming. Her bloodred nails pounded against the table.
Amy leaned closer and in a harsh whisper said, “Exactly what are you doing here?”
If Principal Timmons heard her, he didn’t let on.
Paige gulped. “Only helping today with tryouts.”
“You mean trying to steal another one of my jobs?”
“I didn’t—”
Amy grabbed her clipboard and rounded the table to face the girls waiting to try out. “There will be two fifteen-minute scrimmage matches and then we’ll be done. Make sure your number is fixed to your back and that it matches the form you filled out. There will be three of us walking around taking notes and weighing in on who will make the team this year, so don’t come crying to me if you don’t make the list.”
Timmons nudged Paige, his eyebrows raised as if to say, see.
Amy split the girls into teams and blew her whistle to signal the start of the first match. All three judges paced around the gym. Paige carried a pad of paper and scribbled notes, praying she made the right choices. Making the team had meant so much to her in high school and college. But a few of these girls wouldn’t feel that elation; instead, they’d rush to the team posting next week and leave in tears. She didn’t like thinking about that aspect of the responsibility.
At the end of tryouts, Paige handed her notes to the principal. “That’s it, then.”
He scanned her ranking of the girls and nodded. “Thank you for taking part in this on such short notice. I appreciate your input.” Timmons tucked the papers away. “Do you need directions to get to Sarah’s Home tonight?”
She paused. “Sarah’s Home—has it opened already? Why didn’t I hear anything?”
Timmons shoved his hands in his suit coat pockets. “Caleb sent an email out about meeting tonight to clean the building since it’s been locked for most of the summer. So I guess that means you’re not on the mailing list yet.”
Paige fisted her hands. She wanted to shake Caleb for not telling her. Oh, he’d hear about this when she saw him later. Only earlier today she’d considered him such a nice guy, so much that she’d warned herself not to be attracted to him.
What a joke.
He knew she wanted to be involved and hadn’t said a word when he drove her to school that morning. The nerve of that man! He had the whole look-like-the-innocent-sheep-but-be-the-tick-on-it act down—or something.
She pulled up the notes app on her phone and entered in the time and directions to Sarah’s Home from Principal Timmons and assured him she could drive there herself.
Lenny the Leech sat on a plastic chair with his legs propped up near the main entrance. Not what she wanted to deal with right now. On edge because Caleb didn’t tell her about the gathering tonight, she might snap at poor Lenny for nothing other than him being there. Paige wanted to go home, change and have an hour to unwind before heading to Brookside. Her temper needed to dissipate before she arrived at Sarah’s Home. If only she had time for a jog. Not today.
She veered toward the doors that led back into the school hallways; she’d just take the long way out and avoid Lenny altogether.
“Miss Windom!” A girl with a long black braid chased after her. When Paige stopped and turned back around, the girl puffed as she caught her breath. “I’m Tammie. I’m in your second period class.”
“I remember you.” Paige smiled. The girl had raised her hand to answer almost every question. She’d also aced the quiz on the books covered in the school’s required summer reading program.
“I just wanted to tell you that I loved what you said about that Robert Frost poem. I’ve been thinking about it all day, and I think you’ve helped me choose what to do after graduation.” Tammie jumped up and down.
Paige’s eyes went wide. “Really?” Teaching always amazed her. The impact she could have through words without even realizing it was happening made her want to rethink everything she said and did. Once a teacher, students watched her actions. She needed to remember that.
“Yeah, that thing about taking the less-traveled path, it finally helped
me make the decision to go on a long-term mission trip after graduation instead of going straight to college. I’ve been wanting to but was never brave enough to actually say it. I called my parents after school and they’re totally supportive. I don’t know what I was so afraid of, after all.” She lunged to hug Paige.
Paige laughed and hugged her back, welcoming the human contact. “I’m glad it was helpful.”
“You’re cool, Miss W.” Tammie flipped her hair over her shoulder. “I’m glad they picked you for the position.”
“Me, too.” Paige winked at her.
Tammie hugged a textbook to her stomach. “Okay, but there’s one more thing. Are you going to the Barn Dance?”
No, because a raccoon with rabies could best her on the dance floor. “I haven’t heard anything about a Barn Dance.”
“It’s tradition. At the end of the first month of class, the school holds the annual Barn Dance, and the teachers chaperone it. Tell me you’ll be there. I don’t like to do stuff like that, but if you go, I’ll go.”
“Well.” Paige looped her hand on her bag strap. “How about I promise to think about it?”
“Okay, but if that’s the case, then I promise to hound you about it every day until you say you’re going.” Tammie walked backward down the hall so she was still facing Paige.
“Deal.” Paige shook her head good-naturedly. Hopefully Tammie would forget to badger her about the dance, and Paige wouldn’t have to find an excuse to not go.
After leaving home, Paige made a promise to herself to learn new things. Despite the few years she’d worked in the inner city, for the most part Paige had grown up sheltered and with so many chores taken care of by hired help. Cooking and cleaning were high on her must-learn list. Dancing, however, was not.
Tammie joined her friends and left while Paige gathered her bags again and headed for the side entrance. Amy fell into step beside her. Where did she even come from?
Love Inspired August 2014 – Bundle 1 of 2 Page 50