Okay. What if he let himself care about Paige? And what if something terrible happened? It was safer—better—to stay in his house with Shelby and occasionally check on Maggie and add no one else to his list of responsibilities. Although, love wasn’t a responsibility—it was a gift. No one hems and haws over being given a gift.
He stopped in his tracks. Love? He didn’t love Paige—didn’t know her well enough for a claim like that. It had taken him more than ten years of friendship with Sarah to admit to loving her. Love happened slowly. But he couldn’t deny the pull he felt toward Paige.
He needed to get home, change and go for a jog. That was the only possible way to calm his thoughts and refocus on the normal rhythm of his life. He picked up his pace to get home quicker.
Maggie had pressed his buttons, and he needed a reminder that he was better off alone.
* * *
Caleb worked the pen around and around between his fingers.
She showed up at Sarah’s Home, even after he told her she might not want to come with a hurt foot. Paige told him earlier she’d been running on it and everything was healing, but it didn’t stem his worry. The quarters were tight here and she might get stepped on or jostled. What if the cut on her foot started bleeding again or became infected?
Stop controlling other people’s outcomes.
Setting down the pen, he willed his shoulders to relax by rolling them a couple of times. He watched Paige perform a secret handshake with one of the students and high-five the next three in the homework room. She walked without a limp.
Stop worrying. She’s fine. Knowing Paige, she could dance on that foot.
Principal Timmons handed Caleb a stack of note cards. “She’s not half-bad at this, is she?”
“As much as you know I don’t want to, I’m going to have to concede that you were right about her. Paige has a way with these students.” Caleb shuffled through the note cards. “Did you know she’s convinced four of them to apply for college and has helped two of them fill out scholarship paperwork?”
What an amazing woman.
Timmons called for the close of the evening just as Caleb inched closer to where Paige worked at a large table with three of the older teens. She didn’t rush the students out. Instead she finished answering their questions, hugged each one goodbye and stayed to clean up.
Noticing the computers on the edge of the room still glowed, Caleb used turning them off as an excuse to stay in the room with her. For some reason lately, he found himself gravitating to wherever she was. Whether at school functions, around town or at Sarah’s Home—he just ended up in the same room with her.
Man, he was acting like a fifteen-year-old with a crush on the cute new transfer student.
His hand stilled over the computer mouse.
“Do you know his name is Albert?” Paige’s voice was a welcome interruption to his thoughts.
“Who?” Caleb clicked the shutdown button on the last computer before joining her at the table.
“Smalls.” She grinned.
Caleb dropped into a chair. “I’ve known him for four years and he wouldn’t tell me or anyone his name. How’d you get him to do that?”
Paige shrugged. “I went to one of his slam-poetry sessions on Sunday.”
“Alone?” The word sprang out of his mouth before he could stop it.
She narrowed her eyes. “We talked about this, buster. You were going to cut the superman-slash-nosy-old-man business. Remember, it’s God’s job to take care of people.”
He raised his hands in surrender. “Old habit. But do me a favor and tell me if you go again—not for why you’re thinking. I’d actually really like to see Smalls in action.” He gave her a smile he hoped exuded sincerity.
Paige beamed at him, causing his heart to pound against his rib cage like a hyper dog stuck behind a fence.
Okay, he liked Paige. A lot. Suddenly, Principal Timmons’s order to chaperone the Barn Dance didn’t sound all that bad. Not if he could convince Paige to attend with him. Although, he didn’t know her well enough yet to know if she’d like something like that.
Timmons popped his head in the room. “The front door is locked and I’m heading out for the evening.”
They both waved goodbye. Paige started to gather her belongings, piling books and notepads into a canvas bag. Next, she scooped up a couple of jump drives that held a few of the students’ essays for their college applications. She’d offered to take them home to read and edit their work.
Caleb held out his hand to carry her bag. “You’re great with these students.”
Paige slipped on her zip-up hooded sweatshirt and grabbed her car keys. “They’re fun to work with.”
“They can be. Some of our old volunteers left because they said the students were draining or unreachable. But for you it’s second nature. A lot of people who have served here are doing it because they feel like they should, but you were born to do this sort of thing. There’s a difference.”
“How about you, Caleb? Were you born to do this?”
As if his tongue had been coated in peanut butter, it stuck in his mouth.
Did he really care about these students in the same way Paige did?
Sarah had. They’d started Sarah’s Home because she’d wanted it—this had been her passion. Not his. He’d loved seeing his wife excited, but without her, he would have never ended up serving in the capacity he did now.
He enjoyed his students in Goose Harbor and seemed to have a much bigger impact with them than those that filtered in and out of Sarah’s Home. Sure, he mentored students at the nonprofit every year, but when he left Brookside all thoughts of the students here left his mind, as well.
He’d stayed after Sarah’s death to honor her. She would have wanted to see the place continue to flourish. When the mayor threatened to shut Sarah’s Home down, Caleb made it his mission to convince city council otherwise. For Sarah. After he won, he had to stay. How would it have looked if he walked away after that? Staying had been the expected thing, and if there was one thing Caleb could be counted on for, it was to do the expected.
Pursing her lips, Paige studied him. “That wasn’t supposed to be a trick question.”
“I know.” He locked the back door after they walked out. “But I can’t answer it in a way that I’m comfortable with.”
She nodded. “It’s okay not to have all the answers.” Paige eased the bag off his shoulder—her touch like sparklers all over his skin. “Sometimes it’s better that way.”
“Maybe.” He glanced back at the dark building.
Her Mazda chirped, letting him know she was about to leave, but then he felt her hand on his wrist. He looked at her.
Paige’s smile was soft. “What you do here—it’s a good thing, Caleb. Don’t diminish the impact you have—no matter what the reason.” She squeezed his arm before letting go.
He swallowed hard, working up courage. “Do you want to go somewhere together? We could grab some coffee and talk.”
“Not tonight.” She fought back a yawn. “I’m supposed to make a ton of scones for Maggie’s inn. I should have done them early. I’m going to be up so late.”
Long after she left, he stayed, his arms crossed as he leaned against his truck. Should he continue spending his time here? He’d never considered leaving before.
Maybe Sarah’s Home didn’t need him anymore.
* * *
Paige flipped the lights on in Maggie’s kitchen and pulled an apron over her head. She went through the ritual of pulling out flour, eggs, butter. Good for Maggie, taking the night off. If anyone deserved time off, it was her.
Tomorrow at school Paige would kick herself for being up this late, but she’d solve that with copious amounts of coffee.
&nb
sp; She began measuring out ingredients.
Ever since Paige had made a batch of her cranberry white chocolate scones her first week in town for Maggie to serve to tourists staying at her inn, they had become one of the most requested menu items. They were a lot of work to make, but Paige was happy to be able to give back to Maggie in this small way. Hadn’t she opened up her home and her heart to Paige? Maggie offered the branch of friendship when Paige had most needed it. The least Paige could do was bake some of her secret-recipe scones.
“Can I help?” A deep voice only a few feet behind her made her jump.
Paige yelped, twisting around, and collided with Caleb’s rock-hard chest. She really needed to start locking Maggie’s back door. Although, knowing Caleb, he probably had a key to the inn.
“Whoa, careful there.” He wrapped his arms around her so she wouldn’t fall.
Paige’s lungs couldn’t take in enough air as her heart hammered in her ears. It shouldn’t feel so right to be in this man’s arms—but it did. Moving out of his grasp, she silently ordered the butterflies in her stomach to curl up and die.
“Were you looking for Maggie?” Paige edged farther away from him and started chopping frozen butter into her mix. She chanced a glance back at him, which of course was a big mistake.
Stop, Paige! The feeling had to go away. She didn’t want a man in her life. Especially this one—this one that made her believe in a different possibility for the future than the one she had recently imagined. He had no right to smile at her like he was right now. All calm and assuring. It was singularly disarming.
Caleb ran his hand under his collar, working out knots in his neck. “No. I didn’t come for her. I came for you.”
“If you came to distract me, I’m not going to allow it. You hear?” Paige jutted the goopy spoon toward him while she laughed.
“Easy there, Trigger.” He put his hands up in mock surrender. “After you told me about the scones at Sarah’s Home, I figured I’d come by and help. Maybe we can get them done faster if we’re both working. Where does Maggie keep the aprons?”
Paige bit her lip and squinted one eye, assessing him. “Deal. But only if I get to pick out which apron.”
Without waiting for consent, she fished the pink tulip apron out of the drawer and looped it over Caleb’s head. He broke into his brilliant smile.
Where had this Caleb emerged from? The Caleb she’d met a few weeks ago always had a worried brow, not a ready laugh. This joking side of Caleb was a welcome change. Why didn’t he act like this more often?
“Wow. This is quite the apron. Tie it for me?” He turned around for her, and she put a hand on his back. She shouldn’t have been surprised by how firm his muscles were, but she was.
He turned back around, reached behind her, his arm grazing her side, and pulled the bowl closer to stir.
“You’re going to have to do that with your hands soon. It gets a little flaky. Here. Just dump it onto the counter and knead in the chips and cranberries.” Paige demonstrated.
He bumped her out of the way with his hip and took over. “I know a little about working in the kitchen. My mom used to draft me for help all the time when Shelby and I were kids.”
She started another bowl going and adjusted the oven to the right temperature. Turning her own mixture out she began kneading, and then puffed at her hair which slipped into her vision. She chided herself for forgetting to pull it up. Suddenly, Caleb’s fingers, featherlight, were on her face—brushing the hair behind her ears before she could process what was happening.
“Whoops. I promise I was trying to be nice.” The corner of his mouth tipped up. He showed her his doughy hands that must have left a trail of flour all over her face. She grabbed a handful of flour and tossed it at him, but he lunged out of the way, rounding the sink then spinning around—spray faucet in hand to face his opponent.
“Go ahead and try me,” he challenged. “You can’t get out of here without walking past me, and you take one step forward and you’ll get it.”
“Weren’t you supposed to be helping me?”
He raised an eyebrow.
“You wouldn’t spray that in Maggie’s kitchen.”
“Try me.” He grinned.
“Okay, okay. I surrender.” Paige dropped the flour. She managed a defeated smile and went back to kneading.
“Not so quick. While I have you cornered, say you’ll go with me to the Barn Dance tomorrow. And just a hint—” he twirled the spray faucet in his hand “—I’m not taking no for an answer.”
“I don’t know how to square-dance. Aren’t the chaperones supposed to be instructors?” Paige pushed her hair out of her eyes with the back of her hand.
“I’ll teach you. Tomorrow evening. It’ll be fun.”
“I don’t know.” Trying to hide the warmth spreading over her cheeks, she turned away. The chance to spend more time with Caleb—this joking, smiling version of Caleb—made her want to say yes, but she couldn’t dance. A rabid squirrel would have been a better dance partner than her.
He still had the spray faucet in his hand, but his smile dimmed. “You’re cleared by your doctor for your foot, right?”
She nodded. “I’ve already been running on it just fine.”
“Oh. Um.” He hooked the nozzle back on the sink and kept his back to her. “That’s fine if you don’t want to go with me. I just thought...”
Maggie told her he hadn’t asked anyone out on a date since Sarah. Not that being a cochaperone to the Barn Dance counted as a date. But still, if she turned him down for this it could set him back if he did want to start dating women again. An image of Amy rose in her head, and her stomach twisted at the thought of him asking her instead.
Okay, if she was being honest, she wanted to go with Caleb. Very much. If only saying yes didn’t require dancing.
But better to make a fool of herself with him than sit at home wondering all night who he was dancing with besides her. Anyway, Tammie, one of her students, had been bugging her to attend since the volleyball tryouts.
Paige pegged him in the shoulder with a small ball of dough. “Get over here and help me. Looks like I need to wake up early tomorrow and learn some square-dance steps.”
Chapter Twelve
For the sixth time during practice Paige stumbled. Caleb gave a good-natured smile and offered his hand again. Taking it, Paige tried to remember the steps. If only she could will her feet to move correctly.
The song skipped on the old record player Lenny the Leech had set up on a wobbly table in the gym for them. Blue padded mats lined the walls and the smell of old sweat hung in the air. Good thing the Barn Dance wouldn’t be held here tonight.
Every other pair had their dance down pat; only Paige and Caleb still fumbled. And it had nothing to do with Caleb.
Caleb could have expertly taught each step at the Barn Dance.
With a weak smile, Paige looked down and tried to move her feet at the right time, but that only lasted a half a second before treading right on his foot.
“Ouch!” He stopped moving. “Now you might want to try aiming for the left foot next time. That right one’s taken a beating from you already today,” he joked.
Biting her quivering lip, Paige tried to meet his eyes, but she couldn’t fake a smile. This was nothing short of humiliating, and on top of that, she was supposed to teach high-school students these steps tonight.
She shouldn’t have said yes. Caleb should be with someone who matched him better. Hadn’t Principal Timmons called Sarah an irreplaceable woman? Paige had no right entertaining the feelings for him that swirled in her heart. But Caleb’s smile today was infectious, and the way he patiently praised her efforts had made a seed of hope take root in her heart. The way he watched out for her was so different from
the men in her past. As she looked back on the past month, even when he tried to overprotect, he did it in a way that made her feel cherished. Caleb encouraged the best in her.
Yet here she was, probably disappointing him. He’d wanted one evening to have fun at the dance, and she couldn’t even remember the steps.
Caleb reached for her hand, but Paige held up hers to stop him. Pinching the bridge of her nose to stop the rush of tears, she chided herself.
Why was she making such a big deal of this? Yes, she felt foolish because she couldn’t master something so simple. That was partly the reason, but another big part of it was Caleb. In prayer, she’d told God she didn’t want a man in her life right now. Then all of a sudden the right one stood in front of her, reaching out his hand with a slight smile spreading across his face.
“What are you thinking right now? That furled brow doesn’t bode well for us.” Caleb reached over and squeezed her shoulder.
“I...I can’t do this.” Paige hung her head and continued, “I’m not going to get the moves down by tonight. Does Maggie know it already? Wouldn’t you rather dance with her? Everyone knows her, and it won’t be weird that she’s at a school thing. I’ll still come as a chaperone if that’s the issue.”
He didn’t answer right away. Taking his hand from her shoulder he moved it to cup her chin and drew her face up so their eyes locked. He looked intensely at her for a moment. “But I want to dance with you.”
She swallowed hard. “Maybe you should dance with Amy.” Saying the words hurt, but knowing Amy, she could probably do the dances in her sleep.
Caleb’s lips twitched. “Maybe not.”
Paige pulled out of his hold. “You know, it would probably be a good thing for her. She could use a boost. Some of the teens were saying downright mean things about her the other week. So many of the students respect you—if you showed up with her maybe it would make them be kinder to her.” What was wrong with her? Who shoves a good man into the arms of another woman? Evidently Paige Windom.
Love Inspired August 2014 – Bundle 1 of 2 Page 57