by Coleen Kwan
“Of course you do,” Hannah said. “Well? You approached him, I presume?”
“Uh-huh, but I wasn’t fast enough.”
“Oh, that’s too bad. So he’s already chosen a partner?”
“Not yet. I haven’t given up hope, but pestering Bill Baker won’t work. I need a different approach.”
“If there’s anything I can do to help, just let me know,” Hannah said. Her attention was diverted as they neared the first stall and she made a beeline for the rows of glowing red and orange salsa.
Caleb was about to follow her when a flash of pink and yellow caught his attention. Turning, he saw Lily Baker at an adjacent stall, standing next to her date. She was fidgeting with her scarf and earrings, a doubting expression on her face as she glanced at Nick, who was barely paying her any attention. Instead, the guy seemed far more interested in the woman serving at the stall. As Caleb watched, the man picked up one bottle of condiment after another, talking about them in a loud voice to Lily, though he was really looking at the stallholder. The woman made an irritated gesture, then turned away in a huff, which seemed to please Lily’s date.
What was all that about? That Nick guy was really getting on his nerves. Without a second thought, Caleb crossed over to the stall.
“Hey, Lily,” he called out. “Everything okay?”
Lily glanced up at him in total surprise. “Yes, I’m okay.”
Nick’s brows lowered as he recognized Caleb. “Yeah, everything’s fine here,” he muttered as he shuffled closer to Lily.
Ignoring him, Caleb kept his focus on Lily. “If you like, you can join me and my sister for a while.”
Nick’s face tightened. “Look, dude,” he hissed through clenched lips, “I don’t know what your game is, but we’re on a date here, so why don’t you get lost?”
Caleb immediately darted forward, his shoulders tensing, a ready retort on his lips. But before he could let loose, someone tapped him on the arm.
“Come on, Caleb,” Hannah said, gently tugging at his T-shirt. “Come and help me choose a salsa.”
With a final warning glare at Nick, Caleb allowed his sister to lead him away.
“Why were you so mad with that man?” Hannah asked when they were a safe distance away.
He shrugged, not wanting to elaborate about Lily. “He was getting under my skin.”
“Too much chili for you, little brother,” his sister teased. “You’re enough of a hothead without the extra heat.”
“I am what I am.”
“Yes, I’m aware of that. I wish…” She angled her head, her teasing expression receding.
He squinted at her. “What?”
“Nothing.”
“Sis, I know that look on your face. It means you want to tell me something I won’t like.”
“All right,” she said after a brief hesitation. “I do. But later. Right now, let me buy some salsa, will you?”
Caleb allowed the subject to drop. He had enough on his plate, working out how to get Bill Baker on his side without having to worry about whatever unpleasant news his sister was keeping from him.
…
Could this date get any worse? Lily stirred her plastic spoon in the cup of half-melted ice cream. Even the novelty of chili and lime ice cream couldn’t lift her spirits. Across the table, her date sat with his own barely touched cup of ice cream, his gaze shifting restlessly over the people surrounding them.
Lily sat up straighter. She couldn’t let her defeatist attitude win. She had to at least make an effort, even if Nick wasn’t.
“So, Nick,” she said, forcing an upbeat tone. “What do you think of my earrings?” She touched the pink-and-orange crocheted flowers dangling from her ears. “I made them myself.”
Nick cast a distracted glance at her. “My grandma used to make that kind of stuff. We threw it all out when she died.”
Lily bit her lip. Had she stirred up bad memories? Maybe she shouldn’t have mentioned the earrings. Silence fell between them again. Lily racked her brain for something to say. She’d never been great at small talk. Around them, everyone else was chattering away, enjoying the warm summer evening, the tasty food and drink, and the live country-and-western music coming from the nearby stage.
“Uh, this band’s good, don’t you think?” she tried again.
“Sure.”
Lily drew patterns in her ice cream with her spoon. “You play the guitar, right?”
The look he gave her this time was baffled. “What made you think that?”
“Your profile on eCherish. It listed all your interests, your likes and dislikes.” She paused, an uneasy feeling pushing through her awkwardness. “You didn’t make that up, did you?”
He shrugged. “Everyone likes to make themselves look good, don’t they?”
The answer disturbed her. Yes, she’d wanted to make a good first impression on eCherish, but not to the extent of lying. And what had Nick not told her?
He didn’t seem at all aware of her discomfort. He was scanning the crowd again, paying scant attention to her. All at once, his head stiffened and he sat up. “You want to dance?”
Flummoxed by his abrupt question, she gaped at him. He didn’t wait, grabbing her hand and pulling her to her feet. Too surprised to protest, Lily allowed him to lead her to the small space in front of the stage where a few couples were dancing. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he proceeded to shuffle her across the floor.
Well, this was unexpected. She’d thought Nick had lost interest in her ever since he’d tried to talk to that vendor, but maybe he was just nervous, like her, and didn’t know how to express himself. He seemed on edge, his attention fixed on something or someone in the surrounding crowd. As they twirled around, she caught a glimpse of Caleb Willmett sitting at a nearby table with a couple and a toddler. He was looking at her, she realized with a start, and as their eyes met he raised his cup of beer to her and flashed her a quick, reassuring grin.
Returning the smile, she stumbled over Nick’s feet and almost sent them both tumbling. He muttered something under his breath.
“Sorry,” Lily apologized. “I’m out of practice.”
“She can’t do this to me,” Nick sputtered. “After everything I did for her. She just can’t.”
“Excuse me?” Lily pulled back a little to look at her date. “Are you talking about me?”
“I should’ve known this wouldn’t work. Not with you.” His glassy eyes focused on her for a brief moment. “You just can’t cut it, I’m afraid. Especially not with those wacky earrings and scarf.”
“What do you mean?”
“I wanted to make her jealous. But it’s not working out.”
Lily’s stomach fell. “Make who jealous? The—the woman at the condiment stall?”
They had stopped dancing. Around them, couples swayed and twirled to the music. Nick’s fingers were digging painfully into her waist. Sweat glazed his face.
“I’ll get her back. I’ll show her she made a big mistake.”
Lily clenched her jaw. “I think I’ve just made a big mistake.”
He blinked at her, clearly not seeing her at all. And then, without another word, he jerked away from her, turned, and scurried off as if he’d just found out she was contagious.
The singer lifted his voice as the song hit the chorus. Lights dazed her eyes. She wanted to move, to run away, but it seemed like she was surrounded by cheerful, dancing couples, trapped in her own private hell.
Chapter Two
Caleb was the first to admit he wasn’t great at the whole dating thing. These days he went to great pains to avoid it, after a few attempts that had underscored his belief that he wasn’t good at relationships. Some ex-girlfriends had accused him of being closed off, heartless even, and he wouldn’t argue that he’d given them reason. But even they couldn’t say he’d ever left a woman stranded on the dance floor, like Nick had just done with Lily.
She stood there, alone in the circle of dancers, looking stunned a
nd confused, her crocheted scarf trailing down her shoulder, her hair coming loose. A deer in the headlights couldn’t have looked more vulnerable.
Hold your head high and walk away, he silently urged her, but she seemed rooted to the spot, stuck there by that doggone singer yowling on about fricking love.
Caleb was on his feet before he knew what he was doing. He pushed through the dancers and planted himself in front of Lily. He meant to lead her off the dance floor, away from the spotlight, but something in her frozen expression made him change his mind.
“Mind if I cut in?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said, then shook her head at herself. “I mean no. I don’t mind.”
He replaced her scarf safely around her neck, took her into his arms, and launched them into the rhythm of the song.
Despite the warm evening, her hand was cool in his. She shivered, but then he felt her body softening just a little against his. Her footsteps faltered a few times before she caught up with him, allowing him to steer her around the crowded dance floor.
Why had the jerk abandoned her like that? What had he said to her? The questions nagged at him, but he had enough sense to keep his trap shut.
The song ended, and the dancers and audience broke out in applause. Amid the clapping, Lily stepped back from him.
“Thank you,” she said. Her face was grave, her voice flat. “I’m going home now.”
“I’ll walk you to your car.”
“No.” She shook her head quickly, backing away. “Goodbye.”
He’d barely said good night before she turned and threaded her way through the crowd, disappearing in a few seconds. He returned to his table. His sister and niece weren’t there, but Derek shot him a look laden with curiosity.
“Who was that?”
“Lily Baker.” Caleb downed a slug of beer as he wondered whether he should have insisted on seeing her to her car.
“Are you into her?”
“Of course not. I’m not into anyone. You know that.”
“Right. Plenty of pretty girls here tonight.” Derek waved at the people around them. “Some of them even flirted with you, but you didn’t ask any of them to dance.”
“I’m a lazy guy.”
“No, you’re not.”
Caleb shrugged. “Look, you know what I’m like.”
Though he’d had reservations at the time, he was happy that Derek and Hannah had gotten together. Caleb wasn’t anti-relationships; he just knew that he wasn’t made for one. He’d seen the carnage that misplaced love could bring, first when his mom had deserted his dad and dumped their family like yesterday’s garbage without a second thought, and then through his sister’s first marriage that had scarred her so badly she’d been reluctant to risk her heart again. And then there were the girlfriends Caleb had hurt when they’d assumed he was in it for the long haul, contrary to his views. He’d never envisioned marriage or children in his future, no matter how nice the girl. He’d learned his lesson the hard way. He liked women, liked them a lot. But he made sure the women he went out with these days knew it didn’t mean anything serious. It saved a lot of heartache in the long run.
Derek wasn’t looking too happy.
“Besides,” Caleb said with some vague notion of reassuring his friend, “I’m too busy at the moment, trying to tee up a more permanent job in Pine Falls.”
Derek inclined his head toward the dance floor. “Lily Baker, you said. Any relation to Bill Baker?”
“She’s his daughter.”
“Well, then, there’s your chance. If she put in a good word for you, her dad might take another look at you.”
Caleb frowned into his beer. “I don’t know her well enough to ask that kind of favor.”
“Worth a try, though, don’t you think? You’ve worked damn hard building up your skills, and you’re full of good ideas. You’d be a great junior partner for Baker Construction. Plus, it would be awesome to have you around more often. And of course your dad would love it.”
Caleb heaved a quiet sigh. He couldn’t deny that partnering with Bill Baker would solve a lot of his problems as well as buoy his career. He hadn’t always been so future-focused. When he was younger, he’d been happy to go with the flow, working hard, partying harder. But he was too old for that now. At twenty-nine, he knew the direction his life should take, and he was prepared to go the extra mile to get there. But he couldn’t see himself pestering Lily to give him a personal reference. Besides, she must be long gone by now. He didn’t have her phone number or any idea where she lived. Pine Falls wasn’t a big town, but it was big enough that he likely wouldn’t bump into her for a while, if ever. Seeing her today had been a rare coincidence, and one he should soon forget.
…
Lily’s cell phone told her it was almost nine, which meant she’d been sitting here for more than an hour. No wonder her butt was going numb. She shifted around in the driver’s seat and scowled at the fire-engine red SUV that was blocking her access and preventing her from driving home. She could have noted the license plate and asked an organizer at the chili festival to make an announcement over the PA, but that would mean she’d have to go back into the park, and at the moment she was feeling too raw to face anyone again. Besides, it wasn’t that uncomfortable sitting in Kermit, and if she went home all she’d do was break out the emergency tub of Ben and Jerry’s.
Thinking of ice cream reminded her of the chili and lime confection she’d been eating just before Nick had suddenly grabbed her hand and towed her onto the dance floor. Grimacing, she shut her eyes, wishing away the memory.
A tap on her window jolted her back to the present. For the second time that day she found herself looking up at Caleb Willmett’s concerned face. Her stomach muscles tightened, and she had to make an effort to compose herself before she could wind down the window.
“You’ve been blocked in,” he said.
“Yeah.” She hesitated. “I can’t be bothered searching for the driver. The festival ends soon, so I’m sure I won’t have to wait too much longer.”
Caleb nodded. After a short pause, he said, “Why don’t I wait with you?”
Was he feeling sorry for her? Dumped on the dance floor and now trapped and alone in the parking lot. She frowned, annoyed at the pathetic picture her imagination had conjured. But if she was honest, she wouldn’t mind Caleb’s company.
“If you like,” she answered warily.
He walked around her car and opened the passenger door. The car listed as he settled his large frame into the seat. Kermit was the perfect size for her, but Caleb filled the interior. His knees butted up against the dashboard, his head brushed against the roof, while his broad shoulders were practically touching hers. He was carrying a small paper bag, which he proceeded to open.
“Chocolate. Sea salt and chili powder,” he said, unwrapping a large bar of candy and breaking it into pieces. “Love the stuff. Try some.”
He laid the broken up chocolate on the dashboard. She took a piece and tasted it. The sweet chocolate soothed her, but the piney, masculine scent emanating from Caleb stirred uncomfortable feelings in her.
She took a breath, wondering if she’d made a mistake letting him sit with her. She was still feeling bruised after what Nick had done to her, and she knew Caleb was thinking about the incident, too. There was no avoiding the elephant in the car, so she may as well bring it up first, if only to show that it didn’t bother her anymore.
“Well,” she said, hoping she sounded nonchalant, “according to my dating index, on a scale from one to ten, that date scored maybe a one-point-five, possibly one.”
Caleb’s eyebrows rose. “You mean he actually gets a positive score?”
“He did show up.”
“That’s really a minus in my book.”
“Yeah, maybe you’re right. He’s a minus five.”
Caleb twisted in his seat to face her, his large, blunt hand spread on his knee. “So, mind if I ask why he was such a jerk on the dance floor?�
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Lowering her gaze, she fidgeted with her scarf. “Well, it seems the only reason he agreed to the date was an attempt to make his ex-girlfriend jealous. She was one of the vendors at the festival. In the middle of the dance, he realized I wasn’t right for the job, so to speak, and was so disappointed, he left.”
Caleb swore under his breath. “That is seriously screwed up. Whoever set you up with that guy needs to be told off.”
Lily nibbled on her lower lip before deciding to tell him the truth. “Actually, I met him on a dating site, eCherish. It was my first date through them.” She sighed. “I suppose I should’ve known better.”
“Hey, don’t blame yourself. A dating site is only as good as the people who sign up.”
“I bet you’ve never used a dating site before,” she said.
“Can’t say I have.” His full lips tilted into a lazy grin. “But that’s not to say I haven’t had a few dud dates in my time.”
“Oh yeah?” Somehow she was starting to feel better already. “I think you and I might have different ideas of what constitutes a dud date.”
“Well, one time I took a woman out for dinner to a steakhouse, and she complained about me wearing a plaid shirt. I mean, come on. It wasn’t the country club; it was Ribs n’ Roast.”
“Is that all you’ve got? I once went out with a guy who shoplifted a box of candy for me right in front of my very eyes. He thought it was romantic!”
Amusement sparkled in Caleb’s face. “All right, I gotta admit that’s pretty rough.” He leaned forward. “How about this? It was a first date with a woman I’d known for about a month. We had a couple of drinks and a pleasant chat. I thought she was nice, but a little intense. A few hours later, a friend of mine showed me her Facebook profile. She’d changed her status to ‘in a relationship’ and already uploaded a photo of me, calling me her new boyfriend. I don’t appreciate that kind of manipulation.”
