by Coleen Kwan
…
“Would you like a cup of coffee before I go to church?” Beatrice Simpson poked her head into the bathroom where Caleb was busy prying cracked tiles from the walls.
“No, thanks, Mrs. Simpson,” Caleb said. “You go on ahead.”
“I’m so glad I’ve got you fixing my bathroom. You’re the only one I trust with my house.”
Caleb had first renovated the widow’s house years ago. It had been one of his first contracting jobs, and ever since then she’d been a regular client. Retiling her bathroom was only a minor job and wouldn’t take more than a couple of days. He didn’t do small jobs like this anymore, except for a few favorite clients like Beatrice.
“All right, then.” Beatrice fastened her straw hat with its sprig of violets to her head. “I’m off. I’ve left a plate of cookies for you in the kitchen. Please help yourself whenever you like.”
“Have a good time at church, Mrs. Simpson.”
“Yes. I hope Edna isn’t on the organ this week. Her timing is always off. Wreaks havoc with the singing, you know.”
Alone now, Caleb cleared the rest of the tiles then stood up for a break. Lily Baker should be here soon. Her barrette was sitting safely in his jacket. He’d spent a lot of time thinking about Lily and what she’d said to him last night. Finding her barrette in the parking lot after she’d left and he was about to drive away was nothing short of a miracle. What were the chances of that happening? Even a super-practical man like him couldn’t be blamed for taking that as an auspicious omen.
There was a tap at the front door. He wiped his hands on a rag, surprised by the anticipation rising in him.
“Hi, Lily,” he said when he swung the door open and saw her on the porch. “Come in.”
“Hi.” She stepped in gingerly, like a cat entering a new house. Her pallid face still bore a few smudges of makeup from yesterday. She wore a denim skirt and a vest made from what looked like scraps of men’s ties. Beneath her straggling curls, her chestnut eyes were big and wary.
“I’m doing a small job for Beatrice Simpson. She’s not here, but she left me a plate of cookies in the kitchen.” He led the way to the plain, neat kitchen and picked up the plate. “I’ve got a thermos of coffee in my truck. Want to take a break with me?”
“Sure.” Lily fiddled with her earring, this one a bright orange crescent dotted with silver beads. “You do have my barrette, don’t you?” she asked anxiously.
“Yup. It’s in my truck as well.”
They walked out to the driveway, where Caleb had parked his pickup truck. He lifted his jacket from the passenger seat, pulled out the barrette, and handed it to her. Lily took it reverently with both hands and gazed at it for a few moments before pressing it to her lips.
“Oh, thank you,” she said with feeling. “You’re a lifesaver. I was so panicky when I realized it wasn’t in my hair this morning. I turned my place upside down searching for it. I thought I’d lost it forever.” Her voice trembled as if the thought was too much to bear.
“I’m glad I could help.” He picked up his thermos and started to pour coffee into two mugs.
Lily was still studying her barrette. “My mom gave this to me before she passed away,” she murmured. “That was more than sixteen years ago, but I feel like she’s still with me.” She clipped the barrette into her hair and smiled, her face finally relaxing. “That feels so much better.”
Caleb found himself casting an assessing gaze over Lily. She definitely wasn’t the type of woman he usually went for, but Lily was unusual; she didn’t fit into any typical stereotype. For instance, none of the women he knew would wear a vest made from men’s ties. The clash of patterns and colors was so arresting that it took a while for him to notice that the vest fit snugly over her curvy chest, emphasizing her small waist. He pulled his gaze elsewhere, feeling guilty for checking her out so long.
“It suits you.” He passed her one of the mugs and offered her the plate of cookies. As he gulped a mouthful of coffee, he debated how to bring up the subject he so badly wanted to talk about.
Fortunately, Lily gave him an opening. “So do you work for someone?” she asked, waving a cookie at Beatrice Simpson’s house.
“No, I’ve got my own contracting business. Nowhere near as big as your dad’s, of course. Most of my jobs are out of town. Sometimes I commute, and sometimes I stay over and come back home on the weekends. It can be a hard grind, but I’ve built up a good reputation.”
“Must be difficult, being away from family and friends,” she said sympathetically.
Caleb nodded. “It is, which is why in the future I want to spend more time around Pine Falls instead of being away most of the week. Plus, I’m ready to expand my business, take it up to the next level.” He eyed her carefully as he weighed his next words. “I hear your dad is thinking of taking on a junior partner.”
“Yes, he is.” She looked back at him. A few cookie crumbs clung to her wide, full lips. Her brow wrinkled slowly. “So…do you want me to put in a good word for you?”
Caleb shook his head. “I can speak for myself. All I need is a chance to discuss it with your dad. But it seems he’s been inundated with unsolicited offers, so much so that he’s refusing to talk to anyone.”
“Yeah, that sounds like Dad, all right. He’s not one for a lot of chatter, and if he doesn’t want to talk, he just clams up.”
Caleb could attest to that. He’d left messages, visited the office—which was when he’d first bumped into Lily—tried everything to arrange some kind of appointment, but it was like he didn’t exist. “I want you to know I’m not some upstart. I’ve been working in construction for more than a decade, I’ve got good references, and a bank that’s willing to back me. I’ve earned my stripes. I just need a chance to talk to your dad about what I could bring to the table.”
“I see.” Her orange earrings, looking like segments of fruit, bobbed back and forth. Her expression was thoughtful. That was encouraging.
“You’d be doing me a big favor,” he said. “But I don’t expect you to do it for nothing. I think I can help you, too. With your…dating issues.”
“Oh.” She stared down at her shoes, a pink tide rising in her cheeks. “Um, yeah, about that…”
She looked so uncomfortable that he felt bad for resurrecting the subject. “Hey, I understand if you don’t want to—”
“No, actually I do—” She stopped abruptly.
He scrutinized her closely, not wanting to misinterpret her. “We’re talking about the same thing, right? Me being your dating coach?”
“Uh…”
…
Lily shifted her gaze away from Caleb, aware of the blush heating her cheeks. Caleb had made the offer she’d been fearful of asking for herself. Was she prepared to take it? She did need a hot date to take with her to San Francisco in six weeks. But the reunion was just the catalyst to a deeper need within her.
In the neighboring front yard, a family was out enjoying the sunshine. The mom kicked a ball with a young boy, while the dad was keeping a close eye on his baby daughter as she staggered across the grass, a floppy-haired spaniel dancing around her. Yes, Lily thought. She wanted a family of her own. She wanted a man who would steal her breath and make her heart soar, who would wrap his arms around her and promise to be with her through thick and thin, a man she could love and respect all the days of her life.
That was her long-term goal, but for the immediate future she just wanted a decent man she could take to the reunion so she wouldn’t have to admit she’d been lying. Not that she minded being exposed, so much as her friend Maddie taking the blowback for supporting her so enthusiastically and believing in her implicitly. Maddie believed Lily was going to the reunion with a gorgeous, hawt boyfriend, and Lily intended to do everything she could to make that come true.
She pushed an errant curl away. “Before I give my answer, can we first agree on a few ground rules?”
“I’m all for ground rules.”
&nb
sp; “Right, well, the most important rule is that we take this seriously. I don’t want to start anything if you’re not committed.”
“I am serious.” Caleb’s expression grew earnest. “I know you were upset last night, and you were half joking when you asked me to be your dating coach, but I’ve had some time to consider it, and I really do think I could help you.”
He sounded sincere, but she was still wary. “I’m not just looking for a hookup, you understand.”
“Of course. You want a steady boyfriend, a long-term relationship that will lead to marriage and children and the whole enchilada.” He angled his chin at the young family next door. “You want to take your kids to the park on a Sunday afternoon, then drive them home to your two-story Colonial with the picket fence and the climbing roses, cook them dinner, read them stories, and put them to bed. And then you want to snuggle up with your doting husband and a bowl of popcorn while you watch a movie and plan your next vacation to Hawaii. Is that about right?”
It was uncanny how well he could read her. “That’s about exactly right. Do you think I’m asking too much? Being too picky when it comes to dating?”
“No, I don’t think so. You’re being upfront. That’s refreshing. Better than pretending all that stuff isn’t important to you and then getting angry when you don’t receive it.”
She studied him more closely, noting the wry tone of his voice. “You say that like you’ve had experience.”
“You could say that.” He rolled the Thermos cup in his hands as he gazed into the distance between them. “I’ll be honest; when I was younger, I was more self-centered, and I guess I wasn’t very good at reading the signals. I hurt a few women, and I’m not proud of that. I’ve learned now to be up front about expectations before anything gets serious—I’m not a long-term kind of guy.”
He said it with such certainty that it piqued her curiosity. “You’re sure about that, then?”
“As sure as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west.”
Which meant there was more chance of unicorns being real than the two of them ever dating. Sometime last night, possibly after her third glass of wine, she had finally given in and imagined herself on a date with Caleb. He was so effortlessly sexy, so comfortably charismatic, and without a hint of hubris. She was only human, after all, and he’d left a huge impression on her. But now, in the sober light of day, after he’d so emphatically stated his views on relationships, she had to kill off the last vestiges of that daydream. It wasn’t going to happen. She should stick to the business at hand. Which was just as well, because clearly he hadn’t indulged in any wild imaginings about dating her.
“You mentioned wanting to be around Pine Falls more permanently,” she said. “Any particular reason why?”
“My dad recently had a mild stroke. Nothing serious, and he’s recovering well, but I want to stay close by.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. That’s terrible.” Her heart instantly went out to him.
“My sister, Hannah, lives nearby. She’s married to my best friend, Derek, and they have a young daughter. I was with them at the chili festival yesterday. Anyway, Hannah and my stepmom have been doing most of the work taking care of my dad, but I want to be here, not just to do what I can for him, but also to spend more time with him.”
“I’m so sorry. I know what it’s like when a parent is ill.” She wiped a few crumbs from her mouth. “Dad and I pulled through, though. We look out for each other.”
Caleb set his Thermos cup on the hood of his truck and rested his hands on his hips. “So we’re doing this? I can start helping you right away, but you don’t need to set up that meeting with your dad until you’re more comfortable with me.”
She hesitated, glanced at the happy family next-door one last time, then turned to Caleb. “Yes,” she murmured. Then, lifting her head, she repeated more firmly, “Yes, I think I could do with some help in the dating department.”
“Great.” His shoulders relaxed as his eyes danced with enthusiasm.
You’ve got a crush on him, a dour voice inside her said. Aren’t you playing with fire asking him for dating advice?
No, she’d be fine. Crushes were superficial and fleeting and non-serious, and she knew what Caleb was like. Even if by some miracle he was attracted to her, it wouldn’t last.
“Good. Great.” He scratched his jaw. “I should tell you that I’ve never been a dating coach before, but I’m confident I can help you. For starters, I’d never have let you go out with that idiot.”
Lily made a sound that was half snort, half laugh. “That’s good to know. But are you sure you want to do this? You might be biting off more than you can chew. I haven’t had a successful date since… Well, let’s just say it was a long time ago.”
His gaze drifted over her, making her uncomfortably aware of her body. Was he assessing how much of a challenge she’d be?
“I’m sure,” he said easily.
Spoken like a man with confidence. That was what she needed, confidence.
“If you could send me that list of references, that would be great,” she said.
“Of course.”
“And I will be running a credit check on you.”
Surprise showed in his eyes. “That’s very prudent. I like your thoroughness.”
“I’m an accountant. I work for Westcorp Financial Services. It’s my job to be thorough and prudent.”
Caleb tilted his head. “Hmm, smart…creative…and cute. You’re the whole package, Lily. Finding someone for you should be a piece of cake.”
She wasn’t so sure about that, but he seemed to be, so she had nothing to lose, right? Coming to a decision, she held out her right hand to shake. “This is the craziest thing I’ve ever done, but okay. Let’s go for it.”
Chapter Four
“You? Give dating advice to a girl?” Derek Carmichael looked up from his hedge trimmer and chortled. “Is it April Fool’s Day again?”
Caleb punched his best friend in the arm. “It’s not a joke. I’m serious.”
Derek took off his safety glasses to peer at him and gradually sobered up. “Shit, you are. Serious, I mean.”
“Yeah. Can’t you tell?”
Friends since junior high, he and Derek had been through a lot of scrapes together. Judging from Derek’s behavior, Caleb had always assumed they shared the same easy-come-easy-go attitude toward women. But then a couple of years ago, Derek had admitted that he’d been secretly in love with Hannah for years, and the shock of that had almost done Caleb’s head in. He’d said some hasty things, but luckily, he’d recovered from his brain snap. Derek and Hannah were clearly right for each other, and Caleb couldn’t be happier for them.
It was Tuesday morning, and Caleb had stopped by his dad and stepmom’s house, and found Derek already there. He and Derek had spent the past hour doing some much-needed yard work, a task his dad had been restricted from since his stroke.
“Lily Baker, huh?” Derek said as he yanked a few stray branches caught up in the hedge trimmer. “The girl from the chili festival. Does she know your track record on dating? She might change her mind if she knew.”
“She knows I don’t date long-term. But that doesn’t mean I can’t help her.” Caleb gripped the weed whacker and completed trimming the last edge of the lawn. “You finished with the hedge there?”
“Just about.” Derek did one last swipe across the hedge then turned off the trimmer. Together they started walking back to the garage. “So in return Lily’s going to put in a good word for you with her dad?” Derek asked.
“All I’m asking is that she set up a meeting with her dad for me,” Caleb said. “It’s on me to get a shot at that partnership.”
As Derek wound the cord of the hedge trimmer, he aimed a speculative squint at him. “I saw her when you two were dancing. She’s…different, wouldn’t you say?”
A picture of Lily floated into Caleb’s brain. Messy curls the color of chocolate framing a face that was too wide jawed
for conventional beauty. Whiskey brown eyes, sometimes cast downward, at other times crystal clear and sparking with spirit. Bright, dangly earrings made from bits of yarn. Quirky clothing put together in unusual ways, disguising a rather nice, curvy figure, if he had to admit.
“Yeah, she’s different, but good different,” he said.
“So there’s no danger of you forgetting yourself and seducing the poor girl, then?” Derek asked without a hint of sarcasm.
“What? Hell no.” Dumping the weed whacker in the corner of the garage, Caleb ruthlessly censored his brain of any thoughts on Lily’s nice, curvy figure. “She’s not my type, and besides, you know I don’t pull that kind of crap. Lily and I are playing totally different ball games. She’s not interested in a guy like me.”
“Yeah, well, as much as it pains me to inflate your ego, you do have a way with women. I’m just saying be careful, so no one gets hurt.”
“I’ll be extra careful just for you, buddy,” Caleb said drily. Lily had pretty eyes and a sweet smile, but she wanted something he couldn’t give her. He didn’t foresee any problems; Derek was just ragging him.
“All right. But if it happens, well, you might find it’s not so bad committing yourself to one woman.”
Caleb picked up a screw off the floor and flicked it at his pal. “Hey, I’m happy for you and Hannah, but don’t go thinking that sappy stuff works for everyone. I’m immune to it.”
“You’ve been saying that for years, but, you know, it’s okay to change your mind.”
Caleb didn’t reply. He wasn’t going to change his mind on this, no matter what his friends and family said. Through observation and experience, he’d learned how opening up your heart to someone could lead to soul-destroying pain. Some people were strong enough to recover and move on, but he feared he didn’t have that inner resilience. So it was better for him not to enter that maze, in case he was lost in there forever. Some people, like Derek, called him stubborn to a fault; he preferred to see it as self-preservation.
“So when does the matchmaking start?” Derek asked.
