Our Chance (Lake Placid Series Book 3)

by Natalie Ann

  “Do you need something? Aspirin, maybe?”

  Okay, that was sweet. Funny, but still sweet. “No, I’m good. Let’s have a seat and I’ll tell you a story.”

  He snorted. “A story?”

  “Yep. Life is all about stories, Caleb. Good, bad, boring, sad. We’re faced with a story every minute of our lives and can rewrite the endings however we like. Most times…”

  “I’ll take your word for it.”

  When he sat on the couch, she went over and sat next to him, placed her head on his shoulder and snuggled in to get comfortable. The heat of his body, and the power and strength behind him gave her the courage to go on. His easy acceptance of her right now didn’t hurt either.

  “Once upon a time there was a young married couple named Ginger and Tom.”

  “Did she have red hair?” he asked.

  “Not naturally, but don’t tell her I said so.” She paused and took a deep breath. “They wanted a large family and started trying right away. Unfortunately, life didn’t work the way they planned.”

  “Not a good story then?” he asked.

  “At that time, no, but they made the best of it—rewrote their ending, you could say. On their tenth wedding anniversary, they went to Bali to relax and recharge. To stop worrying about having children so much. Plus, Ginger had read all about sexual practices over there and magical places that helped women conceive. She wanted to give it the old college try.”

  “Really, Celeste. I know you’re talking about your parents, so that’s just a little creepy.”

  “You are so much like Cole it’s not even funny.”

  “Now you’re insulting me.”

  She liked that he teased her. It was a side she never expected to see from him.

  “Sorry, but it’s true. Anyway. Back to their magical vacation. When they returned home they were shocked to find it had really worked and Ginger and Tom were expecting.”

  “Why can’t you say ‘my parents’?”

  She poked him in the belly with her finger. “Because I’m telling a story. Ginger found out rather quickly there was not just one baby, but two.”

  “You and Cole.”

  “Boy, you’re a smart one.”

  He laughed and kissed her head. She could get used to this.

  “Ginger had a fairly normal pregnancy and all was going good until one day she slipped on the ice and fell. Tom rushed home to get her and brought her right to the hospital. Ginger’s mother, Minnie, was a midwife and met them there.”

  “That would be your grandmother that lived in your B&B?”

  “Right again,” she said.

  “They ran all the normal tests and sent Ginger home, saying there was nothing wrong. Of course, Minnie didn’t believe that. In her heart she knew something wasn’t right, but the doctors wouldn’t listen, and brushed her off. So Ginger and Tom went home that night.”

  “But something happened?” he said, guessing. “This is the bad part of the story.”

  “Yep. Later that night, Ginger started to cramp. Minnie came rushing over just as Ginger started to bleed heavily. Together the three of them went back to the hospital. Ginger went in for an emergency C-Section. It was then they realized that Cole had his arms wrapped about Celeste, covering her almost. Holding on for dear life, you could say.”

  “Why?”

  “Because the placenta attached to Celeste had broken away during the fall, which was causing the bleeding. Even in the womb, Cole held her tight. How or why he knew enough to, who knows, but the doctors said that saved her. You see, Cole was much bigger, weighing in at almost four pounds, where Celeste was barely two pounds. Did I mention the babies were seven weeks early?”

  “No, you didn’t. So you—” She poked him in the side, and he sighed. “Celeste was a preemie.”

  “She was, along with Cole, obviously. They worried she wasn’t going to make it and would have all sorts of health and developmental issues, but lo and behold, everything turned out just swanky.”

  “Swanky, huh? So that’s the good part of the story, then?”

  “It is,” she said smiling up at him. “So maybe next time you could tell me a story? You know, switch it up a little?”

  He looked at her, held her stare, and she thought for sure he was going to say no. Instead he said, “I’ll have to think about it.”

  She slapped her hands on her thighs and stood up. “That’s a good enough answer for now. Why don’t we go bring your rental back and I’ll leave you alone for the rest of the day?”

  “Then I’ll deal with that toilet,” he said, holding her stare.

  ***

  On the way to the car rental place, Caleb played the story back in his mind. Something wasn’t right with what she said.

  Sure, he believed all of that happened and it was a miracle she was alive and well. But why wasn’t Cole classified the same as her? He was born early and had to have had the same concerns as a baby, too. Why was just Celeste referred to as the miracle?

  He was sure he could find out if he asked anyone in town, but he wouldn’t do that. Not to mention that he’d have to talk to people, which he didn’t want to.

  She wanted a story from him. He wasn’t sure he could do it. Maybe if he said it the same way she did, it would be easier. To not make it personal but tell it in the third person.

  Was that why she did it? Hoping it would give him an opportunity to try it?

  Either way, he had to decide what he was going to say—if anything.

  Yeah, he felt like a part of himself was coming back from the past, but that didn’t mean he was ready to step into the light fully again. It was too hard and he knew it would hurt too much. The dark wasn’t that lonely of a place, was it?

  Although, going home hadn’t hurt nearly as much as he thought it would. Was his mother right, did he find the right place here? Or was it the right person?

  No, too soon to think that.

  He pulled in the rental car parking lot behind Celeste and together they went to return the car, leaving Sparky in the truck. When they came back, Sparky jumped in the back without being asked.

  “So,” he said. “Why isn’t Cole referred to as a miracle, too?”

  “What do you mean?” she asked, looking at him quickly.

  “Everyone says you’re the miracle, not him. Why not both of you?”

  She took a deep breath and said, “Well, that miracle is a story for another time.”

  He had a feeling he wouldn’t be hearing about it until he told his own story. And surprisingly, right now, he realized he desperately wanted to.

  Nothing Wrong

  Another week went by, and Caleb was surprised he actually noticed it. That he realized what day it was and how much time had passed since he’d been with Celeste.

  Normally his days consisted of work and time on the water or with Sparky. He never had much to look forward to. Yeah, that was pathetic, but his past several years would probably be classified as a pathetic life for many.

  For him, it was survival.

  If he wasn’t working on a new app, then he was working on his house. His time, his way and no worries.

  Somehow in the last several weeks, he’d begun looking at life differently.

  He wouldn’t say he was happy, but he wasn’t depressed either. Content maybe. And really, what was wrong with being content?

  He hesitated for a minute and finally gave in, picking up the phone and flipping through his contacts.

  It rang twice before he heard, “Caleb? What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing, Mom.”

  There was some silence on the other end. “Are you sure?”

  He frowned, and then wished he never made the call to begin with. “Yes, why?”

  “Because you just called me! You never call me. Ever. Not unless I threaten bodily harm. Hell, you hardly even answer my calls, let alone my emails.”

  “Maybe I wanted to hear your voice,” he said, teasing her.

  She snorted and he
expected no less. “Are you sure there’s nothing wrong?”

  “I’m positive. Geez, I’m not allowed to call my mother and say hi?”

  More silence on the other end. Then he heard his father’s muffled voice and his mother answer his father, “He says nothing is wrong.”

  He waited a few seconds and asked, “How’s Corrine doing?”

  “She’s good. She’s back to getting ready for the school year. The doctors have cleared her but told her to take it easy. She’s got one of those watches that monitors her heart rate all day and Guy is keeping an eye on her.”

  “What brand of watch is it?”

  “How would I know that, Caleb?” his mother asked, laughing.

  “If Guy can monitor it then so can I.”

  Again with the silence. “I’m not getting in the middle of that. If you want that information, then you can call your sister and talk to her about it.”

  “Maybe I will,” he said. Or maybe not. He wasn’t sure he had it in him to go through ‘there’s nothing wrong’ again with his sister if he called. At least right away.

  “Corrine told me you’ve emailed her a few times and sent her a few short texts.”

  “I have. I’m just checking in on her.” He knew his sister would tell their mother.

  “She thinks you’re finally starting to move on with your life. Are you?”

  He hoped. He was just having a hard time getting out of the spot he was in. “Maybe.”

  “She is taking bets it’s a woman.”

  Shit, he didn’t expect that, and didn’t know what to say to it, either.

  “Caleb? Are you still there, Caleb?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Is there a woman?”

  There was no way out of this unless he lied and he hadn’t lied to his parents in years. Avoided them, sure, but outright lied, no.

  “Maybe.”

  “There is no ‘maybe’ when it comes to a woman. Either there is one or there isn’t.”

  “Kind of.”

  “That means yes.” He could hear the excitement in her voice and he fought back the cringe.

  “There’s a woman, but don’t read too much into it. I’m not sure where we are right now.”

  “How long have you been seeing her?”

  “A few weeks, I guess.”

  “You guess? You don’t know how long it’s been since you started dating her?”

  “I don’t know if it’s dating. We’ve had two dates, sort of. Sparky gets out and visits her and I have to go get him.”

  “I knew that dog was going to be the best thing to happen to you. Two wounded souls coming together. That’s what you guys are.”

  He snorted. His mother was sounding like Celeste now. “Whatever you say.”

  “So what’s her name?”

  A bit more hesitation on his part. “Celeste.”

  “It sounds like a spiritual name. Almost angelic.”

  “That fits her.”

  “She must be an angel to put up with you.”

  He wanted to be annoyed at his mother’s laughter but couldn’t. “That’s no way to talk about your son.”

  “If my son talked to me more, maybe I wouldn’t be so harsh at times.”

  He pushed his guilt aside over that comment. “Maybe that’s why I don’t call.”

  “Always were a wise one,” she said.

  “Just like my mother.”

  “Hang on, Caleb. What, Charlie?” He heard the muffled sound of his father in the background. “Your father wants to come out for Thanksgiving.”

  As much as he thought he’d be annoyed over that, he actually wasn’t. He’d expected it at some point once he told them where he was living. “I’m not much of a cook.”

  “We know who will be doing the cooking and it won’t be you. Your father is on his computer buying the plane tickets right now as we speak. Give us your address or we’ll stay in a hotel and ask everyone in the city if they know who you are. We’ll even show your picture around town while we do it.”

  “I wouldn’t put it past you. I’ll email you the address later tonight.” He paused for a second, then said, “Mom?”

  “Yes, Caleb.”

  “I look forward to the visit.”

  “Oh my God, I need to meet this girl.” His mother’s excited voice trailed off, and he held his breath. Then she asked, “Does she know, Caleb?”

  He knew what she was asking, and swallowed past the lump in his throat. “No. We haven’t gotten to that point yet. I’m not sure we will.”

  “You will. You know it and you’re scared and that’s what part of this call was about.”

  He hated that his mother knew him so well, even after all these years.

  “I don’t know,” he said.

  Suddenly his mother asked, “What’s her last name?”

  “I’m going now, Mom,” he said, and hung up the phone before she could weasel it out of him.

  His mother wouldn’t hesitate to try to find Celeste and reach out to her. Sometimes he wished his mother had never discovered the Internet and email. She seemed to think she could just send any old stranger a random message and strike up a conversation.

  He knew he’d set himself up for that when he decided to make the call. Deep down though, he hoped they’d force his hand. For once he was ready to give it a try.

  No, he didn’t want to live closer to his family, or have daily conversations with them either. He still wasn’t that kind of a person. He liked his solitude, but he was finding that he missed the emotional balance his family provided him…even from a distance.

  And since he’d just worked his nerve up to call his mother, there was one more thing he was going to do.

  “Come on, Sparky. We’re going for a visit.”

  They pulled into Celeste’s parking lot and he noticed only one car there. She wasn’t outside, like he’d hoped, so he let Sparky out to run while he walked around toward the back.

  He knocked on the screen door before opening it when he noticed her in the kitchen. Baking no less. Perfect timing.

  “Caleb,” she said, walking up, then kissing him briefly. It was just a hello kiss, but it felt like more. It felt like home and he was shocked to admit that to himself. He’d never felt that spark of welcoming even once in his life.

  “I just thought I’d come for a visit. Hope this isn’t a bad time.”

  “It’s never a bad time.”

  He believed it, especially when her eyes seemed to glow. There was something ethereal about her. Her name really did fit her well.

  Before she could stop him, he reached out and snatched a cookie from the counter.

  “I think you only come for my cookies. Would you like some coffee with it?”

  “If I was only here for your cookies, we’d be in your cabin right now.”

  She laughed. “Oh, I like this side of you, Caleb. If I didn’t have a guest on the property, I might take you up on that.”

  He cleared his throat. He’d only been joking, but now he was seriously considering throwing her over his shoulder and carrying her to her place. Ten minutes, that’s all he’d need. Just a quickie.

  “So if you have guests on site you don’t do anything?”

  “What do you mean by ‘anything’?”

  She continued to drop cookies on a stone while she talked. She had a smooth efficiency that many people would never achieve.

  “Have you ever had a boyfriend before?” He wasn’t sure where that question came from.

  “I have. And if you’re asking if I’ve had sex on my property with guests around, the answer would be yes. But it’s at night when everyone is settled. Do you want to spend the night with me, Caleb?”

  He saw the twinkle in her eyes telling him she was just pulling him right along. Surprisingly, he loved it.

  “If you’re offering…but that wasn’t why I stopped over.”

  She wiped her hands on her apron and walked over to the fridge and poured a glass of lemonade, then grabb
ed a water bottle for him.

  “Why did you stop over?”

  He noticed she glossed over his “if you’re offering” comment.

  “Nick Buchanan is getting married in a month.”

  “I’m aware of that.”

  “Are you invited?” he asked, hoping.

  “No. But it’s a small town and people talk.”

  “Oh. It’s a small affair. Just his family and a few close friends. Mallory doesn’t have any family.”

  “You know this because you were invited?” she asked, guessing.

  “Yeah.”

  “And…”

  She was going to make him ask. He hated going to things like this and he’d planned on passing. He wasn’t worried if he’d offend Nick, though he doubted anything offended the guy.

  Besides, Nick knew how Caleb was. He’d understand.

  “I thought I should go.”

  “And you need me to help you find something to wear,” she said, grinning. “Because you can’t go in shorts and a T-shirt. Or even that one nice pair of pants you had on when you took me to dinner.”

  “Brat,” he said. “I’ve got a suit, don’t worry about that. I’m asking if you’d like to go with me. Can you? I mean, can you take a night off?”

  “Ah, so that is what this is about? Why you asked if I had a boyfriend before?”

  It was. He’d been thinking about it for weeks now. Did she ever get to do anything for herself? It seemed she worked twenty-four seven.

  “Yeah. I guess.”

  She walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. “I’d love to be your date. And yes, I’ve dated men before and had a real life outside of my job, regardless of the fact people think I don’t.”

  “Who’s going to take care of things for you? I mean it’s an early afternoon wedding, going into the night.”

  “I’ve got two people on stand-by who come in and give me a hand. I do take vacations, you know.”

  “Good. Do you think you can give them a call?”

  “I can and I will. I’ll do that right now if you’d like.”