Next Door Knight

by Nicole Flockton

  A sudden cough broke the moment. “Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine. I’ll call Eric.”

  Caleb would’ve pushed Kerry away, but the evidence of how much he desired Ron’s daughter was plain to see and he didn’t feel like sharing that with the man just yet. Although he had no idea if Ron had seen them kissing. But by the smile on his face, Caleb would hazard a guess that he’d gotten an eyeful.

  Kerry wiggled in his hold, so he loosened his arms and let her slip out. He might want to save himself from embarrassment, but no way would he hold a woman against her will.

  “Dad, umm, what are you… Okay, sure, that’s great. Excuse me.” She moved down the hallway, scooping up Willow as she went.

  He couldn’t help tracking her movement, watching the gentle sway of her hips and her legs showcased in her sleep shorts.

  “That’s my daughter you’re ogling there, young man.” Ron’s voice might have been stern, but Caleb could see a hint of acceptance in his gaze.

  “Sorry, sir.” Now he did feel like a teenager. It had been a long time since he’d been chastised for checking out a woman.

  Ron beckoned him. Caleb couldn’t very well ignore the man in his own home.

  “Yes, sir?” he asked when was about a foot away from him.

  “Enough with the sir, Caleb. We’ve long passed that formality in our association, I mean, you’ve had to help me out in some pretty personal situations. But…”

  Here it is. What Ron said was the truth; they had shared things most people didn’t share. “But?”

  “Kerry is my daughter and she’s very precious to me. I don’t know what she’s told you about her past, and it’s not my place to inform you, but she was hurt pretty badly and lost herself for a while. I don’t want to see that happen to her again. I may be incapacitated at the moment, but if you hurt her, I’ll hurt you.”

  Caleb had no doubt the other man would follow through on his threat if he saw reason to.

  “I’ll do my best not to hurt her.” It was the only thing he could say. Life didn’t come with guarantees and he wasn’t one to give them out either.

  Did that make him a bad person? Possibly, but he preferred to think of himself as a realist. He’d seen enough situations during his deployments that didn’t turn out the way people hoped they would.

  Hell, he was on US soil when his life had been turned upside down.

  “I know you have your own demons to deal with and I’ll take your word. But she’s my daughter. She’s all I have left and I won’t lose her again.”

  Any chance for him to question Ron further was lost when Kerry wandered down the hallway toward them.

  “Why are you both still in the hallway?”

  She’d put on yoga pants and a T-shirt. He lamented the loss of seeing her sexy legs, but couldn’t blame her. “I was just getting ready to leave. I’ll be back in an hour and then we can talk about where to go for our da—dinner.”

  “Sounds good.” She walked over to her dad. “Come on, Dad, let’s get you some breakfast. You’ll be able to see yourself out, right, Caleb?” She gripped her father’s wheelchair.

  “Sure, I’ll be in touch.”

  “Sounds good.” She took two steps then turned to look back at him. The small smile he was beginning to long for when he saw her, tugged at the corners of her mouth. “I’m looking forward to our da—dinner.” She winked, and he couldn’t help but laugh at her mimicking him.

  Lightness filled him as he walked out the door.

  Chapter Ten

  Butterflies the size of Willow’s favorite ball filled Kerry’s stomach. Why the hell was she so nervous? It was just dinner. Not a date. Caleb’s avoidance of the word had ensured she got the message.

  They were just two friends going out to dinner. If she had her way, she’d pay for the meal as a way to say thanks for all the help he’d given her over the last few weeks. He’d refused to take any form of payment, said he just wanted to help out.

  Who did that? Who looked after a complete stranger out of the goodness of their heart?

  Caleb Bradshaw, that was who.

  She still didn’t understand why he did it. According to her conversations with Eric at the veterans’ center, Caleb had been keeping to himself, only going to rehab and then out to some social events when Ethan encouraged him to. Eric didn’t mention Caleb’s dating life and she didn’t ask, although she couldn’t deny her curiosity had been piqued.

  Giving herself one last look in the mirror, she caught Willow’s reflection. “What do you think, Will? Do I pass?” She did a little twirl, and the skirt of her sky-blue sundress flared out before settling around her legs.

  Willow barked and wagged her stumpy tail. “I’ll take it as a sign you approve. And I really am losing my mind talking to a dog.”

  “You look beautiful, sweetie. Caleb is going to be knocked over by your vibrancy.”

  Her cheeks heated at the compliment. “You’re supposed to say things like that because you’re my dad, but thank you.”

  He wheeled himself into her room, stopped in front of her and leaned forward, holding out his hand. She grasped it with both of hers.

  “I mean it, Kerry. You look radiant. I haven’t seen you looking this happy for a long time. That Hartigan jerk did a number on you. I wish I’d been able to see what was really going on.”

  Kerry squatted down in front of her father. “Dad, it’s okay. I didn’t even know what was happening to me until I was out of it and had the distance to see how toxic and abusive our relationship was. It’s not your fault, and I don’t blame you. When I needed you, you and Mom were there. I just—” She clamped her lips shut, not wanting to express the thoughts that trailed around her mind on occasion.

  “Just what? Come on, sweetie, you know you can tell me anything and I won’t judge.”

  She kept her gaze fixed on their clasped hands, not wanting to see the disappointment in his eyes. “It’s just, I feel like I disappointed Mom when she learned that Winthorn and I broke up. She liked him a lot and was glad that I was seeing a man who could provide for me.”

  Dad patted her hand. “Look at me, love,” he said quietly.

  Taking a deep breath, she lifted her gaze and tears gathered in her eyes. His love for her was shining from his blue depths.

  “Kerry, I loved your mother with every fiber of my being. I miss her every day, but her views on life and how you should live yours were very old-fashioned, and in today’s current climate, would be looked down on by everyone. She believed you should be looked after so you didn’t have to worry about the financial aspect of a relationship. Perhaps that’s my fault; whenever I tried to talk to her about money, she always said it was my job and she trusted me. It was an honor that she placed that much trust in me, but it came with a burden too.”

  “A burden how?”

  “Well, when we hit a rough patch with my construction company I couldn’t share the troubles with her because I didn’t want to worry her. So I carried the load and continued on my way. If she could’ve really seen how much you’d changed, how much Winthorn had influenced your life, she wouldn’t have been happy. But with her illness and knowing she’d not see you get married or have children, she saw what she wanted to see. And that was you in a settled relationship.”

  Everything her father had just said whirled in Kerry’s mind like a mini tornado. Her mom’s actions made more sense now, but she still couldn’t quite dissolve one small fact.

  “But Winthorn and I ended before she died, Dad. That had to have distressed her.”

  “Kerry, she was in pain at the end and not really aware of what was going on around her. She probably forgot you’d even told her about the breakup. But, sweetie”—he squeezed her hands—“your mom loved you unconditionally. She wouldn’t have been disappointed—she’d have been happy that you got yourself out of a horrid situation.”

  Kerry sniffled and willed the tears in her eyes not to fall. She didn’t have time to redo her makeup. “But I di
dn’t get myself out of it. Winthorn pushed me out. If he hadn’t, I’d still be in my little bubble, not aware of anything.”

  “Don’t sell yourself short. You’d have worked it out. I know you would have.”

  Kerry was glad her father had faith in her, because she didn’t. Even now, she couldn’t help but wonder what her life would’ve been like if Winthorn hadn’t dumped her.

  The doorbell rang and Willow barked enthusiastically while she jumped up and down on her stump legs, as high as the bed would let her.

  “Kerry, Caleb may have some demons—it’s expected after what he must have seen while serving our country—but I believe he’s a good guy. He’s not Winthorn. He won’t try to make you something you’re not.”

  Standing, she scooped Willow from the bed. “I know, Dad. It’s just dinner. Not even a date.”

  Dad laughed. “Right, and I’m not stuck in a wheelchair with two broken legs. Go let him in. Eric said he’d be here in about a half an hour.”

  “Okay, I’m glad he could come over,” she said on her way out the door. She placed Willow on the ground, and she scampered toward the front door. “This dog is 100 percent in love with Caleb.”

  “She’s got good taste. As I said, he’s a good guy.”

  Kerry rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t help but agree with his sentiments. Caleb was a good guy.

  *

  They walked past the restaurant where she worked, and Leanne, the hostess, waved at her. She waved back, stifling a laugh when she spied the hostess fanning herself after pointing to Caleb.

  “You know her?” the man of the hour asked.

  “Yeah, that’s my restaurant.”

  Caleb paused, turned around, and studied the restaurant’s façade. “Mia Tesoro. I’ve heard of this place.”

  “Really, what have you heard?” She placed her hand behind her back, crossing her fingers that he’d heard good things about the restaurant.

  Caleb took hold of her hand and leaned close. Goose bumps pebbled over her skin. “I’ve heard”—he paused and she could hit him for giving it a dramatic twist—“it has an excellent reputation, and one of the managers is super efficient and easy on the eyes.”

  Kerry laughed. “Yes, Jon the manager is very easy on the eyes. Not to mention, as you said, extremely efficient.”

  “I think you’re teasing me,” he returned after a couple of heartbeats of silence.

  “Yes and no. Jon is a good manager, we work well together. He’s also a happily married forty-three-year-old man with three kids.”

  “Good to know. I still maintain the other manager is very easy on the eyes.”

  Heat suffused her face, pleased at his compliment. They continued on their way to the steakhouse on the Riverwalk that they’d decided to eat at.

  “Here we are?”

  A few minutes later they were seated at a table in the upstairs portion of the restaurant overlooking the river.

  Why was she so nervous? It wasn’t like they hadn’t spent time alone together. Although to be fair, Willow had always been around and her dad had been in the other room.

  This nondate was really beginning to feel like a date.

  “Good evening. My name is Lisa and I’ll be your server. Can I get you something to drink?” A rush of relief tempered the butterflies fluttering in her belly.

  “Yes, I’ll have a glass of the house semillon,” Kerry said.

  “I’ll have a glass of lemonade, please.”

  “Certainly, I’ll be back to take your orders momentarily.”

  “Didn’t pick you for a lemonade type of guy. Tea maybe, beer definitely.”

  Caleb picked at the top of the napkin his utensils were wrapped in. “I try to avoid alcohol as much as possible.”

  Kerry mentally kicked herself for her rash comment. One would think that after all the time she’d put in with Willow helping returning servicemen she wouldn’t ask something so insensitive. She reached out and placed her hand over his where it rested on the table. “I’m sorry, Caleb, that was thoughtless of me.”

  He turned his hand over and entwined his fingers with hers and her panic subsided. “I accept your apology. I almost fell into the black alcohol pit after my accident, but I found the strength to grasp the edges and haul my ass out of it.”

  This was the first time he’d made reference to his accident with her. The accident that was, no doubt, the reason for his limp. No matter how curious she was about it all, she wouldn’t question him.

  Hell, she had things she didn’t want to talk about. Everyone kept parts of themselves hidden. Though what she kept hidden wouldn’t be as heroic as Caleb’s.

  “I’m sorry again for bringing it up. But I’m glad you didn’t fall down the pit. So many do. This is why I take Willow down to the center. I know she helps everyone she encounters. And I knew the second I saw her at the rescue home that she was the dog for me.”

  “You rescued Willow? You haven’t had her from a pup?”

  With her free hand she drew circles over the top of Caleb’s hand, pleased he didn’t pull away from her touch. “She was about four months old when I got her so, yeah, she was a pup. But she had the sweetest nature, and I needed that. I’ve only had her for about a year, and I’ve been training her since she was six months old.”

  The waitress returned with their drinks, and they both sat back, breaking the connection between them. They placed their order, but the closeness that had sprung up between them seemed to have disappeared.

  “The service—”

  “Do you—”

  Kerry laughed. “You first,” she said and reached for her wine and took a fortifying sip.

  “I was going to ask if, when you go out to a restaurant now, do you look more closely at the service and food, or do you switch off and just enjoy the evening?”

  She caught a drop of condensation before it dripped to the cloth. “Well, seeing as this is my first dinner since I started working at Mia Tesoro and I haven’t worked in a restaurant until now, I can’t say what I’ll do. But I think I’d like to switch off and enjoy my meal. Whether that will happen or not, only time will tell.”

  “Where did you used to work before?”

  She looked out the window before turning back to him. “This is my first full-time job.”

  “Really? What did you do before?”

  Their meals arrived, halting their conversation, and for that she was grateful. How did she explain she was a thirty-year-old woman who was only just starting her first full-time job? Shame dulled her appetite even though the food smelled delicious.

  “Is everything okay?”

  “What?”

  “You’re looking at your food like there’s something wrong with it. Do you want me to call the server back?”

  Kerry gave herself a mental shake. She was having dinner with a really nice guy. A guy whose kisses curled her toes. She wasn’t going to let thoughts of her prior life bring her down any further. “No, everything’s fine. I was just thinking about something. Doesn’t matter.”

  She picked up her utensils and cut into the steak. The knife slid through it as though it were butter. A burst of pepper exploded on her tongue with the first bite. The meat was cooked to perfection and, even though she said she wasn’t going to, she couldn’t help but compare it to Chef Rocco’s steak dish at her restaurant. Her meal was just as good as Rocco’s. “Wow, this is amazing. How’s yours?” she asked.

  His fork was midway to his mouth, and desire darkened his already dark eyes. An answering heat filled her. She picked up her glass of water, hoping it was still cold enough to douse the fire burning in her.

  She didn’t take her eyes off him as she took a long swallow. His Adam’s apple mimicked her action.

  For endless seconds they stared at each other. She was sure anyone looking at them would be laughing. Her glass was raised and so was his fork, but it was like they’d both been frozen, unable to move.

  “Is everything okay with your meals?” Once a
gain, the waitress broke the spell encasing them both.

  Kerry smiled up at her. “Yes, it’s delicious, thank you.”

  Caleb grunted. Lisa bestowed a smile and, with an if you need anything else edict, left to attend to one of her other tables.

  The next few minutes they didn’t say anything, just concentrated on eating their food. It also gave Kerry time to get her emotions under control. This wasn’t supposed to be happening to her now. Her life was her own. She was in total charge of what she did. How she thought. Whether she wanted to splurge on a new wardrobe or donate a considerable amount to the therapy facility that had trained Willow. All things that had been stolen from her. She had no desire to let herself fall into the trap of being blinded by a man and thinking his actions came from a place of love. For years, she’d thought Winthorn loved her, and, well, maybe in the start he had, but it had turned on her in a way she never imagined love could.

  “Is something else wrong with your food?” Caleb asked.

  “What? No, it’s fine, why?”

  “You’ve been staring off into space for the last few minutes.”

  God, how could she be so flaky? Her ex should be the last person on her mind while she was out with another man. Part of her worried he would make good on his threat that things weren’t over between them.

  For her, it definitely was.

  Placing her utensils on her plate, she attempted to smile. “Sorry, I was just thinking about something that happened at work last night.”

  “Wanna talk about it?” Caleb leaned forward, the tips of his fingers meeting hers where they rested on the table. The small connection sent spirals of awareness twirling through her.

  “Not really, but thank you for the offer.”

  “Okay.” He sat back, taking his hand with him, and she mourned the loss of his touch. But maybe it was just as well. She couldn’t let herself fall into the trap of letting her feelings rule her life again. “You never did tell me how come you’re just starting your first job.”