“She’s a complete stranger and I don’t need to go out, I just need to be with Braden.”
“She has good references, the agency reassured me she can be trusted and Samson is also here to keep an eye on everything.”
Rae turned out of my grasp and walked to the doorway then spun around and whispered under her breath, “How do you know she’s not an undercover journalist?”
I threw my head back and laughed shaking my head, “You watch far too many CSI episodes, she’s not a journalist, she is only sixteen and trying to save for college. I promise you she will not jeopardize her income. My managers’ wife runs an Au Pair company and she owed me a favour, Maria is one of the best on her payroll and she can be trusted.”
She scrunched her nose up and then bit her thumb, “I just don’t think it’s wise to leave him with a complete stranger, you know how he gets.”
I looked over her shoulder at Maria sitting with Braden on the floor. Braden was a little tentative and had distanced himself from Maria, but he was also not shying away from her completely. In fact, he had shoved some of his Legos over to her.
“Rae, he’s a little boy with a great imagination, he’ll be safe and sound here with Maria and Samson and I think the more he is exposed to other people the better it is for him.”
“What, so now you’re a specialist in the field of what he needs, while you weren’t around half of his life?” she bit out and the moment she did her hand flew to her mouth and I knew she did not mean to say what she said.
I clenched my jaw and pinched the bridge of my nose. Now was not the time to throw stones and instead of reacting to her allegations, I reached for the helmet on the table and held it out to her along with a leather jacket that conveniently popped up out of no-where. I could only guess it was one of the cheer leaders’ jackets that got abandoned after one of the many parties I’ve hosted at my house, but Rae didn’t have to know that.
“I’m not taking no for an answer,” I simply stated and then walked out the door.
Part of me expected the helmet to fly out the door and hit me against the back of my head, but it never did. Instead Rae stepped out of the house dressed in the leather jacket with the helmet in her hand.
“Caleb, I’m sorry,” she said as she shuffled closer, “that was uncalled for, it’s just that I have never left Braden on his own with a complete stranger, and I get nervous.”
I got that she was trying to protect him, but I also knew she was going about it the wrong way, “I know you are worried, I just think it’s time you give him a chance to spread his wings,” I reached up to trace a single finger along the angular line of her jaw, “When it comes to raising kids, I’m the last one to give advice, but I know myself and I promise you if I had a mother that cooped me up like a porcelain doll, I would also pretend I had another family.”
That made her laugh, “I’m not that bad.”
“Wanna bet?” I grinned and tugged her earlobe playfully and the way her eyes fluttered closed as she inclined her head into my touch nearly made me change my mind and take her back inside and to my bed instead, she was simply irresistible.
Chapter 14
Raedene
* * *
The moment we hit the open road and Caleb opened the throttle I felt the adrenalin rush through me and the tension from moments earlier eased away. He was right, I have been cooping Braden up far too much, but in my defence all mothers tend to do that with the first born, or so I read. I forced my insecurities about the baby sitter and leaving Braden with a stranger aside, and decided to just enjoy the moment.
Being on the back of a bike with my chest pressed against Caleb’s back brought back memories. When we were younger he always used to give me a ride on his bike whenever he rode it, we were wild and free back then. The golden couple that everyone always thought would end up together.
The day was perfect, the wind was cool but not cold, and the leather jacket he gave me was enough to shield me from the cool breeze as it whipped past us. We rode for what seemed like a few minutes when Caleb took a left into Denver itself. I couldn’t help but contain my own excitement not knowing what he had planned. It felt like Deja vu, the scents and smells that filled my senses reminded me of so many things, things I had forgotten over the years, and now being here with him, the memories all started flooding back.
We finally pulled up outside a steakhouse called Mickey’s. Caleb got off the bike and then helped me to take the helmet off.
“I see your hair didn’t suffer any damage,” he said smiling.
I laughed and shook my hair, “Cocooned like that, I highly doubt a typhoon would touch my hair.”
He chuckled, and handed me my helmet “Hang on to yours, you hungry?”
I took a deep breath and as the smell of food assaulted my senses, my stomach rumbled, “Does that answer your question?”
“Sure does.”
He laced his fingers with mine and led me to the entrance, other than the waiters and the odd patron the place was empty. I glanced around at the interior; it was a homely place that indicated the owner insisted on a personal touch. On the far wall, next to the bar was a bunch of framed photographs, all sports related and among them, rugby photos. I spotted one in particular. It was Caleb flying through the air with arms stretched out and a ball in his hands.
“Is that you scoring a tri?” I asked curiously.
“Yes ma’am, that’s our golden boy,” it was an elderly man who spoke next to me, “Caleb here is a real sports hero; he makes us proud every time he gets on the field.”
“Morgan buddy,” Caleb said and let go of my hand, then clasped hands with Morgan and bumped shoulders, “You shouldn’t be exaggerating like that, it’s a team sport.”
“Oh that’s no exaggeration, that tri won us the game, and so did many others,” Morgan said.
I felt like the odd one out between the two men as they chatted about ruby, it was as if I didn’t exist. I slid away awkwardly to look at the other pictures that lined the walls leaving the two of them to catch up. I couldn’t believe how I never noticed that Caleb was famous, he was really a celebrity in these parts and probably the country and there I was, completely oblivious to what was going on in the world of sports. I used to be a fan when I was in college but only because I was trying to impress him, but after that I hardly watched sports, much less read the sports section in the newspapers. I blamed Damien too, if he knew all along that Caleb was Braden’s father he should have kept me in the loop, surely he knew all along where Caleb found himself and how popular he had become.
“Miss Callaway?” A young man spoke next to me.
“Yes?” I turned to look at him.
“My name is Justin, I’m from the Daily News, and I was wondering if you would mind answering a few questions?”
“Listen here…” I started but before I could finish my sentence, Morgan had the man by the scruff dragging him to the door.
“They just won’t let it go,” Caleb said as he came to stand next to me, “I’m sorry Rae.”
“It’s okay, I suppose it comes with the territory,” I looked towards the door where Morgan still stood with his arms crossed over his chest, “Looks like you have your personal body guard at least.”
“Ah, this is the only place I can eat in peace without reporters harassing me.” He slid his hand under my elbow and led me to one of the tables in the far corner away from the window.
“It’s a nice place, very cosy.”
“It is, Morgan prides himself in making sure this place stays a family establishment where everyone can have a decent meal away from home.”
“A family restaurant, so why do you come here?” the words slipped out before I could stop them, but Caleb just smiled.
“Great food, it beats the best steakhouses in town.”
“Fair enough.”
I slipped into the seat opposite Caleb and glanced at the menu, printed on the placemat.
“It’s still early, so if you
want something light I won’t hold it against you, but I’m starving,” he said grinning.
“It’s just after ten in the morning, so I’ll stick to a breakfast,” I said pointing to the Country Breakfast. “Eggs, bacon and toast with a side of fries, that’s all I will be able to eat.”
Caleb opted for a rump steak and by the time the waitress took our order Morgan had already sent some coffee over.
I kept looking towards the door, nervous that another reporter might try and sneak in, but Caleb didn’t seem too deterred.
“So, when last have you been out and about to have some fun?”
“Plenty,” I lied.
“Come on Rae, you’re lying to me.”
“No I’m not,” I smiled and tore of the tip of the sugar sachet and poured the sugar into my coffee, “I’m not a recluse, I just don’t- I don’t spend my nights partying anymore.”
“I wasn’t talking about partying; I was talking about dating or just hanging out with friends. Surely you have dated since Braden was born?”
Caleb was fishing for information, trying to stir the water and see what secrets lay below the surface.
“I tried once, it was a complete failure. He turned out to be gay.”
“He was gay?” Caleb said laughing, “You must have been one hell of a date to send him running in the other direction.”
I reached over the table and slapped his shoulder, “That was not my doing. He was a closet case, didn’t want anyone to know and I was his alibi.”
“So what happened?”
“Well,” I giggled, “We went ice skating one night, and he had disappeared at some point in the evening so I went looking for him. Let’s just say, I found him in a very compromising position with another guy and that was the end of it.”
Caleb roared with laughter and sat back crossing his arms over his chest, “I would have loved to be a fly on the wall.”
“How about you?” I asked tentatively, “How many women have you dated?”
He shifted in his chair and looked everywhere accept at me.
“Come on, I told you about my experience, now it’s your turn.”
“I won’t say I’ve dated anyone steadily for some time, being on the team, I’m always busy at practice or playing the game.”
“Liar, what about Joanne, she seemed like she had a different idea.”
He scratched his head and then dragged his hand down the back of his neck, “She’s one of the cheer leaders, and they are all like rabid dogs trying to get their teeth into us. It’s quite shocking, but convenient if you want no strings attached.”
“Woah, referring to women as dogs is derogatory. That’s not nice,” I laughed.
“You know what I mean; to them it’s all about fame, which player they are latched on to and how much publicity they get being on a sports star’s arm.”
“So you never went on dates, dinner, dance, sex?”
Oh my god, I did not just ask him the sex question, that was a little too direct but it literally slipped out.
“Dinner yes, dance no, sex yes,” he said as he tapped his fingers on the table, “I’m a hot-blooded male; sex is something that comes naturally.”
I felt my cheeks grow hot and I averted my eyes, “That’s true I suppose.”
Caleb’s hand cupped mine unexpectedly and I looked up to meet his eyes.
“Sex is not making love, there is a distinct difference,” he said as if to justify his response.
“It’s in the same category as the birds and the bees lesson Caleb,” I joked and tried to pull my hand free but he held on.
“It is but it’s different, men are animals, I’m not going to beat around the bush with you. We only have enough blood to operate one head at a time, and sometimes it’s not even enough to feed our hearts.”
I rolled my eyes and forced a smile, “Why are you trying to defend yourself? It’s not as if I was going to hold it against you, it’s been over five years and what you did with your free time has nothing to do with me.”
Caleb let go of my hand and sat back as the waitress came with our orders. Suddenly I didn’t feel as hungry as I did earlier, in fact the hollow feeling of regret that filled my insides was enough to keep me away from food for the rest of the day.
“I regret leaving you,” he said once the waitress was gone.
“Well shit happens, and you had a lot going on.”
“Rae, look at me,” he said and reached for both my hands stilling them, “I was confused, I’m not going to lie, and I was angry, but I should never have taken it out on you.”
I smiled at him then, “Are you here to have breakfast or seek absolution for your sins? It was a long time ago and we both moved on with life.”
He looked at me with an intensity that took my breath away, and before I could say a word he pushed himself up and reached over the table sliding his hand behind my head, then crushed his lips against mine. I could taste the coffee on his tongue and his scent flooded my nostrils and I was lost, his kiss suddenly felt like a whispered promise, one I wanted to believe with all my heart.
When he finally pulled away, he looked deeply into my eyes and it was as if everything around us had faded to black.
“It was always you,” he said and then slowly sat back down and casually took a sip of his coffee.
We ate our food in silence but there was no denying the sexual tension that was building between us. My mind was a muddled mess and all I could think of was how intense that kiss was. It was as if it drilled down into my soul to arrest my heart.
Chapter 15
Caleb
* * *
That kiss was the defining moment when I realized that I was still very much in love with Rae. Regardless of the past, and how my own parents’ marriage ruined my outlook on the happily-ever-after aspect. No two people could be more entwined than us at this very point in time. We spent the rest of the morning walking the streets of Denver enjoying each other’s company, I kept checking with Samson to make sure Braden was fine just so I could put Rae’s mind at ease. After sightseeing, I had one more stop to make before we headed home.
“Can you bear to be in my company a little while longer?”
“Depends on what it all entails,” Rae said and put the helmet on.
“You will like it, I promise.”
“We’ll see.”
I revved the engine and set off, I liked how Rae’s arms felt around me when she clung to me and I was tempted to speed up a bit, but then the thought did cross my mind that she might squeeze the air from my lungs and we’ll end up in the nearest ditch.
A few minutes later I pulled into the parking lot of the Botanical Gardens and again helped Rae off the bike. This time we left the helmets on the bike and made our way through the large gates. It was late noon and the sun had already started to set, there were only a few other couples around, so I picked one of the benches near the willow trees and water pond that looked like a deck of lilies. With the sun already disappearing, so did the star white flowers, but the fragrance still hung heavily in the air.
“This place is breath taking,” Rae said as she sat down on the bench.
“It really is, I don’t think it gets nearly enough credit, the locals don’t always appreciate the beauty of this place.”
“Wasn’t this where one of those corpse flowers bloomed recently?” she asked curiously.
I was impressed, very few people were aware of the sudden anomaly that hit the US by storm after multiple corpse flowers bloomed around the same time, “Yeah it’s in one of the pavilions, but it’s not blooming anymore. I was on tour when it happened otherwise I would have been here to watch it bloom.”
“I would have loved to see it, better luck next time,” she said smiling.
“I’ll make sure you see the next bloom.”
She was sitting up with her back straight and her hands planted on her knees. From her casual demeanour earlier, she almost came across as nervous now.
“Are yo
u okay?”
“Of course I am, why do you ask?”
“You just seem, I don’t know, tense.”
“I just, I’ve never been away from Braden this long, and its already starting to get dark.”
I moved closer to her and wrapped my arm around her shoulders, then took her hand in mine and pressed my lips against her finger tips, “Braden is fine, I’ve been checking with Samson every hour.”
She sighed, “I know, I’m being silly.”
At that opportune moment, the entire place lit up in a display of beautiful colours that transformed the gardens into something more like a magical fairy garden, and that was all it took to draw Rae’s attention.
“Oh my god, this is absolutely breath taking,” she stood up and turned around, “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
I smiled and came to stand next to her near the pond, “They do this every evening, it’s like a tradition, it’s even more beautiful in winter, and then it’s more like Whoville at Christmas.”
Rae suddenly giggled and I couldn’t help but laugh, “You remember when we watched the Grinch? That movie was sooo funny, I want Braden to watch it this Christmas.”
I chuckled, “We will have to make sure he watches Horton Hears a Who first, he’s going to need to know where the Who’s come from.”
Yep, I just said ‘we’, and by the way Rae’s mouth fell open and her eyes met mine, I knew that she read between the lines, and suddenly there it was, that sexual tension I have been trying to ignore since the kiss at Mickey’s, but now here in this magical place the lights and all the colours served as the fireworks one can expect when you look at a beautiful woman and realize she’s feeling exactly the same.
I stepped in, and so did she; my heart thumped with hope at her approach. I wrapped my arms around her waist and she gripped the front of my shirt and our lips met midway. Her breath mixed with mine and filled my lungs and I let out an audible groan, how I wish we were completely alone. I slid my hands down and pulled her more firmly against me, wanting not to scare her, but show her exactly what she did to me. Instead of pulling away she leaned harder against me. As she slid one hand up and around my neck her other hand found the hem of my shirt and slipped under it. The moment her cool fingers touched my skin, I knew I was damned.
Cowboy's Fake Fiancée: A Single Dad & A Virgin Romance Page 40
