“It was Moroccan,” Caleb said. He leaned forward, and giving in to the devil on his shoulder, whispered, “If you’d have come over, I would have been happy to share.”
Leah’s grin took on a mischievous tilt. “Be careful what you wish for. I may not look it, but I’m no lightweight when it comes to enjoying a good meal.”
“I think I can handle your appetite.”
Her brow peaked. “You sure about that?”
“Why don’t you come over for dinner sometime and we can find out?”
Stop!
What in the hell was he doing?
He was flirting with another man’s fiancée, that’s what he was doing. Sure, she was flirting right back, but that didn’t make it right. Leah probably wasn’t thinking straight. She’d undoubtedly had a fight with Derrick. She probably thought flirting with Caleb was the best way to get back at her fiancé, but he didn’t want her to do something irrational that she would later regret.
“You talk a good game,” she said. “But I’ll bet—”
Just then Leah lost her footing, slipping backward on the log. Caleb moved quickly, wrapping his arm around her waist to steady her. He tipped her forward so she could stand, but he didn’t let her go. Instead he tightened his grip as his eyes held her steady gaze. The crisp mountain air took on a sultriness that had nothing to do with meteorological science and everything to do with the sexual tension humming between them.
His mouth was mere inches from hers. All it would take is a slight dip of his head to connect their lips.
“Thank you,” Leah said, breaking the spell as she reared her head back. “I…uh…I guess I should get down from this.”
Caleb held on to her until both her feet hit the ground, then he let go. Reluctantly.
“Speaking of food,” she said, already starting for the walking path that led back to the campground’s main area. “What do you say we go to the dining hall and grab a late lunch? I haven’t eaten since breakfast.”
Caleb wasn’t thinking about food right now. The only thing he wanted to consume was her.
She’s another man’s girl!
His head knew that, but he needed his head to explain it to other parts of his anatomy. As much as he wanted there to be something more between them, he knew there couldn’t be. She was engaged to marry someone else. It didn’t matter that she was here with him. It didn’t matter that she’d been flirting with him not even five minutes ago either. Thinking that he could take this beyond a little innocent flirting was just setting himself up for the biggest let down.
She was another man’s girl. Which meant she couldn’t be his.
Chapter Three
As she tried to wrap her head around what had just happened, Leah knew she needed to at least attempt to rein in the anxious excitement racing through her. It wasn’t easy. An electric charge prickled her skin where Caleb’s strong hands had touched.
What happened back there?
It wasn’t earth-shattering, but it was…well…something. Something had definitely passed between them.
It went without saying that she found him attractive. She wasn’t dead, and the man was gorgeous. And although he didn’t flaunt it, he had the kind of body that belonged on the cover of a fitness magazine. She’d run into him on a couple of her jogs, enough to know and appreciate it. Long, lean limbs with finely-muscled biceps and the kind of taut physique that made her want to run her hands over his sculpted shoulders and firm abs.
Yeah, the physical attraction was undeniably there.
Maybe that’s all this was. The little spark that passed between them was just her understandable reaction to an attractive man who also happen to be a pretty nice guy. It wasn’t anything to get worked up about.
Except she was looking at an entire weekend with him. How could she not get worked up about it? How was she supposed to fight these feelings for the next two days?
The better question was, why should she fight them?
She had not been mistaken about the interest she saw staring back at her when she’d looked in Caleb’s eyes as he’d held her on that log. He was interested. No doubt about it.
But just because he was interested didn’t mean it was the right thing to do. Hadn’t she already proven how ridiculously awful she was at picking men? At this point she was unsure if she could trust her own instincts. What if she only thought Caleb was as wonderful as he seemed? Didn’t she think Derrick was wonderful at first?
Actually…no. No she hadn’t.
Leah almost tripped over her own two feet as she realized that not once in all the time she and Derrick were together did she feel this particular way about him. She and Derrick didn’t engage in lighthearted banter or fun, silly flirting. Derrick didn’t do silly. In fact, she couldn’t remember the last time she laughed while with her ex-fiancé.
That disturbing thought remained with Leah until they arrived at Birch House. Caleb held the door open so she could enter ahead of him. It was the second time he’d done so. It brought to mind just how much Derrick never did little things like that.
Okay, no more comparisons.
She could not spend her weekend comparing Derrick to Caleb.
But how could she not? Caleb wasn’t even her boyfriend, yet he’d held her car door open for her this morning, and then again just a few moments ago. He’d carried her bags without her even having to ask.
Even now, he pulled out her chair once they arrived at their table.
And it wasn’t just this particular weekend that he’d displayed this kind of chivalry toward her. Leah couldn’t remember the last time she had to drag her own garbage can to the curb. She awoke one Monday morning about a year ago to find it already sitting there, and when she arrived home from work that afternoon, it was parked next to her garage. It was the same with cutting her lawn, and how he moved the packages left by the delivery man to her back steps.
Caleb had shown more courtesy toward her than her own fiancé ever had.
“This is definitely not what I’d pictured when you said summer camp,” Caleb remarked, looking around at the dining hall as he sat across from her.
“It sure beats the mess hall at that summer camp I went to back when I was in 4-H,” Leah said. The large space held dozens of linen covered tables. Thick, high beams crossed the pitched ceiling. It was both rustic and elegant. A perfect combination.
A server came to take their order—something that definitely had not happened at her old summer camp.
Caleb took a sip of the water the server had left on the table, and asked, “Have you decided what you’re going to do with your weekend?”
Leah shook her head. “I figure I’ll look over the agenda again tonight and find something to do.” She pulled up the calendar app on her phone. “I’d made a schedule of all the workshops and activities I’d hoped to do with Derrick. Some of them sound a little cheesy, but there are a few that actually seemed fun. I’ve been looking forward to doing them.”
“What’s stopping you?”
She glanced up from her phone. “It’s a couple’s retreat, remember?”
“If there’s something you have your heart set on and you need a plus-one, just tell me. I’m here.”
Goodness but he was sweet.
“I can’t ask you to do that, Caleb. You came here to fish.”
“You’re not asking. I’m offering. I’ll still find time to fish. And if I don’t, who cares? I would have been home if not for you inviting me to join you.” He leaned forward, a devilish gleam in his eye. “Besides, just the fact that I’m here on Mr. Lexus’s dime is good enough for me.”
Leah paused for a moment, before admitting, “Actually, it’s my dime.”
“Come again?”
“I paid for the retreat.”
Caleb’s forehead furrowed. “But I thought you said it was his mom who wanted you two to attend?”
“Yes, but I knew better than to expect Derrick to pay for it.” Leah released a sigh. “He was never t
he best at handling money, which is kind of funny when you think of what I do for a living. He never appreciated when I offered financial advice, so I just stopped doing it. It’s not as if it would help him anyway, not with the way he goes through his money.”
“You make it sound like he lives paycheck-to-paycheck,” Caleb said.
“You’re not that far off,” Leah said. “His paychecks may be a bit bigger than the average American’s, but it doesn’t mean much if all he has to show for it is a fancy car and a closet full of Ferragamo’s.”
“Um, what’s a Ferragamo?” Caleb asked.
Leah just stared at him for several moments before she burst out laughing. “You have no idea how refreshing it is that you have no idea what I’m talking about.”
He shrugged. “Sorry.”
“No, don’t be sorry. It’s wonderful. They’re shoes, by the way,” she provided. “Derrick owns over two dozen pair. Can you imagine spending twenty thousand dollars on shoes?”
“You’ve seen the way I dress. I doubt I’ll spend twenty thousand dollars on my entire wardrobe over my entire lifetime,” Caleb said.
“I happen to like the way you dress.” She let the words slip without even thinking.
Caleb’s brow lifted with the barest hint of surprise. “I didn’t think you paid enough attention to notice.”
She didn’t think she had either, but yes, she’d noticed.
Caleb didn’t need to wear expensive, tailored suits or designer shoes to catch her attention. The understated, no-nonsense way he carried himself was just as appealing. Derrick probably didn’t even own anything as casual as the jeans and polo shirt Caleb wore right now, but Leah liked this look better than anything she’d seen on her ex-fiancé.
“I’ve noticed,” she told him.
“That makes two of us,” he said.
She grinned. “You’ve noticed how you dress too?”
“I think you know what I mean,” he said. His voice no longer held the trace of humor that had been there throughout much of their exchange. Neither did his eyes. They’d taken on a seriousness that made Leah’s breath hitch.
She knew exactly what he meant, but she wasn’t ready to confront it. Thankfully, the server arrived with their meals, saving her from having to reply. She wasn’t emotionally ready to reply.
They were both so famished that there was little time to talk as they devoured their grilled chicken salads. Just as Leah bit into the last chunk of juicy chicken breast, a couple she’d noticed in this morning’s orientation came up to their table.
“Hi there,” a brunette with deep dimples on either side of her mouth said. “Do you mind if we join you?”
“No, not at all,” Leah said, gesturing for them to take a seat.
“I’m Marcy and this is my husband, Mark.”
Really?
“I’m Leah. And this is my…uh…”
“I’m her Caleb,” Caleb said, extending his hand to first Marcy and then to Mark.
Leah felt her face heat with embarrassment over her stumble, but if the couple noticed, they had the consideration not to say anything.
“Have you attended Geoff and Katherine’s retreat before?” Marcy asked.
“No.” Leah shook her head. “This is my first time here.”
“Oh, are you newly married or newly engaged?”
“Still engaged,” Caleb said.
Leah whipped her head around, her eyes going wide as she stared at him. Caleb’s expression didn’t change one iota.
“Oh, you were smart to come while still engaged. I wish Mark and I had done the same.” She rested her chin on her upturned palm. “I want to hear the story.”
“The story?” Leah asked.
“Yes, how did you two meet?”
“We—”
“We met when I moved in to the house right next door to hers,” Caleb provided. “And caught her stealing herbs from my herb garden.”
“Not stealing,” Leah said. She turned to Marcy. “I started tending the garden when the previous owners moved out, and I would use the herbs instead of allowing them to go to waste. I didn’t even realize the house had been sold until the morning he caught me picking off a few basil leaves.”
“She was in her bathrobe. It was love at first sight.”
Leah narrowed her gaze. Just what did he think he was doing?
“That’s absolutely adorable,” Marcy said with a wistful sigh. “I can already tell you two will grow even closer this weekend. This is our third time attending Geoff and Katherine’s retreat. We traveled all the way up from Nashville to attend.”
“Really? That says a lot about the retreat,” Leah said.
“It’s wonderful,” Marcy said. “The first time we attended was five years ago, a couple of years after our wedding. We’ve discovered that coming back for a refresher course helps us to maintain a great balance in our marriage. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been together, you’ll always learn something new and interesting about your spouse as you go through this weekend. I cannot recommend it enough.”
“You’re attending the Marshmallow Mixer tonight, right?” Mark asked.
“Of course we are,” Caleb said. He reached across the table and caressed the back of Leah’s hand. “We wouldn’t miss it.”
Electric tingles radiated from where he touched her.
“Great,” Marcy said with a huge smile. “We’ll see you there tonight.”
The moment the other couple rose from the table, Leah whirled on Caleb.
“What was that about?” she asked, extracting her hand from his hold.
“What?”
“You have the audacity to play innocent?” Leah asked. “‘It was love at first sight’?”
Caleb let out a sigh. “I thought I was doing you a favor.”
“By lying?”
“By giving you an out,” he said. “You were worried about how it would look to the other couples if they knew you were here without your fiancé. You don’t have to worry about that now.”
“You think it’s better to lie to them?”
“You don’t even know these people. Why should it matter if you’re lying to them?”
“Because,” she said. “It…it just does.” She held both hands out. “If I went with your logic then it also shouldn’t matter if they knew I was here without my fiancé either.”
“Personally, I don’t think it should matter what they think, but I can also understand why it would to you. As much as I appreciate this weekend in the mountains, Derrick should be here with you. Why spend your weekend making excuses for why he isn’t?” Caleb shrugged. “If given the choice between lying to strangers for three days or spending those same three days fending off stares of pity, I’d choose the former. But that’s just me.”
Leah couldn’t deny that he had a point. She’d rather deal with her conscience giving her flack over a not-so-little white lie than have to explain over and over why she was here with her neighbor instead of her fiancé.
She stared at Caleb across the table for several long moments. She should probably take some time to weigh the pros and cons of going along with this.
But they were only here for three days. She didn’t have time to weigh anything. She also didn’t have the stomach to withstand the other couples feeling sorry for her, not when she was still so raw from her broken engagement.
“Okay, let’s do this,” Leah said.
Caleb’s brow rose. “You want to clarify that for me?”
“Let’s do this,” she said again. “You’re right. I don’t want to spend my weekend explaining Derrick’s absence.” She drained the last of her lemonade. “But if we’re going to do this, we need to get our story straight.” She pushed up from the table, grabbed Caleb’s hand, and tugged. “Follow me, dear. We need to concoct a past.”
Caleb could hardly remember the short walk from Birch House to the gazebo. His mind was too preoccupied with trying to wrap itself around the fact that Leah had agreed to go alon
g with his idea.
He’d fully expected the earful she’d given him after Marcy and Mark left the table. He deserved that and more. It was completely out of line for him to suggest that he and Leah were engaged without discussing it with her first. He’d pretty much forced her hand into going along with it.
But that didn’t mean she had to continue going along with it. Caleb had been fully prepared to explain to Marcy and Mark that he’d only been joking. Or to just avoid them altogether this weekend. He never thought Leah would agree to keep up the charade.
“Okay, where do we begin?” she asked as she took a seat on the bench that ran along the inner interior walls of the gazebo.
“Um, I guess with how we met?” Caleb offered, straddling the bench.
“Actually, I think it’s okay to stick with the truth when it comes to how we met. You have to admit it’s pretty cute. Me in my bathrobe, stealing herbs from your garden? Sounds like something you’d see in a rom com.”
He grinned. “I thought you said it wasn’t stealing?”
“It was stealing,” she conceded with a grin of her own. “I don’t know what I would have done back then if I’d known you were a cop. I guess I’m lucky you didn’t whip out your badge on me.”
“The thought never crossed my mind,” Caleb said. He’d been too busy trying to figure out a way to ask her out. Too bad he took too long to follow through. A mistake he’d regretted every day for an entire year.
Now he had to settle for shamelessly capitalizing on the fight she’d had with her fiancé. But capitalize on it he would.
“So, we’ll stick with the truth when it comes to how we met,” Caleb continued. “What about the rest?”
“I think the safest bet is to keep our story as simple as possible. Nothing too convoluted. That’s a surefire way to get tripped up in a lie.” She crossed her legs and folded her hands in her lap. “The first thing we need to do is try to anticipate which questions people will ask. What is it that people usually want to know about new couples?”
“It’s been a while since I’ve been a part of a couple,” Caleb said.
Mr. Right Next Door (Camp Firefly Falls Book 6) Page 4
