Leah’s breath caught. Her heart began to beat triple time, thumping like mad within her chest as Caleb’s softly whispered statement pierced the fragile bubbled she’d placed around this entire weekend. It was playacting, right? That’s what this was supposed to be.
Leah cleared her throat and tried her best to ignore the sudden charge surging through the air. With a light laugh, she said, “Katherine said not to make the lie too obvious, remember? It’s clearly the last one.”
Caleb stared at her for a long time before slowly shaking his head. “Wrong. I love ice cream. I’ve also had a thing for my neighbor since the moment I saw her stealing herbs from my garden.”
Awareness fluttered in her belly. “Caleb.”
“I kept it to myself because you were with Derrick, but you’re no longer with him,” he continued. “I’m not going to deny how I feel about you, Leah. Not anymore.”
“Caleb, I—”
But before she could complete the thought, Katherine Mumford clapped her hands, ending the session.
A manic level of anxiety surged through Leah as they made their way back to the center of the room where the rest of the couples had gathered. She didn’t even pretend to pay attention to whatever Geoff had begun to explain to the group. She could not get Caleb’s words out of her head, nor could she unsee the look she’d observed in his eyes.
Truth. Absolute, unmitigated truth. That’s what she’d seen in his eyes.
The fact that she was as taken aback as she now found herself only confirmed that she could no longer trust her own instincts. How could Caleb have had a thing for her since the day he first met her and she not realize it? How?
They weren’t the type of neighbors who invited each other over for backyard barbecues, but it wasn’t as if they went months without speaking to each other, either. Even if it was just a couple of minutes of small talk while she checked the mail or watered her flower bed. She’d had enough face time with Caleb to have read something into his feelings, hadn’t she?
Was he that good at hiding it, or was she just that bad at reading people? Lord knows she’d failed on that front when it came to her two ex-fiancés.
Even more alarming than discovering her neighbor’s year-long crush was acknowledging that the flutter that continued to hum in her belly when she thought about him was very much real. There was no playacting there. Her skin still tingled from when his fingers had brushed against hers while they worked on the puzzle together.
God, was she falling for him?
She couldn’t be. No way. This was nothing more than physical attraction. Intense physical attraction, but that’s it.
She’d just broken up with a man she’d been engaged to marry. She wasn’t emotionally equipped to handle falling for someone else this quickly, even if that someone else did make her breath quicken and her heartbeat escalate with a simple smile.
At this point, Leah wasn’t just unsure if she could trust her own instincts, she was certain that she couldn’t. She’d been so wrong about Derrick. What if she was wrong this time?
Caleb cast the fishing line into the pond, then immediately reeled it in for a better one, even though his first cast had been damn near perfect. Taking his frustration out on his brand new, ridiculously expensive fishing rod was probably the dumbest move he could make, but then again, making dumb moves seemed to be the theme of the day.
Why in the hell did he admit his feelings for Leah the way he had?
What happened to easing into it? Taking things slow? Not freaking her out?
“Idiot,” Caleb mumbled under his breath.
He’d come on way too strong, way too fast. Leah had been engaged to someone else less than forty-eight hours ago. Even if she did feel something remotely romantic toward him, she wouldn’t be ready to admit it. Not to him. Not even to herself. If she acknowledged any feelings for him whatsoever, she would have to acknowledge that she was preparing to marry a man she didn’t love.
Maybe she did love Derrick.
“No.” Caleb shook his head.
He refused to believe that. After what he’d learned about Leah’s relationship with her ex-fiancé—how being engaged to Derrick had dimmed the parts of her that should shine the brightest—Caleb could not fathom there being true love between them. But that didn’t mean she was ready to love anyone else either. It didn’t mean she was ready to love him.
And after the way she’d run off this morning, he may have just spooked her enough that she would never be ready.
After he’d laid his heart bare during the two truths and a lie game, they’d returned to the cabin in silence. Leah claimed she was tired and needed a nap. For a moment Caleb had considered pressing her into talking it out. His desperation to clear the air and explain his words clawed at his conscience, but he figured he’d done enough damage already. Instead, he’d grabbed his fishing rod and an energy bar and made his way to the pond.
Fishing had always done wonders for clearing his mind. At least it usually did. It wasn’t working as well today. Being out here with only his thoughts made him want to throw himself in the water.
Shit, maybe he should see how much it would cost to hire an Uber driver to bring him back to Jersey.
“More than you make in a week,” Caleb said with a grunt.
It wasn’t as if running back home would do much good anyway. They lived right next door to each other, for crying out loud. Did he think he could avoid Leah forever?
Caleb felt a tug on his line and reeled it in, only to come up with a thicket of mossy weeds. That was par for the course based on the way his morning was going.
He cast his line farther this time and stood at the edge of the wooden pier, looking out over the tranquil stillness of the water. He waited for the peace he usually found while fishing, but it just wasn’t happening. He could forget about clearing his mind today.
Since his regrets were already piled higher than the mountain peak poking the low white clouds overhead, Caleb decided to heap on yet another regret. With his free hand he pulled his phone out of his pocket and checked his email, even though it was against Katherine and Geoff’s rules for the weekend.
It occurred to Caleb that this was the first time he’d even thought about anything work related since he arrived at Camp Firefly Falls. The main reason for his original fishing trip was to figure out what to do about his job, but he’d been so preoccupied with Leah that nothing else had a chance to creep into his head.
Ninety percent of his inbox was filled with junk mail, but Caleb’s throat tightened when he noticed the one from Juan Rodriguez that had come in late last night. He stared at the subject line for a full minute: Just checking in.
Clicking on that email was akin to closing his fist around a double-edged sword. It would slice him open, no matter what he found. If he opened it and read that Juan was doing just fine after taking that job in Maryland, it would make Caleb question why it was taking him so long to get over what had gone down four months ago. If Juan said that he was still in a bad place, it would make Caleb question whether or not he was doomed to live in this state of limbo for the rest of his life as well.
Either way, it would screw with his head.
After several more minutes passed, he decided to pull up his big boy shorts and open the damn email.
The more he read, the bigger the smile that gradually crept along the edges of Caleb’s lips grew. He could always count on Juan to lift his spirits. Even though they’d only worked together for a little over two years before everything went to shit during the Bergen County prostitution sting, he and Juan had developed a friendship that would no doubt last a lifetime.
Caleb’s chest grew tight as Juan explained that he was doing great in his new job, but that he still thought about the case often. Apparently, his friend saw those three young girls that Tommy McCain had held hostage in his sleep as well. God knows it still gave Caleb nightmares.
Maybe one day, eventually, they would both find some peace.
> Caleb couldn’t help but laugh when he got to the end of Juan’s email and saw the picture his old partner had attached. It was of Juan and his two sons at a Washington Nationals game, all decked out in New York Yankees gear. He and his partner agreed on a lot of things, but baseball was never one of them.
He hit reply, but closed the draft email before typing a word. Juan deserved more that a quick email, and Caleb wasn’t in the right headspace to type out a thoughtful response just yet. He would reply to his friend later.
As he slipped the phone back into his pocket, he finally felt a bit of that peace he’d been searching for. Knowing that Juan was moving on, yet could still admit that the McCain case popped into his head from time to time, gave Caleb hope. Maybe he was ready to return to the field, after all. If his old partner could do it, so could he.
There was no could about it. Caleb knew what he had to do. It had just taken him a while to get here. When he sent that email to Juan, he would also send one to his superior at the DCJ.
He’d just cast his line back into the water when he heard footsteps making their way toward him. He turned just as Leah reached the bucket of bait he’d brought in from the camp. They both stood there for a moment staring at each other, until the silence became too much to bear.
Caleb reeled his line in and set his fishing rod on the deck of the wooden pier. He wiped his hands on the sides of his pants before stuffing them into his pockets.
With a hunch of his shoulders, Caleb admitted, “I’m not really sure what to do here, Leah. Should I apologize?”
She slipped her hands into her pockets as well. Mimicking his shrug, she asked, “Are you sorry that you said what you said?”
“I am now. It doesn’t change the truth behind it, but if I’d kept my mouth shut maybe you wouldn’t feel the need to stand three feet away from me, like I’m a serial killer or something.”
“I’m sorry about that,” she said as she moved in a step closer. “You just…you threw me with that admission earlier today. I wasn’t expecting that.”
“I know I did, and I’m sorry.” He rubbed the back of his head as he released a deep breath. “But it’s not as if we can just pretend it never happened, Leah. At this point the cat’s already out of the bag. Be honest, the cat’s been out of the bag since we got here.”
Her expression was a mixture of distress and confusion. “I thought it was just a little innocent flirting.”
“So what happens now that you know it was more than that for me?”
“I don’t know.” She shook her head. “Are you sure we can’t just pretend you didn’t say anything?”
“No, I can’t.” Caleb took several steps, closing the rest of the distance between them. He trailed his finger down her bare arm. “And I don’t think you want to pretend I never said it either.”
“Caleb—”
“I like you, Leah. A lot. And, yes, it’s been that way for a while. But I kept quiet because the one thing I refuse to do is go after another man’s girl. But you and Derrick aren’t together, and I’m not going to just stand by and wait for the next guy to come along. I want to be that guy. I want to show you how good we can be together. Because I think we can be really good together, Leah.”
He brought his hand up to her hair and tucked several flyaway strands behind her ear. “Are you willing to give us a chance? We don’t have to rush. We don’t have to change anything we’ve been doing.”
“We were pretending to be a couple,” she pointed out.
“You were pretending.”
She sucked in a breath. “Caleb—”
“Just give me a chance.” He cut her off before she could issue another protest. “That’s all I’m asking for. Just a chance. It may turn out that it’s better if I’m just the guy who lives right next door, but what if it turns out that I really am your Mr. Right? Don’t we both deserve the chance to see where this leads?”
She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and Caleb almost gave in to the urge to kiss her. But it would be the worst thing he could do seconds after telling her they could take things slow. Instead, he gave her arm a gentle squeeze.
“So?” he asked.
“Okay,” Leah said. Her smile was hesitant, but at least she was smiling. “Let’s see where it leads.”
The relief that rushed through his system was so intense it nearly brought Caleb to his knees.
“Good,” he said after releasing the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.
“So, where do we go from here?” Leah asked.
His mouth tipped up in a grin. “Do you want to join Katherine and Geoff for the relationship obstacle course?”
“I think I’ve had enough of Katherine and Geoff for the day,” she said. She tipped her head to the side. “Would you mind coming into town with me? Well, what constitutes ‘town’ here. I noticed some pottery outside of a little antiques store we passed yesterday. I’d love to take a closer look at their pieces.”
Caleb picked up his fishing rod and pail of bait.
“Let’s go pottery shopping.”
Chapter Six
“Look at this one! Isn’t it gorgeous?” Leah ran her fingers along the rim of the oblong serving platter with its intricately carved pedestal. She’d been hesitant to touch any of the pieces they’d come across, but the store’s proprietor assured her it was okay. “The craftsmanship is extraordinary. Do you know how much patience it takes to create something like this?”
When Caleb didn’t answer, Leah looked over to find his eyes practically glazing over.
“Caleb?”
He blinked several times. “I’m sorry. What?”
“No, I’m the one who’s sorry,” she said with a laugh. “I’m boring you to death.”
“I’m not bored.”
“Oh, of course you’re not.” She rolled her eyes. “Now I see why you’ve never played a game of poker in your life. You have a terrible poker face.” She smiled to let him know she was only teasing. “I’ll admit pottery isn’t the most fascinating subject in the world, but it has done wonders for me.”
His brow dipped with his frown as he drew up next to her. “How so?”
“It’s the perfect stress reliever. My life can get pretty chaotic, especially at work.”
And when she was with her family. And especially when she was with Derrick.
It had not escaped Leah that she’d felt a lot less tense these past two days. Actually, that wasn’t entirely true. But the type of tension she’d felt around Caleb was different. It was the kind that made her heart beat faster in anticipation, not anxiety.
“So, instead of knocking back a couple of drinks after work, you make pottery?” Caleb asked.
“Healthier choice, wouldn’t you say?” She hunched one shoulder. “I know it sounds strange, but there’s something therapeutic about sliding my fingers through the wet clay.”
“It doesn’t sound strange at all,” Caleb said. “If it works for you, go for it.”
Leah stared at him for several moments, thunderstruck by the contrast in attitude. “That’s a refreshing take,” she said. “And very different from what I’m used to hearing whenever I talk about my love for pottery.”
“Let me guess, Mr. Lexus wasn’t a fan?”
“Uh, no. Definitely not. I couldn’t get Derrick to come to a single class with me. He said it was too messy. Whenever I talked about going to my favorite studio, he would come up with something else for us to do. I haven’t sat down at a pottery wheel in months.”
Caleb huffed out a disgusted grunt. “I know you were engaged to him, so I don’t want you to take this the wrong way, but that guy’s an asshole.”
She chuckled as they continued on to the rear of the antiques store.
“I’m sure I can come up with at least a dozen other things that make Derrick an asshole, but I’m not sure dodging a pottery class counts as one.”
“Bullshit,” Caleb said. “Of course it counts. Because it’s not just saying no t
o a pottery class. It’s saying no to going to a pottery class with you. The guy didn’t know how good he had it.”
“Are you saying you would come to the pottery studio with me?”
“Hell yes,” he said. “Do you remember the scene in that movie with Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore where they’re working with the clay? I’d give anything to recreate that with you.”
Leah’s heart stuttered in her chest. She sucked in a swift breath as she stared at Caleb with confused disbelief.
“I just don’t get it,” she murmured. “Were you just that good at hiding how you’ve felt all this time, or am I just clueless?”
One brow arched as he backed himself into a cubby between two display shelves and leaned against the knotted-pine paneling. “You do recall what I do for a living, don’t you?”
He worked undercover. Of course he was good at hiding his feelings.
“I didn’t want it to seem as if I was coming on too strong, too soon,” he explained. “Tell me you wouldn’t have freaked out if I’d asked you out a week after moving in next door.”
“Yes, I would have,” Leah said. “But that’s another thing I don’t understand. You said you’ve been attracted to me since the first day you met me, but you didn’t even know me then. So was it just your basic, run-of-the-mill lust?”
“Pretty much,” Caleb admitted. “Isn’t that the basis for just about everything?”
He had her there. She’d harbored her share of lustful thoughts about him from the moment she first caught him bare-chested and pushing a lawn mower.
“But the more I got to know you, the more my feelings began to grow into something…different. Something more.” He looked over at her, a smile drawing across his lips. “Want to know the first time it really started to change for me? It was when we had that neighborhood block party for the National Night Out Against Crime. You moderated a discussion on ways to make the community safer.”
“You remember that?”
“Again, the job.”
“Ah, yeah. Well, I guess that would stick out to you,” she said.
Mr. Right Next Door (Camp Firefly Falls Book 6) Page 8
