My Heart Says Yes

by Ashley Blake

  “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry.” Rena looked really remorseful and I had to assure her that it was okay that she asked me about him.

  “No problem, I’m just happy that I got out before I was in too deep. Caleb Morgan is not who I thought he was, well scratch that, he’s actually exactly who I thought he was, with his pretty boy looks and charisma. I’m just annoyed that I fell for it at all, but you live and you learn.”

  Rena raised her eyebrows in surprise. “I have to say that I am really surprised because the way he talked about you Emma, I had never heard him talk like that about anyone before. I hope you guys can work it out because, I promise you, even though you have just met each other, he was a changed man after meeting you.”

  I had to admit that her words did surprise me, but it was too late, I was done with his lies and games.

  Kelly chimed in again. "Oh I say never say never Emma, you never know what will happen. When you are meant to be with someone nothing can keep you two apart, that’s what I believe anyway.”

  Kelly had always been the hopeless romantic between the two of us; I was the more practical thinker. But it didn’t matter. I told myself that this discussion meant nothing because things were over with Caleb and me.

  We chatted for a little while longer and then we went home because we all had projects to work on for school and we didn’t want to be zombies the next day. As I was lying in bed that night, I thought about what Rena had said about Caleb and how he was a changed man because of me. I tried to push it out of my mind but the words kept repeating in my head. I was going to have to face Caleb next Saturday at the senior center, and I was really nervous about that but I would deal with that when the time came. I felt myself getting really bummed thinking about him and, mercifully, I was able to quickly drift off to sleep.

  The following week at school I was so busy I barely had time to eat, and it was good because I didn’t have much time to think about Caleb. But in the moments when I was still, he crept into my thoughts. I could see his face, feel his lips on mine, feel his hands on my skin and I would start to feel sad about what could have been. I really wanted him and it wasn’t because he was so gorgeous, it was because I thought he was so awesome to be around and it was so easy to talk with him. I did my best to push him out of my mind but there were times where my heart was stronger than my mind.

  Saturday came before I knew it and I was really nervous about seeing Caleb at the center, but I’d made a commitment to them and I was not going to break it. I arrived at the center at 9:00 and Jean was rushing around getting things set up for a live performance. Leo Cox, a piano player who was a favorite of the seniors, was coming to play for the entire time that day while we played games and had lunch. I quickly glanced around and did not see Caleb anywhere so I was able to relax, at least for the short amount of time that he was not there yet.

  “Hi Jean, how can I help, what would you like for me to do?”

  “Oh Emma dear, I’m so happy that you’re here, we have so much setting up to do before Leo arrives.”

  “Okay just tell me what you would like for me to do and where you would like me to put everything.”

  “Can you finish setting up the tables and chairs and check to make sure that they all have pads on the feet?”

  “No problem.”

  I was setting up tables and chairs when I heard Caleb’s voice enter the room and my body literally froze in place. I took a deep breath and continued setting up, trying to appear as if his presence did not affect me. You could be standing right in front of Jean talking with her and she always spoke as if you were standing clear across the room, so I heard her talking with Caleb.

  “Caleb would you be a dear and help Emma set up the rest of the chairs and tables and check that they all have pads on the feet? Everyone will start arriving around 11:00 and I don’t want to make scraping noises with the chairs and tables because some people have sensitive ears, and I don’t want to aggravate them.”

  “No problem Jean.”

  I heard Caleb walking toward me, and my palms became very sweaty as my heart began to pound in my chest. My throat was completely parched, so as soon as I heard him approach me from behind, I turned to go get a glass of water in the kitchen and I did not say a word to him. I could feel his eyes on me as I walked toward the kitchen but I did not turn around.

  I took my time in the kitchen, drinking my water, hoping that by the time I was done Caleb would be done setting up. A few minutes later other volunteers arrived so I tried to look busy in the kitchen, but then I heard Jean’s voice calling for me.

  “Caleb, will you go see if you can find her in the kitchen and ask her to help move this big table?”

  “Sure thing Jean.”

  Oh great. There was nowhere for me to hide so I decided to go out into the other room before Caleb came to get me, like I was a child. I nearly ran into him just as he was coming into the kitchen. He grabbed my arms to steady me and I looked up into those gorgeous eyes and just wanted to melt. My mind went back to our first encounter at the party a few weeks before, and it felt like déjà vu.

  “Where’s the fire?”

  I savored his touch for a few seconds and then I remembered the whole Carrie thing and I snatched my arms out of his grasp.

  “Sorry about that, I heard Jean ask you to come find me to help move the table, so let’s just go do that.”

  I tried to walk out but he blocked the door.

  “Emma, what was that earlier?” His brows furrowed with confusion.

  “What do you mean?” I knew he was talking about my dash into the kitchen to get away from him.

  Fire flashed across those gorgeous eyes. “You know exactly what I mean.”

  “Do we have to do this now Caleb? We really need to get everything set up.”

  “Fine, I will find you after we’re all done here, and don’t even think about leaving without talking to me.”

  His tone was firm and I knew it would not be a good idea if I ducked out early, so I agreed to talk with him after we were done for the day. We went out into the other room and finished setting everything up just in time for everyone’s arrival. I saw Jack and Mary walk in together, chatting and laughing, and it really warmed my heart.

  “Hi Emma! Come sit at our table, we want to tell you something.” Jack had a big grin on his face and I smiled back at them and sat at their table.

  Being around them really cheered me up and helped me momentarily forget about my issues with Caleb. “Hi Jack, hi Mary, wow, you both look great! How are you guys doing?”

  Mary had a big smile on her face. “We are great. Guess what we did?”

  I sat up in my seat, and widened my eyes with interest as I smiled at them. “What?”

  “You tell her Jack.” Mary couldn’t stop smiling.

  “Yeah, tell me Jack, what did you guys do?”

  “Well, I decided to take your and Caleb’s advice and, I asked Mary if she would like to go have a couple coffee with me this week. She said yes, and we were at Starbucks for nearly 3 hours on Wednesday afternoon.” He was positively beaming and I could tell that he really liked her.

  “Oh my goodness! I am just so happy for you two, I knew you would have a nice time if you went out away from the center.”

  “You were right and Caleb was right.” Jack looked around and looked back at me with a puzzled look on his face. “Where is Caleb?”

  “He’s here somewhere, I was talking with him earlier.”

  “Well, when you see him will you call him over so that Mary and I can tell him our good news?”

  “Yes, absolutely Jack.”

  It was time for lunch, so all of the volunteers gathered together to make a plate for each senior and then we passed out the food. I was just getting ready to sit down and eat with Jack, Mary and the other seniors at our table, when I heard Caleb’s deep voice behind me.

  “Do you mind if I join you?”

  I felt a pit in my stomach at the thought of hav
ing to sit through a meal with him, but I couldn’t protest because Jack and Mary had been waiting to talk to Caleb, and they had big grins on their faces.

  “Caleb, there you are! Of course you can sit with us. Mary and I have some news to share with you.”

  Caleb glanced at me and I could see that he was upset with me, and then he turned his attention toward Jack and Mary and smiled at them. “Oh yeah? What’s going on?”

  “Well, I took your and Emma’s advice, and I asked Mary out for a cup of coffee and we were at Starbucks for three hours this week. So thank you for the gentle nudge.”

  “Hey you guys, that is terrific! I’m happy you were able to do that, and I knew that you would have a nice time together.”

  Jack looked at Caleb, then looked at me, and then back to Caleb with a pretty mischievous look on his face. “So…?”

  I knew what he was trying to ask and it was so cute the way he was doing it that I had to laugh out loud. “Yes Jack? Is there something that you would like to ask us?”

  “I’m just wondering when Caleb is going to take his own advice and ask you out for coffee.”

  I could see Caleb’s face change and he almost looked hurt, then his eyes glossed over as he got control of his emotions. “You know, that’s a great idea Jack, I’m going to ask her right now in front of you since you are our friends. Let’s see what Emma says.”

  I was totally put on the spot and I knew that I could not say no in front of Jack and Mary, so I would have to play along.

  Caleb turned to look at me, his eyes betraying him. I could see the hurt that was there as his eyes searched mine, and I felt a twinge of guilt knowing that I had caused him to look that way. I tried to tell myself that it was him that caused this when he cheated on Carrie with me. Wait a minute. Where was Carrie? I asked the question out loud, totally throwing him off and he looked a bit confused, and then I could see him focus on my question.

  “She won’t be able to volunteer anymore, it apparently doesn’t fit into her schedule.”

  I almost smiled but I caught myself because I didn’t want to look catty in front of Jack and Mary. The witch is gone!!! My mood instantly improved when I heard that news.

  Caleb looked serious as he got ready to ask me out. “Emma, would you like to go out with me for a cup of coffee this afternoon?”

  I looked at Jack and Mary who were grinning from ear to ear, waiting to hear my answer and there was no way I would crush their spirit. I tried to put on as genuine a smile as possible, as I answered Caleb. “I would love to.”

  He smiled at me and I felt butterflies dancing in my belly as he held my gaze and mouthed, “thank you.” Jack and Mary were so excited for us.

  “You kids have a nice time this afternoon and be sure to tell us all about it when we see you in two weeks.” Mary was firm in her instructions and it was very sweet to see how concerned she was.

  “We’re not leaving just yet Mary.”

  “I know but I wanted to tell you that just in case we didn’t see you again when you start cleaning up.”

  I gently grabbed her hand and her skin felt so soft. I gave her a quick wink. “Don’t you worry, I’ll fill you in on all the details. Oh, it looks like everyone is gathering around the piano. What do you say we all go enjoy some music?”

  We all moved over to the piano to give Leo song requests and all of the seniors had a nice time swaying back and forth to the music. I saw Jack reach out and hold Mary’s hand and it almost made me cry it was so sweet. I hope when I’m their age I will have someone that I care about the way they care about each other. Caleb was sitting right next to me and I really wanted him to reach out and hold my hand or put his arm around me, but since we weren’t in a good place that wouldn’t happen. Based on the way he was acting toward me and the way he was pursuing me, I was starting to believe him that nothing was going on with Carrie. I decided that we would get to the bottom of everything later that afternoon.

  After the festivities, it was time for our seniors to go back home and time for us to clean up. I was in the kitchen putting away dishes when Caleb came in and closed the door, both us finally alone together.

  “Emma, do I repulse you so much that you cannot even stand to be in the same room with me? The way you nearly ran into the kitchen as I was walking over to you earlier today makes me feel as if you cannot even stand the sight of me. Is that how you feel?”

  I could hear the hurt in his voice and when my eyes met his, I could also see it and I felt terrible.

  “No, of course not. I just wasn’t prepared to see you at that moment.”

  “Well, how about now? Are you more prepared? Because I meant it when I asked you to go out for coffee this afternoon.”

  “I didn’t want to upset Mary and Jack, so I said yes. I think we can just talk things out here, well not in here, but outside after we’re done, don’t you?”

  “No, I don’t, Emma.” His face was serious and I could see that he was not ready to take no for answer. He asked me out, I said yes, and I think he fully expected me to hold up my end of that deal.

  “Caleb, let’s just talk about this outside.” As I reached for the doorknob, Caleb grabbed my wrist and I looked up at him, my skin was tingling from his touch.

  “Have dinner with me next Saturday night.” His eyes searched mine and I saw a hint of a smile in them.

  I snatched my wrist out of his grip and pursed my lips. “I don’t think that is such a good idea.”

  I reached for the door again and this time he stood directly in front of it, blocking me, and stared down at me looking exasperated.

  “Emma, I have feelings for you and I want to explore those feelings and I want to get to know you. Do you have feelings for me? Because if you don’t then I will leave and I will never bother you again. I know we’ll see each other when we volunteer but I will just keep it cordial, even though that is going to be very difficult for me. So I need to know your answer.”

  I was caught off guard by his candid admission of feelings for me. Yes, of course I had feelings for him, and I wanted to get to know him, but I was scared. What if he was just playing me? I thought about how much fun we’d had last time at the center and how easy it was to be around him and I didn’t want that to be the end of it, so I decided to give him another chance.

  I looked at him very hesitantly and quietly admitted what I had wanted to shout at the top of my lungs for the past few weeks. “Yes, I have feelings for you.” I looked down at the floor because I felt very exposed and vulnerable.

  He put a finger under my chin and gently lifted my face so that my eyes met his and his smile illuminated his face. “Good, no games.”

  I couldn’t help but smile at him, he was so damned gorgeous. “No games.”

  He leaned down to kiss me and as I felt his soft lips touch mine, I was in heaven. He pulled back a bit and gently touched the tip of my nose with his and smiled at me. “Boy, you’re a feisty one Ms. Blakely, I like it. You’re definitely going to keep me on my toes.”

  “You have no idea Mr. Morgan.” I gave him a little smirk and he looked so sexy when he looked back at me, that all I wanted was to have him throw me down on the counter and have his way with me right there in the kitchen.

  “We should probably get out of here because if you keep looking at me like that I won’t be able to control myself with all the things I want to do to you.” His eyes smoldered as they roamed my body.

  “Promises, promises.” I was coy as I opened the door and he followed behind me.

  We wrapped up everything at the center and then we went to Starbucks.

  “So do you believe me now about Carrie, that she isn’t my girlfriend?”

  “Yes, and I’m sorry it took so long but if you had heard the way she said those things to me. She sounded like a jealous girlfriend who was staking her claim. I believed her when I should have believed you.”

  “Look, it’s all behind us now. We’ll just look forward from now on. Sound good?”


  “Yep, cool.”

  We were there for about an hour and then Caleb drove me home. When we got to my front door he turned off the car, put his arm across the back of my seat and casually played with my hair.

  “I’ll call you.”

  I gave him a demure smile. “Okay, I’m looking forward to it.”

  He leaned in for a kiss and entwined his fingers in my hair pulling me toward him. His lips kissed mine, softly at first, and then they became more urgent, the need more intense. Our tongues explored each other and I let out a soft moan as he gently sucked on my bottom lip. My fingers raked through his hair and I wanted to pull him closer to me but it was awkward in the front seat of the car.

  Caleb pulled away. “We better stop Emma because I won’t be able to control myself in a minute and your bed is right upstairs.”

  My breath came in soft pants as I pulled myself together. “You’re right, I’d better get going. Thanks for the ride home. I’ll see you next week?”

  His eyes were filled with lust as they held mine. “Definitely.”

  I got out of the jeep and smiled and waved at him as I let myself into my building. He waved back and then he took off. When I was inside my place I jumped up and down like a five year old, so happy, and then I had a mini panic even though I had a full week to decide. What am I going to wear?

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Kelly slept at her boyfriend’s place that night and the next morning, when I heard her keys in the door I raced to open it to tell her what had happened.

  “Oh my gosh, Emma! I knew that he was into you. I am sure Carrie said that stuff to you because she was jealous!”

  “I’m pretty happy right now, Kel. I didn’t want to admit it before, but I really like him.”

  “This is just so cool, I am really happy for you. Now, the big question, what are you going to wear?”

  “I have no idea, you have to help me!”

  “Okay, let’s look in your closet and then my closet to see what we can find.”

  Kelly and I pulled out eight dresses between the two of us and I tried all of them on. When I got to the last dress, which was one of Kelly’s, I knew that was the one. It was a draped one shoulder, dark violet dress, and it fit my hourglass figure perfectly. I had a pair of strappy heels that looked perfect with it.