“Why not?”
“It’ll be confusing to the children. They think there’s only one.” As soon as she’d said the words, she caught him struggling with a grin. “What?”
“Sweetheart, even toddlers have to know that all these Santas hanging out in the front yards of every house in the neighborhood are not the real thing,” he explained patiently. “For one thing, they’re plastic. For another, everyone knows that the real Santa lives at the North Pole. So what if we have a Santa family? Has anyone ever said for sure that there aren’t Santa triplets? Or clones, even? I mean, he does manage to hit a whole lot of places in one short night.”
“Please do not share these ideas of yours with Bree,” she begged. “With the way she delights in doing things that are cutting-edge, she’s liable to turn this Christmas play into some sci-fi holiday adventure that will have the audience totally bewildered.”
“So we can get this Santa?” Caleb asked, studying the rosy-cheeked figure and the gold-trimmed sleigh with lights and bells on the reins. “He’s the best one yet.”
“By all means, let’s take him home,” Jenny relented, delighted by this playful side of Caleb she hadn’t seen in far too long.
By the time they were finished, the bed of the pickup was jammed with outdoor lights and displays.
“One more stop,” Caleb announced. “If we’re going to do this job tonight, we’ll need hot chocolate, marshmallows, a boom box and some Christmas CDs.”
Jenny smiled, thinking of the years when she, her mom and Jake had worked on the yard with exactly the same things to set the mood. “Big marshmallows, not those little miniature guys,” she told him when he offered to run inside yet another big box store to get their supplies. “We’ll need some popcorn, too. And make sure you get the traditional Christmas CDs by Johnny Mathis and Tony Bennett, as well as all the latest ones.” She frowned. “Maybe I should come, too. You’ll never remember all that.”
Caleb merely lifted a brow. “You questioning my musical taste and my memory?”
She hesitated, thinking of their arguments over various singers. His taste was far more eclectic than hers. “Could you at least avoid the rappers?”
He winked at her. “That I can do. And I promise not to forget a single thing. If I do, you can send me back for it.”
She leaned back in the warm cab of the truck, listening to the local country station, her eyes closed.
It had been a surprisingly pleasant evening. She’d let down her guard. Caleb hadn’t been trying too hard to prove he’d changed. He was just Caleb, the way she remembered him from before he’d started drinking too much and lost his way.
He’d always been able to make her laugh. He’d delighted in provoking her with outrageous comments that he knew wouldn’t fail to elicit a strong response. He’d claimed he liked to see the fire flashing in her eyes. And that he’d liked even more stoking that fire by making love to her.
That memory had her sitting up straight. No, no, no, she warned herself. She couldn’t go there. She couldn’t start remembering how it had felt to have his hands all over her or his mouth covering hers, how he’d coaxed her along until she could barely remember her own name for all the sensations he was stirring up. She needed to be steeling her resolve, not getting weaker. Hadn’t she come to Chesapeake Shores at least in part to forget about him once and for all?
A tap on the window scared her to death. “Jenny, open the door,” Caleb said. “My keys are in the ignition.”
Her nerves jumpy—and definitely not just because he’d startled her—she unlocked the door to let him in. “Find everything?” she asked, her voice surprisingly breathless.
“As promised,” he said, then studied her. “You okay?”
She forced a smile. “Perfect.”
His expression remained worried. “But?”
She drew in a deep breath. “I’m thinking it’s already late. Jake can do the decorations tomorrow or the next day. He does it for a lot of people this time of the year, so he knows exactly what to do. I should probably get some sleep. We still have a lot of work to do on the music for the play.”
Caleb stilled, his frown deepening. “What the heck happened while I was inside that store, Jenny?”
“Nothing. Honest. I just realized it was late, that’s all.”
He sighed. “If you say so,” he said, though it was evident he wasn’t buying her explanation.
He pulled out of the parking lot and drove back to her house in silence, breaking it only to ask for directions once or twice. In the driveway, he said, “You go on inside and get some rest. I’ll unload everything and leave it on the porch.”
“I can help,” she offered, filled with guilt over ruining the evening by cutting it short simply because she’d panicked. After all, he hadn’t tried anything. She was the one who’d suddenly gotten all nostalgic.
“No need to help,” he told her. “I can do it. Just take the CDs, the CD player, and the popcorn and hot chocolate inside when you go.”
She took the bags and started for the house, then turned back. “Caleb, I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“Spoiling things.” Avoiding his gaze, she said, “I had a good time tonight. I really did.”
He walked over to her then and ran a finger along the curve of her jaw. “Too good?”
That he understood that surprised her. She dared to look into his eyes. “Maybe.”
His gaze remained steady, locked with hers. “I won’t apologize for that.”
“You shouldn’t. It’s me. This feeling scares me.”
“I don’t want you to ever be scared of me or with me,” he told her solemnly. “You take all the time you need, Jenny. I’m not going anywhere.”
This time when he said it, it didn’t sound so much like a warning. It sounded like a promise. And that scared her most of all.
* * *
Even though it was Saturday, Caleb knew he’d find Jenny, and most likely Bree, at the theater first thing in the morning. He risked a stop at Sally’s café for coffee and some of the chocolate croissants she assured him were Jenny’s favorites. He smiled as she put them into a bag. His girl—and she would be his again, he vowed—sure did love her chocolate, apparently in whatever form it took.
He’d admittedly been disappointed the night before when she’d put on the brakes to end their evening, but he had understood the sudden panic that had obviously washed over her. He’d come back into her life knowing exactly what he wanted. He’d grown more certain of it with every minute he spent with her. She needed some time to catch up.
When he arrived at the theater, he heard voices in the rehearsal hall where Jenny had set up camp the day before. One was low and definitely masculine. He knew even before he glanced into the room who it was—the ex-boyfriend.
“Today’s great,” Jenny was telling him. “I should be able to break free by noon. Shall I meet you at Brady’s?”
“I can pick you up,” the man offered, but Caleb saw Jenny shake her head.
“It’s easier if I just meet you there,” she insisted.
Her response and the uneasiness he heard behind it made him wonder if she was feeling just a little guilty about accepting the date. Good, he thought. She should.
But as soon as those thoughts crossed his mind, he sighed and stepped away, then went back outside and sat on the front steps of the theater, sipping one of the coffees. He needed to settle down before he walked into that room. Jenny wasn’t doing anything wrong, not really. Making her feel guilty wouldn’t help him win her back.
Bree found him there when she arrived at the theater a few minutes later. She was bundled up in a thick down coat, a scarf and mittens.
“You’re going to freeze to death,” she said. “What on earth are you doing sitting outside?”
&n
bsp; “Jenny has company,” he said simply, offering her one of the coffees. “The ex-boyfriend.”
Understanding dawned. “Dillon dropped by again?”
He nodded. “They’re making plans for lunch.”
A smile tugged at her lips, but she made an obvious effort to fight it. “And you’re out here so you won’t make a scene.”
“Something like that,” he said. “So what’s the scoop with those two, anyway? Were they serious?”
“They were in high school,” Bree told him as she sipped the coffee. “But they broke up before they left for different colleges. Jenny’s idea, by the way. She didn’t want to be tied down. I think even then she was being honest enough with herself to see that he was the wrong guy for her.”
“She doesn’t seem so sure of that now,” he suggested.
This time Bree didn’t try to hide her smile. “It’s lunch, Caleb. Broad daylight. Don’t you think if they were starting something, they’d be getting together in the evening, maybe even having dinner at her place?”
“She doesn’t have a table at her house,” he said, though that was hardly the issue. They’d shared some pretty intimate dinners on a blanket in front of the fireplace at her house in Nashville, even with lots of comfy furniture around them.
Bree merely lifted a brow. “A table? Do you really think that matters?”
Caleb chuckled. “Okay, no. But lunch isn’t exactly a guarantee that they’re not going to start crawling all over each other after dessert.”
“Voice of experience?”
“I’m not saying,” he demurred.
“My point is, Jenny told me herself that when Dillon first mentioned getting together, she insisted they stick to lunch to avoid any hint of gossip.” She leaned into his side. “Come on. This is no big deal. Stop sulking.”
He frowned at her. “I do not sulk.”
“Then prove it. Come inside with me. Despite this lovely coffee you brought along with you, I’m freezing to death. I’ll introduce you to Dillon myself. You can size up the competition.”
Caleb laughed. “Did you just insinuate that I’m intimidated by a guy who looks as stuffy as this guy? Or are you implying I’m a coward?”
She gave him an innocent look. “That word never crossed my lips.”
“But it’s exactly what you meant. You think I’m hiding out here because I’m scared of a little competition. What does he do, by the way?”
She barely contained a smile. “He sells insurance, if you must know.”
“Well, there you go,” he said. “Nothing scary about that.” Suddenly eager to get a better fix on this guy who’d once owned a piece of Jenny’s heart, he stood up and held out his hand to Bree. “Let’s go inside and make some music.”
Bree tilted her head to study him, a frown on her lips. “Why did that sound more like you intend to stir up trouble instead?”
“Not at all,” he vowed. “Just a polite meet-and-greet. I excel at those, especially with insurance salesmen.” He held up the tray with one more container of coffee and the bag of treats from Sally’s. “Besides, I’m armed with coffee and chocolate croissants. The guy doesn’t stand a chance.”
Bree laughed. “Then it’s definitely not a fair fight. Even if you weren’t sexy as sin, you’d steal Jenny’s affections with those croissants. She made me ship her a box every few weeks. She swore she couldn’t find any half as good in Nashville.”
Caleb frowned at that. “There was an excellent French bakery right in her neighborhood. She was a regular.”
“She claimed they weren’t the same as Sally’s,” Bree told him. “Personally I think she just liked knowing they came from Chesapeake Shores. As much as she denied it all those years, she missed home, Caleb. I, for one, hope she sticks around for a while.”
“You’ll get no argument from me,” he said. He could see how this charming town—and even the slightly overwhelming O’Briens—could weave a spell around anyone.
There was another reason he was happy to have Jenny back on her home turf. Despite the presence of the ex-boyfriend, he figured he had a better chance with her here than he ever would back in the town where everyone knew their history, and all his mistakes besides. Here, he might even have a shot at reinventing himself, at reclaiming her heart before all the demands of the music business started tearing away at the fabric of the life they could have together.
* * *
“Look who I found sitting outside,” Bree announced, cheerfully leading Caleb into the rehearsal hall where Jenny had been working on lyrics while Dillon listened.
Jenny frowned at him. “Why were you outside? The door wasn’t locked.”
“Just enjoying the view of the bay,” Caleb claimed.
Jenny knew it was a lie and immediately guessed why he’d felt the need to utter it. He’d overheard her and Dillon earlier making their date for lunch. He must have had a pretty strong reaction to walk away, rather than join them.
“Dillon, this is Caleb Green,” Bree said, stepping into the awkward silence. “Caleb, Dillon Johnson, an old friend of Jenny’s.”
The scowl on Dillon’s face proved there was no need to explain about Caleb. Besides, he’d already acknowledged a few days before that he knew the whole story of the breakup. Now he looked as if he were about ten seconds away from punching Caleb just on principle. Jenny stepped between them before he could give in to the impulse.
“Okay, we’d better put in some serious work if I’m going to be able to break for lunch. Dillon, I’ll see you at Brady’s at noon.”
Dillon looked a little startled by the firm dismissal, but he nodded and grabbed his jacket. Then, to her shock, he crossed to her and planted a solid kiss right smack on her lips.
“See you,” he said, his tone casual, but an unmistakable glint of triumph in his eyes as he shot a look toward Caleb on his way out.
Caleb took a step in his direction, but Bree’s hand on his arm stilled him.
“There will not be any turf wars in my theater,” she said quietly. “Understood?”
Caleb drew in a deep breath, then nodded.
She turned to Jenny. “You might suggest to Dillon that he call you instead of dropping by. We have a lot to get done and not much time to accomplish it.”
Jenny bristled at the suggestion that Dillon wasn’t welcome here, but then she, too, drew in a deep breath. “You’re right, of course.”
“And I can leave you two alone in here without worrying about an argument breaking out the instant my back’s turned?”
Caleb chuckled. “Yes, Mama Hen. Your chick will be safe with me.”
Jenny gave him a wry look. “Don’t be so sure about your rooster,” she retorted.
“Jenny Louise!” Bree said firmly.
“Okay, okay. We’ll both behave.”
“And focus a hundred percent on the music for this play?” Bree encouraged.
“A hundred percent,” Jenny confirmed.
After Bree had gone, Jenny dared to look at Caleb. “Were you really jealous?”
“Didn’t you want me to be? You had to know when I was likely to turn up. Didn’t you make that date with Dillon just to make a point to me?”
“First of all, it’s not a date. It’s lunch with an old friend. Second, I had no idea you were in the building.”
“Not even with that clear view you have of the front sidewalk?” he suggested skeptically, nodding toward the window directly across the room with its excellent view of the sweeping lawn, the walkway and the water.
Jenny winced. He was right. She had seen him coming, had heard the theater’s front door open and close. Even though she hadn’t invited Dillon to come by, she’d considered his presence a chance to make a point to Caleb, to remind him that he no longer had any claim on her, no matter how strong
the feelings had been between them the night before. Those had been a fluke, an old habit not yet broken. At least that’s what she’d told herself as she’d tossed and turned through the night.
“Okay, you’re right,” she said. “Maybe I did take advantage of the situation.”
“No more games, Jenny. Whatever else happens between us, let’s at least keep it honest, okay?”
He was right. “Okay,” she promised.
“Will you break your lunch date with the ex?”
“Would you, if you were in my shoes?” she asked, turning the tables on him.
“No,” he conceded grudgingly. “But it’s the last time, okay? Like it or not, we have things to work out. We can’t do it if you’re going to throw him in my face whenever the mood strikes you.”
Jenny smiled at that. “It’s not all about making you crazy, you know. Dillon and I were good friends once. He knows my history. He gets me.”
Caleb locked gazes with her. “But I’m the one who knows who you are now, Jenny. History’s all well and good, but make no mistake about it, your future’s with me.”
She trembled under the intensity of his words and his gaze. She didn’t doubt for a second that he believed exactly that. What worried her was that she might start believing it, too. All the more reason to go on this date with Dillon and see if she couldn’t fan a few of those old flames.
Chapter Eight
Since there was clearly no way Jenny was going to break the date she’d made with Dillon, Caleb needed to find something to do at lunchtime to keep himself from losing it. He thought of all those decorations he’d left stacked on the front porch the night before. While he had plenty of ideas for where they should go, he didn’t have a ladder or the expertise to make sure they stayed put once he’d created the scene he had in mind.
He poked his head into Bree’s office, thinking maybe he could kill two birds with one stone—get those decorations up and maybe make some inroads with someone else in the family.
“Jenny said something about Jake being an expert at installing outdoor Christmas decorations,” he said to her. “Do you happen to know if he’s tied up this afternoon?”
Chesapeake 10 - A Seaside Christmas Page 10
