Page 50 of Caleb's Cause
“Why is he lying? Why won’t he accept the truth about his own son? Why is he trying to make my life miserable. I can’t tell you how many times someone came up to me today to try to get my story.”
“Do you think they’ll call that number on the news?”
“I don’t know. I do know that I saw Erin and that deputy talking with everyone. I’m sick and tired of not having my life.”She burst into tears again, and Caleb sat up to wrap his arms around her. When she started to kiss him, he returned it, then pulled back.
“I’m sorry, but I’m probably going to be the asshole here, but this isn’t what you want. As much as I want to make love to you right now, I don’t want you to wake in a few hours with regrets. I want us to be together with no pressure from the outside world dictating we should do it in order to make you feel something.” He studied her and when he didn’t see anger on her face, he breathed easier. “I’m sorry.”
“No, you’re right,” she said after several minutes of silence. “I would have regretted it. Though I am totally over Michael, I don’t want you to think I’m using you, Caleb. Will you hold me as I fall back asleep, and this time, we can be under the same blankets, I won’t attack you.”
“You’re sure? Not that I don’t want you to, but I don’t want to put any pressure on you.”
“I’m sure.” She nodded and after getting up to use the bathroom, she returned to find him beneath the blankets. She smiled when she cuddled against his bare chest, and sighed in contentment when his arms came around her. “Thank you for making me feel safe,” were the last words she spoke before falling into a deep sleep. Caleb quickly followed her.
CHAPTER 18
Katherine woke slowlythe next morning, and as she stretched, she realized the other side of the bed was empty. She looked at the clock and gave a small screech when she saw it was going on ten in the morning. At least she hoped it was the morning. She jumped out of bed, used the bathroom, and rushed out to the kitchen, where she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Caleb sitting there. He looked up with a smile, causing her heart to melt, and with his one coffee mug, he pointed to the coffee pot.
“Hold on,” he said into the mouthpiece attached to his ear, then looked at Katherine. “Fresh coffee, and I made breakfast sandwiches a couple of hours ago. They’re still fresh.”
“Thanks,” she said, and went to get herself coffee and a sandwich, then she sat at the table and nodded at the papers. “Am I disturbing you?”
“No, I’m almost done here.” He went back to his conversation as Katherine studied him as she ate. Fifteen minutes later, he said his goodbyes to the person on the other end of the phone call, sighed heavily, and looked at her sheepishly.
“What?”
“I might have just done the best thing in the world, or the stupidest thing.” He rose to get his coffee and rejoined her with a full cup. He settled back and watched her intently.
“What?” She used the napkin to wipe her face, and he only continued to stare at her for several minutes. When he didn’t respond, she knew he wasn’t looking at her, but at something in his mind. She was right when he gave himself a shake, and really looked at her.
“First, I’d like to apologize for rejecting you earlier.”
“Stop, you didn’t reject me. You prevented both of us from making a mistake before we are ready. I like you, Caleb, and I don’t want to rush into anything. We would have if you had taken me up on my offer.”
“You’re not mad?”
“No.”
“Okay, with that out of the way, I have another question for you.”
“What’s that?”
“How swamped are you with working with Naomi?”
“Not at all,” she said on a heavy sigh. “I get bored sometimes because I don’t know whether it’s me, or if it’s the work, but I’m usually done with what I have to do by noon. I stick around the barn and pet the animals, and pitch in if I have to, but the work isn’t hard. Why?”
“Do you think it might be because you’re an organized person?”
“It might be. What are you getting at, Caleb?”
Caleb scrubbed his face, sighed heavily, and sat forward with his forearms crossed on the table in front of him. “When Uncle Ry showed up at my home in Seattle after being released from the military, he was in rough shape.”
“Rough how?”
“This isn’t my story, and I know my uncle won’t tell anyone, and you need to promise me you won’t repeat anything.”
Katherine held up her hand and nodded. “I promise.” She sat there in stunned silence as Caleb told him what he knew of what Ryan, Manny, and Scott had gone through at the hands of terrorists. What condition Ryan had been when he arrived in Seattle, and what had transpired between his mother and uncle.
“Holy shit, I’m sorry for interrupting, but your mother sounds like a bitch.”
