Page 12 of Raven
I yawned again and nodded as I covered my mouth. “I did, thank you.” Looking around, I asked, “What time is it?”
Caleb glanced to the far wall and replied, “It’s almost two. You slept for close to three hours.”
“Wow,” I responded.
He pulled out a chair at the island and I took a seat as he walked to the sink and washed his hands. My stomach grumbled as he dried them on a cloth, and he looked at me with a smile. “What would you like for lunch?”
“You don’t have to make me anything,” I explained, not used to anyone cooking for me.
He chuckled and walked to a cabinet before opening it. “I’m not much of a cook, but I can heat up a mean pot of soup.” I smiled as he asked, “Do you have a preference?”
Standing, I joined him and looked into the cabinet at my options. “Chicken and stars please.”
“You got it. Go sit down and let’s visit while I get this started.” I did as he requested and retook my seat. He glanced over and inquired, “What would you like to drink?”
“Whatever is fine.”
“Sydney, tell me what you want, baby.”
“Do you have apple juice?” I asked and he nodded with a smile before walking to the fridge.
Opening it, I saw at least four different kinds of juice as he pulled out apple and poured me a glass. Caleb placed it in front of me and asked, “Do you think you’d like a grilled cheese with your soup?”
“Yes please.”
Sitting at the island in his nice house, I watched as he skillfully opened the can and added the water to it before placing the pot onto the stove with a flourish. Next, he grabbed a pan some bread, butter, and cheese and quickly made me a perfectly grilled sandwich. After putting the sandwich onto a plate and filling a bowl with the hot soup, he brought them both to me.
“Thank you,” I said, feeling like the words weren’t enough to convey my appreciation on him taking care of me.
No one had ever taken care of me without complaining. Uncle Billy did his best, but he was always busy with his shop or some club business, and he wasn’t much of a caretaker. He was a great Uncle, but not so nurturing. I spent time with random friends when he wasn’t around, and a few members of his club. They were nice, but no one wanted to take care of someone who wasn’t theirs.
As I took a bite of the delicious sandwich, I thought about when my mother dumped me at Uncle Billy’s in Oregon just after my eighth birthday. He wasn’t even at home, but she somehow got inside and told me to wait for him before she turned and walked out. She popped in and out of our lives for the next ten years, and finally, just before I turned eighteen, I told her to never come back.
Having no mother was easier than having my nightmare of a mother.
The next time I heard anything about her was when I got the call from some small-town sheriff in nowhere Nevada that she had died. That was last year, and it had been ten years since I had spoken with her. Uncle Billy and I drove down to claim her body and when I saw her, I hardly recognized the woman who attempted to raise me. I tried to shake off the memories of her drug addicted body lying on the metal table, naked and alone.
“What’s going through your head?” Caleb asked and I lifted my head from my delicious soup and looked across the island at him.
“Not much,” I said, hearing the lie slip from my mouth.
He walked around the island and carefully took my hand into his, lifting it to his mouth and placing a kiss on the top. “No matter what it is, I want to know what you’re thinking. And I’ll do the same for you. I never want there to be secrets between us,and the only way we can learn to trust each other is to share.” He paused and released my hand so I could keep eating as he continued, “But it’s unfair of me to ask you something that I haven’t done myself. So, here I go.”
He blew out a breath and took a seat at the island as he began to explain. “I’ve never felt successful, no matter how many bikes I build.” Shaking his head, he pushed on when I opened my mouth to interject. “My parents and my sister all have college degrees, and I feel like the black sheep of the family. Like nothing I do will live up to their accomplishments.”
How could he feel that way? He was one of the most sought-after builders in this half of the country, and he booked custom jobs months in advance. His work was amazing, and I couldn’t believe someone as brilliant as him thought he wasn’t somehow good enough.
Then it dawned on me that he felt exactly like I did, only about different things. And neither was true. It was at that exact moment I realized how similar he and I were, and that his earlier request to give us a chance was sincere.
Placing my spoon into the empty bowl, I wiped my face and hands with a napkin and stood from my seat. Caleb watched me as I walked around the island and up next to him. He raised his eyebrows, silently asking for a response.
I leaned over and kissed him, placing my hands against his cheeks. The kiss wasn’t frantic or even sexy, but it was filled with potential. His hands came to my waist and held me firm as I pulled back from the kiss and placed my forehead against his. He stood from his seat and I stepped back as he pulled me against his chest and wrapped his arms around me. Returning the hold around him, we stood silently in the kitchen, holding each other.
And at that moment, I knew this man had managed to find the missing pieces of my heart I had tossed away years ago,hoping to never fall into the trap of love. Somehow, this beautiful man and I found each other in the sea of faceless people.
I had to believe him and trust he would catch me if I fell.
Chapter 7
