Page 60 of Knot in Bloom
“Thank you for today,” I tell him. “For sharing that place with me. For making everything feel possible.”
“Thank you for trusting me with it.” He presses another soft kiss to my forehead. “Now go let Caleb spoil you. You deserve every bit of attention he’s planning to give you.”
“And then?”
“And then we’ll see what tomorrow brings.” His smile turns almost predatory. “Though I have some ideas about continuing what we started by the creek.”
Heat races through me at the promise in his voice. As I watch him walk toward his car, I’m struck by how different this feels from anything I’ve ever experienced. Not jealousy or competition, but genuine excitement about sharing something beautiful with people who all want the same thing—my happiness.
I head upstairs to get ready for dinner, Levi’s cedar scent still clinging to my clothes like a claiming, and for the first time in years, I feel like I’m exactly where I belong.
Maybe this is what home feels like. Not a place, but the people who make you feel like the best version of yourself.
People who see you as exactly the right size for the life you want to build together.
Chapter 17
Sadie
When I walk out of my apartment Caleb is waiting for me, he looks up from his phone with a smile that makes my knees wobble. He’s changed into dark jeans and a button-down that brings out his eyes, his hair still damp like he rushed to shower after whatever he spent the afternoon doing. His sandalwood scent is strong. There’s something about his familiar alpha warmth that makes everything in me settle with contentment.
“Hey,” he says, opening the passenger door for me. “Good day?”
“The best day.” I settle into the seat, immediately surrounded by his scent in the enclosed space. It makes something in me relax completely. “Where are we going?”
“Somewhere I’ve been wanting to take you since I got back to town.” He starts the truck, glances at me with an expression that’s part nervous, part determined. “You trust me?”
“I trust you.”
The words come out easier than I expected, and I realize they’re completely true. Despite everything that’s happened,despite how overwhelming today has been, being with Caleb feels like the most natural thing in the world.
The drive takes us out of town in a direction I’ve never been, winding up into the mountains on roads that get progressively narrower and more scenic. Caleb drives with the same confident competence he brings to everything, one hand on the wheel, the other resting on the console close enough that I could touch it if I wanted to.
And I do want to. The realization surprises me—after the emotional intensity of breakfast with Reid and the afternoon with Levi, I should be drained. Reid made me feel cherished and seen, like I was worth building dreams around. Levi made me feel beautiful and desired, like I was poetry come to life. But there’s something about Caleb’s solid presence that makes me feel energized rather than overwhelmed. Safe in a completely different way.
“Tell me about your day,” he says after we’ve been driving for a few minutes. “How was breakfast with Reid?”
“Good. Really good.” I study his profile, looking for any signs of jealousy or territorial behavior. Instead, I see genuine interest, maybe even satisfaction. “He wants to help with the business. Offered to introduce me to corporate clients, help with expansion planning.”
“That sounds great.” There’s warmth in Caleb’s voice, genuine pleasure at my happiness. “What about your afternoon with Levi?”
“He took me to this creek, this beautiful hidden place. We read books and talked about family and home.”
We drive higher into the mountains, past pine forests and rocky outcroppings that catch the late afternoon light. Just when I’m starting to wonder where he’s taking me, Caleb pulls into the parking lot of what looks like a rustic steakhouse with huge windows overlooking the valley.
“Mountain View,” he says, coming around to open my door like the gentleman Maeve clearly raised him to be. “Best steaks in three counties, according to Dean. And far enough from home that we won’t have Millie taking notes on what we order.”
I laugh, accepting his offered arm. “I love living in a small town, but sometimes it would be nice to have a conversation without an audience.”
“Exactly what I was thinking.”
The hostess seats us at a corner table with the best view in the restaurant. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, I can see the entire valley spread below us—tiny lights beginning to twinkle in three different towns as darkness settles over the mountains.
“Caleb,” I breathe, leaning forward to take it all in. “This is incredible. Look, you can see Honeyridge Falls from here.”
“Right there,” he points to a cluster of lights nestled between the hills. “That’s Main Street. Your shop is in that group of buildings on the left.”
The thoughtfulness of choosing a table where I can see home makes my chest warm. “You planned this.”
