Page 34 of Make Your Shot
“No,” he says, his voice low and icy. “You and the brother.”
I half snort, shaking my head. “Oh, no.” I clear my throat. “I mean, we’re friends, I guess.”
“Hm,” he says, letting out a breath, his shoulders relaxing. He slowly turns his head to look at me, hisgaze immediately crashing into mine. “But notclosefriends?”
I swallow roughly, my stomach flipping over itself. “No.”
He slowly nods, his eyes lingering on mine before he turns back to watch Tella. She slows her horse from a canter to a trot then to a walk as she begins cooling him down. “I think she’s about done,” he says, his voice still low. He doesn’t move at first, his gaze transfixed on his daughter. “Amelia was afraid of horses,” he whispers, his eyebrows tugging together. “At least, I think she was.”
“They are huge animals and can be intimidating,” I offer, my voice quiet, matching the same volume as his. “Tella is a very talented rider for her age, though.”
“Sometimes I hate that she rides,” he admits, his head cocking to the side as he looks at me. The back of his hand brushes against mine, sending an electrical current up the length of my arm. My heart stumbles over itself. “I can’t help but feel like I’m putting her in such a dangerous position.”
My heart pounds harder against my ribcage as his knuckles lightly graze mine. The first time could pass for an accident, but a second time? My mind swims. I shouldn’t do it, shouldn’t chance it.
The tips of my fingers twitch and extend backward, lightly skimming the sides of his. Caleb inhales sharply through his nostrils, the sound subtle enough that if I weren’t paying attention, I would have missed it. My heart and lungs refuse to regulate themselves, but Iignore it. Time is momentarily suspended as I wait for him to make a move away from me.
His fingers move a fraction of an inch, pressing into the spaces between my own.
“Come on guys!” Tella calls to the two of us as she spins Sodapop around and starts walking toward the gate.
I immediately retreat, pulling my hand away from his, and I take a step back away from the fencing around the arena. Caleb doesn’t move at first, his eyes slowly meeting mine as he turns around to face me. His gaze is intense and my lips part, the tension between us thick enough you could cut it with a knife.
And then he ducks his head, breaking eye contact, and walks past me, heading toward the gate where Tella is.
I fill my lungs with air, closing my eyes while I hold the breath, then release it. I give my head a swift shake, attempting to regulate my nervous system before I turn around to follow them. Caleb is standing by the gate, holding Sodapop as Tella dismounts. He smiles down at his daughter and my heart grows inside my chest as I watch her walk up to him.
He grabs her hand, leading her pony and her back toward the barn. He glances over his shoulder, his eyes surveying the landscape until he finds me. His expression immediately relaxes, a ghost of a smile cresting his lips and damn my heart for kicking into overdrive again.
And damn me for not being immune to this man.
“T, why don’t you go get cleaned up and change while I start dinner?” Caleb says to Tella as we walk up to the front of the house. He unlocks the front door, holding it open for Tella and me to walk inside. Tella kicks off her shoes and heads up the stairs, leaving Caleb and me alone.
I turn back to look at Caleb as he shuts the door and moves to face me.
“I’m just going to grab my bag before I head home.”
Caleb stares at me for a moment, tilting his head. “I know this is all temporary, but would it be better if you just stayed?” His eyes widen slightly. “I mean, instead of going back and forth.”
My breath catches in my throat and I tuck a hair behind my ear while I look anywhere but him. “I don’t want to impose and interrupt your alone time with Tella.”
He swallows roughly and rakes a hand through his tousled hair. “No, no that makes sense,” he says, his voice low as he nods. “I—uh. Tella likes you and it just seems like it would be easier.” He pauses, letting out a shallow breath. “I could still have my time with her with you here.”
My nostrils flare, my heart pitter pattering beneath my ribcage. “I’ll think about it.”
“Okay,” he says softly, shoving his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. His eyes slowly search mine. “Thanks for coming to her lesson today. I know it meant a lot to her...and it was nice to have someone to talkto.” He clears his throat and shifts his weight on his feet. “For so long, it’s just been Tella and me.”
His last comment hurts my heart. He’s not completely alone. He has family, he has friends, but I know what he means. I know what is lingering beneath the words he actually speaks.
“Thank you for inviting me along,” I tell him, my voice quiet as I give him a small smile. “I’m always here if you ever want to talk about anything.” I take a breath, swallowing over the lump forming in my throat. “You’re not alone, Caleb. You have a lot of people who care about you.”
He pulls his hands from his pocket, taking a step closer. His throat bobs, eyes searching mine. “What about you?”
My heart climbs into my throat. “Well, yes. I care about you.”
“No.” He slowly shakes his head—another inch disappearing between us. “Who cares aboutyou?”
Every cell in my body freezes. “I—I—” My eyebrows tug together. “What do you mean?”
