Page 22 of Make Your Shot
He lifts his head and blows out a breath, almost as if he’s responding to her. There’s a softness, a tenderness in his eyes as he stares at her, dropping his nose back into his feed bin.
I turn to Tella and say, “All right, T, let’s head home.”
Tella walks beside me as we slip out of the barn. Shemoves closer to me and her warm hand slides into mine, curling her little fingers around my hand. I glance down at her, watching as she gets a little bob in her step, half skipping. I bite back a smile, my footsteps matching hers as we head to my car together.
Later that night, just as I’m getting Tella tucked away in bed, my phone starts to ring in the front pocket of my sweatshirt. I pull it out and glance at the screen. It’s Caleb.
“Hello?”
“Hey,” he says, sounding slightly breathless. “Sorry about earlier. We’re heading in to get ready for the game, but I wanted to say goodnight to T.”
A warmth floods my chest. “Yes, of course.” I pull the phone away from my ear, holding it out to Tella. “It’s your dad. I’m going to go brush my teeth while you talk to him.”
“Okay,” Tella says, taking the phone from me as I walk toward the door. “Hi, Daddy!”
I make my way down the hall to the bathroom and get myself ready for bed. I thought it would feel weird, staying at his house like this, but it really doesn’t. I think it helps that Caleb is not here. He doesn’t make me uncomfortable, not in a bad way at least.
I’m not blind, nor am I immune to the man. His eyes are a striking grey, his jaw bone perfectly chiseled with a straight nose that leads to his perfect, subtly plump lips. I’m allowed to think my boss is attractive, even ifit’s not reciprocated. Based on Caleb’s comment about not dating, I can’t help but wonder if he’s dated anyone since his wife has passed.
I’ve never been in his situation. I can’t imagine what it must be like to try and move on, but then again, maybe he doesn’t want to. Maybe he wants to live with the ghost of her for the rest of his life.
And who am I to really judge?
I finish up in the bathroom and head into Tella’s room, just as she’s finishing up her conversation with Caleb. She says goodnight to him, a sleepy smile on her lips as she hands the phone to me.
“He wants to talk to you,” she says around a yawn as she stretches in her bed before nestling against her pillows. “Goodnight, Mia.”
“Night, T.”
I pat the top of her head, then put the phone up to my ear as I walk back out of her room, leaving the door ajar behind me. “Hey again.”
“Hey,” Caleb says, his voice soft, yet gruff. “Sorry about earlier.”
“It’s okay,” I tell him, my footsteps light as I head down the hallway and into my room. I gently push the door behind me, leaving it ajar like Tella’s as I slip into bed. “You’re supposed to be worrying about work, not what’s going on here.”
Caleb is silent for a moment. “I know,” he says quietly followed by another beat of silence. “It’s just hard for me sometimes.”
“I understand.” I swallow roughly over the lump in my throat. “I can’t pretend to know how it feels for you,but just know I understand to a degree. My father hated leaving me too.”
“Was it just the two of you?”
“Yeah,” I admit, letting out a soft breath as I pull the covers up over my body and settle in against the pillows. “My mother died when I was born. They were young so he had a lot of growing up to do, on top of being terrified of losing me too.”
“I’m sorry,” he says, his voice barely audible. “For your loss.”
“It’s okay,” I tell him with a half shrug even though he can’t see me. “I never got to meet her so it wasn’t as bad for me as it was for him.”
“Similar to Tella,” he murmurs. “Amelia died before T’s first birthday. She’ll never remember her.”
My chest constricts, my throat tightening as the sadness seeps through the phone. “I’m sorry,” I say, my voice cracking around the words. I swallow hard, closing my eyes. There’s nothing else I can really say. Nothing is going to change the truth behind his words. “She might not remember her, but that doesn’t mean you can’t keep her memory alive.”
Caleb doesn’t respond at first and I let the silence stretch, knowing there isn’t much else I can say to comfort him. He lost her five years ago and I’m sure he’s heard it all from everyone else.
He clears his throat and finally says, “I should probably go. Your father is going to be looking for me soon.”
“Don’t want that,” I laugh quietly, opening my eyes to stare at the wall across from the bed. “Good luck tonight.”
“Thanks,” he says, his voice hoarse. “Goodnight, Mia.”
