Page 55 of Caleb's Salvation
“Man, I came to the cabin that day and saw the shape you were in, I totally freaked.”
I smiled. He had freaked. Like Sam and I had the Bubonic plague or something instead of just the flu. He hadn’t been able to bring himself to come inside the cabin, and I totally didn’t blame him. There was no point in him getting sick, too, which is why I had shooed him away with the promise that I was fine.
In hindsight, though, I really hadn’t been. If Caleb hadn’t come, I don’t know how I would have managed Sam as weak as I was.
Which made me realize I had no idea how Caleb had known I was sick.
“Hey, Ty,” I asked. “Did you tell Caleb Sam and I were sick?”
He nodded, even as he made faces at Sam to make him giggle. “Hell, yeah. I left you and could see it was bad. I didn’t have a fucking clue…oh, sorry, Sam…what to do. I got to camp and figured Cal would know.” Ty shrugged then. “Cal knows how to handle any situation. That’s why he’s the boss.”
Ty had told Caleb I was sick, and Caleb had immediately come to help.
Which completely contradicted with the concept that all he really wanted to do was fuck me, because sure as hell he didn’t have that on his mind when he walked into my cabin that reeked of baby sick and me.
Then I saw a hand land on Ty’s shoulder.
Ty turned and pointed with his chin as Caleb came up behind him. “I was right, too. Call knew what to do, didn’t he?”
“He did,” I said, looking up at Caleb trying to read his expression.
“Ty,” he said as he handed me, my beer. Then in a surprise move, he lifted Sam out of Ty’s arms and plunked him on his hip.
Possessive, I thought.
“Oh, yeah,” Ty said. “You and Sam must have bonded and everything.”
“And everything,” Caleb said noncommittally. “You wish your congratulations to Eli yet? You should probably go do that.”
I was about to comment on Caleb’s rudeness but then I watched as Ty looked at Cal, then to me, then to Sammy as if he was trying to figure out a not-so-complicated puzzle.
I took a sip of my beer so as to avoid eye contact. It wasn’t exactly that I felt guilty. I hadn’t done anything wrong sleeping with Caleb.
My only fault had not been feeling for Ty what he’d felt for me. Presuming, of course, that what he felt was anything beyond a simple crush. And even that could have simply been a result of there being only a handful of women his age in the entire area.
“Oh. Yep. I should do that. See ya, Vivvy. Again, really glad you’re feeling better.”
I nodded and watched as he made his way through the crowded bar.
“Did you have to do that?” I asked.
“Do what?” Caleb asked as he held Sam with one arm and sipped his beer with the other.
I shook my head. Because what was I supposed to say? That it felt like he’d been territorial with me and Sam. That he’d practically run Ty off.
“You already know he’s not any kind of threat to you.”
He glared at me from where he was standing over me, drinking his beer and holding Sam.
“Fuck yeah, I know that. He took one look at you when you were sick as shit and did nothing to help you other than come running to me. You can’t have a man-boy like that in your life. Not when you’ve got Sam.”
I smiled. Sam. He’d said his name again and it sounded so good and natural. I tried not to think about what any of this meant. About the fact that he stayed with us through most of the party, bought my beers, entertained Sam and me. Like he was with me.
Even though he’d said he didn’t want anyone to know what we were doing. Part of me decided right then that maybe it was good advice to stop judging Caleb by what he said and start thinking about what he did instead.
* * *
Vivienne
