Page 21 of Caleb's Salvation
Except they really couldn’t be that. Not when there was a kid involved.
“I’ve got to get my stuff,” I said. “In town.”
“Sure thing, Cal,” Ty replied. “See you back at camp.”
He wasn’t leaving. He wanted me to leave so he could spend time with Vivienne alone. I was clearly the third wheel, and it pretty much sucked.
I looked at Vivienne and I could tell she sensed the weird tension that descended. Fortunately, that tension was broken by a loud wail.
“Sorry, guys. Sammy doesn’t like to be left alone for more than a minute.” With that she ran inside the cabin and I didn’t move.
Neither did Ty.
“I’m going to go in and say goodbye to the little guy,” he announced then he, too, was heading inside the cabin. Acting as if he belonged there.
I started walking to town wondering what the hell was wrong with me. Because if I didn’t know any better, the emotion I was feeling right now was jealousy.
6
Bud’s
Vivienne
I tried to hold back the yawn, but in the end, it got me.
“You can leave when you need to,” Bud said as he lined up an order of beers for me.
Yeah, leaving wasn’t really an option. I had a few more hours to go before closing and it was in those hours where the guys were a little drunker and a little looser with their tips.
“I’m fine. Just had a rough night with Sam so I didn’t get a whole lot of sleep. I can power through it.”
It was crazy because, for the most part, Sam was the champ of sleepers, but every once and a while he decided he needed to be held all night. Last night was one of those nights.
It might have been the wind. It’d been blowing particularly hard. And losing a couple hours of sleep to cuddle with my boy wasn’t the worst thing ever.
I took the tray of beers and started dropping them off at the various tables. I made my way to where Caleb was sitting with just the guys tonight and handed Jackson and Eli their beers. I circled around to drop off Cal’s and he captured my wrist.
“Sit,” he said.
“I can’t, I’m working.” But I didn’t move, and I didn’t yank my hand away. Because while it was subtle, it was there. The rub of his thumb against the inside of my wrist almost as if he couldn’t help himself. It wasn’t the first time he’d done it and every time he did it made my heart race.
“You’re dead on your feet. You can take a fucking break. Now sit.”
He kicked a chair out from the table, and I knew this wasn’t a battle I was going to win. Besides, it felt good to sit down. Just for a minute.
“Here, Vivienne, take my beer. You look like you need it,” Eli said, pushing the glass in my direction. “I’ll go get another one.”
“She can’t drink, Eli,” Cal snapped as if Eli had committed some crime.
“I can to,” I said. I didn’t drink. Drinking being another one of those sins my Pop liked to preach about, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t.
“You’re breastfeeding,” Caleb said in a softer voice. As if Jackson and Eli didn’t know that with a baby came breastfeeding.
“Not any more. Sam wasn’t really having it, liking his bottle better. And besides his teeth were getting to be an issue.” I smiled because now, after a few weeks, I had finally started to feel like my boobs were mine again and not a milk factory.
The guys winced at that, which only made me chuckle. I looked at the glass of amber liquid with a little bit of foam on top and thought, why not. Another step on my path to freedom.
I picked up the draft and took a tentative taste. I must have made a face because Eli was laughing and even Jackson cracked a smile.
