Page 26 of Caleb's Salvation
“I know he’s a widower. It was in his profile.”
“It wasn’t just his wife. It was his little girl, too,” Shelby said softly, patting my hand. “She was only five.”
I swallowed over the sudden lump in my throat. “What happened?”
Shelby shook her head. “No one knows. He doesn’t talk about them, doesn’t mention them ever. So it’s uncomfortable to ever talk about it. We should have told you before but…I don’t know, I think we thought we were betraying Cal in some way. But now if you’re thinking about moving on…well, all bets are off. Cal is a good man who deserves to be happy, only he’s chosen this isolated life and it isn’t right.”
“Yes, but me with Sam? We must remind him of everything he lost. No wonder he was so insistent I leave. It was only because I had nowhere to go that I was able to fight him.”
It’s why he doesn’t call Sam by his name. It’s why Caleb knew when Sam should be crawling.
Suddenly so much of Caleb’s distance made sense. I was a young woman with a baby who reminded him of what he’d once had and lost. Did I look like his dead wife?
Did she have red hair?
“That’s not your problem. That’s Cal’s to get over. Look, it’s simple,” Eve said. “When you look at Ty, what do feel?”
“I feel lucky to have a friend,” I said, knowing that tingle wasn’t there.
“And when you look at Cal, what do you feel?”
“Like he’s ice cream, chocolate sauce and warm apple pie all rolled up in one,” I admitted. I didn’t know what the truth was going to get me. Especially if I was nothing but the reminder of Caleb’s heartache.
“Exactly,” Eve said. “Take it from me, the older guys…they know what they’re doing in bed. And they’re super, super patient.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “You know what I mean?”
“Uh, not really.”
Which, of course, just made all the girls laugh hysterically.
* * *
Friday night
Vivienne
“I don’t know if I feel right about this.”
I was sitting on the chair in front of the fireplace while Shelby was brushing out my hair. Sam was in his pack and play, oblivious to the shenanigans his mother was up to. It felt strange to have my hair free like this. I only ever wore it in a braid.
Because my father had insisted my hair betamed.Which was ridiculous now that I thought about it. But also, because the braid was practical. I didn’t have to wash my hair as much, and the braid kept it out of the way while both working and playing with Sam.
This, having my hair loose around my shoulders, this felt decadent.
“It’s a first date. Not a commitment,” Shelby said. “As long as you don’t lead Ty on, you’re not doing him any harm. Besides, it’s good for him, too, to get a little dating practice.”
“But I’m doing this under false pretenses. Dating one guy to make another guy jealous is wrong and you know it.”
“Let’s call itwomanly wilesinstead ofwrong,” Shelby said above me. “What you’re doing is letting Cal know you’re not going to wait for him forever. If that means going out with Ty or any other of the guys at camp, so be it. He needs to see you’re a grown woman who has a life of her own.”
“I don’t feel like a grown woman,” I confessed. “Maybe it was the way Pop raised me, or maybe it’s just me, but I always feel like this girl who is still figuring everything out. And I’m a mother! Shouldn’t Sam have come with instant wisdom and maturity for me?”
“Hmm,” Shelby said. “I don’t know, I’m not a mother yet. But when that happens, I’ll let you know. In the meantime, you’ve got a home, you’ve got a job, you’ve got a group of friends. I would say you’re figuring out things pretty darn well. Now, stand up and let me assess my work.”
I did as I was told and turned to face her.
“Oh, my goodness,” she squealed. “He’s going to kick his own butt when he sees you. Now, two things.”
She reached out to unbutton the top button on my flannel shirt. “No, that’s too much.”
