Page 114 of Hit the Ground
It was taking Caleb a little longer. I wasn’t sure he’d ever get over not being there when Jesse was taken, even though it had been out of his control. It didn’t help that he hadn’t been able to work the way he was used to. He hadn’t been on horseback since his accident, and his dad and Bill were keeping a close eye on him, ensuring he took it easy. That left him with far too much time to ruminate over how thingscouldhave turned out.
Two weeks ago, I’d gently shoved him toward setting up a therapy appointment. He’d agreed more easily than I’d thought, but I suspected he’d been struggling even more than I’d seen. It was hard for Caleb not to be the strongest person in the room. Fortunately, he was learning to lean on me.
When we reached Caleb’s truck, he looked back at the dorm, a frown tugging heavily on his mouth. “I think he might’ve forgotten toothpaste. I better go back and check—”
“Caleb”—I squeezed his hand—“he has toothpaste. And if he needs anything, he can borrow from a friend or call us and let us know.”
His mouth flattened into a hard line, but I could read the conflict warring behind his gaze like an open book.
I pushed up on my toes and looped my arms around his neck, finally gaining his attention. “Remember how excited he was this morning?”
He seemed like he wanted to argue with me, but he let out a heavy exhale and nodded. “Kid woke up at six without prompting. He couldn’t wait to get here.”
“That’s right.” I kissed his chin since his lips were out of my reach. “Did you see the look on his face when he met his roommate?”
That earned me a chuckle as he tugged me against his chest. “They started speaking technology the minute Jess walked into the room.” He quickly sobered. “He’s happy today, but I’m not convinced letting him come was the right decision.”
“You’d have broken his heart if you’d denied him this. You know that, honey.”
His brow dropped low. “I know. I do. But I’m worried about him, Allie. How do I get on with my life for the next four weeks when I can’t kick this gnawing anxiety? Hell, I’m not sure how I’m going to get in my truck and drive us back to Sugar Brush.”
“Well, you might like my surprise.”
“Surprise?”
I kissed his chin again, then he dipped his head so I could lay another on his lips. “We’re staying in Laramie for the weekend. I booked us a room close to campus, so if Jesse happens to need anything or changes his mind about staying, we can come right back and get him.”
Jesse wasn’t going to need us. That much I knew. We were staying close strictly for Caleb. Maybe a little for me too. I still hadn’t been able to wipe away the sight of him curled up in that trunk. And I would miss having him close by like crazy.
“Alice.” My name left Caleb like a great gust of wind, and his forehead fell to mine. “Did you really?”
“Mmmhmm. I did. Is that okay?”
“More than.” He reached around me to open the passenger door, then lifted me up and placed me sideways on the seat. He stood between my knees, looking down at me with a mystified expression. “I wish I was better with words. There’s gotta be something more beautiful than saying ‘I love you’ over and over. If I were Fathaniel, I’d rewrite the stars to make the world better for you. I’d hatch you your very own dragon so you’d never be alone and have a protector always. But I’m just me, so I’ll tell you I love the hell out of you, Alice. You make every day better and brighter, and I never want to be without you.”
A wet little laugh burst out of me. “I don’t know, Cay, I think you’re pretty good with words. But just so you know, I will never get tired of you telling me you love me, no matter how many times you say it.”
“I do love you, darlin’.” He reached into his pocket, pulled out a scrap of paper, and put it in my hand. “Add that to your collection.”
I already knew what it said, but I looked at it anyway. In blue pen, in Caleb’s neat writing, were the words, “I love you.” It was heavier than a piece of paper ripped from the corner of a billshould have been, like the depth of Caleb’s feelings for me had been imbued in the ink.
Looking up, I grinned at him, even as my heart did somersaults. “You know, I only asked you for one of these.”
He’d already given me at least a hundred. I kept them in a wooden box on my dresser. It was so heavy from all the tiny pieces of paper inside, I feared it might fall through the floor.
“Want me to stop?”
“Never, ever.” I took his hand in mine and clutched it to my chest. “I love you too, Caleb.”
His chest rumbled with satisfaction. “Can’t shake me, darlin’.”
That was a fact. I would never get over Caleb Kelly.
And I’d never try.
Epilogue
Caleb
