Page 56 of Maybe This Christmas
As he was working, a call came in from Olivia.
“Why, hello there, Romeo.”
“Who are you calling Romeo?Has the high mountain air finally gotten to you?”
She laughed at that.“You seem to forget that your sister and I are still good friends.She sent pictures from last night.Emma is absolutely adorable, Caleb.”
It was a world full of weird to have his ex-wife give her opinion on his new girlfriend…if he could call her that?
“Sabrina is earning her spot in the biddies, that’s for sure,” he groused.“I was going to tell you about it.For now, it’s just a vacation thing.”
He could hear the rustling of one of his daughters in the background.Caleb’s heart broke open.Between Emma and his work at the inn, he’d been doing a great job of keeping his mind off how much he missed his kids.
“Who is that?”
“Poppy.She’s had a bit of an upset stomach, so I’ve been up with her all night.”
“Sorry I’m not there to help.”
“You deserve your adult time, Caleb.And if you’ve met someone who you think might be sticking around, we’ll figure out what to do with the kids, same as we did when Ashley and I got together.Does she have any kids?”
Ashley and Olivia had been friends before they’d gotten together.She’d been around the girls a few times.But she’d kept her distance until things became official.
“No kids.Says she loves them but doesn’t really want any, which is fine by me.”
“Interesting,” Olivia murmured.“I think we’re going to go back to sleep for a bit here, but I just wanted to tell you how excited we are for you.You deserve happiness.I’ll talk to you later.”
After she ended the call, Caleb’s mind turned to the time of their divorce.It hadn’t exactly been a surprise when Olivia had wanted to separate.The stress of raising two young children had exposed the cracks in their relationship.They’d quietly separated nine months before Caleb had initiated the divorce.
In that time, Olivia and Ashley had gotten together.He’d known things were over when he’d felt nothing but happiness for Olivia when she’d told him the news.
Thinking about Emma leaving, on the other hand, had his stomach screwed up tightly.He dropped back onto his heels and exhaled a long breath.
This was something good.He wouldn’t let his anxious thoughts ruin it before it even started.
Chapter Nineteen
Emma awoke to the buzzing of her phone.She groaned, annoyed with herself for not putting her phone in do-not-disturb mode before she went to sleep.
She rolled over and grabbed it.As her muscles stretched, she let out a happy sigh.
Last night had really happened.And Caleb was perfect, of course.She smiled against her shoulder.
She tapped her phone, dismayed to see the incoming texts were from Davis.She hadn’t checked her phone since before the party last night, so the texts spanned from around seven o’clock last night to just now.
Is there any way we could talk this out?I really miss you, Em.
Ten o’clock.You’re leaving me on read now, Em?Seriously?
Two o’clock.Emmybear, I miss you.
Just now…Please give me a call when you get this.I’m worried.
She groaned and kicked the covers off.The last thing she wanted was to talk to Davis.As much as her sappy, stupid heart wanted to believe that he was finally waking up to how amazing of a partner Emma was, she was too skeptical about that.
More than likely, Davis was starting to realize just how Emma had contributed to his life in a hundred different ways.Making sure all the bills were paid.Getting his suits from dry cleaning.Arranging his personal appointments and the like.
She was a glorified secretary.She’d done it all—for years—because Davis did help to give her a life she couldn’t have afforded on her own.Before they’d met, she’d lived in a shitty condo in Adams Morgan with two roommates.With him, she’d wanted for nothing.So, it had felt like an even partnership, oddly.
