Chapter Six

Friday night came faster than Lily expected. Hurrying home after work, she spent forever getting ready for her date with Greg. Despite Caleb’s reassurances, she was anxious. Memories of her last date at the chili festival, of being abandoned in front of everyone on the dance floor, were difficult to suppress. She was tweaking her hair when a knock sounded on the front door. Her heart jumped. It must be Caleb. He’d said he’d stop by before she left for her date.

Barefoot, she hurried to open the front door. When she saw Caleb standing on her porch, her breath caught in her throat. Even though she’d been expecting him, she hadn’t been prepared for his impact on her. He’d showered and shaved, a subtle hint of masculine cologne drifting from him. He wore fitted black pants and a gray shirt with the top buttons undone, revealing a glimpse of hard, bronzed chest. Her throat tightened. For a second she fantasized that he was her date, arriving to pick her up. She swiftly executed the illusion.

“Come in!” She waved him into the house.

“Hey, there.” His blue eyes lingered on her for what seemed like a long time.

Lily spread her arms apart. “Well? What do you think?”

After much debate, and a one-sided conversation with Noodles, she had eventually settled on a loose-sleeved pink blouse printed with flamingos and her vintage high-waisted jeans rolled at the ankles to show her tartan lace-up shoes. To complement the outfit, she’d added long, dangling earrings in the shape of flamingos.

“You look…cute,” Caleb said.

Hmm, he’d hesitated. Was he just being polite? Trying to spare her feelings? No, she decided. He wouldn’t do that. He had as much invested in making tonight a success as she did. Besides, she knew she didn’t look like most other women. Over the years she’d developed a decidedly offbeat sense of fashion. In her younger years she’d tried conforming, but the kind of clothes she saw in the fashion mags and tried to wear just made her feel lumpy and dumpy, so in the end she’d learned to stick with her own tastes, however peculiar that seemed to others.

“Thanks.” Maybe he did think she looked cute. Buoyed, she led the way to the living room.

“I did some checking,” Caleb said. “This guy Greg really is a math teacher at Bear Creek High School. And he’s not married. So he sounds genuine.”

Lily blinked at him. “You really checked up on him?”

“Sure. You don’t know what bozos use these internet dating sites.” Caleb hooked his thumbs into his belt and spread his legs apart. “Thought I should follow you to the bowling alley and hang around for a bit, just to make sure everything’s okay.”

His offer startled her. “Oh, I don’t think that’s necessary. I’d only be extra nervous and clumsy if I knew you were watching me. It’s nice of you to offer, but I’m sure I’ll be fine.”

“Okay. If there’s any problem, call me. Any time at all.”

“Thank you.” She gestured to his smart clothes. “But it looks like you’re going out, too. You don’t mind if your night is interrupted?” At the back of her mind she’d been wondering where Caleb was headed tonight, had even speculated if he was going on a date.

“I don’t mind,” he said. “I’m your dating coach, remember?”

“But I don’t want to…inconvenience you if you’re in the middle of something.” Now he really would think her inquisitive with a leading question like that.

“It’s no inconvenience.” He reached out and tugged one of her curls. “Hey, where’s your lucky barrette?”

She blinked, her cheek tingling where the back of his fingers had brushed against her skin. It was just a playful gesture. It didn’t mean more than that.

“Oh, it’s here.” She drew out the hairclip from her jeans pocket. “I’ve been debating whether I should wear it or not. I’d hate to lose it again.”

“You’d rather keep it safe and never wear it again?”

No, she thought. She was through with playing it safe. “You’re right. It’s no good to me sitting in my jewelry box.”

Turning to the mirror above the mantelpiece, she slid the barrette into her hair. Behind her, Caleb stood, watching her.

“Perfect,” he murmured. Their eyes met in the mirror’s reflection. He seemed pleased with the way she looked, and that lifted her confidence. “I’d better go, or you’ll be late.”

“I thought it was the done thing to be late,” she said, trying to ignore the potency of his nearness. “You know, to show I’m not too eager.”

Caleb shook his head. “If there’s a genuine hold up, okay, but personally I hate it when a date deliberately turns up late. It’s like she’s saying her time is more valuable than mine.”

She nodded. “Yes, same here. It’s annoying when a client arrives late for an appointment.”

“There you go, then. I won’t wish you luck for your date because you don’t need it.”

“I haven’t bowled in years. I’m scared I’ll drop a ball on my feet.”

“It doesn’t matter. Just remember: don’t stress out, and try to enjoy yourself.”

“Thank you, Caleb.”

She walked him out of the house. On the porch, he paused, his eyes searching hers as if he had more to say, but in the end he merely gave her a nod before taking his leave.

She watched him as he strode away. He seemed in a hurry. Where was he going tonight? Was he seeing a woman?

She shook her head. This wouldn’t do. She was going out on a first date with Greg, remember? Greg, the guy who was serious about relationships, who scored high on the compatibility meter, who had a loveable cocker spaniel and liked kids. That Greg. Yes, she was so looking forward to finally meeting Greg.

…

“Hey, Caleb. There you are.”

Caleb turned toward the woman who’d strolled up to join him on the deck of his sister’s house.

“Here I am,” he said.

Amber, his sister’s friend—and so by default, his friend, too—leaned against the railing next to him. “You seem out of sorts tonight. Something wrong?”

“Nah. Just needed some fresh air.”

“Well, it’s a beautiful night.”

He glanced across the deck at the brightly lit living room where Hannah was laughing with Derek. Also on the couch was Logan, Amber’s fiancé. Hannah and Amber had been friends for ages, so much so that Amber treated Caleb like he was her kid brother. He’d been looking forward to spending the evening with this close bunch of friends, but then found himself strangely preoccupied.

Despite his best efforts, he couldn’t get his mind off Lily. Seeing her tonight had unsettled him. Most men would just see the pink flamingo shirt and the Tartan shoes, but he had noticed her small waist, shapely and inviting, just the right size for his hands. And most men would think her looks were just average, as did he initially, but the more time he spent with her, the more he found her wide mouth and squarish jaw appealing, especially the sweet dimple that appeared in her cheek whenever she smiled. And he’d really started paying attention that night in his house when she’d wet her lips with beer. Damn, that had jolted him. Watching her lick her glossy mouth had triggered an explosion of dirty thoughts and fantasies that probably would’ve horrified her if she’d known.

Lily had looked so eager and anxious about her date tonight. And nervous, too. He got that. After the way she’d been treated at the chili festival, it was amazing she was prepared to put herself out there again so quickly. She wouldn’t have, of course, if it hadn’t been for him. That was his job. He had to remind her there were good guys out there, to get back in the saddle despite her falls. But it was easy for him to say all the right things; Lily had to walk that tightrope by herself. And that, he was beginning to realize, took more guts than he’d initially thought.

“I hear you’re giving some poor girl dating lessons.” Amber’s teasing voice jolted him out of his reverie.

“Huh. Can’t keep a secret around this place.”

She chuckled and squeezed his shoulder. “Is she on a date tonight, then?”

“Yeah.” He pictured Lily with the math teacher, laughing, chatting, her flamingo earrings bobbing back and forth. Her wide, brown eyes smiling…at someone else.

“You’re scowling,” Amber said.

“No, I’m not.”

He forced his brow to clear, but the image of Lily lingered. What was she doing? Had she dropped a ball on her feet? He hoped not; he wanted this date to go well, for her sake. If she did injure herself, surely her date would rush to her assistance. The image of a stranger wrapping an arm around Lily’s waist and pressing his body to hers made Caleb’s gut suddenly clench. What was the matter with him?

Amber patted his arm. “For what it’s worth, I think it’s really nice of you.”

He wasn’t nice. Not when he was entertaining thoughts of Lily’s soft, warm breath against his mouth as he reached down to kiss her. Stop. This was madness.

“I’m not doing it out of the goodness of my heart. She’s arranged a meeting for me with her father, Bill Baker.”

Which was why he wouldn’t—couldn’t—make any move on Lily. She was serious about pursuing a long-term relationship, but he definitely wasn’t. He wouldn’t jeopardize his chance to impress her father.

“Right. You want that partnership so you can stay in Pine Falls.” Amber nodded in understanding. She, better than most people, knew what it was like to have your dreams put to the test.

“That’s right. Better prospects for my business, and I get to spend more time with Dad.” If he kept his goals front and center, maybe that would help take his mind off Lily.

“Your dad’s doing great.” Amber paused before adding softly, “By the way, I heard from Hannah that your mom’s been in touch.”

The change in subject made him jerk upright. Jeez, was there nothing private anymore? But he quickly chided himself. Amber was like family; she knew every shitty thing that had happened to the Willmetts.

“It’s up to Hannah if she wants to talk to her, but I have zero interest,” he answered stiffly.

His mom had walked out on them when he was eleven. His dad, a gruff, long-haul trucker, had stoically plowed on with his work, while his sister, five years Caleb’s senior, had thrown herself into keeping their home running like clockwork. They’d both tried to protect him—his dad by saying nothing, his sister by keeping him busy—but he’d soon found out his mom had run away with a UPS driver to start a new life. She’d dumped them like a bag of rotten shrimp and never once bothered to call, so why the hell would he want to talk to her now after all these years of absolute nothing?

“I’m not judging you,” Amber murmured. “I understand how you feel. We all do.”

No, she didn’t, and neither did his sister, because only Caleb, six months after his mom had split, had heard his dad quietly sniffling in the bathroom in the middle of the night. His dad—the strong, tough, silent guy who’d once stitched up his own hand after a slip up with a knife—had choked out his sobs, alone in the dark with his pain. It was an image seared into Caleb’s brain forever. And even though his dad had recovered and eventually remarried, he was never the same person again. And neither was Caleb.

“I don’t hate her. I just don’t want anything to do with her.”

“Right. So you’re not going to see her when she visits?”

His fingers dug into the wooden railing. “What the hell? She’s coming here, to Pine Falls?”

Amber winced. “Oh, sorry, I thought you knew…”

Caleb shook his head. So that was what his sister had wanted to tell him at the chili festival. He couldn’t blame Hannah for hesitating. “When is she coming?”

“In a couple weeks. She’s hoping to meet her granddaughter, but Hannah hasn’t decided on that yet.”

“Good. She doesn’t deserve to meet Amelia,” he burst out, surprised at the depth of his feeling. Tracey Willmett had caused enough carnage in the family; his innocent little niece ought to be protected from her. “What about Dad? Does he know she’s coming?”

“Yes, but he seems okay with it.”

“Unlike me, you mean.” Caleb pried his fingers from the railing and flexed his cramping hands.

“I remember what happened when Tracey left you guys. Out of the three of you, I think you suffered the most.”

“No, it was Dad who got burned the worst. I got over it.”

Amber tilted her head to one side, her expression pensive, as if she wanted to disagree with him.

“Don’t look at me like that, Amber,” Caleb continued. “It’s true. I made up my mind a long time ago that my mom wasn’t worth it, and I’m fine with it.”

And he’d also made up his mind that heartbreak and long-term relationships weren’t worth it, either, and he was fine with that, too.

“Okay. I accept that. I just thought you might…”

Amber had a big heart, and she could talk him into a lot of things, but not this.

“I know.” He hauled her in for a one-armed hug. “And I appreciate it, but just drop it, okay?”

“Okay.” She chuckled, pinching his leg.

The sliding glass doors opened, and Logan stepped out onto the deck. “Where’s that woman of mine?”

He strolled over, and Amber moved closer to slip into his arms. “Didn’t realize I was your property.”

“Babe, just humor me, okay?”

Caleb could understand why Logan was crazy about his fiancée. By any standards, Amber was a stunning woman. Even he had once harbored a tiny crush on her, but that was a long time ago.

He leaned back against the railings and looked up at the night sky. The news that his mom was coming back was disturbing, but as he scanned the star-studded darkness, he found his thoughts drifting back to Lily having a fun night at the bowling alley with a math geek. He shook his head at himself. This was definitely not the Friday night he’d planned.

…

“And do you know what the Wookiee’s home planet is?” Greg said as Lily stood at the ball rack, debating which bowling ball to choose.

“I have no idea,” Lily replied.

“It’s Kashyyyk, pronounced ‘kah-sheek.’” He beamed at her, revealing something green wedged between his front teeth. It looked like a piece of scallion from the sour cream dip that he was dunking his potato wedge into.

“Amazing.” She lifted up a pink ball.

“Oh, I wouldn’t use that one,” Greg said. “What’s wrong with the one I chose for you?”

“Nothing, but I like this one. It goes with my shirt and my earrings.”

Greg pursed his lips. “The one I chose is a better weight.”

It hadn’t helped her much. So far, she’d found the gutter more times than the pins, regardless of which ball she used. But it didn’t matter, right? She was here to learn more about Greg, not to improve her bowling.

Shrugging, she lined herself up with the pins, stepped forward, and threw the ball as straight as she could manage. The pink ball bounced and spun a few times before jumping into the gutter, rolling down the alley without troubling the pins.

“Argh, too bad,” Greg muttered, his expression pained. “Better luck next time?”

“Your turn.”

“No rush,” Greg said as he reached for another potato wedge.

Lily sat next to him, hoping to change the subject to one that wasn’t Star Wars related. “Did I tell you I have a pet bearded dragon?”

“Yeah, you mentioned that already.” Greg paused, his cheeks reddening as if he realized how brusque his comment sounded. “Uh, well, anyway, like I was saying, that Wookiee question was asked at a trivia night recently, and I was the only one who got it right.”

“Well, that’s very interesting. My pet dragon’s called Noodles.”

“Mm, yeah.” He glanced around and wiped his fingers on a napkin. “Of course, if it’s a special Star Wars trivia night, then the questions are a lot harder. For example…”

As he launched into a detailed account of obscure Star Wars factoids, Lily attempted to stop her eyes from glazing over. She’d tried her best this evening, but she couldn’t say it had been a very successful date. When she’d finally met Greg face-to-face, she had been surprisingly calm and collected and able to hold an intelligent conversation with him.

In person he looked younger and softer than she’d expected, with rounded features and smooth cheeks that looked like he never had to shave. He wore a long-sleeved checked shirt tucked neatly into tan-colored pants, and brown sneakers, and looked exactly like the math teacher he was. In contrast, he’d seemed a bit startled when he saw her in the flesh. Even now she got the feeling he didn’t appreciate her pink flamingo shirt.

They’d talked about their jobs. He was impressed she was a certified accountant and confessed that was what had drawn him to her profile on eCherish. “It’s difficult finding people of the same educational background as mine in a small place like Pine Falls,” he’d said with total seriousness.

The conversation had moved to films and inevitably to Star Wars, one of Greg’s passions. Lily appreciated that millions of fans were enthralled by the franchise even if she wasn’t, and she’d made an effort to ask intelligent questions. Greg seemed to take that as permission to dominate the conversation, and for the past half hour she’d heard more about Star Wars than she ever wanted to. She’d tried gentle tacks into other topics, but somehow he always found a way of bringing the conversation back to his favorite subject.

Lily’s mind drifted off to Caleb, as it had several times already. What was he doing tonight? And why was she so obsessed with the question? He was a handsome, popular guy; he’d have lots of offers for company.

Stop thinking about Caleb. It wasn’t fair to Greg. She forced herself to focus on the man as he got up to bowl. He was a nice guy, nicer than Nick from last week, that was for sure. And yes, he did go on about Star Wars too much, but maybe that was his way of covering up his nervousness. When she was nervous, she babbled on about weird stuff, too. She should cut Greg some slack. He had a steady job, he was polite, and more importantly, he was serious about relationships, otherwise he wouldn’t be so fussy about his potential partner’s educational background.

Could she see a future with Greg? She squinted, trying to imagine him sitting on her couch, holding her hand, even kissing her, but all she saw was a blank fog. She tried again, hoping to feel some kind of buzz, however slight. Nope, it wasn’t happening. Well, that didn’t mean anything. She shouldn’t be thinking so far into the future anyway. This was just a first date. If they spent more time together, the chemistry would start to happen.

“So,” Greg said when he was back at the lane-side table. “How long have you been on eCherish?”

“Not long. About two months.”

“I’ve been a member for a year. I’ve gone on dates with five or six women.”

“Uh, right.” She took a sip of her drink, hoping he wouldn’t want details about her previous dates.

Greg shook his head and let out a deep sigh. “I tell you, dating can be tough. Sometimes, I don’t know what women want.”

He began a long soliloquy on his dating history, detailing all the faults of the women he’d dated. Lily tried to divert him, but he ignored her as he droned on. It wouldn’t have been so bad if he’d shown a little humility. They might have bonded over a few shared disasters, but it became clear that Greg blamed everything on the women who had all failed to appreciate his unique qualities.

In the end, she leaped up from the table, saying she was dying to get back to bowling, and grabbed the pink ball again. It was her last frame, and she managed to knock down three pins with her two chances. Greg bowled a strike, and the game was over.

They left the bowling alley without delay, Greg walking her to her car. Lily forced herself not to hurry. The evening had not been successful, and she already knew she didn’t want a second date with Greg, but that was no reason to end this one rudely.

When they reached her little green Kia, she turned to him, her rehearsed farewell ready. “Well, Greg, thank you for the date. I—”

Without warning he clamped a hand on her shoulder and pulled her toward him. “There’s a comic con in Sacramento next weekend. Why don’t you come with? I guarantee it’ll be fun.”

Lily stiffened, put off by the sudden, uninvited physical contact. “Thanks, but I think I’m busy next weekend.”

“The whole weekend?” He sounded incredulous.

“Also, I don’t think I’m all that into comic cons.”

Greg pouted. “But you said you were interested in Star Wars. I’m going as Darth Vader. You could dress up, too.” His eyes crawled over her. She’d thought he was bland before, but now there was a lewd air about him. “As a Princess Leia slave girl. You wouldn’t look bad in a gold bikini, but you’d have to do something about your hair.”

Lily couldn’t stop herself from shuddering. “No, thanks.”

“Aw, come on.” His brows lowered, and his face grew sullen. “I thought you were different because you look all kooky, but you’re just like any other woman. Playing hard to get.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Let me go, please.” She tried to jerk her arm free from his grip, but Greg was surprisingly determined.

“I’ll let you go if you give me a kiss.” He bent his head, his puckered lips looming toward her like a monster sea slug.

Ducking his repulsive mouth, she pushed against his shoulder. “Greg, I’m telling you one last time. Get your hands off me. Now.”

“You owe me. I paid for everything, and I had to listen to you yakking on about your weird pet lizard. I’m not asking you to sleep with me. Just a kiss. You should be grateful for—ooof!” He wheezed as Lily jerked up her knee, scoring a perfect hit to his groin.

While he was still doubled over, she opened her purse, pulled out a couple of twenty dollar bills, and flung them in his puce-colored face.

“That should cover my share of the bill and then some.”

She climbed into Kermit, cranked the engine, and pulled away. In her rearview mirror she caught a glimpse of Greg crab-walking away. He wasn’t too incapacitated to pick up the money, she noticed.

She drove all the way home in icy calmness, never once breaking the speed limit or doing anything rash. Even when she arrived home and shut the door, she felt in control. But then her phone began to buzz, and when she saw Caleb’s name pop up on the screen, she started to shake, the trembling building up so fast she could barely answer the call.

“C-Caleb?” Why was she stuttering? What was wrong with her? And then, to her horror, she started to cry.