Chapter 4

 

Caleb grabbed the fish food off of the table and went to feed Milton, a big-eyed goldfish that belonged to his brother, only to realize there was no food left.

“Shit.” He had gotten so sidetracked after his encounter with Kate that he’d totally forgotten to pick some up from the store.

Waiting till the morning wasn’t an option. Milton was the only thing he had left of his brother, and as pathetic as it may have been, he felt a strong connection to the little guy. When Milo’s roommate had called Caleb to tell him he was moving out of the country and couldn’t take the fish with him, Caleb didn’t hesitate in offering to take Milton in.

Milton didn’t talk—obviously—but having him around was comforting in the most bizarre way that Caleb couldn’t even begin to describe.

He couldn’t protect his brother from death, and there was no way of protecting the fish from that same fate, but he was going to damn well try. He had too. Milton was all he had left in the world.

“I’ll be right back,” he said to the fish as if Milton could understand him.

He got in his car and drove to the only store he knew that stayed open until at least eight. Main Street was empty as he made his way to the grocery store, praying the entire way that they carried fish food. If he had to drive to the next town over, he would. Though, he hoped he wouldn’t have to.

He pulled into the parking lot and killed the engine. As he made his way to the door, he saw an older woman struggling with an armful of bags. Usually the type to mind his own business, he couldn’t just stand there and do nothing. He jogged over to the woman just as one of the bags went airborne. He quickly reached for it, taking hold of it before it hit the ground.

“Nice save,” she said with a laugh.

“Let me help you.” He took a few more bags from her. Without the bags obscuring his view, he could see her bright blue eyes and warm smile. Her short white hair was styled in a way that made him think she was defying age while also embracing it.

“Thank you. I foolishly thought I’d make it to the car without a cart. I can lift twenty pound bags of chicken feed, but can’t manage a few shopping bags.”

“It’s my pleasure,” Caleb said and was surprised that he actually meant it.

“I’m Betty by the way.”

“Caleb.”

“I know who you are.”

“I don’t know if I should find that creepy or endearing.”

“It really could go either way. But don’t worry I’m not going to break into your place in the middle of the night and try to slaughter you with an axe.”

“That’s reassuring. Though to be honest, I think I could take you.”

Her laugh was infectious and put Caleb at ease even if he did think the woman was a bit odd.

“A sense of humor. I like that in a man. Now tell me Caleb, what do you think about children?”

“Not a fan,” he said without hesitation. He and his ex-girlfriend had discussed it, and at one point in time he wanted children. He couldn’t imagine his life without them. But then his brother died.

The idea of ever having to experience the pain that came with loss was too much for him to handle. What if his kids got sick? What if a terrible accident happened and he lost them? It didn’t matter anyway since Gia had cheated on him, and any chance of creating a family with her was lost to her selfishness.

“Well that’s a darn shame,” Betty said. “With a face like yours it would be a sin not to reproduce.”

He had no response to that. He’d been told his whole life how pretty his face was. Sometimes he thought of it more as a burden than anything else. People tended to only see what was on the outside and not try to delve into what lay within. It used to bother him more, now he was happy to hide behind the face and let people think what they wanted.

After Gia had cheated on him, he’d realized that she cared more about his money and how they looked together than anything else. She’d moved onto someone with bigger pockets, and though it once gutted him to shreds, he now looked at it as a blessing in disguise.

He had opened up to her, given her his entire heart, and she’d crushed it like the Evil Queen that she was, too consumed with her own needs. Her own vanity. He’d never make that mistake again.

“It’s just a face,” he finally said as he placed the bags into Betty’s trunk. His eyes caught on the contents of the bags. “That’s a whole lot of plastic utensils.”

“My grandson is getting married tomorrow. Last minute preparations.”

“Congratulations.”

“You know what. You should come.”

“I couldn’t.”

“You could and you should.”

“I don’t even know your grandson.”

“He’s the Sheriff. Matt Hayes.”

Caleb’s eyes widened as he realized this woman he’d been speaking to was none other than Kate’s grandma.

“You helped me with my bags, the least I could do is feed you a proper meal to show my gratitude and tomorrow we are having a feast. They’ll be dancing, and if Terry has anything to do with it, a conga line. The whole town will be there, and you’re part of the town now. Please think about it.”

Miss an opportunity to see Kate outside of her studio with the strong possibility that she’d be in something other than ripped jeans and a t-shirt... He could already imagine the look of shock on her face when she spotted him. How her lips would part in stunned surprise.

He should say no. It was the obvious answer. The right answer. He was done with women, and if he was honest with himself, the only reason he would even think about showing up to this wedding would be to see Kate.

It was a line that he shouldn’t cross. If the past told him anything, it was that he needed to keep his distance. He’d made a promise to himself after Gia cheated on him, and accepting this invitation would go against everything that he stood for.

He wanted to say no, but the thought of catching Kate off guard was just too tempting to pass up.

“You know what, Betty. I’ll be there.”