Chapter 17

 

Kate had never been so excited to teach a class before, especially since the class consisted of only one person. But seeing Caleb watch her as she took her first gathering of glass and began to shape it was hot and sexy. She’d had hundreds, maybe even thousands of people observe her over the years while she performed demonstrations, but no one had ever watched with such a dark, intense gaze.

She brought the glass back to reheat it so the edges would be nice and hot, and she’d be able to roll on the little chips that would give the glass a colorful design.

Once the glass was coated with two decent stripes of glass chips, she brought it back to the flame to melt them in. She then began the twisting process, rolling the glass along the flat metal surface.

“I could stare at you all day,” he said with a wicked grin on his face.

“Maybe next time you will actually try to make something.”

“Why would I want to do that when I can just watch you?”

“Because when I teach a class, I like for my students to be hands on.”

He snaked his hand around her waist, resting his chin in the crook of her neck. His tongue swiped at the sensitive skin as he cupped her breast. Her nipple hardened beneath the lacy thin material of her bra.

“Distracting a girl holding molten hot glass is against safety rule number one.”

“Really? Number one?”

“It is. I can show you the handbook.” Her words ended on a moan as he nibbled on her earlobe.

“I need to reheat this,” she said, nodding toward the tip of the rod where the glass still burned a nice orange.

“And I need you.”

Kate stepped out of his hold and shook her head. “Nice try, but no sex until I’m done with this vase. After all, I did go bike riding with you and nearly killed myself in the process.”

“I’d hardly call a scrape to the knee almost killing yourself.”

“May I remind you that you were the one who thought I was dead on the trail.”

“Please don’t. It’s bad enough it happened. The last thing I want is to remember you like that.” The hurt in his voice, the sad look in his eyes showed Kate he cared. Though she knew that he cared, she thought he might even love her, but he didn’t confirm it with words.

Somewhere between the fights about the parking lot and sharing food she had fallen head over heels in love, but she kept it to herself, afraid if she told him she would scare him off. She couldn’t imagine not waking up in his arms, not coming to work and seeing that sexy smirk across the parking lot as they went their separate ways for the day. He had become a big part of her life in such a short time, so she decided that it didn’t matter whether or not they declared their love. All that mattered was being together.

Kate stuck the glass back into the fire. “I’d like to try it again, though. Before I fell, I was having fun.” She liked that they could share their passions with each other. That both were willing to open themselves up to something different and new.

“Considering you now own the bike, I think we can arrange for that.”

She’d argued with Caleb that she didn’t want him to buy her the bike, but he insisted the fall caused a bit of damage to the bike, and it wasn’t something he could sell now. She’d called BS on it, but after scaring him half to death she decided not to argue any further.

“But I think I’m going to invest in some elbow pads and knees pads for you. Maybe a suit made out of bubble wrap.”

An amused laugh burst from Kate. “I think you might be taking it a bit far.”

“I only want you to be safe.”

“I think I can manage without being wrapped up like a delicate piece of glass.”

“We’ll see,” he said with a grin that had her knees go weak.

“By the way, my mom asked if you’d like to come to Sunday dinner.”

“Why? I already met Mason, and we have a lot of plans set.”

She stopped twisting the glass then continued bringing it to a sharp point while she thought over her response. Finally, she decided to just be honest. “Because you’re a part of my life, so that includes being a part of my family, too.”

Afraid to look up at him, she focused on keeping the shape and patterning of the glass centered and symmetrical.

“Then I’ll go,” he finally said, and she could feel her body deflate with relief.

She looked up, catching his dark gaze. “You will?”

“If it’ll make you happy, I’ll go.”

That didn’t make her very happy at all. “I don’t want you to go because it’ll make me happy. I want you to go because you want to.”

“That came out wrong. I want to go,” he said, pressing a kiss to the top of her head and washing away her doubts.

“Maybe one day I could meet your dad,” she said and felt his body stiffen beside her.

She loved him, but she hated how he kept that part of his life hidden. She wanted to know everything—the good, the bad, the crappy and sad, but no matter how many times she’d asked, he always managed to change the subject.

Why was it so hard for him to open up to her?

“That’ll never happen,” he growled.

She put aside the piece she was working on and turned her attention to him. “Why not?”

“I haven’t spoken to him since my brother died, and I have no intention of ever changing that.”

“But he’s your father. The only family you have left.”

“You don’t understand.”

“Then make me understand. Please. I want to understand.”

He was silent for a moment as he ran his hand over his face. The tension in his body built with each breath he took.

She hated that he wouldn’t talk to her, but more than that, she hated to see the tense set of his jaw and the anger and hurt glowing in his eyes. She brought her hand to his face, running a gentle thumb across his cheek. “It doesn’t have to be today, but someday I hope you will.”

He linked his fingers with hers, bringing her hand to his lips before drawing her body against his. His mouth came down on hers hard; this kiss was different, greedy and desperate as if he needed her more than ever.

His hands cupped her ass as he lifted her up and brought her to a table. She hooked her legs around his waist and pressed him closer, needing him just as much as he needed her.

***

Caleb sat down at old man Simpson’s kitchen table. He had no idea what to expect when he showed up at the old man’s door and knocked, but since the night he had picked him up, Caleb couldn’t stop thinking about how he was all alone in the world.

He also wasn’t ready to go home yet. After last night and Kate asking about his father, even though he didn’t answer any of her questions, it made him remember every shitty detail about their estrangement. He didn’t want to talk about it because he didn’t want to remember the betrayal. Didn’t want to remember what a person who you thought you loved was capable of.

So, for some reason, Caleb wound up knocking on old man Simpson’s door. It had been a risk, he knew that, randomly knocking on some guy’s door that probably didn’t even remember meeting you, but Caleb was pleasantly surprised when the old man invited him in for a taste of his moonshine without any questions asked.

“I don’t usually get many visitors,” old man Simpson said as he cleared a stack of newspapers from the table then pushed a row of beer cans into a garbage can.

“I hope you don’t mind me stopping by,” Caleb said.

“I don’t mind company. To be honest, it gets a little lonely around here.”

“There’s plenty to do in town.”

“Nobody wants to see me.”

“That’s not true.”

“I’m the drunk people like to talk about, but that’s okay. I made that name for myself, and I own it. I’m too old now to try and reinvent myself.”

“Haven’t you lived here your whole life?”

He nodded then placed two shot glasses down on the table. “Which is why I’m tolerated.” He retrieved a mason jar with a golden liquid and poured it into the two glasses.

“That I don’t believe. The people of this town care about you.”

“Nobody’s cared about me for a long time.”

Caleb knew exactly what he meant. In a weird way, they weren’t much different. But it also made him realize something. “I don’t think it’s that they don’t care; I think it’s that you won’t let them.”

“Did you stop by here to lecture me?”

“No, I stopped by because I know how it is to be alone, and I’m kind of getting sick of it. Thought maybe you’d be getting sick of it, too.”

“I try not to put all that much thought into it.”

“Maybe it’s time you did,” Caleb said with a shrug then held up the glass and examined the liquid. “Isn’t moonshine usually clear?”

“This here is apple pie moonshine,” Bert announced proudly. “Are you done flapping your gums so we can drink?”

Caleb laughed. He might not have instantly changed the man’s life, but he felt just being here with him he was making a difference, giving a lonely old man a companion for the day and someone to share his moonshine with.

Caleb held his glass up. “Bottoms up,” he said before pouring the golden liquid down his throat and becoming the old man’s new official taste tester.