“Rae? Did I get the coffee wrong?”
I snapped out of it and refocused myself.He is just being really nice and has a great memory. This means nothing besides that. Right?“No! Oh my gosh, you remembered! Thank you, but you didn't have to do that! And the lights? Can I make you breakfast as thanks?”
“No thanks necessary, but I won't say no to breakfast,” he replied as he set the bulbs down.
With a nod and smile, we went into the house and I started breakfast.
After checking allthe lights around the perimeter of the house, Caleb said he went back around and checked all points of entry to make sure the house was secure. He walked inside just as I was setting the food on the table.
He set the box of bulbs down and smiled at me. “I'll check the smoke detectors before I leave.”
“Caleb, I really appreciate that, but you don't have to do all that for me. You have done so much already!”
Caleb moved to the sink to wash his hands and only replied after he was finished. “Rae, making sure my—you're safe and comfortable is high priority. It's never too much.”
My mind started racing after he changed his wording. I wondered if he was about to say “my girl” again. Instead of asking though, I agreed, said thank you, and sat at the table.
The silence between us wasn’t the easy kind that comes with comfort, nor was it heavy with danger. It was the kind that followed when too many words had already been spoken and the weight of them still hung heavy. Caleb looked like he wanted to break the silence but he didn’t know how.
“One of your neighbors drives a really old and noisy van. It was making a strange sputtering sound for a long time. If you know who it is, I could introduce myself and offer to take a look at it.”
“That's really nice of you. I'm not sure who it is though since the people closest to us have trucks.”
“Oh, okay.” Caleb nodded.
Silence lingered again.
“So, what do you have planned for today?”
“Honestly, looking for a job. Other than that, nothing,” I confessed between bites.
“So, you're staying in town?” he asked, sounding excited.
I tried to hide the smile that his excitement brought and nodded. “I feel safe here. I just don't know where to start looking since the town is small. I left in such a hurry, I don't have interview clothes or an updated resume. I should probably add that to my schedule today, too.” I let out a halfhearted laugh.
“Hold that thought,” Caleb said, rising from his chair at the table. I stared at him as he exited the house to stand on the porch. He was on the phone with someone, but I couldn't hear a word of the conversation. While I waited, I cleaned up the kitchen.
Caleb came back in through the front door and stood in the kitchen smiling ear to ear. “You can't be mad at me,” he began, which made me shoot him a very confused look. “I just made a call to someone at work. The sheriff's office is hiring a records clerk. The lady I called, Sage, has worked there for about six years, and she would be your boss. She’s really cool and was excited when I told her about you. If you want the job, you can start in a week—or when you're ready. If you don't, no hard feelings.”
I froze. Caleb just did the sweetest thing for me, without hesitation. I had planned on asking about the “HELP WANTED” sign outside of the corner store, but this would probably mean a full-time job.
“Rae? I'm sorry if I overstepped, I...”
“No. Thank you! I am just shocked. Truly, thank you.” Tears started to well up again. Caleb pulled a tissue from the box on the counter and walked towards me. He must have noticed my slight hesitation because he paused before stepping forward slowly. I didn't step back. I could trust him. He had shown me that back in high school and every day since I came home.
He took one last step and stopped in front of me. “Are these happy tears or...?” He gently wiped at the tears on my cheeks.
“Happy tears. I’m just so grateful.”
I stared up at his blue eyes as he tucked a few stray hairs behind my ear, his hand staying where my ear met my neck. My breath stilled at the touch of his hand, but not out of fear, although my pulse was racing. Every nerve in my body screamed at me to close the distance between us besides my brain. It told me not to do it. My brain was lying to me, I knew it, but I suddenly got nervous and broke the silence.
“Did you get enough to eat?” I questioned as I backed up out of his space and went to put the leftovers in the fridge. I realized I had been holding my breath the majority of the time we were close.
“Yes, thank you. I'll finish up what I was going to do.” He smiled at me before he turned to walk away.
“Caleb.” He looked at me with a half grin on his face. “Never mind. Thank you again.”
Caleb smiled as if I told him what I was thinking, even though I hadn’t said a word. He nodded and then went to check the smoke detectors.
