Chapter 27
Caleb
Ihad been in the kitchenfor about twenty minutes, cooking Rae breakfast.
I hope she’s comfortable being in my bed while I’m gone.
It was so nice being able to cook for her, but all I wanted was to be back with her. The bacon took the longest, but I knew she would probably love it.
I had to do some work on the farm today since Jenny was working at the department, and Rae was going to help me. If today’s weather is anything like yesterday’s, it would be really warm later in the day, so I wanted to get out there soon. However, I also was not about to rush making Rae feel cared for.
The bacon was finally done, so I pulled the plates out of the oven where I had been keeping them warm and placed the bacon strips on the plates.
Duke came back to the front door after his morning adventure around the front yard and made a beeline for the bedroom to go see Rae.This dog loves her more than he does me.
I walked back to my room with breakfast and coffee. “Breakfast is served!” As soon as I said that, I looked up and stopped dead in my tracks. Rae was sitting up with the blanket pulled up under her arms, resting her back against the headboard, reading a book that I had on the nightstand. I was looking at the most beautiful woman I had ever seen, in my bed, looking completely at home. She’d pulled her hair back into a bun before bed, and strands of it were falling out of place. I couldn’t help but notice that she hadn’t fixed her hair after sitting up. She was stunning.
“Caleb?” she said quietly. I hadn’t moved.
“Hey, um, sorry.” I gave her a smile as I walked toward the bed with our plates.
“You okay? You stopped suddenly.”
I set her plate on the nightstand before easing onto the edge of the bed. “Yeah, I’m fine,” I said, giving her a smile. “Just wasn’t expecting to walk in and see you like that.”
Her head tilted, eyes narrowing a little. “Like what?”
I hesitated, running a hand over the back of my neck. “Like you fit here,” I admitted, voice low. Then I picked up her plate from the nightstand and passed it to her with a grin. “Not that I’m complaining. Just caught me off guard, Sunshine. Go on, eat before it gets cold.”
She looked at the food and her jaw dropped. “You made all of this for me?” She turned towards me and sat with her legs crisscrossed while I settled on the other side with my food.
“Mhm. Thick-cut applewood smoked bacon, eggs with a bit of spinach in it, hash browns and—oh. I didn't make the fruit.” I gave her a smile and a wink.
Gosh, she was stunning with her messy hair and flushed cheeks she got when I made her blush.
She laughed and she took a bite of bacon, closing her eyes as she chewed the bite.“This is delicious. Thank you.”
I reached across the small space between us, setting my hand on her knee. “Anything for you.”
Rae immediately blushed and looked down at her food.
I hoped she knew I meant it.
We ate in silence, just enjoying each other's presence. The only sounds in the room were Duke’s tail wagging as Rae snuck him the tiniest piece of bacon and the forks clinking on the plates.
I hadn’t noticed the details of what she was wearing last night, but now I couldn’t help myself. The loose tank she wore shifted with each breath, soft against her skin, the fabric not hiding much in the morning light. Her shorts brushed mid-thigh, her long legs crossed in front of her, curvy and beautiful, and her fuzzy socks because her feet are always cold. She looked beautiful. As I watched her, I noticed her shoulders moving a little bit.
Without being obvious, I watched as she took another bite of bacon and then a sip of coffee. Her shoulders moved slightly in a dancing type of motion.I let out a little chuckle.
“What?” She glanced at me over her glasses and took another bite of bacon.
“Did you know you were happy dancing when eating the bacon?” I chuckled again.
“Oh my gosh, did I? I'm so embarrassed!” She covered her face with her hands.
“Oh, hey, no.” I reached out and took the plate from her lap and set it on the bed before gently pulling her closer to me, her legs now touching mine. Her breath stilled but she didn't pull away. “I thought it was really cute.” I gave her a smile and brushed stray hair from her face that fell out of her top knot. The only space between us was made up of our crossed legs. My hands rested on the outside of her thighs, neither of us had broken eye contact.
