Chapter 33
Caleb
Iturned from the pantryand looked at Rae who I had placed on the kitchen island. She sat there, with her feet swinging slightly, as she munched on cereal she pulled out of the box piece by piece.
The power had come back on, but since it had been off for almost twelve hours, the food in the refrigerator was spoiled.
The red in her auburn hair shone in the light from the kitchen window. She pushed her glasses up with the back of her hand and popped another bite of cereal into her mouth, her messy bun moving each time she swung her feet.
She looked at me and smiled.Gosh, I would do anything to make her smile like that every day.
“So, what’s the plan today?” she asked between bites of cereal.
I walked to the counter and leaned on it, just barely brushing her leg. “I have to go check on the horses and make sure the fence didn’t get damaged in the storm. Then I figured we would prepare food for tomorrow night, so I have to go to the store, too.”
“Can I come?” She sounded excited.
“Grocery shopping with my girl? My best friend? I wouldn’t have it any other way.” I reached into the cereal box and popped a couple pieces in my mouth.
She had been smiling but the look on her face changed. She looked far away for a moment but then resumed munching on cereal, piece by piece.
“Where did your mind go, Sunshine?”
“You said ‘best friend.’ It just had me thinking about something for a moment.”
She closed the cereal box and slid off the counter, walking to the pantry to put it away.
“I was thinking about my best friend I left. I wasn’t as close to her as you and I are, or how close we had been with Jenny and Luke, but she was the closest I had had to a best friend before...”
She looked at me and knew she didn’t have to say anything. I already knew.
“How long has it been since you spoke with her?”
“A couple years. We could only hang out or talk when Ethan was around, near the end of the friendship. Then, he cut the friendship off entirely. She was the last relationship he cut off because he knew she lived close by. I have not tried reaching out. I honestly don’t know if she would want me to call. It’s fine. Just a silly thought I had.”
I could tell she didn’t want to talk about it anymore, so I walked to where she stood and offered my hand to her. “It’s not a silly thought, and if you ever want to try and contact her again, I will be right there with you, if you want me to be. She would be lucky to have you back in her life.”
She smiled that million-dollar smile at me again, and it confirmed what I already knew. Anyone would be lucky to have her in their life. I knew I was.
