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Lucky Roberts was his best friend, which sort of put an exclamation point on Caleb’s singledom. Those two were dangerous separately, but together, they were positively lethal. They were handsome, charming, gainfully employed, and existed for one solitary goal—to make a woman lose her panties.
And now for unknown reasons, Caleb was looking at me.
This probably consisted of one of those wrong place, wrong time scenarios. But instead of robbing a bank, he wanted to pilfer my panties.
Like Jared did on Sunday?
I frowned. Not the same at all. He didn’t want them for sexual reasons. He’d just sneezed—
You are an idiot, Ramos. Dudes want a chick’s underwear for one thing, and it’s not because a Kleenex isn’t handy.
I swallowed thickly, unwilling to think more about that right now. “It’s the busiest time of year,” I said to Caleb while August and Kinleigh squabbled quietly as married people tended to do, and Ivy poked listlessly at her salad. “I don’t have much free time.”
“Tell me about it. I’ve got school Christmas play practice up the yinyang, but these three,” he pointed to his three family members in turn, “insisted on inviting me to the tree lighting by the lake on Saturday night.” He shuddered. “As if I don’t see enough kids when class is in session.”
Ivy pursed her lips at him. “You love your kids. Come off it.”
“I do, but the weekend after Thanksgiving is for letting loose after family time.” He sent me a tilted grin. “What do you say? Can you escape for a couple of hours and drink some cocoa with us while we freeze our nuts off?”
I laughed. “Speak for yourself.”
“Oh, I was. But c’mon, it will be fun. And we’d have chaperones.” He jerked his chin toward his family, who were mostly ignoring us as they talked amongst themselves. Ivy was gesturing wildly with a breadstick, and Kinleigh was nodding a lot as August made quick work of his meatloaf and potatoes. “They’ll have the rugrats with them, and I’ll be so sad and lonely. Would be nice to have a friend.”
I leaned on the cart and shook my head on a laugh. I’d fully intended to say no, but knowing my mom was probably trying to hear every word had me reconsidering. Besides, I did want to go to the tree lighting. I had a rare Saturday night off, and I’d already asked Jared weeks ago if he wanted to go. He’d given me a bland expression and reminded me he always had patrol on holiday weekend nights, since Crescent Cove was such a hotbed of crime.
Whatever. I had another option now.
“Sure.” I flashed Caleb a smile. “Why not?”
“Why not,” he echoed, swiping screens before handing over his phone. “Let me get your number so we can coordinate.”
As I typed it in for him, it occurred to me he would more than likely try to coordinate getting me in bed as well. And that would be a futile pursuit on his behalf.
I wanted to see lights twinkling on a moonlit night with a fresh coating of snow. Not the dick of some dude I barely knew when I had other…preoccupations.
That was a good, safe word.
“Hey, Gina. Phone call,” Polly called from the back as I returned Caleb’s phone.
I frowned. “Who is it?”
“Sheriff Hot Pants,” she said with an eyebrow waggle that both amused and irritated me. “Hubba hubba.”
I forced a laugh. “Coming.”
“Hope that’s a euphemism with you two,” Caleb said lightly. “I don’t poach.”
I glanced back at the table and narrowed my eyes. “He’s my friend. Women and men can be friends without hopping into bed.” Deliberately, I lifted my voice on that last bit for my mother’s benefit.
“So I’ve heard.” Caleb cocked his head at Kinleigh and August. “How’d that work out for you two?”
August looked at his sister across the table. “You can hit him this time. You’re closer.”
Cheerfully, Ivy pinched the back of Caleb’s hand.
I forced myself to smile. “Do you want to cancel the tree lighting then? No problem if so.”
“Nah. We’re looking at lights. Even the sheriff can’t find fault with that.”
