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“Why would she do that?” Dan asked suspiciously.
“Because I’d like her to move in with me.” Caleb braced himself as Dan went very quiet.
“You’re . . . sleeping with my baby sister?”
“She’s twenty-eight, Dan.”
“But she’s had the biggest crush on you forever!”
“So everyone keeps telling me.”
“Then why the hell did you suggest she move to Seattle? Have you any idea how our parents would gloat if she came back with her tail between her legs? They’d be all nice and forgiving on the outside, but we’d all know how much they’d enjoy rubbing it in for the rest of her life.”
“She told me that.”
“Then why—”
Caleb interrupted him. “Because I’m an idiot, and I wanted to see if she liked me enough to want to be with me, and I asked the wrong question,okay?”
“There’s no need to shout,” Dan said. “I had to hold the phone away from my ear.”
“I screwed up. She left, and now I’m trying to fix things.”
“She’s not going to move to Seattle, dude.”
“I get it.” Caleb took a deep breath. “Is there any way you can get here by Christmas Day?”
“If you pay for a private jet, helicopter, or limo, then sure. I’m at my parents’ house right now.”
“Then ask them to come with you.”
“Hellno. You’ll have to talk to Mom about that yourself.”
“Then please get her on the phone,” Caleb said.
He waited as Dan went in search of his mom, his thoughts all over the place.
“Caleb! How lovely to hear from you. Dan says you wanted to ask me something important?”
“It’s a big ask.” Caleb braced himself. “I’m hoping you’ll all come and meet me at the B&B for Christmas. I think Lucy needs our support.”
* * *
Lucy opened the front door to a man in green coveralls with the name badge, NICK, on his front right pocket. He was carrying a clipboard.
“Good afternoon. I’ve come to fix your generator.”
“You have?” Lucy blinked at him. Maybe she was still asleep and dreaming and she’d somehow manifested the very person she’d assured Chip was coming to the B&B that very day. “You’re not the usual guy.”
“I have my official ID here.” He handed it over. “If you want to call my company and confirm I’m a bona fide repairman, here’s the number.”
Lucy studied the card he’d given her. “You came all the way from Humboldt?”
He shrugged. “We definitely get around.”
“Can I see the paperwork?”
“Sure.”
