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“Nice.” She smiled. “Probably more than I do. He’s a terrible correspondent. He only calls when he’s stuck somewhere and needs money.”
“Sounds like Dan.” Caleb started on his apple pie. “This is good.”
“Thanks, I made it.” Lucy cut him another slice and indulged in a little fantasy about him coming home to her every night for pie and . . . other things maybe involving whipped cream.
“Have you ever left here?”
She set down the spoon. “Yes. I went to college at Humboldt.”
He half smiled. “That hardly counts.”
“Maybe not to you, but I enjoyed it.” Lucy deliberately ignored the many implications behind his words. “Not everyone gets into Stanford like you did.”
“Did you apply to anywhere except Humboldt?”
“Of course, I did. Caleb Erickson, are you judging me? I was offered a full scholarship there.”
“Hell, no.” He leaned back in his chair until it started to creak. “Nothing to do with me. You just always struck me as a smart little kid.”
“I’m only six years younger than you are.” Lucy pointed out.
“Yeah?” He studied her again, his hand smoothing over his mouth and beard. “I thought it was more than that.”
“I’m twenty-eight, and for your information I spent several years working for a multinational hotel chain before I decided to come back here and help Gran out. So, stop trying to treat me like a country hick.”
His eyebrows rose. “Still as feisty as ever then.”
“I had to be, growing up with Dan as a brother.”
“I bet.” He returned his attention to his apple pie.
Lucy waited for her temper to settle. She rarely got mad, but Dan and Caleb had worked out exactly how to yank her strings, and it seemed nothing had changed.
“Would you like some more coffee?” Lucy reverted to professional mode as she cleared the table.
“No, thanks.” He stifled a yawn behind his hand. “I think I’ll turn in. I drove down overnight.”
“Then I’ll show you to your room.” Lucy washed her hands and went to help him with his luggage.
“I’ve got it.” Caleb waved away her help and she didn’t argue. She walked back through to the main hall, ascended the stairs, and stopped at the door to number three.
“We still use old-fashioned keys here.” She unlocked the door and handed the key to Caleb, who went into the room. “As you’re the only guest, breakfast can be anytime you want. I don’t think I’ll be going anywhere in this weather, so just come down to the kitchen when you’re ready to eat.”
He had his back to her as he set his bags down and looked around the room. She stayed where she was and pointed out various things rather than intrude on his space.
“It’s a nice room.” He nodded.
“You’re welcome.”
He came back toward the door and looked down at her. “Thanks for taking me in.”
“It was my pleasure.”
He leaned in and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “Night, little Lucy.”
“Night—” Before she’d even finished speaking, he shut the door in her face, leaving her standing there opening and closing her mouth like a goldfish. Eventually, she turned and went down the stairs to begin closing up for the night. Caleb Erickson was back in town for the holidays, staying in her B&B, and he’d just dropped a friendly kiss on her head like she was six . . .
Lucy sighed. Would he ever see her as an equal, or was she doomed to be his best friend’s little sister forever? She had a few days to make him see her in a different light and she was determined to take advantage of them. Fate had dropped Caleb on her doorstep for areason. Now all she had to do was decide what to do about her unexpected gift.
