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Humming greeted him as he turned the corner. His baby sis must be in a good mood. That didn't surprise him. Since Shane proposed, she'd been walking on cloud nine, seldom letting anything get her down. Apparently, this morning was no exception.
"Scar-" Kaleb stopped in his tracks.
The humming stopped. Cinnamon glanced over her shoulder, a tight smile on her lips. "Morning."
Kaleb blinked away his surprise. "Mornin'. Sorry. I thought you were Scarlet."
"I get that a lot." A giggle escaped Cinnamon. "She just left with Shane. She said to tell you ha-ha, she beat you."
Kaleb groaned. "Of course she did." He grabbed a mug from the cupboard and poured the dark liquid, inhaling the steam. "This smells wonderful."
"Thanks." Cinnamon slid a piece of stray hair from her ponytail behind her ear. "I'm pretty sure it's nothing special. You Lindens know how to brew coffee as well as the next person."
"If only that were true." Kaleb sipped the dark roast. "Mm. Definitely not true. None of us makes it quite like this."
Cinnamon scooted away from him and pushed the eggs around in the pan. "I doubt that. I've had your coffee here. Seemed fine to me."
Not knowing what to say, Kaleb stood still, studying her movements. It'd been a long time since she spent more than a few hours at his house. It used to be because of him. That changed when they broke up. She only started coming back again recently, when Scarlet had a concussion and needed someone to spend time with her.
"I can feel you staring at me."
Cinnamon's words drew him back to the present. "Sorry."
"Not a problem." Cinnamon filled a bowl with the scrambled eggs. "I'll bring these right out to the lodge if you don't mind carrying the carafes of coffee."
"You got it." Kaleb gulped the rest of his coffee, searing the back of his throat in the process. He withheld a wince. No sense in having Cinnamon think he couldn't handle a little heat.
Kaleb didn't wait for Cinnamon. He pushed open the screen door to the kitchen. Two carafes in each hand, he hurried to the lodge not far from the back of the house. Most of the wooden cabins that circled the lodge were filled with guests. Praise the Lord for that.
If only they didn't have to hire Cinnamon as their cook for the summer. It would've been better if they had another option. On such a short notice, they had no other choice. At least in his mind. Grady insisted they could've found someone else if it made him uncomfortable.
In truth, when he came down the stairs moments before, he'd forgotten Cinnamon arrived the night before, ready to pitch in and help where needed. Kaleb was thankful for her willingness, but he hadn't realized it would stir something within him he wasn't prepared to deal with.
Kaleb tapped the screen door to the lodge with his foot. He withheld a chuckle, realizing how many screen doors they had on their property. Made sense because the summers in Winter Springs often produced warmth, even in the high altitude.
Each building on Linden Farms had a screen to keep the bugs out but the cool air in. Something he insisted on, since some of the cabins weren't air conditioned. One day, they'd fix that. Until then, open windows and doors helped cool the inside of the cabins and lodge.
"Anyone want some coffee?" Kaleb called the group of people lounging around the large room.
Hands shot into the air. Kaleb laughed. "Come and get it."
"I've got the food, too." Cinnamon called behind him.
"So do I," Grady added.
Once the platters and bowls were set down, the guests filled their plates and sat at the tables scattered around.
Kaleb surveyed the scene around him. Families gathered together, laughing and eating. A few tables held a couple each, but they seemed content. Bear figurines and portraits decorated the area, along with a few moose.
His dad made sure the lodge held plenty of people and would be used for multiple occasions. Rustic tables and chairs, couches and sofas gave options for different places to sit.
The lodge was one of Kaleb's favorite places to retreat to when he needed a bit of regrouping. His siblings knew to let him be when he couldn't be found in the house or the fields. He often felt closer to his father when he reclined in one of the chairs.
On days like today, he missed his parents and the wisdom they had to offer. If they hadn't died, where would he be in life? Kaleb's gaze flicked to Cinnamon. She laughed at something Grady said. Kaleb frowned, a wave of jealousy washing over him.
He pushed away from the wall he'd been leaning against and shuffled to the door. Once outside, Kaleb inhaled a deep breath, allowing the crisp air of the morning to fill his lungs. The sun's rays had yet to be displayed across the sky. The trees remained still and tall. Birds sung back and forth to each other while critters chatted away somewhere in the woods.
Peace filled Kaleb. This is where he belonged. In Winter Springs on Linden Farms. But it would be nice to share his life with someone. To wake up every morning and know he didn't have to face the day alone. Not that he did, already. God was with him. He'd grown up knowing that to be true.
