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She pulled open the front door and swore her eyes were playing tricks on her. “Caleb?” It came out as a question even though she knew for a fact it was him. “Come in,” she offered, once she recovered from the shock.
“Sorry, I can’t.” Caleb’s gaze darted to his truck. “Joelle is with me, and I’ve only got a minute.”
“I see,” Madison said, her gaze drifting toward the black truck parked in the driveway.
Joelle waved, and Madison waved back at the sweet little girl. It was more than a little heartbreaking to think Joelle would grow up without her mother. Lauren always thought of life as an adventure, and kids and family were all part of it.
Madison returned her focus to Caleb, curious why he was here. “How can I help you? Have you reconsidered and come to give me a dry-cleaning bill?” she teased.
“No, I think a washing machine will do the trick. But if you insist on making amends, perhaps you’ll say yes to my proposition.” She had the distinct impression he wasn’t overly excited about being here, which only confused her more.
Caleb, her childhood crush, wanted something...from her.Yes.Her heart answered as it raced at high speed. For one split second, the idea of doing something with him or for him catapulted her back to high school. A time when she dreamed of him asking her out. At eighteen, having a secret crush was the ‘in’ thing for girls. “I’ve never been propositioned.” Madison smiled, using humor to ground her wayward emotions.
“There’s always a first. The thing is...something has come up at the store and I need a sitter for Joelle. Well, it’s more like a nanny. Full-time. Every day.” Caleb ran a hand through his hair, more proof he wasn’t comfortable with the request.
“I don’t understand. Who will take care of her now? Did they quit? I mean, this seems kind of sudden.” Nervous energy bubbled and rose to the top and left Madison babbling.
Caleb frowned. “There is no one else. I’ve been taking care of Joelle since her mother passed away. It’s just the two of us and I’m very protective of my daughter and who’s around her. Like I said, there’s a problem at the store that I need to handle, and I can’t very well take care of Joelle and be at the store all the time.”
This was a side of Caleb she’d glimpsed at the park, but it would seem he was living a life beyond over-protective. “Why me?” she asked.
Caleb shoved his hands in his front jeans pocket, his gaze landing on the truck once again as though to reassure himself Joelle was okay. “Pastor Kyle recommended you. Not to mention, you and Lauren were friends, and Lauren was always a good judge of character.”
Madison shrugged, knowing she could not change the outcome. “Thank you for thinking of me, but there’s no way I can accept.”
“I see,” Caleb said, stepping off the porch. He stopped and turned back. “Why not? Please say yes, I’ve got to focus on saving the store. It’s Joelle’s family legacy, and our livelihood. I don’t know who else I can turn to on such short notice.” The desperation in his voice was almost enough for her to give in, but the past wouldn’t go away, and she wasn’t willing to test her resolve and tumble head long into crushing on Caleb again.
That night at the prom, Madison had foolishly thought she would tell Caleb how she felt about him, even though they’d only met once at the hardware store. In her dreams, they were a couple who lived happily ever after. But the reality was he had fallen in love with Lauren.
“I can’t. Perhaps Mrs. Forester’s daughter can watch Joelle. She’s in the tenth grade and off for the summer,” Madison suggested.
“No. I don’t know her, and I don’t trust that she could do the job as well as I would expect. I can’t take any chances. Thanks anyway.” Caleb turned and headed to his truck. Without so much as a glance, he backed out of the driveway and left.
Madison hated to tell him no, especially given Bigsby's was in trouble. But the whole situation screamed awkward, and there simply wasn’t any way to safeguard her heart a second time around. The older Caleb was more handsome than ever, even if he was more reserved. But then, life had dealt him some lemons and perhaps everything was still sour. Caleb was still grieving for his wife.
As for Madison, she feared that having once spent months to get over her childhood crush, it would be ten times worse getting over an adult crush. If it were even possible. She had a feeling if she let her emotions run wild, it wouldn’t take much to start imagining a life with Caleb Duncan all over again.
Something she absolutely would not do.
Chapter Four
Calebtookhisdaughterby the hand and walked the short distance from the parking spot to the store. With no one to watch Joelle, there was no other choice but to bring her with him. Trying to figure out the problem and fix it would be next to impossible with an active child around. The dolls and toys he brought should keep her occupied for a while.
“Let’s go behind the counter and find you a nice, cozy spot to play. A tea party with your dolls sounds like fun, or maybe they can be doctors and nurses today.” Caleb opened a blanket and spread it out, dropping the backpack in the middle.
“Okay, Daddy. We never come to the store, so this will be loads of fun.”
“Except you need to stay right here and be a good girl while I look around and talk to Uncle Bill.”
Joelle’s attention had already shifted to her dolls, but hopefully, his message registered. A movement off to the side of the store caught Caleb’s attention and he spotted Tommy, the only other employee at Bigsby’s.
“Good morning, Mr. Duncan. What brings you in today? Is there something I can round up for you?” he asked as he headed for the register. The kid was in his early twenties, had clean-cut hair, and his family had been in town for ages. Caleb had hired the boy right out of high school, and he’d been working there for over five years.
“Good morning, Tommy. Thanks for the offer, but I’m not shopping. Business is down and I wanted to have a look around and see what I can do to make some changes.” The details weren’t anything Caleb wanted to disclose, preferring to keep his private affairs out of the gossip chain.
“That stinks, but honestly, I hadn’t noticed. Is there anything I can do to help?” The kid shuffled some papers on the counter, looking anywhere but at Caleb.
“No, not right now, anyway. I’ll keep you posted if anything changes.” Maybe Caleb was desperate for answers, but Tommy’s sudden change in demeanor hadn’t gone unnoticed. To the best of his knowledge, Tommy was a good kid from a wonderful family. He didn’t like to think the boy would do anything illegal or hurt the store. But this early in his assessment, Caleb wouldn’t rule anything out, including an employee helping themselves to the nightly till. It would explain the low deposits but be a seriously bold move. And one that would be easily traceable, which is why the ledgers were the best place for Caleb to start.
