cleavage.
Caleb wished again that she was older, or significantly younger, or considerably overweight...
"Brianna's had a rough year," she was saying. "I'm guessing this is some sort of delayed reaction."
He pulled his attention away from the smooth skin of her breasts. "How long have you been divorced?"
"A little less than a year."
"It'll get easier."
"You sound as though you speak from experience."
"I went through a divorce two years ago." He didn't mention the first divorce. There'd been no one in between so it didn't count.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. Things are better now."
"They are for me, too," she said, but he didn't get the impression she really believed it.
Caleb considered being direct and simply asking if he could join her for a cup of coffee. With Susan missing, he felt the clock ticking. But he didn't dare come on too strong. If he frightened Madison or made her leery of him in any way, he'd only defeat his purpose.
"Well, thanks for checking on me," she said, and started backing up to close the door.
Caleb had no choice but to step off the porch. "Have a good night."
"You, too."
Reluctantly, he walked down the stone path that led to his new home, frustrated that he hadn't managed to wrangle any type of invitation out of her. Then he caught sight of her car. A nice car was important in the real estate business. He had no doubt that if she could afford it, she'd be driving a Mercedes instead of a Camry. "By the way," he said before she could close the door.
"Yes?"
"I'd like to hire someone to do my laundry and make me a few meals. I was wondering if you'd be interested."
"You're going to hire someone to cook and clean for you?"
He was if he could get her to take the job. "I'll be coming and going a lot."
"How much are you willing to pay?"
Caleb had always taken care of himself. He had no idea what such services should rightfully cost. But he wasn't afraid of being generous. He thought that helping her out financially might ease his conscience about having ulterior motives in befriending her. "Six hundred dollars a month sound fair?"
She coughed. "That's almost as much as you're paying in rent."
Evidently he'd been a little too generous. "That would include the price of groceries, of course."
Her teeth sank into the soft flesh of her bottom lip, distracting him again. "What constitutes 'a few meals'?"
"Dinner every night, unless you have other plans, and breakfast on the weekends." For a moment, he thought she'd refuse, and wished he'd asked her for less of a time commitment. She was trying to run a business and already seemed harried. But he needed to gain her confidence quickly. "I'm flexible, though. So if you think that's too much..."
"What kind of menu?" she asked.
"You can choose."
"Do you want me to bring it over to you?"
"If you'd prefer. But if you're open to company, I'd rather not eat alone."
She hesitated for another moment. "All right," she said at last. "I'm already cooking for Brianna and me. It won't take long to add an extra plate for dinner and do a few more loads of laundry each week. I think it might help Brianna adjust to having you here if she gets to know you a little."
"My laundry isn't difficult," he told her. "Mostly jeans and T-shirts."
"Sounds as though you live a pretty easy life, Mr. Trovato," she said.
"Call me Caleb."
"When would you like me to start, Caleb?"
He smiled as he moved away, feeling a sense of victory. It was only a matter of time before he knew everything Madison did. "How about tomorrow?"
CHAPTER FIVE
"C ALEB, WHERE have you been? I've been calling your cell for the past hour."
Holly. Again. Between Caleb's run to his folks' house for his things that morning, and his trip to the grocery store in the afternoon, he'd met her at the university and helped pass out flyers with Susan's picture and description. Every time his ex-wife had called since then, he'd jumped for the phone, thinking she'd heard from someone who'd seen Susan. Shortly
Caleb wished again that she was older, or significantly younger, or considerably overweight...
"Brianna's had a rough year," she was saying. "I'm guessing this is some sort of delayed reaction."
He pulled his attention away from the smooth skin of her breasts. "How long have you been divorced?"
"A little less than a year."
"It'll get easier."
"You sound as though you speak from experience."
"I went through a divorce two years ago." He didn't mention the first divorce. There'd been no one in between so it didn't count.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. Things are better now."
"They are for me, too," she said, but he didn't get the impression she really believed it.
Caleb considered being direct and simply asking if he could join her for a cup of coffee. With Susan missing, he felt the clock ticking. But he didn't dare come on too strong. If he frightened Madison or made her leery of him in any way, he'd only defeat his purpose.
"Well, thanks for checking on me," she said, and started backing up to close the door.
Caleb had no choice but to step off the porch. "Have a good night."
"You, too."
Reluctantly, he walked down the stone path that led to his new home, frustrated that he hadn't managed to wrangle any type of invitation out of her. Then he caught sight of her car. A nice car was important in the real estate business. He had no doubt that if she could afford it, she'd be driving a Mercedes instead of a Camry. "By the way," he said before she could close the door.
"Yes?"
"I'd like to hire someone to do my laundry and make me a few meals. I was wondering if you'd be interested."
"You're going to hire someone to cook and clean for you?"
He was if he could get her to take the job. "I'll be coming and going a lot."
"How much are you willing to pay?"
Caleb had always taken care of himself. He had no idea what such services should rightfully cost. But he wasn't afraid of being generous. He thought that helping her out financially might ease his conscience about having ulterior motives in befriending her. "Six hundred dollars a month sound fair?"
She coughed. "That's almost as much as you're paying in rent."
Evidently he'd been a little too generous. "That would include the price of groceries, of course."
Her teeth sank into the soft flesh of her bottom lip, distracting him again. "What constitutes 'a few meals'?"
"Dinner every night, unless you have other plans, and breakfast on the weekends." For a moment, he thought she'd refuse, and wished he'd asked her for less of a time commitment. She was trying to run a business and already seemed harried. But he needed to gain her confidence quickly. "I'm flexible, though. So if you think that's too much..."
"What kind of menu?" she asked.
"You can choose."
"Do you want me to bring it over to you?"
"If you'd prefer. But if you're open to company, I'd rather not eat alone."
She hesitated for another moment. "All right," she said at last. "I'm already cooking for Brianna and me. It won't take long to add an extra plate for dinner and do a few more loads of laundry each week. I think it might help Brianna adjust to having you here if she gets to know you a little."
"My laundry isn't difficult," he told her. "Mostly jeans and T-shirts."
"Sounds as though you live a pretty easy life, Mr. Trovato," she said.
"Call me Caleb."
"When would you like me to start, Caleb?"
He smiled as he moved away, feeling a sense of victory. It was only a matter of time before he knew everything Madison did. "How about tomorrow?"
CHAPTER FIVE
"C ALEB, WHERE have you been? I've been calling your cell for the past hour."
Holly. Again. Between Caleb's run to his folks' house for his things that morning, and his trip to the grocery store in the afternoon, he'd met her at the university and helped pass out flyers with Susan's picture and description. Every time his ex-wife had called since then, he'd jumped for the phone, thinking she'd heard from someone who'd seen Susan. Shortly
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