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To be young and free again.
I can’t help but draw in a deep breath of clean mountain air and feel a little bit better for it. Fresh air is no joke. In the city, it’s very hard to find, and now that I’m surrounded by it, I seriously wonder if it can be addicting.
The sun shines brightly, and not a single cloud mars the brilliant blue sky that stretches on forever. It’s a gorgeous, vibrant blue, like Aubrey’s eyes, only lacking the mysterious darkness I’ve noticed near her pupil.
I deadpan, staring at nature.
Holy crap. Here I am, waxing poetic about the woman’s eyes?
What’s wrong with me? I don’t remember ever noticing Johanna’s eyes like this. All that sticks in mind is the fact she didn’t keep her eyes on me.
“The main house will be that way,” Caleb says, jarring me from my reverie. He gestures, pointing vaguely to the west. I turn, lifting my face to consider where he points, and the slight breeze coming from that way feels good. I wonder if it’s always this warm here. It seems unlikely.
He notices when I tug at my shirt and chuckles. “Yeah, this is unusual weather this summer.”
I huff. “Look at you, talking like you’re born and raised here.”
His grin comes quickly. “Marian says it’s a hotter summer than usual.”
“Hmm-mmm.”
“So, main house over there. Guest house back that way.”
Main house. Guest house. House. Not an apartment. The only houses my friend ever had were party destinations in popular locations. His last one, in Atlanta, burned to the ground when a fling got clingy and acted out. He isn’t planning on rebuilding it. Instead, he’s building new here.
It hits me then.
He’s really, really committing to this. Settling down once and for all. For so long, Caleb was my brother from another mother. We met when we were eighteen and partied hard for a decade. Finding one woman and settling down to be a homebody was the last thing either of us planned on for a long while. I’d come close, eager to propose to Johanna, and that ended in a mess.
I never thought Caleb would settle down, and given how I almost had with the wrong woman, I hope my buddy is being careful. Being this dedicated to a woman sets a man up for a world of hurt if and when it crashes down. I don’t know Lauren enough to determine if she’s entirely a good woman. I can’t tell yet if she won’t hurt my good friend if things go south between them.
I was burned badly in the name of love. That doesn’t mean everyone else will be, too, but Caleb doesn’t deserve any heartbreak.
“Hey, are you really thinking all of this through?” I ask.
He sighs and hangs his head. I worry I might have pissed him off, challenging him. He doesn’t seem upset, only mildly frustrated. Maybe he’s been waiting for me to say that.
“I’m only asking because you just met her. It seems like it’s going fast.” He and Lauren haven’t hooked up that rapidly, but to start talking about building a home, that’s a huge step. When he was back in New York after Lauren chose her ex over him, I saw firsthand how rough he took that rejection. He already had his heart busted by this woman choosing someone else. While I’m glad they are enjoying a second chance at love, I wonder if something else might happen that he’ll need a third chance with her. Or a fourth. Love is unpredictable.
“I’m not trying to be negative,” I add. “But have you sat down and thought all of this through? Starting a permanent future with her like this here. Leaving New York.”
“I’ll still go back often.” He glances at me, with a serious face. “I’ll have to for the company.”
I nod, but I’m not convinced. Caleb planning to leave the city is the hardest thing for me to grasp. I travel often for work; I fly frequently to check out properties that I want to include in my empire. Home has always been the Big Apple. Although there is a certain thrill with the idea of a new start elsewhere, I have to wonder if Caleb is thinking with his head and heart at the same time, not one over the other.
“I know you’re not being negative,” he says after a moment of quiet. “After all that you’ve gone through with Johanna, I’m not surprised. It makes sense—from your perspective—that I should be cautious about committing to just one person.”
Now I sound like a whiny and crappy friend holding him back. “I’m not trying to sow doubt or dissuade you from anything.”
He lets out a bark of laughter. “I know. And honestly, you couldn’t. Lauren is the one, Dalt. She’s the one, and I know that without a doubt.”
I raise my brows, stunned.
“I’m going to propose to her when the time is right. That’s how serious I am about her.”
I smile slowly. I’ve never seen this lucky bastard so happy, so convinced, too.
“I also know you’re going through the motions, man. I get it. I’d be shocked if you weren’t wary about this and concerned for me. But I also know you’ll eventually get to a point where you might be ready to let love in again.”
