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“I think I’ll get this one.” Emily held up a science fiction book. The silhouette of a man with a galaxy behind him adorned the cover.
He made a face. “You read that sort of stuff?”
She laughed. “What’s wrong with it?”
Caleb gave her a pointed look. “I figured a girl like you would be into romances and the like.”
Emily turned the book over in her hands and laughed again. “A girl can be well-rounded, you know. If you picked up a romance, then I would support you.”
“I wouldn’t be caught dead reading either one of those options.”
“Fine.” Emily placed the book on the shelf. “What would you recommend?”
“I don’t really like reading.”
Once again, she laughed. “You’re ridiculous. You can’t scoff at what I pick and then tell me you don’t read. If you’re going to judge me, then you have to have something to back it up.”
“I prefer writing to reading.” Caleb chuckled, knowing full well that the two usually went hand in hand.
This time she gave him a pointed look—one that said everything he was thinking in that moment. Even with her eyes covered, he could read every nuance from the muscles in her face.
“Iknow.” He laughed. “You’re right. You should pick what you want to read.”
She reached for the book once more and waved it in front of him. “If I get this, will you promise to read it when I’m done?”
He lifted a brow. “You can’t be serious. That book has to be at least five hundred pages long. There’s no way you’re going to finish it while you’re here.”
Emily’s grin spread deeper. “I’m surprised you don’t have much faith in me. I would have thought you’d give me the benefit of the doubt. If nothing else, you would have agreed because you believed that it wouldn’t happen.”
“Alright, alright, I give. Sure, if you finish that book before you head home, I’ll read it.”
Emily pushed the book into his arms. “Good.”
Before he could say anything, she got a phone call.
She pulled her phone from her pocket and then sighed. “I should probably talk to her. Give me a few minutes, okay?” Emily moved to a corner of the store and answered the call, speaking in hushed tones.
Caleb watched her, trying to figure out what was being said from a distance, until his own phone rang. He answered it absentmindedly. “Yeah.”
“Caleb, it’s Mateo.”
He turned away from Emily. “Mateo. I hope everything turned out okay. Is this call good news?”
“It is. We’ve figured everything out, and we’ll be coming home tomorrow.”
“That’s great.” Caleb glanced once more over to Emily, wondering what her living situation would be when Sophia returned.
“Look, I wanted to thank you for all your help. I didn’t expect you to do it for free, so when I get back, we’ll work out a fee that is appropriate.”
“It’s fine, really,” Caleb said. “I’m happy to help. Just keep letting me shadow you, alright?”
Mateo chuckled. “Absolutely. We’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow,” Caleb confirmed.
19
Emma
