Chapter Three

      What was he doing here? “You stalking me, Landis?” Kate slid into the only empty chair, which happened to be next to Caleb, at the first storybook ball fund-raiser planning meeting two days later.

      Caleb looked up. To his credit, he looked surprised. “Pardon?”

      This close, incandescent lighting illuminated the strength of his jaw, the chisel of his cheek, the divot gracing his chin and the nice curve of his mouth. When had he grown so appealing?

      Kate settled deeper in her chair and looked away, scolding herself for finding him so. The last thing she needed was attraction to someone destined for the front lines. Too many families—hers included—were ripped apart by war. That wasn’t what Kate wanted for herself, when it came to love. “You’re like my shadow.”

      “Whaddaya mean?” For an imposing, well-built military guy, he looked skittish all of a sudden.

      “First at Bri’s cabin this weekend, and now here at the Eagle Point Civic Center meeting.”

      Guarded relief settled over his face. “I was at both places before you got there,” he teased in lighthearted tones. “Maybe you’re stalking me.”

      Kate was shocked and a little appalled at the way his words made her blush. To hide her face, she became extraordinarily interested in the Frontline Army magazine he held. Nostalgia marched through her at the images of military medics tending service members. Quit it. That’s your old life, remember?

      She cleared her throat. “How long are you here?”

      “An hour, same as you.” He smirked.

      “Ha. Always the joker. I meant how long stateside?”

      “Four months. I leave after Bri’s wedding.”

      “At least you get to be here for that, before throwing yourself back into d—action.” She’d almost said danger.

      He didn’t need to be reminded.

      “Yeah.” He cleared his throat and seemed fidgety. Was she making him uncomfortable? Replaying their conversation in her head, she realized she’d probably sounded too accusatory when she sat down. Remorse filled her. She was in a crabby mood, thanks to all the issues—personal and professional—taking up her time, but that was no excuse for being rude to her best friend’s hero brother. Especially since he had such a short amount of time to enjoy being home before he was sent off again.

      Kate admired his courage, yet feared for his safety. She’d patched up too many gung-ho brave souls just like him. She cared, for Bri’s sake of course. Caleb was all the flesh-and-blood family Bri had left.

      Keep him safe, Lord.

      Maybe Kate could befriend Caleb while he was in town. It would be nice to have someone to spend time with, particularly since Bri would be too busy to give either one of them much of her attention. Bri would want that for her brother and, like Bri, the scope of Kate’s problems tended to dwindle when she focused on someone else’s issues.

      She stuck out her hand. “Let’s start over. Friends?”

      He took her hand, then glanced to her face before looking away. He was acting so strange. Guilty, almost. Looking back, he nodded. “I’d like that.”

      They fell silent as the meeting was called to order. Kate tried to pay attention as the monotone mayor droned on, but found herself distracted by the solid, shy man beside her.

      Lem Bates, Lauren’s grandfather, approached them after the initial information was presented. “Caleb and Kate, can you two head up the storybook ball props?”

      “Us? As in, together?” Caleb raked a hand over his buzz.

      Lem grinned. “You two are the youngest whippersnappers on the committee. Some of the props get heavy after they’re built. We could use your physical strength and stamina. Besides, building those props could take long hours. I think you’d work well together.”

      Caleb flicked a glance her way and back to Lem. “Me, too.”

      If it didn’t bother him, then it wouldn’t bother Kate. “Props sound like fun.” Her phone bleeped a text from Mom. Kate stilled when she read that Grandpa’s vent settings were adjusted as much as they could be. Kate swallowed, realizing he may be nearing a point when there’d be nothing else the doctors could do.

      As Kate readied to text Mom back with “Should I come?” she was horrified to find her fingers trembling on the itty keypad. She was also mortified to feel the heat of Caleb’s stare on her. She looked up and tried to neutralize her features.

      “Everything okay?” He glanced at the phone pointedly.

      After debating a second, she tilted the message screen so he could see. “My grandpa’s having problems. Could you let Bri know?”

      He nodded slowly. “How about you, Kate? Are you okay?”

      “I’m fine.” She despised the quaver in her voice and the draw of his.

      He raised his chin and held her gaze, making her feel her facade was far from effective. He shifted toward her and the text.

      Something about the set of his shoulders seemed strikingly familiar all of a sudden. Silly, right? Why, she could count on one hand the number of times she’d seen him. Must be the sleepless nights spent awake, praying her guts out for Grandpa and her parents, playing tricks on her mind.

      She pressed her phone into her purse, wishing she could tuck uncertainty away, too. She shrugged, trying to project calm. “With Grandpa, it is what it is.”

      Concern in Caleb’s eyes only intensified. Kate rose from the table both to escape his overwhelming empathy and to visit the ladies’ room.

      Once at the door, she peered back, glad to see Caleb now occupied with scrolling and poking through his smartphone instead of scanning the pointless, dumb emotions pulling at her heart and playing out over her face, making her feel incredibly exposed and weak.

      Lem, watching them both more shrewdly than Kate was comfortable with, seemed to sense her escalating discomfort and moved on to the next two people on the committee.

      * * *

      Caleb didn’t feel a bit sorry for what he was about to do.

      Kate might have said she was fine, but the tremors taking over her eyelids and fingertips spoke of high stress levels.

      Her mouth might have uttered it is what it is, but he knew good and well “it” was breaking her apart. He’d be happy to be her shield, but she wasn’t ready to let him as Caleb. What about BB?

      While Kate composed herself in the bathroom, he texted his sister and asked her to bring the note he’d tentatively written Kate as BB. He’d planned to leave it on her car after her next on-call night shift at the trauma center. But he’d use it now.

      Via return text, Bri agreed to sneak it onto Kate’s car. Several moments later, a second text from Bri confirmed the delivery had been planted on the Jeep, parked where no one could see the benevolent transaction.

      The words he’d written ran through his mind and he hoped they’d bring healing from uncertainty and worry.