cheeks weren't dry anymore. "It took almost dying for you to tell me you love me?"
"I'm sorry," he said sincerely.
"I love you, too."
"That's all I could think about out there. That I was going to die and you'd never know that I've been in love with you this whole time. I've loved you since fifth grade, Becks."
I felt arms go around me from behind. Caleb's rumbling voice was at my ear as he spoke to them. "We'll be back. We'll get some breakfast and let you talk for a minute."
They didn't even look up. Caleb pulled me from the room and took me to the café down in the lobby. I started to grab a drink carrier and fill up some coffee cups, but Caleb shook his head and only grabbed two cups. He sat me down and then brought me a huge pile of pancakes and sausage, and one for himself.
"You don't think they're hungry up there?" I asked curiously .
" Oh, they're hungry all right," he said sarcastically.
I got his meaning and kicked his boot under the table. "Eww."
He laughed. "I can't help it if I see what you can't because you're so innocent and pure of heart." I couldn't help but grin at that. "Maybe they'll be hungry for pancakes in a little while."
"You and your innuendos, mister." I shook my head in mock distress. "You're going to ruin me."
"I plan to," he suggested low before taking a big bite.
I smiled as I bit into my sausage and then gasped as something ice cold went sprawling down my arm. I stood on instinct and the older lady was obviously embarrassed. She reached for my napkin and began to blot the orange juice off my arm. "Oh, it's fine. Don't worry."
"I am so sorry."
"Really, it's OK."
"I am so clumsy!" she exclaimed. "Harold!" she yelled at someone. "Help me."
The man - Harold, I presumed - came and looked over the situation. I was dry at this point. "Really, I'm fine. It was just a little juice. It's OK."
"I told you I'd get it for you, Arlene," he chastised. "You don't need to be up and around, honey."
I smiled at his endearment for her. She patted his arm and then looked at us. "Ah, you must be newlyweds."
"No, ma'am," Caleb answered and gripped my hand. "Not yet, but soon."
"Well, you better get on the move, boy," she joked. Caleb, always the gentleman, chuckled good naturedly and smiled.
"Yes, ma'am. I'm working on that."
"My Harold and I," she said affe ctionately and looked up at him, "w e've been together for forty two years."
"Wow," I said in awe. "That's really awesome."
"The key is compromise and love, no matter what. There's always a little wiggle room to work with when you're both in it 'til the end."
I nodded. And then her husband's thoughts made their way to me as he watched her. He was worried about her. She had some cancer that even he in his own mind wouldn't name. I tried not to frown or make a face, but my heart was breaking for them.
And then I joined the conversation she and Caleb had star t ed while I'd been snooping, unintentionally. He was asking why she thought we were newlyweds. She smiled and patted his cheek. "Because you look at her the way my Harold still looks at me." Then she looked at me. "I'm sorry I spilled my juice on you. Y'all have a nice trip."
Harold said his goodbyes, too, and helped her away. "It's OK. Thank you," I found myself saying. Caleb was watching me. He knew what I'd heard from the man's mind. I waved him off. "I better get used to it, right?"
"That doesn't make it any easier for you," he argued. He watched them go. "They were nice. And normal. And human." His gaze swung to mine. "Normal, human people who lived together and loved each other for forty two years. If they can do it, we have absolutely no worries."
"I was never worried." I hugged his middle. "Never."
"I can't believe how calm you're being about the wedding," he mused. "You know, the wedding will probably be this coming up weekend." He waited. "My parents and Gran are eager for it." Pause. "They'll make it as soon as possible." Another pause. "Our whole family, in my back
"I'm sorry," he said sincerely.
"I love you, too."
"That's all I could think about out there. That I was going to die and you'd never know that I've been in love with you this whole time. I've loved you since fifth grade, Becks."
I felt arms go around me from behind. Caleb's rumbling voice was at my ear as he spoke to them. "We'll be back. We'll get some breakfast and let you talk for a minute."
They didn't even look up. Caleb pulled me from the room and took me to the café down in the lobby. I started to grab a drink carrier and fill up some coffee cups, but Caleb shook his head and only grabbed two cups. He sat me down and then brought me a huge pile of pancakes and sausage, and one for himself.
"You don't think they're hungry up there?" I asked curiously .
" Oh, they're hungry all right," he said sarcastically.
I got his meaning and kicked his boot under the table. "Eww."
He laughed. "I can't help it if I see what you can't because you're so innocent and pure of heart." I couldn't help but grin at that. "Maybe they'll be hungry for pancakes in a little while."
"You and your innuendos, mister." I shook my head in mock distress. "You're going to ruin me."
"I plan to," he suggested low before taking a big bite.
I smiled as I bit into my sausage and then gasped as something ice cold went sprawling down my arm. I stood on instinct and the older lady was obviously embarrassed. She reached for my napkin and began to blot the orange juice off my arm. "Oh, it's fine. Don't worry."
"I am so sorry."
"Really, it's OK."
"I am so clumsy!" she exclaimed. "Harold!" she yelled at someone. "Help me."
The man - Harold, I presumed - came and looked over the situation. I was dry at this point. "Really, I'm fine. It was just a little juice. It's OK."
"I told you I'd get it for you, Arlene," he chastised. "You don't need to be up and around, honey."
I smiled at his endearment for her. She patted his arm and then looked at us. "Ah, you must be newlyweds."
"No, ma'am," Caleb answered and gripped my hand. "Not yet, but soon."
"Well, you better get on the move, boy," she joked. Caleb, always the gentleman, chuckled good naturedly and smiled.
"Yes, ma'am. I'm working on that."
"My Harold and I," she said affe ctionately and looked up at him, "w e've been together for forty two years."
"Wow," I said in awe. "That's really awesome."
"The key is compromise and love, no matter what. There's always a little wiggle room to work with when you're both in it 'til the end."
I nodded. And then her husband's thoughts made their way to me as he watched her. He was worried about her. She had some cancer that even he in his own mind wouldn't name. I tried not to frown or make a face, but my heart was breaking for them.
And then I joined the conversation she and Caleb had star t ed while I'd been snooping, unintentionally. He was asking why she thought we were newlyweds. She smiled and patted his cheek. "Because you look at her the way my Harold still looks at me." Then she looked at me. "I'm sorry I spilled my juice on you. Y'all have a nice trip."
Harold said his goodbyes, too, and helped her away. "It's OK. Thank you," I found myself saying. Caleb was watching me. He knew what I'd heard from the man's mind. I waved him off. "I better get used to it, right?"
"That doesn't make it any easier for you," he argued. He watched them go. "They were nice. And normal. And human." His gaze swung to mine. "Normal, human people who lived together and loved each other for forty two years. If they can do it, we have absolutely no worries."
"I was never worried." I hugged his middle. "Never."
"I can't believe how calm you're being about the wedding," he mused. "You know, the wedding will probably be this coming up weekend." He waited. "My parents and Gran are eager for it." Pause. "They'll make it as soon as possible." Another pause. "Our whole family, in my back
Similar Books
