Love So Unexpected (The Lawson Brothers Book 6) (7 page)

It had given him pure pleasure to work on Old Blue for her. When he’d approached his dad about providing transportation for Sofia, David hadn’t batted an eye at his request. Just told him to make sure he filled up the tank when he was done. Of course, his mom had read more into it than she should have. He was merely doing something nice for a woman who was down on her luck. Nothing more than that.

Or so he told himself.

“Are you coming?” she asked, looking over her shoulder at him. Beneath the afternoon sun, she looked like an angel. And angel with a killer body, but an angel nonetheless.

His heart thumped against his chest. “Yup.”

*

L
ater that day, Caleb decided to take Preston up on his standing offer of beer and darts at Whiskey Hollow The bar was a local watering hole, but in the past year, Preston swore things had gone more upscale with the new owners.

In any case, Caleb hadn’t darkened the door of Whiskey Hollow in years, when his brothers had to literally drag his drunk tail out of there.

So, it was only slightly embarrassing to walk inside, but it’d been over a decade since that night, and the place did look different.

He looked around the bar, finding Preston near the back, playing darts by himself. For a guy with a supposed horn-dog reputation, his cousin was rarely in the company of women. He didn’t show up with them to family events, and they didn’t surround him tonight.

The only reason, he supposed, that Preston could still have that moniker was because reputations stuck to a man, no matter how long it had been since he’d acted in such a way.

“As I live and breathe, Caleb Lawson has finally decided to grace us with his presence,” Preston said, but since he didn’t shout it to the world, Caleb decided not to throat punch him. Besides, he knew he was only giving him shit.

“Don’t get too excited. I just came here to beat your ass in darts.”

Preston grabbed his hand and did the half-hug thing that men did when they were happy to see one another. “Doesn’t matter. I’m happy to have some company.”

Caleb looked around the bar. It was already half-full at only seven in the evening. Most people didn’t bother to show up until after ten.

“No date tonight?” he asked.

“Too busy.” Preston handed Caleb some darts, then erased the scores on the chalk board. “You’re up first.”

They played a few games without talking much; just the way Caleb liked it. All right, so he didn’t talk much, but his cousin did, and that suited him just fine. Mostly because it gave him time to think about Sofia. Her pretty smile. The way she looked in a pair of shorts. Man, she had some legs—all golden brown and long. She filled out a shirt nicely too. Hell, she looked good in everything she wore.

But even more than that, she seemed to genuinely care about his parents, especially his mother. That was something unexpected. Then again, everything about Sofia was unexpected.

“I’m thinking of giving up the medical field for good.”

That announcement drew Caleb up short. Instead of throwing the last dart, he said, “To do what?”

Preston grinned. “Isn’t it obvious I’m one of the owners of Whiskey Hollow?”

“Not really,” Caleb replied, then took aim. He hit the board dead center, but refrained from celebrating. 

“I’ve been singing its praises for the past thirty minutes. Haven’t you heard anything I said?”

“Um ... sorry,” he muttered.

Preston rolled his eyes. “Never mind. I’m not offended. You and that head of yours.”

“I was busy thinking about my uh, date from last Saturday evening.”

His cousin seemed to perk up at that. “With the mysterious Sofia?”

“Yeah. Surprised you haven’t met her.”

“Been too busy.”

“Too busy doing what?”

Both men turned to find Apple McCoy standing there. The cool blonde wore a dress more suited for a picnic than a sports bar.

“Dreaming about you,” Preston said.

Her lips flattened. She fixed her gaze on Caleb. “How have you been?”

“Fine.” His pulse sped up a little and not in a good way. The last time Apple had spoken to him, it hadn’t been the most comfortable situation. “And you?”

“The same.” She tossed her hair over her shoulder. “Did your mother get her car back?

Color him confused. “Back from what?”

Her gaze narrowed. “From Sofia.”

“You met her?”

“I know everyone.”

Yeah, he should have left as soon as she’d asked him how he was doing, but he wasn’t an asshole, and he wouldn’t treat her like she wasn’t actually there. “I’m going get a drink from the bar. Anybody want anything?”

Apple crossed her arms over her chest. “Answers.”

“I don’t owe you answers about Sofia.”

Her mouth opened and closed like a fish caught on a hook, except he felt more like the worm. “You owe me—”

Preston stepped between them, grabbing Apple’s arm. “A dance. Let’s go.”

Stunned, Caleb watched as his cousin led Apple to the small dance floor in the corner. Even more shocking was the fact that she allowed him to do so. No one directed any McCoy woman without her permission.

Preston motioned to the DJ, and a slow song came over the speakers. Apple glared up at him before she slowly put her arms around his neck. Grateful for the intervention, he made his way outside.

One day he would have to sit Apple down and clear the air between them. While he knew he hadn’t done her wrong, it was obvious she didn’t feel the same way. Then again, there had never been any lost love between the Lawsons and McCoys. Well, not until his brother married Apple’s sister. And he supposed he could say that he and Apple had been a couple once.

Barely.

He’d taken her to prom and out on a proper date
once
, but that was at Iris’s insistence, saying that her cousin was too shy and too beautiful to get a date on her own. It had sounded far-fetched to him.

A man in love, however, will do foolish things to please his woman.

T
he search for a job in Jessamine had been a bust. No one was hiring head chefs, or any chefs at all. All the restaurants in the area had the staff they needed, even down to servers, food runners, and hostesses. While Jessamine was a larger sort of small town, it simply did not have the population to support a multitude of eateries.

“Try this one, dear,” Dinah said, handing over the
WANT
ads. “Holland Springs is bigger than our little town, but it’s almost an hour commute each way.”

Sofia shook the section of paper open, then settled back into the swing beside the older woman. “The cost of gas alone would put a big dent in take-home pay each week,” she grumbled.

Dinah patted Sofia’s knee. “The right job will come along. I know you’re trying to get to Roswell like you’d planned all along, but I want you to know that you have a home with us for as long as you like.”

Her chest grew tight, and tears clogged her throat. “I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to repay you.”

“That’s the thing with family. There’s nothing to repay.” Dinah smiled. “Although I do have to admit I enjoy your help with meal times and around the house. It’s nice to have a young person home again.”

“I’m not
that
young.”

“Twenty-seven is a baby to me.”

Sofia gazed out at the back pasture, watching cows graze and a donkey rub its head against a large tree. A couple of dogs raced each other down a dirt path. Tassels had sprung from the tops of corn that went for row upon row. Dinah’s garden was fully functional, with bell peppers, squash, and a plethora of veggies that Sofia loved to cook.

While it was warm outside, the ceiling fan kept them cool, and the sweet iced tea in their glasses was perfection. She knew a place like this was bound to have flaws—everywhere did—but in her eyes, the Lawson farm was heaven.

Too bad her plans didn’t include staying here, but even if they did, where would she find work? She wasn’t above taking a job outside her field of expertise, but without experience and a constant kitchen to keep her on her toes, she was afraid she’d forget what she’d learned in school and had put into practice in the subsequent years.

Her phone buzzed, and her heart got all happy at the sight of Caleb’s name. Grabbing her phone with one hand, she put the newspaper on her lap with the other.

Caleb:
Bought out the Piggly Wiggly. Hope you can figure out something to cook.

She laughed a little.

I can make a meal out of anything.

Caleb:
Looking forward to you making good on that boast. Be there in five minutes.

Folding the paper carefully, she gave it back to Dinah. “I have to go. Caleb is picking me up soon.”

“Another date?” his mother asked lightly.

Standing, she shook out her skirt to make sure no June Bugs had landed on it. “I’m only cooking for him.”

“Food is the way to my Caleb’s heart.”

Unease coursed through Sofia. She didn’t want Dinah to get the wrong impression. “We’re just friends.”

Dinah smiled up at her. “Of course you are, dear. Everyone knows that friends put on their best frocks for courting.”

“This isn’t my best dress.” No, she’d worn her best dress on their first date. This dress was suitable for church and picnics. And second dates.

“Whatever you say.” Dinah added the
WANT
ads section back to the main paper. “I’ll keep this for you in the magazine rack in the living room.”

“Thanks. I should be home around nine, if I had to guess. I know Caleb turns in early.”

“You don’t have a curfew, but I appreciate the heads-up. Come in through the kitchen; David and I will still be up. But not waiting on you. Unless you need us to. We can make sure Caleb follows whatever rules you give him.”

Sofia laughed. “I didn’t give him any.”

“Oh sugar, no. Every woman has to lay down the rules.”

“Even for your sons?”

“
Especially
for my sons.” Dinah winked at her. “I hear his truck coming up the driveway now. Have a great time tonight. I’ll go inside so he doesn’t feel like he has to make small talk with me.”

“See you later.”

Heart beating faster than hummingbird wings, Sofia fixed her gaze on the driveway that curved around to the back of the house. She heard Dinah go inside, but the rumble of a truck engine held her attention.

Stop it.

Stop what?

This! You’re like a teenager with a crush.

I don’t have a crush.

So the pushup bra is for who exactly?

Caleb parked his truck, climbing out and striding to her, his gait confident. Once again, he wore a dark pair of jeans and a fitted T-shirt, but instead of a baseball cap, his brown hair was perfectly mussed. She wasn’t sure if he’d styled it like that on purpose or it was the result of driving with his windows down.

Either way, he was too sexy for words.

His dark blue eyes lit up when their gazes met. “Now I know why pretty as a picture is an expression.”

“You’re going to make it very hard for me to find a decent man in Roswell,” she teased.

The light dimmed a little in his eyes. “Are you ready to go?”

Stupid girl. Why say something so dumb?
She had to protect herself from becoming attached to this place, but Caleb only made it harder. Yet, here she was going on another date with him.

Last time
, she swore silently. After this, she would get a job in Holland Springs, or maybe at the beach where he’d taken her for dinner. No excuses. No leading on this poor man or his family.

“I’ve been looking forward to this all day,” she said, then silently groaned.

His answering smile made her heart flip. “Me, too.”

Caleb’s house was nothing like she’d pictured. She’d fully expected something like his parents’ house—a sprawling farmhouse with double porches and gingerbread lattice. Instead, he lived in a modest craftsman-style house situated on the banks of a large body of water. It wasn’t the ocean, because she could see the other side in the distance.

As they walked inside, she couldn’t help but be in awe of the craftsmanship and careful detail of the home.

“Did you build this?” she asked, taking in the stained glass accents and beautiful hardwood floors.

“Yes. It’s not very big—two bedrooms and two bathrooms. Kitchen’s nice and spacious, and there’s a great view of the Pamlico Sound. Got a dock out back. We can eat on the patio, if you want.”

“Are you trying to sell your house to me?” she asked.

“Would you stay in Jessamine, if I did?”

He couldn’t be serious, but the look on his face said otherwise.

“I do love your home—what I’ve seen of it, that is.” She delicately cleared her throat. “Show me the kitchen and what you bought at the grocery store.”

“By all means.” He led the way. “Is this enough space for you to cook?”

Caleb moved deeper into the kitchen and flipped on the light switch. He heard Sofia gasp.

“This is beautiful.”

“Not as big as what you’re used to, but—”

“The kitchens I worked in were tiny,” she said with a laugh. Running a finger over the butcher-block countertop of the island, she shook her head. “Your cabinets are gorgeous, and the gas stove—I could cook there for days.”

Caleb opened the pantry, wanting her to love every part of his house. A dumb thing, considering she was hell bent on leaving Jessamine. “Supplies are in here, and the fridge is stocked.”

She moved to stand beside him. “When you said you bought everything, you weren’t kidding.”

His face heated a little.

“How long have you lived here?” she asked.

“About six years. I had my eye on this property for a long time, so when the owner decided to sell so she could move closer to her grandchildren, I didn’t waste any time buying it.”

“A man who knows what he wants and goes after it,” she murmured before returning to the middle of the kitchen. “You go relax while I decide what to cook.”

He let her shoo him away, but he didn’t go far. While he pretended to watch television, he kept a close eye on Sofia as she bustled around his kitchen —so naturally, like she truly belonged there.