Caleb glances up at me, swallowing his mouthful, ‘it was just you and your mom for a while?’ he asks.
I nod, ‘yeah, after my dad died, mum never seemed interested in finding someone new, so it’s always just been us.’
The brooding man nods, studying me, ‘how did your dad die?’ he asks, ‘if that’s not too intrusive, I mean, you don’t have to tell me.’
I smile tentatively, ‘no it’s OK’ I reply, ‘he’s been gone a long time, to be honest, I hardly remember him. I know what he looks like because there we photos all over the house of him, but I was six when he died and most of my memories are fuzzy.’
Sympathy flickers in Caleb’s eyes and a fleeting look of understanding that makes me wonder what happened to his mother. No one has mentioned her at all and I was too embarrassed to ask.
Clearing my throat, I set down my knife and fork, ‘my dad died from Cancer’ I confide. ‘when we first found out, it was all positivity and he can beat this. They operated to remove the mass, then it was radiotherapy, chemotherapy, he was so sick.’
Caleb’s fingers flinch as if he wants to reach out to me, but he doesn’t. ‘I’m sorry Tessa’ he says softly.
I shrug, ‘it is what it is’ I murmur, ‘people get diagnosed with Cancer every day, the hardest part was thinking that there was a rainbow at the end of his suffering, we really believed that he would be OK. When he went back after his course and they said that it was growing again . . I think maybe he lost some of his hope, it was harder to keep fighting after that.’
I swallow the lump in my throat, blinking a few times to hold back the tears that start to brim. Sadness filling me, not for my own loss as I hardly remember the man, but for my mother who spent years trying to keep us afloat whilst grieving for the love of her life.
This time Caleb does reach out, dropping his knife so he can stretch his fingers across the table to cover my own where they rest on the clean white linen.
My eyes lift to his, giving him a small smile as his gaze holds mine. ‘I’m really sorry Tessa’ he murmurs, ‘that must have been hard, growing up without your dad.’
I shrug noncommittedly, ‘thanks’ I whisper, ‘but like I said, it was a long time ago. I think my mum suffered worse than me, trying to keep going, keep smiling just to protect me.’
Caleb nods, slowly sliding his fingers back and picking up his knife, ‘she seems like a nice woman’ he admits, ‘my dad seems to like her.’
My smile widens into a more genuine one as I nod, ‘yeah, they do seem to make each other happy’ I agree, ‘it’s nice’ I add, ‘to see someone caring for her like that. Mum has been on her own for so long, always taking care of me, never having time for someone else. I . . ‘ I bite down on my lip, my cheeks flushing slightly, ‘I wasn’t overly keen about coming here, worried that mum was being impulsive, you know?’
Caleb nods, his gaze fixed on my face as he continues to eat, his complete attention on me.
‘But, I really like your dad’ I admit softly, ‘he seems like a really nice guy and, if he makes my mum as happy as she seems to be? Then I’m glad they found each other.’
The sullen bad boy across from me, chews slowly, absorbing my words before swallowing. ‘I’m glad too’ he replies gruffly, ‘glad my dad found your mum . . glad . . that you came here . . ‘
My lips part in surprise as his cheeks colour slightly and he glances away from me, pushing back his chair and standing.
‘Thank you for dinner’ he mutters awkwardly, ‘it was really good, makes a nice change from the various takeout that we usually have to eat.’
I raise an eyebrow, ‘you can’t cook?’ I ask curiously, how did this man survive on takeout? With those muscles I was sure that he was some sort of health nut.
Caleb’s lips tilt up into one of those rare smiles as he looks at me again. ‘I can cook’ he replies, ‘but with the long hours we work and the fact it was always just me and Dad, it was easier to pick something up than cook.
His heated gaze, trails over my quickly, my skin prickling as energy builds between us before he gives me a small nod. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow Tessa’ he murmurs and walks away from me, placing his plate in the sink and disappearing to his room.
Caleb’s POV
Tessa and I have been dancing around each other for the past few days, but tonight I have to push her firmly out of my mind as it’s the night of a party hosted by a very outspoken man named Howard LeGrange. His radical ideas and vocal arguments against others has garnered him a long list of adversaries and the man has had more than one death threat over the years.
I’m running point, stationed at our charge’s elbow, whilst my team are stationed at every exit and throughout the party, their barely visible coms the only thing that would tell someone that they are there for more than just a good night.
‘Felix!’ Howard calls out from beside me as a small mousy looking man in spectacles bustles up to greet the host.
‘Howard! What an amazing evening’ the other man replies excitedly, ‘I cannot wait to hear about your new venture though, a little bird tells me that you could have something that will revolutionise our energy supply.’
Howard LeGrange laughs heartily, waving a hand, ‘I’m sorry Felix, my lips are sealed, you know how it works, the board always want their night in the spotlight.’
Felix nods, but I can see a flicker of anger in his eyes which puts me on alert. For all his overzealous enthusiasm, this man has no love for my charge.
As he moves away, I quickly mutter to my second in command, Lincoln, ‘watch the guy who just left LeGrange, he comes over as friendly but it’s only skin deep.’
‘Roger that’ the smooth voice of our longest serving employee replies and I see him smile politely at the woman who is openly drooling over him before excusing himself and weaving through the crowd like a ghost.
Beside me, Howard is on the move, heading toward his wife who looks up from the group of rich women around her and smiles widely as she see’s her husband approaching.
‘Ladies!’ he booms loudly, ‘I hope you are all enjoying the evening, but would you forgive me if I borrow my beautiful wife? I want to show her off around the dance floor.’
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.