Love So Unexpected (The Lawson Brothers Book 6) (12 page)

Sofia shook her head. “I’m not in love with Caleb, but I really like...” she sighed, unable to lie to the woman. “I haven’t told him.”

“He knows.”

“Don’t you tell him.”

Dinah mimed zipping her lips. “Not my place. But, I have to be selfish and candid for a minute. I don’t want you to go.”

“Because I make your son happy?”

Dinah reached over and cupped Sofia’s chin. “Because you’ve brought laughter and sunshine back into my home.”

“I can see why my mother called you her best friend.”

“She was the best. She’s the one who convinced me that I’d be a fool not to marry David.”

“Is that what you’re going to tell me?”

Dinah let go. “That’s where it’s tricky.”

“Why?”

“Because as his mother, I would tell any woman who turned down my son that she’s a fool.” Dinah winked, and Sofia laughed through her tears.

“Can’t argue with that.” However, in her heart, Sofia knew that her conversation with Caleb wouldn’t go this well. While he was patient and understanding, he was also very clear about wanting her to stay in Jessamine. There was no way she could claim she thought otherwise.

And after all he shared with her about his wife, about their baby ... leaving him now felt like betrayal, even to her.

Her heart pinched in her chest. She fought the urge to rub the spot, to make it feel better. Right now, she deserved to hurt.

She deserved to get a glimpse of what it would feel like to make the decision to leave Caleb behind.

C
aleb searched Craig’s List, hoping to find a food truck or at least a trailer that could work for Sofia. So far, the pickings were slim. Either the food truck looked as though it was on its last leg or it was completely stripped.

He came to the last page, read down through the items, then jerked his gaze back up again. “Pristine condition, huh? We’ll see about that.”

He doubled clicked on the link, bringing up the seller’s page. He read through the specs and carefully looked at each image twice. There were fifteen of them, but he didn’t care how long it took.

Or where it was.

He glanced down at the location. Greenville. Only forty-five minutes away.

Dialing the contact number, he waited to speak the owner.

“Hello?”

“My name is Caleb Lawson and I’m calling about the food truck listed on Craig’s List. Is it still for sale and is that ninety thousand dollar price tag negotiable?”

“Still for sale and the price is negotiable. Cash helps. My name is Dwayne Thorton but you can call me Wayne.”

“Mind if I drive out to your place right now and take a look? I’m in Jessamine.”

“Not at all.”

Caleb barely remembered to get directions before he said good bye and hung up the phone. He grabbed his hat, his phone, and his car keys. His truck kicked up gravel as he blew out of his driveway.

He prayed to God that the food truck looked exactly like pictured and that he could find a way to pay for it, if it did.

*

T
hankfully, the truck not only looked exactly like the images, it smelled good too. Wayne said that a lot of them stunk to high Heaven because their owners didn’t know how to clean the grease traps properly.

Caleb was pretty sure Sofia knew how to properly take care of a kitchen, but he asked Wayne to show him how to do it anyway, so he would know and be able to help her.

He came to a four-way stop and looked around. There wasn’t a car in sight for miles, so he pulled out his phone and shot off a quick email to Ginger Wallace, one of the loan officers at Jessamine Savings & Loan.

Hopefully, he’d have an answer from Ginger in the next day or two.

*

E
xactly one day later, on a Thursday afternoon, Caleb knocked off work early, showered, and headed into town to meet with the loan officer at Jessamine Savings & Loan.

Finding a spot fairly easily, he parked his truck and headed inside to Ginger’s office.

“Thanks for meeting with me on such short notice,” he said, sitting down in one of the club chairs in front of her desk.

“Anytime. The Lawsons are some of our best customers.” She clicked on the screen in front of her. “I read through the information you gave me. It seems fairly simple.”

“What options do you have for me?”

“You can get a credit line using the farm—”

“This isn’t a business expense. Well, it is, but not for the farm. This can’t be tied to the farm, because I’ll be a silent partner in this venture,” he explained. He couldn’t wait to explain it all to Sofia. He would provide the capital to get started, and, to pay him back, he’d get a percentage of sales. That way she could be her own woman and not feel beholden to him.

“The other option is to mortgage your house. That would give you enough money to buy the truck, supplies, and provide for other expenses related to the business. However, if you were to default on the loan, not only would the bank own your house, it would own the food truck. We’d sell both to recover our losses.”

He didn’t hesitate. “Done.”

Ginger smiled. “I’ll have my assistant draw up the paperwork, then you can take it over to Phil Mickleson’s office. Have him go everything with you and bring it back to us. Our notary will witness the signature.”

“I’ll call Phil now.” He pulled up his lawyer’s number but didn’t hit
TALK
. “Thanks for taking care of this so quickly.”

“You were already preapproved. This was a no brainer.” She rose to her feet and stuck out her hand. “Nice doing business with you.”

Standing, he shook her hand, then walked out of her office. He couldn’t wait to surprise her. Yes, it was extravagant, and yes, he was mortgaging the one thing he owned free and clear—well, besides his truck—but what else could he do?

“Go big or let her get away.” No way in hell he was going to let that happen.

*

C
heck in hand, Caleb purchased the food truck and got Preston to follow him home. Once he’d backed it into the barn and closed the doors, he locked them for good measure.

“Heard you and Apple had a conversation,” Preston said as he climbed out of Caleb’s truck.

“Wondered how long it would take for you to find out.”

“Like pulling fucking teeth,” Preston muttered. “However, she’s coming ‘round my way of thinking.”

“The two of you are an item?”

Grinning, Preston shook his head. “No.”

“That makes you happy?”

“The more I act disinterested in her, the more she comes to my bar.” Preston rubbed his hands together. “Never knew ignoring a woman would work so well.”

“Thought you said talking to her was like pulling teeth.”

Preston’s face fell. “That’s because she’s not interested in talking.”

Understanding dawned. Understanding shocked him. Preston wasn’t interested in a physical-only type of relationship with Apple? “Is this a recent development?”

“You could say that.” Preston crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the truck. “I might have bitten off more than I can chew.”

“Maybe you should stop trying to bite her.” Caleb tugged on his ear. “Maybe you should stop playing games and tell her what you want.”

“Adulting is beyond me right now.”

Caleb gave his cousin a hard look. “You can fool the others, but you don’t fool me. I’ve seen you when a victim doesn’t survive. I’ve sat with you. Been there for you, like you were for me over the years. You’re not the guy my brothers think you are. People around town don’t think that about you either.”

Preston tipped up his chin, his lips flattening a little. “I’ll think about it.” He uncrossed his arms. “I’m not trying to play games with her, really. It’s ... it’s just that you have to stay two steps ahead of her.”

“Try walking beside her.”

“Try giving me a ride home, then you can surprise your girl and get married again.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.” Caleb wouldn’t mind getting married again. He loved Sofia and wanted to be with her always. Marriage was a natural progression of things. Could he propose with a food truck instead of a diamond ring? Or should he get her something even more chef-related, like a—well, he didn’t know exactly. Maybe he should ask Bailey. Lucas’s wife would know since she ran a diner.

“Stop making babies with Sofia in your head and get in the truck,” Preston ordered.

Babies. That drew him up short. When he’d shared the full story of Iris’s death with Sofia, he hadn’t even thought of children with her. Mostly because he was trying to make sure she understood that what he felt for her wasn’t better or worse, just different. Right.

“You can’t make babies in your head, Preston. Surely a trained medical professional such as yourself would know that.” Caleb opened the driver’s side door.

“Did Mason tell you to say that?” Preston accused.

Caleb leveled him with a look. “Who do you think taught Mason everything he knows?”

Preston half-shrugged and nodded. “Touché.”

“More tea?” Caleb asked her.

Sofia shook her head. She was too nervous to eat or drink, a first for her.

“You feeling okay?” He set down the glass pitcher and put his hand against her forehead. “Don’t feel feverish. Why don’t go you lay down, and I’ll take care of the dishes. We don’t have to go out tonight.”

“I’m not sick.”

“Nervous I’m going to try to make love to you in this house?”

Sofia twisted her lips. “Your parents are gone for the rest of the week, so...”

“You get to be my dessert.” He rubbed his hands together. “Don’t worry. The cows won’t talk about us carrying on.”

Trust him to make her laugh when she felt like crying. “We need to talk.”

“You stole my line.”

She stared at him. Why was he so giddy? It wasn’t like him. Yes, he got excited about things, like when she showed him it was possible to have sex in the shower while standing, but this ... something was up.

“You can go first.” Anything to delay the inevitable.

He shook his head. “Ladies first, besides, you won’t be able to top my news.”

“Ione finally got back to me. I’ve been offered the job of a lifetime to go work with Oliver Chevalier as the head chef at his place in Atlanta.”

Caleb’s face flushed, but he didn’t say a word.

“I know that’s nine hours away from here, but I t
hink
we could make things work. Still see each other on ... holidays, and when I ... you ... we have off.” This sounded much better in her head when she’d first worked it out this morning. She thought it was the perfect solution.

“A long distance relationship?” he asked.

She nodded. “I’m willing to give it a try.”

His jaw worked. “What time off do you suppose we’ll have to see one another? You know my work schedule, and I for damn sure know your work ethic. You won’t take off, you’ll make your mark, and that won’t include having time for me.” He shoved his chair back and stood, walking to the sink.

“Please don’t be that way. I want to talk this out. Get your input.”

“Seems to me you’ve already made up your mind.”

She hadn’t, but she wanted a way to have both. She wanted Caleb, and she wanted to be a head chef. Her heart twisted. Why did this have to hurt so badly? Why couldn’t the decision to leave be easy?

“If I’d made up my mind, then I wouldn’t be asking for your opinion.”

He turned to face her. “Fine. You want my opinion?”

“Yes. I do!” she cried, joining him at the sink. “I want to know what you think.”

“I think if you leave, then we’re done.”

“That’s it. You’re willing to throw everything away because you can’t deal with me working?”

“Hold up. I’ve done nothing but encourage you, nothing but find a way for you to make money so you could get back on your feet. Not one damn time have I told you to give up. Not one damn time.” He slashed his hand through air. “For you to accuse me otherwise is wrong. I deserve better than that, and you know it.”

She did know, but she was... “I don’t what to do. Tell me what to do.”

His face gentled as he took her in his arms. She both loved and hated how good it felt to be held by him. “I’m not going to tell you what to do because you’ll resent me for the rest of your life. You know what I want, what I’m willing to do for you to stay here in Jessamine, but the decision to stay here is completely yours.”

“I need to go.” She pulled away. “I need time to think ... to clear my head.”

“Do what you have to, but I can’t guarantee that I’ll be here when you get back.”

––––––––

S
omehow, Sofia managed to end up in a teahouse surrounded by women in large hats. At first she’d wanted to go to Yates’s Diner but didn’t want to get the family discount she didn’t deserve. Plus, if Bailey or Lucas were there, they would most likely want to chat about Caleb, which would lead to her breaking down like a cardboard box in the rain.

At least it was cool in here, and the desserts were yummy.

Before she had ended up in Jessamine, her path in life had been so clear, her goal to be a head chef in a five-star restaurant like Oliver’s. Now, she found herself cooking lunch for men on surrounding farms. It wasn’t glamorous, and there certainly wouldn’t be write ups about her or offers to come on Food Network to guest judge on
Chopped
. Or even compete on
Iron Chef
.

But her work here had felt good. Better than good. She knew that those who bought her food, truly wanted what she made. It was her menu, guided by her childhood favorites. It was almost as if Caleb had made it possible to be her own boss.

Forget
almost
, she had been her own boss, and Caleb’s parents had also helped make it possible. It was their kitchen she used. Their produce. And Dinah would even help her prepare food, saying she loved to learn new recipes.

Being in Jessamine was pure happiness.

What was wrong with her?

Maybe she was being too stubborn. Maybe she was just scared. The last man she’d gotten serious with had turned out to be such a loser. Such a moocher and—