eggs onto each breakfast plate. “Right after I’ve finished with the cooking. Nice of you to join us, Caleb.”
“You know I dislike those blasted gadgets.” Caleb indicated the stove and microwave with a backhanded wave. “They’re–” He stopped, scowling when Wyn lobbed him a warning glare. His demeanor changed instantly and he turned to Arianna with a smile. “I hope you won’t let Winston’s grumbling spoil breakfast. You will join us, won’t you?”
She wasn’t sure she could have said no even if she’d wanted. An invitation from a man who looked like Caleb was hard to refuse. “Your brother was kind enough to invite me,” she said, feeling the need to come to Wyn’s defense.
“Please–” Caleb swept an arm toward the table, a grand gesture inviting her to sit.
With a hesitant smile, she moved toward the nearest chair, surprised when Caleb walked behind her and held it in place. It was a lovely old-fashioned formality. Feeling slightly bashful, she allowed him to guide the chair, then watched as he rounded the table to sit next to her. The first thing he did was remove the linen napkin from beside his plate and unfold it over his lap.
Arianna blinked.
She hadn’t expected linen napkins, much less a man who used one. When she glanced down at the plate, she realized it was delicate blush china. She’d been too distracted earlier in her conversation with Wyn to notice. She knew he was a doctor, financially solvent to live in an estate like Weathering Rock, but had expected the usual dishwasher-safe plates that comprised most kitchens.
“Allow me.” Caleb took her plate, adding a few strips of bacon and a plump muffin from the final platter Wyn set on the table. Did they always eat so lavishly, or had the breakfast been geared around having an overnight guest? Either way, Caleb’s attentiveness charmed her.
Wyn appeared amused by his brother’s courtly fawning.
“Thank you.” She smiled politely as Caleb set the now-full plate in front of her. Feeling a bit uncomfortable having breakfast with two men she barely knew, she made an attempt at small talk, asking Wyn about his work and whether he had a practice in Sagehill.
“Just outside of town.” He relayed the specifics. The group of doctors he’d affiliated with was small compared to some of the larger medical umbrellas attached to the local hospitals. She could picture the building that housed his practice, tucked off Juniper Drive, close to the public library and a small coffee shop. She’d driven by it numerous times. She and Lauren often met at the coffee shop, with Lauren’s specialty boutique, Pandora’s Box, a few blocks away on Limestone Avenue.
“Excuse me.” Caleb interrupted her discussion with Wyn long enough to leave the table and pour a cup of coffee–no sugar, no cream. He had a scar on the side of his neck she hadn’t noticed before. Jagged, and shaped like a diamond, it was partially hidden by his collar. He caught her watching and grinned.
She flushed. “Have you lived here long?” she asked Wyn, careful not to direct the question at Caleb.
“Six years. My ancestors built this property in the 1800s. When it went up for sale, I couldn’t pass on the opportunity.”
“It’s a beautiful home.” She paused to nibble a piece of bacon as Caleb returned to the table. ‘I’ couldn’t pass up the opportunity, Wyn had said. Not ‘we.’ Did that mean he and Caleb had not always lived together? She couldn’t imagine two grown men sharing space for long.
She shifted her attention to Caleb. “Can I ask what you do for a living?
“Retired military.” His answer was swift.
Arianna stared, thinking him terribly young for retirement. “What branch?” she persisted, unable to quell her natural curiosity.
“Infantry.”
Wyn coughed into his hand as if disturbed by the answer. “Caleb.”
She wasn’t sure why anyone so young would retire, although a military career in view of current world affairs might give anyone pause. As far as she could tell, Caleb was single with no attachments other than his brother. For a single man, the military could be an attractive option.
Except for his headaches.
It suddenly dawned on her why he’d retired. Last night, Wyn had mentioned Caleb’s ongoing problem with headaches. If last night’s episode was any indication, the Army had probably given him a medical discharge. Having blundered into the subject, she wasn’t certain how to bow out gracefully.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pried.”
“It’s all right. My health wasn’t the issue.” Caleb drew a breath and grinned, making an effort to lighten the mood. “I manage to keep occupied. I have an avid interest in the Civil War and–”
“Caleb.” Wyn gave a quick, clipped shake of his head, dropping his eyes when Arianna glanced in his direction. Something passed between the two she didn’t understand.
“Arianna teaches history at the local middle school. American history. Civil War history.” Before he could say anything further, the soft chime of a doorbell echoed through the house. Wyn breathed a sigh of relief, giving her the impression he was thankful for the arrival of a visitor.
“Caleb, the door.” He cast a meaningful glance toward the hallway.
His brother hesitated. “Maybe you should–”
“No. Caleb, the door.”
The denial was flat and final, leaving Arianna with the uncomfortable feeling Wyn didn’t want to leave his brother alone with her. She was about to excuse herself, the diversion the perfect reason to bow out and be on her way, even if it meant calling Triple A.
“Very well.” Caleb pushed back from the table and stood. “I’ll be back shortly. Arianna, I’d appreciate it if you’d stay a while longer.”
She fiddled with her fork, her eyes riveted to the trim v-shape of his back as he left the kitchen. It was disheartening to think a man that fit could be incapacitated by something as trivial as a headache. Somewhere along the line, between discussing Caleb’s military background and what he’d done since retiring, she’d wandered into territory marked taboo.
“I didn’t mean to pry,” she said to Wyn.
“It’s not your fault. Things are complicated with Caleb. His health.”
A cold fist squeezed her stomach. “Please tell me it’s nothing’s terminal.”
“Nothing like that.” He shook his head. “Sometimes he’s too driven, and I wouldn’t want you to get the wrong impression. I’ll be honest–I’ve seen the way women react to him. That old-fashioned gentility goes a long way in today’s all-about-me world. I wouldn’t want you to fall into the same trap as others.”
Others?
She flushed, revising her opinion of Wyn. She’d initially thought him friendly and open, but now it seemed he was doing everything he could to warn her away from his brother. Was she that obvious, or did Wyn simply expect most women to fall under Caleb’s spell the moment they met him?
Heat crept up her
