knew that, because Kate had shared it with him. Bri mentioning it meant Kate’s parents were still at odds. Caleb’s heart sank. “Poor Kate. I was hoping they’d reconciled.”
“Reconciled what?” A voice sounded from the front door.
Kate. Could he convince Bri to keep what he’d done a secret? Doubtful—she was too angry with him. His reckoning had come.
Caleb pinned Bri with his gaze and leaned in. “Let me be the one to tell her. Please.”
“Fine.”
Caleb sauntered toward Kate like she was a human gallows. Bravery fled. He was certain she’d be upset or disappointed to learn the bandit she’d shared a special moment with was him. It would ruin his chance at being a friend for her. But there was no other option.
Swift motion to his left drew his attention. Bri put a restraining hand on his arm and nibbled her lip like she wasn’t so sure now. “On second thought, Caleb, that thing we just discussed?” She sliced a hand across her neck. “Abort mission. I’ll explain later.”
Kate approached, sweeping silky brown bangs from her eyes with choppy motions. “Wow. Welcome home, Landis. Should I leave? Feels like I walked in on a private conversation. Strange, considering I believe you were discussing my parents’ divorce when I walked in.” Kate sounded aggravated.
Caleb couldn’t blame her. No doubt she thought Bri had been oversharing about Kate’s private business. He could clear up her confusion in no time at all...so why wasn’t Bri letting him?
Bri stepped between Kate and Caleb. “I’m sorry. I should have asked you first before saying anything.”
Kate shrugged, flipped hair over her shoulder. “Doesn’t matter. It’s only Caleb.” She retreated, buddy-buddy with Bri, to the counter, effectively blowing him off.
It’s only Caleb? So that’s where he stood?
He tried to remind himself her dismissal wasn’t supposed to bother him. After all, he’d spent the past three days thinking about why they wouldn’t work together as anything but friends.
Tia skipped from the woodsy forest-critter-themed kitchen where Ian looked occupied cleaning up a baking mess out of earshot. “Miss Kate, can you be my taste tester?”
“Ooh-rah! Cupcakes. My fave!” Kate leaned down to take a bite.
With Kate distracted, Bri dragged Caleb outside onto her gleaming redwood deck. “You don’t need to tell her yet.”
“Why not?”
“I’m worried about her. She’s taking the news about her parents really hard—especially since her grandfather’s sick, too. She needs something to cheer her up. You signed your note BB, so she thinks you’re a benevolent bandit. I think the BB could brighten her days and give her something to look forward to.”
Caleb shook his head. “BB meant Bri’s Brother. I was planning to tell her the truth—at some point. I didn’t want to lie to her. I just wanted...” He’d just wanted to help her. And she wouldn’t have accepted help or comfort from “only Caleb.”
Bri clutched his T-shirt. “Please, Caleb. Don’t tell her yet. While she may not see or admit it, she actually needs the BB right now. The distraction, and the way you unwittingly made her feel, really helped her get through these past few days. I’m certain of it. Yes, she needs to know the truth, eventually, but not yet. She’s devastated enough with life. Let’s wait at least until her parents’ ordeal calms down.”
“I don’t know, Bri. You really want me to continue tricking her?”
“You don’t have to trick her at all. Just keep being the guy you were on the patio—the one who has made her smile just thinking about him for the past few days. That guy took her mind off her troubles—don’t you want to keep doing that for her? I asked God to send help for Kate. She refuses to burden me. God could be using you to keep her from going off the emotional deep end right now.”
“You really think keeping the...the Benevolent Bandit around will make such a difference?”
Bri shrugged. “Maybe. Isn’t it worth a shot? Kate’s dealing with so much right now—she needs something that’ll make her happy. On top of all her family issues, they have crucial inspections coming up at the trauma center. She needs her head in the game or they’ll lose vital funding.”
“EPTC, they hurting?”
“No, they’ve outgrown themselves and need to expand.”
“They hiring? I was hoping to work part-time while I’m helping you with renovations and stuff. I’m here four months.”
“I’m so glad. I’m sure they could use you at the center, especially since Mitch is gone for two months on a combined honeymoon-mission trip with Lauren. They’d already booked their flights when they received word of the inspection timeline moving up.”
“I’m happy to help if I can.”
Bri’s face lit up, and Caleb felt a sudden rush of foreboding. That smile from his sister always meant trouble. “If you really mean that, then you could do me a favor and be on the storybook ball fund-raising committee in my place. I don’t want to leave them shorthanded, but I’ve got a lot on my plate right now. Organizing is right up your alley, not mine. Then I can focus on Tia, wedding plans and the lodge.”
“Sure. Hook me up with whoever I need to talk to about it.”
A smug expression made it clear that he’d fallen right into her trap. “This’ll get interesting.”
Caleb straightened. “What are you not telling me, sis?”
Her eyes shone. “Kate’s on the fund-raising committee, too.”
Chapter Three
What was he doing here? “You stalking me, Landis?” Kate slid into the only empty chair, which happened to be next to Caleb, at the first storybook ball fund-raiser planning meeting two days later.
Caleb looked up. To his credit, he looked surprised. “Pardon?”
This close, incandescent lighting illuminated the strength of his jaw, the chisel of his cheek, the divot gracing his chin and the nice curve of his mouth. When had he grown so appealing?
Kate settled deeper in her chair and looked away, scolding herself for finding him so. The last thing she needed was attraction to someone destined for the front lines. Too many families—hers included—were ripped apart by war. That wasn’t what Kate wanted for herself, when it came to love. “You’re like my shadow.”
“Whaddaya mean?” For an imposing, well-built military guy, he looked skittish all of a sudden.
“First at Bri’s cabin this weekend, and now here at the Eagle Point Civic Center meeting.”
Guarded relief settled over his face. “I was at both places before you got there,” he teased in lighthearted tones. “Maybe you’re stalking me.”
Kate
