“Hey, I know stuff.” He splayed his hands.
She giggled, and the sound brought warmth to his heart.
They reached the main level and followed Krew as he skipped happily through the great room toward the front entrance. “Like I know that you blow kisses at my poster every chance you get.” Caleb lowered his voice, leaned in closer, and put his hand on her lower back.
Emily swallowed, stared at him with those dark eyes he’d missed so much, and tripped on something. He wrapped his arm around her waist to steady her. They stopped walking and turned toward each other. Emily looked up at him, lips parted, and he bent down closer.
“Mama? Caleb?” Krew called from the entry. “Can I open the door, or is a pizza guy like a stranger?”
They both laughed uneasily. Caleb eased back, but couldn’t resist tucking a stray curl behind her ear.
Emily turned from him and hurried toward the entryway. He followed, opening the door, signing for the food and a tip, and then carrying the stack of pizza boxes, breadsticks, and salads that he’d bought from his favorite pizza delivery place, Midici’s.
They settled in at his table with drinks and all the food, said a prayer, and dove in. Caleb loved hearing all about Krew’s school and his friend Harley, and he listened as Krew told him all about what he’d done in ’Bama at Christmastime with his cousins and how Santa had rocked it this year with a real hoverboard and lacrosse gear and a bag so he could play in the spring. Caleb had wanted to leave presents on their porch, but that would’ve revealed that he knew where they lived. He would’ve stayed strong until March, he thought, if Mylee hadn’t found him. His patience was impressive, even to himself.
Emily didn’t say a lot, but her smile and her presence was a salve for Caleb’s lonely heart. He’d never been lonely before, always had tons of family, friends, and willing women surrounding him, but he’d been lonely for Emily and Krew these past two months.
After they finished dinner, Emily and Krew helped him clean up the garbage, and he insisted they take the leftovers home with them. Sadly, that spurred Emily to say it was time to go.
“No!” Krew and Caleb protested at the same time.
Emily nodded firmly, giving Krew a no-nonsense look. “Don’t sass me, child,” she said in that Southern accent that Caleb adored.
“Yes, ma’am.” Krew picked up his box of pepperoni pizza and looked to Caleb. “Thank you, Coach. Thank you so much. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Emily smiled, but it was tight. “Not tomorrow, love. Maybe next week.”
“No!” Caleb and Krew protested again.
“How about if we come over next Monday for another practice, and this time I’ll bring dinner?” She looked to Caleb as if begging him to give her the week.
It was an entire week away and Caleb didn’t want to wait, but he knew she was trying to slow things down. If they saw each other every day again, it would be impossible to wait to progress their relationship. March was the magical month. What if her loser ex-husband didn’t release her from her stupid promise in March? Caleb couldn’t allow himself to think negatively like that, and he couldn’t risk pushing her away for two months again.
“I would love to have you cook me dinner,” he said, giving her what he hoped was a charming smile. He wanted to beg her to stay longer, to come back tomorrow, to let him come over the next day and the next.
“Okay. We’ll see you next Monday.”
He nodded and held the front door as they carried the pizza and salad containers out into the cold January evening. An entire week. Watching them go, he caught Emily looking back at him. He raised a hand and tried not to show how bad it hurt to watch her walk away.