Love Walked In (Stevens Book 7)

Chapter 5

Norah had placed her duffel inside the door and carried her backpack and portfolio over to the table when she returned. She noticed that in her absence Caleb had changed into a pair of blue jeans and a well-worn t-shirt and he was at the drafting table in the corner.

He looked at her as she put her stuff down. "I'll take the couch you can have the bed upstairs."

"Thank you." She wasn't going to argue, her back wouldn't be able to handle the couch, she would have had to sit up all night.

Just then the screen door flew open and Lizzy burst through it, breathing hard, her face bright red, and Scarlett jumped up with a growl.

"Down Scarlett, you look upset sister dear," Caleb said and Norah could tell he was trying to hold back a grin.  He had always had that little bit of trouble maker just lurking under the surface, especially in a tense situation.

"Your wife has insulted me."

"And you demand satisfaction?" Caleb asked deadpan.

Norah ducked her head trying to hide a laugh. Even with the angry current running through the room Caleb still found his sense of humor, it was one of the things that she loved most about him. It was a shame that he had lost that sense of humor when they had needed it the most.

"She told Bryce that I was not interested in her work." Lizzy turned and looked at Norah with narrowed eyes. "I am paying you good money to do a job and you will do it.  We agreed to it and you will not back out or I will let everyone know that you did and no one will hire you in the Austin area ever again. You will also do a one woman show in my gallery in June."  She marched over to Norah's portfolio on the table and threw it open digging through the pictures.

She pulled the one of Caleb to the front.  "And this one will be in it."

She gave Norah a hard look.  "I never say anything I don't mean.  Do I make bad choices? Yes. Do I meddle? Yes. Do I mean to cause pain and suffering?-"

"Everyday," Caleb answered that last one for her.

"No, I do not Caleb Stevens and you know it." With that she turned and stormed right back out of the house.

"Well, I guess that answers your question," Caleb said going back to his drawing board. "Shall we just get through this weekend then we can return to our corners."

Norah watched his back, wondering if he really felt as little as he acted like he did. She felt as if someone had reached in and grabbed her heart and wrenched it from her chest.

Picking up her duffel bag, she stopped to look down at her sketches tracing the outline of Caleb's face with a sigh.  She reached into her backpack and grabbed her sketch book and her pencils. Drawing a little before bed would sooth her.

*******

After Norah had left Caleb turned to look down at Scarlett who thumped her tail against the floor as she met his eyes. "How is she really girl?" he asked looking up at the stairs that she had just climbed. 

When he had looked up and saw her standing across from him earlier he thought he had been dreaming again.  He had seen her every night in his dreams for the past three years.  Work and travel had been the only way to ease the pain and the memories.

She had always looked delicate but when he had grabbed her to push her into the chair earlier, he was shocked by how much weight she had lost. Her light brown hair had been cut short so it framed her gaunt face and her brown eyes had lost some of their sparkle.

He rose and walked over to the table, his bare feet making no sound on the floor.

There was so much they had never talked about.  Their romance had been quick, heated, and all consuming.  They had never taken the time to get to know each other. It was as if they were both afraid that there was too much that could go wrong and in the end it all had.