A Many Splintered Thing / Day 13: He stared into her eyes, they turned a war-ish gray when she was pissed.

Posting this on the fly. The day has been...a day. If you find any typos shout 'em out in the comments section and just an FYI I still need to fix CJ's from yesterday. I did see the comment.

Have a good one.

XOXO
S
~~~~~~





Caleb
Caleb took stock of the room. Harrison had a stupid smile on his face and he sort of felt bad for him. He could tell that Harrison knew he wasn’t in on the joke. And that’s exactly what this set-up was as far as Caleb was concerned—a joke. But his arm was still around the mysterious, scarred Dahlia and he wasn’t complaining about the way she felt pulled up close to him.
Maybe it was vindictive, he was sure it was, but the tables had turned and he was staying. He was staying to spite Jasmine and her soap opera agenda. He planned to see what Curved Leaf Vineyards had in store for him. First and foremost he wanted to know more about Dahlia don’t- know-her-last-name-yet.
He glanced at Jasmine and judging by the look on her expression she didn’t like the look on his face. Caleb realized the look on his face was what his grandmother would have called a shit-eating-grin. A phrase he’d never quite understood but he knew what it looked like.  A big I-win grin. His cheeks ached from smiling so big, and he couldn’t resist giving her a wink.
She bristled.
“Well, I’m glad you two are happy,” Harrison said. “I propose, while I take the missus out to dinner after her hair session—“
“It’s an appointment, Harrison, not counseling,” Jasmine said, annoyed.
“That you two take the rest of the day off. Just enjoy each other.”
Caleb squeezed Dahlia—he couldn’t help himself—and felt her very subtly grind her elbow into his side hard enough to make him see stars.
It was awesome.
“Oh, we couldn’t—“she said.
“Nonsense.” Jasmine’s voice was tight, her expression unreadable. She tried on a smile and it was a terrible sight.
Caleb couldn’t help but feel a stab of satisfaction. Three thousand miles and a life overhaul to be met at the gate and told he was the help. He knew he should have turned around and left. Still wasn’t sure why he hadn’t. Maybe it had been curiosity. Maybe exhaustion. Or maybe he just wanted to see where this whole thing went. His life had become a bit tame in his humble opinion.
He patted his pocket, feeling the small cardstock square of Britt’s card. He couldn’t exactly say he was tetherless here. He knew a guy. Caleb, despite loathing his father, did prescribe to a single theory of his dad’s when it came to life. You should always know ‘a guy’. And he felt he did.
“Who are Jasmine and I to stand in the way of young love?” Harrison said, beaming.
If Caleb wasn’t mistaken, this guy actually looked pleased. Which meant his sentiment was sincere. Which meant, sadly, that he had to dial Harrison back on the asshole scale. He went from a solid nine to a 7 or a 7 ½. Caleb chuckled and all eyes turned his way.
“What’s so funny…babe?” Dahlia asked. The final word sounded like she was spitting out something unpleasant.
He laughed again. He had no malice toward her, in fact, he found her utterly intriguing and let’s not forget, sexy as hell, but he was amused by her discomfort. And Jasmine’s. And the whole damn bizarre situation. Suddenly, he found it as funny as Dahlia seemed to earlier. He hoped he managed to escape without a lunatic laugh fest of his own.
“Nothing. Just thinking of spending the day with you uninterrupted is…awesome.”
He stared into her eyes, they turned a war-ish gray when she was pissed. “Getting to know each other in person,” he added for good measure. “What could be better?”
Then he took his biggest risk yet, he hauled her tight against him and he kissed her. He felt her taut body go rigid when their lips met. Caleb could literally feel the energy that skittered along her skin as she suppressed the urge to let loose and sock him one. He wouldn’t have been surprised in the least if she broke the charade and did just that.
But then something interesting happened. Beyond it being interesting, it was exciting. She yielded. Only for a moment. That span of one heart beat where she went soft and pliable and willing in his arms was too brief for Caleb. He almost—almost—thought he’d imagined it.
But he knew he hadn’t. And to add the cherry on top of the let’s-end-the-cycle-of-shitty-luck sundae he heard Jasmine gasp. Caleb couldn’t suppress his happiness and when he glanced slyly at Harrison, Caleb saw that her husband couldn’t either. It nearly made Caleb feel bad for Jasmine, but not quite.
“Nothing,” Dahlia said, a little breathless though her eyes had darkened even further to a storm cloud gray. “Nothing could be better.”
“Good!” Harrison said, clapping his hands together. “That settle it then. You two have the rest of the day off and I’ll have the kitchen staff bring you down a nice dinner. There’s reason to celebrate on my land and that always makes me happy. Dahlia,” he said, leveling a finger at his maid. “You know where the bottles of wine are kept that are put out for staff. Make sure you pick something nice. Make sure Caleb knows we’re a class A joint around here.”
She nodded. Caleb was the only one close enough to see that her jawline was bunched with tension. He fully expected a right hook the moment his new employers left.
But it was worth it.
His fingers smoothed back and forth along her side. His arm was still around her and he knew that would end soon. For the moment he was perfectly content just touching her. Despite the fact that she was rip-roaring mad. She was also warm and pressed against him and though he doubted she knew it, her heart was beating hard. He could see her pulse jump in her throat.
“Let’s go, love. Let’s leave these two alone. Before dinner you have that hair thing and I have to go meet George and put the final touches on that ridiculous hillbilly family reunion of his that he wants to host at the pavilion.” He glanced out the window and sighed. “If the painters are done by then.”
“Of course they’ll be done! They have to be done!” Jasmine said. “They were told to be done and they’ll do what they’re told. That’s what employees are for, right?” she said, her voice tight and high. Then she marched from the room on stiff legs and Caleb had to press his lips together to keep from smiling again. 


photo credit: pierpaolop via photopin cc