Listen to Your Heart(48)

Skye sighs softly, her green eyes shining with happiness.

“I really love you, Caleb.”

“I really love you, too.”

I tenderly kiss her forehead as we hold each other close. It’s easy to forget all the upheaval in our lives when it’s just the two of us. Someday, we won’t have all these obstacles. I won’t be engaged to another woman, and she won’t be playing referee between her brother and his ex-wife. We’ll simply be . . . us.

One little word never sounded so good.



Fearful that Jill really did serve cardboard for dinner, Skye and I decide to wait until we pick up Eli to grab something to eat. Back at her apartment, the three of us share a pizza, and after dinner, Skye relaxes in the recliner and checks her email while Eli and I sit on the couch and work on the chord that was giving him so much trouble this afternoon. When he finally gets it right, he jumps off the couch and hugs me tight.

As a high school teacher, I don’t get a lot of hugs, but it happens from time to time, and when it does, I never hesitate to hug the kid back. I figure if a student is hugging their band teacher, then the kid probably needs a hug.

After a day like today, Eli really needed a hug.

He pulls away and asks Skye if he can play video games in his room.

“Sure,” she says softly. “Lights out by ten, okay?”

Something in her voice sounds off, and when I look over, I’m surprised to find tears in her eyes.

“Got it.” Eli takes his guitar and rushes off to his bedroom.

She closes her laptop and climbs out of the recliner.

“Skye, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I’m gonna take a bath, I think.”

“Okay.” I walk over and take her hand. “But if nothing’s wrong, why are you crying?”

“You’re just . . . really good with him.”

“He’s a great kid.”

“He is,” she says, nodding. “I think I’m just emotional. It’s been a really long day. Lynsey and I aren’t really talking—”

“What’s going on with you and Lynsey?”

She shakes her head. “I really don’t want to talk about it. But tonight’s been really wonderful. Thank you.”

I lift her hand and bring it to my lips.

“Should I . . . do you think I should go home tonight? I don’t want it to be weird with Eli in the morning.”

“I think it’d be weirder if he woke up and you weren’t here.”

I nod. “Okay, good. Go take your bath. I’ll make sure he’s in bed on time.”

“Thanks.”

Skye kisses me softly before heading to her room.





For the next few weeks, I immerse myself in music and Skye—my two favorite things in the world. I have no idea how the wedding plans are going, and I don’t ask. I’m still determined to find a way to tell Luisa the truth without sending her into another fainting spell . . . or worse.

Yesterday at lunch, Juliana introduced me to Deacon, a photographer she met at that conference in Albuquerque. He seems like a nice guy, but I could tell when she made the introductions that he has no idea that she’s supposed to get married next month. Later that afternoon, I called Jules and told her that she needed to come clean, but she said they were just getting to know each other, and she’s too afraid to burst their happy bubble. It stunned me, because for the first time in our very long friendship, I saw Juliana’s selfish side. After all, I’d been forced to tell Skye the truth, and I’d nearly lost her. She won’t even let me take her out to dinner because she’s afraid someone might spot us, but Juliana and Deacon are going to the movies and visiting art galleries and doing whatever they damn well please.

Needless to say I’m pissed.

Skye and Lynsey are having a girls’ night at the apartment, so I’m killing time at The Boombox. She won’t tell me why, but I know there’s been some tension between them. I’m happy to stay out of the way for a couple hours while they drink wine and watch Netflix if it means they make amends.

“Another one?” Jesse asks, nodding toward my bottle.

“Nah. Maybe a club sandwich, though.”

He nods and gives the order to the cook before turning back to me.

“So, Skye’s still determined to make you go through with it, huh?”

“That’s the plan, I guess. I keep hoping Juliana and her new boyfriend will elope and put us all out of our misery.”

“Speaking of misery, talked to Dane lately?”

I shake my head and finish my beer. I know I owe Dane an apology for punching him in the face, but truthfully, I couldn’t care less. It’s not like we’re friends. He’s Juliana’s cousin. Let her deal with him.

Suddenly, a man sits down on the stool next to me. He must be a regular, because Jesse immediately asks if he wants a Bud Light.

“Can’t. I’m on duty. But could I get a bacon cheeseburger and fries to go?”

“Sure. Rough night?”

“It’s always a rough night when I’m forced to have a conversation with my ex. Between her mouth and my double shift, all I want to do is go home and sleep for a solid week.”

Jesse takes the order to the cook and returns with my sandwich.