Chapter 33

Chapter Thirty-Three

Caroline

M y eyes flutter open to the sound of crackling tinder. We're still on the floor, the embers dying out. Rezy is on my lap, Calvin under the throw beside me, his eyes are closed, his breath coming evenly. He looks so peaceful and painfully handsome.

A shiver runs through me and I worry the dog is cold again. I carefully slip out, toss a couple of logs into the dying fire and it quickly comes back to life. When I turn back, Calvin is watching me, a tired smile on his lips.

"Why did you buy this place?" I ask, softly, hoping Rezy doesn't wake as well. "It's pretty big for one man." I know how I sound given that I live alone in an apartment that could easily house ten.

Calvin gently strokes Rezy's fur. The pup is knocked out. Getting stuck in a blizzard can have that effect.

"My parents lived a few miles away. When this house came up for sale, I figured it'd be the ideal retreat from the city. But as it happens, I hardly ever get away."

"Sounds like Aunt Pearl isn't too happy about that."

"Understatement."

"What about your folks?" I ask.

He shakes his head, his eyes downcast. "It's just my dad now. Mom passed on a few years ago."

"Bobby burgers."

He nods.

How did I not know about his mom? "I'm sorry." And ashamed.

All the time I've known Calvin he's been taking care of me in one way or another. He knows my sob stories and my medical status. But what do I really know about him?

Other than he's kind, generous, an outstanding doctor. And with the flickering shadows of the flames on his face, much more handsome than I ever realized.

"After Mom died, Dad moved in with my sister in Burlington. At least Aunt Pearl is still here in Sugarbush Falls."

"You're lucky to have her," I say, selecting another record, then carefully setting the needle in the groove. I recognize the song and begin to hum the notes to Unforgettable . I always loved Nat King Cole's soulful voice.

I sit back down next to Calvin. He scoots a bit closer, placing the throw over my left shoulder. Rezy doesn't stir.

I can tell Calvin is in a talking mood and I won't interrupt him with my singing.

"My family tried to lure me back to Vermont from the day I moved away," Calvin says. Mom always said I'm her small-town boy." His expression turns somber and I take his hand in mine, careful not to disturb the snoring pup.

"With my insane schedule, the last time I was back home was for a long weekend two summers ago."

I wonder if he feels guilty for leaving his parents behind but choose not to ask him. I listen.

"I miss being on skis, riding my snowmobile, the town's camaraderie, even if it does border on nosiness."

"Then why did you leave? Was it the excitement of the big city that drew you there?"

He looks off as if remembering. "I had a girlfriend."

My ears perk up and for whatever reason, my hackles rise as well. Something akin to jealousy hits me. It's absurd. This girlfriend had to be in his life decades ago. "The woman in the photo?"

He nods. "Jenny. When things ended, all I wanted was to get as far from Sugarbush Falls as possible."

I'll bet my inheritance that their musical duo ended along with the relationship.

"And now?"

He pours himself another shot. In all the time I've known Calvin, I've never seen him down more than one or two drinks. I'm losing count tonight.

"Now, I'm getting old," he says, draining the beverage, his words slurring. "Even if I'm gonna be a dad."

He leans his head back against the seat of the sofa. He's tipsy, maybe more than tipsy. His mind is cloudy. Or I misheard him.

Rezy opens an eye and Calvin laughs, the kind of oversaturated laugh that comes with several shots of Kentucky's finest bourbon. He strokes Rezy and the pup falls back to sleep.

"For a second there I thought you said you're going to be a dad."

Calvin shifts his weight and is now facing me, the laughter fading. He glides the back of his fingers along my cheek and I'm certain I'll melt from the tenderness of the gesture. I look up into his whiskey-filled eyes.

"Caroline."

My name on his lips sounds like a song. His breath smells sweet. It's intoxicatingly sexy. "Say it again."

I'm staring at his lips like they are the perfect instrument.

"Caroline." His voice is buttery, his eyes at half-mast.

I shift my body closer. And brush my bottom lip against his.

Like a dam bursting open, Calvin's mouth is on mine, his passion matching my own. A passion that's been growing in me since I saw him in my lobby, wearing a necklace made of teeth.

I give myself over with a fire I haven't felt since my youth.

His kisses turn slow, methodical and I seriously can't get enough. I want to stay in this cocoon for an eternity.

When we break apart, I lean my head on his shoulder.

"I swore I wouldn't do that again," Calvin mumbles.

I know precisely what he means. One kiss could be deemed a mistake but two mind-blowing kisses? Two is no accident.

I sense his chest rise and fall, his breath coming in rhythmic puffs. He's sleeping. Rezy is sleeping. I close my eyes, wondering. If two kisses are no accident, then what exactly are they?