15. Willow

FIFTEEN

Willow

Long drives in the country weren’t something I’d ever relished. With Jan and John, my foster parents, the only ones I’d ever used the term “parents” with, road trips had been few and far between. With anyone else, it meant I was being taken back to a care home. Or on my way to another foster family who didn’t want me.

So, sitting in the front seat of the truck with Caleb, who took the saying comfortable with silence to a whole new level, was…pleasant.

I hadn’t expected that.

I hadn’t expected to relax, and I most definitely had not expected to enjoy it. I’d put the magazine down a while ago, simply content to watch the scenery go by while 90s grunge rock played on the stereo. I felt myself relax.

I had a desire to stare at Caleb, observing every detail to understand him. However, I knew I wouldn’t get the opportunity, and I knew it was impolite to stare.

So I kept my attention on the outside, while I thought about everything I knew about the man inside. I went over every little thing he’d said or let slip. There wasn’t much. He was his own special brand of mystery.

I had no clue about where he came from. When he found his way to Whispering Pines, I was completely unaware of his actual destination. It didn’t seem to be my town. He was drawn there. Strangely enough, he seemed to be aware of my sketches of him, although he never revealed how he knew. I knew he had been observing me, but I wondered just how long he had been doing so. Was I the reason he came to Whispering Pines? Had he actually been going somewhere else?

Then there was the fact that he hadn’t been staying anywhere in town. He didn’t have a vehicle, and there was no camping gear with him. Where had he been staying? Had he been sleeping rough? But that couldn’t be right. He was always so clean, and he had fresh clothes. He had a backpack. Maybe it held more than I gave him credit for?

“You think much harder, and you’re going to have steam coming out of your ears from overheating your brain.”

His dry voice caused me to jump. “Wh-what?”

“Your thoughts are very loud.” Caleb looked over at me, and I grabbed the opportunity to twist in my seat and give him my full attention.

He had a laid-back approach when it came to driving. With one hand on the steering wheel and the other in his lap, he maintained a relaxed posture. He appeared at ease, with his shoulders loose, head slightly tilted, and his long legs stretched out comfortably. His hair was neatly styled, the longer length suiting him, with a few strands curling under his ear. The stubble on his face wasn’t quite a full beard, but it was more than a typical five o’clock shadow. His clothing comprised familiar pieces, including a plaid shirt over a navy tee, worn jeans, and black boots.

He looked like either an extra from Supernatural or a logger.

Maybe that’s why he’d been in town? Was he a logger? Working at Lily’s dad’s plant? That would fit.

“Did you work for Lily’s dad?”

Caleb glanced at me and shook his head. “Who’s Lily’s dad?”

“He owns the lumber mill on the outskirts of town.”

“A lumber mill.” His top lip curled into a sneer. “No, I wouldn’t work for people who cut down trees.”

He was an environmentalist? “You’re a tree hugger?” I couldn’t hide the surprise in my voice.

“Rather be a hugger than a feller.”

No way. There was no way in God’s green earth that Caleb Foster was a hippie.

Biting my lip, I watched him. It would explain the minimal living. The camping outside. Holy shit. “You’re a hippie?”

“I am?”

“Okay, hippie may be a stretch too far. You don’t give off the bohemian vibes, and you always smell fresh, plus you eat meat.”

“I think you need to reassess your stereotypes,” he chided me.

“Yeah, probably. Okay, so I suppose I should say that you’re an environmentalist.”

Caleb seemed to think about it, and I saw the small smile. “Maybe I am. ”

Leaning back in my seat, I continued to stare at him. “That shocks me.”

“You can’t see me caring about the environment?” he asked me casually.

“No.” I thought about it. “Maybe. Honestly, I pictured something else, like you in a suit wouldn’t look amiss.” Caleb shuddered. “You have CEO vibes,” I declared with a laugh.

“I do?” He appeared affronted by the comment.

“Yeah, you’re all bossy and commanding. You give orders like it’s second nature to you.”

“So, because I have leadership skills, that automatically puts me in a suit amidst corporate America?” He shook his head, but he was smiling. “I knew we weren’t friends, but there’s no need to insult me.”

I laughed at his outrage and got comfy in the seat as I watched him. “You’re funny,” I told him. “You should show that more often.” I sat up with excitement. “Ooh, you’re a stand-up?”

“Stand-up what?”

“Comedian! Do you work the circuit?”

“Willow…” He reached over and patted my knee. “Stop. I’m just a guy who likes to travel and picks up odd jobs where he can. Okay?”

It wasn’t okay. I knew there was more to him, but I didn’t know what it was. “No,” I protested, watching the light humor disappear from Caleb’s face. “I don’t believe you’re just a guy.”

“Well, I’m flattered, but I am.”

Once again, silence filled the air between us, but this time, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from him, even though he seemed completely disinterested in me. Eventually, I shifted my focus and leaned over to reach into the back seat, grabbing my tote. I pulled out my sketchbook and rummaged through the contents of my bag, finally unearthing my pencil case. With the book open in front of me, I felt the smooth texture of the clean page beneath my pencil as I sketched.

“Really?” Caleb grunted, and I noticed his hand tightening on the wheel.

“I have a captive subject,” I teased. “It’s not an opportunity I am going to let pass me by.” Making strong strokes with the pencil, I drew his profile. The details I could concentrate on later, but right now I wanted to capture the tilt of his head, the way the sunlight lit his features, the way his lips were pressed together in annoyance.

“You’re smiling,” he murmured, glancing at me.

“You trying not to snap at me is funny,” I told him without lifting my head from my sketchbook.

“Don’t you have to have someone’s permission before you draw them?”

“Do you?” I murmured. “Is it the same permission you need before entering someone’s home without their knowledge?” I looked up at him. “Is that what you mean?”

Caleb met my look of feigned innocence with a scowl. “Yeah, something like that,” he grumbled.

“That’s what I thought.” Dipping my head, I hid my smug smile.

I sketched while he drove. There were no more complaints, and the silence became comfortable again. I knew Caleb wasn’t completely at ease, but he had no other option but to accept it. I reluctantly acknowledged that he handled that resigned acceptance better than I had .

Deep in concentration, I was adding his eyelashes when the truck swerved erratically. An arm as firm as iron pushed me into the seat, and my sketchbook went flying as Caleb controlled the spin of the truck with one hand.

“Caleb!” The screech of tyres drowned out my scream.

The truck shuddered to a halt. I could smell the burning rubber on the asphalt, and peeling my eyes open, I looked at the man beside me.

Caleb’s arm was still on my chest. He slowly lowered it, his attention focused on the road ahead. Following his gaze, I gasped loudly as I saw a large brown wolf in the middle of the road.

He told me to stay put as he turned off the engine. It took a moment for his words to sink in, and by the time I snapped out of my shock, he had already jumped out of the truck, leaving me unable to stop his madness. With my jaw dropped, I watched him walking towards the wolf, and I held my breath, fully expecting it to pounce. However, the wolf simply repositioned itself as Caleb got closer.

Still, I anxiously waited for the wolf to launch itself at him, or at the very least, I expected it to snap at him. However, to my surprise, it remained motionless. A low growl echoed from where they stood in a standoff. Caleb obstructed my view of the wolf’s head, preventing me from seeing it fully.

Convinced I’d hit my head off the dashboard, I watched as the wolf suddenly hopped backward as if struck, and then it looked as if it tried to dodge past him. Caleb took a step to the left, and again I heard the growl, and fear tingled down my spine from the menacing sound.

Filled with desperation, I impulsively seized the handle, fully intending to sprint to Caleb’s aid, although I had no clear plan in mind of what to do once I got there. However, my impulse to throw myself between Caleb and a wolf ceased when I saw the wolf run away.

It ran away .

I didn’t understand what I was seeing. I shook my head, convinced that I must be dreaming. Shaky fingers pressed against my forehead, feeling the beads of sweat on my brow, convincing me I was awake. Caleb remained in the center of the road, facing away from me. His posture was strong, standing tall with a straight back, squared shoulders, and a held-high head, but I noticed his hands clenched into fists by his side.

I didn’t know why, but I could sense fury in the air, and a small voice in the back of my head told me it was coming from Caleb.

After a few swallows, some moisture returned to my mouth. Caleb had left the truck door open, and when I called his name, he slightly turned his head to show he heard me, but he didn’t fully turn around.

“Caleb?” My voice sounded stronger the second time I called for him. “Come back to the truck.”

I saw him rolling his head from side to side, and then he glanced to his left and right. My eyes frantically scanned the surroundings, finding nothing noteworthy, yet I couldn’t tear my gaze away from the man in front of me for too long.

Caleb eventually turned around, lowering his head in a way that obscured his features, and headed back towards the truck. I realized there was smoke, and some fragmented part of my brain told me it was from the tyres after Caleb had skidded to a halt.

At the truck door, he scanned the wooded areas again, and then with a grunt, he got back into the truck. He didn’t speak as he restarted the engine, nor did he look at me as he placed his arm across the back of the seat when he turned to look out the rear window as he reversed and straightened the truck.

I expected him to leave saying nothing, but instead, he parked the truck on the side of the road. Caleb massaged the back of his neck before finally facing me. “You okay?”

The casualness of his question pushed me over the edge.

“Am I okay?” I screeched at him. “What the fuck was that?”

“Willow, calm down.”

“Calm down?” I felt as if my entire body was vibrating. It might have been with anger or adrenaline. Perhaps it was both. “I will not calm down. Are you out of your mind ?” I needed out of this truck. As I attempted to exit, he forcefully grasped my arm, yanking me back into the seat. “Caleb!”

“Unless you missed it, there was just a wild wolf on the road. Be smart, stay inside the truck.”

My eyes were as wide as they could go. “Unless I missed it ,” I yelled at him. “I didn’t miss the big scary wolf on the road or that you got out of the truck and walked up to it and made it run away !”

Caleb was watching me carefully, but he was calm. He looked perfectly at ease. “You’re hyperventilating.”

“Really?” I was panting. “D’ya think?”

“You’re in shock.”

“Mm-hmm.” My heart was racing, and I couldn’t catch my breath. The tightness in my chest made me gasp .

“Willow, I need you to relax.”

The grunt I answered with was more pain than the derisive snort I was going for.

“Willow.” Caleb reached for me, gently cradling my face in his large hands and making me meet his gaze. His brown eyes exuded warmth. “Calm down.” His voice was soft and low as he gently instructed, “Take a deep breath with me.”

In unison, we breathed in and out, and I sensed the panic releasing its grasp on me. As I attempted to move away, Caleb pulled me towards him, until we were intimately close, and I could feel his breath on my lips. We carried on with the breathing exercises until he moved his head back slightly. “Better?”

I gave a nod. Although I still felt a bit unsteady, the chest pain had subsided, and even though I was aware of my anxiety, I wasn’t in a state of panic.

Caleb sat back. “Good.” He looked around. “We need to move. There may be more.”

A spike of panic jolted me forward. “Wolves?”

“Yeah.” He put the truck in drive. “Now that you’re calmer, we can talk and drive.”

I didn’t know where to start, and we’d actually been driving for about five minutes before I found my voice again. “What just happened?”

If I thought my question came out of nowhere, Caleb was ready for me. “A wolf was on the road.”

“You got out of the truck and confronted it…” I still couldn’t believe it.

“Done a lot of hiking in these parts. They say if you stare the wolf down, it won’t attack.” His attention was on the road, and he didn’t look at me as he drove. “Wolves are pack creatures,” he told me easily. “But they have a leader. An alpha. They say that if you stare a wolf down as if you’re its leader, they will submit.”

“That’s stupidity.” I couldn’t wrap my head around it. “No, that’s not stupid…that’s absurdity. Madness!”

“Never been accused of being sane.” He glanced at me. “It worked, didn’t it?”

I was at a loss for words. I wanted to scream at him. I wanted to demand a better explanation because I was sure there was one. Though God knew, I didn’t know what. A whirlwind of emotions swept over me—confusion, fear, and an overwhelming sense of relief that he was safe. I didn’t know which one to address first. The latter reaction won, and I impulsively threw myself at him, despite him being behind the wheel, wrapping my arms around him.

Caleb grunted in response as I fell on top of him, his arm instinctively coming around me as I nestled my head into his neck.

“Willow?” The combination of his hesitant and worried demeanor stirred something inside me, and I burst into tears. “Shit,” Caleb muttered, but rather than pushing me aside, he embraced me even tighter.

As I scrambled to move closer, he pulled me into his embrace, offering comfort as I released my shock and fear through my sobs. It had hit me hard to see how unconcerned he was about his rash actions, and I was filled with fear at the thought that something bad could have happened to him.

That I was concerned about him and didn’t know how to handle it could be postponed until I was in a better place emotionally. I quickly acknowledged that the level of adrenaline I’d just experienced was not something my body was used to, and the exhaustion that followed caused me to crash sooner than I anticipated.

I was aware of the truck coming to a halt, and Caleb gently moved me away from him. The sound of doors opening and closing didn’t fully rouse me from my sudden fatigue, nor did the sense that I was being lifted from my seat by powerful arms. I could feel the cool breeze on my skin before I was gently placed in the back of the truck.

“You’re okay.” His familiar voice settled me. Caleb covered me with a blanket and gave my shoulder a comforting squeeze. “Sleep.”

Once he sat back down in the driver’s seat, the truck started moving, and I fell asleep, aware that there was something not quite right about his earlier explanation, though I couldn’t quite put my finger on what.

I suspected that Caleb knew a lot more than he was sharing with me. While drifting off to sleep, I made a vow to myself that I would get answers when I woke up.