She chuckled, finally feeling a little bit of release.
“Then I guess the fight is on.”
* * *
“I didn’t expect to see you here today,” Caleb said as he eased himself off the side of the hospital bed.
“No? Were you expecting someone else to pick you up?”
Katie had a dull ache in the pit of her stomach thinking about who that might be. She and Caleb had talked about many things in the short time they’d been together at the chapel. But she realized for the first time that a lot of it was very superficial. Boundary lines. Building materials. Old memories from when they were kids. What did she know about Caleb Samuel in the here and now other than she was responsible for the fact that he was sitting in a hospital bed? For all she knew, Caleb was dating someone and had just never mentioned it to her.
She quickly replayed all the conversations the women had at the bank about Caleb. Eligible bachelor. Hot guy ready for someone to scoop up. People talked. If Caleb had been seeing someone, wouldn’t there have been talk about that, too?
“I was going to call one of the guys from the station to come pick me up.”
“I had the day off,” she lied. She’d taken the day off. And her boss was none too happy about it.
“So now you don’t have to call anyone.”
“My condo is empty for the next two weeks. I thought I’d head up there for a little R&R until my body feels strong enough. They have a great hot tub by the pool. I figure it will help me pull out all these kinks in my muscles.”
Katie nodded, squashing down the feeling of disappointment. Of course, he owned a beautiful condo up by the ski lodge. Why would he stick around here in his rented house just brooding while he was trying to heal when he could be somewhere luxurious, get room service, and have all the amenities that would make him comfortable?
“I can drive you there. I’m pretty sure the doctor isn’t going to give you the okay to drive up there yourself. Not with a concussion.”
“I’ll be without a car. Someone will have to get me. I can drive.”
She propped her fists on her hips. “Caleb Samuel, you were actually going to drive yourself up to the mountain alone?”
“I suppose I could hire a car.”
“Or you could just let me take you there. It’s no trouble.”
She grabbed the clear bag that the hospital had put all of his belongings in just as the nurse appeared at the door with a wheelchair.
“Are you ready to get out of here?” the nurse asked.
“I was ready two days ago.”
The nurse chuckled. “You’re not hurting my feelings if you tell me it’s the food. You will hurt my feelings if you tell me it was my personality.”
Caleb laughed. “You’ve been entertaining. I’ll give you that. You clearly picked the right profession.”
The nurse seemed pleased with his approval. “Okay, cowboy, let’s get you saddled up and in this wheelchair and I’ll wheel you out to the curb.” The nurse looked at Katie. “I assume you’re the one that is driving him to wherever it is that he’s been talking about for the last two days?”
“I am.”
She nodded. “Good because his discharge papers have been signed and he’s been jabbering all morning about getting on the road.”
Twenty minutes later, they were settled into her sedan and headed over to Caleb’s place to pick up more clothes to keep him over the next few weeks. But once they got there, he suddenly seemed wiped out and reclined on the sofa in his living room.
“Are you sure it’s a good idea for you to go to the mountain alone?”
“Maybe I should stay here a few days before I go. At least the police station is close enough for someone to stop by if I need something.”
She forced a smile. “Good idea.”
Disappointment crept through her veins, but she wasn’t exactly sure why.
“Are you hungry? I can run over to the diner and get you a burger or something,” she said.
“I’m fine. I have a pizza in the freezer if I get hungry later. How has construction been over the chapel?” Caleb asked after a time. “Have you gotten a lot of quotes from contractors?”
“It’s…” Katie questioned whether she should say something. Caleb was supposed to be resting, not dealing with a high-strung woman who was about to burst with frustration over the project.
But Caleb had been there from the beginning and it didn’t feel right to keep what had happened from him.
Before she could say anymore, his face registered alarm and he asked, “What’s wrong? Was there another accident?”
She shook her head. “Nothing like that.”
“Are the bids too high? If the contractor names I gave you don’t pan out, I have a few more people you can call.”
“I’m still getting estimates. Thank you for that. It was a big help.”
“Oh, good.” He rested his arm behind his head and winced when he touched a tender spot.
“Want me to get you a pillow?” she asked.
“You’re mother henning. I’m fine. The doctor said it’s going to be sore for a little while. Tell me what’s going on.”
“We got a cease and desist order.”
He frowned and Katie found it hard to believe that even with his tight brow and confused expression he could still be so handsome. This was the Caleb she remembered from her youth.
“What for? As soon as you get the beam fixed and the roof repaired, there shouldn’t be any more danger. But you can’t get it fixed if the building inspector doesn’t allow workers on the site.”
“It wasn’t from the building inspector.”
“No? Who was it then?”
Kas had taken it so well, but the bravado of fighting against this phony lawsuit had waned since she’d been sitting with Caleb.
“Henry Callahan’s soon-to-be ex-wife. Seems they’re getting a divorce and fighting over property.”
“Yeah? Too bad for them.”
“Actually,
