Chapter 4
“Whoof!” Frankie said as the breath left him in a rush. He sat on his ass on the ice, feeling embarrassed and annoyed. Caleb was gliding smoothly along, but he turned and circled back when Frankie hit the ice.
“Are you okay?” he asked in concern.
“Oh, just peachy,” Frankie muttered as he crawled to his feet. Caleb thrust out a big hand to help him, and he didn’t mind that part. At all.
“I thought you said that you’d been ice skating before?” Caleb asked.
Frankie looked sheepish. “Well, technically I said that we had ice rinks in California,” he replied with a little shrug. “I never said that I’d actually BEEN to one.”
Caleb burst out laughing, which made Frankie glare at him. “I see,” he said humorously. “Come here,” he made a motion with his gloves toward Frankie, who looked art him dubiously but shuffled closer to him on the thin metal blades.
Caleb put an arm around his upper waist, and Frankie fought to breathe again. “Okay, we’ll take this slow,” Caleb told him. “Just do what I do, follow my lead. Like this,” he glided forward a bit, and Frankie struggled to do what he did.
“Not too bad. You’ll get the hang of it, “Caleb remarked encouragingly. “Don’t be nervous, just relax and go along with me.”
Frankie was happy to do that. A big hand was holding him up, and Caleb’s massive body was nearly pressed up against his. He was sitting pretty, and he knew it. He tried to concentrate on his feet, and doing what Caleb did; but it was almost impossible. How the hell was he supposed to concentrate when a piece of grade A 100 per cent American beef was skating along right next to him? The edge of the skate caught on the ice, and he almost pitched forward. But Caleb’s hand halted his fall and pulled him upright again.
“I somehow get the idea that you’re not paying attention,” Caleb chided him.
Frankie threw him a frustrated look. “It’s not my fault,” he muttered.
Caleb’s brows lifted. “Oh? Why isn’t it your fault,” he asked curiously.
Frankie swallowed, then just blurted out: “It’s your fault, damn it! You’re too close!”
Caleb cocked his head to the side a little. “Oh? Why would that stop your from paying attention?” he asked, his eyes laughing.
Frankie snorted in disgust. “You know exactly why,” he shot back. “You’re just too damn hot, you know that?”
Caleb’s lips spread in a smile. “Am I?” he asked quasi-innocently.
Frankie frowned horribly up at him. “You know you are,” he replied severely.
Caleb threw back his head and laughed. “That’s good to know,” he said when he could speak again. “It’s good to know that I’m hot, especially when it’s this cold out.”
Frankie mentally threw his hands nit her air in exasperated disgust. “You are just so…” he growled. “Gah!”
Caleb chuckled, pulling him even closer. Frankie lost all thought and objection at that point. “Does it help that I think that you’re hot too?” he heard Caleb ask above his head.
His heart was pounding. “Yeah, it kinda does,” he croaked.
“Well, I do. I was as surprised as they come when you answered the door this morning. One minute I was mad as hell, then the door opens and out come this guy I’ve never seen before. And he’s totally my type! How lucky is that? Especially when you told me that you’re living with the hicks. That means that you’ll stay around,” he added in satisfaction.
“Oh,” Frankie said. Was it cold out here? Suddenly he felt far too warm, and his clothes seemed rather tight. Especially at the crotch of his ski pants.
They finally left the ice together after an hour of skating. By that time Frankie had caught the gist of it, and was moving along fairly well on his own. But Caleb insisted on keeping a hold of him, to make sure that he didn’t fall. Or that’s the excuse that the other man gave, anyway. And Frankie didn’t mind. They handed in their skates and tromped to Caleb’s car, and he sighed blissfully when the heater started working. Know that he wasn’t near Caleb he’d started to feel the cold again. He snuggled back in the seat and soaked it in, hearing a chuckle. He glanced over at Caleb, who was smiling.
“What?” he demanded suspiciously.
“You’re like a butterfly in its cocoon,” Caleb told him.
“Yes, I am. If the cocoon is warm and soft, I’m good. What the hell was I thinking, moving to Minnesota? I must be crazy.”
“You’ll adjust,” Caleb replied soothingly. “It’ll just take some time.”
“If you say so.” He replied doubtfully.
“Trust me. If nothing else, I’ll just have to keep you warm,” Caleb remarked.
Hmm, he liked the sound of that. Frankie was starting to feel a lot better about this move. He’d been so depressed this morning when he’d been woken by Roger’s pounding. Living in that shabby house with all of his weird, disturbing relatives…and in a state so cold that it was like being in a walk-in freezer…Frankie hadn’t really been looking forward to his life for the next few years, but now he was starting to change his mind a bit. Well, more than a bit, actually.
Caleb watched him in bemusement as he devoured another large meal down to the last crumb. The bigger man set his chin in his hand. “I’d worry about you, but you’re kinda skinny,” he noted.
Frankie glared at him. “I’m SLIM, thank you very much!" he growled. “Not skinny.”
Caleb grinned. “Okay,” he replied. “But how the hell do you stay so SLIM if you eat like this all the time?”
“I have a fast metabolism,” he replied snippily.
“You do at that. It should compete in hundred yard dashes,” Caleb teased.
Frankie sniffed, but he could handle Caleb’s pokes at him better now that he knew that Mr. Gorgeous was interested in him. “I guess you should take me back to the farm soon,” he said reluctantly.
Caleb’s brows lifted. “Are you in that big a hurry to get back?” he asked incredulously.
“Heck, no! It’s just…don’t you have to get some sleep?”
“I’m wide awake now,” Caleb sighed. “So I might as well enjoy myself.”
Frankie felt that streak of warmth again to know that being with him was how Caleb was enjoying himself. “If you would do me a favor,” he began.
“Sure, anything for you,” Caleb said with a whimsical smile.
“I have to run by the University to fill out some paperwork, and do other boring things involved in being enrolled,” Frankie explained apologetically.
“Ahh, boredom. Sounds great,” Caleb said.
“Thanks. I really appreciate it. I was going to have to ask one of my cousins to take me otherwise,” Frankie said with a grimace.
“I’ll be happy to take you,” Caleb said with a perfectly straight face.
Frankie gasped, but when he eyed Caleb’s face it wore a bland expression. “Uh…” he said. “That’ll be great.”
“Let’s go, then.” Caleb surged to his feet and went to pay for their food. Frankie had given up arguing with him, since he’d insisted on paying for breakfast too. He got up and followed after Caleb, sucking in a breath as the cold hit him once more. It stole his breath, and he dashed for the car and sat shivering in the passenger seat as Caleb started it up.
It took longer than he expected to get all of the various forms filled out, and Frankie occasionally threw an apologetic glance over his shoulder at Caleb. The big man had stretched out in the seat he’d taken and folded his arms over his chest, but he didn’t seem uncomfortable or bored. He actually looked half-asleep, which didn’t surprise Frankie when he remembered just how little sleep that Caleb had been getting lately because of his cousin Roger. He finally finished, and gratefully took his class schedule form the hand of the woman behind the counter. He walked over to nudge Caleb’s foot with his own, waking the man from his semi-doze. “I’m done,” he told Caleb.
Caleb yawned, stretching like a big cat. “Okay. Anything else you have to do?” he asked as he rose to his feet.
Frankie shook his head. “Well, I have to buy my books and supplies. Do you mind waiting a little longer?”
“Sure. I’ll just trail after you through the book store. I’ll be your muscle,” Caleb flexed his arm to make Frankie laugh.
“Thanks. I could use some muscle,” he said dryly as they left the registrar’s office and headed for the book store instead.
“I agree with that,” Caleb said.
Frankie discreetly flipped him the bird, which made him chuckle. “Hey, you can’t help it that you’re puny,” he teased. “I know that.”
“You are pushing it,” Frankie told him threateningly.
“Oh?” Caleb cocked his head in an interested manner. “What are you going to do to me?”
“I’ll kick you in the shins,” Frankie replied. “I think that you’ll find that it’s surprisingly painful.”
Caleb’s lips twitched. “Maybe you should get some steel-toed boots,” he advised. “Do more damage.”
“That’s a thought if I’m going to be hanging out with you,” he replied caustically. Then he paused. “I am, aren’t I? Going to be hanging around with you?” he looked uncertainly up at Caleb.
“Don’t sweat it, Shorty. I like you for some odd reason,” Caleb said easily.
Okay, that was it! Frankie whirled around in a display of quickness that took Caleb by surprise, and briskly kicked the bigger man on his left shin. Caleb yelled and hopped on one foot. “You kicked me!” he said incredulously.
Frankie set his hands on his hips. “I told you I would,” he pointed out. “And I’ll do it again if you don’t stop insulting me.”
Caleb held up his hands placatingly. “Okay, okay. You’re dangerous, aren’t you?” he said admiringly. “Maybe I should hire you as a bouncer in the bar.”
Feeling better for having bested his ‘enemy’, Frankie grinned. “Why not?” he replied merrily. “None of the rowdies will see me coming!”
“That’s for sure,” Caleb muttered, and when Frankie’s eyes narrowed he looked as innocent as a newborn babe. “We should get going. You need your books,” he said.
Frankie snorted, but started walking again. The bruise on his shin would teach the big lummox to behave himself, or it would find itself with a twin. He’d see to that.
Frankie wandered around the bookstore with Caleb at his heels like an enormous shadow. The other man’s arms were full of books, and Frankie was grateful to have him there. He knew he would have struggled under that much weight, but Caleb didn’t seem to have a problem at all. Such big, strong hands…Okay, he was not going to drool over the thought of those hands touching him instead. Well, he’d try not to anyway. But fantasies were so nice, even if they never became reality…
They finally went up to the counter so that he could pay for the mound of textbooks and workbooks that Caleb was toting around. Frankie grimaced at the total, but he was used to this by now. College textbooks were hideously expensive; it was just the way things were. The clerk put the books into large bags for him, and Caleb took them from, his hands. “Thanks,” he said as they left the bookstore together. “I really appreciate it.”
A chuckle. “I’m always happy to help. I wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself trying to carry this much weight.”
Frankie stopped and turned a scowl on him. “Is that another crack about my size?” he asked suspiciously.
Caleb lifted a brow. “Now why would you think that?” he asked quasi-innocently.
A snort. “I have no idea,” Frankie remarked dryly. “Well, I suppose I should go home,” he said reluctantly.
“What? Not looking forward to returning to Redneck Central?” Caleb said dryly.
Frankie sighed. “Not really,” he remarked glumly.
“Well, I guess I’ll just have to rescue you again tomorrow,” Caleb mused.
Frankie blinked, glancing back at him. “What?”
Caleb grinned. He had a really nice smile, Frankie thought. “I’ll come and pick you up and take you out sometime in the afternoon,” he told Frankie. “After I wake up. We could go and do something together.”
He felt hope rise up in him, but he was cautious when he asked: “Are you…asking me out on a date or something?”
Caleb cocked his head a bit to the side, considering this. “I might be,” he said. “Although I don’t know…you DID kick me in the shin.”
Frankie gave him the glad eye. “You deserved that,” he sniffed.
Caleb laughed. “Yes, I did,” he replied. “I admit it. So I guess it could be a date.”
He felt butterflies fluttering in his stomach. “That’d be okay,” he said a casually as he could.
Caleb’s eyes gleamed. “It’s nice to see a guy so eager and excited to go out with me,” he said. “It’s a nice change.”
Frankie wasn’t sure what to say in reply, but when he hesitated Caleb grinned again. “Don’t worry about it, Shorty,” he teased. “I’ll take you home now, and I’ll call you when I’m ready to pick you up tomorrow.”
Frankie decided to ignore the “Shorty’ this time to keep things amicable between them. He didn’t want Caleb to change his mind about their date tomorrow. “Okay,” he said.
Caleb’s lips twitched at Frankie’s restraint, but he said nothing else as they proceeded out to the parking lot and his car. He put the bags of books in the back seat of the car, and they drove out of the parking lot and started back toward the farm. Frankie slumped in the passenger’s seat, rubbing at his eyes wearily. It had been a long day already, since he’d been woken up at all of six o’clock in the morning. “You should take a nap when you get home,” Caleb remarked.
“That’d be great. The only problem is, I can’t take naps. If I try, I’m always out-of-it for the rest of the day afterward. And I get an enormous headache to boot. So I’ll just suck it up and go over my class schedule and skim through my new textbooks.”
“Sounds exciting,” Caleb drawled.
Frankie threw him a dirty look, which made him laugh. “Ah, home sweet home,” Caleb added as he turned into the gates of Hard Acre and drove up the icy driveway toward the house.
Frankie tried not to be too depressed as Caleb stopped the car in front of the house. “Thanks for the ride,” he said tiredly, unbuckling his seat belt and getting out of the car.
Caleb also got out and came around to get his book bags from the backseat. He carried them up to the porch, then touched Frankie’s arm. Surprised, he turned toward Caleb. The big man smiled as he cupped Frankie’s chin in his hand. “Don’t let it get you down, living with the hillbillies,” he said softly. “If it ever starts to get to you too much, just remember I live right next door. Come on over and knock on my door, I’ll make you a cup of cocoa and try to cheer you up. Hmm?”
Frankie felt his breath faltering in his chest as he looked up into Caleb’s eyes. Then the bigger man leaned over and kissed him lightly on the lips, a gentle thing that took his remaining breath away. When he pulled back, his fingers skimmed over Frankie’s cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said, before he walked away toward his car.
Go to Next Chapter
“Whoof!” Frankie said as the breath left him in a rush. He sat on his ass on the ice, feeling embarrassed and annoyed. Caleb was gliding smoothly along, but he turned and circled back when Frankie hit the ice.
“Are you okay?” he asked in concern.
“Oh, just peachy,” Frankie muttered as he crawled to his feet. Caleb thrust out a big hand to help him, and he didn’t mind that part. At all.
“I thought you said that you’d been ice skating before?” Caleb asked.
Frankie looked sheepish. “Well, technically I said that we had ice rinks in California,” he replied with a little shrug. “I never said that I’d actually BEEN to one.”
Caleb burst out laughing, which made Frankie glare at him. “I see,” he said humorously. “Come here,” he made a motion with his gloves toward Frankie, who looked art him dubiously but shuffled closer to him on the thin metal blades.
Caleb put an arm around his upper waist, and Frankie fought to breathe again. “Okay, we’ll take this slow,” Caleb told him. “Just do what I do, follow my lead. Like this,” he glided forward a bit, and Frankie struggled to do what he did.
“Not too bad. You’ll get the hang of it, “Caleb remarked encouragingly. “Don’t be nervous, just relax and go along with me.”
Frankie was happy to do that. A big hand was holding him up, and Caleb’s massive body was nearly pressed up against his. He was sitting pretty, and he knew it. He tried to concentrate on his feet, and doing what Caleb did; but it was almost impossible. How the hell was he supposed to concentrate when a piece of grade A 100 per cent American beef was skating along right next to him? The edge of the skate caught on the ice, and he almost pitched forward. But Caleb’s hand halted his fall and pulled him upright again.
“I somehow get the idea that you’re not paying attention,” Caleb chided him.
Frankie threw him a frustrated look. “It’s not my fault,” he muttered.
Caleb’s brows lifted. “Oh? Why isn’t it your fault,” he asked curiously.
Frankie swallowed, then just blurted out: “It’s your fault, damn it! You’re too close!”
Caleb cocked his head to the side a little. “Oh? Why would that stop your from paying attention?” he asked, his eyes laughing.
Frankie snorted in disgust. “You know exactly why,” he shot back. “You’re just too damn hot, you know that?”
Caleb’s lips spread in a smile. “Am I?” he asked quasi-innocently.
Frankie frowned horribly up at him. “You know you are,” he replied severely.
Caleb threw back his head and laughed. “That’s good to know,” he said when he could speak again. “It’s good to know that I’m hot, especially when it’s this cold out.”
Frankie mentally threw his hands nit her air in exasperated disgust. “You are just so…” he growled. “Gah!”
Caleb chuckled, pulling him even closer. Frankie lost all thought and objection at that point. “Does it help that I think that you’re hot too?” he heard Caleb ask above his head.
His heart was pounding. “Yeah, it kinda does,” he croaked.
“Well, I do. I was as surprised as they come when you answered the door this morning. One minute I was mad as hell, then the door opens and out come this guy I’ve never seen before. And he’s totally my type! How lucky is that? Especially when you told me that you’re living with the hicks. That means that you’ll stay around,” he added in satisfaction.
“Oh,” Frankie said. Was it cold out here? Suddenly he felt far too warm, and his clothes seemed rather tight. Especially at the crotch of his ski pants.
They finally left the ice together after an hour of skating. By that time Frankie had caught the gist of it, and was moving along fairly well on his own. But Caleb insisted on keeping a hold of him, to make sure that he didn’t fall. Or that’s the excuse that the other man gave, anyway. And Frankie didn’t mind. They handed in their skates and tromped to Caleb’s car, and he sighed blissfully when the heater started working. Know that he wasn’t near Caleb he’d started to feel the cold again. He snuggled back in the seat and soaked it in, hearing a chuckle. He glanced over at Caleb, who was smiling.
“What?” he demanded suspiciously.
“You’re like a butterfly in its cocoon,” Caleb told him.
“Yes, I am. If the cocoon is warm and soft, I’m good. What the hell was I thinking, moving to Minnesota? I must be crazy.”
“You’ll adjust,” Caleb replied soothingly. “It’ll just take some time.”
“If you say so.” He replied doubtfully.
“Trust me. If nothing else, I’ll just have to keep you warm,” Caleb remarked.
Hmm, he liked the sound of that. Frankie was starting to feel a lot better about this move. He’d been so depressed this morning when he’d been woken by Roger’s pounding. Living in that shabby house with all of his weird, disturbing relatives…and in a state so cold that it was like being in a walk-in freezer…Frankie hadn’t really been looking forward to his life for the next few years, but now he was starting to change his mind a bit. Well, more than a bit, actually.
Caleb watched him in bemusement as he devoured another large meal down to the last crumb. The bigger man set his chin in his hand. “I’d worry about you, but you’re kinda skinny,” he noted.
Frankie glared at him. “I’m SLIM, thank you very much!" he growled. “Not skinny.”
Caleb grinned. “Okay,” he replied. “But how the hell do you stay so SLIM if you eat like this all the time?”
“I have a fast metabolism,” he replied snippily.
“You do at that. It should compete in hundred yard dashes,” Caleb teased.
Frankie sniffed, but he could handle Caleb’s pokes at him better now that he knew that Mr. Gorgeous was interested in him. “I guess you should take me back to the farm soon,” he said reluctantly.
Caleb’s brows lifted. “Are you in that big a hurry to get back?” he asked incredulously.
“Heck, no! It’s just…don’t you have to get some sleep?”
“I’m wide awake now,” Caleb sighed. “So I might as well enjoy myself.”
Frankie felt that streak of warmth again to know that being with him was how Caleb was enjoying himself. “If you would do me a favor,” he began.
“Sure, anything for you,” Caleb said with a whimsical smile.
“I have to run by the University to fill out some paperwork, and do other boring things involved in being enrolled,” Frankie explained apologetically.
“Ahh, boredom. Sounds great,” Caleb said.
“Thanks. I really appreciate it. I was going to have to ask one of my cousins to take me otherwise,” Frankie said with a grimace.
“I’ll be happy to take you,” Caleb said with a perfectly straight face.
Frankie gasped, but when he eyed Caleb’s face it wore a bland expression. “Uh…” he said. “That’ll be great.”
“Let’s go, then.” Caleb surged to his feet and went to pay for their food. Frankie had given up arguing with him, since he’d insisted on paying for breakfast too. He got up and followed after Caleb, sucking in a breath as the cold hit him once more. It stole his breath, and he dashed for the car and sat shivering in the passenger seat as Caleb started it up.
It took longer than he expected to get all of the various forms filled out, and Frankie occasionally threw an apologetic glance over his shoulder at Caleb. The big man had stretched out in the seat he’d taken and folded his arms over his chest, but he didn’t seem uncomfortable or bored. He actually looked half-asleep, which didn’t surprise Frankie when he remembered just how little sleep that Caleb had been getting lately because of his cousin Roger. He finally finished, and gratefully took his class schedule form the hand of the woman behind the counter. He walked over to nudge Caleb’s foot with his own, waking the man from his semi-doze. “I’m done,” he told Caleb.
Caleb yawned, stretching like a big cat. “Okay. Anything else you have to do?” he asked as he rose to his feet.
Frankie shook his head. “Well, I have to buy my books and supplies. Do you mind waiting a little longer?”
“Sure. I’ll just trail after you through the book store. I’ll be your muscle,” Caleb flexed his arm to make Frankie laugh.
“Thanks. I could use some muscle,” he said dryly as they left the registrar’s office and headed for the book store instead.
“I agree with that,” Caleb said.
Frankie discreetly flipped him the bird, which made him chuckle. “Hey, you can’t help it that you’re puny,” he teased. “I know that.”
“You are pushing it,” Frankie told him threateningly.
“Oh?” Caleb cocked his head in an interested manner. “What are you going to do to me?”
“I’ll kick you in the shins,” Frankie replied. “I think that you’ll find that it’s surprisingly painful.”
Caleb’s lips twitched. “Maybe you should get some steel-toed boots,” he advised. “Do more damage.”
“That’s a thought if I’m going to be hanging out with you,” he replied caustically. Then he paused. “I am, aren’t I? Going to be hanging around with you?” he looked uncertainly up at Caleb.
“Don’t sweat it, Shorty. I like you for some odd reason,” Caleb said easily.
Okay, that was it! Frankie whirled around in a display of quickness that took Caleb by surprise, and briskly kicked the bigger man on his left shin. Caleb yelled and hopped on one foot. “You kicked me!” he said incredulously.
Frankie set his hands on his hips. “I told you I would,” he pointed out. “And I’ll do it again if you don’t stop insulting me.”
Caleb held up his hands placatingly. “Okay, okay. You’re dangerous, aren’t you?” he said admiringly. “Maybe I should hire you as a bouncer in the bar.”
Feeling better for having bested his ‘enemy’, Frankie grinned. “Why not?” he replied merrily. “None of the rowdies will see me coming!”
“That’s for sure,” Caleb muttered, and when Frankie’s eyes narrowed he looked as innocent as a newborn babe. “We should get going. You need your books,” he said.
Frankie snorted, but started walking again. The bruise on his shin would teach the big lummox to behave himself, or it would find itself with a twin. He’d see to that.
Frankie wandered around the bookstore with Caleb at his heels like an enormous shadow. The other man’s arms were full of books, and Frankie was grateful to have him there. He knew he would have struggled under that much weight, but Caleb didn’t seem to have a problem at all. Such big, strong hands…Okay, he was not going to drool over the thought of those hands touching him instead. Well, he’d try not to anyway. But fantasies were so nice, even if they never became reality…
They finally went up to the counter so that he could pay for the mound of textbooks and workbooks that Caleb was toting around. Frankie grimaced at the total, but he was used to this by now. College textbooks were hideously expensive; it was just the way things were. The clerk put the books into large bags for him, and Caleb took them from, his hands. “Thanks,” he said as they left the bookstore together. “I really appreciate it.”
A chuckle. “I’m always happy to help. I wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself trying to carry this much weight.”
Frankie stopped and turned a scowl on him. “Is that another crack about my size?” he asked suspiciously.
Caleb lifted a brow. “Now why would you think that?” he asked quasi-innocently.
A snort. “I have no idea,” Frankie remarked dryly. “Well, I suppose I should go home,” he said reluctantly.
“What? Not looking forward to returning to Redneck Central?” Caleb said dryly.
Frankie sighed. “Not really,” he remarked glumly.
“Well, I guess I’ll just have to rescue you again tomorrow,” Caleb mused.
Frankie blinked, glancing back at him. “What?”
Caleb grinned. He had a really nice smile, Frankie thought. “I’ll come and pick you up and take you out sometime in the afternoon,” he told Frankie. “After I wake up. We could go and do something together.”
He felt hope rise up in him, but he was cautious when he asked: “Are you…asking me out on a date or something?”
Caleb cocked his head a bit to the side, considering this. “I might be,” he said. “Although I don’t know…you DID kick me in the shin.”
Frankie gave him the glad eye. “You deserved that,” he sniffed.
Caleb laughed. “Yes, I did,” he replied. “I admit it. So I guess it could be a date.”
He felt butterflies fluttering in his stomach. “That’d be okay,” he said a casually as he could.
Caleb’s eyes gleamed. “It’s nice to see a guy so eager and excited to go out with me,” he said. “It’s a nice change.”
Frankie wasn’t sure what to say in reply, but when he hesitated Caleb grinned again. “Don’t worry about it, Shorty,” he teased. “I’ll take you home now, and I’ll call you when I’m ready to pick you up tomorrow.”
Frankie decided to ignore the “Shorty’ this time to keep things amicable between them. He didn’t want Caleb to change his mind about their date tomorrow. “Okay,” he said.
Caleb’s lips twitched at Frankie’s restraint, but he said nothing else as they proceeded out to the parking lot and his car. He put the bags of books in the back seat of the car, and they drove out of the parking lot and started back toward the farm. Frankie slumped in the passenger’s seat, rubbing at his eyes wearily. It had been a long day already, since he’d been woken up at all of six o’clock in the morning. “You should take a nap when you get home,” Caleb remarked.
“That’d be great. The only problem is, I can’t take naps. If I try, I’m always out-of-it for the rest of the day afterward. And I get an enormous headache to boot. So I’ll just suck it up and go over my class schedule and skim through my new textbooks.”
“Sounds exciting,” Caleb drawled.
Frankie threw him a dirty look, which made him laugh. “Ah, home sweet home,” Caleb added as he turned into the gates of Hard Acre and drove up the icy driveway toward the house.
Frankie tried not to be too depressed as Caleb stopped the car in front of the house. “Thanks for the ride,” he said tiredly, unbuckling his seat belt and getting out of the car.
Caleb also got out and came around to get his book bags from the backseat. He carried them up to the porch, then touched Frankie’s arm. Surprised, he turned toward Caleb. The big man smiled as he cupped Frankie’s chin in his hand. “Don’t let it get you down, living with the hillbillies,” he said softly. “If it ever starts to get to you too much, just remember I live right next door. Come on over and knock on my door, I’ll make you a cup of cocoa and try to cheer you up. Hmm?”
Frankie felt his breath faltering in his chest as he looked up into Caleb’s eyes. Then the bigger man leaned over and kissed him lightly on the lips, a gentle thing that took his remaining breath away. When he pulled back, his fingers skimmed over Frankie’s cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said, before he walked away toward his car.
Go to Next Chapter