California's Calling (Hunt Family Book 3) (8 page)

"I guess I should go find a spot for the wedding," Cub said, standing.

"We've got you on the big blanket right in the front," I said.

He smiled at me. "How about you show me where to go?"

I nodded and smiled shyly.

Rachel reached up and pinched her brother's arm before he walked away. "Love you, bubs," she said. I watched as he leaned over to kiss her on the head. He said something to her in Swahili, which sounded like a series of melodic grunts, and she smiled and blew him a kiss. He hugged his mother on the way out, and I followed suit, hugging Rachel and Laura as we left.

Chapter 12

"This looks amazing, doesn't it?" I asked as Cub and I walked to the courtyard on the other side of the farmhouse where the wedding was taking place. Logan would have gladly had first class wedding planners and things flown in from all over the world, but Rachel wasn't like that. She wanted to keep things simple. Rather than sitting in chairs, the wedding guests would sit on colorful quilts and blankets that were spread all over the ground. I had been to concerts in the park that had a similar atmosphere to the one Cub and I encountered in the field when we walked out there.

Children and staff from all three campuses were decked out in their Sunday best, waiting for the ceremony to begin. There was still fifteen minutes to go, but most of the guests had already found their spots on blankets and were bantering back and forth from one side of the courtyard to another. Everyone was in amazing spirits, and I took a deep breath as we walked and surveyed the scene. I had a nostalgic feeling, and I made a conscious effort to remember details so I could call them up later.

Logan had hired a photographer who was planning on doing family pictures after the ceremony. I noticed him discreetly taking pictures along the edge of the action, and I smiled, knowing I could relax on trying to remember every detail. Cub and I were sitting on a big blanket in the front with our parents, and we walked toward it.

We made our way at a slow pace since he stopped and spoke to just about everyone we passed, introducing me to people from the other centers. Our goal was to eventually make it to the blanket, but we got stopped every few seconds by someone coming to greet us or pet Tess.

I smiled as I talked and laughed with everyone, but I was sort of in a surreal frame of mind the whole time. There were just so many emotions coursing through me that I was on autopilot. I put my hand on Tess's head, wondering if I had dreamed the whole thing about Cub saying I could take her home with me. The Jerry Lee Lewis song had to be a dream as well, for that matter.

I was dazedly watching two girls giggle as they tried but failed to show me their secret handshake when Cub's arm came around my shoulders. I had trouble catching my breath just like I did every time he did that.

"She's staying with me," he said. "We're kidnapping this one and not letting her go back to the states."

I turned to see that I had never met the lady Cub was talking to. "Charlotte, this is Smaller Mary," he said. "She works with us at our North facility.

Mary bowed and smiled broadly as she shook my hand. "You are to marry Cub?" she asked.

Her accent was so thick that it took me a second to decipher her question. I glanced at Cub wondering if I could have possibly have heard correctly, and he smiled at me as he squeezed my shoulder. "I wish," he said, still smiling at Smaller Mary. "I don't think her family will let me keep her."

She smiled at me and reached out to pinch my cheek. "You're not keeping her?" she asked in her heavy African accent.

"I'm afraid not," he said, smiling and shaking his head. "She's Logan's sister."

"Ahh, Logan?" she asked, pointing at the trellis even though he wasn't standing there yet.

Cub nodded. "Logan, yes." He then said a string of words in Swahili that she seemed to understand much better. She said something back to him before reaching out to hug us both.

Several other people came up to us before we made it to our blanket. Most of them commented on Cub's suit and haircut, saying how handsome he looked. I watched as he passed out hugs and returned compliments, doing my best not to feel too jealous, or proud, or any other crazy emotion.

"You should run for mayor," I said to Cub as we found our place next to my parents and Dee-dee.

"I didn't think you guys would ever make it over here," my mom said.

"I know," I said. "I was just telling him he should run for mayor."

"Tess should run for mayor," my dad said, leaning over out to pat her head as she sat on the blanket.

"Tess might want to check out California," Cub said.

"Are you coming to California?" Mom asked, with an excited expression aimed at Cub.

"Oh, no, not me, no ma'am, I meant Tess. She's thinking about coming home with you guys. With Charlotte."

My mom looked at me, and I smiled even though I felt more like I wanted to cry. There were too many emotions to contain. By that point, I didn't even know what they were. I was ecstatic at the thought of keeping Tess, though, especially now that Cub had said it would be like having a piece of him around.

I rubbed her neck. "Cub said she and I can talk about it tonight and that I could take her back with me if we both thought we wanted to do it."

We talked about Tess and the possibility of her becoming a California dog until it was time for the wedding to begin. I wanted to brag on Cub's musical skills to my parents, but I was too nervous and tongue-tied to bring it up, so I just stuck to the topic of Tess.

One of the staff members played acoustic guitar as Rachel's dad walked her mom to our blanket and then went back to the farmhouse to get Rachel. My brother was waiting for her under the trellis, and I watched him as he watched her. I had been on the verge of crying all morning, and seeing the way he smiled at her put me over the top. My mom had a tissue in her hand, and I took it from her to wipe my own cheeks. I gently patted the corners of my eyes, telling myself to keep it together. I was still wiping my eyes when I heard everyone in the crowd cheer and whistle.

"That's supposed to happen after the ceremony!" Evan shouted from the blanket next to us, causing everyone to laugh.

I glanced up to see that my brother was kissing his bride before the ceremony even started. It was just the distraction I needed, and I laughed as I looked at Cub. He was squinting into the sunlight, smiling so broadly that his dimples were even deeper than usual. He sat right next to me, leaning onto his hand for support. I had been sitting with my hands in my lap, but I adjusted so that I was leaning on my arm like him. I conveniently placed my hand near his, causing our pinkies to make the slightest contact. He inched his closer, and our accidental touch turned into something slightly more intentional.

We sat there with our hands next to each other for the rest of the ceremony, which was short and sweet. Part of me wanted him to forget about the accidental contact and just go ahead and hold my hand on purpose, but he never did.

We got together afterward to take some family photos and then went to the reception. Food was set up in the dining hall but it was so beautiful outside that a lot of us ended up back in the courtyard where the wedding had taken place.

There was so much going on that the day passed quickly. It was later that afternoon when some of the students and staff from the other locations were leaving that it started getting quiet.

Logan and Rachel had just left to spend the evening in a fancy hotel in Nairobi. They made the rounds to tell everyone goodbye and thank them for coming to the wedding. We hadn't planned on doing it, but Mary went and got a bag of rice from the kitchen, and we all threw a handful at them when they left.

I had just helped get the blankets to the laundry area and was on my way back to the dining hall when I ran into Cub in the main hallway. He had unbuttoned the first few buttons of his shirt, and his tie was hanging loosely around his neck. His sleeves were rolled up, and his hair was falling over the side of his forehead.

"I was just coming to find you," I said, doing my best not to stand there and check him out.

"You were?" he asked with a smile in his tone. "What were you gonna say when you found me?"

"That Evan's got Tess. He found a tennis ball, and she's out there chasing it." I paused briefly and smiled at him. "And I was gonna see when you wanted to head back."

"I'm ready when you are," he said. He motioned to the door at the end of the hall, which I knew led to the dining hall. "We're done in there."

I nodded. "Everything's picked up outside, too."

Cub stared at me for several seconds, inspecting every inch of my face like he was trying to memorize it. I had no idea what he was thinking or what he might say next.

"I guess we should go round up Mia and Evan," he said, finally.

What? After that epic stare-down, all he had to say was that we should 'go round somebody up'?

"Cub," I said, before he could walk away.

He stood there, waiting for me to speak. I didn't know if I'd have him alone again for the rest of the trip. There were so many things I wanted to say that I couldn't think of what should come first. I reached out and took his hand in mine. It was big, and warm and was the perfect combination of soft and callused. I brought it gently to my neck, making sure his fingertips settled near the place where he could feel that my heart was beating out of control.

"Just so you know," I said.

He kept his fingertips in place as he moved in front of me wrapping his other hand gently around the nape of my neck. I relaxed into his grasp, letting my head fall back onto his fingertips. He stepped even closer and placed his mouth close to my ear.

"You don't have to tell me," he whispered. "I already know."

"What do you know?" I asked, desperately wanting the conversation to continue.

His mouth remained near my ear as he whispered a phrase in Swahili.

"What's that mean?" I asked breathlessly after giving myself a few seconds to take in the sounds and phrasing.

He was using one hand to support the back of my neck and I was holding the other one in place on my pulse.

"I can't tell you that," he said.

"Can't tell me what?" I asked, since I was too rattled to remember the question.

He laughed at me for not being able to remember. He was standing so close to me now that the air between us shook when he laughed.

"I can't tell you what I said in Swahili."

"That's no fair," I said.

"Sure it is," he said. "You're thinking a bunch of stuff that you don't tell me."

Chapter 13

I was absolutely breathless and helpless to think straight. Cub had me with my back to a wall. He gently dropped one of his hands from the pulse on my neck, but he still had a light hold on the back of my head with the other.

He smiled down at me with an almost regretful smile as he took a deep breath in and out through his nose. His chest rose and fell, just inviting me to lay my head on it. I stared blankly at it for a second contemplating doing just that. It was the coziest place I could ever think of being. Cub's chest as a pillow was my idea of perfect.

I took a shaky breath as I shifted my attention to his face.
No, the face gets me in trouble, too—even more trouble than the chest.
There was literally nowhere for me to turn without being unbearably attracted to him.

At least all week I could stare down at the hem of his torn carpenter jeans for a little relief. He was dressed in a suit, for goodness sake. He was polished and tousled at the same time—perfectly carefree. I thought back to him singing to his sister while she cracked up and stared at him adoringly.

Then suddenly, snapshots of the previous week began to form in my mind's eye. I thought about watching him swing a hammer, watching him give hugs and smiles and high fives. I thought about watching him make people laugh and seeing him laugh at them. I pictured several scenes all in a row and felt a gut-wrenching wave of dread at the thought of leaving him.

"What in the world, Charlotte?" I heard him ask. "What's the matter?"

I peered up at him, only to realize that his face was blurry as a result of the tears that were gathering in my eyes. I blinked, and drops fell onto my cheek. I used my sleeve to wipe at them.

I instantly started shaking my head and smiling, as if saying, 'no' would make him believe nothing was wrong.

"Why you cryin', Ladybug?" He reached up and tucked some of my hair behind my ear.

I shook my head again, buying some time since I didn't trust my voice. "I'm not," I said.

He let out a little laugh. "There's moisture coming out of your eyes."

"Liquid?" I asked, giggling as I dabbed at the corners of my eyes. "I can't stay in Africa," I whispered. I stared down at nothing in particular, so I could avoid the urge to cry again. I smiled regretfully. "And I like you guys."

"You like
us guys,
or you like
me
?" he asked, making me nervous all over again.

I did not want to answer that question. We both already knew the truth. There should be no reason why I'd have to say it. I was too breathless to answer anyway.

"Which is it?" he asked, smirking at me.

"You already know the answer to that."

"You like my slick-backed hair," he said, smiling and running his hand over the top of it.

"I love your slick-backed hair," I said, looking down with a shy smile.

"What else do you love?" he asked.

I shrugged. "What
don't
I?"

He used his finger to tilt my chin up. I stared into his eyes, feeling as if I was looking into my own. I inexplicably felt like his eyes were mine—not like I was born with them, but more like I owned them. I was somehow possessive of his eyes—his whole face—him in general.

"I think it's okay if I kiss you," he said.

Believe it or not, I wasn't even considering the possibility before he said it. As badly as I wanted him, I had spent the last week considering him off limits. There was a reason for this, and the reason was called: unbearable heartbreak.
No good could come of me kissing Cub Stephens. No good, I repeat, Charlotte, no good could come of it.

But it was no use trying to talk myself out of it. I just stood there staring at his mouth.

"No," I whispered, sounding unconvinced.

"Why not?"

I felt breathless. It was hard for me to find my voice. "Because it hurts too bad as it is." I said, looking anywhere but into his eyes.

"I'm not going to be able to stop myself unless you walk away."

"I need to walk away," I whispered.

"So do it."

Bam, bam, bam,
hammered my heart.

"No."

His eyebrows rose. "No, you won't
walk away
?" he asked with his eyebrows raised.

"I meant no I can't kiss you."

"So walk away," he said.

His grip on the back of my neck was barely there. I could have easily slid away from him.

He was
asking
me to slip away.

I needed to slip away.

"It's better if we don't," I said, still not sounding convinced.

"Yeah," he said. "It's probably better."

"Fine. So I'm leaving," I said.

"Are you talking about leaving Africa, or leaving this hallway?"

"This hallway. Both I guess, but mostly this hallway."

He shrugged one shoulder. "So do it."

He was daring me.

"I will," I said, accepting the challenge.

"So go."

"I am."

"Then do it."

"Why are you rushing me?" I asked.

"I said if we stay like this much longer, then I'm gonna kiss you, and you said you don't want me to kiss you, and I said if you don't want me to, you better walk away."

I smiled at him. "We said all that?"

He nodded.

"But then I asked if we could just stand here for a minute."

"Just stand here and look at each other?" he asked.

I nodded.

"That's hard for me to do, Charlotte. All week, I've been trying to avoid running into you alone. I asked God to help me avoid it because I knew I wasn't cut out for the temptation.

"And He helped you?"

"He did," Cub said. "Until now."

"What happened now?" I asked.

He glanced around us at the abandoned hallway. There were three different doors leading off of it, but none of them were open. "It looks like we're pretty alone," he said.

"Do you still want God to help you?" I asked.

"He
is
helping me," Cub said.

"Do you still want Him to help you
avoid me
?"

"Not really."

"But I'm praying for something else right now," Cub said.

I smiled. "You are?"

"Yep."

"What is it?"

"It's that if He keeps you here for one more minute, then that's my green light to go ahead and kiss you. It'd be like He's pretty much giving me permission to do it if you're still here."

I laughed. "Oh really?"

He nodded.

"Because that doesn’t really seem like a prayer."

"Sure it is. My prayer is that you stay here for one more minute so I can kiss you."

"I can't be another Ashley," I said, feeling a pain in my chest when I said her name.

"Who's Ashley?" Cub said.

I started to explain that she was the girl who he'd fallen for years ago, but then I realized he knew who I was talking about and was just acting like he didn’t remember her. I smiled.

"Forty-six, forty-five, forty-four…" he whispered.

"This
does not
count as a prayer," I said, punching his chest, which was as hard as a rock.

"Call it a warning, then."

I glanced around nervously. "I guess I've been warned," I said.

It was his turn to glance around. "And yet, you're still here. Twenty-two, twenty-one…"

I squirmed. "We can't," I said feeling antsy.

"Then leave. Eighteen, seventeen…"

"I'm stuck here." I said. I wiggled my head as if trying but failing to get my neck loose. "I can't leave. You're holding me here."

"I am not," he said. "You can leave any time you want. Eight, seven, six…"

I squealed. "That was too fast. You skipped a bunch of numbers," I said wiggling as I stared up at him.

His expression was growing hungrier by the second. I knew he was serious about kissing me when he got to zero. "Four, three, two…"

"Cub?"

He smiled patiently at me. "Yes?"

"I don't think I'm leaving."

"The hallway or Africa?"

"The hallway."

"Charlotte?"

"Yes?"

"I wasn't joking about kissing you."

I stared at his mouth. "I know you weren't," I said finally.

Cub ducked and swiftly brought his mouth to mine. I thought he would be tentative and gentle, but he wasn't. He pressed his whole body onto mine, pulling my face to his. Our lips pressed firmly together without moving, and we stood like that for who knew how long. It was as if there was something transferring between us where our lips locked.

After a few seconds, he relaxed. I could feel his lips mold to mine as they softened. He pulled back slightly before kissing me again. He did it again and again and again. It was as if he thought each one would be the last, but he couldn’t make himself stop. Again and again, his lips met mine. Some of the kisses were chaste, and some were tender and slow. I felt as if I was being poured into him and he was being poured into me—back and forth like water between two glasses.

"Cub," I whispered between kisses. I was delirious, and did not want to stop what was happening, but I had to. "Evan's coming."

I didn't feel like my voice was my own, but I had no other choice but to speak. One of the doors in the hallway led to outside, and it had a window. I could clearly see out if it from where I was standing, and movement had caught my eye.

"Tess is running this way, and Evan's following her," I warned.

Cub took a deep breath as he stepped back and ran a hand through his hair. "I'll go this way," I said, running away from both Cub and Evan in the direction of the door that led to the dining hall.

"You don't have to go anywhere," Cub said, reaching out to hold me by the arm.

Just then, Tess jumped up on the door, causing it to rattle and shake under her weight.

"You better get down from there," Cub said in a stern man's voice.

"Daddy," I said, in a cooing tone like I felt bad for her. His head whipped around to look at me when I called him that, and I pointed at Tess and shrugged innocently. "I was saying it from her," I said. "Like she was calling you that."

"Yeah, but it came out of your mouth."

"But I was saying it for her," I said as he walked the few feet to let her in.

Evan was only a few paces from the door by that point, and I watched as he and Cub greeted each other the way guys do when they nod and don't say anything.

"Evan," I said, when his gaze shifted to me.

"Charlotte," he returned. He stopped in the cramped hallway for a second before realizing that he might have caught us at a bad time. "I was just heading into the hall to look for you guys," he said, gesturing to the dining hall.

"I was coming out to get you," Cub said.

We stood there for a second or two as Tess paced from one door to the other, wondering which one we'd be using.

"I'll go find Mia," Evan said. He whistled for Tess to follow him. She hesitated, looking at Cub and me until Evan flashed her the tennis ball, and she followed him with no further questions.

"We should go with him," I said, when the door closed behind Evan.

"Let's go," Cub said, nodding. He moved to step around me and I shifted to stand in front of him. "Excuse me, ma'am. I need to get through here," he said in all seriousness.

"I'm sorry, but you have to know the password," I said.

"Ladybug."

I smiled. "No, but that's a good one. I'll have to think of one that good."

"Why did you ask for a password if you don't even have one?"

"I was just planning on making you guess a bunch of words until I felt like letting you through."

"So you're playing me?"

"It feels more like I'm the one getting played."

"Hey, my cards are on the table," he said.

"But your table is in Africa."

He stepped closer to me, thinking I'd break down and let him pass if he invaded my space. I didn't move, and the next thing I knew he was so close our bodies brushed each other.

"Right now," he said, "you're in Africa, too."

I glanced down at my own feet. "I guess I am."

"But you're leaving tomorrow night," he said.

I felt like I'd do just about anything to keep him from walking out of that hallway.

"Yeah, but right now, I'm here."

"You're literally standing in front of me. You're blocking my way."