Page 30

Caleb roused on the couch and sat up. "Morning."

She entered the kitchen and ran her fingers over all the items. They were nice, really nice. Not the cheap plastic stuff but real baking items.

His heavy footsteps came up behind her, and she fought back her emotions as she faced him.

"You did all this for me?"

He rubbed his shaggy head and gave her a crooked grin. "Yes. Well, for us. I mean, I have to admit I did it for selfish reasons, really. I figured if I wanted you to keep making me those awesome cakes, you probably needed a place to make them and some stuff—"

She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him hard. "No one has ever done something so nice for me before."

His warm arms wrapped around her tightly, and for a moment their heartbeats pressed together, and she connected with him. Her wolf woke up and howled so loud it made Makayla shake.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Makayla stepped back. What the hell had that been? She and her wolf had always had an uneasy truce. Makayla didn't shift unless she was forced to and hadn't since she'd turned eighteen.

"Yeah," she said. "I just... Thank you." She looked around again. "Wait. Where did you get all this stuff?"

"I went to Moscow. They have everything there. Dad came over last night and helped me finish everything. He really loved your cinnamon bread."

She laughed. "You guys must be starved for muffins up here."

"Amazing ones."

He looked at his watch. "Shoot. I have to get going. But I have some bins I ordered that should be here in a day or two for the big bags of flour and sugar. And I still need to finish building a pantry in the laundry room."

"Do you want me to make you something before you go?"

He jogged toward his room. "I don't have time. I'll call in an order to the diner and pick it up on the way to the old church."

Her heart sank at the idea that he was going to get food from the diner. She ran her fingers over the Bundt pan and imagined the different things she could do with it.

He came back out of his room shirtless, and she couldn't help but once again stare at his large toned body with the light sprinkling of dark curls across his chest and that trail down to and under the waistband of his low-slung jeans.

"Makayla?"

"Huh?" Crap! Had he been talking to her? She'd been staring like a stupid school girl. She licked her lips. At least she hadn't drooled.

He chuckled, a warm baritone sound that rumbled his chest and made his abs shake. "I asked if you wanted to go to town today."

He pulled a t-shirt over his head then slid on a blue flannel.

"I think I'm good."

"I'll be back tonight then."

She nodded but couldn't get the picture of his hard, strong body out of her mind.

He stared at her quizzically for a minute then grabbed his coat and keys and headed out the door.

Makayla tried to sort through all the emotions and sensations running through her body as she watched him get in his truck. Something she hadn't felt in over five years coursed through her, and she finally put her finger on it. Desire. ShewantedCaleb.

Makayla spentan hour putting things away in the kitchen and straightening up. Every little item he'd bought made her feel that much worse about how she'd treated him. From that day forward she'd make him cakes, cookies, breads, pies, and more every single day if it would put the smile she glimpsed the other night back on his face. Well, maybe not every day. She’d hate to spoil those wonderful abs.

A knock on the front door pulled her from her organizing. She hadn't even heard a truck pull up. She walked out of the laundry room. Caleb's mom, Mary waved to her through the front window. A nervous energy settled over Makayla but she put on a smile and headed for the door.

"Hi. Caleb didn't tell me you were going to stop by."