Sweet on Sophie ( (A Red Maple Falls Novel, #11)

by Theresa Paolo

  Sophie coughed.

  “We shouldn’t be in here.” He wrapped his hand around the shoulder and guided her outside. “The house needs to air out for a bit.”

  “Did you get the casserole out of the oven?”

  “I turned the oven off. The casserole might have had a flame or two coming off of it. I didn’t want to open the oven and fuel the fire. I’m just going to wait until it dies down.”

  “We are so lucky we came back when we did,” she said.

  He thrust a hand through his hair as if the situation was finally dawning on him. Frustration etched at the corners of his eyes. “How could I have been so careless?”

  “There was a lot going on. I was bleeding on your bread, and you were trying to get me and Charlotte out the door. Accidents happen.”

  “Accidents?” His voice rose and his hand flung out toward the house. “That wasn’t a freaking accident. You cutting yourself. That was an accident. This was stupid.” His head fell forward, and he walked away, pacing up and down the pathway. “I could have lost my house, then what? Charlotte already was uprooted, lost her mom and her home, and I almost made her lose this home, too. What kind of guardian am I?”

  Sophie stepped toward him and grabbed his wrist. “Whether you want to accept it or not, it was an accident. Just be grateful we got here when we did and all you have is a burned casserole. The house will air out, the casserole will go in the trash, and everything will be exactly as it was.”

  He glanced up. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to raise my voice.”

  “You had a bit of a scare tonight. It’s perfectly normal to lose yourself to emotions.”

  “I’m still sorry.”

  “In that case, I’m sorry, too.”

  “For what?”

  “If I didn’t cut myself, we never would have had to leave. We would have eaten already, and you and Charlotte would be unwinding for the evening. If we’re pointing fingers, then I’d say this is definitely my fault.”

  “It’s not your fault.”

  “See, so quick to dismiss my hand in this, yet so willing to take on all the blame. Let’s accept it for what it was—-a series of unfortunate circumstances. Look at the bright side. Kate and Caleb won’t be spending their evening in the emergency room, Charlotte made a friend with Travis, and you have one less casserole to worry about.”

  A tiny laugh rumbled up his throat. He shook his head. “Yet we still haven’t eaten.”

  “You have more casseroles, no?”

  “I do.”

  “Once the house is aired out, we’ll toss one in the oven. We’ve waited this long to eat, what’s a little longer at this point?”

  “I should pick up Charlotte.”

  A loud piercing noise ripped through the night and Sophie jolted at the unexpected blaring. “What is that?” she asked, her body cringing at the noise as she pressed her hands to her ears.

  “Damn fire alarm. Now he decides to go off!” Drake hurried into the house and Sophie followed. Opening the windows had helped, but smoke still floated through the air, the smell still acrid.

  Sophie found Drake outside the kitchen, his fingers moving quickly across a keypad. The deafening sound continued to wail through the house.

  “I don’t know why it won’t stop.” Frustration twisted Drake’s usually calm composure, and he jabbed his fingers harder against the keypad.

  Finally, after what felt like a never-ending ear bleeding symphony, silence fell over the house. Drake’s shoulders dropped, and he collapsed against the wall, shaking his head. He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “I think one of the keys was sticking.”

  The sound of a siren barreling down the street cut through the silence. “Oh, for fuck sakes,” Drake said as he hurried to the door.

  With the house still filled with a bitter scent, she followed for fresh air. So much for avoiding the town gossip by not stopping somewhere for dinner. She sent Kristen a quick text to let her know they’d be a little longer in picking up Charlotte.

  The firetruck pulled into the driveway and Chase Marshall and Miguel Martinez, two of Red Maple Falls finest firemen, hopped down from the truck.

  “Everything’s fine,” Drake said with a wave of his hand. “Burnt a casserole.”

  “Oh no. It wasn’t one of Terry’s was it?” Miguel asked.

  Drake’s lip quirked, and Sophie felt the tension in her own shoulders ease. “Mrs. Wilkinson’s.”

  “Not her four cheese macaroni casserole?” Chase asked.

  “That would be the one.”

  “That’s a shame. It’s one of my favorites, but don’t worry. She’s bound to bring it to the next barbeque or potluck.”

  Sophie had been to one too many town barbeques over the years, but come to think of it, she’d never seen Drake at any.

  Drake motioned toward the house. “I tried to turn the alarm off, but I think one of the buttons got stuck, and it wouldn’t take the damn code.”

  “We’re here, so if you don’t mind, I just want to do a quick sweep and make sure all is clear.”

  Drake held his hand out to the door. “Be my guest. Better safe than sorry.”

  Chase paused at the door and smiled at Sophie. He nodded. “Hi Sophie.”

  “Hi Chase.” She wanted to ask him about his fiancé, Bex, and their new home, but he had a job to do. She’d ask him or Bex the next time she saw them in town.

  Maybe Bex would be willing to help out at the carnival. Having one of the biggest actresses in Hollywood at her little fundraiser would be a huge way to pull people in. But she couldn’t use Bex like that. The girl had left LA for Red Maple Falls to escape that sort of attention. No, she wouldn’t ask her, but she could ask Chase…

  Chase and Miguel strolled out of the house. “It was smart you didn’t open the oven door and let the fire go out on its own,” Chase said.

  “I actually learned that from Travis,” Drake admitted. “Kristen had brought him to the office one day, and he told me how Kristen set something on fire in the oven and she went to open it, but he learned from Sam not to, and he stopped her.”

  “That’s our boy!” Miguel said, pride in his tone.

  “You’ll need to air the stove out, do a good cleaning, and keep the window open for a bit, but other than that you’re lucky. It had the potential to be pretty serious.”

  “Trust me, I know,” Drake said with an edge to his voice. “It was stupid and careless.”

  Sophie held up her hand. “We were distracted by me bleeding on everything.”

  Miguel’s eyebrow raised. “Get in a fight with a blender?”

  “Bread cutting accident.”

  “A dangerous task as well,” Miguel said.

  “Apparently very, but Drake stitched me up.” She hoped Drake would realize how his actions helped her, even if they did forget about the casserole. “I was wondering…” Sophie looked from Chase to Miguel. “I’m in the process of setting up a fundraiser for the school to raise money for new library books and tablets. I’m thinking about putting together a small carnival would you—”

  “Miguel would love to be a clown,” Chase chimed in, and Miguel shrugged.

  “I’d do it.”

  Sophie laughed. “I’ll keep that in mind, but I was thinking more or less having one of the fire trucks and letting the kids get hands on.”

  “I’ll have to run it by the chief, but I don’t think Sam would have a problem with that.”

  “Great! I’ll stop by the station sometime next week when I have more details.”

  “We’ll let him know.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Now you two, no more fires.” Miguel wiggled his eyebrows, and Sophie shook her head with a laugh, though she sighed on the inside. At the office, she’d been convinced Drake would kiss her, that there was this simmering fire between them, but then they were interrupted, and again when they got back to the house.

  Maybe the universe was speaking, reminding her that fire always sizzle
d out, and he’d already thrown cold water on them in the past. So why would she think anything had changed?

  Chapter 11

  Drake hurried to get out of the office. He had an hour to pick up Charlotte and get back before his next patient’s appointment. He felt bad having her hang out while he worked, but he always stayed open late on Thursday nights. Maybe he’d have to rethink his scheduling again… or maybe consider the possibility of bringing on another doctor to the practice.

  He never had an issue in the past keeping up with the demand of the town’s medical needs, but he wasn’t the guardian of a six-year-old then either. It was an adjustment period, and he would figure it out. He always did.

  In the meantime, he needed to hurry. There was no way he was going to lose his bet to Sophie on the first day.

  “Hey, Doc, can I get your John Hancock on these insurance forms before you go?” Kristen held up a stack of papers. He hesitated for a moment, but he knew it was best for everyone to get those forms sent out as soon as possible. Which is exactly what she had said to him earlier, yet he still forgot to sign the papers.

  He detoured, heading toward Kristen, and took the forms from her. “I’m sorry. You should have reminded me.” One by one he scribbled his signature as fast as possible, making it even more illegible than normal.

  “No worries. I know you’re busy.”

  Busy or not, he always made sure to get everything done on time and as soon as possible. His brain had been all over the place today. Worried about picking Charlotte up on time, what homework assignment she’d have tonight, and whether letting her dress herself was a smart thing to do. What if kids in her class didn’t understand her style, and they made fun of her? He wasn’t there to protect her. Would she finally say something and stand up for herself if it came to that?

  He pinched the bridge of his nose, willing the torturous thoughts away. They were pointless. Besides, Charlotte was safe at school with Sophie. There was no way Sophie would let any of her students bully anyone. Thinking of Sophie brought a calm to his racing mind.

  With the last form signed, he handed them back with a smile. “All set.”

  He glanced at his watch. Fifty-three minutes left.

  “One more thing,” Kristen said, and Drake turned back to her desk. “I know you’re trying to figure it out on your own, but Travis and Charlotte have really hit it off. He finally has found someone who just listens to him talk.” She laughed. “If you want, in the future, on Thursdays, Jax can pick up Charlotte when he gets Travis and Noah, and let the kids have a playdate. It’s just a thought, so don’t feel obligated to say yes or to make a decision right now.”

  “I appreciate that, Kristen. I really do. And if Charlotte’s okay with that, I think that would be great. I’m sure she’d much rather spend time with your boys then hangout here for a few hours.” He looked at his watch again. “But I have to go before I’m late.”

  “Of course. Off you go.”

  Drake ran out the door and out to his car. He put his seatbelt on as he reversed out of the parking spot. He controlled himself from going over the speed limit and made it to the school with a minute to spare.

  He pulled up to the row of cars, picking up kids and immediately spotted Charlotte, though it was kind of hard to miss her in the bright pink tutu, green leggings, and purple shirt. He wondered if his sister let her dress that way, and he was too lenient, but he never thought to ask Laura about Charlotte’s clothing when she was lying on her deathbed. And he was too consumed in keeping Laura comfortable that he sadly didn’t notice.

  The line of cars moved quickly, and with no one behind him, he got out of the car to help Charlotte with her backpack. Sophie smiled as he approached, and it felt as if he had waited his entire day just to see that. To see her. Like a reward for getting through the endless flow of patients.

  Charlotte gave him a wave.

  “You got your doll this time?” he asked, rustling her hair when he reached her.

  “She sure does. We made sure the doll stayed in her backpack today.” A blush crept across Sophie’s cheeks when she met his eyes. Sophie diverted her gaze and glanced at her watch.

  “I am on time. In case you were checking.”

  She adorably held her hands up in front of her. “I wouldn’t do such a thing.”

  “Oh, I think you absolutely would.”

  She gasped and touched a hand to her chest. “You think I’m so evil?”

  “I think you want to win a bet.”

  “Fine, you caught me. I hate losing, and every second counts.”

  “You’re not going to win this one.”

  She shrugged, her lips curving upwards, and her blue eyes sparkling with confidence. “We’ll see.”

  “How’s your finger?” he asked.

  “It hurts, but I’m managing.”

  “I could have prescribed you a pain medication, something to take the edge off.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t like pills. I watched what they did to my brother and…” Her voice trailed off, and she pressed her lips upward, but the smile lacked conviction. “It wasn’t good.”

  “How is he now?”

  “He says he’s okay, but I don’t know. He seems to only call when he needs money.” She tucked a blonde strand behind her ear, eyes darting to her brown flats. She inhaled, her whole body moving with the movement. He wanted to reach out and hold her. If anyone could understand sibling discontent, it was him. She let the breath out slowly and met his gaze. The sadness that darkened her features only seconds ago was gone. “Are we still on for the Applefest this weekend?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Perfect. Now that I’m set on a carnival for the fundraiser, I have to do my research. The town has so many great festivals, I don’t want to disappoint anyone.”

  “I’m sure whatever you come up with will be great.”

  “I hope so. I just have to figure out when to hold it. We have Applefest this week, and October kicks off the fall festival at Basil Hill. I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes and I don’t want to create competition.” She waved her hand at him. “I’ll figure it out.”

  “In that I have no doubt.”

  She smiled, and a slight tinge of pink filled the apples of her cheeks. “You have a lot of confidence in me. More than I think I have in myself.”

  “I saw you turn a piece of paper into a masterpiece with raw sugar and a little glue.”

  “That’s just the resourceful teacher in me.”

  “And that is a quality you should be proud of and one that will help you make this carnival the best carnival the town has ever seen.”

  “Take it down a notch. Let’s not set that bar too high.”

  A laugh rumbled up his throat. Talking to Sophie was becoming a calm in his storm. His world had been uprooted around him. But looking at her, hearing her laugh, seeing the smile on her face, made the chaos fade away. He didn’t want to leave, but he had an obligation to his patients. “I hate to cut this short, especially because I know how much you’re enjoying trying to get in my head, but I really have to get back to the office.”

  “Oh. You’re still working today?”

  “Thursday is my late night. I’m probably going to have to come up with a different schedule or arrangement, Kristen even offered for Jax to help me out, but for now, I’m going to set Charlotte up in my office and figure it out when I have a second to breathe.” Whenever that would be. Right now, he needed to get back to the office, then after work he had to feed Charlotte, make sure her homework was done, get her to take a shower, and clean up dinner.

  “I was planning on going into town to recruit businesses for the carnival, and since I am a digit down”—Sophie held up her finger—“I could use the help. I mean, if that’s okay with you, and if Charlotte wouldn’t mind going to the bakery and having a cupcake with me.”

  The weight on his shoulder lifted slightly at the suggestion. Charlotte glanced up at him, her eyes widening to excited s
aucers. She tugged on his sleeve and nodded. How the hell was he supposed to say no to that? Besides, being able to put his full attention on his patients without worrying that Charlotte was keeping busy would be a major relief.

  “If it’s okay with you,” he said. “I wouldn’t want to impose.”

  “Impose? I was the one who asked. It would be both an honor and a pleasure to spend my afternoon with little Miss Charlotte.”

  “If you’re sure it’s okay.”

  She rested her hands on his shoulder. “I’m sure. Now off you go. We don’t want you to be late. We know how much you hate that.” With a wink, she spun him around and pushed him toward the driver’s door.

  He pressed his hand against the car and slipped out of Sophie’s clutches. He bent down to Charlotte and reached into his pocket, retrieving his wallet. He took out a ten, then decided better and put it back before taking a twenty. He handed the bill to her. “Get yourself the yummiest cupcake they have.” He leaned closer to her ear. “And buy one for Miss Reynolds, too, okay?”

  Charlotte’s face lit up, and she gave him a nod of approval. He kissed her forehead, the gesture feeling more natural and paternal. He stood and Sophie held her hand out to Charlotte, who didn’t hesitate to take hold.

  “What time are you at the office until today?”

  “Seven. I know that’s late. You can drop Charlotte off at the office at any time.”

  “That won’t be necessary. When we’re eating our cupcakes, we can do Charlotte’s homework, so when you get home you can relax.”

  “You don’t have to do that.”

  “I kind of have an inside scoop on what the teacher is looking for.” She winked, light brown lashes brushing the apple of her cheek.

  He swallowed down the desire that simple gesture stirred inside him. It had been a long time since he’d touched a woman, and his body was beginning to betray him. His hands wanted to run through her hair, feeling the softness of each strand. His mouth wanted to taste her and see if she was as sweet as he imagined. His eyes wanted to take in every inch of her body and save it to memory. And the throbbing desire between his legs wanted to feel the slick walls of her sex tighten around him.