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

by Theresa Paolo

  She dropped her clothes on the floor and walked to the door, stopping in the doorway. Her hand rested against the molding, and she glanced over her shoulder, giving him a wink.

  “You have no idea about the fire you’re playing with,” he said, and ran at her.

  He followed her squeal down the hallway and scooped her up into his arms, carrying her back to the bedroom.

  “You’ve waited this long to eat,” he said, just before capturing her lips with his and placing her on the bed where they spent their time indulging on each other.

  Chapter 17

  Sophie fixed her hair before going into the Happy Apple to meet with Sarah and Kristen. She had seen Drake across the street as he dropped Charlotte off to karate. Something Charlotte wanted to try after Travis showed her all his trophies.

  She waited for him and followed him behind the building where they got a few kisses in before she had to run off. She met Kristen and Sarah for dinner every Wednesday, and they would certainly know something was amiss if she was late.

  She felt like a teenager wanting to see Drake as often as possible. Daydreaming about their night together. Her legs tingled at the thought of his mouth trailing down her inner thigh. She wanted to feel him inside her again, but they hadn’t been able to find the time. She would have ditched her friends and followed him back home, but Drake and Jax made plans to grab a burger at Calhoun’s while the kids had their karate classes.

  It wasn’t fair that she got such a delicious taste of sex with Drake only to be deprived of it. In an attempt to cool down the heat filling her cheeks at the sexy memories, she waved her hands at her face.

  Though, he did invite her over for a drink afterward, but Charlotte would be home. She would just have to wait. With a deep breath, she pulled open the door of the Happy Apple and headed inside.

  This time both Sarah and Kristen were already there, sitting at their usual table. A beautiful, beaded necklace hung around Sarah’s neck, and Sophie pointed at it as she approached the table. “Did you make that?” she asked, even though she knew damn well she did.

  Sarah’s hand rested on the beautiful antique beads. “I did. Isn’t it stunning?”

  “It’s beautiful,” she said, taking her seat next to Kristen.

  “Ellie bought the original jewelry at Brimfield. I had a field day going through all the stuff she brought back.”

  “I was helping her catalog it all. She definitely went overboard this time.”

  “And my neck thanks her for it,” Sarah said, and Kristen and Sophie laughed.

  “Your customers are going to be really thanking her,” Kristen said. “You should show that piece to Bex. I bet she’ll wear it on her next red carpet.”

  Sarah turned one of the vintage beads between her fingers. “I don’t know. I might want to keep this particular piece all to myself.”

  “I wouldn’t blame you,” Sophie said just as Terry teetered over on high heels. Her red hair was as big as ever. “Hey ladies.” She placed their usual drinks down in front of them, and Sophie immediately took a sip of her Cabernet Sauvignon. “I’d ask you what you want, but I already put your order in.”

  “Thanks, Terry,” Sophie said.

  Terry sat down in the open chair and pointed a red nail at Sophie. “I heard you were driving off into the sunset with a certain doctor after the Apple Festival.”

  “And where’d you hear that?” Sophie asked.

  “Margie Owens, Judy Clarke, Karen Whitley. I can keep going.”

  All of those women Sophie had waved to as she and Drake were leaving. She hadn’t thought it would create a whirlwind in the gossip mill, though as a lifer, she should have known better. People in the small town loved to talk, and even more they loved butting into other people’s business, hoping to be the first one with the juicy new tidbit of information.

  “Yes, we went to the festival together, and he drove. As you know his niece was having a difficult time, and as her teacher, I was happy to help her be more comfortable with her life suddenly uprooting. She’s a lovely girl and you know me. Always willing to help a kid in need.”

  Terry patted her hand. “Yes, you are. Which is why you’re also a lovely girl, but as far as your gossip game, it stinks.”

  “You just want something to hold over Betty that you know and she doesn’t,” Sarah said, referring to Terry’s best friend and the grandmother of Sarah’s husband.

  “Well duh. She always gets all the good gossip. I swear she uses her grandkids as spies.”

  Sarah let out a loud laugh, and a few tables turned in their direction. “Terry, I can assure you, that is not the case.”

  “I’m not convinced,” she said as she pushed up from the table, holding on until she had her footing. “But I love you anyway, my dear. Now let me go check on your food and make sure my husband isn’t murdering that turkey burger.”

  Terry shuffled away, and the girls laughed. “I’ll give her an A for effort,” Sophie said.

  “Oh, I can’t wait to tell Cooper that Terry thinks his grandma has him as a spy on the lookout for town gossip,” Sarah said, taking a sip of her drink.

  Terry came right back out, balancing three plates on her arm like the pro that she was. She put them down on the table and Walt hurried after her.

  “Damn woman! Can you wait until I finish plating before you walk off with them?”

  “You were taking too damn long,” she said.

  He grumbled under his breath and scrunched his face in her direction as he placed a plate of fries on the table.

  “Thanks, Walt!” Sophie said. “You know you make the best fries.”

  A massive smile changed him into the big teddy bear they all knew and loved. “Did you hear that?” he elbowed Terry in the arm. “I make the best fries.”

  Terry pfted. “The girl is just being nice.”

  “You can never give it to me, can you?”

  “Nope,” Terry said matter-of-factly and walked away.

  Walt stuck his tongue out at her retreating frame.

  “I saw that,” Terry called over her shoulder.

  “That woman is going to be the death of me. Either that or she’ll push me to murder.”

  Sophie choked on her wine. “You love her, Walt. We all know.”

  “She’s all right,” he said, and stalked back to the kitchen.

  They bickered constantly, but in between all the snide comments and funny jabs, they looked at each other with an abundance of love, and it was something Sophie hoped to have one day.

  She turned back to her plate and took a bite of her burger, relishing in the taste as if she didn’t eat the exact same burger once or twice a week, every week for who knew how long.

  Sarah popped a fry in her mouth. “Cooper and I are having a barbeque next weekend, and I’d love for you two to come. It’s the family, of course, and all our friends.”

  “So basically, the whole town,” Sophie said with a laugh.

  Sarah nodded. “Pretty much.”

  “Can I bring a guest or two?” Sophie asked.

  Sarah dropped the fry in her grasp and held her hand out. “Wait. What?”

  “Are you and Drake official?” Kristen asked with a little too much hopeful glee in her tone.

  Sophie fidgeted with her napkin. “I don’t know. Maybe. We haven’t talked about it, but we’ve been spending a lot of time together.”

  “A lot of time in the bedroom?” Sarah asked.

  “You have kids. You know that is not an easy thing to accomplish.”

  Sarah picked up her discarded fry and pointed it at Sophie before plopping it in her mouth. “Yes, it is. You just have to be ready and willing whenever the time arises.”

  “Yup,” Kristen chimed in. “You have to get creative, too.”

  “Oh definitely,” Sarah said. “You’ll learn. But of course, you can bring Drake and Charlotte. Cooper was planning on inviting him, anyway.”

  “Great, I’ll ask him tonight.”

  “Tonight
?” Sarah exclaimed. “Do you have plans for after you leave here?”

  Sophie’s mouth parted and snapped shut.

  “You’re totally going over there for sex,” Sarah said.

  “Not sex, you fiend. I told him I’d stop by for a nightcap.”

  “You do know that’s code word for sex, right?” Sarah said, and Kristen nodded in agreement.

  Sophie shrugged. “I just told you finding time is hard.”

  Sarah waved a hand. “Oh, Charlotte will be asleep. You’ll have all night.”

  “I don’t know. Drake said some nights he hears her crying in her room, and he goes in and stays with her. Or he leaves his door open for her, and she’ll slip in.”

  Kristen held a hand to her chest. “Isn’t that the sweetest?”

  “It is, but can you imagine if I’m there and she slips on in?” Sophie’s eyes widened at the horror of the thought.

  “Travis walked in on me and Jax once.”

  “Stop. No, he didn’t.” Sophie said.

  “Oh, he did. Jax froze in mid-thrust, and I started laughing. Travis asked if we were wrestling, and I said yes because I didn’t know what else to say.”

  Sophie barked out a laugh and slapped a hand over her mouth. “That’s hilarious and mortifying all at the same time.”

  Sarah shrugged. “Tommy walked in on me and Cooper and Theo has, too, multiple times. With kids, it’s bound to happen, but you can’t let your sex life go in the toilet because of it.” She pointed a fry at Kristen. “I like the wrestling lie. That could work.”

  “Try it,” Kristen said. “I figure if anything when Travis is an adult of at least forty with his own kids, I can tell him about it, and we can laugh about it.”

  “He’s a smart kid, I’m sure he’ll figure it out way before he’s forty,” Sophie said.

  “Oh, I have no doubts, but I won’t be comfortable talking about it until then.”

  The three of them laughed and continued eating and talking, but Sophie’s mind kept drifting back to Drake and how creative they could get.

  Chapter 18

  Drake got down two wine glasses in anticipation of Sophie stopping by. Charlotte sat at the table coloring as she unwound from karate class. He was worried she wouldn’t like it, but when he picked her up, she had a huge smile on her face. He signed her up for the rest of the year after that.

  He walked over to the table and looked down at her drawing. It was another stick figure, and the way she drew the hair, he knew it was him. Once again, he was surrounded by apples. Maybe now that she was speaking, he could figure out why. It had been bugging him, not knowing what the apples represented, and maybe they meant nothing, but he needed to know.

  “Is that me?” he asked.

  She nodded, still preferring the gesture instead of her full voice at times.

  “Why do you always draw me with apples?”

  She put her crayon down and looked at him with big brown eyes. “Mommy used to tell me an apple a day keeps the doctor away, and I don’t want you to get sick.”

  His heart tightened, and he lowered himself to her level. “The apples are keeping me safe?”

  She nodded.

  He held her face, making sure she looked at him. “I’m not going to get sick. I promise.” He knew it was a promise he had no control over, but he would do everything in his power to honor it. Charlotte had already lost so much in her short life, and he refused to let her feel any more loss. “And why do you never surround yourself with apples?” She couldn’t possibly want to get sick.

  “Because you’re a doctor, and I don’t want to keep you away from me.”

  A big ball of emotion lodged in his throat, clogging words from coming up. He fought against it, swallowing hard. He pulled her into him, hugging her tight. “Sweetheart, I’m not going anywhere. Apples or not.” He let her go and looked her in the eye. “You hear me? I’m not going anywhere.”

  She nodded, a single tear slipping over her eyelid and falling down her cheek. He swiped it away before she had the chance, and she threw her arms around him. She clung to him as if she thought he might disappear. He had no idea if his words meant much, but he made a vow to himself that he would do everything in his power to show her that they were both permanent fixtures in each other’s lives.

  After a few moments, she let go. He pinched her cheek and smiled. “Your mom didn’t leave you either,” he said. “Just because you can’t see her, doesn’t mean that she’s not here with you. So, while I plan on physically being here for you, know that your mom is still watching over you. Still so proud of you.”

  She gave him her signature nod, and he kissed her forehead. A moment later she was back to coloring, but this time she drew an apple in her hand.

  A knock at the door stole his attention. “I’ll be right back.”

  He went to the door and opened it. Sophie smiled at him, and he didn’t know if it was the leftover emotion from his conversation with Charlotte, or that she just looked so damn good, but he stepped outside, pulling the door behind him. He caught her in his arms and captured her mouth in a searing kiss that shot electric through his body.

  “Hey,” he said as their mouths parted.

  “That was. Unexpected.”

  “In a bad way?”

  “In the best way possible.” She leaned up on tiptoes and brushed her lips against his one more time. “Where’s Charlotte?” she asked as she lowered herself back down.

  He hitched a finger over his shoulder. “At the kitchen table coloring before she heads up to bed.” He kissed her again, making it clear he wanted to head to bed, too.

  “What’s she coloring?” Sophie asked.

  “I’m happy you asked. She finally told me what the apples mean.”

  Sophie’s eyes widened, and she stepped back. “And you’re just telling me now? This has been the mystery of the century. What do they mean?” Sorrow flashed through Drake’s eyes, and Sophie took his hand, giving a gentle squeeze. “What is it?”

  “Apparently, my sister used to tell her an apple a day would keep the doctor away.”

  Sophie’s mouth fell open as the puzzle worked itself out in her mind. “She’s trying to keep you away from the doctor because she doesn’t want you to get sick like her mom.”

  Drake nodded. “And that’s not all.”

  “What else is there?”

  “You notice how she never draws herself with apples?”

  Sophie’s eyebrows pinched together in confusion just as realization dawned on her. “She doesn’t want to keep you away.”

  “Bingo.”

  “That poor kid. What did you tell her?”

  “I told her I wasn’t going anywhere. I know it’s not really a promise I can keep, being a doctor, I know how precious life is, but I didn’t know what else to say. She needed reassurance, and I gave it to her. Now I don’t know if that was the right choice.”

  “It absolutely was the right choice. Don’t doubt that for a second.”

  He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her tight against him, kissing her head. “Thank you.” He let go and opened the door. “Now, how was dinner with the girls?”

  “Great. Sarah invited me to a barbeque next weekend. The whole town is going to be there, and she said I can bring a couple guests since she was planning on inviting you, anyway. We don’t have to go together, but I just thought…I’m not exactly sure what I thought. I don’t know what we are, but we did sleep together and we’re still kissing so…”

  Drake’s lips cut off the rest of Sophie’s words, and she melted into the passion fueled movement of his mouth. He drew away, leaving her breathless. “If that doesn’t answer your question, yes, we can go to the barbeque together.”

  Her lip quirked and a happy rush of heat spread through her cheeks. “It’s a date then.”

  He motioned her into the house. “I have wine waiting for you.”

  Sophie smacked a hand to her chest. “Oh, you talk dirty to me.”

&nb
sp; He leaned down, his lips brushing the curve of her ear. “If you think that’s dirty, wait till later.”

  An excited jolt had her practically skipping behind him to the kitchen.

  Charlotte glanced up with a smile and a wave. Sophie sat down beside her, picking up a crayon and a piece of paper, trying to ignore the heat growing in her core. Drake handed her a glass of wine and Sophie took a grateful sip.

  They colored for another fifteen minutes, Drake even sitting down and giving a go at it.

  “Now I know you can’t sing, and you can’t draw,” Sophie said. “So, you aren’t perfect.”

  “First off, who ever said anything about being perfect?”

  “A doctor, charming, good looks.” She tapped each one off on her finger. “I just assumed.”

  He laughed. “I’m far from perfect. Perfection is an impossible goal,” he said, and looked at Charlotte. “Perfection eliminates the desire to achieve more and to be better. Why would I ever want that?”

  “Good point,” Sophie said. “So, you’re slightly perfect and an overachiever. Though I doubt no amount of practice could turn this.” She picked up the piece of paper he had been doodling on. “What is this exactly?”

  “It’s you,” he said, and Sophie nearly choked on her laugh.

  “Me?” she exclaimed. “Oh heaven, help you.

  Drake pointed at what she assumed was an abstract drawing. “There’s your blonde hair, your cute little nose, your big blue eyes, and the quirk at the corner of your mouth.”

  Sophie narrowed her eyes, wondering if it was like one of those autostereograms and the real picture would emerge in 3D. Nope, definitely not one of those.

  “I don’t see it,” Sophie said. She held the paper up and turned it to Charlotte? “What do you think, Charlotte? Does this look like me.”

  A tiny giggle slipped out, and she shook her head as her nose scrunched.

  Drake swiped the paper out of Sophie’s hands. “Clearly, I’m the only one with a good eye.”

  “No, I think you’re the only one of us who needs to get their eyes checked,” Sophie said, biting back a laugh, but her strength waivered and the laugh came out in a stutter of noises.