Fall for You

by Behon, Susan

  “No, my dad did the grilling. I watched and learned as he taught me the finer points of burger flipping.” He smirked. “Someday though, I hope to wield a spatula of my very own.”

  Sophie was curious. “Do you live with your parents now that you're home?”

  He looked stricken. “Absolutely not! My mom would try to feed me to death within a month. She has a hard time taking no for an answer.” Reed shook his head. “Besides, after moving around so much in the Navy, I wanted to put down roots. I have a house that I've been slowly renovating since I moved back.” He angled closer to her. “How about you?”

  “I sort of inherited my grandma's house.”

  “Sort of?”

  She unconsciously leaned toward him too. “To be more precise, I inherited a mortgage. Tracy and I used to be housemates until she moved upstairs.” She glanced up at the ceiling as she said it. “Now it's just me.”

  Reed added, “And Max.”

  Sophie gave a nod. “Yes, and Max.”

  * * * *

  They were both inclined toward each other with their arms braced on the table. Something made him close the distance and take hold of Sophie's hand. Her eyes widened, but she allowed the contact.

  From her expression, Reed wasn't sure if he'd overstepped himself, but when he felt the soft warmth of her palm fit perfectly against his, he was glad that he did.

  “Listen, Sophie, I was wondering if…” Reed was about to ask her something, he wasn't quite sure what, when Sophie's cell phone rang. Irish punk music blared from her phone and threw him off. On the bright side, it sounded as though they still had some musical tastes in common.

  Reed liked that.

  * * * *

  Sophie couldn't believe they had gotten interrupted right then!

  He was “wondering if” WHAT?

  Seeing that it was her mom, Sophie reluctantly pulled her hand back and took the call. With a sigh, she answered, “Hi, Mom.”

  Lucy Brandon had a throaty, rough voice thanks to years of chain smoking. “Sophie? I tried calling you at home, but you're not there.”

  “I know Mom. I'm finishing up at work. Are you okay? Do you need something?”

  After a brief pause, her mom responded. “Well, since you asked, honey, I was hoping you could pick up some of those green bananas next time you're at the store. They last longer and are so good with my cereal.”

  Lucy Brandon had been widowed two years ago when Sophie's dad died from a massive heart attack. She didn't drive, so “next time you're at the store” really meant, “buy them and drop them off tonight.”

  Her sister Sarah moved in to take care of their mom not long after the funeral. They'd been driving each other crazy ever since.

  “Mom, I know Sarah just bought groceries, including bananas.”

  Lucy coughed then complained, “Sure, but not the good kind. She never buys the good kind. How am I supposed to eat my cereal?”

  Not wanting to get into a debate over what constituted a good banana, Sophie agreed to take care of it on her way home. The conversation ended with a raspy “Thank you, Sophie. What would I do without you?”

  Mom guilt. Enough of it could win world wars.

  Reed took his cue and stood to clear away their impromptu picnic.

  Sophie began to apologize, but he rested his hand on her shoulder and hushed her. He gave a gentle squeeze before letting go.

  “I understand completely. I have a mom too.”

  At that reminder of his mom, she tensed a little but tried not to show it. He placed everything back in the bag and headed for the door. Sophie remembered her manners just in time to offer him dessert.

  “Wait! Do you want some cookies to take home?”

  Reed opened the door and looked over his shoulder. “Next time. Definitely next time. See you, Sophie.”

  There was going to be a next time?

  Sophie was left bewildered and bemused. Reed Sutton had held her hand tonight. Who knew something so simple could leave such an impact?

  Chapter 3

  The Cookie Jar and King's Cake in a Cup shared the ground floor in one of the oldest buildings in Madison Falls. The Donaldson Building had housed businesses including the town's first post office, a general store, a pharmacy/soda fountain, and lastly, a doughnut shop.

  Initially, Sophie and Tracy began their businesses by working out of Sophie's house. Through word of mouth and the wonders of the Internet, orders came in faster than Sophie's little kitchen could manage. They had desperately needed to expand. Finding this space for rent in the prime location on Market Street seemed like a godsend.

  While touring the building, the landlord, Darlene Donaldson, had eagerly gossiped about her niece, Debbie. Apparently, she had been the owner and operator of Debbie Do Donuts for the last decade and a half. She'd also been a six-foot tall, broad featured woman with red hair the unfortunate shade of carrots. Debbie was shy, though sweet and friendly enough to the customers. She was what Darlene had called “a bit of a Plain Jane, bless her heart.”

  According to Darlene, one afternoon, Debbie stunned her doughnut patrons when she stood on a table and announced that she had the winning lottery ticket for the Mega-Millions Jackpot. More shocking was when Debbie untied her apron, dropped it on the floor, and told the people of Madison Falls to kiss her ass. Darlene primly spelled out the last word for them.

  As the story went, Debbie left the following day for parts unknown.

  Darlene had gleefully whispered that there was an extra juicy and less known part of the tale. Rumor had it that Tom Alexander, a twenty-six-year-old deputy for the Madison County Sheriff's Office, had taken off with Debbie. The part that was the juiciest, though, was that he was fifteen years her junior and also the nephew of the mayor.

  Sophie figured more power to them. Good for Debbie. She was sure there was a joke about cops and doughnuts in there somewhere but kept it to herself.

  After Debbie's dramatic departure, the building had remained vacant, waiting for a new tenant. When Sophie and Tracy decided to pool their resources and rent the space, they knew they had their work cut out for them. The shop was located in a two-story whitewashed brick building. A red and white striped awning shaded the entire first floor, but the canvas was faded and drooping in places. The paint around the windows was yellowed and peeling and the glass in the door had a crack that spread out like a spider web.

  Did she mention that it was affordable?

  The rental agreement had listed the building “as is” but the bonus of an upstairs apartment sweetened the deal considerably. The second floor had been converted into a one-bedroom efficiency. A set of wrought iron steps lined the sidewall with a separate outside entry to the apartment.

  Tracy had taken the apartment. After being college roommates for four years and housemates since then, Tracy was ready for her own place. She'd said that she loved Sophie dearly but needed a home to call her own at the end of the day. Sophie understood the benefit of that.

  It took weeks of cleaning, painting, and refurbishing to elevate the site from dismal to charming. Granted, it was still old, but it suited them perfectly.

  The interior had glass bakery cases that ran along the entire length of the back wall. The hardwood floors were in decent shape and after a good scrubbing and waxing, gleamed invitingly. It was big enough to be split perfectly down the middle with plenty of space for both of them.

  Sophie's side was painted in warm colors like espresso and vanilla cream. Metal signs promoting old-fashioned cookie and coffee labels adorned her walls. Her logo of a tilted, overflowing cookie jar was printed on her napkins, cups, and bakery boxes. An antique brass cash register sat in a place of honor on the counter top. She wanted a warm, homey atmosphere that inspired the customer to buy cookies like Mom used to make. Only better.

  On the other hand, Tracy's side was decorated with vibrant stripes of Dr. Who blue and majestic purple. The colors were fun and playful and accented her logo of a cute dancing cupcake wear
ing a tiara. Her half was modern and refreshing, tempting the customer to indulge in the decadent flavors of Tracy's creations. She offered free samples and showcased a new flavor every week.

  Their businesses had separate signs in their own designated display windows on either side of the front door. Even so, customers entered the single front door saw the open floor plan and tried to order cupcakes from Sophie and cookies from Tracy. At first, the women took it in stride, but after a few years of constantly redirecting patrons, they decided that they needed a more tangible divider between them.

  So, one night, over cocktails and crab con queso at Sarah's, Sophie and Tracy came up with a plan for a half wall. It was the perfect way to divide the room. The floor could form a border while still keeping the room open and airy.

  It seemed to take forever for their landlady to give written permission to build the wall. She had waffled on it for weeks, claiming to be uncertain if they should make such a big change to a historic building. When Sophie and Tracy offered to pay for it, Darlene agreed immediately and signed the paperwork.

  Sophie lingered a tad longer since she only knew of one construction company with a first-rate reputation…and Reed Sutton owned it. She hadn't heard from him since he brought her dinner the previous weekend. Considering he probably meant for it to only be a one-time thing, Sophie wasn't quite sure how to approach him now.

  She decided to suck it up and make the phone call.

  A man answered on the first ring.

  “Hello. Sutton Construction.”

  Sophie swallowed against her dry throat and went with her business voice. “Hello. May I speak to Reed Sutton, please?”

  “Sophie?” That definitely sounded like Reed.

  “Reed?”

  “Hey. How are you? Are you still up to your ears with work?”

  He sounded happy to hear from her. That was good, right?

  “Yes, but remember I'm short, so it's a little higher than my ears. As long as it's not over my head, I'm good.” She paused. “How about you? Is Sutton Construction keeping you on your toes?”

  He laughed. “Do you realize how many metaphors we just used involving body parts?” After a beat, Reed sighed and answered her question. “To be honest, work has been kind of a hassle this week.”

  Sophie didn't want to bother him if he were in the middle of a bunch of projects.

  “I didn't mean to interrupt you while you're busy. Maybe we could talk later?”

  “No.”

  Well, that was blunt.

  “No? Okay, then. I'll let you get back to work…”

  Reed cut her off before she finished her sentence. “No, I mean I'm not busy. I'm on a break right now. It feels like the first time all week that I've been able to talk to someone who isn't barking in my ear with a complaint.”

  “Is everything okay?”

  “It is now. There was a little miscommunication at one of our sites so I've been out there overseeing the crew. It's all straightened out now, but it took a while for this phase to get back on track.”

  He sounded tired and frustrated.

  “I'm glad that it worked out.” How was she supposed to ask him to do one more thing? “I suppose you've really had your hands full.”

  He laughed again. “Another body part metaphor.” His voice turned low and husky. “What has you thinking so much about bodies, Sophie?"

  “I didn't know I was until you mentioned it! You're such a guy!”

  “Guilty.”

  Sophie figured she'd ask him about the half wall and if he were too busy, she'd try someone else. She really wanted him though. For the job, of course. Right.

  “What's on your mind, Sophie? I can hear you thinking.”

  “I don't know how to ask since you seem so busy already.”

  “Tell me what you need and I'll see what I can do. Would you rather ask it in person? If you come down to my office, I'll buy you a cup of coffee. Is noon good for you?”

  Before she could talk herself out of it, she agreed with him. “Noon works. I can get Tracy to watch my counter for a little while. Thanks, Reed.”

  “Hey, don't go thanking me yet. I might say no.”

  “Really?”

  “No, not really." He had a smile in his voice. “See you soon, Sophie.”

  * * * *

  Reed hung up the phone with a grin. He gathered his paperwork into a neat stack and straightened his tie. He even went to the trouble of arranging the guest chair so that it was closer to his desk. Then he sat in it to see if Sophie would be comfortable enough.

  He looked at the coffee pot and frowned. He didn't have any of the fancy flavored creamers that were so popular now. He hoped Sophie was okay with plain powdered creamer and sugar. Reed ran his fingers over his hair to make sure nothing was sticking up. He checked his breath too, just in case.

  Now, he had less than an hour to concentrate on work and not think about Sophie. He'd give it a try anyway.

  * * * *

  Sophie arrived right on time with a light tap on his door. She smiled up at him when he invited her in and offered her a seat. She was wearing a bright blue T-shirt that said, “A Balanced Diet Is A Cookie In Each Hand.” It was tucked into a pair of dark denim capris. Her sneakers matched her T-shirt. He couldn't help but smile back.

  “I like your T-shirt.” Because you're the one wearing it.

  “Thank you.”

  Reed gestured toward the chair and she took a seat. She smelled like a bakery. He took in the wonderful scent before taking his own chair. Sophie looked preoccupied. Her fingers were drumming lightly on her lap.

  He quickly stood up again and accidentally startled her.

  “I'm sorry. I forgot to ask if you'd like a cup of coffee. Would you like one? A cup of coffee, I mean? I only have powdered creamer. Is that okay?” Good God, I'm babbling.

  Her fingers stopped drumming and she seemed to relax somewhat. “Oh, no thank you. If I drink any more coffee today I'll jitter away like an overcaffeinated chipmunk.”

  He laughed at the image she presented.

  Reed sat back down and gazed at her encouragingly. “How can I help you, Sophie?”

  She looked around at the framed photos of completed construction projects that adorned the walls in his office. She seemed to deflate a little.

  “I just realized that you mostly work on large projects like houses and condos. I feel really silly asking you to do something so trivial.”

  Reed was willing to build a damned birdhouse for her backyard if that's what she wanted. It would be worth it to spend more time with her. “Tell me what you need and I'll see what I can do.”

  * * * *

  Sophie stared into his light brown eyes and lost her train of thought.

  Kindness and warmth seemed to radiate from Reed. Those qualities made him all the more attractive to her. He was more than a good-looking man; he was a good man. There was also something sexy in the way he gazed at her that made her want to climb in his lap and wrap her arms around him. Naked.

  “I have a small construction job that I was hoping you could help me with.” He nodded for her to continue. “Tracy and I need a wall built. More like a half wall as a divider to our shops.”

  Reed grabbed a pen and some sort of form and began writing. “I thought you rented the space? Doesn't the Donaldson family own that building?”

  Sophie was prepared for that. “Yes, they do but we have written permission from Darlene Donaldson. It states that she approves of the specific renovation as long as we pay for it. Is there any way I can get an estimate?” She handed the notarized copy to Reed. He perused it and handed it back to her.

  “I'll have to come by the site to get a look at the size of the project. After I get more details and measurements, I can run the numbers and give you a ballpark estimate. Sound good?”

  She nodded and grinned. "Sounds good.”

  He typed something on his tablet and scrolled through it. Reed glanced up after he found what he was looking fo
r. “Will six thirty tomorrow evening work for you?”

  She would have just enough time to go home, take Max out, and freshen up.

  Sophie stood and refrained from doing a little happy dance. Instead, she calmly told him, “I can do six thirty.”

  She reached over to shake his hand. Reed got up and walked around the desk to where she was standing. Sophie felt a zing of awareness when he closed his big, warm hand around hers and shook it. For a moment, he continued to hold on while staring down into her eyes. Reed gave a sexy grin, knowing very well that he hadn't let go yet.

  “See you tomorrow, Sophie.”

  She looked down and realized that she hadn't let go either. Slipping her hand free, Sophie stepped back and headed for the door. “Okay then, it's a date. Um, not that it's a date, right? Well, you know what I mean. That works. See you then.”

  * * * *

  Reed sat down with a sigh. Of course he'd take the job. He'd be a fool not to. Working in the bakery would give him a prime opportunity to get closer to Sophie. The construction was miniscule compared to all of the other projects taking up his time. After the crazy week he'd had, Reed considered this as good as a mini vacation. The only snag he could see was figuring out how the hell to talk Ben into going along with it.

  * * * *

  The next morning, Reed went into work feeling relieved that the Falls Condos project was running smoothly again. He was still getting used to managing the company. Jack had stayed on long enough to ensure that Reed knew what he was doing. He did, but he still wanted help managing the increasing workload.

  When he came home from the Navy, he thought Keith would want to be involved with the business side of construction. To his surprise, his brother told Reed that he wanted no part in that aspect of the company. Keith was more of a hands-on, let's get to building something, type of worker. Reed respected that, but had a suspicion that Keith was selling himself short. He was more than muscle.

  As luck would have it, his friend, Ben Carrington, had ended his enlistment not long after Reed. They both worked in the Construction Battalion so he had firsthand knowledge that Ben had enough experience. He was also willing to move to Madison Falls, claiming that it was as good a place as any to begin civilian life.