"Finally, the man speaks," Desiree taunted.
Sophie had to laugh at the look on his face. He didn't seem to realize he'd been brooding.
"I speak way too much," he covered. "I was giving Sophie free rein."
"If you two didn't have callers, your show would have been nothin' but dead air today. You don't have a speck of chemistry goin'."
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"What's your solution, Desiree?" It was a trademark question of Sophie's. When a rant began to go too far or get redundant, she tried to make the caller productive. In this case, she wanted to get some advice from her "expert" caller.
"Go on a date or something."
"We have," Parker said, surprising Sophie again. "I took her out to dinner with my nephews, and we had pizza at her place one night, and last night we went to Morgan's."
"Don't forget the lawn party at your dad's on the Fourth,"
Sophie added, then wondered if she shouldn't. If Parker wanted to keep it secret.
Like anything was going to be secret in their lives from now on.
Stevie was going to be delighted.
They started the first rave hour and fielded a flurry of calls about their "new" relationship. Most just expressed generic delight. Some got specific. Some got too specific.
"How's Parker in the sack?" one cheeky twenty-something asked Sophie.
"When we enter the sack race at the county fair, I'll let you know."
The next caller, male, commiserated with Parker. "Sorry, man. I'd have never guessed she was frigid."
That made them both laugh and share one of those significant glances. The tightness in Sophie's chest eased. If he could laugh with her about it, maybe he wasn't about to run.
They wrapped the show with a caller who urged them to keep their privacy.
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"Lucy, you do realize we're on the radio? After today, we'll have no privacy. And with that, we must say goodbye."
Sophie and Parker wrapped the show and urged them to listen again. As they gathered their things and turned the studio over to Frank, Parker's wireless phone rang. Sophie turned toward her cubicle, but the look on Parker's face stopped her.
"I'm so sorry, Diane." He paused. "I'll tell the boys. Let me know if you need anything. I will." He clicked the phone shut.
Sophie was stunned to see tears in his eyes.
"Trina?"
He nodded. "She died this morning."
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CHAPTER 13
Parker drew a ragged breath and tried to say more, but his voice caught. Sophie reached up and pulled him to her.
"I'm so sorry."
He pressed his face to her neck and wrapped his arms tighter around her waist, then let go.
"I have to go tell the boys."
"I'll go with you." She dumped her stuff in her cubicle and rejoined him.
He laced his fingers through hers and kissed her lightly.
"Thank you."
When they got to Mare's, it was obvious Parker's sister had arrived home only minutes before. A spilled backpack lay in the middle of the living room floor. Two pairs of sneakers pointed in four different directions. Mare wore cotton shorts and a rumpled silk blouse and was shouting at Timmy to pick up his stuff.
"I'm sorry for our timing," Parker told her. "I have something to tell the boys."
"Couldn't it have waited?" Mare shoved her hair off her forehead and waved a hand around. "You know what things are like this time of day."
"No, it couldn't have waited. I was supposed to take them to see Trina tomorrow."
His quiet voice alerted her. "Oh." Her hand pressed against her mouth. "Oh, Parker." She fell against his chest and he squeezed her gently.
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Sophie couldn't swallow the lump in her throat. "I'll just..."
She motioned toward the books and papers on the floor, then knelt to start picking them up.
"Boys!" Mare shouted. "Parker's here!" The boys raced into the room, falling all over each other to hug Uncle Parker and their "Aunt" Sophie. Josh leapt at her so enthusiastically she wound up sitting on the floor. Her knowledge of what was coming tempered her delight at their happiness to see her.
"Hey, guys, we've got to talk." Parker sat on the couch with Timmy. Mare sat next to him, then jumped back to her feet.
"I'll get something to drink," she managed to say.
Josh hung an arm over Sophie's shoulder and turned to look at his uncle. She liked his weight on her lap, so she crossed her legs under her full skirt and stayed where she was.
"You guys knew Trina was pretty sick, right?"
"Yeah, her heart was givin' up on her," Josh said. "She hasn't been in school all week."
"Longer than that," Timmy corrected with the scorn of an older brother.
Parker put his arm around his nephew. "Trina's not sick anymore. She died this morning."
Sophie waited for outbursts or questions. Timmy looked solemn and suddenly very grown up, but not like he was going to get upset. "She's better now."
Parker's face rippled as if he was trying to keep it from crumpling. "Yes, she's better now." Timmy nodded, but Sophie felt Josh tense.
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"You mean she's gone? She's never coming back?"
"I'm sorry, son. She's never coming back."
Josh turned and buried his head in Sophie's chest. She held him while he shook, and felt her heart break. She didn't know Trina but she knew these boys, and she knew the pain they were in.
Josh only cried for a moment. Mare re-entered the room, her composure intact. She reached for her youngest, but he shook his head and held on to Sophie. Mare quirked a brow at her. She shrugged, but was pleased he sought comfort from her.
"Tell me about your friend Trina," she said softly. Timmy and Parker were having a quiet discussion about death. She thought maybe Josh needed to concentrate on life.
"She was real sweet, wasn't she, Mom?" He looked up, and Mare sat next to them on the floor.
"Yes, Josh, she was. Tell Aunt Sophie about the lollipops."
Josh twisted in Sophie's lap. "Trina's mom had ta go to the bank every day. You know, for work? And she always got lollipops from the ladies there." He looked at Mare.
"The tellers," she supplied.
"Yeah, the tellers. They gave her these red lollipops just nearly every day. But she always saved them until she had enough for our whole class, then shared."
"Wow. That was sweet." Sophie regretted that she'd never had an opportunity to know the little girl who had such heart, even as her heart was failing. "What did she like to do?"
"Well, her favoritest thing was climbing trees. Timmy and me used ta help her, until her Mommy said she was too weak.
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Then she liked to draw a lot." He wriggled off Sophie's lap and got to his feet. "Wait here." He held up one finger, then turned and ran down the hall.
"Thank you for coming with Parker," Mare murmured. "It's really helping the boys."
"I'm just listening."
"It's enough. I already know everything about Trina.
You're someone new to tell." She smiled sadly. "I wish they didn't have to deal with this so young."
"They're handling it very well," Sophie commented. Timmy seemed to be talking about baseball now, judging by the way he kept swinging his fists. "They're obviously secure, and were prepared for this."
"I tried. They handle things better when they know they're coming."
Josh ran back into the room carrying a large piece of white drawing paper. "This is the last picture Trina drew me." He held it up. I
n one upper corner was a rainbow, the sun in the other. On the bottom were two figures that Sophie assumed were Timmy and Josh. A brown blob was on the grass next to the smaller boy. Between the rainbow and sun was a golden-haired angel hanging from wires.
"That's Trina." Josh pointed at the angel. "She told me she was gonna be watching us from heaven."
"She was right." Sophie studied the picture. "She was an excellent artist. What's that?" She pointed at the brown blob.
Josh grinned sheepishly. "That's my dog."
Sophie looked around. "Where is Moose?"
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"He's at the vet," Mare explained. "You know." She made a scissors motion.
"He needs to have serg-jery so he can't make puppies."
Josh frowned. "I miss him."
Sophie looked at Mare. "Well, if it's okay, maybe you and Timmy would like to come help me take care of Hippo tonight.
He'd love to have some boys to play with. I'm boring."
"Yeah! Can we, Mom, please?"
Mare looked grateful. "If it's okay with Sophie, it's fine with me."
"We should check with Parker. I rode with him again."
Josh ran over to ask, and Mare thanked her again.
"You look like you need a break," Sophie said.
"Oh, boy, do I. Two hours of silence will recharge me for months. Thank you."
"How about we do dinner again, too?" Parker asked, standing with Josh in his arms.
"Okay, but let me cook. I had some hamburger defrosting for tacos." Sophie stood, too, and straightened her skirt.
Mare hugged her and whispered, "I can't wait until you're my sister."
Sophie started to protest, but Parker began to herd them out the door.
She tried to ignore Mare's statement but could think of nothing else, even while the boys chattered in the back seat.
They stopped at the station again to get her car, then followed her home. The whole time all she could do was wonder what would make Mare say that. Could she see something when he looked at her? Did he act differently?
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When they got to the condo, she assigned the boys to take Hippo out to do his business, then to feed him and play while she cooked. As predicted, the tiny dog shook with delight at having playmates.
"Shoo!" Sophie yanked open the sliding door. "He's going to have an accident."
Parker followed her into the kitchen after kids and dog had tumbled outside. "He does okay while you're at work?"
Sophie snorted. "He has the bladder of a ... well, a miniature dachshund. I have a neighbor kid who lets him out twice a day when I'm not here." She pulled the ground beef, lettuce, tomato, and cheddar from the refrigerator. "He also has a papered area in the utility room if I don't get home in time."
Parker took the tomato and cheese from her and set them on the table. "He uses it?"
She handed him a knife. "He has, twice so far. He's a smart dog." She was about to bite the bullet and bring up ...
what? The impact of their lovemaking that afternoon?
Parker's panic when he saw in Sophie's face what he meant to her? When he knew what she meant to him? But the boys rushed back in before she could say anything. Hippo collapsed on his mat in the corner, panting, so she put Timmy to work shredding cheddar cheese and got Josh to tear some lettuce.
They talked about softball leagues and the Boston Red Sox, and the field trips Timmy was taking with his day care summer camp.
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canine clippery. "An' we go to the park on Mondays." He glanced at Timmy out of the corner of his eye. "Trina really liked the park."
He knew his brother well. Timmy's lips tightened and he concentrated on grating, making each stroke long and slow.
Josh continued, "Sometimes after school when Uncle Parker picks us up, he takes us and Trina to the park to wait for her mom. I taught Trina to do the monkey bars. Now she does them all the way herself."
Timmy slammed his block of cheese on the table. "No, she doesn't! She doesn't do anything! She's dead, Josh, so you can't talk about her!" He turned and ran from the room.
Parker sighed and looked after him. "I thought he handled it too well when we first told him."
"Do you want me to go talk to him?"
Parker kissed Sophie's worried brow. "No, thank you. I'll go. I knew her." She nodded in her understanding and Parker went in search of Timmy.
He found him in the corner of Sophie's spare room, huddled on the floor with Hippo in his lap. Parker hadn't even seen the dog leave the kitchen.
He positioned himself on the floor next to Timmy and just sat for a minute, letting the boy gather his thoughts.
"It's hard losing someone you love," Parker finally said.
"Even when you know it's going to happen."
Timmy nodded. His right hand kept stroking the little dog's back. Hippo rested his chin on the boy's left arm. "It's not fair. Trina was a good person. So's her mom. So why does it hafta happen to her?"
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Hoo, boy. Zero right in on the hard stuff. He hoped he could find the right thing to say.
"No one knows, Tim. It happens a lot in life. I can't tell you it won't happen again. I'm sorry you have to see it happen now."
Timmy pressed his hand to his chest. "It hurts here when I remember her. She loved leaves. She collected them last fall.
Different colors and shapes. She gave me a collage." His voice broke. "I threw it away." He leaned against Parker and cried. Parker held him until he stopped.
"You know, Tim, that Trina's body wasn't working right.
She was suffering because of that."
"Because she couldn't climb trees and stuff."
Parker knew getting tired easily was only one of the effects of Trina's failing heart, but Timmy didn't need to know that.
"Now she doesn't need a body to climb trees. She's not too tired or having a hard time breathing. So maybe death isn't punishment for her spirit. Maybe it's a reward." Parker cringed at his own words and hoped Timmy didn't think they were as lame as he did.
The boy was silent for a long time. "Her death isn't a reward for me. It hurts." He turned anguished eyes up to Parker. "Am I being punished?"
"No, no." Parker tightened his hold. "Everyone dies, Timmy. Some people live to an old age. Some don't." He struggled to find the right words. "Would you rather not have known Trina? Then you wouldn't hurt when she died."
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"No! I'm glad I knew her, even if it hurts now." He thought a minute. "It won't hurt forever. Then I'll just smile when I think of her."
After a few minutes, Timmy stood. "Thanks, Uncle Parker."
"You're okay now?"
He shrugged. "I'll be sad sometimes, but happy sometimes, too. I'm glad she was my friend for a little while.
It's too lonely not to have friends."
Parker sat in the bedroom for a few minutes after Timmy headed back to the kitchen. He felt like a coward. He was falling in love with Sophie and running from it like a child—no, not like a child, as Timmy had demonstrated. He was just running.
He was going to stop that right now.
* * * *
Dinner went well. The boys declared the tacos delicious, and there were no more bouts of melancholy. Parker watched Sophie interact with the boys, pictured her as the mother of his children, and felt no twinges of panic.
Mare came by at eight, just as they finished cleaning up.
"Mom!" The boys rushed to hug her legs and waist, and she grinned, obviously pleased.
"I was afraid you two w
ould want to leave me for your Uncle Parker and Aunt Sophie."
Josh frowned at his mother. "They don't live together, Mom."
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Heaven forbid went through Parker's mind before he could stop it. Habit, he realized, because the thought of living with Sophie wasn't abhorrent. Scary, but not abhorrent.
"I was going to bring them home," Parker told his sister.
"I know. I thought you might appreciate being able to stay here, instead." She winked and Sophie blushed. Parker grinned.
"You can practically read my mind, sis."
"Okay, you ragamuffins. Say goodbye to Hippo and Sophie and let's go. You need baths."
They protested all the way out the door. Hippo had disappeared at the word "bath." Parker sighed and pulled Sophie to him.
"Silence. Privacy. I wonder what we can do with those?"
He bent his head and kissed her slowly.
"Mmmm. I can think of a few things." Sophie pressed her lips to his neck. Parker had started to sink into the realm of sensation when she pulled back. "Like talk."
"No." He thrust one hand into her hair and held her in place while he plundered her mouth. "Not that."
"Okay."
He liked her breathlessness and the fact that he left her quivering with one good kiss. "Okay."
* * * *
Sophie couldn't help herself—she looked at the clock. Ten fifteen. She wondered how much longer she had before Parker panicked again and left her.
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Right now, he seemed content to draw lazy circles on her skin, taking occasional nips at her shoulder or the top of her breast. She was completely sated and couldn't even muster the energy to lift her hand to his shoulder.
"Do we need to talk now?" she asked. She was afraid of the answer, but liked not knowing even less.
Parker's smile was reassuring. "No, we don't need to talk. I think we should just see where this leads us."
"Where do you want it to lead us?"
He shook his head. "Not even that much talking, Soph. I have no idea. This is all new to me."
Sophie liked that, so she left it alone.
Parker bent to kiss her again and she reveled in the heat of his mouth. He smelled so good she was afraid he was like an addictive drug to her system.
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