“Good idea, but you’re wrong, you know. You best get him away from here as soon as you can. That kind of thing grows on you real fast. It nearly destroyed Jake.”
“It’s not going to happen. He’s eight years old.” Sophie huffed. “Thank you very much, Wade, but you suggested bringing my son over to watch the goings’ on.”
“Sure, I did, but he was the one who asked. You agreed.”
Sophie strolled closer to the rail near where Jake watched after dismounting from the pickup horse. “Hey, Emmett, it’s time to go, buddy. Tell your friend good-bye. Thank you, Mr. Lawton, I mean Jake, for letting us watch.”
“Any time, Sophie. Hey, I bet you’ve met Beth at school, too. Sorry she isn’t home right now.” Jake ducked under the fence to wrangle in the bronc after the other pickup guy lassoed him.
“No problem, Jake.” She and Wade ambled outside. Emmett left the barn with a frown. “Thanks for letting me watch, Mr. Lawton.”
“Bye, Emmett,” yelled T.J. “Maybe your mom will bring you over again to watch me.”
“Can I, Mom?”
Sophie glanced to Wade then reluctantly said to her son, “I’m not sure. Let me think about it.”
“Aw, Mom. Dad would let me.”
Sophie came to a quick halt and frowned at Emmett. “I’m not your dad. Do not pull that on me again.”
Emmett walked on beside Wade while muttering under his breath. “Did you ever ride a bronc, Wade?”
“Yep. I sure have. Even competed in a show more than a couple times. Rode a few bulls too. I don’t like to talk about it though.” He laughed and rubbed his elbow. “It turned out bad for me.”
Chapter 8
At home and after Sophie and Emmett had showers, Emmett went to his bedroom to gather what he’d need for school on Monday. In her bedroom, she shook off a chill and lifted the top of her husband’s tough box sent from the Army. The smell alone brought tears to her eyes and an ache to her gut. She lifted out a t-shirt and held it against her chest, but immediately put it back where it had lain. Sophie closed her eyes and reminded herself to breathe. In and out. In and out.
Upon opening her eyes, her gaze settled on the envelope written in his messy and hard-to-read penmanship. The letter itself had been written legibly, as if he’d wanted to be sure she could read each word.
It was time to talk to Emmett. What if he didn’t want her to spend time with Wade? What would she do? Well, she was the adult here. She knocked before entering Emmett’s bedroom to check on his progress. “Want to read together tonight?”
“Nope. Can we go back to Wade’s sometime?”
Sophie smiled at the questioning expression on her boy’s face. Then his lips puckered together, an unconscious motion he did while waiting for her to stop lecturing him or for one of his questions to be answered. “Sure, we can. Do you mind if we talk a minute?”
“Mom, don’t.”
She sat on the edge of the standard-size bed atop the black and grey checkered bedspread. He wore one of his dad’s tan t-shirts, which hung nearly to his knees. Some nights she did too. “Don’t what?”
“Tell me to go to bed.”
“I wasn’t going to.” She held up the letter, sniffed it. “Are you in the mood for me to read this now?”
He eyed the envelope then blinked in succession, shrugging. Emmett held his hand out for it. “Can I read it myself?”
Sophie envisioned tender parts of the letter. “It’s personal to me, honey. Like yours is to you.”
He twisted the hem of the shirt up until it was a tight coil. “I understand. Do you want to read mine?”
“Maybe someday. For now, it’s still special to you.”
“It always will be.”
“I know.” Sophie’s emotions could boil over. She wanted to be conflicted, but picturing Wade’s smile wouldn’t allow her to be sorry for knowing him, liking him. “I wanted to read part of it to you. The part about him—”
“Saying you could have a boyfriend…” he said dryly.
What a smart boy. “That wasn’t his exact words. He didn’t say the word boyfriend. However, that is what he meant.” What Emmett didn’t understand was his dad wanted them to be part of a family again. For him to have a man in his life to help guide him, to answer questions his mom couldn’t. And for her?
“You want Wade to be your boyfriend.”
He hadn’t put it into a question. Instead of asking for Emmett’s permission, she said, “I like him when I never thought I’d…” How could she put this out there to a child? He widened his eyes, waiting. “It’s a possibility that he could become my boyfriend, if that’s what you want to call it.”
“I think he already is. Will you marry him?”
She sighed. “It’s too early to talk about marrying anyone.” Sophie stood to fluff up his pillow and turned the blanket down. “You had a big attitude today at Wade’s house. Did it bother you to be there?”
Emmett stood abruptly. “I didn’t want you to treat me like a baby. You want him to think I’m a baby so I can’t do things with him?”
He shocked her. She never would’ve thought of that. “No, of course not. I’m sorry.” She hugged him, whispering, “I didn’t know you’d want to do anything with him.”
“Maybe I do. I’m not a baby. I miss Dad. He’d shoot hoops and horseback ride with me. I helped him work on his truck. We worked on it together to make it work right for you when Dad got deployed. He showed me how to change a tire and check the oil. He didn’t want it to break down on us.” Emmett’s voice wavered.
She was surprised he’d remembered. Tears wouldn’t stay back. “Oh, Emmett. I’m so sorry we no longer have Daddy.” Her strength dissipated as she sniffled. “You know, Dad wouldn’t care if you—” She could say that his dad wouldn’t care if he did things with Wade. Rhett had wanted Emmett to move on too. What a good father Rhett had been. Her heart broke for her son.
“What, Mom? Dad wouldn’t care what?”
“Daddy wanted you to move on and enjoy life.”
“I know. He told me in the letter. I don’t really know what that means though.”
She held him tight, but he wriggled away and got under the cover. “He meant that he didn’t want you to stop living—to stop having fun—because he’s no longer here to be your dad.”
“I know that.”
She sat beside him and feathered her fingers through his thick hair. “Knowing and understanding is too different things. Could you get used to the idea of me…dating?”
He shrugged. “You already are. It’s okay if you date Wade. He’s nice. I don’t like your friend, Tim.”
“I know you don’t like him, but he’s only a friend from high school. Just so you know, no one will ever steal me away from you. You hold a special place in my heart and always will, but I have a big heart son, and one day, I’ll have room for someone else.”
“Make it Wade. I like him a lot. He has a cool house. And horses and an office and three barns. Oh, and a classic car!”
Sophie laughed through misted eyes. “Two are his work barns.”
“I don’t care. I hope he finds his video games. I’m tired, Mom. I’m going to sleep now. I don’t like school. Can I go to the school where you work?”
That covered a lot in a few sentences. “All your friends are here, sweetheart. You’ve been friends with some of them since we moved here more than three years ago.”
“Uh uh. If you marry Wade I’ll get to go to that school. I saw you kissing him. You’ll probably marry him.”
Sophie stretched to turn on the low-lit lamp on his dresser. “Don’t say that anymore. We barely know each other.”
“I know you like him. You smile a lot when Wade’s around. He does too.”
She mussed up the front of his hair. “Yeah, buddy? So do you.”
Emmett grinned.
Sophie leaned over to kiss his forehead and tuck him in tight. “Good night, my darlin’.”
“Night. I love you.�
��
“I love you, too, baby, I mean son.” Sophie smiled.
She left the door opened a few inches. In the kitchen, she fixed a cup of decaf tea and took it into the living room. Emmett didn’t know he’d been conflicted. One minute he wanted her to be with Wade. She saw it in his eyes that he was not so sure the next minute. Her dad had the TV on to baseball. Had Wade sat in front of the game tonight? She plopped down and picked up her eReader, but she couldn’t focus on the words.
“What’s up, darlin’. I saw you and your boy talking. How did it go today?”
Sophie sighed, brought her legs up, and folded them. Her eyes filled with tears again. At times like this she missed her mom and needed her logic. “I don’t know. The day was fine. We had a good time.”
“My grandson like’s what’s his name, huh?”
She snatched a tissue and blew. “Wade Emory. Emmett says he does. He’s lonely for a dad. He caught us kissing, but we didn’t try to hide it.”
“If Wade didn’t come away with a black eye or bruised chin bone, I’d say the boy likes him a lot.” Aaron lowered the volume on the TV. “Is he dad material?”
Sophie lifted her eyes to his and answered to the best of her knowledge. “I don’t know. He likes kids. I told Emmett about the letter Rhett had written me. Do you think Rhett meant what he’d said?”
He scratched his head. “Put yourself in his shoes.” Aaron muted the volume on the TV during a commercial. “What if it was you who’d been deployed knowing any day could be your last. What would you have said to Rhett?”
“I’d want him to move on and be happy. I’d want Emmett to have a mom…but I’d be so jealous and sad, though it would be the right thing to say.” She closed her eyes and lay her head back. What a revelation. Rhett couldn’t have had an easy time of writing those words, either. Her heart broke to picture him thinking of she and Emmett in a future without him.
“Thought so.” He turned the volume back up. After a few minutes into the game, he did a fist pump into the air. “Homerun!”
Sophie rose and hugged her dad. “Good night. Enjoy your game.”
“Sophie, girl. It’ll all work out. Maybe…” He brought his arms into a big circle and released them as if letting go of a balloon. “Maybe this was all meant to happen. Think positive. You’ve been alone a long time. Sweet dreams.”
She strolled into the bedroom with her tea and eReader, but she turned off the tablet. She dimmed the light beside her chair and curled up, sipping her tea. Sophie removed the letter from her back pocket and set it on the table. It was much easier when all she had to do was get up and mourn the loss of her true love. Now, she shivered and shuddered at the thought of how her body reacted to another man’s even when they were apart. If she hadn’t known better, she’d swear she teetered on falling in love.
A knock disturbed her thoughts. “Who is it?”
“Can I come in, Mom?”
“Of course.” He entered, and she asked him what was wrong.
“Can I stay with you a little while?”
Sophie stood and pulled the cover down. “Come on. Get in my bed and snuggle. I’ll be right back.” She strode into his bedroom for the book they’d been reading. She came back and changed into pajamas in her bathroom. Emmett lay beneath the covers with his hands behind his head when she returned, and he stared at the ceiling. She tucked the cover around him, fluffed her pillow, and sat on top of her bedspread against the four-poster headboard. “Let’s see now, where were we?”
“They rounded up the last wild mustang. Remember? After they were stolen from the reserve?”
“Oh, yes, here we are.” She continued to read for twenty-minutes. Sophie glanced at her son’s long lashes, his eyes closed in sleep. She gingerly kissed his cheek, put the bookmark in the book, and turned off the light. She tiptoed to the door and peered back. She shuffled into his bedroom and crawled under the sheet. Maybe she’d sleep better in this bed, anyway. She set the alarm on her phone, but before putting it on the table, she sent a text to Wade: Good night. Thanks for the lovely day.
After work tomorrow, she’d rearrange her bedroom and order new curtains and bedspreads for her and Emmett’s rooms. It was time for both of them to have a change. A notification chimed on her phone when she was almost asleep. She picked it up to see a reply from Wade: The pleasure was all mine. Feeling better now?
After a moment’s thought, she replied: I’m sorry for jumping on you about my last name and the bronc riding thing with my boy. I’m afraid of something happening to him and the rest of my family. They’re all I have.
He replied immediately: I get that. Sleep well. I can’t wait to see you again.
She smiled while typing: Same here.
***
Before settling in, Wade shoved his phone into his pocket and went out to check the horses and fill water buckets. He gave each one a pat, saying, “Sleep tight, dudes,” before closing the stable door. He had a message alert on the way in. A warm feeling spread over him to think Sophie replied again, and instead of a text, he’d call to hear her voice one more time before the night ended, but it wasn’t a text from Sophie.
Cynthia’s name caught him off guard. Where was she? What did she want? He read: Hi, Cowboy. It’s been a long time. I’ve missed you.”
He scrubbed his hand over his face. What was he supposed to do about her missing him? She’d dropped him like a hot horseshoe before shipping out. With Sophie in the picture now or not, it was just as well they’d cut it off. He replied with a simple: Howdy. He’d not encourage anything. It was over, but then his phone rang, and it was her. “Hey.”
“How are you, Wade?”
He blinked slowly. “I’m tired, Cynthia. It’s been a long day. I’m going to bed.” Shit. Her voice still sounded like he’d remembered.
“I’m sorry. I would’ve called earlier, but—”
Wade got up and paced to the front door, locking it before straddling a dining room chair backwards. “What do you want?”
“Ah… To talk? It seems like forever since I’ve heard your voice.”
Wade dropped his head to his folded arm across the back of the chair. “It has been forever. You left a long time ago.”
“I didn’t think I’d miss you so much. So many times I wanted to call.”
But you didn’t. “I’ve been real busy now that I’m in business with Jake, plus keeping up my own place.”
“I’d like to see you. I’m not far from your place while visiting my cousin, but I’ll be leaving in a few days. I’m getting a promotion. I’d like you to be there.”
Holy hell. That wasn’t going to happen. “Where’s your cousin live?”
“Apache Junction. She said it was close to you.”
He rolled his eyes. “It is.”
“She moved here recently for a job relocation. Remember I had a cousin in Northern Arizona? This is her.”
Nope, he didn’t remember. “That’s fantastic. Look, I’m not going to have time to go to Nevada, Cynthia. Congratulations, though. What rank?”
“Technical Sergeant. The next step is a senior non-commissioned officer.”
“Good for you. You’ve earned it after all the time you’ve been in the military. I won’t be able to make it. Ah, I hope you have time to find someone to escort you.” Now he got why she called him. She was practically next door.
“Of course, I do, but I hoped it would be you.”
Wade hesitated. Why? “Listen, I gotta go. You take care. Congrats again.”
“But, Wade…”
He sighed away from the phone. “What is it?”
“We…we were so close—”
“I would’ve laid money on your moving on by now, Cynthia.”
“Well…”
Damn her all to hell. “Good night.”
It wasn’t like she couldn’t have talked to him during her deployment. She’d had plenty of time to contact him since she’d arrived home, if she’d missed him so damn much. Three years, in
fact. Yeah, he’d missed her—missed being the key word. No way was she falling back on good old Wade. Nope. Besides, he had a connection with Sophie he couldn’t explain, and he couldn’t lose that. He didn’t want to deal with anything else tonight.
***
While at work, Wade told the ranch hands Jake was out of town for an auction to see about bringing home another bronco. Jake promised a couple of his friends who worked for stock contractors, he’d keep an eye out for what they wanted in a bucking horse. Wade rushed to his office when his phone rang.
“Wade, I need a favor.”
Brenna sounded frantic. “What’s wrong? What do you need? Something happen to one of your kids?”
“No. Can you go to our house and get Jaelle’s medicine? I can’t get a hold of anybody else. It’s like they all disappeared. Jase is at an auction.”
“Well, yeah, I guess.”
“I forgot to bring it with me this morning. She’s been fighting strep throat and was just allowed to come back to school. I want to keep her medicine on schedule. I’m stuck with detention for lunch so I can’t leave.”
“How do I get in your house? Where can I find the meds, and what’s it called? Where do I take it?”
“Oh, thank you. I owe you a home-cooked dinner. Bring Sophie. I’ll let you know.” She told him where to find the key and medicine. “Bring it to the office at school. Say you’re dropping it off for Jaelle. Oh, she needs to take it when you arrive.”
Great. He didn’t want to run into Sophie, though it’d be a turn on to see her in her work environment. Wade checked out his dirty work clothes. “I’ll be there as soon as I can. I have to tell the guys I’m leaving.”
“I appreciate your help, Wade.”
“Yep.” He trod into the office to put a button-up shirt over his dirty t-shirt. He washed his hands then rounded up the guys to tell them he’d be gone about an hour. He loved razzing them… “Don’t get into trouble while I’m gone.” He hopped into his truck and drove to Brenna’s.
He found the medicine where Brenna said it would be. Wade hit the highway and turned off on the road leading to the school. He entered the office, never expecting to see Sophie at the counter writing on a pink form.
Hooked By Sundown (Canyon Junction: Hearts In Love Book 3) Page 11