“What?”
Wade stood abruptly and clasped his hands behind his head. He turned his back to her. “I don’t know where that came from. I didn’t plan it.” He dropped into the chair across from her and leaned forward. “I can’t stand when we’re apart. What a damn wimp I’ve turned into.”
“Stop. You’re a brave man. I want to be with you. It feels so right when we’re together.”
Plain and simple. Here it comes. Words he never expected to say had a will of their own. “It’s right when you’re here. It’s wrong when you’re not.”
Sophie sat silent.
“Forget I said that. I don’t know what got into me.” Wade sauntered back to the kitchen. “How’s it going, Emmett.”
“I’m done.” He raised his voice. “Ma, I’m done.”
Sophie came in and looked over his shoulder. In a few moments, she pointed at the paper. “Don’t forget the date. Good job, son.” She kissed the top of his head.
Wade smiled when she called him son. She glanced at him and smiled herself, for whatever that meant.
Sophie looked at the time on the stove. “Do you have anything to do tonight? Should we leave? Have you eaten?”
“No and no, but yeah, I’ve eaten. He looked down at his shirt. “Can’t you tell?” He chuckled. “I’m sorry. I’ll go change.” On the way out of the kitchen, he said, “You’re welcome to hang out. Should I call for a carryout? I’ll be needing a shower though if y’all are getting close to me.”
Sophie laughed and glanced at his t-shirt. “We ate on the way.”
Emmett waved his hand in front of his face. “Phew, good idea. Get a shower, Wade.” Then he grinned. “Just kiddin’. Can we work on your car if you’re already dirty?”
Sophie smiled. “Hey, Emmett, guess what? Wade told me he hooked up video games.”
He dropped his book and notebook into his backpack on the floor, then his feet left the ground when he jumped up. “Can I play? Will you play with me, Wade?”
“Last one to the loft is a lame donkey.” Wade left the kitchen in a run, Emmett right behind, giggling and slipping in his stocking feet. He beat Emmett upstairs but went into his bedroom. “Let me change my shirt first.”
Chapter 13
Sophie joined them in the loft where they were on the floor in front of the couch with controllers in their hands. Wade now wore a light blue shirt. She brought her hand to her mouth at the sight of them together. If not for Wade’s height and longer hair, this could’ve been Rhett and Emmett. She paced to the large window facing the deck to regroup, first observing the cloudless sky with blends of azure and cerulean next to the dry Sonoran sand. Sophie peered over her shoulder at the two of them. This was a new day. A new life. She strolled back to stand behind the couch.
He nudged Emmett in the shoulder. “This is an old game, but still fun. Bet I’ll beat ya.”
“Uh uh, I’m good at this one. My Uncle Clay plays this with me.” Emmett tilted his head and made a quick move with the controller. “He used to. Mom plays sometimes.”
Wade gave her a quick glance. “She does, huh? I’ll have to get her over here one day to see if I can beat her.”
“She’s good for a girl.” Emmett giggled.
“Hey, my son, who said females can’t be good at video games?”
“Your mom was real good at climbing rocks yesterday. You should’ve seen her, Emmett. I’m taking you up there one of these days. You afraid of heights?”
“Nope. I’m concentrating. You’re trying to make me lose.”
Her insides glowed brighter tonight to see the two of them laughing together. Emmett was comfortable with Wade, and the other way around. Their nights could be like this in the future, but one other little boy was missing. Would Wade be interested in spending time with his own child? Did she want to be a stepmom? Though this thinking ventured too far into the future, if that scenario played out, she’d be as good a stepmom to Noah as her stepdad had been to her. She got a little ahead of herself, but…she wanted this. Sophie peered out the window again. “Do you mind if I go out on the deck?”
“Go right ahead. My bed isn’t made. I probably have clothes on the floor.”
“You might see skid marks, Mom.” Emmett howled.
“Hey, kiddo, I don’t leave dirty underwear on the floor and neither should you.” He said to Sophie, “The bathroom downstairs is cleaner. Use that one if you need to.” He poked Emmett in the side. “Hear that, kiddo?”
“I hear ya. Don’t mess me up. Yay! Ha-ha, I won.”
“You did. I have a game on here you can play by yourself. I’m going on the deck with your mom.” Wade got up and took Sophie’s hand. They went through his bedroom toward the door opening to the deck. Sophie stopped him at the bed. She cocked her head toward it. “I don’t want to wait anymore.”
Wade glanced at the bed. “Do you mean what I think you mean?”
She squeezed his hand. “If you’re thinking I want to be in that bed with you, then yes.”
Wade drew in a big breath then let it out. “When?”
“Soon?”
“Yeah, real soon. Let’s hit the deck.” Outside, he slipped his arm around her waist at the railing. “I haven’t mentioned it yet, but I invited Cynthia over Saturday so I can spend some time with Noah. I want you and Emmett here. I plan on going all the way with this fatherhood thing. If he’s mine.”
“You should stop saying if, Wade, honey. The boy is the spitting image of you.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, he’s kinda cute.”
“He’s adorable. Why do you want me here? Won’t it be uncomfortable for everyone?”
“We have to get used to this situation. I’m sorry, I’m assuming too much. I’m unsure if you want any part of this now after you’ve had time to think about it. You’re welcome to be here if you want. You don’t have to be jealous of her. She’s engaged, so Noah has another man in his life, but I’m his father…well…you know… Maybe.”
Sophie moved away from him. “You don’t hear anything I say, do you. I said it wasn’t a problem. If he’s your child, I accept that. Look at you. You’re already attached to him. I couldn’t stand in the way of that. You took to my son right off. Don’t you think I notice how you are with him? Why wouldn’t I be the same with your child?”
“I thought you didn’t have any kids, Wade?”
“Emmett, that’s rude,” Sophie said when Emmett came all the way out the door. “You’re too nosy.”
“No, I’m not, Mom. Wade said he didn’t have kids.”
Wade faced him. “Well, son…Emmett—”
Sophie tried to cut it off until they knew for sure. “Are you done playing? We should head home.”
In the bedroom, Sophie told Emmett to go get his backpack together. She tugged Wade’s hand to stop him. Emmett exited and ran downstairs. “He has a sleepover Saturday night.”
“Oh? What are you saying?” Wade had a smug grin on his face.
Sophie stood on her tiptoes and gave him a desire-filled kiss while edging him back toward the bed. “Should I put it in writing for you?”
Wade ran the back of his hand down the front of her neck and over one breast. “Yeah, I like to read dirty stuff like that.”
“Humph. Saturday, our needs will be met, again…and again. I won’t have to go home that night.”
Grinning, Wade raised his hand high. “High five, Ms. Price-Daniels.”
Sophie slapped his hand and gave him a genuine smile. She turned to leave, but Wade caught her hand. “What I said earlier? Maybe you can at least picture it? A tomorrow for all of us?”
She shook her hand free and inched backward toward the bedroom door. She grinned.
“Mom, I’m ready.” His voice drifted up from the bottom of the stairs.
“I’m coming, honey.” She poked her head back in Wade’s bedroom. “You coming, Cowboy?”
“Oh, yeah. If only you knew the extent.” He lifted her off her feet and kissed her. “You’ll be al
l mine again, Saturday night. This week better fly by.” He lowered her to the floor.
“How about I come over Saturday afternoon after I drop off Emmett? Why confuse him about Noah until you know for sure? We’ll find a way to explain. I hope he doesn’t start asking about the birds and the bees.”
“What’s wrong with the birds and the bees?” He stared down his nose at her and glanced back at the bed.
“For us? Not one thing. For a nine-year-old? You wanna explain it to him?”
“Um, no.” He shrugged. “Maybe.”
“Ma? Come on.”
Sophie headed downstairs ahead of Wade. “Okay, let’s go. Do you have everything?”
“Duh. So long, Wade. Don’t practice the game without me.”
Wade followed them to her truck. When they’d met, he barely smiled in the beginning, but she understood why. Now, his smile was fresh and pure. He put his hand on her back and slid his fingers into her back pocket.
A streak of heat charged throughout her body at the warmth of his hand through the denim. “Night, honey.” Love was acknowledged now, though it surprised her how it subtly crept in on her. She’d fallen in love with him. Deep inside Sophie knew Rhett would approve of a man who cared for his child. She’d always love Rhett, and there would always be memories, but each day took her a little farther away from their days together.
***
On the way home, Emmett brought up what he’d heard about Wade having a kid. Sophie dreaded this topic with her growing boy. “I don’t know how to explain this to you so you’ll understand.”
“So, he does have a kid? Why did he lie?”
Holy jeez, she didn’t want him to think Wade had lied. “I’ll try to explain the best I can. Wade used to have a girlfriend, but she hasn’t been his girlfriend for a long time. Oh, Emmett, this will be hard to comprehend. You shouldn’t have been listening to a private conversation. Wade didn’t lie to you. When you asked the first time, he didn’t know that his girlfriend had a baby and didn’t tell him.” Sophie wiped her sweaty hands on her jeans. That was worse than explaining the birds and the bees. How long before she’d have to do that?
“I don’t get it. Why would she lie to him? How did she have his baby if she wasn’t married to him? Is he mad?”
“Yes, he was mad for not knowing. It wasn’t a lie but a secret. Honey…” She gripped the steering wheel tighter. “We would’ve told you once we knew for sure, so no one held it back from you on purpose.”
Emmett frowned. “You’re right. I don’t understand. Knew for sure? What does that mean?”
“Would you like it if he had a kid around?”
Emmett shrugged. “I guess. If you got married I’d be a big brother.”
Luckily, she cruised past his complicated question. Emmett’s frown turned to a smile, and she relaxed a bit more. It might come up again when they met Noah, but for now she couldn’t say more. She hoped it went well for Wade on Saturday when Cynthia brought his son over. Now, she hoped Noah was his after explaining this to her boy.
A glimmer of jealousy nipped at her psyche, albeit, Cynthia had a fiancé. Yet, she and Wade shared a child, a bond for the rest of their lives. Wade could say the same thing, but Sophie’s bond with her son’s father would never be in the physical picture. It made Sophie sad to think of the possibility of never having a child with Wade. “I love you, Emmett.”
He slouched in the seat but stretched to fiddle with the radio station. “I love you back. I miss Dad.”
Sophie kept her eyes on the road but drew in a silent breath. “I know. I do too.”
“Even with Wade being your boyfriend, you still miss Dad?”
Would the questions not stop tonight? “I miss the times we used to have as a family.”
“Dad was always busy.”
“He had an obligation to the military.”
Emmett kicked the dash. “I’m never going into the military.”
Sophie nearly gasped. That was all he had talked about. “How come?”
“I want to be a rancher or a bronc rider. Can I go—”
“I don’t think so.”
“You don’t know what I was going to ask. I want to watch T.J. again.”
They pulled into the driveway. “We’ll talk about it. It looks like Grandpa is still in the barn.”
“Uncle Clay’s truck is over there. See it with the hood up?” He pointed to the side of the barn.
“Hmm, maybe he’s in the garage.” Sophie took the truck out of gear and released the clutch. “Let’s see what’s going on.” Emmett ran ahead of her. Clay came to the door before they got to the barn. He said hi to Emmett then glanced at Sophie.
“Hey, sis. Where ya been. The cowboy’s place?”
“Yeah. How you doing, Clay?” The smell of alcohol came out with his words. “Where’s Dad?”
“In the house. He came out here to see what I was doing, but he got an attitude and went back in.”
“Emmett, go in with Grandpa, honey. Put your pajama’s on.” She waited until he had gone. When Emmett closed the door, she asked, “What are you doing out here?”
“Trying to get my truck running smoother. It’s the spark plugs. I thought I had a new set around here. I need to get into town, but I’m afraid she won’t make it until I get’er fixed. I have important shit to do tonight. I need my truck to get there. It’s big, sis. I have to get there.”
“Where? Can I take you?”
“No. It’s just outside of town…you know the bar… Outside of town.”
“Why not just go home? I’ll give you a lift to your house. Let me go check Emmett’s getting settled.”
Sophie left Clay wiping his greasy hands on a rag. Inside, she looked for Emmett. “Dad?”
“In here. Is your brother still out there? I couldn’t be around him full-ass drunk or stoned.”
“I know. Where’s Emmett?” A vehicle peeled out of the driveway, and she rushed to the window. “Clay took my truck! Damn him. Emmett, where are you?” She headed down the hallway to his room.
“He went to get his backpack out of your truck.”
“What? Clay took my truck. Emmett!” She searched every room in the house. “He isn’t in here.” Sophie ran outside to call for her boy. Her dad came behind her.
“Clay said he had to get to town. Emmett must’ve been getting his bag from the backseat. Why would he take him?”
“Calm down now, Sophie. He wouldn’t hurt Emmett.”
“I can’t believe he took my son and my truck.” She sniffled while wrenching her hands. “Dad, he can’t wreck Rhett’s truck! My boy. We need that truck. It’s a part of Rhett. We have to find him before he kills both of them.”
***
A half hour later, Wade got in his truck to drop off a part to a customer’s ranch some miles outside of the county. Ahead and off the road, car lights shined. He slowed. What the hell? Sophie’s truck. “Sophie? Emmett?” He turned off his truck, jumped out, and ran to the side window. Her purse was on the seat. He rushed to the front of the truck and called out, “Sophie?”
“Wade?” Emmett’s small voice came from inside the truck.
“Emmett?” Wade couldn’t get the crinkled back door opened. “Are you hurt? Where’s your mother. Sophie?” he called again.
“My leg hurts. Mom’s not here. Uncle Clay took her truck. I can’t get up and blood is on my hand.”
“Can you climb up to the front seat? Don’t move if it hurts real bad.” Wade stretched in through the window, shoved down the console, and gave Emmett a hand over it. He assisted him out the window then lifted him into his own truck. Emmett bled from the mouth. Wade took a look. “You all right? Anything else hurt? Open your mouth so I can see why you’re bleeding.” He had a cut on the side of his head.
“I bit my tongue and hit my head on a wooden box on the floor.” Emmett shook his head at Wade. “I’m not crying,” he said sniffling.
“It’s okay if you do.” Wade examined him. He’d done more t
han bite his tongue. His teeth went through his bottom lip. He got a new rag out of the tool box in the bed of his truck, wet with water from his bottle, then handed it to him. “Press this tight against your lip.” Wade dabbed at the blood on the side of his head then held the rag there. Boiling with rage inside, he asked, “Where’s your Uncle Clay?”
“He crawled out the window. He didn’t know I was here. At home, I went to get my backpack out of the backseat. Uncle Clay jumped in before I could get out, so I just laid there on the seat quiet. I flew to the floor when he hit the tree.”
“I have to call your mom.” Sophie answered with a frantic hello and went into a spiel about her son. “Hey, Sophie, stop. I have Emmett. Ah…”
“What? Did you say you have Emmett? How? Dad, Wade has Emmett. Is he okay?”
“He’s complaining about his leg hurting and has a cut on his head. He bit through his lip. He should get checked out.”
“How did you… Wh-what happened? How did you find him? Clay took off with my truck. Let me talk to him.”
“He’s not here. Emmett said Clay got out through the window. You can’t get the doors open. He rammed the truck into a tree.”
“Oh my God!”
“Let me take Emmett to get checked. You can meet me there. His head’s bleeding.”
“I am going to fucking kill my brother.”
“Not if I get to him first. I don’t know where the hell he is. Whoa, hold on.” Wade hung up and put his phone down. “Emmett, wake up.” He patted his cheeks. “Open your eyes, bud.”
“I want my mom. My head hurts.”
“Mom will meet us at the hospital.” Wade sent a text to tell Sophie that he was on his way. He fastened the seat belt around Emmett and hopped in. He glanced at Sophie’s truck and shook his head. “I have to get the keys and your mom’s purse out of the truck.” He got them and the backpack and turned off the lights. The stupid idiot! He got back in his truck, checked Emmett again, and hit the road. “Emmett, open your eyes. You can’t go to sleep. Talk to me.” Is this what it’s like to be a dad?
Hooked By Sundown (Canyon Junction: Hearts In Love Book 3) Page 18