“That’d be great. This guy has a reputation of lying. I need to know the truth before I go a step further to help him out.”
“Sure. I’ll send a text when I have news.”
“Thanks, Steve. Be safe out there.”
“Always.” Steve paused. “Hey, by the way. Who’s the fine lady you’ve been seeing. I saw you two at Rob’s Place about a month ago.”
Wade chuckled then it hit him. “You were at Rob’s Place? She’s this druggie dude’s sister.”
“Hell no! You’re kiddin’.”
“They’re nothing alike. I promise.” Sophie turned into the driveway at that moment. “Gotta go, Steve. Thanks again.” Holy shit. As far as he remembered, neither of them yelled out that loud except for Sophie telling the knocking patron to come back later.
Wade strode off the porch with a smile to open her door, but spotted Emmett’s crutches so went around to lend a hand. “How you doing, Emmett? Getting by with the crutches?” He wore the camo cap on his head, hair shooting out everywhere.
“They suck. Where have you been? You haven’t been over.” Emmett stood up outside and Wade grabbed his crutches from the back seat. “Here you go. Wow, cool brace. Um, I’ve been double busy the last few weeks.”
Emmett laughed. “Yeah, kids at school think I’m cool now. Girls carry my books. Is your kid here?”
Sophie came around the front of the truck. Wade gave her an inquisitive glance. “No, he’s gone home with his mother. He’ll be back soon. Come on, let’s go inside.”
Sophie dug into a tote bag and brought out a framed picture of Wade and Noah that she’d taken the night she’d visited. She showed Wade.
“Thanks. Wow, what a looker.”
Sophie slung her tote bag strap over her shoulder. “He’s a cute little boy.”
“Oh.” Wade chided with a smirk, “I meant me, the dad.”
Sophie grinned and poked him in the gut. “You’re right.”
Emmett rolled his eyes. “Can I have a picture with Wade, Mom?”
Wade followed behind Emmett as Sophie got a couple backpacks from the truck. He waited at the door and picked up the block of wood he’d been carving. “Hey, the floor might be a little slick for those crutches so be careful.”
“I will.” Emmett went on inside.
Wade caught the door. “We can have a picture any time you want.” Before Sophie had a chance to enter, Wade pulled her, backpacks and all, into a hug. “I missed you.”
“It’s only been a couple days.” Her mouth quirked upward. “I missed you, partner.” She attempted to go inside.
“Hold up. I have an idea. You know I want to hold you all night long, right? Well, I bought a new TV for my bedroom. A big one. The three of us can watch movies in my bed, and if we all fall asleep while watching, so be it.” He winked.
“You’ve thought of everything. Let’s give it a try, but I’m not sure Emmett will go along with it. If anything, he’ll fall asleep playing video games.”
“Hey, Emmett, how’s Friday night pizza sound?”
“Yeah! Can I go upstairs?”
“I’ll give you a hand.” Wade rushed up to open the gate then came down, offered to carry Emmett, but he’d have none of that, so Wade stayed close behind. “How’s your knee feeling?”
“It’s okay.”
Sophie waited at the bottom of the stairs. “You’ll retire the crutches in a couple more weeks, sweetie.”
“Ew, Mom. Don’t call me that. Save it for Wade’s kid.”
Sophie laughed.
***
After pizza, Sophie joined them outside at the barn to feed the horses and do a couple evening chores. She enjoyed watching Emmett help with what he could, and Wade rewarded him with a bareback ride around the ring. Her boy smiled the whole time.
After the ride, Emmett wasn’t finished yet. “Can I brush Bender now?”
Wade smiled. “Yup.”
Emmett limped around the horse and stood with most of his weight on his right leg, but he did a good job of brushing. He laughed with Wade. Pride boiled over to know her son had been so accepting. By the time they finished in the barn, Wade and Emmett both needed a shower. While Emmett washed, she and Wade waited in the bedroom.
Sophie sat on the edge of the bed, Wade on the floor in his dirty jeans. He ran a fingertip along her bare leg. The tingling sensation from a simple touch couldn’t be denied. She laid her hand on his shoulder. “Do you miss your son?”
He gazed back at her. “Yeah, it was lonesome around here when he left. You know, he gave me a good-bye kiss all on his own? The kid is smart. You should hear him talk. He’ll remain in Nevada with his grandma a week after his mom leaves. I might drive to pick him up.”
“Are you chicken to be on the plane with a toddler?” It’d be a good experience for Wade. She chuckled to herself. No, it wouldn’t if it went anything like Emmett’s first flight while they were transferred to new bases on a C-17 transport plane.
“I haven’t made up my mind one way or the other about driving or flying. Too bad you can’t come along.”
Yes, it was too bad. Sophie shuffled over to the door to listen for Emmett in the shower. He sang. She chuckled and went back to sit on the edge of the bed again and leaned forward to hug Wade. “How will his mom stay in touch with Noah?”
“Skype. She said not to expect to hear anything too soon after deploying, until she gets settled in that is. She’s afraid Noah will forget who she is.”
“It’s possible. It took a while before Emmett remembered Rhett at around the same age. It broke his heart, and mine. We skyped, too, but…” Sophie stopped talking. Luckily, the doorbell rang.
Wade got up in a rush. “I’ll get it.”
“I’m sorry for rambling about Rhett.”
He turned at the door. “I’m starving. The shower will have to be delayed until after pizza.”
“I’ll wait for Emmett.” Sophie strolled back to the bathroom. “Everything going okay, Emmett?”
“Yes, Mother. I’m getting dressed, and I’m hungry.”
“The pizza has arrived.”
Emmett opened the door with a big grin on his face. “I like this shower. See all those dials in there?”
She peeked inside then dried Emmett’s hair with a towel against his will. “Goodness, I might have to take a shower in there myself.”
“Come on.” He made it to the door before she did. At the top step, he sat on his butt, let the crutches slide, and went down that way.
“When those crutches are history, you’ll have to be careful not to damage the cartilage. Remember what the doctor said?”
“I can horseback ride and play baseball with my brace on.” At the bottom of the stairs, Emmett held up his hand toward his mom. “I’ll be careful if you let me play. Please?”
“We’ll see what the doctor says. It’ll get uncomfortable to be in that squatting position to catch, honey.”
“I’ll find out.” He rushed to the dining room table where Wade had set out plates, soda, and a bottle of wine. The smell of pizza crust, tomato, melted cheese, and garlic bread filled the room. Sophie’s tummy growled loud. No one said anything.
Emmett poured soda into a glass in front of his plate then took a slice from the small cheese pizza.
Wade pulled out a chair for her and brushed his hand forward.
Sophie smiled and took a seat. She dished out salad to everyone. Tonight, she’d skip the wine, so she poured water into her wine glass. “Mmm, the pizza smells so good.”
“Yeah, your growling stomach told us. The pizzeria is award winning. I always get it there. Enjoy.” Wade poured the wine into his glass and peered at her water. He sat then lifted his glass in a toast. “To the three of us.”
Emmett held up his glass of soda. “Don’t you mean four of us? You have a real kid now.”
She widened her eyes. “Emmett.” At least he had included himself in what he’d said. Could it be this easy for him to accept them all as a family?<
br />
Emmett wrinkled his nose in a rebuttal. “Well, he does have a real kid.”
Wade nodded to him. “You’re right, my man. Cheers to the four of us.” They tapped their glasses together before taking a drink.
“Can I polish your car?” Emmett asked between chews, tomato sauce on his mouth.
Wade seemed hesitant at first. “Yeah, sure. After dinner is fine, but the light is dim in there once the sun goes down.”
“I’m not afraid of the dark. I bet your kid is.”
Wade and Emmett’s gaze held. “He’s still kind of a baby. He might be scared. He’s not a toughie like you yet. You can teach him.”
That got a smile out of her son, but she detected a bit of sharpness in his statement about Noah. He hadn’t been around little kids much except for his cousins—her sister’s five and six-year-old daughters, and now two-year old twins—so he’d had no idea what to expect.
“How big is he?” Emmett asked after setting his glass down hard.
Wade held his palm flat to indicate Noah’s height. “About this big, I guess.”
Emmett sighed. “I didn’t know he was so little.”
“Emmett?” Sophie asked. “Didn’t you see the picture of he and Wade? Noah’s about the size of your twin—”
“I didn’t want to look,” he snapped. Emmett turned his attention to Wade. “Can we have a picture together after dinner?”
Her boy was not happy about that. She remained quiet. Wade had to answer this question.
“Yep, I’d be honored. How about out by the classic tomorrow? I’ll drive it out into the driveway.”
“Sounds fine! What does it mean, ‘you’d be honored’?” He gobbled down the last bite of pizza but cocked his head waiting for an answer as he chewed the remainder.
“Hold up, dude, I’m not eating as fast as you just to get out there, so slow down.” Wade removed another piece of pizza, took a drink of wine, and folded his arms in front of his plate. “Honored means I’d feel lucky to have a picture taken with you.”
“Really? Cool. I’ll play video games when I’m done while waiting for slow-poke you.”
Wade nodded toward the stairway. “Remember I showed you how to get it started upstairs?”
“Yes, I do, Mr. Emory.”
Sophie huffed. “Emmett, don’t be a smarty-pants.” He started to stick his tongue out at her, but her glare changed his mind. He slid the chair out. “I’m done.”
“Wait.” Sophie grabbed his hand.
“Can I be excused?”
“Yes. I’ll get your plate.”
He grabbed his crutches and hobbled upstairs.
Wade watched him walk up. “I’m worried about him going up and down. How about we put those sleeping bags and video games down here tonight, and until he gets off the crutches?”
“That sounds like a good idea. You don’t know how much I appreciate that.”
“Be ready to sleep on the floor tonight. At least it’s clean.”
Sophie glimpsed the house. Floors and tables weren’t dusty. “When do you have time to clean house?”
“I don’t. I cheat by having a housekeeper. It’s better than having a filthy place to live because I don’t have time to clean other than the daily dishes most of the time, and the bathroom sometimes, and laundry.”
Sophie chortled. “Well, that’s something. I wonder if Emmett will try to squeeze in between us tonight.”
“We’ll have to figure out how to work around these kids. Folk have been doing it for ages. What’s with Emmett’s attitude?”
Sophie glanced toward the loft, but the sound of the video game said he’d been playing and paying no attention to them. “I’m not sure. From his remark about the picture, I think he might be a little envious of your boy.”
“Hmm. Good in a way because it means he feels something for me and likes having me around. We’ll know more when we see how he acts around Noah. He doesn’t realize how needy a young kid is.”
Sophie tapped her finger against the table. “That gives me an idea. How about a movie? If you can stand watching a romcom, I know of one similar to our situation.”
Wade rolled his eyes. “What’s a romcom?”
“Romantic comedy.”
He pretended to gag but then grinned. “I’ll endure it if I have to, but I’m not going out to see one, and I doubt Emmett would, either.”
“Are you ready yet, Wade?”
Wade peered up at Emmett leaning over the rail. “Almost. Get that polishing arm warmed up, boy.”
Sophie touched his arm. “Do you mind if I go through your programming to see if I can find that movie for later? Do you have the Happily Ever After Movie Channel?”
Wade stood, picked up his plate, and shoved his chair in. “You can look, but I sure as hell don’t know. I hope not.”
Sophie batted her eyelashes and gave a flirty smile. “Aw, maybe you should get used to it. I love the movies on there, Mr. Sexy. It’ll be so fun to cuddle up with my head on your shoulder. Who knows where that could lead?”
Wade slipped his arm around her then kissed her. “Hmm, I detect a bribe. Should I show you how to use the remote?”
Sophie giggled. “I’ll figure it out. Is there porn on there?”
“I don’t freaking know… Truthfully, I’m not paying their price to watch porn.” Wade lifted a brow. “That was a trap question, wasn’t it?”
Sophie diverted her eyes. “Not on purpose. Just wondering because of my son.”
He gave her a kiss on the top of the head. “I’ll block the channels so no one has to worry about reading that garbage in the guide. Catch you later.”
“I’ll toss together a dessert.”
“Good luck with finding something around here. Come on, Emmett. Turn off the TV.” Wade ran up to the loft. “Let’s take this stuff downstairs for now. Toss the sleeping bags down the stairs, will ya?”
Sophie went to her bag and brought out brownies she had made at home, and a jar of fudge topping. She’d sneaked vanilla ice cream into the freezer when she’d arrived. Tomorrow, she’d have to run alongside a horse instead of riding on him after eating pizza and chocolate. But, mmm, it’ll be so good. She licked her lips in anticipation…of everything and the adventures they’d do together.
***
Two sleeping bags lay in a row on the floor in front to the big screen TV in the living room. Video games had been turned off but a late-night show played in a low volume. Wade peeked over at Emmett sleeping on the other side of Sophie on the double sleeping bag. He raised to his elbow and poked Sophie who looked like she’d fall asleep any minute. Wade’s gaze swept over her in boxer styled, blue and white plaid pajama shorts and a dark blue t-shirt top that looked like it went with the bottoms. He viewed her shapely legs on down to her polished bronzy-looking toenails. Wade couldn’t resist touching her smooth skin and ran his hand over her thigh.
She turned to him. Wade caught sight of her smile in the glow of the TV light. He brushed dark hair from her eye and left his hand to rest against her face. He marveled at her beauty and the fact she was his. For once, truth ruled his heart, the doubt slipping farther away each moment. He crawled into his sleeping bag and lowered the zipper even more, giving her an encouraging smile and tilt to his head.
Sophie peered at Emmett, scooted over, and crawled into Wade’s sleeping bag. He zipped it up and pulled her atop him. “This is where I want you to sleep every night.”
“We’ll be roasting in about five minutes, partner.”
“I don’t care.”
Emmett turned in his sleep, facing them. Sophie’s muscles tightened. “I can’t be here,” she whispered, attempting to move, but he wrapped his arms around her, holding tighter.
Restless, Emmett tossed his head back and moaned.
Wade turned off the TV. He drew the sleeping bag over Sophie’s body and she subtly scooted down in case he opened his eyes. In the dim glow from the kitchen night light, Emmett’s eyes could be seen opening.
He went to his elbow. “Where’s my mom?”
Think fast. “Uh, bathroom.”
“Can I use the bathroom upstairs?” Emmett sat up, reaching for his crutches.
Sophie’s heart beat hard against his chest. “That’s where your mom is. Use the one down the hallway. Flip the hall light on.”
Emmett didn’t use his crutches. Wade unzipped the sleeping bag. “Damn, I’m sweating to death,” he muttered. “Sorry about that.”
Sophie crawled out with a damp face from sweating, too, and grinned. “I almost did something else while I was tucked in. You would’ve liked it a whole lot.”
Oh, she wanted to play naughty girl when they couldn’t do anything about it. “If you mean what I think you mean, you’re right. Get back in and go down…um, I mean…crap. You know what I mean.”
Sophie leaned over to hug him, giggling like he hadn’t heard since California. “You mean go down.”
“Uh huh.”
Emmett came back down the hall, speaking sleepily. “Told you, you’d marry him, Mom.”
Sophie sat up. “What are you talking about? Are you blabbering in your sleep, son?”
“Nope.” Emmett scooted into the sleeping bag.
Wade sat up and put his arm around Sophie’s shoulder as he sat beside her. She might not like this, but it was too bad. It had to come out sooner than later. “Okay, now that it’s out in the open, how do you feel about the idea, Emmett?”
“Wade, no—”
He cut her off. Giving her a quick nudge, he held up his palm. “What if I did ask your mom to marry me?”
Sophie glared at Wade then got up and padded down to the bathroom.
Emmett’s gaze followed her. “I thought my mom already went to the bathroom.”
Wade shrugged and scooted over to sit beside Emmett. “Women are unpredictable. Can you give me an answer? What would you do if I asked her?”
“My dad wants her to be happy again. He said so in the letter he wrote to her. I didn’t see it, but I know he wants Mom to not stop living like he told me—”
Hooked By Sundown (Canyon Junction: Hearts In Love Book 3) Page 23