"Well, if you clear your plate as well, I made pie."
His eyes lit up with pleasure. "Grape nut pie?"
She blushed lightly. "Of course. I know that's your favorite. Come on in. It's done. I guess I timed it out perfectly to the time you roughly estimated."
"Yeah, you never know if you'll hit a snag, but we had a good day on the farm. Busy, but we got everything done we wanted to," he said as he stepped inside.
He followed her to the kitchen where Axel chomped away at his food. He looked over at the table where she had laid out all the food. Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls, and his favorite, grape nut pie.
"Man, do I feel lucky? This looks great, Sophie. Thanks so much for the invite," Austin said, as he took a seat across from her.
"It's not much, but I hope you enjoy it," she shyly said.
"Not much? Are you kidding me? This is a feast. Looks like a meal Eleanor would make for us," he replied, digging in as his stomach started to gurgle in hunger. "I do miss those meals, although half the time I still eat there because I'm too lazy to cook once I get home."
"Well, I'm sure you work hard during the day. You deserve a good meal once you're done. How did you two decide on having a farm?" she asked, nervously.
Small talk, especially with a guy wasn't her forte. She had no idea what she was doing, but knew in her heart she was taking a chance. It felt different this time. Austin made her feel different.
"Grew up there, actually. We inherited it from our parents. Not sure how long it's been in the family, a few generations. Jimmy's the only one to branch out and do his own thing. I thought about it for a while, but every time I thought about saying something to Zane, I just couldn't. He needed me, and I guess, I needed him. I'm a farmer and I wouldn't trade it for anything," Austin replied, genuinely, but with a slight hard tone at the end.
Something about his last statement struck a chord with her. His pain could be felt all the way across the table. What had happened for him to say such a simple thing about being a farmer so rough, so painful?
Not wanting to talk about her own pain, she glossed over that as if she never heard it.
"Do your parent's still help?" she asked, immediately regretting the question when she saw the sadness cover his eyes. She sucked at this small talk. She couldn't seem to get anything right when conversing with him.
"My dad died in my early twenties, my mom when I was just a kid, and we lost Jimmy last year. It's just Zane and I now. That's another reason I never left. When Jimmy left for New York, I could see the pain in Zane and didn't want to add to it. Now I can't leave him because he's all I have. Well, and Ava, too. She's been a great addition to the family. I have my cousins and whatnot, but I think you know what I mean. He's all I got in my immediate family. How about you? Where's your family?"
She looked down at her plate and started pushing her food around a bit, wondering how to answer. He opened up so easily, but she did see the struggle tangle in his eyes. If he could do it, she could too.
"My mom died just after I graduated high school. My real father owned this house. He left when I was five without a backwards glance and for whatever reason decided to leave this house to me. I now appreciate that thoughtfulness because I needed it. I don't have any other family. I don't have anybody."
She glanced up at him when she felt his soft hand cover the top of hers. His touch always made tiny tingles spread throughout her body. Just a simple contact anywhere on her made her wish he would pull her into his arms. His touch made her want him, and that in turn scared her.
Why did she open her mouth? Confess a small part of her? The tiny tingles were starting to intensify to raging flames of desire. She should really pull away from his touch.
"You have me now. I'm glad I met you. Why did you need this house?"
"Because I had to get away," she whispered.
"Get away from what, Sophie? Please tell me," he whispered back.
"I think you know. I can't say it out loud. It's too terrifying. It's too much. My whole life has been too much and I finally had to escape or die," she said as the tears started lightly falling down her face.
***
Austin immediately stood up, grasping her hand more firmly as he pulled her gently into his arms. She sank into his frame as the tears fell in the quiet confines of the house. No sound echoed back except her soft cries of pain and heartache. He held her tenderly, rubbing her back in a soothing manner and wished with all his heart that he could take the pain away.
"I can only imagine what you went through, but I can't know for sure until you tell me. I won't pry or beg or demand, but wait for when you feel the moment is right. For as long as you let me, I'll be here for you. Even after you tell me to hit the road, I'll be there for you. You're special, you're beautiful and you deserve the world, Sophie. Don't let anyone tell you different," he whispered softly into her ear.
He had wanted so much to come in and enjoy the evening with her, but figured he had to move slow. That's all he thought about over the course of the day, wanting to spend time with her, how to go about doing that, yet scared to push her. He couldn't have been more surprised when she asked him to come in. Now, here he was. Making her cry. Bringing up painful memories.
She squeezed him tighter, but no words entered the quiet room. He took her embrace as a small answer to his turmoil. She had needed to release some of her pain. Let it out for once.
Talk about new territory for him. He never got this deep or emotional with women before, suddenly clueless where to proceed. Did he keep giving encouraging words, or hold her until she let go? Did he pull away first?
He ached to swing her up into his arms, carry her slowly to her bedroom, and show her exactly how he felt. Or simply lay with her in his arms as she cried the pain out of her body. That would be okay, too. He just wanted her pain to disappear. He wanted to see her bright smile and loving laugh.
His prayers were answered when he heard her chuckle into his chest. He looked down to see Axel with his front paws clinging to her leg, and if Austin wasn't mistaken, a goofy grin on his furry face.
Sophie pulled away, ruffling Axel's head with a tender hand. "You either wanted to join the hug, or you ate your food and want that treat now. Which one is it?"
"I vote for the hug. It was a nice hug," Austin said, receiving another smile in return from her. "The treat is a high possibility, too. I know I want mine."
Damn smart dog, he knew a good woman when he saw one. If Sophie promised a treat, Axel knew he would get one. Austin wished his treat was more than just pie, but he suppressed that urge quickly. He'd frighten her if he made a move in that way. A little light flirting couldn't hurt. She hadn't completely stepped away from him yet. That had to be a good sign. Or at least his heart hoped so. She still hadn't said anything to him. Just an uncertain look directed his way that he couldn't exactly decipher. No fear, though. He didn't see any of that.
"Well, then I suggest you eat your food like Axel did. You know the rules," she finally replied. She glanced at Axel's bowl that sat clean and empty. He licked away every last remnant of food from the bowl. She wiped her face of the tears and walked over to the counter. Grabbing two treats this time, Axel wasted no time gobbling them up.
"You want that pie?" Sophie asked, as she made her way back to the table.
"Yes, darling. Don't have to ask me twice," Austin said, sitting back into his seat.
"About that silly melt down there, I—"
Austin put his hand up to stop her. "Sophie, you can melt down on me anytime. It wasn't silly. Your feelings and emotions aren't silly. I'm here for you. We're friends, right?"
She took a swallow of her milk. "Yes, we're friends."
"Good. In my experience, friends talk to each other about their troubles now and again. It was no big deal and I didn't mind."
"Do you use the word darling to your friends as well, or just your women?" she blurted.
He paused with his fork halfway to his mo
uth, the delicious meatloaf hanging in the air. "You don't like it when I call you darling?"
"No. Not if that's what you call the women you date. I don't want to be lumped in that category," she said, tossing her fork around her plate again.
"Well, I'll try not to do that. I do call most women that. Not just women I date, but all of them. It's just a natural thing for me to do, I guess. I'm sorry if it bothered you," he replied, finishing the trek of food to his mouth.
He chewed, trying to enjoy the flavors washing over his taste buds, but the energy dissipated. He finally decided to pursue a full-fledged relationship with someone and she didn't want anything to do with him. She didn't want to be one of his women, but she failed to realize he would never clump her into that category.
She was so much more. A true treasure hidden away, waiting patiently for him to find. It figures she wouldn't want him that way. He shouldn't be too surprised. He hadn't given her a good impression of himself.
"Thank you," she said as her eyes dropped back down to her plate. "I hope you like the food."
"I love it," he said, shoveling another fork full into his mouth before he said anything he would regret. Would she ever see him more than a friend? Or had he ruined his chances when he explained how long ago what he wanted in life?
He changed his mind. He wanted a relationship. The question was how did he show her that his heart had changed?
***
"How's Sophie?" Ava asked Austin. She joined him by the fence, grabbing a hold of the top railing to watch the horses that were enjoying themselves in the corral.
He glanced at her, and then trained his eyes back on the horses. "She's fine. Why do you ask?"
"Just curious. It's been a week since the break-in and I wanted to make sure she was okay. You haven't been staying for supper either. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Ava. I haven't stayed for supper because Sophie has been inviting me over when I pick up Axel. I enjoy the evenings with her," he said, muttering under his breath as he stepped away from the fence. He swung a glance back at Ava. "She sees me as a friend. How do I get her to see me as more than that without breaking her fragile state? Or so she doesn't think she's just another woman on my list of women because she's not. I'm ready to try this whole relationship thing."
Ava smiled tenderly. "Well, I'm glad you finally came to your senses. I like her. She's a good choice. You'll know what to do. Just take it a day at a time. She's different from every other woman you've dated, especially because she has a disturbing past. You'll have to take it slow and she'll eventually see how you feel. Or just tell her."
"I don't think she would believe me. I never noticed I called women darling, but she doesn't like that and I find myself almost saying it a lot. She's different and this is new for me and I don't know how to act."
"You're worrying too much about it, Austin. Just be yourself and she'll fall in love with the man that I know you are. Of course, she doesn't want to be called darling, if you call every other woman on earth that. When are you going to bring her to the farm? I think it would be nice," Ava said, rubbing a hand over her belly.
"Why would she wanna come here? It's a farm. I'm a farmer. Why would she want that?" he said, his brows burrowing in torment.
Ava slapped him on the shoulder. "Knock it off. I'm married to a damn farmer and I love it. What's wrong with you? I've never in my life seen you bring yourself down."
He grimaced in mock pain. "That hurt, Ava." He glanced at the ground, shuffling his foot around the grass as embarrassment flooded his cheeks. "I don't know what's wrong with me. I just don't want to screw it up. I love the farm and I would hate to see disgust or something like disapproval in her eyes if she came here."
"If she did, she's not worth your time. You deserve better. Love's scary, but you can do this. I don't think she'll think like that. If you're acting like this, thinking such dumb thoughts because of what another woman said to you, well, knock it off! They aren't worth the trouble or your thoughts because you are a good man. Be proud of who you are. I'm proud of you and I'm proud of Zane. Do you think I would have moved all the way from New York if I wasn't?" she said, rubbing her hand on her belly again.
Austin noticed her hand and smiled. "I suppose not. I'm glad you did because Zane's the happiest I've seen him in a long time. It's hard not thinking of those hurtful words, but I'll try not to. You're right. I am proud of who I am."
"Good. Now that we have that settled, invite her over tomorrow. It's Saturday. Come early so we can spend the day together."
"I'll try, but I can't guarantee she'll agree. Just because you want her to come doesn't mean she will. Any news on my break-in?"
"No, not yet. I didn't find any useful fingerprints. I went down the list of the prints I did pull, including some of your women, but everyone had alibis for the time of the break-in. I'll figure it out, but sometimes, the sad reality is we can't figure it out."
"Yeah, well, I'm glad they only got some cash that I had upstairs in my room and nothing else. Maybe if they had taken some electronics or something you could have traced it that way," he said.
"Might've been easier. I'm glad Sophie's okay, but it would've been better if she had gotten a good look at the guy."
Austin got a hard look on his face. "No, Ava, it wouldn't have been better. I would be worried they could hurt her if they knew they were seen and could be identified. I don't want her involved in any way. Don't ever say that again."
"I'm sorry. Go home already. Zane and I can handle the evening chores."
"Well, that's not fair, especially if I don't come over until late in the morning tomorrow."
"No, it's not, so take advantage when I offer."
Austin pulled her into a brotherly hug, kissing her on the head. "You're the best sister ever. I'm leaving before my brother disagrees with you. Gives me more time to convince Sophie to come over. I have no idea what I'm doing with her. I hope I'm not screwing up."
"You're not. I have every faith in you that it'll all work out in the end," Ava offered with a gentle smile.
***
Sophie stood in the middle of the kitchen wracking her brain on what to make tonight for supper. It became a simple routine where Austin would pick up Axel, automatically staying for supper. She enjoyed the routine, but now she was running out of impressive meals to make him.
Why did she torture herself so with impressing him? She couldn't compete with the other beautiful, well-endowed women who graced through his door frequently. They walked with confidence, dressed like seduction, and spoke with a voice that curled your toes into oblivion. She displayed none of those sexy characteristics and wouldn't even know where to begin. Why should she? He would never see her like that anyway. Never! She was nothing, but a ball of pain and a walking disaster. She had baggage that wasn't worth sifting through.
He called every woman darling. She had liked the way it rolled off his tongue, wrapping her into a sweet embrace, but when she thought of him using it with other women, she didn't like it so much. She knew she hadn't been special to be the only one called that. She wanted to be considered special when it came to him.
The sensation of feeling sorry for herself almost consumed her body when she heard a noise out in the backyard.
She walked over to the back door, barely moving the curtain to peek out, shock vibrating in her eyes as she looked upon the familiar red hoodie from the day of Austin's break in. She inhaled a deep breath, frozen in her spot, wondering what she should do.
He stood rigid by her shed, darting furtive glances every second or two, trying to break in with a tool of some sort. It looked like a tire iron, but Sophie wasn't positive as she tried not to open the curtain any further.
She hated her privacy being disturbed. The small chance someone could peek in on her when she was unaware sent tingling shivers of horror through every vein. Every single window in her house was blanketed in a curtain of some variety. She enjoyed the sun shining, sending whispering pockets of bri
ghtness, but she never enjoyed it as she should. Because she never opened the curtains, the fear ingrained inside her body.
She pulled the curtain open a titch further, trying to make out more, when she saw the man slump his shoulders in defeat and sag to the ground. She wanted to shout out, "Of course a tire iron won't work! You should've brought a bolt cutter to get the lock off!" She certainly didn't do that, but watched in fascination as the man's shoulders started to shake violently.
He was crying. Why in the world would the burglar cry? There wasn't anything in her shed worth stealing. It held your normal mundane supplies, like a shovel, rake, gardening tools, gloves, and of course, her new lawn mower from Austin. But it wasn't that new as it sat covered in dirt, scrapes, and dents mingled all over the machine, making it quite a few years old. She figured of all the supplies littered in her shed worth any money, it would be the lawn mower.
A strange feeling zapped into her bones, stripping her bare as she watched the young man continue to shake from the tears wracking his body. She couldn't explain the sudden emotion, or the foolishness, as she unlocked the kitchen door and stepped outside.
The young man heard the noise, jerking his head towards her. He jumped up with quick precision, but before he ran, Sophie yelled with desperation, "Please. Don't run. I didn't call the cops nor have any intention of calling them. Trust me. I have no desire to be handcuffed again for breaking into a house I didn't break into."
The man shielded his face with the hoodie, hanging his head down, poised in position to run. Sophie knew how insane it was as she carefully walked towards him. She had no weapon and the man did. He carelessly held the tire iron in his hand as she stepped within swinging distance.
"Why are you stealing? Austin, the man's house you broke into, is a nice man. He didn't deserve that. Why are you trying to steal from me? I have nothing in there worth much," Sophie asked softly as she cradled her toes in anticipation of running away. She reminded herself daily she wasn't dumb like she had been told numerous times, but right this instant, she was dumb. Why was she talking to this man?
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