by Lindsey Gray
“I just don’t understand.” Drew dropped his chin down to his chest. “What she did to Josh, I never saw that coming. You know, he won’t even come in to work anymore.” He turned his head to look into Caroline’s eyes. “I haven’t seen him in three months. I’m scared to death to even go over there, but I think I might have to.”
“You’re a good friend and a good cousin. You got caught in the middle. I’m sure she will understand.” Caroline smiled slightly in the hope that it might lift up his mood.
“How are you okay with this? She was one of your best friends.”
Caroline nodded in agreement, but she’d seen the signs her husband hadn’t. “I wondered what kept them together so long.”
“What?” Drew sat up in shock. Caroline had never voiced any concerns for Sophie and Josh before.
“I could just tell. She didn’t love him, or at least she wasn’t in love with Josh enough to spend the rest of her life with him.” Caroline sighed when she thought about the communication she’d had with Sophie while her friend was in Africa. “We talked when she was away. She was doing something for herself, finding out what kind of person she is. We did a video call a couple of times. I could see she was different.”
Caroline took a deep breath before she divulged something she’d kept from her husband. “I talked to her after you had that fight about the wedding. Sophie told me there just wasn’t anyway to get out of there sooner. While we were on the video call, one of her little patients came into view and she introduced me to the little girl, who was maybe seven years old. When Sophie told her I was marrying her cousin, the little girl gushed about how wonderful Sophie was and everything she had done there. I knew I couldn’t ask her to leave, not when those people needed her so much.”
“I wish I would have seen that. Why am I still so angry after all this time?” Drew clenched his fists. He needed an answer to justify his rage, and thought the only one who could give it to him was Sophie.
“Because you love her so much and she hurt you. You just need to talk. I’m sure it will all be fine.” Caroline took his clenched fist in her hand and his fingers instantly loosened. “And did you see my brother? I haven’t seen Sam so happy in years. He’s even started drawing again. He sent me a few pictures a couple of weeks ago. I have no doubt in my mind that Sophie is his inspiration.”
Caroline had been so hurt when Sam got his first hospital administration job. It took everything creative out of him. Within a few months, the photos of his work that she had been receiving every week stopped coming. She tried everything she could to encourage him to continue. Sent him supplies and even got him a subscription to an art magazine, but still nothing worked. Caroline was stunned when she opened an email a few weeks before and saw a drawing of her as a child. She was on a swing and her father was pushing her from behind. She suspected he had found his muse again.
“They did look happy,” Drew admitted. He turned to look in her eyes. “But I need to know why.”
The shock of her visit to her father’s house stayed with Sophie during the entire ride back to the Crawford’s. Sam understood that she was overwhelmed by the news, and was hoping some time alone with him would relax her. Sam hadn’t expected Caroline and Drew to be waiting for them in the entryway when they walked in.
“How is the Judge?” Caroline asked, cheerfully.
Sam wrapped his arm around Sophie, and answered for her. “He and Abby are getting married this weekend.”
Drew recognized the look of distress on his cousin’s face. “What are you not telling me?”
“Abby’s, um, thirteen weeks pregnant.”
“Oh, wow. That’s a surprise,” Caroline said as she turned to look at her husband.
Drew squeezed Caroline’s hand. “Would the two of you mind if Sophie and I talked for a while?” Drew looked right at Sophie. “We have a few things to discuss.”
Sam looked to Sophie to see if she was okay with Drew’s request, and she nodded. He kissed her softly before he ushered Caroline into the kitchen.
Drew walked into the living room and took a seat on the sofa. Sophie followed him, and sat at the opposite end.
“Nice to see you home,” Drew stated with a cool tone.
“I came back in January, like I told you I would. I moved in with Lexi and got a job at Lakeland,” Sophie said with equal coldness.
“You missed my wedding, Sophie. My wedding!”
Sophie could feel the tears about to fall. She swallowed the lump in her throat, and tried to explain. “I told you then and I’ll tell you now, I had a contract as well as a duty to those kids. Caroline understood. I can’t believe you’re doing this.”
Her first tear fell as she looked down at her lap.
“You just up and left your fiancé, the job you said you loved, and your family, for what? To live out some Florence Nightingale fantasy?”
“No, it wasn’t like that,” she tried to explain.
“Then what was it? Josh? That man worshipped the ground you walked on. He would do anything for you.”
“And anything to me!” Sophie screamed.
“What did he do?” he asked in shock.
“You mean you didn’t know? I thought your best friend told you everything.” The pain she’d been trying to avoid for two years crept to the surface.
“He told me he came home, and your stuff was gone. We wouldn’t have even known about Africa if I hadn’t got it out of the Judge. Josh has been a wreck. He hardly leaves the house anymore. He’s doing some consulting over the Internet, but he doesn’t even come into the office at all.”
Sophie knew how important Josh’s job as a graphic designer was to him. He and Drew were best friends that had been lucky enough to end up working for the same company. She still couldn’t see how any of Josh’s problems were her fault, not after what he’d done.
“You can’t make me feel guilty about leaving. I’m sorry I missed your wedding — I really am — but apparently you have no idea what happened.” She wiped a tear from her cheek.
“Then enlighten me.” Drew crossed his arms in front of his chest and waited.
“Of course, you know Josh and I had been engaged for a while.”
“A while?” Drew interrupted. “Over a year.”
Sophie nodded solemnly. “At first, he didn’t pressure me about a date because I was finishing school. Then I got the job with Dr. Thomas, and was settling in. Anytime he brought up setting a date, my stomach would twist and I felt like I’d throw up at any moment. That’s not how a bride is supposed to feel.” Her stomach had a very similar feeling at that moment. “I loved him, but I couldn’t seem to take that step.”
“Did you tell him any of this?”
Sophie looked up at Drew through her eyelashes.
“Of course you didn’t. So you just ran away?”
“No.” Sophie’s focus went back to her lap. “I found out he was trying to get me pregnant so we would be forced to get married.”
“What?” Drew let out a huffed laugh. “I’m pretty sure baby making is a two way street.”
“I know how it works.” Sophie rolled her eyes. “You remember those new vitamins his brother Ken got us?” Drew nodded. “Well, it turns out my not-quite-brother-in-law was in on the scheme with Josh. I found out later that the FDA yanked the vitamins off the selves because they’d been reported to counteract certain types of birth control. I just happened to be taking one of the birth control brands that had been reported. Ken must have known about the side effect before they were taken off the market.”
Drew sat back in shock. “How did you find out about the vitamins?”
“I overheard Josh talking to Ken on the phone about how the plan hadn’t worked. I couldn’t believe how desperate he was. I busted in on his conversation right then. He tried to back track, but I knew the truth. We screamed at each other for what seemed like hours, but I’m sure it was only minutes. Then he …” She took a deep breath and tried to hold back the sob that was ju
st waiting to be let out. “He hit me.”
She heard Drew take in a sharp breath.
“I was stunned at first, but then he kept hitting me. Eventually, I was able to grab a lamp and hit him upside the head. I ran out, and went to the only place Josh wouldn’t think to look: Dr. Thomas’ house. He looked me over to make sure there wasn’t any major damage and let me stay the night. The next day, while Josh was at work, Lexi and I cleared out my stuff, and five days later, I was in Africa.”
Drew scooted closer to her. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Sophie sniffled. “I didn’t tell anyone at first. Only Lexi, Dr. Thomas, and the Judge know the whole story. I just couldn’t talk about it — to anyone really.”
Drew wrapped his arms around her. “You know I would have been there for you.”
“I know,” Sophie whispered.
Drew removed his arm from around her and took her hand in his. “I wish I would have known. Does Sam know?”
She shook her head no.
“I do now.” Sam walked in from the kitchen, and stood next to the sofa near Sophie.
She stood up, looking into his concerned eyes. He wrapped his arms around her at the same time she wrapped hers around him.
“Maybe you can talk again later, Drew?” Sam asked.
“Of course.” Drew stood and laid a hand on Sophie’s back. “I’m sorry I was so mad. I was hurt and didn’t understand.”
Sophie just nodded as she pressed her face into Sam’s chest to cover up her sob.
Sam nodded to Drew and led her up to his room.
They lay down in his bed and held each other close. Not quite the alone time he had been hoping for, but there was nowhere else he wanted to be.
After Sophie cried herself out, she lay quiet in Sam’s arms. Almost twenty minutes later, she’d been completely calmed by the steady beat of Sam’s heart as her head lay on his chest.
She could tell he was awake by the sound of his breathing, so she took the chance and asked the question she needed to know.
“How much did you hear?”
Sam’s hand came up to the back of her head and he ran his fingers through her hair while he answered. “I heard you scream and came running, but froze in the entryway when I heard what you were talking about. I’m sorry, I know how reluctant you were to talk to me about it.”
“I’m not mad. Actually it’s better this way. I won’t have to go through all of it again in order to tell you.”
The pair lay in silence for a few moments more before Sam spoke again.
“Is there anything else you’d like to talk about?”
“It’s been over two years and I still can’t wrap my head around it.” Sophie moved her head from his chest and rolled onto her side to face him. “I think maybe I’d have come around eventually. I have no idea why he thought getting me pregnant was the best idea. It’s not like I can ask him now after everything that happened.”
“Maybe you can’t, but what about Drew?”
From what Drew had told her, Sophie knew they were still friends. It might give her some peace. “Drew and I have always been close, more like brother and sister than cousins. I’m not sure what Josh would do to Drew if he was confronted.”
Sam ran his fingertip across her jawline. “Why don’t I take you back to your father’s house? We don’t need to keep up this charade after everything that has happened today.”
Sophie put her hand over his as his palm cupped her cheek. “I can’t wallow in this. I want to be here with you — for you.”
He looked deeply into her eyes. They were a blue-gray color, like the ocean when it calms after a storm. Sam knew it was the absolutely last thing he should want at the moment, but he couldn’t help asking, “May I kiss you?”
She couldn’t let herself think at that moment, just feel. The urge to take charge and kiss him overwhelmed her. Their lips met in a soft caress, several gentle pecks before she pressed for more. The electricity of their first kiss returned tenfold. Tongues tasted with low moans mixed in, yet this time there was more. Their bodies aligned, and hands roamed over soft curves and toned abs. Sam’s hand slipped under her shirt and he trailed his fingertips up her bare spine. Her fingers fumbled with a few of the buttons on the front of his shirt before she laid her hand upon his chest.
Sophie froze as his lips left her own to trail across her jaw. A realization of how close they were to the point of no return hit her hard.
“Can we slow down?” she whispered.
Sam planted his head face down into the pillow and mumbled.
“What was that?” she asked with a slight laugh.
He lifted his head to look at her. “I’m sorry. I got carried away.”
“It’s okay. I did, too.” She toyed with a button she’d undone.
Sam looked at the red, glowing numbers of the alarm clock on his bedside table. “Dinner should be almost ready. How about we get cleaned up, and see what famous Virginia Crawford dish we will be enjoying this evening.”
Sophie nodded and slipped out of bed to go to the en suite bathroom.
Sam lay flat on his back while he adjusted himself. It had been a hard day already and if he would be sleeping next to her, it was bound to be a hard night.
Chapter Six
Sam and Sophie walked into the formal dining room hand in hand. Suddenly, Sophie stopped at the sight before her.
“It looks like they took the design from the store, and put it in your dining room,” she whispered.
Sam let out a soft laugh. His father and uncles were the owners of a national chain of furniture stores: Crawford Furniture. Their flagship store was located in Kansas City, and his father ran the day-to-day operations from his office there. His parents met when the store hired his mother to design their floor spaces.
“Actually, Mom designed this here first, then they decided to make a duplicate at the store,” Sam whispered back and pulled out a chair for her.
“Wow.” Sophie sat, awed over the intricately decorated table. “All this for a Tuesday night dinner?”
“I have both of my babies home with the ones they love,” Virginia said as she entered with a large serving tray. “I would say that warrants the good china.”
She set down the tray of salmon and asparagus at the end of the table.
“It’s very beautiful,” Sophie commented. “I hope it wasn’t too much trouble.”
“You don’t know Mom well enough yet.” Caroline entered with Drew at her side. “She’s so used to dinners like this. It’s just second nature to her.”
Caroline and Drew took their seats across from Sam and Sophie while Virginia and Alan took their seats at each end.
“I look forward to getting to know you better, Mrs. Crawford.” Sophie smiled and looked to Sam’s mother, seeing a genuine smile on her face, too.
“Me as well, dear. Now, let’s eat.”
The meal was delicious, and the conversation flowed freely. Drew entertained the Crawford’s with some of his younger adventures with Sophie, which included one of their family camping adventures.
“The Judge was covered in bug bites, and had Sophie put this awful smelling lotion all over his arms and legs. She was trying not to laugh the whole time. I had to run away and laugh because I’d never seen him so helpless.” Drew shook his head, and smiled at the memory.
“The Judge does not do helpless,” Sophie stated firmly before taking her final bite of salmon.
“I can imagine,” Alan commented. “He and Robert were in the store the other day picking out a new bedroom set for Robert. They seem to be getting along well.”
“Yes, I believe they are. Actually … my father and Abby are getting married this weekend. They just told me this afternoon.”
“That’s wonderful,” Caroline feigned surprise before she turned to Virginia. “Isn’t it?”
“Of course. I’m just a little surprised.” Virginia looked at Sophie for further explanation.
“They wanted to talk to
me in person before they announced it. Abby said it’s going to be a very informal ceremony in the grove behind the house. I think I’m going to con my roommate into coming down and helping with the dinner afterward.” Sophie prayed that Lexi would be able to get the weekend off to help.
“I’m more than willing to lend a hand,” Virginia offered.
“Thank you.” Sophie was genuinely touched by the offer. “I’m meeting with Abby in the morning to see what I can do. I’ll know more after that.”
A feeling of pure contentment poured over Sophie. She’d never imagined herself in another relationship, but after she experienced Sam’s phenomenal kissing abilities, and the new bond she’d formed with his family, she’d begun to warm up to the idea.
“I don’t know what’s gotten into my mother. It’s like she’s a different person.” Sam unbuttoned his shirt as he and Sophie began to get ready for bed.
“I don’t have much experience in the mom area, but my Aunt Carol seems to have jumped over the same kind of hurdle. Now that all her kids are married and settled, she’s switched to a grandmother-type role.” Sophie sat down on the bed with a pair of pajama pants and a tank top in her hands.
“Maybe.” Sam recalled the times he was reprimanded for the way he used to look at Sophie. “If she wouldn’t have discouraged me when we first met, you could have bypassed that asshole Josh, and we could be married with two kids and a dog by now.”
Sophie took in a sharp breath. His words rang true and a pang hit her heart when she realized he was probably right.
“Maybe two dogs and one child.” A nervous laugh left her mouth as her fingers tugged at the hem of the tank top in her hands. “I love dogs, but the Judge never let me have one.”
“Then, we’ll get a dozen if you’d like,” Sam responded playfully and sat next to her on the bed. He took her hand away from the fabric she held and twined their fingers together. “I want it all with you, Sophie. I should have broken up with Lola the day we bumped into each other.”
He studied their hands as she squeezed his gently, and urged him to continue. “After we went to the diner that night, the what-could’ve-been hit me hard. I should never have listened to my mother.”