by Lori Ryan
“Never gets old.” Sophie laughed. “But we’ve actually met before. When Grant and I stayed at the bed and breakfast. I think you were working there.”
Maggie nodded. “Yes, I was. I just thought you wouldn’t remember me.”
Sophie smiled. “Of course I do. You were working so hard, I just figured you didn’t remember me.”
Maggie snorted. “Who could forget meeting Sophie Day?”
Sophie smiled. Most days she wished she could be invisible and disappear.
“Well, it was nice to meet you again, or I guess see you again.” Maggie laughed, straightening out her shirt. “We should probably get back to the lodge. We’ve got lots of guests checking in today. Thanks to your concert and the festival we’ve been booked solid for the last week.”
“That’s great,” Sophie said. “I’m glad it’s helped with business.
“Well, hells bells, if it ain’t the great Sophie Day,” a female voice called from behind.
Valerie, Maggie, and Ben let out a collective groan.
Sophie turned, not surprised to find Grant’s Aunt Sally walking toward them with an armful of white pastry boxes.
Sally stopped just short of Sophie, shoving the boxes at Ben. “Here, take these.”
Ben grabbed the boxes just before they fell.
Sally leaned back on her heels, her hands on her hips. She was a small thing but fierce, having left an abusive marriage with her six daughters years back when the girls were young.
“Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes, gorgeous.” Sally smiled, that same familiar expression Valerie had given Sophie earlier. “You look just as beautiful as ever. And your voice last night…man oh man what I wouldn’t give to be able to sing like that.”
“Aunt Sally, why are you wearing that shirt?” Ben asked.
Sophie had been so captivated by Sally’s larger-than-life personality she hadn’t taken in her T-shirt. On the front in large font it said “I’m a virgin.” Then in smaller letters underneath and in parenthesis it said, “This is an old T-shirt.”
Jackie snorted.
Valerie groaned.
“Sally,” Maggie scolded, “we’ve got tons of guests here, some big names.”
Sally waved her off. “Who cares. It’s Max’s fault anyway.”
“How so?” Sophie asked.
“Well, Val and I had a bet,” Sally said. “Whoever became a grandmother first got to make the other one wear an embarrassing T-shirt for a week.”
“You’ve been wearing that shirt for two months.” Ben groaned.
Sally shrugged. “What? It’s a great shirt. This is the best part, though.” She turned.
On the back in even bigger letters were the words “Steve Perry stole my” and then below the words was a picture of a huge bunch of cherries.
“Get it?” she asked, pointing to the shirt. “Perry, cherry. He stole mine?”
Jackie laughed. “That’s friggin’ awesome.”
Sally turned and held up a hand and Jackie gave her a high five.
“Please,” Valerie groaned, “don’t encourage her.”
“It’s good to see you, sweet cheeks.” Sally stepped forward and took Sophie in her arms, giving her a tight squeeze. “He’s a good guy,” she whispered in her ear.
Sophie didn’t have to ask who. She knew Sally was talking about Grant.
“It’s never too late.” Sally leaned back, kissed Sophie’s cheek and then stepped away.
Sophie stood silent, stunned. Of course Grant was a good guy, but it was too late for them. Wasn’t it?
“I don’t want to hear either of you give me crap about my T-shirt,” Sally said, pointing at Maggie and Ben. “Especially since you’ve been doing the mattress mambo in cabin number seven.”
“What?” Maggie squeaked.
“Wasn’t really the mattress,” Ben said.
“Oh, yeah!” Sally shouted, holding up her hand.
Ben balanced the boxes of pastries in one hand while he slapped Sally’s palm.
“Ben,” Maggie hissed through clenched teeth, her face blazing red.
Jackie bellowed with laughter. “Oh, my God, this place is awesome.”
Sophie snorted. She’d forgotten how much fun the Sumner family was.
“Well, gotta go deliver these pastries to the panel discussion. Those kids can eat their way through more baked apple fritters than a fat man at a hot dog eating contest.”
“Sally,” Maggie admonished.
Sally glanced around their small group. “What? It’s the truth. Have you seen those shows?” She shuddered. “Just, gross, all those wieners going—”
“Enough!” Valerie, Maggie, and Ben shouted in unison.
Sally laughed and looked at Sophie and Jackie. “Say wiener and it shuts them up every time.”
“I’ll remember that,” Sophie’s sister said.
“Hand them over,” Sally said, arms outstretched for the boxes.
“We’ll get them, Sally,” Valerie said, stepping over and taking the boxes from Ben. “Go change your shirt.”
“Oh, man. You’re no fun today.”
“I rarely am,” Valerie said.
Sophie knew that wasn’t true. The entire Sumner family—all 800 of them—were some of the funniest, most genuine people she’d ever met. And the fact they lived on a huge plot of land meant she had always been able to escape the public any time she and Grant came home.
“Come on,” Valerie said after she took the boxes. “I’ll walk you to the barn and deliver the baked goods.”
“Toodles, hot stuff.” Sally wiggled her fingers in the air.
“Bye, Soph,” Ben called out. “Hope to see you again before you leave.”
“You too, Ben.” Although she knew after her contractual obligations were up, she’d be leaving Canyon Creek as fast as she could.
Chapter Eight
“I’m sorry about that, girls,” Valerie said over her shoulder.
Jackie laughed. “Don’t be sorry. That was actually one of the funniest things I’ve seen in a long time.”
“I forgot how crazy Sally is,” Sophie added.
“That she is.” Valerie nodded. “Unfortunately some things never change.”
As they walked farther along the path Sophie was struck by how serene the area was. She’d been to Canyon Creek numerous times and always felt a sense of calm surround her, but here, walking through the large trees, it felt even more peaceful.
Or maybe her life had just felt more out of control lately.
She hadn’t realized until that moment just how tired she was. Running from Grant had cost her, not just emotionally but physically as well. She’d insisted on a grueling pace of touring to keep her mind off of him. Jackie had been asking her to slow down. Maybe her sister was right.
“Here we are.” Valerie stopped outside of a huge building. The structure looked like any other barn but you could see the restoration in the details even though they’d kept the rustic feel.
“What’s this for?” Jackie said, walking up to a metal bell hanging on the outside of the barn.
“That’s a bell Maggie special ordered and had hung at their wedding.” She turned and faced Sophie. “Actually, Grant helped her hang it.” She smiled and Sophie had no idea why that bit of information was important.
Jackie stepped closer. “It says, For John Sumner: A man who needs no wings but still this bell will ring? What does that mean?”
Sophie chuckled. “Is it a reference to his love of It’s a Wonderful Life?”
Valerie grinned and nodded.
“The movie?” Jackie asked.
“Yes,” Sophie said. “When I first came home with Grant, John made me watch it three times.”
“Seriously?” Jackie asked. “Why?”
“He loved it,” Valerie said.
“And he loved you,” Sophie added with no hesitation. It was the truth, anyone could see the love John and Valerie Sumner had for one another.
Valerie smiled but it wa
sn’t her normal larger-than-life expression. “I was one of the lucky ones. Not everyone gets to find their soulmate, let alone spend over thirty years with them.” Valerie’s gaze landed on Sophie.
Sophie quickly ducked her head.
For so long she truly had thought Grant was her soulmate. But too many hurts, and a lack of communication and shared goals had whittled away at the relationship.
“Well, come on,” Valerie said, “let’s get you girls inside.”
As Sophie passed the bell she reached out and ran her fingers across the inscription. John Sumner had truly been loved, in life, and obviously in death. She couldn’t help but wish she and Grant had spent more time with him.
“Wait,” Sophie called out.
Jackie and Valerie turned to look at her.
“I really don’t want to be seen inside.”
The women stared at her, confused.
“This is Grant’s festival, I don’t want to detract from his movie.” That was the truth, but more than anything she didn’t want to answer intrusive questions from reporters.
“Sure, honey.” Valerie patted her hand and led her around toward the back of the barn. “We’ll just slip inside here.” She quietly opened a small door and led them in.
The voices grew louder and as Valerie guided them around the corner, Sophie saw a large audience sitting in front of a long line of tables, their backs to them.
“Just stay here,” Valerie said quietly, pointing to a small alcove, “you should be out of the way but still able to hear the conversation. I’m going to drop off these pastries.”
Sophie nodded and turned her attention to the panel sitting on top of a small platform. Grant and several other industry leaders were there, including Jasper Farrow, the award-winning director of the movie Sophie had written her song for.
Sophie had checked the festival schedule today. This was a panel of directors talking about where the indie film industry was headed. Jasper’s name had been a huge draw for the festival, but Grant was also on the panel.
“Grant,” one man said, standing in front of a microphone off to the side, “you said making this indie film was the best and worst time of your life. What did you mean?”
“Well,” Grant said, his gaze traveling around the crowded room.
Sophie sank further into the alcove to escape being seen, but she thought Grant’s eyes connected directly with her for a split second.
“I was coming off a rough few months,” Grant said. “I was separated from my wife. I had some pretty public physical brawls with my manager. And financially, I was a wreck.”
Sophie had always wondered what happened to make Grant go off the rails and assault his manager. He wasn’t a violent person. Shortly after the attack, it was revealed that he’d lost everything. Even his home in Los Angeles, a home they had lived in for much of the time they’d been together.
“And then I lost my father,” he continued.
Sophie’s eyes burned with unshed tears. Grant truly had lost everything, including her.
She didn’t want to face any of this. She wanted to be anywhere but here, listening to Grant talk about the last year of hell they’d both been living. She turned to leave but Jackie held her back.
“Wait,” she said quietly, as if knowing something.
Sophie’s gaze went from her sister’s back to Grant.
“To say it was a tough time in my life is putting it mildly,” Grant said. “But I pulled myself up, I let my father’s spirit push me on.”
Sophie’s chin trembled. She regretted not being there to comfort Grant during his time of need. She had come to Canyon Creek, to the funeral, but had stayed out of sight. She hadn’t planned on that. She had thought she would reveal herself to Grant, to try to be there for him when he needed her. But in the end, she’d chickened out, unable to face him or cause him more pain.
Grant dragged a hand through his thick, wavy hair, something he did when he was nervous, or about to share details he wasn’t comfortable with. She’d seen that early in their relationship, before he started shutting her out.
“When you’re on the bottom,” he said, “you have no choice but to look up. Life stopped me, forced me to face some demons, and I climbed back up. I turned to my roots, started over, realized I loved acting and I had a knack for directing. When this project came along a year ago, I passed, thinking I was too much of a ‘star’ to bother with it.” He used air quotes.
“And now?” the man asked.
“Honestly, I’m glad I passed. I wasn’t ready then. It took me awhile to be ready, but luckily the producers came back to me and I’m really proud of the film we made.”
The man sat down and a woman stood. “Hey Grant, Sara Espinoza from The Reel magazine. This movie deals with some pretty heavy emotional issues, like teen prostitution, sex for hire.”
Sophie flinched at the mention of those details. She’d read about the film and knew it contained some difficult subject matter. Grant was an amazing actor, that’s why watching him perform graphic scenes of any kind on the screen was difficult, even if she knew he was only acting.
“Yeah, it’s pretty heavy,” Grant answered. “I’m not going to lie, some of those scenes were pretty tough for me, tough for all of us. But I think they needed to happen to make the redemption of my character seem real and give the movie an authentic feel.”
Sophie had read in a magazine that the movie was about a teenage boy who left a small town for the lights of Hollywood, found his fame, and later fell from grace. At the time she’d thought it sounded like Grant’s life. She really hadn’t paid much attention to the rest of the article, trying to edit her life of anything related to Grant.
“You’ve already won several awards from audiences at other indie festivals,” the woman said. “That must make you feel good.”
“It’s a great honor for the entire cast and crew because these are the fans, not just a panel of industry experts like other awards shows. It’s humbling to say the least.”
Humbling? Cast and crew?
Sophie leaned against the wall. It wasn’t that Grant had been arrogant or conceited in the past, but he’d always been driven, accepting accolades when they were given. He worked with such an intensity, as if he stopped, he’d lose his purpose for living. It was one of the things that had started a rift between them that just seemed to grow with each passing month.
“Grant, you’ve worked for Jasper before,” another person said. “What was it like being your own boss this time and sitting up there together as colleagues?”
Grant laughed and Sophie could practically feel the vibrations in her chest. He had a great laugh.
“Exhausting, exhilarating.” He paused. “Fulfilling.”
“In what way?”
“I had a lot to atone for after my fall from grace.”
“So this movie brought you atonement?” he asked.
“For myself,” Grant answered. “And for those I love too, I hope.”
There was a long pause and Sophie wondered if he’d say more.
“So,” another person spoke out, “Sophie is here in your hometown. Are the rumors true? Are you two getting back together?”
Sophie held her breath, and her tongue. Her gut instinct was to shout out ‘no’ but she wanted to hear Grant’s answer.
“Sophie’s only here for the festival.” His answer was short and punctuated, and should have made her happy. Instead she was disappointed, and had no idea why.
“Is there a reason you brought the festival to your hometown?” another audience member asked.
Grant smiled. “Of course. I love my hometown. My family and friends are here. I couldn’t think of a better place to hold my first film festival.”
“Showcasing your film tomorrow night must be exciting.”
“It’s surreal,” he said, smiling wide. “To share what I love to do with the people I love. There’s nothing better.” Once again, his eyes went to where she stood, even though he couldn’t
possibly see her from where he sat. Sophie couldn’t help but think that perhaps he felt her presence.
Her heart beat heavy in her chest and she could feel heat rising to her cheeks. He did know she was there. She stumbled behind Jackie out of view.
Everything inside her screamed to race out of the barn. Before she could leave, Jackie caught her arm.
“You need to figure this out, Sophie,” Jackie said quietly, reminding her of why they’d stayed in Canyon Creek after her performance.
She did, she knew that, but Sophie was afraid of what she might lose. What she’d already lost—her heart—to a man who obviously still loved her. But was love enough?
Chapter Nine
Grant wrapped up the panel discussion as quickly as he could and raced out of the barn, refusing to do additional interviews or photos. He knew it was a crap thing to do, especially since it was his film festival, but he didn’t care.
He hadn’t physically seen her inside the barn, but something had told him Sophie was here. Or maybe he was going crazy. Either way, getting her back was his number one priority, film success be damned. He’d lost her once because of his need to be the best. He wouldn’t do it again.
“I think she ran down to the creek,” Aunt Sally said as he burst out the barn door.
“Thanks Aunt Sally.” He kissed her cheek.
“Here, take her some of these.” She held out a white paper bag he assumed was filled with something sweet. “A girl can never refuse a cinnamon roll. Plus, she looks like she’s wasting away.”
Grant nodded, taking the bag and racing through the thick forest toward the creek. Aunt Sally was right, it was one of the things he’d noticed about Sophie when he’d first seen her at the grocery store. She was thinner, her eyes hollowed with dark circles. She was running herself ragged. If nothing else, maybe he could convince her to take a break.
Running toward the creek reminded him of his childhood, of the hundreds of times he and his brothers had explored his parents’ property. Those had been some of the best times of his life. Those moments had always included his family and the times were simple. They didn’t need anything except the fresh mountain air and a willingness to discover new adventures.