Folded Corners

by Idabelle Aylor

  “Hi, Sofe.”

  “Hi. What are you doing here?” She turned back to look at the smiling couple then back at Riggin. “What’s going on?”

  “I know it seems strange that I’m at Edith’s house but Joe here,” Riggin nodded at the older man and winked, “was my grandpa’s dear friend for many years. And for some reason, you came up in conversation recently.”

  Sofey cleared her throat, “Did I now?”

  “Sofe, I was so happy you gave me the chance the other night to explain what happened with Ember and I promise you, it will never, ever happen again. Ever. I. Promise.” Riggin shifted his weight, “And I promise you, nothing happened the night she took my phone. She is out of my life forever. And she hasn’t been in my life for a very long time.”

  Sofey’s eyes involuntarily filled with tears she couldn’t hold back, quickly wiping the hot wetness from her face, she nodded.

  “Sofey, I really like you. I will never lie to you or deceive you, and I would really love it and would be so honored if you would please be my girl.” Riggin brought two dozen yellow roses from behind his back and presented them to Sofey. “And, just so you know, I gave up the million dollars because I fell for you. I wanted you. I want you.”

  Sofey let her tears flow and looked back at Joe. He nodded and smiled, a tear glistening in his eye. Turning back to Riggin she took the roses and inhaled their sweet, aromatic scent.

  “Does this mean yes?” Riggin was hopeful.

  Sofey couldn’t talk without her crying becoming more profuse, so she smiled and nodded energetically instead. Riggin grinned and grabbed her around the waist. Pulling her close to him, he firmly pressed his mouth to her soft pink lips. Sofey didn’t resist kissing him back and enjoying every second of it.

  Chapter 24

  Riggin danced to the sound of the music in his head-down the hallway of his home and toward the kitchen, pausing at the doorway to Pappy’s room. Pushing open the door, he took a deep breath that filled his lungs with the scent of Pappy’s aftershave. The smell was dissipating but it lingered there still in crevices of the hardwood floor and would forever be imprinted in Riggin’s mind. He walked in and plopped down on the leather sofa that had replaced the old hospital bed and looked around at his new office. Pappy would be proud of Riggin for finally making his old bedroom into an office. He would be even more proud to know that Riggin had the woman he loved by his side while he did it.

  Riggin was thankful Sofey was there to help when he cleaned out all of Pappy’s clothes, shoes, and other personal things. He kept the shoe box of letters, along with an old harmonica Pappy used to play at night to get Riggin to sleep, in his desk in the big bottom drawer of his desk. Someday he’d read the letters and then he’d learn to play that harmonica. He already knew he wouldn’t be as good as Pappy, but he’d try.

  The soft knock on the front door drew him from his reflections. He glanced at his watch and saw it was noon. He had the week off, but Sofe was at work, and she had a key anyway. A short woman with long red hair and emotionless eyes glared at him as she invaded his thoughts. He quickly stood up, the key to the back door was in a new hiding spot now, and she couldn’t get in if she wanted to. Riggin marched to the front door, frowning. Throwing open the door, ready to give Ember Roedant a final piece of his mind and a one-way ticket to anywhere but there, he froze. There before him was a white-haired lady with her back to him. She turned to face him when she heard the door forced open.

  Her face sagged and frown lines were etched between her eyes, her lips smiled, but her eyes did not. “Hello, Riggin,” she said almost imperceptibly as she lowered her eyes.

  Riggin’s mouth dropped open and his hands began to sweat.

  “I’m your grandmother. Do you remember me?” She couldn’t keep the hope out of her voice, no matter how hard she tried.

  Riggin cleared his throat and pulled his shoulders back as all the thoughts of what he’d say to this woman if he ever saw her again came flooding back to him and made a vile taste in his mouth. “Yes, I know who you are.”

  “Riggin, I’m sorry to show up here unexpectedly. I didn’t know how else to get a hold of you.”

  “I saw you at the funeral.”

  Betty shifted the weight on her feet, wringing her hands. “Yes, I had to go.” She lowered her eyes, “I had to say goodbye. And I wanted to sit close to you.”

  Riggin snorted. “Why didn’t you say goodbye while he was alive? That seems to me like it would have been a little more well received,” he glared at her, “and more appropriate.”

  Betty lowered her head. “I know, son. And I am so very sorry. I came here to ask, that you give me a chance to explain myself.” She wiped her eyes with a white crumpled hanky.

  Riggin’s brow furrowed as memories of him begging Sofey to give him a chance to explain himself bombarded him. He walked away, speaking to her over his shoulder, “Come in but I have somewhere to be soon.”

  Betty followed him, looking around. “You’ve done a nice job with your place, son...um, Riggin.”

  “Why did you leave us?!” Riggin whirled around and pointed his finger at her. “He loved you! I loved you! If you left because I came to live with you guys, you could’ve given me up! He loved you so much!”

  Betty wiped each of her eyes over and over again before she could speak. “Riggin, I loved you… I love you now and I loved you then! I would never get rid of you.”

  “But you’d leave us,” he said flatly.

  Betty sobbed into her hanky.

  Riggin dropped down on the couch, his head falling in his hands.

  “I’m sorry,” Betty sobbed at the doorway. “But you had to know I didn’t leave because of you, Riggin.”

  “Pappy told me it wasn’t my fault.” Riggin felt hot tears running down his face, into his palms, and down his arms. “But I didn’t believe him.” They sobbed silently in their respective spots while the clock ticked away the minutes.

  Sitting up and clearing his throat, Riggin asked, “Do you want some iced tea?”

  Betty also cleared her throat. “I would love some, thank you,” she said softly.

  Riggin waved her in toward the kitchen where she took a seat a few feet from the refrigerator. Looking around Betty noticed the magnet on the fridge that held the picture of a young woman, and she gasped.

  Riggin followed her gaze and lowered his head. “He loved you until the day he died.” Betty sobbed some more in her hanky as Riggin set her tea in front of her and took the seat opposite of her, leaning back and closing his eyes. “Where have you been?”

  Betty took a minute to answer. “When I left, I didn’t know where I was going. I didn’t know what I was doing. I was a lost soul.” She hiccupped and grabbed her chest. “I checked myself into a hospital, I didn’t know what else to do.” She lowered her head and wiped her nose. “I loved Hank and you so much I had to leave.”

  Riggin snorted and shook his head.

  Betty continued, “Every time I looked at you, I saw... your mother. And I cried every time. I cried every day. Think back, if you can, and remember that I locked myself away in my room every day. After eleven months of being locked away and crying, I realized that you and your Grandfather deserved better than I could give you.” Betty took a jagged breath, “I wanted to give you all I had, but I just didn’t have anything left to give. My head wasn’t right.” Betty looked down at her feet.

  “But why couldn’t you have come back last year? Geez, last month, even? When he was still alive!”

  Betty shook her head, still looking at her feet, “I just couldn’t. I couldn’t bear to see the hurt...or the love, I didn’t deserve, in his eyes.” She looked over at Riggin with red eyes, “But I wanted to. I really wanted to. I dreamed every night about the two of you. About hugging you, laughing with you, seeing your smiles. But I couldn’t make myself, or let myself,” Betty grabbed her hair with both hands, “or whatever, I was just so lost.”

  Riggin leaned forward in his chair,
arms resting on his knees, and grabbed handfuls of his hair, tears, again, running down his face.

  “I have always loved Hank, and always will. I will always love you too.” Betty wrung her hands. “You are all I have left. I have never been with another man so ple...please...don’t think I ever b...betrayed your Pappy.” Betty couldn’t talk anymore and put her hanky to her face, bending over, her body shaking, she sobbed.

  Riggin’s body shook too as the violent sobs of the wounded escaped.

  Chapter 25

  Six Months Later...

  A hush enveloped the attendees as they watched the beautiful woman with tousled brunette hair walk gingerly through the blue wooden door of Folded Corners. Dressed in a white lace high-low gown wearing black cowgirl boots and carrying a yellow bouquet of roses, she made her way onto the back patio, accompanied by a distinguished older gentleman wearing a yellow boutonniere who beamed with pride.

  The onlookers’ eyes followed the bride to the groom, who was waiting in a black three-piece tuxedo with a yellow rose boutonniere pinned to his chest. When he caught sight of his bride his breath caught in his throat and he smiled, awkwardly.

  Joe smiled and blushed as all eyes were on him and Sofey as they passed by. Sofey, under her veil, cried happy tears the whole way to the altar, stopping only to wave at her mother and June on her left, and Betty and Edith on her right.

  Sofey stood next to Riggin at the altar, tears running down her face as she recited her vows and said her ‘I do’ to the man she had only dreamed would drop into her life and want to stay forever. As they held hands and cried together in front of the minister and kissed their first kiss as a married couple, they each knew they had found their forever home.

  As the dawn broke, it’s light fell on the new Mr. and Mrs. Williams, entwined in each other’s arms. Riggin rolled over to stare at his beautiful bride. “Honey,” he played with her hair and tapped her nose with the tip of his finger. “Honey, wake up. I want to tell you something.”

  Sofey moaned and shooed his hand away at the same time Rob Roy and Chester jumped up and started rubbing Riggin’s face.

  “Come here kitties.” Riggin grabbed Rob Roy with one arm and Chester with the other, snuggling the cats until they were ready to leave.

  Riggin and Sofey laughed as they watched the felines scatter from the bed, batting at each other.

  Sofey covered her head with her arm and smiled. “What do you want to tell me so I can go back to sleep?”

  “I can’t tell you until you look at me and kiss me good morning, Mrs. Williams.”

  Sofey, smiling, rolled over and grabbed his face, pulling him toward her, and planted her lips firmly on his, “I love you, Mr. Williams.” Pushing him away she said, “Now, tell me.”

  “Well, I know you love your job at Cordon Bleu, but I was wondering if you would like to come work with me at Folded Corners”

  Sofey was confused, “Work with you at Folded Corners? What do you mean?”

  He rolled to his side and propped himself up on his elbow. “The owner said he would really like you to be in charge of customer service there.”

  Sofey furrowed her brow. “The owner? How does he know me?”

  Riggin flopped back on his pillow. “He knows you very well, actually.”

  Sofey sat up and climbed on Riggin, tickling him. “Who is the owner? I don’t know anyone who owns a bookstore!”

  Riggin laughed, “Oh, yes, you do!”

  Sofey sat back on her heels. “Come on, babe. Who?”

  Riggin sat up and smiled. “Do you know a man by the name of Riggin Williams?” Riggin blew on his fingertips and shined them on his shirt.

  Sofey slapped him on the chest. “Stop it!”

  Riggin laughed. “I’m serious, Sofe. I...well, we...own Folded Corners now, and I want you to run customer service. But…”

  Sofey shook her head. “Wait, what?” Sofey climbed out of bed. “What do you mean you-”

  “We.”

  Sofey flopped back down on the bed, “What do you mean we own Folded Corners? How?”

  Riggin picked up Rob Roy and rubbed his head. “Well, you know the owners of Chateau Ridge are some people we know too.”

  “Riggin!” Sofey jumped on the bed. “Stop playing! Tell me!!”

  Riggin smiled and pulled her close. “3⁄4 of Chateau Ridge now belongs to June Dailey and,” Riggin rubbed his chin, deep in thought, “Mr. and Mrs. Williams own the other 1/4.” His eyes twinkled, “I sold June half of our shares so we could buy Folded Corners outright.”

  Sofey grabbed his face and pulled him to her. “We own 1⁄4 of Chateau Ridge and all of Folded Corners?!?”

  “Yes, we do, baby.” He tickled her, “Now, I expect you to get that novel finished, my dear. I need it for our Cowboy Romance section.”

  Sofey closed her eyes and pressed her lips firmly to Riggin’s. “I love you so much.”

  About the Author

  Idabelle Aylor is a small-town girl who has done big town things. Since she was a girl, people watching and family stories have gotten her creative juices flowing like mad, and because of that she’s had stories brewing in her head since she can remember. When she isn’t curled up on the couch writing her next greatest work of art with Missy Kitty by her side and a rom com playing on the TV, she’s hanging with her best friend/husband and her crazy kiddos.

  Also by Idabelle Aylor

  Look for the next book in the Blue Collar series, We Do?, which follows June’s grandson Ford.