Sweet on Sophie ( (A Red Maple Falls Novel, #11)

by Theresa Paolo

  Now she was gone, and she’d never get to see the place he and Charlotte now called home…

  He pushed the unexpected sorrow down and focused on the sign to the Happy Apple. Behind that door was Charlotte and Sophie, and he didn’t want them to see him upset. He inhaled deeply, taking in the fresh air and letting his breath out slowly before heading into the little gem on Main.

  The place had become a fixture in his daily life, whether he stopped in for coffee in the morning or a quick bite for lunch or dinner. At first the apple décor that seemed to consume the place, he thought was odd, but now it was comforting. It felt like home.

  His eyes immediately spotted Terry’s bright red hair. Her back was to him, covered in a leopard print shirt, and he offered a hello.

  She spun around, mouth closed, obviously chewing on something. “Oh, hi!” she said, looking as guilty as ever.

  He glanced around her. “Terry, don’t tell me that’s pie you’re eating.”

  “Then I won’t,” she said and stuck a forkful in her mouth.

  “I thought I told you to watch your sugar.” This woman was going to be the death of him. Over the years, he had grown to care for her as if she was his own family. He just wanted to see her healthy.

  She shrugged. “You did and I am.”

  “How is eating pie watching your sugar?”

  “Before I put it in my mouth, I watch it.” She held the fork out and stared it down. “Yup, still looks good.” She shoved the fork in her mouth, and he let out a sigh.

  “You’re killing me.”

  “She’s been killing me for forty years.” Walt came out from the kitchen, tossing a dish towel onto his shoulder and wiping his hands on it.

  “And yet you’re still here,” Terry said.

  Walt shook his hand and patted his back. “Hey Doc.”

  “Hey Walt. You okay? You sound winded.”

  Walt pointed over his shoulder. “Just hauled up a couple boxes of napkins from the basement. The stairs are a killer.”

  “You should get a bike and join Terry. It’ll help build up your stamina.”

  Walt swatted a big bear mitten hand at him. “My stamina is just fine.”

  “Mmmhmm.” Terry said.

  “Oh you hush.” Walt stalked back to the kitchen, and Drake looked at Terry.

  “I’ve been trying to get him to exercise with me. I do the Zumba, you know.”

  “You told me. I think that might be a little much for him to start out with, but maybe get him to go for a walk with you.”

  Terry all but snorted. “The only place he walks is to the refrigerator.”

  “I heard that!” Walt’s voice drifted out from the kitchen.

  “Now you can hear me!” Terry yelled back.

  “You two are good for the soul,” Drake said. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I am meeting—”

  “Your girls. I know. They’re right over there.” Terry pointed to the back corner, but his mind was stuck on your girls. “And your usual should be out soon.”

  “Thanks, Terry. And enough with the pie.”

  She responded by sticking the last forkful in her mouth and scrunching her face at him.

  With a shake of his head, he headed to Sophie and Charlotte. Charlotte was eating chicken fingers and Sophie a burger. She took a bite and closed her eyes and chewed, a smile laced in sheer pleasure spread across her face.

  He wondered if she’d be as animated when she tasted him. Her tongue dabbed at the corner of her mouth and his eyes lingered on that spot. “Oh hey!” she said, putting the burger down as soon as she opened her eyes and noticed him.

  “Hey,” he said, pulling out the chair in between the two.

  “Sorry we didn’t wait for you, but with the amount of sugar we had in our systems, I was afraid we were going to turn into jittery messes.”

  “It’s fine. I wouldn’t expect you to wait on me, anyway. It’s late. So how did it go today?”

  “Great!” Sophie exclaimed. “I’ve decided on the second weekend in November, which gives me not much time, but I think plenty at the same time.” She held her hands up and weighed them back and forth, up and down. “Anyway, Shay is going to set up a booth. I spoke with Kate, and while she can’t bring her kiln over to the gymnasium, she has a small one that goes in the microwave. She said she can make pendants with the kids and donate the proceeds to the school. Daisy was visiting Kate, so I was able to kill two birds with one stone. Daisy, you know, does the event planning for the brewery, and she had this great idea of creating a booklet like a souvenir for the event and selling ad space to the local businesses. Oh! And the best part. Louise’s cousin just had a carnival birthday party for her son, and Louise is going to see if she can borrow some props.”

  “Sounds like you both had a very productive day.”

  “We did.”

  Charlotte nodded. Her brown hair bouncing with the movement.

  “Are you both excited for the Applefest? Only two more days” Drake asked.

  “Oh yeah. Both Charlotte and I want to bob for apples, isn’t that right?”

  Charlotte took a bite of chicken finger, and it flopped in her mouth with her nod.

  “And we want to get our faces painted and get another cupcake,” Sophie said, and by the smile on Charlotte’s ketchup-covered face it seemed as if they had discussed this at great length. Even though Charlotte hadn’t uttered a word, Sophie still understood her. The thought sent a rush of warmth through his heart as he stared at her in utter amazement.

  He knew she was a teacher, and she was clearly good with kids, but the extra attention she gave his niece was more than he ever expected or could hope for. With him and Sophie in her corner, he knew without a doubt, that in time Charlotte would be just fine.

  He glanced up for a quick second, his sister consuming his thoughts. He’d thought she was insane when he found out that he was to be Charlotte’s guardian. Laura had always believed in him, even when he hadn’t believed in himself.

  As kids, when he declared one day he’d be a doctor, most people thought it would never happen. After all, he came from a single-parent household and his mom could barely afford to pay the bills each month. Laura always said to ignore them. All that mattered was that she knew he’d be a doctor, and he’d be the best doctor ever.

  He might not have become the best doctor ever, but he was pretty damn good. Now it was his turn to put his faith in his sister’s legacy. Whatever Charlotte wanted to be, he would support her, and he knew she was going to make him proud.

  Just you wait and see, sis. I’m going to prove you right.

  A gentle touch sparked him out of his thoughts. Sophie’s blue eyes leveled on him, concern tugging slightly at the corners of her mouth. “Everything okay?”

  She was beautiful with her blonde hair tucked behind her delicate ear. Her blue eyes so expressive. The bow of her lip so perfect.

  He squeezed her hand. “Couldn’t be better.”

  ***

  The waiting room of Dr. Howard’s office wasn’t much different from his own waiting room. A few well-placed chairs lined along the wall and the center and a television in the corner. Not much in the way of a distraction, which Drake could really use at the moment. He assumed Charlotte was fine, or Dr. Howard would have called for him.

  He adjusted in his seat, picking up and putting down the magazine on big game fishing for the tenth time.

  Finally, the door opened, and Charlotte came out, Dr. Howard right behind her. Drake jumped up from his chair and met Charlotte. “How’d it go?”

  She shrugged, and his heart sank a little. It’s not that he thought she’d walk out the door and suddenly be talking again, or maybe he did, and that disappointing blow hit low.

  “Mr. Stevens, if you could come into my office for a moment.”

  Happy to finally be able to do something other than wait, Drake bent down to Charlotte. “Are you okay to stay here for a moment while I go speak with Dr. Howard?”

  She nodd
ed, and Drake glanced over to Celia, the receptionist. “Would you mind keeping an eye on Charlotte while I…?” Drake pointed toward the office door.

  “Absolutely. Take your time,” Celia said with a reassuring smile.

  Drake followed Dr. Howard to his office. A nice spread with a mahogany desk and a brown leather chair. Drake sat across from him and kicked his foot onto his knee. “Is she going to be okay?”

  “Absolutely,” Dr. Howard said. “It appears to be selective mutism, which usually coexists with social anxiety disorder. Charlotte has experienced a great trauma, and now she is currently surrounded by people she doesn’t know. As she gets more comfortable with the people and her surroundings, her words will come back. Right now, just be as accepting as possible. Don’t get angry at her and yell or withhold things until she says the word because it can trigger the anxiety.”

  “I would never yell at her. But is there anything else I can do?”

  “You seem to be doing it. Just be patient and give her time. I have no doubt, she’ll be speaking soon enough.”

  “Thank you for your help. As a doctor myself, I like to think I have all the answers, but I don’t.”

  “Nobody ever has all the answers, and if they say they do, they’re lying. Take care.”

  “You too, Doc.”

  Drake walked out of the office with a little less weight on his shoulders. If Charlotte needed to be comfortable then he was going to make her as comfortable as possible. He’d been promising her a shopping trip to buy some things for her bedroom, and now with the rest of his day cleared, they could do just that.

  He headed back to the waiting room. Charlotte was exactly where he had left her, except her backpack was open at her feet and she was coloring in her notebook. When she heard him, she glanced up, crayon stopping on the page.

  He glanced down at the picture. A stick figure man surrounded by apples and a smaller stick figure with long brown hair like her own. No apples near her at all. “Is that me?” he asked, and she nodded. “And is that you?” She nodded again. “Did I steal all the apples?” She bit her lip and shook her head before standing and sliding her notebook back into her bag.

  Without prompting, she reached up and took his hand. Did this mean she was getting more comfortable with him?

  “How about we go to the store and pick out some things for your bedroom? Would you like that?”

  Charlotte responded with an exuberant nod.

  “Perfect. Let’s go.”

  Before they reached the door, it opened, and Travis bounced in with enough energy to light an entire small country. “Hey!” he exclaimed, a smile brightening his entire face. “Did you come to talk to Dr. Howard?” he asked Charlotte, and she nodded. “He’s old, but for an old guy he’s cool.”

  Drake stifled a laugh just as Jax came in behind Travis, holding Noah’s hand. He moved with a slight limp due to a military injury. He had gone to see Drake a few times when the pain was too bad, and he couldn’t get an appointment at the VA. The man was lucky to be alive and even more lucky to still have a leg. He’d always have the slight limp, but after intense physical therapy, and proper healing, the pain had subsided for the most part.

  “Hey Jax,” Drake said as Travis continued speaking to Charlotte, telling her all about his day. Charlotte didn’t just stand there, she watched Travis’s animated hand movements with a smile.

  “Hey man. How you doing?” Jax asked.

  “Much better actually, and now we’re off to do a little shopping.”

  Travis’s voice echoed throughout the office, and Jax looked around Drake and whispered. “Hey, bud.” Travis’s head popped up, and Jax motioned his hands to lower his voice. Travis whispered an apology, then kept right on talking. Jax put Noah on the ground and pointed toward the line of chairs. “Go grab us a seat.” Noah hurried off to a chair closest to the television.

  “You’re good at this whole parenting thing,” Drake said.

  “Funny thing is, I never wanted kids. If I didn’t get injured, I never would have come back here, and I never would have known what I was missing. I get to experience life all over again through the eyes of a child. It’s the greatest gift, and it’s given me a new purpose in life.”

  “As lucky as you are to have them, they’re equally as lucky to have you.”

  Jax patted his back. “I know, just as Charlotte is lucky to have you. Never forget that.” Jax’s eyes widened. “Noah!” Drake spun to see Noah standing on the chair trying to reach the TV. “I have to go before Noah singlehandedly destroys this place.”

  “No worries. I’ll see you around.”

  Drake led the way outside and helped Charlotte into the car. He knew nothing about a girl’s bedroom, heck he knew nothing about a kid’s bedroom in general other than the basics, and while he’d let Charlotte pick everything out, he wasn’t exactly sure what she needed.

  Maybe Sophie, if she wasn’t doing anything, would want to tagalong. Before he could talk himself out of the idea, he sent her a text.

  She quickly replied.

  Sophie: I can never turn down an opportunity to shop. I’m just leaving my sister’s. I’ll be home in ten.

  Drake: Pick you up in fifteen.

  Sophie: I’ll be waiting.

  Drake pulled out of the parking lot and headed to Sophie’s place. He made it in twelve minutes, but Sophie was already outside with her bag slung on her shoulder. She no longer donned the tan pants she had on earlier at the school. Now her shapely legs were bare sticking out of a pair of jean shorts and paired with a three-quarter sleeve button down that was only buttoned to just above her breasts, exposing the sun-kissed skin of her chest.

  “Hey,” she said as she opened the door and slid into the passenger seat, instantly surrounding him with a floral scent that reminded him of mid-spring days when everything was starting to bloom. She clicked her seatbelt into place and gave Charlotte a wave. “Are you ready to shop until you drop?”

  Drake caught Charlotte’s nod in the rearview mirror. Sophie straightened in her seat, and Drake drove toward the store. He felt Sophie’s eyes on him and glanced in her direction.

  “Everything okay?” she mouthed. He had mentioned to her at the school that he was bringing Charlotte to therapy for the first time.

  He took a play from Charlotte’s book and nodded. He didn’t have to say, we’ll talk later, Sophie seemed to read between the lines. She turned the radio up and looked over her shoulder at Charlotte, eyes wide and mouth open in an O. “I love this song!” She sang along, shimmying in her seat and pointed at Charlotte, who never chimed in with the lyrics but who let out the slightest of giggles.

  It was only a sound, but it gave him hope, and it spread through him at rapid succession, filling him with relief. If Charlotte was going to be comfortable with him, then he needed to be comfortable with her, too. So when the chorus kicked in, Drake jumped in, singing with Sophie.

  Sophie’s mouth dropped, then quickly spread into an amused smile.

  “Yes!” she exclaimed as he shimmied his shoulders with her. Sophie started to clap and when the little sound of hands sounded behind him, he wanted to stop the car and throw his hands in the air. Charlotte clapped along while Drake and Sophie sang their hearts out. It wasn’t something he’d normally do, and maybe he should give it a shot more often, because he also couldn’t remember the last time he had so much fun.

  By the fifth song, they passed over the town border, and by the seventh he pulled into the closest parking spot at the big box store. He got out and made his way around the car. Sophie had already opened Charlotte’s door and was waiting for her.

  Charlotte took Sophie’s hand and when they got closer to Drake, Charlotte grabbed his hand too. They walked side by side through the parking lot and into the store.

  Drake grabbed a cart, figuring Sophie and Charlotte were about to do some damage to his credit card. “Lead the way,” Drake said, having no idea where to even start. Luckily, Sophie seemed to know exactly where
to go and she moved quickly through the aisles like a woman on a mission.

  She came to a stop by a bunch of lamps. “I saw this the last time I was here,” she said, taking a unicorn lamp off the shelf. “And thought how cool it was.”

  “That is really cool,” Drake said. “What do you think, Char? Do you want that in your bedroom?”

  Her head practically flew off her shoulders with the excited nod she gave.

  “In the cart it goes.” Drake took the lamp from Sophie, his finger brushing ever so slightly against hers. His eyes locked with the deep blue depths of hers. She smelled like the flowers of springtime, and her eyes were as blue and the spring sky. Everything about her was fresh and welcoming.

  She cleared her throat and pointed down the aisle. “I think next we should look at bedspreads.”

  “Good idea.”

  He let Sophie and Charlotte go ahead. His eyes lingered on Sophie as she asked Charlotte questions that she’d never get answers to, but she asked anyway, and that touched at a place in Drake’s heart, digging out a spot just for her.

  He didn’t have a clue what was happening between him and Sophie, and he knew that he didn’t have time for much, but he also knew that if he didn’t kiss her soon, he would spontaneously combust.

  Chapter 14

  People filled the open mass of land and booths sat atop in rows, creating a natural flow. The sun shone brightly above, the hot summer air giving way to a cooler, more tolerable day. Drake had lived in town for five years and had never gone to any Red Maple Fall festivals.

  It’s not that he never wanted to, okay maybe that accounted for a little bit, but mainly because he didn’t have anyone to go with. As he walked with Sophie on one side of him and Charlotte on the other, he was happy he waited. Now he could experience this for the first time with Charlotte while Sophie, who was a pro at these events, could show them the ropes.