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

by Theresa Paolo

  They waited until Betty disappeared into the kitchen and continued on their way to the bathroom. Neither said a word until the bathroom door was closed behind them.

  “Smooth thinking,” Sophie said, and tossed her arms around him, pulling him to her. He bent, lifting Sophie and placing her on the sink. His mouth moved down her neck, hands roaming under her dress.

  “I learned from you,” he said against her skin as he inched her dress over her thighs and ran his finger along her panties.

  She inhaled as the slight contact sent a jolt through her entire body.

  Her fingers inched under his shirt, finding the smooth hard skin, and trailing along the strong cuts. She moved down to his pants, tugging at his belt and yanking down his zipper. She forced his pants down, taking his cock in her hand.

  She ran a finger over the engorged head, and his body shook, making her feel powerful. He leaned forward, resting a hand on the counter and capturing her lips. Teeth clashed, tongues danced, and Drake yanked her panties aside.

  “Please,” she begged, the sound so pathetic she wasn’t even sure it was her own voice. “Now.”

  He swiped the tip through her wet folds, anticipation clawing through Sophie. A loud scream tore through the air and Drake jumped back. ‘What the hell was that?” Pants around his ankles, he ran to the window and pulled back the curtains.

  “What is it?” Sophie asked.

  Drake spun around, yanking his pants up and fumbling with the button before finally getting it into place. He hurried to the door. “Walt’s on the ground,” he said and ran out.

  Chapter 20

  Another scream cut through the air, and Drake knew it was Terry. He ran as fast as he could out of the bathroom, down the hallway, through the kitchen, and out of the house.

  “Help him!” Terry yelled, fear and desperation clinging to her words. “Help him! We need a doctor. Where is Drake?”

  Her voice struck him like a knife as he pushed his way through the forming crowd. Matt checked Walt’s pulse and pointed to people as he gave directions. Time was life and death in this moment, and every second counted.

  Drake dropped to the ground as Matt pulled his finger away from Walt. “Pulse?” Drake asked.

  Matt shook his head, and another scream echoed around him. He couldn’t help Terry, not when Walt needed him. Walt had welcomed Drake when he first moved to town with open arms, and he would be damned if he let him die today. He placed the heel of his hand on the center of his chest, interlocking the fingers of his other hand, and started chest compressions. He should’ve already been out here, not locked away in the house. He could have already started on compressions.

  “Do you have an AED with you?” he asked Matt.

  “I sent Sam to get one out of his truck, and Chase is calling for an ambulance.”

  Terry’s wails broke through and while people tried to hold her back, she forced her way through and dropped to her knees. “Why isn’t he breathing?”

  Drake ignored her, doing what he knew was Walt’s only chance at survival.

  “Wake up, you stubborn son of a bitch!” Terry cried out, and Drake bit back the emotion that slithered up his throat. He couldn’t let emotion fuel him. He needed his mind clear and on the task at hand.

  Matt reached down to Terry, and she slapped his hand away. Drake didn’t stop compressions. His arms grew heavy, but he didn’t stop. He couldn’t and he wouldn’t.

  “Terry, please, let Drake do what he does,” Betty’s voice drifted into his ears, and his determination surged. So many people were counting on him right now, and he couldn’t let them down. He’d never be able to live with himself knowing if he was able to get to Walt a second sooner, he could have saved him… No. Walt wasn’t dying today. He couldn’t. Except the compressions weren’t working. Walt was still motionless, and they were running out of time.

  Sam dropped to his knees beside him, setting up the AED. “We need everyone back,” Sam said.

  Chase and Miguel appeared, forcing the crowd back. “Ambulance is on its way,” Chase yelled over to them.

  With a pair of scissors, Matt cut Walt’s shirt open while Drake continued compressions, and Sam placed the pads on Walt’s chest.

  Do not touch patient. Analyzing heart rhythm.

  Drake sat back, waiting for the prompt.

  It is now safe to touch the patient. Start CPR.

  Drake continued compressions until the AED told him to stop. He hovered, waiting for the prompt to continue. Once he got it, he went right back to chest compressions.

  “Come on, you bastard,” Drake growled, pressing up and down up and down. His ability to compartmentalize and focus on the patient started to waiver. Emotion clogged his throat and panic ran cold through his blood.

  Do not touch patient. Analyzing heart rhythm.

  Drake lifted his arms from Walt and waited for the prompt to start again.

  It is now safe to touch the patient. Start CPR.

  Drake jumped right back in, ignoring the aches in his arms, and continued compressions. Tears pricked his eyes and determination surged through him in a dizzying wave.

  “We have a pulse!” Matt announced just as the ambulance arrived.

  With adrenaline running through his veins, Drake ignored the soreness of his arms and jumped up, helping the EMTs load Walt onto the gurney. He wasn’t leaving the man’s side until he knew he was okay. “I’m coming with you,” he said to Devin, an EMT he’d seen around many times.

  Devin gave a quick nod and pushed Walt toward the ambulance.

  “Don’t you dare leave without me!” Terry’s voice boomed through the air as she ran toward them, her heels barely holding her from falling. Matt grabbed her arms and helped her move. Once Walt was loaded, Drake and Matt helped Terry into the ambulance, and Drake jumped in behind her.

  When the doors closed, Terry’s eyes met his. Fear and sorrow creating an ugly storm in her otherwise usual friendly gaze. “He’s not going to die, is he?”

  “I won’t let that happen.”

  Just like when he told Charlotte he wasn’t going anywhere, it was another promise he wasn’t sure if he could keep, but he refused to accept the alternative.

  ***

  Drake made his way down the hallway of the hospital and toward the waiting room. Every muscle in his body ached, every brain cell was fried, and all he could think about was getting home, crawling into bed with Sophie, and going to sleep.

  He turned the corner into the waiting room and every eye in the small space zeroed in on him. Half the town crammed inside, and they all jumped up from their chairs, waiting for him to be straight with them.

  Terry pushed her way to the front and stared at him with fear. It was a look he had seen too many times in his life. It was one of the reasons he’d left life as an ER surgeon. He was tired of being the bearer of bad news. Tired of ruining people’s lives with a few uttered words and watching their world crumble around them.

  He swallowed. Tonight was different, though. Walt needed emergency triple bypass surgery and if Drake hadn’t been at that barbeque…

  “Walt is going to be fine.”

  A collective sigh reverberated through the room, and Terry, who had stood so strongly mere seconds ago, collapsed.

  Drake reached out, managing to get his arms beneath hers before she fell completely to the floor. “He’s going to be okay, Terry.”

  She straightened, her eyes locking with his and fire burning in her irises. “This whole time you’ve been on my case about my sugar, you should have been giving him hell about his cholesterol! He had all the symptoms before he collapsed, and you didn’t even notice. If you did, this never would have happened. And where were you? What took you so long to get to him? He was on the ground for so long before you showed up.”

  Her words were like a swift uppercut to the jugular. He stumbled back at the impact. He didn’t know what to say. He just saved Walt’s life, but she was right. If he did his job, if he stayed on top of Walt, t
his never would have happened. If he wasn’t distracted by Sophie in that dress, he would have noticed the signs. Terry was right. They were right there, waiting for him to notice. All he cared about was getting Sophie in the bathroom and his cock inside her. If he wasn’t in the bathroom with his hands up Sophie’s dress and his pants around his ankles, he could’ve been there sooner.

  Instead, he allowed himself to get distracted and because of that he let his patient down. Walt almost died, and it was all his fault.

  “Terry, Drake saved him,” Betty said, resting her hand on her friend’s shoulder. “If he wasn’t there…”

  “He wasn’t there soon enough,” Terry barked.

  “Terry,” Betty said.

  “No,” Drake said. “She’s right. I wouldn’t have had to save him if I did my job in the first place. I failed Walt.” He looked at Terry. “And I failed you, and for that, I’m sorry.”

  He stepped back. Terry’s anger was still evident in her gaze, and he couldn’t blame her. He could apologize again, say a million things, but none of that mattered. What mattered was that Walt nearly died tonight.

  Drake walked out of the waiting room, leaving Terry and everyone else behind. He didn’t deserve to sit with them. Didn’t deserve to feel the relief they were given, knowing Walt would be okay.

  Regret clawed at him, disappointment tore at his insides, and the emotions mixed together creating a cocktail of disgust he couldn’t handle.

  He closed his eyes against the onslaught of despair and shook his head before they consumed him. He’d been witness to more death than the average person, but almost losing Walt today, that was too much. It hit too close to home. How many more people was he going to fail?

  If he would have noticed the signs, they had all been there, staring him in the face, waiting for him to take notice and take charge. Instead, he allowed himself to be distracted by Sophie. His heart clenched at the thought.

  He needed to get back home and check on Charlotte. He was sure watching a man fall down while everyone worked on him wasn’t exactly a good experience. Then again, he hadn’t seen Charlotte or Sophie shortly after it had happened.

  Did Sophie whisk Charlotte away to protect her?

  Outside in the parking lot he realized, he didn’t have a car. He had driven in the ambulance. Sophie had his keys. She had held them in her bag for him. Did she take his car back to his place?

  What the hell was he going to do? He could call her? But after tonight, after Terry’s words, he didn’t want to talk to anyone.

  He lived miles from the hospital, but he didn’t care. He needed fresh air. He needed to clear his mind. With a deep breath, he headed for the street and kept walking.

  Chapter 21

  Sophie glanced out the window for the hundredth time, but still no headlights. Sarah had texted her that Walt would be okay, and Drake had saved his life. She wanted to throw her arms around him and show him just how much he was appreciated. Walt was a town treasure, and Drake protected them all by saving the man’s life.

  Charlotte was upstairs in her room, watching a movie on Drake’s tablet, and Sophie continued to pace. Drake hadn’t answered his phone once, and she hoped it was okay that she took his car. She figured he’d have plenty of people to give him a ride back from the hospital. She had just wanted to get Charlotte as far away from the chaos as possible. She didn’t need to witness anymore tragedy. She’d experienced enough in her young life.

  Sophie’s phone buzzed, and she glanced at the screen, but her heart sunk when it wasn’t Drake’s name. She tapped the message open and smiled at the video of Sarah and Cooper singing karaoke at their wedding reception.

  Kristen: If you can come back. We’re now celebrating a wedding and Walt’s successful surgery!

  Sophie went to text back when a dark figure caught her attention. She put her phone down and peered out the window. Drake. She flung the door open and hurried down the stairs. She stopped just before slamming into him and threw her arms around his neck.

  “You’re a hero,” she announced, but when she pulled back, there was no smile on his face. “Did you walk home?”

  He nodded, a distant look in his eyes. He was a brick wall with no emotions.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked. “I talked to Sarah, she said Walt’s going to be just fine.”

  “I was distracted. I should have seen the signs,” he said, his eyes focusing into the darkness. “Thinking back, they were all there. He was out of breath, sweating, having indigestion. I should have known, but I was too involved in myself.”

  “No, you can’t do this. You can’t blame yourself. Walt is a grown man. If something was wrong, he should have come to you. He needs to take some responsibility for himself. You are one man and it is not your responsibility to make sure an entire town is taking care of their health.”

  “Yes, it is. It is exactly what my job is. I came to this small town so I could have relationships with my patients, and I failed them.”

  “You didn’t!”

  “I did! I should have checked on him when he was tugging on his collar and asking Terry for antacids instead of going off to have sex with you.”

  Sophie stumbled at the disgust in his words. Did he blame her? “I’ll admit, we were distracted, but that still doesn’t put you at fault.”

  His jaw tightened into an immovable line, and he looked away from her.

  “You know what I can stand here and argue with you all night, but you are too damn stubborn to hear anything I have to say.”

  He didn’t answer.

  “Drake.” She rested her hand on his arm, and he shook her off.

  “Thank you for getting Charlotte home.” He went to walk by her, and she grabbed his arm, yanking him back to her.

  “That’s it? Thank you for getting Charlotte home?”

  “I’ve had a long day and a long night, Sophie, and I think it’s best you go. I don’t think this is going to work.”

  He might as well have kicked her square in the gut. “Are you… are you breaking up with me?”

  “I just don’t have time for a relationship. I barely have time to be a doctor and a parent.”

  She ignored the onslaught of emotion moving through her. “I don’t understand. I thought we had something special.”

  “We did.”

  “Did…” she said, the word like acid on her tongue.

  He shrugged. “We just can’t seem to get the timing right.”

  She pressed her lips together and an annoyed laugh came out. “If that’s what you think, I’m just going to grab my bag.” She was grateful she had decided to meet him here to go to the barbeque and not have him pick her up. At least her car was here, and she didn’t have to endure anymore of this heartbreak. He was being completely unreasonable, but there was no arguing with him. His mind was set.

  She fought back tears and went into the house to grab her bag. Drake walked into the house and she closed her eyes as she immediately felt his presence. She swallowed down the pain that was forcing its way up her throat and met his gaze head on.

  “You were right,” she said. “You’re not perfect. I thought you were perfect for me though. Clearly, I was mistaken. Because my perfect match wouldn’t let something as ridiculous as timing stand in our way.” She stormed toward the door, stopping a mere foot from him. “Goodbye, Drake.”

  She ran out before the first tear fell and fought the urge to look back. There was no point. This time he wasn’t coming after her.

  ***

  Sophie knocked on Ellie’s door, trying her best to keep her tears at bay, but as soon as the door opened and the familiar face of her sister looked at her, she crumbled. Tears poured out of her eyes and she sucked in a ragged breath.

  “Oh sweetie, come here.” Ellie wrapped her in her arms and pulled her into the house. She brought her to the couch and sat with her, never letting go. Ellie grabbed the blanket off the top of the couch and draped it over Sophie. “I’ll be right back.”

&nbs
p; Ellie returned a short time later holding two wine glasses and a bottle. “I was going to make tea, then figured you needed something stronger than that.”

  “Good call,” Sophie said through her tears.

  Ellie uncorked the bottle, poured the glasses, and handed one to Sophie. Sophie accepted it gratefully and took a sip, wishing the alcohol could wash away her memory of the evening.

  Ellie leaned back on the couch and patted Sophie’s knee. “Tell me what happened?”

  Sophie took another sip of wine before placing her glass on the vintage coaster. “Drake is blaming himself for what happened to Walt, and he basically told me I was a distraction he didn’t need.”

  “What a jerk.”

  “That’s the thing, El. He’s not a jerk. He’s beating himself up because he feels guilty. He thinks he’s failed Walt, and now he’s punishing himself. He’s never going to be happy because he won’t allow himself to be. He takes on everyone else’s problems. Our first date. That disaster was because he found out that day his sister had been diagnosed with cancer.”

  “Oh, that explains a lot.”

  “It explains everything! He was distracted obviously, but after the date, he never came to me because he was so immersed in trying to fix his sister’s diagnosis. He takes on everyone else’s health like it’s his own, and it’s not. Yes, he’s a doctor. But does that mean he has to sacrifice his entire life to babysit other people? Maybe I’m being a bitch about the whole thing, but I just don’t understand why he thinks he needs to be everyone’s guardian angel. It’s too much damn pressure for one person to shoulder.

  “Did you say that to him?”

  “He wouldn’t listen to reason. He’d too far into his own guilt to hear anything I had to say.”

  “Maybe the dust will settle tomorrow.”

  “I doubt it.”

  “What are you going to do then?”

  “There’s nothing I can do. He already made up his mind. I’m not going to beg him to be with me. I’m desperate, but I’m not that desperate. If a man doesn’t want me, I won’t stick around and waste my time.”