Absolute Trust

by Piper J. Drake

  Sophie didn’t try to hide her troubled thoughts. Elisa would only call her out on them. It was part of the reason Sophie valued her friendship.

  “Did you all wonder why I was in New Hope yesterday, in the middle of the day on a workday?” Only Ky had asked her yesterday, in his capacity as a police officer. So he’d been the first person she’d told. Today, she needed to tell her friends and maybe some of the anxiety would give way so she could do something constructive about it.

  Lyn pulled the wheelchair into the room and closed the door. “We figured you’d get around to telling us.”

  Now was a better time than later, then. They’d been wondering, and she really appreciated their consideration in not peppering her with questions yesterday when she’d been out of it.

  “I was wondering, too.” It’d been weird. A red flag. “My boss gave me the afternoon off, and I was wondering if there was something wrong at work. Maybe the company is going under.”

  Lyn sucked in a breath.

  Elisa’s eyes widened. “Do you think your job is in danger?”

  Sophie pressed her lips together and shrugged. “I’m not sure. I’d gone through the morning tasks and prepped a couple of client folios for afternoon appointments. My boss called me into his office to comment on how hard I’d been working lately. Then he said I should take the afternoon off. Clear my head.”

  It’d been out of character for him. Since the day she’d started working with the small accounting firm, they’d always had the expectation that she be in early enough to set up and be working promptly at the start of the business day. Staying late was a given around tax season, but it happened heading into the fall, too, because a lot of small businesses set their budgets in the fall. There’d been a lot of work to do over the past week or so, and she’d put in long hours to keep them all from getting buried.

  “Seems odd.” Lyn owned her own dog training business, working with dogs with behavioral issues and their owners. She’d been successfully running her own business for years.

  “It was, absolutely.” Sophie tugged at a length of her hair. “And I was excited to take an afternoon away. It’s been really uncomfortable at the office lately.”

  Elisa frowned. “How so?”

  Sophie considered for a moment. “More tense than usual. Everyone’s snapping at each other. I took the time to reconcile an extra few sets of client data in prep for their upcoming budget reviews, and my boss snapped at me for handling other people’s client work.”

  Lyn raised an eyebrow. “Did he have a point?”

  “Yeah.” Sophie sighed. “I was doing the same for my own clients, so I figured it was just another set of things to do along the same lines, and I was already at the office late anyway. But I guess I may have stepped on a few toes.”

  “If it’s interoffice territory, seems like something that could be cleared up with a frank discussion.” Elisa’s voice had taken on a more brisk tone. She’d worked for a few years in a corporate environment as a very capable project manager before she’d gotten involved with her ex. “Communication can resolve a lot of these situations.”

  Sophie nodded. “It was my boss’s client, and I’ve taken on some of the overflow before, so I hadn’t thought twice about doing it for this. But it’s not just the one incident. Everyone has become more irritable, on edge. It’s not a big office, and the environment has gotten stressful in general.”

  Elisa studied her. “You said you were excited to take the afternoon off.”

  Sophie nodded, a knot of tension in her chest loosening. This was the issue she’d been chewing on since yesterday. “It’s one thing to be aware of the work environment and relations with coworkers. But something’s wrong with me, too. Yesterday afternoon, I felt like I’d won the lottery. I couldn’t wait to head out of there.”

  “Seems like a normal reaction,” Lyn ventured.

  “Only I’ve been considering taking a mental health day here and there for months now.” Sophie looked up at the ceiling. “Once in a while is fine. We all need a break from what we do for a while to come back fresh. But I’ve been waking up almost every morning now having to convince myself to get up and go to work instead of calling in sick and taking a mental health day.”

  Both Lyn’s eyebrows shot up this time. “Okay, yes. That’s not a good sign.”

  Elisa retrieved her tote bag from where she’d set it against the wall. “Let me guess what’s eating at you, then. You don’t want to go to work. Then you feel guilty because you ought to go to work. Then you make yourself go to work and end up mentally, emotionally, and physically tired because you probably should’ve taken a break but feel guilty for wanting it.”

  “This is supposed to be the career I wanted.” A hint of bitterness crossed Sophie’s tongue. “I went to school for accounting, took internships to gain experience in it, and I’m lucky to have this job so soon in my career.”

  Or at least she knew she should feel lucky. She didn’t. Accomplishing goals was rewarding, but actually doing her job? She gained more joy out of refining her recipe for strawberry sweet rolls with vanilla frosting to make Brandon’s eyes roll into the back of his head.

  “You’ve worked hard to advance this far in your career.” Elisa’s words were firm.

  Sophie nodded. “So why do I hate the idea of being an accountant for the rest of my life? It’s what I should want, but I don’t. I just don’t want to be practical Sophie anymore.”

  Elisa and Lyn smiled. Neither of them looked surprised or disappointed. There was none of the censure Sophie had been half-expecting.

  “I think we need to get you freshened up and into the casual skirt I brought for you.” Lyn’s tone was brisk, almost cheerful. “Then all three of us are going to go back to your place and raid your tea stash to continue this discussion. I’m betting you have home-baked cookies at your place, too.”

  “Right now? We’re going to put this on pause right here?” Sophie was miffed.

  “Yup.” Elisa was obviously backing up Lyn on this one. “Mostly because a whole lot of mental clarity can be found over a cup of tea and a few of your cookies. And somewhat because Brandon is going to stomp in here and try to help if we take too much longer.”

  “Why is Brandon still here if you two are taking me home? He has obedience classes to teach.” She knew his kennel schedule by heart.

  Both of her friends stared at her.

  After a moment, Lyn cleared her throat. “This has been a long time coming, but I’d say you’re going to be making a lot of life choices in the near future. We may need something stronger than tea and cookies.”

  Elisa snickered. “We could spike the tea with bourbon.”

  Sophie struggled to hustle into the clothes they’d brought for her. “You two just want to raid my cookies.”

  Lyn tipped her head to one side. “Valid assumption. We also want to get you settled and make sure you feel comfortable.”

  “I’m always comfortable in my own home.” Sophie huffed in exasperation.

  “Good.” Elisa’s voice took on a brisk tone. “Then let’s see how comfortable you are with Brandon. In your home. Because we plan to leave him there with you.”

  * * *

  Sophie had worked hard on this little apartment. She’d repainted the one bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and living room herself. The floors were a light-colored hardwood, softened by a few thoughtfully placed rugs. She’d kept the furniture sparse to keep the feeling of wide-open space, even if her actual square footage was limited.

  It was her cozy haven. One that currently had a man banging around in her tiny kitchen.

  Sophie eyed Brandon’s broad back as he moved around her stove and counter space like they were his. “You have classes to teach, dogs to train.”

  People to see, things to do. He’d built the equivalent of a small ecosystem on the acres of land he’d bought four years ago when he’d returned from deployment. It was a haven, in Sophie’s mind. And it was unsettling to see him an
ywhere but there.

  Instead, he was here. And this might be the first time he’d been here for longer than a few minutes. She didn’t plan to ever admit to him how happy it made her.

  Lyn and Elisa had been true to their word. They’d settled her on her couch and retrieved cookies from her kitchen plus tea spiked with bourbon. They’d taken up Brandon’s offer to move around furniture to make it easier for Sophie to be comfortable. So she’d nibbled on a cookie, wide-eyed, as she watched him heft her solid wood breakfast table and move it within easy reach of her couch. Then Lyn and Elisa had brought the chairs over and sat with her for a quick chat.

  In the end, they hadn’t gotten around to talking about her career again. Brandon hovering nearby hadn’t helped. She’d been distracted and pondering if there was some other heavy piece of furniture she could get him to move around for her. Besides, Lyn and Elisa each had to get back to Hope’s Crossing Kennels and their respective responsibilities.

  “You have nothing but cookies, brownies, cupcakes, and sweet rolls here.” Brandon’s observation was delivered in a neutral tone, over his shoulder. “I figure you’ve got at least one neighbor who’ll show up with a casserole or their special lasagna. Until then, I figured I’d make a couple of easy-to-heat-up meals for you.”

  “It might’ve been easier to pick up a few frozen dinners.” She fussed with the blanket he’d draped over her lap. It was one of several she had in easy reach, because she liked to make a nest for herself when she curled up to read. This place was where she could enjoy her quiet evenings without troubling anyone else.

  “Picking up fresh stuff cost about the same, and it’ll be healthier for you.” He chopped vegetables while chicken breasts baked in her oven. Muscles twitched and rippled across his shoulders and back with the precise movements. She wondered if he could look any hotter. She leaned over to catch a glimpse of his rear around the edge of her newly relocated breakfast table.

  “What are you making?” It did smell really good. Or maybe she was getting her appetite back.

  “Simple, easy-to-spice-up dishes.” Brandon was practical that way. His cooking was always straightforward, incorporating just a few ingredients, and comforting. He also handled a knife with flare. “Mostly chicken paired with veggies. I’m keeping it lean because I figure you’re going to be snacking on all your baked sweets.”

  Her cheeks heated. Come to think of it, he’d been dropping comments ever since the hospital, reminders of how well he knew her and the people around her. Her neighbors were likely to bring dishes of easy-bake carbs, too. “You’re probably right.”

  He lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “Seasoning is light because I don’t know if your stomach might still get queasy with the pain meds. Just salt, pepper, and garlic.”

  She bit her lip as a warm happiness continued to spread through her chest. He was always considerate, but this was a whole new level of thoughtful care. “I’ve got a jar of pesto in the fridge if I want to change it up.”

  She also had a variety of hot sauces and soy-based stuff.

  “There’s also a big container of kimchi in your fridge in case you really want a pop of flavor.” Definite amusement in that statement.

  She sighed. “Mom left it for me to make sure I didn’t run out while she was gone.”

  There were containers of various other Korean dishes on the same shelf in her refrigerator, too. Her mom was an amazing cook, actually. Sophie just didn’t eat Korean for every meal.

  “The amount of food in there is enough to feed you awhile.” Brandon started setting up small plastic containers in rows. “But it’ll take some effort to pull all those containers out and set up a plate of what you want. Plus, those are served at all different temperatures. You’d end up on your feet for twenty minutes heating everything the way it should be served. That’s a lot of effort. So the ones I’m putting together are an easy two or three minutes in the microwave and ready to eat.”

  She didn’t know what to say. He was right about the Korean food she had on hand. It was all delicious, but she liked to put together plates for herself exactly the way he’d described. And there’d been more than one occasion when she’d skipped a meal because she’d been too into a book or too tired to fuss around with putting together her dinner.

  There was something to be said about the food he was preparing, too. Especially because he was cooking for her. How many times had he heard her tell Boom how a person’s love went into the food they made for someone else?

  Every conversation, every meal at Hope’s Crossing Kennels, she’d enjoyed for the company of the people there. But also because Brandon had always been around at the periphery.

  She sat up straighter as he took the chicken from the oven and let it rest on top of the stove. “After you’re done, what are you going to do?”

  He shrugged.

  He hadn’t joined her and Lyn and Elisa earlier. But then again, their chatter didn’t seem to be something that interested him often. Even when she was visiting them at the kennels, Brandon didn’t often directly join the chatter.

  But come to think of it, this was familiar. He was generally on the edge of her conversations. And they rarely hung out, just the two of them. But here he was now. Aside from nattering at him about what he was cooking, she couldn’t think of how to engage him in discussion. It was like they didn’t have easy conversation between them anymore.

  “I can’t remember the last time we sat up and talked until dawn.”

  Brandon paused. “I can.”

  “Really?” The question came out softly. She didn’t know why, only that she wasn’t sure if this was exactly what she’d wanted to talk about either.

  “It was before I left.” Brandon transferred a chicken breast to a cutting board and began slicing it. “We were talking about all the places you wanted to travel after college.”

  Oh. Her cheeks heated at the memory. They’d talked and they’d done…other things. “You said I was weird because I didn’t want to stay in big hotels or resorts. I wasn’t interested in all the places our friends wanted to go for spring break.”

  His kisses had been intoxicating back then, and teasing. He’d drawn out her hopes and dreams in between stealing her breath away. Maybe those kisses had changed now, but she had no way of knowing. And inside her own head, watching him, she wondered whether they had.

  “You wanted to explore Ireland by traveling from one bed-and-breakfast to the next.” His voice took on an odd note. “You wanted to travel Japan by going from one onsen to the next.”

  She smiled. It was true. Especially the Japanese onsens, because who didn’t want to slip into a hot spring and let all their tension soak away? She could use one now. “The places to stay and rest are as important as the destinations. I like the different ways someone can make a place a memory.”

  And back when she’d shared those dreams with him, she’d wanted to make those memories with him. Then, he’d left. It hadn’t stopped her from dreaming, or traveling a bit, but on every trip she’d wondered what it would’ve been like to experience it with him there.

  Maybe she should’ve been angry or bitter, but she’d burned all of that out of her system years ago. When he’d come back, she’d decided she wanted him in her life again, at least as a friend.

  And that was all they were. Friends.

  “You wanted to try the B-and-Bs on the Big Island in Hawaii and compare them to the places they have in the Caribbean islands.” He’d finished assembling the small containers, snapping each closed and stacking them neatly in her refrigerator. His movements were careful and precise. He did that when he was feeling strongly about something. “You were going to move far away from here.”

  Well, that’d been the thought of the moment back then. He couldn’t be agitated about things she’d decided not to do, could he? “I traveled, but I didn’t want to move to any of those places. None of it was practical.”

  She’d gone directly into undergraduate school, living at home to sa
ve money. When she’d graduated, she’d taken on internships and worked to earn her MBA. It’d been sensible and she’d come out of it with some student loans but not nearly as much debt as could’ve accrued if she’d gone away to school.

  “Practical is a good thing.” Cooking utensils clanged as he made quick work of washing what he’d used. “Your knives need sharpening.”

  “I have a knife sharpener in the drawer to your left.” She considered the dream she’d shared with him.

  He didn’t mention the way they’d planned to explore those faraway places together. They’d spent hours negotiating, prioritizing which of the places they’d visit first.

  And then, one day he’d just gone. He’d enlisted. She’d asked his parents and they had only said he’d been very sure he wanted to go.

  She’d never known why he left, and she hadn’t asked when he’d come back to Pennsylvania.

  Instead, she asked a different question. “Why are you here, Brandon?”

  He stopped cleaning up. When he finally turned, his eyes were unreadable, the gold flecks showing against the backdrop of green and brown. She wasn’t even sure how she could notice so much detail from all the way across the two rooms. She held her breath as he stared at her, unable to look away and only thinking he was on the edge of bursting somehow.

  But he was crossing the distance between them. Between one moment and the next, he was right there next to her, kneeling so they were face-to-face. She let out the air in her lungs in a rush, not sure of what she wanted to do or what he was planning to do. She parted her lips but didn’t say anything, didn’t want to put another question out there for him to address before he answered the one she really wanted to know.

  Because she was hoping he was here for her—not for his childhood friend but for the very adult version of her who’d been waiting for him all this time.

  Faster than she could react, his lips caught hers. The contact rushed through her in a lightning shot of surprise. Years of bottled-up frustration bubbled up and she leaned into him with a soft gasp.