With One More Look At You

by Mary J. Williams

  Sophie laughed, picking up the pace. Jogging next to her was her best friend, Tory Crandall. They were on their way to watch the Cloverdale Cavaliers play for the state football championship. A few short months ago, both ideas would have been impossible to conceive.

  High school football. And a best friend.

  It had all gone by in a blink. Yet Sophie could remember each moment—each first—with crystal-clear clarity.

  The first day of school had been a rollercoaster of emotions. It began with her putting on the new skirt and blouse she had purchased. Surprisingly, Joy had let it pass when she found out about the money Newt gave Sophie. Her mother was too busy spending as much of his money as she could. She barely gave Sophie a second thought.

  "Have a good time." Maeve had called out. She had done her bit by providing a huge first day of school pancake breakfast. "Forbes. You be sure to watch out for Sophie."

  "You don't have to." Sophie followed Forbes into the garage.

  "I don't have to what?" he asked.

  "Watch out for me."

  "You won't need me for long. In a week, two at the most, it will feel like you've been going to school all your life."

  Sophie couldn't imagine that happening. She would settle for her nerves ratcheting down a notch or two. There had been no mention of what she overheard at the barn. Mostly because she didn't want Forbes to know she had been witness to his sexual escapades.

  Sophie had given the other part a lot of thought. At first, she was angry. Was she so pathetic he had to strike a bargain with his girlfriend? If Daphne didn't smooth the way, would she end up a social pariah? An outcast? Destined to eat her lunch alone, avoided like the plague? Sophie managed to work herself into quite a frenzy.

  However, as she calmed down, Sophie could look at it more reasonably. Forbes wanted to help. It was thoughtful. Kind. She owed him her thanks, not her wrath. She knew it would be hard enough fitting in. Any help she could get was a good thing.

  They wove past Newt's SUV and the medium-sized dark-blue sedan that belonged to Maeve. Sophie had never been inside the garage. It was huge. And oddly luxurious for a place they used to park cars. The walls were a creamy beige with wood trim. And the heather gray-stamped concrete floors were so clean they practically gleamed.

  "How do you keep it so dirt-free in here?"

  "Maeve. She has a polishing obsession—and an eagle eye. When we get home, we sweep any tracks we brought in with us."

  Sounded fair. Sophie liked that Maeve was a stickler. It meant she cared. She took pride in maintaining the Branson home.

  "Jump in. I'll drive you to school every morning. I'm afraid that when I have practice, you'll have to ride the bus home," Forbes told her apologetically.

  Riding a school bus. Sophie refrained from rubbing her hands together in anticipation. Forbes would never understand, but it was another first that Sophie looked forward to.

  Forbes stopped beside a dark-red car. Sophie knew nothing about such things, but she thought it looked old. Not rundown, but shiny as a new penny and not a dent in sight. Vintage. That was the word.

  "What kind of car is this?" Sophie asked, sliding into the passenger seat.

  "A Ford Mustang. 1964. The first year it was made. It belonged to my mother."

  Sophie heard the pride in Forbes' voice. Pride tinged with sadness.

  "I see pictures of your mother all over the house. She was beautiful."

  The car's motor sprang instantly to life. Music—something Sophie didn't recognize—pulsed from the radio. Shifting gears, Forbes backed out of the garage.

  "Mom was gorgeous. Inside and out," he said, once they headed away down the driveway. He stopped at the end, looking right, then left, before pulling onto the main road. "I miss her every day."

  The idea was unimaginable. Not that she wanted Joy dead. But if she were gone—any place that Sophie wasn't—she wouldn't be missed. Finding out that Forbes felt the exact opposite about his mother made Sophie curious to hear more.

  "Do you mind talking about her?"

  "Not at all. I don't get a lot of opportunities. Be warned. Once I start, I might talk your ear off. Are you sure you want to take the chance?"

  "Yes. Please."

  Sophie listened intently. It wasn't the stories Forbes told—though he made her laugh with many of them—it was the look on his face. He loved his mother. Present tense. She imagined that no matter how many years passed, that would never change.

  "I envy you."

  Forbes glance at Sophie. "Don't you have any good memories about your mother?"

  Without hesitation, Sophie shook her head. She couldn't think of a single good time she had shared with Joy. Not one. How sad was that? It would have been easy to resent Forbes. Instead, she was grateful that he was willing to share his mother with her. That was how it felt. That while they were driving along, as she listened intently, Ella Branson became her mother, too.

  "Here we are. Cloverdale High School." Parking, Forbes turned off the engine. "Scared?"

  "A little. What?" Sophie asked when he grinned.

  "I was thinking how much has changed since we first met. You would have socked me in the eye before giving me the time of day, let alone admitting that you were frightened."

  Because she knew it was true—and she didn't appreciate him reminding her—Sophie shot Forbes a dirty look. "I might still give you a punch if you don't watch it."

  "That's what I was looking for. There is nothing like somebody riling you up to put some color in your cheeks. Rosy pink suits you much better than stark white."

  Sophie raised a hand to her face. "Was it so bad you had to piss me off?"

  "I probably could've found a different method. But it wouldn't have been as much fun." With a wink, Forbes left the car, rushing around to help her out.

  "I've never seen anybody do this." Sophie took his hand, letting Forbes pull her to her feet. "Outside of an old movie."

  "It's a special occasion. After today, you'll be on your own."

  On her own. That was what she had been all her life, and what she expected when she stepped through the doors leading to Cloverdale High School. However, that wasn't what happened. Perhaps Daphne's acceptance was the key. Or the fact that Forbes personally escorted her to her first class. Whatever the reason, Sophie found fitting in easier than she had expected.

  The sailing wasn't smooth. Forbes had predicted it would take her a week. Maybe two. A month was more like it. In that time, she figured out that the learning part of school was wonderful. Books. Teachers. Tests. Sophie absorbed it like a thirsty sponge. Even math. Thank goodness Forbes was a wiz in that department. He eased her through some initially confusing homework.

  The social part turned out to be trickier. It took Sophie time to figure out how to interact with so many hormone-laden teenagers. They weren't as mysterious as she imagined them to be. Some were nice. Some were god-awful. And a lot were somewhere in between. Once she had that revelation, things became less confusing.

  Tory Crandall helped. From day one, she took Sophie under her wing. Tory wasn't the prettiest. Or the most popular. She was an average student. Average height. Medium-brown hair. Medium-brown eyes. Average in every way. Until one got to know her. Tory had a wicked sense of humor—most of which she directed toward herself. She and Sophie clicked immediately, becoming the best of friends.

  Sophie was the one who suggested they attend the first home football game. Tory hadn't been against it. Boring, was the word she used. Stupid jocks bashing each other in the quest of moving a weirdly-shaped ball up and down a field. No, thank you. But after one game, Tory was hooked. She became the team's biggest fan. Sophie was there to support Forbes. She enjoyed the camaraderie of cheering with her fellow students. For Tory, it became life and death. Her friend took it so far as to begin dating the Cavaliers' starting right tackle. With a great big grin, Tory claimed she did it for the good of the team. She helped him maintain his focu
s.

  "Come on." Tory tugged on Sophie's coat. "Stop lagging behind. We're in the middle of a parking lot. In the middle of December. What could you possibly find to daydream about?"

  Sophie shook off her thoughts, rushing through the packed stadium to take her seat beside Tory. They were in the Cloverdale High School booster section. Students. Parents. Anybody who loved the team. All were bundled in their school colors of blue and white, ready to cheer their boys on to victory.

  Near the top of the stands sat a proud Newt. Next to him, sat Joy. To the casual observer, she looked like she was having a good time. But Sophie was an unwilling expert on the Moods of Joy. The signs were there if one knew how to interpret them. Her mother's interest began to fray at the edges. Just a little bit. The wear and tear weren't serious—yet. But if something weren't done immediately, her eye would soon wander to another man. And another. And another. She couldn't help herself. Joy liked who she was, and she didn't see any reason to change.

  When it came right down to it, nobody could do anything. No amount of attention or money from Newt would help. If Sophie broached the subject, it would be like throwing gasoline on a badly banked fire.

  As if sensing the attention, Joy met Sophie's gaze. Slowly, her lips moved into a sly, mocking smile. It seemed to say, you knew this day would come. You've gotten as much out of it as I have. Maybe more. Be glad it lasted this long.

  "Here comes the team," Tory yelled, pulling Sophie to her feet. "We're going to bring that trophy home to Cloverdale. Just wait and see."

  Wait and see. Sophie thought it was the only option she had.

  "What a game!" Newt hugged Sophie close. "Forbes was on fire. MVP. There's a college scholarship in his future. No doubt about it."

  Sophie nodded rather than shout over the still-buzzing crowd. The game had been close, but in the last few minutes, Forbes led his team down the field for the winning touchdown. Cloverdale had their state championship, just as Tory predicted.

  "Would you and Tory like to ride back with us?"

  "No, thanks, Newt. We want to go back on the bus with the rest of the students."

  "I don't blame you. It's more fun to celebrate with your classmates than a couple of old-timers."

  "Speaking of which, where is Joy?"

  "She needed to use the bathroom." Newt gave a good-natured sigh. "I told her the lines would be brutal, but she couldn't wait. I'm going to meet her at the south exit."

  Maybe it was undue paranoia, but Sophie had a bad feeling. Joy loved to take chances. It gave her a rush to fool around in a public place. The risk of getting caught added to the excitement. Amid the whoops and hollers of a group of rowdy teenagers, Sophie made her way to the waiting bus.

  Gazing out the window, she crossed her fingers that at that moment, all Joy was doing was taking an innocent pee. But when her mother was involved, it was rarely that simple—or innocent.

  "I'VE ASKED JOY to marry me."

  Forbes rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, shaking his head. His father announcing his upcoming marriage wasn't something a guy heard every day. At six thirty on a Sunday morning. The one day Forbes slept in. The news was difficult to assimilate when he was still in bed, half asleep and still a little buzzed from his first Saturday night party since football started.

  "That's… great?" Forbes hadn't meant for it to come out as a question. Blame it on too much cheap beer.

  "I know this must come as a surprise."

  Propping himself up on his elbow, Forbes watched his father pace across the bedroom floor. Newt was still in his pajama bottoms, robe, and slippers. His hair, already mussed from a night's sleep, wasn't helped as Newt repeatedly ran an agitated hand through it.

  "Joy has lived here for almost five months. If I'd given it any thought, I guess marriage seemed inevitable. I take it she said yes."

  "It's crazy. I never thought I'd remarry. Your mother was the love of my life. Joy is…"

  "You don't have to explain, Dad."

  "I get looks from people in town. Friends. Acquaintances. None of them have found the nerve to ask. If they did, I don't know what I'd say." Newt took a seat on the edge of the bed. "It's love, Forbes. I wouldn't marry her otherwise. But it isn't the same as with your mother. It couldn't be. Ella will always be in my heart."

  For a long time after his mother's death, Forbes wanted to believe it was a mistake. He sat at the funeral. He knew she had been buried. He watched as they lowered the coffin into the ground. But that didn't stop him from wishing it wasn't true. Slowly, he found acceptance—if not peace—with the fact that his mother would never coming back. It took his father a lot longer.

  "Nothing can erase Mom's memory. But she would want you to be happy."

  "I think so too."

  The silence that followed was brief, though not the least bit awkward. Newt was lost in his thoughts. Forbes waited, still absorbing the news.

  "Joy has always dreamed of going to Paris."

  "Sounds like a good place for a honeymoon," Forbes nodded.

  "We thought we would leave today. Stop in Las Vegas. Get married. Then continue on to France."

  "Wow." Forbes didn't know what else to say.

  "Joy loves spur of the moment things. I'm all for skipping the planning and the guests and the big day. My only worry is you."

  "Me? It's your wedding."

  "You won't mind missing it?"

  "I wasn't there the first time."

  Newt smiled. "Seriously, Forbes. What do you think? We won't be here for Christmas. Or New Year's."

  This time of year had never been the same since his mother's death. She was the one who loved to decorate and entertain. She made it special. Still, it would be strange not to celebrate with his father. Forbes would leave for college next fall. Depending on where he went, it might not be practical to make it home for the holidays. One more sign that he was becoming an adult. Now was a good time to prove it.

  "We'll open presents when you get back."

  "It won't be the same." Clearly, Newt wanted this, but he didn't want to hurt his son.

  "Answer one thing. Are you sure?"

  "Yes."

  "Then get packing. Call the travel agent."

  "I already did." Newt shrugged. "Just in case. Our flight to Vegas leaves at noon. We'll finalize the rest of the itinerary from there."

  "I'm impressed." And slightly dizzy. "Have a good time, Dad. Take lots of pictures."

  "We will." Newt sighed, his shoulders sagging. "Thank you for making this so easy for me."

  Forbes shook his father's outstretched hand. "You don't have to worry about the ranch. Mike, Jerry, and I'll look out for everything."

  "And Sophie."

  "Sure. We'll keep an eye on the kid."

  "I meant, she can help out. Sophie loves working on the ranch, Forbes. Make certain you include her."

  The mention of Sophie reminded Forbes of the conversation he had with Joy just before the start of the school year.

  "Does Sophie know about the wedding?" Forbes asked cautiously.

  "Joy is telling her now." Newt patted Forbes on the shoulder. "Don't look like that. I'm sure Sophie will be happy for Joy and me."

  Forbes hoped so. Sophie had grown up a lot. She was thriving at school. She had friends. But he had no way to anticipate her reaction to the news that her sister was getting married. If, as Joy had said, Sophie was prone to jealousy, this might set her off.

  Things were good between him and Sophie. They didn't spend a lot of time together because neither had a lot of spare time. Their relationship had fallen into a brother/sister dynamic. Forbes didn't want to rock that boat. But if he had to, he was prepared to do whatever it took to make sure nothing endangered his father's future happiness.

  "NEWT AND I are getting married."

  "No."

  "Yes."

  Joy held out her hand, the overhead light catching on the facets of the biggest diamond ring Sophie ha
d ever seen. Not that she had seen very many. But even to her untrained eye, the one that Joy sported was huge.

  "You have to give it back."

  Sophie continued to make her bed, her movements quick and sure. But her mind raced. She had played out a lot of possible ways for all of this to end. Joy and Newt married? That hadn't been one of them.

  "Why would I do that? I've found my big, fat, easily manipulated, golden goose, little girl. And I'm holding on for dear life."

  "If you don't call off the engagement, I'll tell Newt everything."

  "You're bluffing." Joy took a seat. She crossed her legs, arranging the silky material of her black negligee. "Pull me down, and you go with me. You like your life too much."

  Taking a deep breath, Sophie straightened, turning to face Joy. Her mother was right. If Newt knew the truth, everything would end. School. Her friends. The ranch. They would all be gone. She had no idea what would become of her. In all likelihood, wherever she ended up, it would be as bad, or worse, than before. It was a frightening proposition.

  Sophie had pushed her conscience aside when Newt played the fool over his girlfriend. That was bad enough. But the thought of him making Joy his wife? That was the last straw. She could never live with herself if she didn't speak up.

  "Newt won't listen to you, Sophie."

  As much as she wanted to, Sophie couldn't argue. Newt was so far gone; his brain had turned to mush—at least as far as Joy was concerned.

  "I'll go to Forbes."

  Joy, with a smile that held more pity than worry, walked to the door.

  "You may be gifted in the classroom. But my skills have nothing to do with brains." She had no need to elaborate. Sophie knew exactly what Joy meant. "Forbes is a man. In that arena, I will kick your ass every time. Think about that before you try something stupid. You'll be the loser. Not me. By the way, Newt and I are getting married today. In Las Vegas. Sorry you won't be there to catch the bouquet."

  With a quiet click of the door, Joy exited the room.

  One way or another, Joy always won. But why did it have to be that way? Sophie refused to let hopelessness close in on her. She would talk to Forbes. He would take her side over Joy's.