Fireworks

by Lindsey Gray

  “Hey,” she murmured

  Sam lifted his head to meet her gaze.

  “I’ll admit, I’ve thought about it, too. If you’re patient with me, I hope maybe we can make some of those things happen.”

  “Deal.”

  An itch on the side of Sam’s neck woke him the following morning. The case on the pillow resting under Sophie’s head had scratched against his neck with her minor movement.

  He rolled further away from her, moving to his side and admiring her sleeping form. Her hair had been pulled back in a ponytail but the end had draped in front of her shoulder, and was tucked beneath her chin. Her skin was fresh and light without a speck of makeup on. Her lashes fluttered as her eyes moved slightly in sleep. In other words, Sophie was perfect. Well, perfect to him. He couldn’t let a moment like that pass him by, so being quiet, he slipped out of the bed to search for what he needed.

  A legal-sized drawing pad and charcoal pencils lay on his desk. He picked them up and went back to sit on the bed. He flicked the cover over the spiral rings, chose his pencil, and got to work.

  A half an hour later, Sophie woke to the sound of pencil stokes across paper.

  “What are you doing?” she asked, groggily.

  “Drawing,” he stated and continued on.

  “Is this something I need to know about?” She raised an eyebrow at him as he glanced up, but then returned to his work. “Am I going to wake up to you drawing all the time?”

  That question stopped him in his tracks. His drawing ceased, and he flipped the cover to conceal his work. “Does it bother you?”

  “No, I just wanted to know if this would be a regular occurrence. That’s all.”

  Sam placed the pad and pencils on his bedside table, and moved to hover above her.

  “I would love for you wake up with me on a regular basis, regardless of the drawing.” He leaned down, and gave her a soft kiss on the lips. “But you inspired me this morning and I just had to capture the moment.”

  Sophie’s cheeks reddened when she realized he’d drawn her while she slept. She had seen a few of the drawings he had done for Caroline years before, but he hadn’t ever mentioned drawing since they met back up.

  “Can I see it?” she asked, allowing her fingertip traced his jawline.

  Sam rolled off of her and grabbed the drawing pad, then placed it on his chest. “Come on over.”

  He patted his thighs as a sign for her to sit on his lap to look at the drawing.

  Sophie smiled as she rolled over him, and then sat up, her girly bits tingling at the contact she made with his impressive morning wood. They both let out soft moans as she got settled and opened the drawing pad.

  “You’ll have to flip to the last one.”

  “No,” she said in complete awe. “These are amazing.”

  They were all done in charcoal, but with a stunning clarity where you could almost see the color. They were all different subjects; yet they all gave her that same feeling. Her breath caught in her throat as she came to the picture he had just completed.

  “Sam,” Sophie whispered.

  “It was a compulsion. I couldn’t not draw you. Does that make sense?” he questioned, caressing the back of her thighs lightly with his fingertips.

  “Yes, it does.” She traced her lips with the tip of her finger as she looked at how he drew them.

  “I used to keep a drawing pad in every room in case the moment hit me. The last several years, I’ve just kept one in my nightstand. Just in the last couple of weeks, the thought of you inspired me.”

  The care Sam took while he created every stroke was evident. He loved to draw, and it was obvious that he was good at it. It made her a little sad that he hadn’t been able to enjoy it in quite some time.

  A low beeping noise emanated from Sam’s cell phone. He grabbed it off his bedside table, and found a text message from Caroline. “My sister says breakfast is ready and that we can come down if we aren’t busy.”

  Sophie looked over to find it was already eight thirty. “I’ve got to get back over to my dad’s. Do you want to come with me?”

  “How about I drop you off? I have to go help my dad finish the float for tomorrow. I’ll come back when you’re ready and we can have lunch, and then go for a swim.”

  “Sounds good.” She sat up and slid one leg off the bed while she pressed herself directly on his erection.

  “Ugh,” Sam groaned.

  “Sorry.” Sophie brought her other leg over him to stand beside the bed.

  “Don’t be. I enjoyed it.”

  “I bet you did.” She loved the smug smile that graced his face so she did what came natural and kissed him. “Get dressed before breakfast gets cold.”

  A moment later, Sophie found herself doing her own little victory dance behind the bathroom door that separated the two of them. Finally, she was comfortable with the idea of moving on and how wonderful it would be with Sam by her side.

  Chapter Seven

  Drew’s thoughts wondered as he made the drive from Halston to Kansas City in the early morning hours of July third. He’d left his wife while she made breakfast with the excuse of working for a few hours. Thankfully, Sophie and Sam hadn’t made an appearance yet. Drew wasn’t sure he could go through with his plan if he had to face them first.

  He pulled his car into the driveway of the man who’d been his best friend for seven years. At one point in time, Drew was sure the man would be family. Sophie destroyed the image that’d been cemented in his mind for so long with her confession the day before. Now, he had no idea what to think of Josh Reynolds. Was he friend or foe?

  Drew walked up the cobblestone path that they’d laid four years ago over Memorial Day weekend. It had been the beginning of the revamp of the older home that Josh had bought for a steal at an auction. They had spent hours painting, landscaping, and doing little things here and there to make the house a home where Josh and Sophie could raise a family. The outside was still pristine, but he was sure what lay inside would be a different story.

  When Drew knocked on the door, it seemed to echo, like when you whack on a hollow tree log. He heard feet shuffle for several seconds before the door opened, and Josh stood on the other side.

  At that moment, Drew took a good look at his friend. The changes were drastic compared to what he looked like before Sophie left. His dark brown hair was much longer and unruly. The growth on his cheeks was at least a few weeks’ worth. A faded pair of blue jeans hung low on his hips and a plain, black T-shirt covered his thinning torso. A minimum of twenty pounds had disappeared from when Drew had last seen him in person three months ago.

  “Drew? What are you doing here?” Josh scratched the back of his head and his dark locks flopped around with the movement.

  “We need to talk. Can I come in?”

  Josh hesitated for a few heartbeats, but opened up the door a bit wider. “Sure.”

  Drew walked in and shut the door behind him. The house, that he once had so many fond memories of, was almost barren. A couch and overstuffed chair sat by themselves in the otherwise empty living room. Drew peeked into the kitchen to see a small table with two chairs in the large breakfast nook.

  “Are you moving or something?” Drew asked, following Josh into the living room.

  “No, just too many memories. I put most of it in storage in case she ever wants it.” A soft smile passed Josh’s lips quickly as he got comfortable in his chair.

  “She’s what I came to talk to you about.” Drew sat down on the couch, and prepared to get pelted with a barrage of questions from his friend. Josh just nodded, solemnly urging Drew to go on. “Sophie’s back.”

  “Oh.” Josh dropped his chin to his chest and closed his eyes.

  “She told me what happened the night she left. I need to hear from you what happened.”

  Josh opened his eyes and leaned his head back on his chair. “I see it over and over again every night. I close my eyes and see my fists …” His hand clasped into a fist
. “It was like I didn’t even know what I was doing. She was screaming at me about those fucking pills Ken gave her. It was like someone else had taken over, and I had no control over anything.”

  “But why? I can’t understand why you would hurt her, or trick her even. Can you tell me what you were thinking?”

  Josh looked straight into Drew’s eyes. “Ken told me I was going to lose her. We all could see she wasn’t anywhere near ready to set a date. Something was always coming up. After she’d been working for that doctor a couple of months, I thought it was time to make a decision, but she kept blowing me off. Ken came over one night and insisted if he could convince her to take the pills, I could get her pregnant. After two months of taking the pills and us having sex almost every other day, nothing had happened. Then she heard me on the phone talking to Ken, and that was it.”

  He let out a long breath as he ended his story. Drew continued to look over his friend.

  “Has Ken been giving you something?” He worried Josh was strung out. Knowing Ken the way Drew did, he wouldn’t put it passed him to get his brother hooked on painkillers or something worse.

  “I’ve been taking antidepressants. They’re prescription. I’ve been seeing a therapist for a while.”

  Other than the obvious withdrawal from his friends, Drew had noticed Josh’s work had slipped. He’d missed several deadlines, and even confused one account with another. It was very out of character for Josh and Drew knew something other than Sophie’s departure had caused these problems.

  “How is she?” Josh asked.

  “She’s different. We haven’t talked much, but I think she needs closure. She doesn’t understand.”

  Josh nodded before he asked the one question Drew was dreading. “Is she seeing anyone?”

  “Um, yeah. Caroline’s brother Sam. They work together now.”

  Josh pressed his lips into a hard line and nodded. He always knew it was a possibility that Sophie would move on, but he’d hoped for a chance to explain his actions first.

  “Would you tell her to call me? Or maybe you could bring her over?” Josh’s eyebrows lifted with the hope of hearing her voice again.

  “I’ll talk to her, but you’ve got to pull yourself together. I know it hurts, and you seem to feel guilty as hell, but you have to get on with your life. This,” Drew gestured to the empty space that surrounded them, “is not living.”

  “Right.”

  Drew stood. “I’ll talk to her tonight.”

  “Thanks for coming.” Josh held out his hand.

  Drew took it and they shook hands. It was strange for the two men, who had been friends for so long, but seemed appropriate in that moment.

  Josh showed Drew out, and then went into the kitchen. He picked up his cell phone, and dialed the number that had been saved in his phone for years.

  “Dr. Hardy. It’s Josh. She’s back.”

  Chapter Eight

  “Finished,” Sam groaned as he hammered in the last nail.

  It was close to noon, and Sam was glad to be done with his task. The Crawford Furniture float for the Halston Annual Fourth of July Parade was complete. The float that would serve as the Princess of Halston and her royal court’s transportation was the best yet in his opinion. He hadn’t been home for the Fourth of July festivities in quite a few years, but he couldn’t imagine a better float sailing down the parade route.

  “Thanks for the help, son.” Alan slapped Sam on the back before he picked up some tools, and loaded them into his toolbox.

  “It looks great.” Sam wiped the sweat from his brow and wondered how to bring up the topic of Sophie with him. “Um, Dad?”

  “Yeah?” Alan handed Sam a bottle of water before he settled down on the throne of their royal float.

  “I wanted to talk to you about Sophie.”

  “Yes, I’m sure you do.” Alan unscrewed the cap of his own water bottle, and took a swig. “More importantly about how your mother feels about her?”

  “Yes,” Sam answered, and let out a deep breath. He thought it might not be so hard to talk about after all.

  “First off, I want you to know that I had no idea she had threatened to cut you off. Well, not until yesterday.”

  “You didn’t?” Sam thought his father would have been the first person she would have run to about it back then.

  “No, and I can tell you right now, I would have never let her follow through with it.”

  “Dad …” Sam couldn’t speak. Thoughts of all the wasted years hit him hard. What would have happened if he had just asked for his father’s support?

  “When she was sixteen, I wouldn’t have approved of an intimate relationship between the two of you. I’m sure the Judge wouldn’t have, either. However, I wouldn’t have stopped you from continuing a friendship and possible relationship when she was a bit older. Please know this; never in a million years, would I cut you off. You and Caroline are the reason I have worked so hard all these years. I wanted you to have the best education, and the opportunity to do that without having to work three jobs or take out student loans.”

  Sam could see the absolute truth of his words in his father’s eye.

  “I wish I would have just talked to you. God, Dad. I was in love with her back then. If we could have just kept in contact, so many horrible things never would have happened.” Sam slumped down on the step next to the throne where his father sat.

  “Has your life been so horrible?” Alan looked at his son with deep concern.

  “Mine, not so much, but Sophie …” His emotions were all over the place, but the two most prevalent were regret and anger. “Her ex did some awful things. None of it should’ve happened.”

  “Josh?” Alan asked, astonished. “Drew told me what a rough time he’s had since they split up, but I never heard why it happened.”

  Sam huffed. Of course his father didn’t know what kind of man Josh really was. “Sophie doesn’t want many people to know what happened, but believe me, Josh,” he uttered his name with pure disgust, “is not the wounded warrior in this scenario.”

  Alan nodded as he contemplated what to tell his son next. He had been livid when his wife had confessed her long-standing threat over their son. They still hadn’t settled their argument, but now that Sam had told him how hurt he and Sophie had both been, he planned to talk to Virginia that night.

  “I’m sorry if you both have suffered because of your mother. I want you to know I support you one hundred percent. If you two want to run off to Vegas tomorrow and get married, I will gladly drive you to the airport.”

  Sam laughed and smiled a little.

  “I mean it.” Alan continued. “I can see she has made you happier than you’ve been in years. Caroline mentioned you were drawing again.”

  “Yeah. Painting, too.” His once empty guest room held a few canvases that he’d recently worked on.

  “I want another one to put in my office then.”

  Sam turned and looked at his father. “You still have that one in your office?”

  “Of course I do,” Alan responded with pride. “I love the park scenes you used to do. Reminds me of all the times I took you and Caroline to that park with the huge slides. Even after you broke your arm jumping from a swing, you still begged to go.”

  “There is something about a place like that, it just inspires me. I did a drawing of you pushing Caroline on a swing from memory a while back.”

  “I’d love to see it and any of your other ones.”

  “Thanks. Your support means a lot. Mom could never give me that.”

  Alan sighed. “Your mom is wired a little different than the rest of the world. Her parents were terribly controlling, and I guess I didn’t notice how she was doing the same thing with you and your sister. I’m sorry that I’ve realized so late in the game.”

  “Game isn’t over yet, Dad. I’m just starting a new inning, and getting ready to hit a home run.”

  Alan stood and helped Sam up. He put his hands on both of his so
n’s shoulders, and looked straight into his eyes. “I’m sure you will.”

  “Thank you so much, Lexi. I’ll see you Friday.” Sophie hung up the phone and sighed in relief. Lexi had been able to get the time off to come help with the food for the wedding.

  Sophie added a few more items to the list that she had started while she sat at the kitchen table. The menu was simple, but it was something more than two sets of hands would be able to handle.

  “You need anything?” Shannon asked, setting a glass of iced tea down in front of Sophie.

  “I’m not sure. Lexi will be here Friday morning to help. We’ve got the menu planned out. Dad and Robert have already taken care of the outside set up. Am I leaving something out?” After the exhausting morning Sophie had experienced, it was more than likely a few things would fall by the wayside.

  “How about we try on our dresses and have some girl talk?”

  “The dresses, of course! See, this is why I’m glad I have a little sister to remind me of these things.” Sophie smiled as Shannon began to beam. Her soon-to-be-sister could be gruff and sarcastic, but deep down she was just a girl wanting a connection. She had found a strong bond in the form of a new stepsister.

  They took the stairs two at a time like rambunctious children. Shannon arrived first and headed to the walk-in closet where the dresses were kept.

  Shannon pulled hers out with a flourish. The plum-colored dress floated through the air as she twirled around the room. When it came to rest against her chest, Shannon’s bright smile lit up her entire face. “What do you think?”

  “It’s beautiful.” The dress had thin, spaghetti straps with a V-shaped neckline. It gathered under the bust area, and then flowed out passed her hips. It looked like the hemline would hit just above her knees, which would showcase Shannon’s long legs.

  “I’m glad you like it. Your dress is the same style, just in black instead of plum.” Shannon placed her dress on the hook of her closet door, and then took Sophie’s black dress out with the same twirling flourish.