by Lisa Heaton
“Happy spring, Sophie Banks!”
“It’s March first,” she said through the cracked door. “It’s not spring yet.”
“It’s spring to me.”
“It’s cold out there. Come inside.”
“No way!” He looked around him. “I'm doing this where my life started with you.”
“Seriously?” she said. “This is how we’re going to play this, with me in jammies and Ugg boots?”
“I love jammies and Ugg boots.”
She stepped out onto the top step. “Give me five minutes.”
“Are you kidding me?” Josh said with a smile plastered on his face.
“Five minutes. Don’t you move!”
Sophie didn’t even shut the door. She ran to her closet and got dressed, then went to the bathroom and swished with mouthwash while she brushed her hair. If he was going to propose, it wasn’t going to be with her in her pjs and morning breath.
She started down the stairs in her red heels and then stopped in her tracks. “Wait!” she hollered and turned back.
“You’re not making this easy,” he yelled back.
Inside she grabbed her vase of rose petals and went running back out, nearly stumbling down the stairs.
When she got to where he stood, her heels sinking in the dirt, she started sprinkling the petals. “It’s got to be like before.”
He stood there grinning at her. “You kept the petals?”
“I did.” She finished and set the vase aside.
“I like this much better than your jammies,” he said. “This is the dress you wore on our first date.”
She nodded and shivered.
“The dress you wore when I kissed you for the first time in over a decade.”
“It sure is.” She smiled up at him. “Okay, now, get back to ridiculous and spectacular.”
First, he removed his jacket and draped it over her shoulders, then dropped to his knees.
“I was wrong, Sophie. When I'm with you, I'm my strongest. If it’s what you need, I will carry you every step of the way all the days of our lives.” He looked at his arms. “You are more than written on my arms. You are engraved on my heart – always have been.”
Sophie tried to say something, but he held his hand up. “Let me finish. I’ve been working on this for years.
“Every day you are spring to me. One of my favorite verses says the winter has passed and the time for singing has come. I think that’s talking about us. It’s time for us step into our future together.
“Sophie Banks, will you marry me?”
Sophie dropped to her knees before him. “Yes, I will marry you.” She traced her fingers along his cheek. “You’ve proven that spring still comes even after the grayest winter.”
Tears came, and she tried to blink them away. One fell, and Josh reached to catch it.
“Josh, you are the better I’ve always hoped for. I’m so glad I let go of the not-so-good.”
“I know it won't always be easy, babe.” He leaned his head in to rest on hers. “The enemy will come and whisper lies to you. But I'll be there to shout the truth. This is right, Sophie. Don’t ever doubt that. Even when wrinkles form and silver hair grows, this is right. You're my girl and always will be.”
He touched his lips to hers.
When he raised his head, he said, “So we're doing this thing?”
She nodded. “Yeah, we're doing this thing.”
“Then you might need this.” He began to fish around in his right pants pocket. When he pulled out a ring, he said, “This has been in this same pocket since September.” He grinned. “I knew you’d come around.”
With the ring in place, he stood and pulled her up with him. When he began to drag her along, she said, “Where are we going?”
“This was just the beginning. I have more planned for you.”
They drove to what she believed to be the office until they passed by the turn-off. A few miles away he turned onto a side street and came to a stop in front of a charming Craftsman house.
Sophie said, “Whose house is this?”
“Ours if you like it.”
“I do!”
He took out his phone. “It was a disaster when I bought it.”
Sophie scanned the photos on his phone. “This is where you’ve been spending your time!”
“Yeah. There’s still a lot left to do.” He looked back toward the house. “When I came here to work each day, the front looked so bad I was defeated before I ever got out of the truck. So I stopped what I was doing and fixed up the outside.” His face lit up. “I’m so glad now that I did. We can finish the inside together.”
She looked back at the house. It reminded her of the office with the same gray-blue paint. “I’m glad you chose this paint. I love it.”
“Do you? If you don’t like anything about the house, we can change it. Or if you don’t like the house, we can sell it. I just needed something.” He stopped and looked at her. “I needed something to hang on to while I waited.”
“You bought it before I came to see you on Christmas Eve?”
“Weeks before. I want this to be a place to build our family, whatever that looks like. Maybe we just get a couple of dogs. I’m okay with being a dog dad.”
Sophie sat back and let out a soft sigh. “That’s my biggest fear, that I won’t be able to get pregnant. I want to be able to give that to you.”
Josh leaned in close. “That’s not the most important thing to me. You are. Please never forget that.”
He reached for his door handle. “Come on. Let me show you what we’re getting into.”
Sophie entered the front room and loved it right off. With its brick fireplace and heavy moldings, it was cozy – even with its stark white walls. It had charm and potential.
“I’ve done the floors, but that’s about all cosmetically. I had plumbing and electrical to take care of first.”
“You’ve been busy.”
Upstairs, he showed her what would be their room. “We will get our room done first so when you close on your house, you can move in here.”
He took her to see Chloe’s room. “She can stay here after school until she knows what she wants to do next.” He then dragged her across the hallway. “This may someday be a...” he paused and swallowed hard, “nursery maybe, or an office if we need one.”
“Josh…” Sophie’s mind couldn’t get past her fears. Even if she did get pregnant, the chances of a healthy baby were lower at her age.
“Please don’t.” He moved to stand before her. “Fear has no place here. It doesn’t. All I need is for you love me.” He reached for her face. “Do you love me enough to just jump in?”
Sophie nodded.
He grinned, took her hand, and led her back downstairs and to the kitchen. “This needs to be gutted, but I wanted you to pick what you want. If we don’t get it done before you move in, we can cook at the office.”
She inspected the cabinets. “I like these.” With a smile forming, she turned to him. “How about we repair and paint them. I like seeing old things being used again.”
He chuckled at that and nodded his understanding. “Yeah, I do too.”
With her hand in his, he said, “Now this.”
He led her to the back door. When he stepped onto the deck, he flipped a switch. Lights illuminated the night so that Sophie could see their new backyard.
Fresh lumber was piled on the lawn. “What’s the lumber for?”
“For the arbor where I plan to marry you, Sophie Banks.”
“I’ve said yes to that, right?”
“Yes, you’ve said yes.”
Josh wrapped his arms around her. “It’s a blank canvas now. There’s plenty of room for tables and chairs for the wedding. Then after that, you and I will create our own garden.”
Sophie stepped off the deck and walked around the yard. In her mind she could see spending time with Josh there, creating something new and beautiful together. Butterfly bushes and gar
den benches, trees and rose bushes – it would all come together over time.
She turned to Josh. “I can see life with you here.”
He drew her to him. “I can see life with you anywhere.”
“You know what we have here?” he said.
“Room to grow?”
“Yeah, plenty of room to grow.”
Part Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
The ride so far had been quiet other than Josh singing along with the radio. He had tried to engage her in conversation early on, but Sophie was too distracted to hold up her end. Her mind whirled, playing out all the scenarios of what might happen when they arrived at Josh’s parents’ house.
His granddad was turning ninety the following day, so a party with all the extended family had been planned to celebrate. Josh had no other option but to go. Neither did Sophie.
Since he had sprung the news on her the week before, she had thought of little else but what it would be like to be with Kim and Bruce since they now knew that Josh had asked her to marry him. His recount of his phone conversation with them had been brief and lacking details. That told her all she needed to know.
Besides his parents, uncles and cousins and long-time family friends would all be there. Nothing about this was comfortable for Sophie. She knew she would be under a microscope the entire weekend.
With a knot in the pit of her stomach, she reached for Josh’s hand. He gave it a little squeeze.
“You’re freaking out over nothing. I’ve been telling you for days.”
“I know we have to get this over with sooner or later. Might as well be sooner.”
“Everyone will be fine,” he said. “Grandpop will try to steal you away. He’s got an eye for pretty ladies.”
She smiled at that but wasn’t reassured. “Your parents will be a different story.”
“They know this is what I want, that you’re the one I love.”
“But they’re not fine.”
“I think my mom is.” Josh shrugged. “I can’t think of anything I could do to please my dad.”
Josh had told her that Christmas with his dad had been a little better than usual. The few times things could have escalated, Josh had kept his cool. That was progress for him.
“I’m proud of you,” she said.
“For what?”
“You texted me at Christmas that you were working on your temper, and you’ve stuck to that. I’m just glad to see how well you’re handling all of this.”
He had been different at work too. Even before they had officially gotten back together, she had seen something new in him. Once, when one of the workers had caused a problem, Josh had diffused the situation rather than allowing his temper to add to the already tense atmosphere.
“This will be the real test for me,” he said.
“Why’s that?”
He glanced at her and then back at the road. “I just don’t know what he will say.”
“To me?”
“Yeah, to you.” He pulled her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “You know that’s where I draw the line.”
“I know.”
When Josh pulled off the highway onto a side street, Sophie’s throat constricted, and she found it difficult to breathe.
“We’re close?” she said.
“Under five minutes.”
They drove the last couple of miles in silence, and when Josh pulled into the drive of his parents’ home, he shifted into park and bowed his head. His prayer was silent and brief, but when he lifted his head to look at her he said, “Prayed up.”
“Me too.” That was no joke. She had prayed daily since she had known she would be coming.
Josh didn’t knock but just went on in. He said, “Hey! We’re here.”
“I’ll be right down,” Kim said from upstairs.
When she reached the bottom of the steps, she had a smile plastered on her face. That was a good sign for Sophie. In one of her scenarios, Kim hadn’t spoken a word to her the entire time she was there.
Kim looked older, her once light brown hair now streaked with gray.
“Sophie, gosh, I haven’t seen you in over a decade.”
They hugged and Sophie let out a long breath. “I know.” She stepped back from the embrace and decided to get the obvious question out of the way. “And the circumstances, weird, right?”
“Absolutely crazy.” Kim looked at Josh, still smiling. “But I can always expect crazy from this boy.”
Kim and Josh hugged. From her vantage point, Sophie could see the relief on his mother’s face. She knew that feeling well, experienced it every time her girl came home.
“It was such a warm day, your dad decided to go fishing. I’m not sure when he’ll be home.”
“That’s fine,” Josh said. “If we miss him, then we’ll see him at the party tomorrow.”
“Did you get checked into your hotel?”
“We did.”
Sophie watched Josh’s demeanor while he spoke to his mother. His tone was warm and his facial expressions loving. This side of Josh made her happy. Even with all his positive words during the drive, she knew he was anxious about their encounter. It was important to him that his parents accept her.
“Sophie, you can put your jacket and purse over there.” Kim pointed to a bench near the door. “I only have a few last-minute things to get ready for dinner.”
“I’ll help you,” Sophie said and began to follow Kim.
Josh grabbed her arm and whispered in her ear, “See?”
“One down, one to go.”
Once in the kitchen, Sophie and Kim started to talk. Kim’s first question was about Chloe, and from there, conversation just flowed. The experience was more pleasant than any of Sophie’s dreadful scenarios.
They were getting the food set out on the table when they heard the sound of the back door opening. It wasn’t lost on Sophie how Josh and his mother exchanged glances. Clearly, they had years of experience awaiting Bruce and his ever-changing moods.
Sophie made sure to stay focused on her task of setting food on the table, so when Bruce walked into the dining room she didn’t look up right away. When she did, he barely glanced her way with a slight nod before moving to his seat at the head of the table.
“Small mouth are biting,” he said to Josh. “I’ve got a cooler full if you want to take some home.”
“I’ll do that. Thanks.”
Josh didn’t sit right away. Instead, he moved next to Sophie and said, “This is Sophie, Dad.” To Sophie, he said, “This is my dad, Bruce.”
“I kind of guessed that.” Bruce didn’t look at anyone in particular and reached for the plate of baked ham.
Josh held Sophie’s seat out for her and then went around the table to sit across from her. Kim sat at the far end opposite Bruce.
Conversation was polite. Every one passed the bowls and platters until all had their plates full.
“Joshie, will you bless the food?” Kim said.
Sophie peeked at Josh and grinned. He rolled his eyes and grinned back.
Finally, as she ate, Sophie found she could relax and enjoy her time with Josh and his parents. Bruce hardly acknowledged her even when they had passed serving bowls between them, but this was a good start compared to her worst expectations. He wasn’t at all what she had envisioned. In her mind she had built him up as some raving monster who would explode at the sight of her. Instead, he was a rather quiet man near her father’s age.
What most surprised her was how much Josh looked like his dad. Even in his sixties, Bruce was a striking man. Josh had his nose and eyes. If Bruce ever decided to smile, Sophie would guess that Josh had gotten that from him too.
“So you’re ramping up, I guess?” Bruce said to Josh.
“Yes, sir. From this month through the fall we’ll be covered up.”
Bruce nodded. “Nashville is growing from what I hear.”
“It is. Downtown is exploding with apartments and new businesses. People
are migrating out to the suburbs in droves. That’s a goldmine for me.”
“Any plans to expand the business?”
“Thinking about it. Maybe east of Nashville, like out I-40, near the airport.”
Sophie looked up at Josh. That was news to her.
“Rodney and I have been kicking the idea around.” Josh was looking at Sophie. “Would make sense to start crews from that side of town.”
“That’s a good idea,” Sophie said.
“How many people you working now?”
“I’ll be up to twenty by next month. Right now I’m still running winter crews, so about ten.”
“Counting her?” Bruce pointed his knife in Sophie’s direction but never looked at her.
“Yes, counting Sophie.”
This time he pointed his thumb in her direction. “What does she do besides dress up the office?”
Was that supposed to be a compliment or insult? Sophie wondered. She could see Josh was trying to figure out the same thing and whether or not he was supposed to be mad about it.
“She runs the office, handles payroll and accounting, and works with clients on scheduling.” He turned to her and grinned. “She keeps the business going for the most part, keeps me in line.”
Bruce only nodded and chewed his food.
A quiet moment turned into several. Sophie kept taking tiny bites, trying her best to swallow. The longer she sat there, the more her stomach twisted in knots. Something was brewing, though she wasn’t sure what yet. It was Bruce’s expression that concerned her and the way he kept nodding even though all was silent, like he was having a conversation in his head that was about to spill over into the room.
Josh seemed unfazed and kept eating. Finally, Kim said to neither of them directly. “Any decision on when you’ll marry? Sooner or later or have you considered a date yet?”
Bruce looked at Kim with a long and steady gaze. Sophie looked over at Josh and saw that he noticed his father’s expression too.
“We’ve decided on the summer,” Josh said. “That’ll give us time to get the house fixed up, and Chloe will be back home.”
“Will Chloe live with you?” Kim said, her question directed at Sophie.
“She will until she decides what’s next. For now she has no leads on a job. I guess she’s kind of winging it.”
