“Hell yeah. Or she hugged you and only waved at me,” Carlos added.
Sophie and I looked at each other and burst out laughing because they were right. Women did tend to be extra with certain things. I had to respect how most guys handled theirfriendships. They said what was on their minds and kept it moving.
We spent the next few hours just relaxing and it felt good to spend time with friends, but I must admit, I wasn’t mad when Sophie admitted she was tired and ready to head home. After being up under Carlos all night and sharing his attention, I was more than ready to have him all to myself.
Chapter 36
Sophie
“Baby, you can’t wear that.” Trooper stood across the room checking me out after I finished dressing. I could tell from the displeased look on his face he wasn’t happy with my choice.
I looked down at my overalls and back at him.
“What’s wrong with what I have on?”
He smirked as his eyes moved across my body. “You’re about to go into a building filled with men who haven’t seen, touched, smelled, or tasted a woman in years. You can’t be having all your assets on display ’cause I’m not trying to get a cell next to Story.”
Again. I looked down at my clothes. I had on a racerback T-shirt with a linen overall jumper. It wasn’t tight at all.
Sensing my confusion, Trooper walked over to me and stopped just in front of where I stood. My breasts were small. Plenty of times I wore shirts with no bra, and the way my tank top was cut in the back the straps were visible, so I chose not to. Apparently, he wasn’t trying to hear that.
“First of all, you don’t have on a bra. If I notice that you don’t, they damn sure will. You can’t go in there like that. And this is tight as hell.” He pinched the side of my tank top. “Also, take offall that extra shit. You can’t go in there with that on anyway.” He pointed to my bangles and watch.
“Trooper!”
“Trooper, hell. Just change your shirt, Sophie, and put on a bra.”
I laughed and shook my head as I walked back into the closet. The look on his face was priceless because he was beyond serious. It was cute that he was overprotective.
After slipping on a bra and fitted pocket tee, which he approved of, we were ready to leave. I was nervous as hell. Today I would meet my father for the first time.
I had no idea how it would go, but I needed to at least talk to him. Maybe I’d hate him, maybe he’d hate me, but I just needed to fill that void.
The entire thing made me feel like a little kid. Even though I was an adult, I felt like I was trying to find my way and Story was part of that puzzle. There were no guarantees it would fix any of the things broken in my life, but it was necessary.
The forty-five minute drive was quiet for me. I listened to Trooper make calls to various people about his businesses while I was stuck in my thoughts about what I would say to my father. The closer we got, the more nervous I got. As much as I pretended it wasn’t a big deal, it was.
“Take your ID out and put it in your pocket. Leave everything else in the car. Take all your jewelry off, even those earrings.”
After we parked, Trooper rattled off instructions robotically and began removing items from his pocket.
I sat there at first, but then began doing the same.
“You sure you want to do this?” he asked after he placed his gun in the glove compartment of his truck.
“Yes, why?” I dropped my cellphone into my purse before I lifted my wallet to retrieve my license.
Trooper smirked and leaned over the seat, kissing my cheek. “Because you look scared as fuck, Sophie. You’re safe. They can’t touch you and I’d beat their asses if they tried.”
His smile dropped and his expression turned serious.
“I know. I’m with you, so I’m not worried about that.”
He chuckled and opened his door. “Yes you are, but I know this is not the life you’re used to. If you weren’t nervous, I would be, because there’s no way you should be comfortable with a situation like this.”
The process took forever and the people who handled us weren’t very accommodating, as if we were criminals just for visiting someone. This wasn’t a place I wanted to visit often. Trooper was right about this not being my life.
Trooper and I sat at a table in the corner of the visitation room, waiting. The second my father entered the room, I knew it was him. Not because I recognized him, but from the way he looked at me. I smiled nervously as he approached and Trooper stood to greet him. When the two were close enough, they shared a hug before Story stepped back and looked at me. He smiled and sat down, but kept his eyes locked on mine.
