Before I could even wrap my head around it, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to mine. It was so quick, I almost couldn’t believe it had happened. I stared at her, stunned.
Her mouth dropped open and a look of mortification flashed across her face.
“I’m so sorry. I have no idea what came over me. I was just so happy…”
I held a hand up to stop her and gave her a cheeky grin. “Don’t apologize. You are most welcome to thank me like that anytime.” While I’d meant it to come off as a joke, it was the truth. That small kiss was all the thanks I needed.
But now, I wanted more.
Her cheeks flushed and she bit her lip nervously. “I’ll keep that in mind,” she replied. A response I hadn’t expected, but definitely liked.
Oh yes. I absolutely needed more.
Sophia
The day had felt like a dream to me. A wild and scary dream that had shifted somewhere in the middle to one of the best dreams possible. The loss of the house and all my possessions eased to the back of my mind a bit with having the one thing that truly mattered to me back; my Smoky.
He quickly made himself comfortable in the house, already having chosen his favorite spot to lay in the front window of the living room. He always liked basking in the sun, and had proudly claimed that spot as his. When Alden and Darren had woken up from their naps, they spent a good amount of time laying on the floor and playing with him, laughing as he chased after all the intricate little toys Porter had picked up.
I hadn’t smiled this much in what felt like years. It was to the point I thought my face might get stuck like that.
When the Duvall brothers announced they were making a big pasta dinner to celebrate, I offered my assistance in any way I could. Which of course ended up with one of the guys sitting me on the counter and watching them shuffle around the kitchen doing most of the work. Alden was busy putting together the garlic bread while Darren stood over the hot stove mixing the sauce and stirring the noodles.
The look of frustration he gave the pot of sauce every time he tasted it suggested he wasn’t usually the cook. My suspicions were confirmed when Alden would sneak tastes while Darren’s back was turned, only to add more seasonings into it. I held back the giggle at the sneakiness of it.
When he saw I’d caught him, Alden put a finger to his lips, urging me to keep it a secret.
“Here,” he said, walking over and sliding the salad bowl next to me and handing me a pair of tongs. “You can mix this up. Only requires the use of one hand and you’ll be helping. Plus, it’ll keep you busy from telling my secrets,” he whispered that last part.
I took the tongs graciously with a light laugh. It wasn’t much, but he was right. I felt like I was at least helping doing something, and it definitely was good bribery not to say a thing.
Instead, I decided to distract them both with some good news.
“So, I think in a few days I should be good to start airing out my hand,” I announced excitedly. “The burn doesn’t really hurt much anymore and I noticed the blistering was starting to scab over.”
The guys smiled big. “That’s awesome, Soph! Look at you getting on the mend,” Alden replied happily.
“It’s great,” Darren agreed. “I’m sure you’ll feel better having some independence from us.”
I bobbed my head. “As grateful as I am for all you three do, I think you’ll appreciate your ability to actually have a full night’s rest without having to get up for me. That makes it much better in my eyes.”
For a split second, a look of sadness passed over Darren’s face. But when I looked at him again, the expression was gone. I wondered what that was about.
Alden’s phone began to ring. He pulled it from his pocket and blanched as he scanned the caller ID. “Excuse me.” He rushed from the room before anyone could ask him what was wrong.
Darren’s eyes followed his retreat before finding me again. “Probably Misty,” he told me, answering my unasked question.
“That’s his girlfriend though, right? Shouldn’t he smile when she calls?”
Darren shrugged. “That’s how it’s supposed to work. Misty is…not the easiest girlfriend. She expects a lot out of Alden and doesn’t really appreciate the things he’s gone through to keep her happy.”
I eyed Darren curiously. “You don’t like her,” I surmised. He didn’t even need to say it. The dislike was written all over his face.
He sighed and threw the dish towel he’d been using over his shoulder. “Not particularly, if I’m being honest.”
“Why?” I questioned, grabbing a small tomato from the salad and popping it in my mouth.
Darren playfully smacked my hand away when I went for another, chuckling.
