Fall for You (22 page)

“
Tracy, I'm surprised
you don't know where Ben is. Didn't he tell you?”

“
Why would he?” Tracy looked flustered.

“
Because he's Ben and he likes you even more than your cupcakes.”

“
I don't know about that. The damn cupcakes get closer to his mouth than I do. Ben asks about them and listens when I talk, but that's it!” She threw her hands up in frustration. “He hasn't asked me out and I haven't come anywhere close
to having a sugar mishap with him. And trust me, I want to!”

“
Why not just ask him out?” Sophie wouldn't have had the guts to do it, but Tracy was pretty straightforward.

“
Because I want
him
to ask
me
. I want to hear the question come out of his mouth! Dammit, I'd like to hear anything come out of his mouth. That deep, rich voice of his…” Tracy opened her root beer and took a long swallow of
it. “I know I sound fourteen, but what if he doesn't
like me
like me?”

“
He
likes you
likes you. Maybe he doesn't think you like him―like him?”

“
How could he not know? I've tried every way of flirting in my arsenal besides rubbing up against him like a cat in heat.”

''Maybe you should try that. He might need a nudge.”

“
What should I do? Grab him by the ears and kiss him?”

Sophie smiled. “Worked
for me.”

Tracy brightened at the reminder. “Yes, it did! If powdered sugar worked for you, I might try covering myself with frosting and hope for the best.”

“
Sounds like a game plan. Maybe sprinkles too?”

Winking, her friend said, “I'll make it an option.”

“
All this talk about frosting is making me hungry.” Sophie unwrapped her sandwich. “Thanks for feeding me.”

Tracy did the same. “Hey,
what are best friends for?”

It took three excruciatingly long days for Sophie to talk to him again. She wouldn't take his calls and it was partly Reed's fault since work kept him from talking to her in person. He came home late every night and had to get up early in the mornings. There always seemed to be someone or something taking up his time.

Having a taste of life without Sophie was an eye opener. To put
it bluntly, it sucked. He wasn't sleeping well or eating well. Ben noticed his lack of a stupid grin and felt sorry for him. He took over the Saturday afternoon meeting and told Reed to go grovel.

Reed took his advice and showed up on Sophie's doorstep with flowers. As soon as she opened the door, Sophie wrapped her arms around him before he could get in any good groveling. He gave it a shot
anyway.

“
Sophie, sweetheart. I'm sorry. I believe you. I would have come begging days ago…”

Sophie backed up so Reed could come inside. “It's okay. Ben told me about work. I know about the safety issues.”

“
Ben went to bat for me?” Max bumped his thigh, wanting his share of attention too.

“
He tried. Ben told me to give you a chance so you would stop annoying him.”

“
Sounds like Ben.” He petted
Max, then handed the flowers to her. “Do you forgive me?”

Nodding, she thanked him before setting them on the table. “I'm sorry too. I let my anger get the best of me.”

Reed swept her up in his arms and walked down the hallway. “I'm going to my parents’ house for dinner tomorrow. I plan on having a serious chat with my mom then.” He set her down next to the bed.

Sophie kept her arms around
his neck. “Reed, I don't want to come between you and your family. I never wanted it to be this way.”

He unbuttoned buttons as she talked. “Sophie, it'll be okay.” Reed tossed her shirt on the floor behind him. “You know the best thing about our fight?”

She shook her head.

Taking her back in his arms, he said, “Makeup sex. And we have some serious making up to do.”

Sophie grabbed a fistful
of his T-shirt and tore it over his head. “I couldn't agree more.”

* * * *

Sophie woke up from a strange dream. She would have sat straight up in bed if not for Reed's arm around her. She dreamed that Dot was wearing a bubble gum pink prom dress and throwing cookies at her.

Holy hell! That was awful.

“
Soph?” Reed's voice was grumbled from sleep.

Sophie looked at him over her shoulder. “I'm
okay. I just had a weird dream.”

He nuzzled his lips against her neck. “What was it about?”

His hand started smoothing over her hip so she was making an effort to keep her train of thought.

“
I had a dream your mom threw cookies at me while wearing a prom dress.”

Reed's hand drifted back up her middle. “Were they your cookies or her cookies?”

She stopped his wandering hand for a minute. “Why
does it matter?”

He freed his hand and ran his fingertips over her tummy and up to her breast. “Because her cookies are so hard they could have hurt you.”

This made her laugh. Reed pressed his hips against her from behind. She could feel a definite erection.

“
Sophie?”

“
Hmmm?” She pushed her hips back against his. Reed raised her top leg over his thigh and trailed his hand between her thighs.
His wandering fingertips found her wet and wanting. He entered her from behind in one strong thrust.

“
Let's not talk about my mom anymore.” He began a rhythm that made her moan.

“
Who?” Reed held her immobile as he drove into her relentlessly. He cupped her breast and rolled her nipple between his fingertips. Sophie could hear the sounds of their heavy breathing and flesh pounding against flesh.
She couldn't see him. She could only feel his hard muscles against the back of her body. The pleasure was immeasurable. He thrust into her again and again until she pulsed around him in an orgasm that made her whole body tremble.

Reed pumped his hips harder. “I love you, Sophie.” He pulled her tight against him as he came.

While he was still inside her, Reed whispered, “If I died now, I could
go a happy man.” Sophie fell asleep thinking that she didn't want him to go anywhere.

* * * *

Reed had finally come to terms with the fact that his own mother was responsible for everything that happened to Sophie. It was a difficult thing to realize, but he didn't want the anger to fester any longer and he sure as hell didn't want her trying to get away with anything else.

He hoped Sophie
took a nap while he had dinner with his family. Reed knew she wouldn't be comfortable coming with him, even though she offered. She had a hard time hiding her relief when he told her to relax and enjoy her evening.

After they finished eating, Jack and Keith went in the living room to watch the fights. Reed offered to help his mom clean up so he could have the opportunity to talk to her alone.
He didn't want an audience for something that definitely wasn't going to be pretty.

As she handed him a wet dish to dry, Dot said, “We missed you last week. I suppose you were too busy with your new girlfriend to come see your family?”

Reed took the plate, dried it, then leaned on the counter to look at her. He noticed that she wouldn't meet his eyes. That didn't stop her from making snide comments,
though. “She must be keeping you on a short leash.”

He folded his arms over his chest and tried to reign in his temper. “Mom, this stops now.”

She continued washing dishes. “What are you talking about?”

Reed waited, but she still wouldn't look at him. “I know what happened with Lucy. I know that's why you don't like Sophie.”

Dot dried her hands and started wiping down the counter. “You have
no idea what you're talking about. You weren't there.”

“
Lucy told me about the misunderstanding with the cigarette.”

She scoffed. “Misunderstanding? Misunderstanding? She set me up so she could steal your dad away from me. That's not a misunderstanding.”

Reed felt bad that after all of these years, his mom actually believed that.

“
Getting caught wasn't your fault, but Lucy didn't set you up.
She was already dating Sophie's father so you know she didn't want Dad that way. Lucy told me that she regrets offering you that cigarette. She would take it back if she could.”

Dot pursed her lips. “That cigarette! For your information, I didn't even smoke it! I got punished for nothing. I got my dreams taken away because of her!”

“
Is that why you started the rumor that she was pregnant?”

His mom looked a little taken aback that Reed knew about that. “Sounds like Lucy made sure to tell you that part.” She shrugged. “For all I know, it could have been true. She smoked cigarettes and was seeing a college boy. Who knows what a girl like that was up to?”

Reed shook his head in disbelief. “The rumor didn't quite go your way, did it? It was okay for everyone to think Lucy was fooling
around and getting pregnant until they thought she was fooling around with Dad, right? Mom, why would you want to hurt someone that way?”

Continuing on to wiping down the table, she sniffed. “Lucy Murphy hurt me first. I only made sure she regretted it.”

He took the cloth away from her. “Trust me, she regrets it. From what I've been told, you won't let her apologize either. Is missing out on
being the prom queen over thirty years ago really worth all of this animosity? Is it worth locking an innocent woman in a room until she screams so loud she's hoarse for days after?”

Dot tried to deny it. “I did not!”

“
Stop lying to me! I know it was you. I didn't want to believe it, but it's true, isn't it? How could you hurt Sophie when she never did anything to you?”

She seemed to deflate.
“I wasn't trying to hurt her. I was just so angry after I got off the phone with you that I wanted to give Sophie a piece of my mind. I saw her in the storeroom and acted without thinking. She wasn't supposed to be in there that long!”

Reed started pacing. “What gives you the right? She could have been seriously hurt.” He swung around to face her again and gently took hold of her shoulders so
she would look at him. “Don't you get it? It's over. You have Dad. You won already. What more do you want? Enjoy the life you have. Enjoy the family you have before it's too late.”

“
What do you mean by that?”

“
Let me ask you something. Is this the person you want to be? Is it that important to have your way?”

Tears glistened in her eyes. “I was wronged, Reed. I won't forgive that!”

He looked
at her in disbelief. “You wronged Sophie and you wronged me. Should I hold a grudge against you now? When's it going to end?”

Dot shook her head. “I don't know.”

He tilted her face to look her in the eye. “It ends now. Let it go. I love Sophie and I won't give her up, not for anything or anyone. You need to decide what's more important, your family or your pride.”

Reed walked out of the kitchen
without looking back.

* * * *

He was surprised to find Sophie still asleep on the couch when he got back from dinner. Max was with her. The dog raised his head off her hip but settled back by her side when he saw that there wasn't a threat to his lady.

Not knowing if she had just fallen asleep or not, Reed decided to take a shower and read through a stack of paperwork until she woke up.

An
hour later, Sophie was still asleep. Max hadn't moved from her side either.

He placed his hand on her forehead, but she felt normal. Reed brushed his fingers through her hair to wake her up. “Sophie, honey, are you feeling okay?”

She woke up at the sound of his voice. Sophie blinked a few times and smiled at him. Max scooted down to the floor when she sat up on the couch. “I'm fine, why?”

At least she wasn't sick. “It's nine thirty. Did you get a late start on the nap?”

“
No. I guess I was more tired than I thought. I feel pretty good now.” She stood up and stretched.

He grinned. “Are you craving pickles and ice cream yet?”

* * * *

Sophie wrinkled her nose. “How about just the ice cream?”
Ice cream sounded wonderful but the thought of pickles? No thanks.
“So, how did it go over
at your parents' house?”

“
Same. Keith ate everything, Dad told his stories and Mom pretended that everything was okay.” Reed highlighted the discussion he had with her in the kitchen.

“
I'm sorry, Reed. I feel like it's all my fault.”

“
It's not you, Sophie. My mom needs to get over herself. I love you and that's all there is to it.”

She smiled. “Well, okay then.” Sophie still wished things
could be different with Dot.

He continued to stare down at her.

“
And I love you too.” She planted a hot but brief kiss on his lips. “Let's have some ice cream.” Sophie took him by the hand and led him to the kitchen.

“
After ice cream, we'll go to bed.”

“
But, I'm not tired anymore.”

“
Neither am I.” Reed winked at her.

“
Oh. Oh! Then let's hurry up!”

“
What's it say?” Tracy bent over Sophie's shoulder.

“
Hold on!” Sophie was nervous enough.

“
Let me see it.” Tracy made a grab at her hand.

“
Hey, I peed on that!”

“
Gross! Okay, just show it to me.”

“
We have to wait thirty more seconds. Oh wait, I see something.”

Wringing her hands together, Tracy asked, “Is it another pink line? Am I going to be an aunt?”

Sophie shakily stepped
back and took a seat on the side of the bathtub. All she could do was stare at the test stick. Big tears welled in her eyes, but they were happy tears.