Fall for You (24 page)

Reed's mom made a
“come here” motion with her hand. “You are family. Let's go.”

Sophie didn't move. “I don't understand. How am I family if you hate me?”

Looking ashamed, Dot walked back to her as the men made their way to the elevators. “I'm so sorry, Sophie…for everything. Please, try to forgive me. Reed was right. Family is far more important than a bruised ego.” She looked up at the ceiling in an attempt
to keep from crying. Dot took a deep breath and continued. “What does my pride matter without my son? I don't want any more regrets. All that matters is that you love Reed and he loves you. That's what makes you family.”

Sophie didn't know what to say besides, “Okay, Mrs. Sutton.” At the moment, any other words had completely deserted her.

Leading Sophie back to the elevators, she said, “Call
me Dot.”

Sophie braced for it but seeing Reed in the hospital bed was still a shock. He was pale and incredibly still. She could barely see his chest rise and fall under the thin blue hospital blanket. His left eye was black and swollen shut. It stood out obscenely against the white pallor of his skin. A bandage with a gauze dressing was wrapped around his head. His glossy brown hair was almost
completely hidden under it. Reed's arm was in a sling resting against a second pillow and an IV with what looked like a huge needle was taped to his wrist and inner forearm. It connected to thin tubes that led to a few fluid-filled plastic bags hanging near his bed.

The only part that still looked like Reed were his kissable lips and the slight dimples on either side of his cheeks. Even unconscious,
he looked like he was ready to smile or make someone laugh. Sophie wanted to climb in bed next to him and do anything within her power to make him feel better. Never had she felt more helpless.
Wake up!

A few tears slid down her cheeks as she walked toward the bed. She checked herself and looked back at Jack and Dot. Jack put on a brave face. “Go on, Sophie. There's plenty of room for all of
us around his bed.”

Dot walked to the head of the bed and hovered her hand over his forehead like she wanted to brush his hair aside or lay a mother's hand on the part of her child that hurt. Instead, she placed her palm on his right cheek where there was some unbruised skin. “You get better now, Reed Jackson Sutton. A lot of people love you. Come on and wake up so you can see all of us.” Dot
kissed him on the cheek and sat on yet another uncomfortable plastic hospital couch, this one with sky blue plastic cushions.

Jack pressed his hand to Reed's uninjured shoulder. “Come on son, I brought a pretty girl you're going to want to see. Wake up and say hello to Sophie.” He gave Reed's uninjured shoulder a light squeeze and a pat, then sat next to his wife. Sophie saw the shimmer in his
eyes and knew he was trying not to cry for his son.

Keith reached out in an awkward gesture like he didn't know where to touch him, then just let his hand fall to his side. “Come on Reed, you need to get your lazy ass out of that bed or I'm going to steal Sophie away from you. I'll get to eat all of the cookies while you lay here taking a nap. You need to wake up. I mean it.” Keith ran his hand
through his shaggy, blond hair and rubbed the back of his neck. Looking bereft, he sat on a hard, plastic chair near Reed's feet and put his head in his hands.

Sophie took her turn and placed her hand over Reed's heart. She took some comfort in the steady cadence of his heartbeat. Leaning down, she whispered in his ear. “Wake up, Reed. I need you with me. I love you. Come back to me. Come back
to us.” She stood up straight and blinked her tears away. She took another chair and pulled it right next to the bed. Sophie tucked her hand in his and held on.

They sat there for an hour, listening to the beeping drone of the monitors while watching him sleep. Nurses came in twice to take his vitals, typed the results methodically into their rolling computers, then moved on to the next room.

There was a light tap on the doorframe and to Sophie's surprise, her mom stood in the doorway. Lucy saw Reed and put a fluttering hand to her chest at the sight before her.

“
I'm sorry. I know it's family only, but I need to see Sophie for a few minutes in the hall.” Sophie had no idea what Jack and Dot's reactions were because she stood up right away and met her mom by the door.

Lucy drew her
a few feet down the hall and then enfolded her in a comforting hug. “It's okay, sweetheart.”

Sophie thought at her age she was too old to need her mom. She was wrong. She took comfort from the loving embrace and let some tears flow. She whispered her fears in the quiet hallway. “Oh, Mom, I'm so scared! What if he doesn't wake up?”

Lucy patted and soothed her. “He will. He has a lot to wake up
for. His family, his friends, and most importantly you and the baby.”

Sophie was stunned. “How did you know? Did Tracy tell you?”

Shaking her head, Lucy placed a hand on Sophie's cheek and said, “I told you, honey, a mother always knows. It'll be the same with you and that precious baby. Tracy did call about the accident, though. I came as soon as I could.”

Looking over Lucy's shoulder and
not seeing Sarah, Sophie asked, “Mom, how did you get here? Where's Sarah?”

Lucy smiled. “I imagine she's at work. My baby girl needed me so I drove myself.”

There was another shock. “You drove all the way over here on your own? Mom, you haven't driven since Dad died.”

Looking subdued, she said, “I know that I've spent the last few years depending too much on you girls. I'm sorry for that,
Sophie. Instead of you and Sarah holding me up, we should have been leaning on each other. You lost him too.”

“
Oh, Mom.”

She gave Sophie another quick hug. “Enough of that. I'm here for you. I wanted to tell you that I'm going to your house to stay with Max. I'll take good care of him, Sophie. Don't worry about that. Oh, I'm supposed to tell you that Tracy knows where you are and sends her love
and prayers. Since she's not allowed to visit, she's taking care of Ben whether he likes it or not. Her words. Go on back in. Call me if you need anything.” With her car keys jingling in her hand, she was off down the hallway.

Sophie made her way back into the room and resumed her seat next to Reed's bed. Jack and Dot were holding hands, fretfully watching him for any change. Keith anxiously
paced the room, unable to contain his nervous energy. She took Reed's hand once again and prayed for a miracle.

* * * *

A few hours crawled by and still there was no change. Nurses came and went and the doctor came and went and Reed remained unconscious. Sophie watched every breath, looking for any telltale sign that he was about to open his eyes. He was motionless, perfectly still except for
the rise and fall of his chest.

After another worry filled hour, Dot, Jack, and Keith went to the cafeteria for a quick coffee infusion. Sophie declined their invitation to join them because she didn't want Reed to be alone in case he woke up.

Sophie took the opportunity to talk to him privately. “I need you to wake up, Reed. You have a baby on the way. Our baby! We need to talk about this!
You can't tell a girl you love her, get her pregnant, then take a nap! This is a big deal here, Reed Sutton! I'm not going to tell your parents that they're going to be grandparents by myself. That's all on you.” She continued to talk about anything she could think of. “By the way, your mom is being nice to me. You definitely don't want to miss that, but you really have to be awake to see it.”

She lowered her head in despair. “Wake up for me, Reed. Don't make me play hardball.” At his continued silence, she said, “Okay, just so you know, Thursday is coming up. You know what Thursday means, don't you? That's right. Monkey panties. You're going to miss the monkeys, Reed, and those are your favorite.”

Sophie put her head on the bed next to his and closed her eyes. At first she thought
it was her imagination when she felt his hand squeeze hers. She sat straight up when she felt it again. “Reed, wake up. Come on, honey, come back to me.”

His family came in just in time to see his eyelids flutter open. Reed looked at the ceiling in confusion. He looked down at the hospital bed and then over at Sophie.

“
Sophie?”

She stood up and hovered over him. “Yes. Reed! I'm right here.”

He swallowed against a dry throat and Sophie hurried to give him a drink of water. Reed drank deeply and looked up at her with clear, whiskey brown eyes that were wide-awake.

“
Sophie?”

She nodded.

Reed smiled. “I want to see the monkeys.”

She burst into tears of happiness.

Keith looked at his dad. “Are you sure he doesn't have brain damage?”

* * * *

Reed felt like his head had been used
as a battering ram. The pain seemed to stab him in the brain to the beat of his pulse.
Where was he?

Sophie's face hovered above his with an anxious, hopeful expression.

“
Where am I?”

Her look changed to concern. “You're in the hospital. You had an accident. What's the last thing you remember?”

He searched through the fog of his memory. “I pulled into the job site. Ben was walking up to my
truck. Then you called. Is Ben okay? Where's Ben?” Reed tried to sit up, but pain exploded behind his eyes when his head came an inch off the pillow.

Everyone rushed to the bed. Jack put a restraining hand on his shoulder. “Lay down, son. Ben's fine. He has a few bumps and bruises, but the hospital treated and released him. He's recuperating at home. You're the one who was in danger.”

Reed couldn't
remember why he would be in danger. “Why?”

Keith came into view. “A scaffolding came loose and fell seven stories onto your truck. You're lucky not to be as flat as a pancake. The cab got crushed.”

Dot admonished him, “Keith, don't say things like that!”

His brother shrugged. “Why not? It's true.”

Jack looked at him in exasperation. “Keith, go get the doctor. Tell him Reed's awake.” He leaned
over his bed. “What else do you remember?”

His brain didn't want to cooperate. He calmed himself and thought back. “Sophie called. She was nervous and excited about something. It was good news and I dropped the phone. I reached over to grab it off the floorboard and…that's the last thing I remember.”

His dad rubbed both hands briskly over his face. “That phone call saved your life, Reed. If
you wouldn't have dropped the phone and leaned over to get it…” He choked up some but pulled himself together. “You would have been killed instantly.”

Reed was speechless.
He could have died?

Dot stood on the other side of Jack. “What was the good news?”

Reed looked over at Sophie. “I was talking to you and…” Her mouth quirked up in a little smile as she waited for him to remember. “Pickles?
No, that's not right. It was good news, I know that.” He stretched for the memory.
There it was!
“You're pregnant! Sophie, you're pregnant!” He tried to sit up again to reach for her, but his dad held him in place. Reed reached for Sophie's hand instead. “You are, right? That wasn't a dream?”

Everyone looked at Sophie. She appeared a little uneasy under all of the scrutiny but then a smile so
joyful, it seemed to light her up from the inside, spread across her face. “Yes, I really am pregnant. You're going to be a father, Reed Sutton.”

Reed closed his eyes and mumbled, “Thank you. Love you, Sophie.”

His parents stood in stunned silence and then Dot asked, “Wait! Are you saying that I'm going to have a grandbaby?”

Sophie nodded and held his hand tighter waiting for the backlash.
Dot surprised them all by reaching for Sophie and hugging her tightly. Jack hugged her too. Then he shot a glance at Reed. “When's the wedding?”

Laughing made his head hurt worse. “We haven't gotten to that part yet. If you haven't noticed, I've been a little out of it.” He pulled on Sophie's arm until her ear was next to his lips. “When I feel better, I promise to do this more romantically.
I swear it to you. But I have to know the answer now. You will marry me, won't you?”

Sophie pulled away and met his gaze. “Because I'm pregnant?”

He tugged her down again and kissed her with the last ounce of energy he possessed. “No, because I love you.”

It seemed like forever, but a few seconds later, she answered him. “I love you too. Yes!”

At that moment, Keith came in with the doctor
trailing behind him. He saw his parents beaming happily and Reed trying to pull Sophie next to him on the bed.

“
What did I miss this time?”

“
Damn!”

Hiding behind a rack of cookies in her own shop might have seemed ridiculous to anyone else, but Sophie was a woman on a mission. She only had a few more orders to box up before officially calling it a day.

Sophie peeked around the cookies to see Reed talking to Meg. He was smiling now but if he caught sight of her, he'd drag her out of the shop and make her put her feet up
immediately. To be honest, she wouldn't mind getting off her feet but she couldn't relax if work was left undone.

Damn! Damn! Damn!

Maybe if she worked quietly he would think she went home already. Sophie only needed ten more minutes and everything would be finished. She didn't hear his voice anymore so chances were good he might have left to meet her at home. That's if Meg hadn't ratted on
her.

“
Sophie Sutton, I see you. Come on out.” Meg
had
ratted on her! Reed's low-pitched voice sounded more amused than annoyed. She wasn't fooled. He was still going to drag her out of here. With as big as she felt, he might have to roll her out the door.

She stuck her head out and peered around the cookies to ask, “How did you know I was here?”

He pulled her close until her belly bopped against
his stomach. Reed looked pointedly at her midsection. “I saw a cute, pregnant tummy sticking out of a rack of cookies and took a wild guess that it was you.” He smiled. “Come on sweetheart. That's enough work for the day. The doctor said you needed to stay off of your feet now.”