Sophie's Heart (53 page)

“All right. I will come in the morning, as usual.”

“Okay. I’ll try to stop in at lunch so we can talk to Tory. Oh no, that won’t work. Tory will be at Crystal’s all day. Tomorrow night then.”

“All right. How do you think she will feel?”

Alec shook his head. “Of the three, she’s been the least of my worries.”

Sophie couldn’t help but agree. She walked Alec to the door, and he stood looking down at her for just a moment.

“I’m looking forward to Saturday night.”

Sophie smiled. “Is it dress-up or casual?”

“Dress-up,” Alec decided in an instant, and again Sophie smiled. Alec had been gone for over a minute when Sophie realized she was still standing by the door and smiling at nothing in particular.

“So you’re going to work here, but not live here?”

“That is right, my Tory.”

Tory looked from Sophie to her father and then back to Sophie. “But why?”

“Because Sophie and I are going to be seeing each other,” Alec answered. He had tried to be subtle about this, but Tory was not catching on. He had thought she was going to be so easy, but she had seemed almost nervous when he’d said they needed to talk with her.

“Seeing each other?”

“Yes, dating.”

Now Tory really looked from one to the other. Sophie held her breath.

“All right,” Tory said with a shrug. “But I still wish you were going to live here.”

“I’ll still be here in the morning, and in the fall I will be here when you arrive home from school.”

Tory nodded, seeming very satisfied. Sophie was rather relieved herself, but Alec was not at all surprised to find Tory in his room that night. The five of them had watched a movie until rather late, but there she was looking as wide awake as if it were noon.

“Hey, Tory, it’s after 11:30. You need to be asleep.”

“But I have to talk to you.”

“It’s Saturday tomorrow. We can talk then.”

Tory shook her head. “Sophie might be here.”

Alec only looked at her and held the covers out. Tory climbed in and stared at her father.

“Did you hold Sophie’s hand during the movie?”

“No. Would it matter if I had?”

“I don’t know. Are you going to hold her hand tomorrow night, or kiss her?”

“I don’t know, Tory. Why?”

“I don’t want you to go together if you’re going to break up.”

“Why would we break up?”

Tory shrugged and moved the light blanket that covered them. “I don’t know, but Crystal’s older sister dates, and then when she breaks up with the guy they don’t talk to each other anymore. I mean, they’re hardly even friends after that, and I don’t want you and Sophie to hate each other.”

Alec reached over and pulled her close. She let herself be snuggled, unaware of the way Alec prayed. He couldn’t promise her that it wouldn’t happen. After all, he and Sophie barely knew one another. But he also wasn’t going to change his mind about dating Sophie.

“I think that when you’re 39 years old and you date a woman who is all grown up, too, it’s different than when you’re in junior high. I’m not being critical of Crystal’s sister, but I don’t think you can really compare the two, Tory.

“You want security,” he continued. “You want me to tell you that everything is going to be fine, that Sophie and I are going to be here forever. I can’t do that, Tory.” His voice was loving, but he knew he had to be honest. “I’m not God, so I just don’t know. But I do trust God. I trust Him to take care of all my tomorrows. I have no intentions of dating Sophie and then dumping her, but if the time comes that she’s not with us, God will take care of us.

“And there’s one more thing I can tell you, Tory: There won’t ever be a time when I’m angry and not speaking to Sophie. That would be a sin on my part, and I would never treat her that way. If she’s here, then we’ll be friends.”

Tory knew she was going to have to be satisfied with that and, amazingly enough, she realized she was. So much so that all she wanted to do now was sleep. Alec was just as aware of this and got up. He lifted her in his arms—something that was getting more difficult all the time—and carried her down the hall to bed. He knew she was on the edge of sleep, but he stayed by her side for just a moment asking God’s blessing on her life, and also that she would always feel free to come to him as she’d done tonight.

Forty-Five

A
lec frowned at his reflection in the mirror and adjusted his tie for the tenth time. He smoothed his perfectly brushed hair again and turned away with a frown.

“How does this tie look?”

“It’s fine, Dad,” Rita said patiently. Her favorite had been three ties ago, but she decided not to mention this.

“Is that a spot?” Alec now had the tie under his nose, inspecting it like he was looking for germs, and Tory decided to exit on that note.

“No,” Rita told him, tempted to run as well. “It’s just a part of the design.”

“I’d better change.” With that he shot into the closet for the thirtieth time.

Rita flopped back on the bed and looked at Craig who was in the chair. They seemed to be sharing the same thought:
If this was what their father was going to be like for every date with Sophie, then they were going to make themselves scarce the day before.

“What about this one?”

Rita almost howled when she saw that it was the tie she had liked originally.

“It’s perfect, Dad. Just put it on and go.”

“Yeah, Dad,” Craig interjected. “You’re going to be late if you keep this up.”

Alec’s wrist shot out so he could study his watch. “Oh, no! I should be there by now.” He whipped his tie into place with practiced ease and ran for the door. He was back a second later.

“Did you wash the van?”

“Yes, Dad.” Again Rita’s voice was patient.

“All right. Where are my keys?”

“I saw you put them in your pocket,” Craig informed him.

“Oh, yeah.” He stormed over to Craig now, a man with a purpose, and pulled him from the chair for a hug. Rita was next, and then he dashed off without even saying good-bye. The two young Rileys looked at one another for just a few seconds before they broke out in laughter and shook their heads in wonder.

Craig looked out the window as his father nearly tore down the street in the van.

“Did he hit anything?”

“No, but I tell ya, Rita, something better happen pretty soon or Dad’s not going to make it.”

Rita only shook her head; it was all too true. It was also anyone’s guess as to how long this arrangement would last.

Alec could only stare. He hadn’t noticed when he picked her up, but after they arrived at the restaurant, Alec saw that his wonderful, practical Sophie was wearing sandals with heels so high and spindly that it hurt to look at her. She looked lovely in a summery, two-piece outfit in mint green and white, but he didn’t know how long she would last on those stilts. Their table was called just then, so Alec did not have any more time to speculate. And as soon as Sophie sat down across from him, he forgot about her feet.

“It is nice here, Alec,” she said with a smile and contentment flooded him. She had only said his name a few times, but he couldn’t hear enough of it. Everyone pronounced his name in two syllables, and Sophie was no exception, but she put the emphasis on the
A.
Instead of Al-ec, it was A-lec. He loved it.

“I haven’t been here very often, but it is nice. What are you hungry for?”

“A baked potato,” she said simply, and Alec’s brows rose with amusement.

“Is that all?”

“No, but I have not made baked potatoes in long, in
a
long time, and I am hungry for one.”

“Sophie,” his voice had turned serious, “have I made you feel like you’re not good enough because I correct your English?”

Her eyes saucered. “Oh no, Alec! I want to say the sentences correctly.”

“You do very well, Sophie,” he told her gently. “I can see that you’re really trying, and I’m extremely impressed.”

Color rushed over her face from the compliment, as well as the warmth she saw in his eyes. His approval meant so much, and her languages had always been important to her. It was almost a relief when the waiter came to take their order.

“How is everything?” Alec asked her about 45 minutes later. They had just been served their entrée, and Sophie’s meat looked wonderful.

“I think it looks delicious, but I will start with my potato.”

Alec grinned. “How different is Czech food from ours?”

“Quite different. If I had not worked at Tony’s, I would have served nothing but Czech dishes at your house. But it was so expensive to eat in Chicago that my best meal was at Tony’s when I worked, so I learned to like American food.”

“Do you have a favorite?”

“No. I like steak and potato, but I also like hamburger and French fries.”

“You mean I could have gotten away with taking you to McDonald’s?”

He sounded so comical that Sophie could not be shocked. She smiled and offered to leave the tip.

“The tip?” Alec sounded dubious.

“Yes. Craig always offers. He says, ‘Buy low, sell high.’ ”

It took Alec a moment, and then his shoulders shook with silent laughter. Sophie leaned forward, her huge eyes larger than ever and whispered, “I have never been brave enough to ask what it means.”

Alec lost it then. He wanted to shout with laughter, but the setting was all wrong. He was only thankful that he had no food in his mouth or he would have choked. His napkin was up to his mouth, and he kept his head down until the worst had passed. Sophie saw tears in his eyes when he looked up and felt very smug. She loved it when he laughed.

Alec only shook his head at her. He knew that she was going to do this to him for the rest of their lives. She was going to enjoy waiting until they were in a restaurant or some other public place and then say something hilarious to see him struggle. It made him think the next 50 years would be anything but dull.

The restaurant they had eaten at was across the parking lot from West Towne Mall. Alec suggested they take a walk through the mall and then stop for dessert later. Sophie was all for it, but she was hobbling by the time they reached the doors. Alec got her just inside Boston Store and said, “All right, Sophie, hand ’em over.” His hand was stretched out expectantly. Wishing she didn’t understand when she really did, Sophie stared at it and then at him.