Page 35 of Rhett

I look at her and realize how exhausted she looks. “Why don’t we take a little nap before we have to throw the food in the oven?”

“That actually sounds like a good idea. Someone didn’t let me sleep much last night.” Sofia pokes me in the ribs.

We stick everything in the refrigerator and then I pick her up and toss her over my shoulder, carrying her to the bed and tossing her on it. I follow her down and pull her into me so she’s lying half on me and half off.

She must be exhausted because she’s out immediately. I hold Sofia close as she sleeps peacefully against my chest. Her soft, even breaths and the warmth of her body are incredibly soothing. I find myself drifting off as well, lulled by her presence.

I wake up to the sound of Sofia's alarm going off. She stirs in my arms, reaching over to silence it.

“Mmm, that nap felt good,” she murmurs sleepily, snuggling closer to me.

I kiss the top of her head. “It did. But we should probably get up and finish prepping dinner. What time is your mom coming?”

Sofia glances at her phone. “In about an hour and a half. We've got time.”

We reluctantly get out of bed and head back to the kitchen. Working together, we get the chicken and vegetables in the oven and start on the rolls. As Sofia kneads the dough, I can't help but admire her. There's a streak of flour on her cheek and her hair is slightly mussed from our nap, but she looks beautiful.

“What?” Sofia asks, catching me staring at her.

I reach out and brush the flour off her face. “You are so beautiful,” I whisper.

“You know how to make a girl feel good about herself,” she replies as I brush the top of the rolls with an egg wash. Sofia blushes at my compliment, a soft smile playing on her lips. “You're pretty handsome yourself,” she responds, leaning up to give me a quick kiss.

We finish preparing the rolls and get them in the oven. After we clean up the kitchen, we both get cleaned up and as we’re finishing there's a knock at the door. Sofia's eyes widen.

“That must be Mom,” she says, smoothing her hair. “How do I look?”

I smile, pulling her close for a quick kiss. “Beautiful, as always.”

Sofia takes a deep breath and goes to answer the door. I hear her greet her mother warmly, and then they're walking into the kitchen.

“Mom, this is Rhett,” Sofia introduces, gesturing to me. “Rhett, this is my mom, Eve.”

I step forward, extending my hand. “It's great to finally meet you, Ms. Morgan.”

“Please call me Eve, it’s nice to finally meet you, Rhett. I’ll never be able to thank you for saving my daughter during the fire.” Instead of taking my hand, she grabs my face and kisses my cheek.

I smile warmly at Eve. “It's my pleasure to meet you too, Eve. And no thanks necessary—I'm just glad I was able to help Sofia that day.”

Eve steps back and looks me over appraisingly. “Well, Sofia certainly wasn't exaggerating about how handsome you are,” she says with a wink.

“Mom.” Sofia exclaims, her cheeks flushing pink.

I chuckle, wrapping an arm around Sofia's waist. “I'm the lucky one here,” I reply, pressing a kiss to Sofia's temple.

Eve smiles at us. “You two are adorable together. Now, what smells so delicious?”

“We made roast chicken with vegetables and homemade rolls,” Sofia explains. “It should be ready in about fifteen minutes.”

“Sounds wonderful,” Eve says. “Can I help with anything?”

Sofia shakes her head. “No, Mom, you just relax. Rhett and I have everything under control.”

Eve takes a seat at the kitchen table as Sofia and I put the finishing touches on dinner. I pour glasses of wine for everyone and we chat easily while waiting for the food to be ready.

When the timer goes off, Sofia and I work together to get everything plated and on the table. As we sit down to eat, Eve raises her glass in a toast.

“To new beginnings and new love,” she toasts warmly, looking between Sofia and me.

---