Page 28 of Forever Fallen

Following the funeral director to a back office, she saw the phone was lying on the desk and the woman exited, quickly pulling the door shut behind her to give her a moment of privacy.

“This is Sophie Merrick. What’s wrong? Who is this?”

“You okay?”

Ryan.

She smiled painfully just hearing his gruff voice and knowing he was checking up on her. He might have been the biggest jerk earlier in an attempt to distract her, but this?

This was entirely too sweet and unexpected!

Something in her mentally buckled as she started packing that teensy, imaginary emotional box as quickly as possible, so she didn’t start crying on the phone.

“Sophie, answer me. Are you okay?”

“This sucks, Ryan…” she whispered painfully, her voice trembling shakily. “I don’t ever want to do this again for a long, long time.”

“It’s just you and me – and I don’t plan on going anywhere for the next twenty-seven days… and if it’s you? You won’t have to plan anything, I promise. I’ll do it all for you and make sure they play something irritating like The Beastie Boys or Whitesnake at your funeral… or would you prefer Aerosmith?”

“Oh my gosh, you are awful…” she laughed tearfully at his candid words and the outrageousness of them. Hewoulddeliberately say something that atrocious just to get her riled up or distract her.

Fanning her face and looking up at the ceiling in an attempt to stem the tears that were threatening – because this was nice of him – and she knew the truth of his words.

“I will take your laughter any day over your tears, Sophie… and I liked the way you answered the phone,Mrs. Merrick,” he said quietly, his voice infinitely gentle. “Just breathe, wrap it up, and get yourself out of there so you don’t cry anymore, okay?”

“Okay,” she promised tearfully, smiling.

“Good – and I’m feeling magnanimous. So, because you’ve had a rough day? Burgers are fine tonight – this time.”

“I guess I better get the ground beef out to thaw,” she sighed dramatically, playing along to let him know she was in on the ‘joke’…

“That’s right, woman,” he chuckled.

“Sexist pig…” she replied, laughing tearfully, especially now that she knew his game and how he reacted.

He was deliberately goading her again to stop her from breaking down… and it was kind of annoying and endearing at the same time.

“Yoursexist pig…” he said gently, his voice gruff.

“Yeah, I guess you kinda are, aren’t you?” she admitted softly. “Thank you, Ryan.”

“Just doing my husbandly duty.”

“You do it well.”

“I do a lot of those husbandly duties exceedingly well, my wife,” he said – but she could hear the arrogance in his voice and the laughter behind his words before he spoke again. “Now, I’m serious. Finish up and get out of there, Sophie.”

“I’m going.”

“Bye.”

“Bye,” Sophie replied, hanging up the phone and wiping her eyes. She was actually touched that he’d tracked her down and called to check on her – telling them it was an emergency.

Taking a deep breath, she walked out of the office to finish the plans for the funeral.

* * *

Two hours later,Sophie realized that she obviously was a glutton for punishment and torture. Thinking she’d faced all her battles, and everything was downhill from here?

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