Page 22 of Forever Fallen

He looked at her and raised an eyebrow pointedly, waiting.

“Can we sit on the porch, in the rocking chairs, with the cocoa?” she finally asked, her voice tight as if she expected rejection.

“We can sit wherever you want,” he began, touched at this vulnerable side to her and how she opened up.

It was sweet that she wanted to take a moment to enjoy the simple things, and he realized that Sophie and her grandmother must have done the same thing when she was younger.

Pouring the hot cocoa in the two mugs, he grabbed a few paper towels just in case Sophie started crying again.

“I’ll carry them,” he offered easily. “They’re hot, but if you could get the door? That would be fantastic.”

Sophie padded barefoot outside onto the wooden wraparound porch and moved easily past several chairs down to a certain one.

His little unexpected bride was a creature of habit, he realized. She liked order and got flustered when someone jostled her world.

As she sat down, he handed her a mug carefully and took the seat beside her, setting down his mug on the chair arm.

The sleepy town had a car drive through every few minutes and he realized why there was only one stop light. It was incredibly quaint and reminded him of something you’d see from an era long past.

Across the way was a small circle where a town square stood, complete with a few older brick buildings that had been converted. It was all so cozy and made him feel strangely at home – even though he’d never been here before.

Taking a sip of his cocoa, he didn’t fight the sigh that escaped him. He was completely exhausted from having travelled eighteen hours by plane and dealing with three layovers.

It had taken forever to finally get here, and he could feel himself crashing physically. That nap in the car had barely touched his need for rest… but the warmth of the cocoa would certainly finish him off.

Sophie took a sip and let out a shaky breath, staring ahead at the street, looking lost in thought.

“Are those azalea bushes?” he said easily trying to make light conversation between them. “My mother had them at our home in Azle.”

“I didn’t know you were from Texas.”

“Yeah. It’s been a long time, but I will never forget how proud she was of her pink azalea bushes. They grew to massive four-foot-wide bushes that blocked the window. I think she planted them there on purpose to keep me from sneaking out of the house when I was little…” he smiled, taking another sip. “I was a horrible kid.”

“Somehow I doubt that…” she started, not looking at him and taking another sip. “But after that comment about my butt – I could be very wrong, too.”

He chuckled and slid a glance towards her, seeing her smile sadly.

“You sat out here a lot with her, didn’t you?”

“Every weekend I was home,” she admitted, quietly.

“I could get used to cocoa in the evenings together,” he replied quietly, looking away and trying to play it casual.

Relationships would only make things extremely messy. He really didn’t want to find himself growing to like this stranger beside him. The more they talked, or she revealed certain aspects of herself, the more he was drawn to her.

“I think I could, too…” Sophie whispered, not looking at him either.

Interesting, he thought quietly, wondering if she was feeling the same.

* * *

About an hour later,Sophie was leading him through the house, showing him to a room. He was on the second floor, just as she was. She explained that her grandmother’s room was on the first floor – as well as a half bath for guests.

“Laundry is in the basement, but make sure you get the lights. The stairs aren’t even and extremely narrow. The house was built in 1890 – so I would recommend you watch your head, too. You’re taller than I am and I barely clear some of the doors, depending on my shoes that day.”

“Got it,” he replied. “Does your grandmother have any guests scheduled to stay here?”

“Oh,” Sophie hesitated. “I didn’t think to look and I’m not sure. I doubt it, but you never know. She rarely had guests.”

---