Page 22 of Never Too Late

“Yep.” Hearing her say the word, I let out a breath I wasn’t aware I was holding in. “I just wanted to know if my goddaughter needed me to bring something from civilization,” she teased.

“Shut up.” I chuckled and trailed Zara while she bounced from vendor to vendor on her way to the well. “I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

“Bright and early.”

I could actually hear her smile. God, how long has it been since I heard it the last time?

This was going to be a good Christmas, I decided. And yes, it made me a dick to proclaim something like it, even if it was in my own mind, but I didn’t give a fuck.

I had my girl with me, and she was healthy and happy. And a friend was coming, and I was grateful to hear her laugh and smile even over the phone.

And I had Mrs. McConnell. The woman drove me nuts on a good day, but she was the best mother and grandmother to Zara, even though we were not blood-related.

So fuck yeah, we were going to have a great holiday.

The only thing that plagued me during the night were Sophie’s words she said on the street that day. And the look on her face.

Christ!

Whenever I gave in and allowed the memory of the devastation that marred her stunning face to invade my mind, it ripped me apart.

I wanted to know if any of the things she said were true. Or was it all just some kind of a game for her.

I knew I hurt her seventeen years ago. I just had no other choice. If I didn’t, she would stay and eventually she would resent me for it. So maybe she came back to get her revenge now.

If I was honest, I knew they were.

She was right, the reason behind my mother’s suicide wasn’t wrapped in cloak and dagger. Why I spewed all that nonsense in Sophie’s face, I still couldn’t understand. I should have been a man and owned up to what and why I did.

But her confession caught me by surprise.

And I couldn’t stand the thought of her feeling that way, even for a second.

Let alone years.

I needed to do something about that.

I also needed her to leave Hopeful and me, so I would have some semblance of a normal life.

I knew if I gave her even an inkling of hope, she would suck me in and after she had her fill of me, she would spit me back out and laugh in my face.

But I wasn’t just me anymore.

I had someone that depended on me and I wouldn’t go down the road my mom did.

I refused to do that to my daughter.

And I also knew I wouldn’t get the answers I needed if I just stood there and did nothing.

“Fuck.” The words exploded from me. So much for my example of talking in normal volume. But I gave myself a pass that time. Because when I looked up to the tree vendor, I saw Zara standing and waving her arms around while looking up and smiling at Sophie.

8

Sophie

Seventeen years ago

“Sophie, my darling girl, is that you?” I hadn’t even fully closed the door and already I knew my grandma and Mrs. McConnell were having an impromptu girl’s night, which meant that that bottle of gin that was in our freezer was no more.