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Perhaps she shouldn’t have admitted the part about wanting to spend time with him.
Only, she did want to spend time with him. And what better way than while decorating for the elderly? Plus, she suspected the white knight in him wouldn’t be able to say no. Cole liked to help others. That came through in everything he did, despite anything he might say or think otherwise.
“I’m not much on church.”
“Have you actually been to church?” Sophie wasn’t backing down, not when she believed he needed what she was offering him. Friendship, peace, a sense of community and belonging.
“Not in years.”
“That’s your problem. But even if you had, you’ve never been to church with me,” she reminded as if that was something great and wonderful. Maybe if she acted as if it was, he’d buy it. Probably not, but she pressed on. “Sitting next to me in church brings the experience up to another whole level. You shouldn’t miss it.”
“You have me curious,” he admitted, eyeing her. “But I’m not sure. Church really isn’t my thing.”
“You’ll at least think about it?”
He took a deep breath, then nodded. “I’ll think about it,” he promised. “But don’t hold your breath.”
Sophie wouldn’t. She knew it was a long shot, but that he was considering it made her smile.
Cole carried another box into the church community room and put it with the other donations that had been collected. “That’s the last of them.”
Sophie eyed the various toys and games. When her gaze met Cole’s, she looked concerned. “At first glance, it looks like a lot, but we’re going to need way more with taking on the Triple B Ranch for Kids.”
Cole’s chest tightened at the worry in her voice. “There will be more toys donated between now and the end of the drive. We’ll get the word out about the increased need—maybe it’ll make people want to give a little more. We’ve still got time.”
“I hope Maybelle doesn’t come by here before then, because there are a lot of kids on our list needing presents.” Her gaze skimmed the toys. “There’s definitely not enough to do as much as we usually do.”
Seeing the anxiety etched on her face knotted his stomach. Sophie was twinkling Christmas lights and happiness, not frowns and worrying. He didn’t like it. Nor did he like the realization of the lengths he’d go to put the sparkle back into her eyes.
“What about the cash donations?” They’d collected a few checks on the first day they’d gone around to businesses and had gotten a few more today. “Will those be used to buy more toys to help fill the gaps?”
Sophie shook her head. “At least, we never have bought toys with the money donations in the past. We use the cash to purchase clothes for each kid. A shirt, pair of jeans, socks, underwear, and a pair of shoes. Plus, it’s used to buy the wrapping paper, ribbons, etc. that we wrap each kids’ gifts in. The toys have always been donated directly and the other things purchased specifically for each child on our list.”
“It’ll all work out.”
With one last glance at the stack of donated items, Sophie nodded. “You’re right. No Pine Hill kid is going to go without a magical Christmas morning.”
Cole suspected that Sophie would personally ensure each kid had plenty of gifts even if it meant emptying her savings account.
Cole suspected he’d give up quite a bit to ensure Sophie didn’t have to.
Although worry still shined in her eyes, she smiled at him. “Thanks for going with me today. We’ll keep our fingers crossed that everyone ups their donations this year and that on our last collection, the bins are so overflowing with goodies that we can’t carry them all. I’d say our bins, but hopefully, all the bins will be full. I don’t even care if it means losing your challenge with Andrew and Ben.”
Cole hoped that, too. And not just for the kids to get a merry Christmas. But because he knew full bins meant a merry Sophie.
He’d figure something out. Maybe he could talk to the guys at the firehall and see if they could come up with a little extra. Sure, they’d rag him, but seeing the joy that would light in Sophie’s eyes and knowing every kid had a special gift would make it worth their teasing.
The realization of how much fulfilling this goal of Sophie’s mattered to him, and how much he’d be willing to do to see it happen, made him feel a little as if he were walking into a burning building without his gear.
Would her belly please quit doing acrobatics? Sophie placed her hand over her stomach for the dozenth time that Sunday morning in hopes it would calm the nervous gurgling.
Although she rotated out on teaching a children’s Sunday school class, she was currently on an off cycle, so she sat with her mother and Isabelle in a ladies’ class after arriving early at church.
When class finished, they headed to the auditorium for the main service. Sophie spoke to most everyone she passed as she, Isabelle, and their mother made their way to a pew near the front where they typically sat. Her mother and Isabelle would be fine regardless of where they sat, but Sophie found that if she sat near the back, she got distracted too easily with people watching, baby watching, and mind wandering. People were so interesting, and their church had the cutest kids ever.
Her family knew that as long as she was up front, Pastor Smith would hold her attention. Usually.
Today, that might be difficult for the pastor to do.
