AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I grabbed her phone and held it just out of reach. “Soph. I’ll take you home. What kind of a boyfriend would I be if I didn’t?”
We hadn’t discussed labels, but it felt right on my tongue. It was like how natural everything felt when I was with her.
Sophie smiled up at me. “Not a very good one.”
I kissed her. “That’s right.”
I could offer her this. It wasn’t much, but it was all I had at the moment. Brief snippets of time alone. A hope that things would change in the future.
I opened the door for her, locked up, and followed her out to my truck. I wished she could stay, but this would have to be enough.
When I dropped her off at home, I walked her to her porch and kissed her softly. It reminded me so much of high school that my chest ached.
I wanted to stay in Annapolis. I wanted a future with KendallandSophie. I just wasn’t sure where Melanie fit in, or whether she even wanted to.
ChapterTwenty
SOPHIE
School had started. The air was cooler in the evenings, the sun setting earlier and earlier. I’d transitioned to my fall recipes, featuring pumpkin spices and apples.
Mark finished my storage shelves, but things were otherwise the same. Gia was setting up more wedding couples to meet with us, and customers at the bakery were steady, but I felt slightly off. Like I was waiting for something bad to happen.
I missed my lessons with Kendall in the afternoons, but she made a point to stop by for an hour after school each day. I enjoyed my time with her, and it allowed Mark to work longer hours. He’d decided to work on a trial basis with Cade at Morrison Brothers Construction to see if he liked it.
With both of us working during the day and him understandably wanting to spend time with Kendall in the evening, I didn’t see much of Mark. I missed our mornings together. I missed our conversations. I missed his touch. I missed everything.
I kept coming back to the way he’d held me the last time we were together. How he said he was my boyfriend. When I felt especially lonely, I’d pull up that picture of us on my phone.
That evening felt amazing. Like we were connecting on a soul-deep level. When he’d woken up, he’d been distant, worried about something. I knew he was worried about the custody situation and Melanie coming back, but it felt bigger. Like he needed to pull away to preserve his feelings, but then he’d called himself my boyfriend. It was confusing.
We texted and talked on the phone after Kendall was asleep. But he had to be up early to get her ready for school and to head to work. Our time was limited in more ways than one.
It felt like the beginning of the end. If we lived together, we’d see each other more, but Kendall wasn’t ready for that. There hadn’t even been time to spend time together as a trio. Mark wanted to spend as much alone time with her as he could.
I tried to be understanding, but I was starting to worry. I tried to remind myself that things were different now than when we were eighteen. We communicated like adults, or at least, I hoped we did. If there was an issue, or this wasn’t working for him, he’d say. He wouldn’t walk away without talking to me this time.
Mark mentioned that his attorney had drawn up custody papers and filed them with the court. He was waiting for Melanie to be served. The only problem was he wasn’t sure where she was. She’d said she needed a break, and the implication was that she was traveling. She never said where or when she’d be back.
It wasn’t fair to Kendall or Mark. What if Kendall was hurt or needed her?
I looked forward to Kendall stopping by each day after school. She was required to call Mark when she got here. It allowed him to work later in the evenings and Kendall to spend more time at the bakery. When she got off the phone, I asked her, “Are you ready to learn more fall recipes?”
Kendall nodded eagerly. “I love pumpkin.”
“Well, you’re in luck, because that’s all we make for months until we switch to gingerbread.” The demand for pumpkin spice was higher than anything else I made all year.
I handed her the apron I kept just for her. She tied it behind her back and grabbed the recipe list. She was familiar with my shorthand and the bowls and tools I used for various recipes. She was a great baking partner. If she were older, I’d suggest she work for me. But she was too young, so I kept calling them lessons.
If she was still here when she was eligible to work, I’d talk to Mark about hiring her. I knew she’d be responsible. If she didn’t get involved in sports or boys, I had a feeling she’d love it here.
The thought of her moving away with her mother worried me. I’d become attached to her. We had a relationship entirely separate from Mark. We had a shared love of baking. I didn’t realize how much I enjoyed having someone to share my passions with until she expressed interest.
“I saw some legal papers on the counter the other day.”
My heart dropped. She must be talking about the custody papers. “That’s probably something you should discuss with your father.”
Kendall’s lips pressed into a line. “He won’t tell me the truth. Not that he’d lie to me, but he’d sugarcoat it.”
