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“I don’t have a wall up. I’ve let her back in. She’s here, isn’t she?”
“She is. And I’m so proud of you. I don’t think you would have opened up to her again if she didn’t deserve it…but Theo, I’m worried about you. Promise me if you’re not talking to me…or even better,her…that you’re talking to someone.”
“I haven’t been through half of what she has been.” My voice sounds hollow, and when my eyes meet my sister’s, she looks more confused and concerned than ever.
“That may be true, but what you went through wasn’t meaningless.” She straightens and turns to look at our family in the yard below. “We’ve had a good life, a lot of love, but that doesn’t mean we haven’t gone through some things. I just want you to hold onto this happiness.”
“I’m holding onto it,” I tell her. “I’ll work through my shit. Don’t worry.”
She leans over and hugs me, not looking convinced. When she pulls back, her eyes are full of tears, and I’m taken aback. My sister rarely cries and when she does, we all panic.
“She’s back, Theo.Sofie is back. I’m just…I can’t believe it,” she whispers.
I pull her back in, gulping through the lump building in my throat. “I know. I haven’t wrapped my head around it either, believe me. But I-I hear you. I guess I thought I was doing a better job of hiding it than I am.”
“You don’t have to hide anything from us.” She pulls back and wipes her eyes and sniffs, pointing at Wyatt who’s looking up at us, frowning. “We’re here for you…and we’re here for Sofie too.”
I nod. “Thank you. I think she needs all the supportive people she can get in her life. She talks about a friend in Texas sometimes, but she hasn’t talked much about what happened while she was—”
“Is the food almost ready?” Owen interrupts, coming up behind me.
“Hey, buddy. Yeah, it sure is. I’m probably overcooking the meat at this point. Here, why don’t you start your plate.”
I hand Owen a plate and take the last few pieces of chicken off of the grill and hold up the platter. He takes a piece of chicken and then goes to the long table we’ve set up on the deck that has all the side dishes.
“Food’s ready,” I call out.
Sofie and Grinny turn and Sofie waves, grinning. My heart skips a beat as she stands up and puts her arm around Grinny’s waist, the two of them walking toward the house.
Scarlett bumps my hip with hers. “That goofy grin looks really good on you,” she teases.
“Hello, anybody home?”
I turn and see Pappy walking through the back door.
“Pappy, I’m so glad you could come.” I turn and shake his hand before hugging him.
Scarlett hugs him next.
“So sorry I’m late.” Pappy gives Owen a high five. “I lost track of time in a chess match over at the lodge.”
“You’re right on time,” Scarlett says. “We were just getting ready to eat.”
Pappy nods at Grinny as she walks up, and she lifts an eyebrow as she nods back.
“Must be hard to break away,” she says. “I heard you’ve attracted quite the following over at the lodge. Peg says every senior in the county is coming out to watch you and that tourist who’s decided to stay a while. What’s her name again? Doris?”
Pappy ducks his head sheepishly and chuckles. “Her name is Dottie…and she’s a much better player than I am. A true entertainer. I think people are coming out to watch because she sings show tunes while she’s sorting out her next move.”
Scarlett puts her hand on his arm. “You’re so modest, Pappy. I think it’s because the women of Landmark have mad crushes on you.”
“Ho, ho, no,” he says. “No, no.”
Jamison squeezes his shoulder. “If the roles were reversed, you’d be saying, ‘Someone doth protest too much.’”
Pappy’s cheeks are bright pink as he shakes his head again.
Sofie moves in next to me, her hand reaching out for mine. I weave my fingers through hers, inhaling deep as I smile at her.
