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Everyone has their phones out, checking schedules.
“It’s good for me,” Wyatt says.
We all chime in that it works for us too.
“Is it a surprise party or are we letting her in on it?” Wyatt asks.
“A surprise,” Callum says.
“Think you can keep it a secret all that time, Owen?” Sutton asks.
Owen zips his lips and nods.
“Okay then, it’s on. I guess one of us needs to make sure Grinny’s schedule is clear that night,” Scarlett says. “I’ll do that and text everyone. I can start inviting people too. We’re having a town meeting tomorrow night and I can knock out a bunch there.” She lifts her eyebrows. “It’s not Owen I’m worried about spilling the beans…this town isn’t known for keeping secrets.”
I feel Sofie shift next to me and turn to look at her, wondering what’s going through her mind to make her look so uncomfortable.
Secrets.
I don’t know when I’ll ever come to terms with the fact that she’s lived with so many secrets all her life. Some I’m not sure I’ll ever know.
“You okay?” I ask Sofie on the drive home.
She stares out her window but nods. “Yeah. I feel bad we all forgot, but hopefully this will make it up to her.”
“Grinny will be thrilled. She’s easy to please, really. Did that...bother you, what she said about babies?”
I can faintly make out the lift of her lips as she turns toward me and smiles.
“No. I thought it was funny. And I still want kids someday. Do you?”
I swallow hard. The last time we talked about kids, it didn’t go so well. And it was my fault. Too worried still that she’d disappear on me.
“Two to four,” I say lightly.
I squeeze her hand and she smiles before turning to look out her window again. I almost push to find out what exactly might have upset her, or what she’s thinking…but I let it go, pulling into the driveway and bringing the truck to a stop.
I turn to face her, and she hops out of the truck.
“I’ve gotta go to the bathroom,” she says, hurrying inside.
Swallowing down these rising feelings of unease, I go inside and let Fred distract me for a while. When Sofie doesn’t come back downstairs, I go up there to find her, and she’s sound asleep in my bed.
After I brush my teeth and get ready for bed, I crawl in next to her and put my hand on her hip. She nestles her back into my chest, her ass fitting snuggly against me, and I ignore the desire that builds every time I touch her.
You’ve got to stop overthinking every little thing, I tell myself.This isn’t you, and you don’t need to start being this way now.
It takes a while, but I eventually fall asleep.
The next morning, I reach for her before my eyes open and she’s gone. I sit up, disoriented.
“Sofie?” I call.
Fred trots over and licks my hand. I pet him and get up, bypassing a bathroom stop to see if Sofie’s downstairs. There’s a note on the counter and it shouldn’t make me so sick to my stomach to see a note from my girlfriend, but it does.
I let out a whoosh of air when I read it.
Couldn’t sleep. Went to check on the horses.
