AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Her face stills, and I know without a doubt that I just fucked up.
“What? Who had a problem with us?”
“It doesn’t matter, Soph.”
“I want to know. No one in my family has said anything, and trust me, they would.”
“No, not your family.” I blow out a breath and twist a strand of her soft, dark hair around my finger. “Florence threw a little fit about it.”
“Florence, your boss?”
“Yeah. She tried to have it written into my contract that I couldn’t date you.”
Now her mouth drops open, and she sputters. “W-what?”
“I told her I would never sign that. We were prepared to turn down the contract and go to another city.”
“Wait.” She scoots out of my lap and paces the porch. “Your boss hates our family enough to have it written into your contract that you’re forbidden to date me.”
“Which I didn’t sign.”
“This is such bullshit. We didn’t do anything to her! It’s exactly the opposite.”
“Yeah, about that… I’m dying to know. What did she do?”
Sophie spins and gazes at me with hot eyes. “She fucked over Stella, big time. Florence hired her to redecorate her house here. Stella did everything that Florence said she wanted, and then when it was reveal day, Florence tore it apart on camera. Humiliated Stella live on social media, refused to pay for it, and got her fired.”
“Damn,” I mutter, shaking my head.
“Stella ended up suing, and won. She was reimbursed for the money she invested in the rehab, which was well over a quarter of a million dollars. And her former employer had to pay her restitution for wrongful termination. All of that was finally settled shortly after the first of the year.”
“I’m glad that Stella won. She should. Florence is such a bitch, and we all hate that she owns the team. But, she does. There’s nothing I can do about that. However, I made it clear that if she wants me to stay, there would be no clause mentioning your family. After a short game of chicken, she folded and took it out.”
“Jesus, Ike, I’m so sorry.”
“Why?” I stand and cross to her now. “Why would you be sorry? It wasn’t your fault at all.”
“It’s absolutely ridiculous that she would use me as leverage in your contract.” She doesn’t fight me when I tug her into my arms and hug her close, rocking her back and forth. “After everything Will has done for that team, she would turn around and do something like this?”
“Hey, it’s under control now.”
“I wish you’d told me when it happened.”
She scowls up at me. “We were new, and Florence only found out that we were dating because someone took a picture of us at the market that day. It was our second date, Soph. Florence threw her fit, and I stood my ground with her. It seems I’m all about that this month.”
She finally gives me a small smile. “Yeah, you are. What other cities were you looking into?”
“San Francisco and Denver were at the top of the list. Short flights to get here to you, to be honest. But my agent would say it’s because they had the best deals on the table.”
She kisses my chin. “Thank you for protecting us.”
“I may be younger, but I’m not a kid, and I’m not stupid, Soph. I know a good thing when it takes me out in the park. I’m not letting you go for anyone. Not even for half a billion dollars.”
“I think I would dump me for that much money.”
“Not a chance.” I kiss the top of her head and breathe her in. “Do you have to work today?”
“Just a little. Not too much. Why?”
“Can I talk you into going to the animal shelter with me? I promise not to make you clean up any poop. I’ll do that.”
“I’d love to. But I’m warning you, I’ll want to bring them all home.”
“It’s a weekly problem for me.”
“Hey there,” Rhonda says with a bright smile as I walk into the shelter with Sophie in tow. “You brought a friend.”
“I did. Rhonda, this is my girlfriend, Sophie.”
“Holy shit,” is all Rhonda says when she gets a good look at my girl. “Holy freaking shit.”
“Hi,” Sophie says with a wave.
“I know you,” Rhonda says, then shakes her head. “Not in person, but I follow you on social media. My God, you helped me out of a really bad time in my life, and you didn’t even know it. I was just getting out of a bad marriage. I felt fat and ugly and just generally horrible, and I stumbled across your content, and you’re just so good. You reminded me that I’m perfect, just as I am. I use your recipes and workout suggestions, and I just love you.”
Rhonda flings her arms around Sophie, and Soph hugs her right back, her eyes closed, rocking the other woman back and forth.
