Knitted Hearts by Amber Kelly
Foster
Isettle in and decide to call Sonia. I just want to hear her voice.
She picks up after the second ring.
“Hello?” she says warily.
Bellamy programmed her into my phone, but Sonia doesn’t recognize my number.
“Hi, Sonia,” I greet.
“Yes.”
“It’s Foster. I ran into Bellamy at the ranch yesterday, and she gave me your number. I hope that’s okay.”
“Of course it is. I should have given it to you the other night, but I didn’t think,” she says in a rush.
“Yeah, I should have asked for it. I guess I’m a bit rusty at this courting thing,” I tell her.
“Courting? What are we, Amish?”
She giggles, and the sound is like music to my ears.
“I didn’t want to say dating. I thought that might be presumptuous.”
“You’re right; courting sounds way less brazen.”
She’s teasing me.
“Are you making fun of me?” I ask.
“Not at all. It’s impolite to tease an old man like you.”
“Old, huh?”
“Well, you did use the phrase courting.”
“Touché.”
“Oh, you’re making it worse,” she says, and her giggle turns into a full belly laugh.
“Should I hang up and start over?” I ask.
“No, no. I’m sorry. I’m done, I promise.”
“Don’t be sorry. I love the sound of your laugh,” I tell her.
“You do?”
“I could listen to it all night.”
There is a long pause.
Then, she prompts for me to continue, “So …”
“Oh, right. I called to see if you’d like to plan one of those playdates at the park with the kids.”
“The kids?”
“George and Sue,” I clarify.
“Oh, those kids. Yes, we’d love to hang out with you guys.”
“How about this weekend?” I ask.
“I have to work for a few hours on Sunday morning, and I sometimes take Walker’s mom to church, but I’m free afterward. Or I can do Saturday afternoon, but I’ll have to be back in time to get ready for the party at the cider mill.”
Payne and Charlotte have invited all their friends over to see the progress they’ve made and to get everyone’s opinion on what they need to add or improve.
“I’ll be at the cider mill too. I promised Payne I’d help him and Walker with a few things to get it ready for the night.”
“It should be fun. I can’t wait to see the place,” she says.
“It’s pretty spectacular. Unlike anything else in Poplar Falls.”
“So, I’ll get to see you Saturday night. Do you want to plan for Sunday afternoon, then?” she asks.
“It’s a date.”
“I look forward to it and to seeing you at the party,” she says.
The line goes quiet, but I don’t want to let her go.
Finally, she speaks, “Uh, the awkward silence is painful. Tell me good night, Foster.”
I chuckle. “Sweet dreams, pretty girl.”
“Sweet dreams.”
She clicks off, and I stare down at my phone with a cheesy grin on my face.
I look over to see Sue watching me and moving his head from side to side.
“Don’t judge me, little man.”