Southern Sunshine by Natasha Madison

Chapter 13

Reed

I can hear the kids screaming as soon as I walk out of the woods and get closer and closer to my grandparents. I’m shocked so many people are still there. I thought for sure it would be dying down, but instead, it’s like more people have arrived. I see Gabriel on the side as he chases another kid. I spot Amelia sitting down in a chair, her stomach even bigger than it was last week. I see a couple of teenagers off to the side, and it brings me back to all those years ago with Christopher. I smirk. Back then, I thought I was the shit.

I shake my head, stopping at the barn, and look around to see if I can find my grandfather. "Where were you?" Harlow says, walking out of the barn and looking at me. She has JB on her hip. “Go see Uncle Reed,” she says. He refuses to come to me by hiding his hand under him, making it hard to grab him, and Harlow laughs. “It’s okay. He’ll get to know you. He’s used to you being in a phone." She laughs at her joke. "Quinn got here an hour ago."

"Did he?" I ask. “I actually went home and showered."

"I think he smells like shit all the time,” she says, looking at JB and rubbing her nose to his. “See you later. I’m going to hand this boy off to someone else. I need some sleep,” she says, walking away from me.

I stand here looking around, my gaze roaming everywhere, knowing exactly who I’m searching for. I look toward the house, and I see her standing there laughing with Amelia and Chelsea. Hazel, the whole reason I’m here two hours later than I should have been, stands looking toward the fence.

"Uncle Reed." I hear my name being called and look over to see Tucker. "Uncle Reed." He holds the top of the fence with one hand while he waves with his other. He is standing on the bottom of the log, looking into the fenced area. Some of the horses are walking around. He looks over to a little girl beside him and tells her something. One look at her, and I know she’s Hazel’s girl. She looks at him as if he’s telling her his biggest secret. She wears green Rubber boots, and her brown hair has little curls at the bottom.

I walk over to them, and they both get down from the log. “That’s my uncle Reed," Tucker says, pointing over at me.

"Hey," I say, looking at them both but my eyes are on Sofia’s. “What are you two up to?" I look at Tucker, and then my eyes go back to look at Sofia. She pushes the hair away from her face, and I see that her eyes are exactly like Hazel’s.

"Sofia wants to ride the horse again," Tucker says. “But she said she doesn’t have one."

"Well," I say, squatting down in front of her. “I have a horse." Her mouth opens, and her eyes go big. “Want to come ride on my horse?"

"Yes." She claps her hands together and jumps up and down. I swear it’s like looking into a mirror, and I’m seeing Hazel from when she was young.

"Come with me,” I say. She slips her hand into mine, and I can swear something in me sparks to life. “You coming, Tucker?" I ask, and he shakes his head.

"I’m going to eat,” he says, turning now and running to the table where there is food.

We walk into the barn, and I go to my stall. “Is this your horse?" she looks up at me and asks.

"Yeah, my granddad gave it to me,” I say. “Stay here,” I say, opening the gate. Turning, I see her standing there with her hands on her hips and her head cocked to one side. I laugh, thinking I’ve seen that look before. I grab the horse by the reins and walk him out, going over to get my saddle. "We have to get the saddle on him,” I say.

"So you don’t hurt her?" she asks softly. “I don’t want to hurt her."

I walk over to her and squat down. “It doesn’t hurt her, sweetheart. I’m going to put you on the horse and then get on behind you."

I pick her up, and she opens her legs, sitting on the horse. "Hold on right here,” I say, and she nods her head, grabbing the rein in her little hand.

I walk with the horse outside and see that Quinn is there with his daughter. “See them." I point at Quinn. “I’m going to get on like him."

"Okay,” she says. I put my foot in the stirrup and sit on the horse behind her. She leans forward to whisper in the horse’s ear. “It’s okay." I put my arms around her, holding her in. She leans into my chest, and I smell the strawberry in her shampoo.

I move the horse toward Quinn. “Want to go to the trail?" I ask, and he nods his head. I look over at Hazel and see her standing there looking at us.

I motion with my head, and she just nods but doesn’t say anything. Her eyes are on both of us. "So what’s your name?" I ask as we follow Quinn as we go through the little trail that Ethan made when he had Gabriel.

"Sofia,” she says proudly. “Sofia Bernadette."

"That’s the perfect name,” I say. “I used to be friends with your mom."

"You work at the office, too?" she asks, and I laugh, shaking my head.

"No," I say to her. “When she was little,” I say.

"Did you know Pops?" she asks, looking up at me.

"Yeah, he was the best,” I say.

"He had a tractor," she tells me. “It doesn’t work."

"Did you ever ride on the tractor?" I ask, and she shakes her head.

"No, because it’s broken," she tells me matter-of-factly. “And now Momma said it’s ready for the junkyard. I have a picture in my bedroom at my house."

"Do you?" I ask, and she nods.

"It’s in my room. Not the one here." Her voice has to be the sweetest voice I’ve ever heard. "Now I sleep in Mommy’s bed."

"I used to throw rocks at her window,” I say, and she looks up at me. “Not big rocks. Ones just so she could come and talk to me.”

“Why didn’t you use the phone?” she asks, and I laugh.

"I don’t know." She looks ahead. “You want to go fast?" I ask. Her eyes light up, and she tries not to smile, making me laugh. She is very much her mother’s daughter, and I wonder if she knows her father, my chest getting a little twinge. "Okay,” I say, putting an arm around her stomach and holding the reins in my free hand. I get the horse to trot just a touch faster, causing her hair to fly everywhere.

But the sound of her laughter is everything, and she holds on as tight as she can. "Faster, Uncle Reed,” she says, and I laugh because she is copying Tucker. We finally get back to the barn, and she looks up. “That was so much fun,” she says, looking over at Tucker who stands in the barn with Mayson.

"I’m going to get down first,” I say, and she nods while I get down. I look up, holding out my arm, and she reaches for me, and I put her down.

"Thank you, Uncle Reed,” she says, and Tucker comes over.

"It was my pleasure,” I say, and she looks at Tucker.

"Did you see me?" she asks. “He went fast."

"My dad can go fast also," Tucker says, and I shake my head. I look over as I take off the saddle from the horse.

"Not as fast as Reed,” she says, and he turns, running back to Mayson to ask him if he is faster than me.

I look over at Sofia, who stands there with her hip cocked. “Sofia,” I call her name, and she looks over at me. I can’t even try not to laugh at her. “Today was fun."

She nods her head at me. “I’m going to see my mom." She starts to run, then stops and turns back. “Thank you, Reed,” she says, and when I smile at her, she smirks back at me. My whole body goes stiff, and everything in me screams. I’m about to take a step toward her when my grandfather comes to me.

"Hey," he says, and I look over at him and then look back over to see Hazel taking Sofia in her arms. "Did you finish?"

"Um, yeah," I say, my head spinning at this point. Did I just imagine it?

"Did you do both?" he asks, and I turn back and look at him with a confused look on my face. "Did you do the flower bed in the front and the back?"

"Yeah," I tell him. Before coming to the barbecue, my grandfather called and summoned me to his house. I thought I was coming to help set up for the barbecue. What I wasn’t prepared for was my father and Quinn waiting for me. I got in the truck without asking questions, but as soon as we pulled up to Hazel’s, I was informed we needed to fix the flower bed. "Nothing left in the front."

"Did you do the back also?" he asks, and my eyes roam the backyard again, hoping to see Hazel there, but I don’t.

"We did around the deck," I tell him. “But that deck in the back is rotten. I’m surprised no one has gone through it."

"Shit,” he says. “That’s what I thought when I saw it." He nods at me and turns to walk away.

"Hey, Grandpa." I stop him, and he looks over at me. “What’s the story with Sofia?"

"What do you mean?" he asks.

"How old is she?" I ask, and he shrugs.

"Why wouldn’t her father be here?" I ask. “If his daughter is here, why isn’t he?"

I stand here, and he crosses his arms over his chest, looking at me. “I don’t know, Reed," he answers me. “What I do know is that little girl is a spitfire. Got on the horse for the first time today, and I swear to God. She looked over at me, she tucked in tight, and she was ready to go race him. She’s got country in her." He smiles proudly. "Pops would be proud,” he says, turning to walk back to the house.

I walk out of the barn, seeing my mother there. “Hey, Mom," I say. “Is Hazel around?"

"Um, I think she left." She looks around. “Have you met Sofia?"

"Yeah," I say, looking around.

"She called me Mrs. Princess," my mother says, putting her hand around my waist. I look down at her and put my hand around her. "It’s so good having you home." I don’t say anything to her because right now, my mind is at a house five minutes from here.