Southern Sunshine by Natasha Madison

Chapter 23

Reed

"Ready?" I ask Sofia as she puts on her Rubber boots. After Hazel left, I finished cleaning the kitchen while Sofia colored. She made sure to tell me what needed to be done. I was just the adult supervisor. She got dressed and made sure she brushed her teeth before walking down the stairs.

"Ready, Freddy,” she says, turning to look at me. She slips her hand in mine, and I walk out of the house and open the back door to the truck. “Where is my seat?" she asks, and I look at her. “I need a booster seat," she tells me, “or else I’ll fly out of the car and die." I almost laugh because I can see Hazel telling her that.

"I don’t have one. But we can walk over to my house,” I say. “And then take the golf cart to Grandpa’s." I look at her, waiting for her to okay this plan.

We start walking toward my house. “You have a house here?" she asks.

"Not really,” I say. “It’s my mom and dad’s." I look over at her as we walk, her little legs moving fast.

"We don’t live here either," she tells me. “We live in a condo."

"Do you like living in a condo?" I ask, trying not to laugh that she knows that word.

"It’s okay. Sometimes we go to the beach," she tells me, and you can tell from her voice that she’s excited about the beach. She goes on and on about how she swims and that she took swimming at home. When we make it to my house, she looks up at the house. “You live in a big house." She looks around and walks toward the golf cart.

I pick her up and set her down, then get into the driver’s seat. I put my hand over her hand when I start to drive. She looks around, and when we get closer to the barn, she starts to fidget in the seat. When I stop the golf cart, she squeals out in excitement. “Are we going to ride horses?" she asks, and I can tell she likes the horses better than the beach.

"I think we can,” I say, getting out of the golf cart and holding out my hand for her. She grabs my hand, and we walk into the barn. She walks past the stalls, and I stop at the stall where her horse is in. "What do you think of this one?" I ask, and the horse comes toward us. I pick her up in my arms as the horse sticks her snout out of the stall.

"She’s pretty," Sofia says, and she follows my lead when I rub the horse’s snout.

"Well, well, well." I look over to see my grandfather coming toward us. “If it isn’t the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen." He stops in front of us. Sofia just smiles at him as she rubs the horse.

"Uncle Reed said we can ride horses," she informs him, and he just nods his head.

"Is that so?” he says, putting his hands on his hips. "This is interesting,” he says, and I just look over at him. Sofia is not even noticing what he’s saying.

"Hazel asked me to watch her." I avoid looking into his eyes. Instead, I watch Sofia. “We were friends before I left." I look at him and see the questions in his eyes. “It’s fine."

He just nods. “So are we going to saddle her?" he asks me, and Sofia just puts her hands together and laughs.

"I think that’s a yes." She smiles and nods her head. I put her down now. “Don’t move,” I say, walking over to the wall and grabbing a saddle. I keep one eye on her the whole time, making sure she’s okay. "Now," I say, walking to her. “We are going to saddle her so we can take her out."

She jumps up and down now as I walk into the stall. “This is better than the tractor,” she says and then looks up at my grandfather. “I still like the tractor." She tries not to hurt his feelings, making him laugh.

"Now you are going to behave," I tell the horse once I throw the saddle on her back. “And you are going to be gentle with her or else," I whisper to her, and the horse looks at me as if she knows what I’m saying. “No funny tricks."

"Is it ready?" Sofia asks, and I look at her and walk out with the horse. Grandpa places her behind him in case the horse bucks or kicks her.

"She’s pretty," Sofia says as we walk out. She walks over and slips her hand in mine. “What’s her name?"

"I don’t know,” I say as we walk toward the fenced area. “What do you think we should call her?”

"Caramel,” she says. “’Cause she looks like the caramel candies Momma gives me."

"That’s a perfect name," my grandfather says.

"Let’s go,” I say, walking into the fenced area with her. "I’m going to put you on, and I want you to hold on tight,” I say. She raises her arms for me to pick her up and put her on the horse. "You good?" I ask her, and she holds the front of the saddle, smiling. “Now I’m going to walk her around, okay?" I walk her around two times, and by the third time, I can tell that she wants to pick up the pace. She is my daughter, after all. I never was one to have patience.

"I knew I’d find you here." I look behind me to see my father coming in. He’s dressed in jeans and a shirt, his hands filthy. “Is that the new horse?"

"She’s Caramel," Sofia says to my father, and she smirks at him. He looks up at her, smiling and then looks back at me.

"I’ll take her out there,” my grandfather says, taking the reins from me. "Let’s go and work her out."

"Not too fast," I tell my grandfather, and he just smiles at me.

I watch my grandfather walk the area with Sofia as he explains things. "Son." I hear my father. “Is there something you need to tell me?" he asks, and I wonder if he noticed that she smiles like me.

"I don’t know what you mean,” I say, avoiding his eyes. “I’m helping Hazel." The lie eats at my stomach. I hate lying, always have. But then to lie about what she is to me, that is just … I fucking hate it. There are no other words to describe it.

"You haven’t been around kids," he says as we stand against the fence watching.

"She’s five,” I say. “She is basically babysitting me."

"She’s a natural," my father says, watching Sofia on the horse now after my grandfather handed her the reins.

"Must be the country girl in her,” I say, walking into the area before my father asks more questions. I have to walk away from him before I lie to him.

"I can gallop," Sofia tells me, smiling. “Can we go fast now?" I look over at my grandfather, who shakes his head.

"She’s been asking me this for the last ten minutes,” he says.

"Okay," I say, putting my foot in the stirrup and getting on the horse with her. “Why don’t we take her out?”

“See you two later,” he says, walking to my father. Both of them watch me. I lock her in and start for the trail when my phone rings.

“Hello,” I say when I answer it.

“Hey.” I hear Hazel’s voice, and a smile fills my face. “It’s me."

"Hi, it’s me," I joke with her, and she laughs.

"Where are you guys?" she asks, and I hear the car door shut.

"Going for a ride,” I say. “Sofia named my horse."

"Oh, good God," Hazel says, laughing. “Do I want to know?"

"I’ll let her tell you,” I say as we ride out of the area.

"Well, if it’s okay with you, I’m going to go home and bake Amelia some scones, and then I’ll come by and get her,” she says.

"Yeah, that’s fine,” I say. “I’m going to take her for a ride anyway."

"Um, okay," she says, hesitating. “If you need anything …"

"I’ll call,” I say. “See you later, Hazel." I hang up now and get up to tuck the phone in my pocket. “Okay, you ready?” I say, and she just smiles up at me and nods her head. I kick the horse with the side of my foot. “Get,” I say, and she opens up and races. The whole time, I have Sofia in my arms. I ride until I can feel Caramel is tired, and the sun is soaking through my T-shirt. I pull it over my head now. “We are going to need a shower after this." I look down at Sofia, whose eyes sparkle with happiness. "Let’s get back and see if Grandma will give us something to drink and a snack. My favorite is chocolate chip muffins."

"Me, too,” she says, and I throw my head back and laugh, pretty sure that she would have said anything was her favorite.

"Let’s go," I tell the horse.

"Caramel, take me home,” she says and mimics my kick on the side.

"You really are a natural." I kiss the top of her head as she leads us back to the barn.

Pulling up, I see her right away. She stands there with a basket over her arm as she talks to my grandfather, and he eats whatever is in the basket. She looks over and puts her hand over her eyes to see us without the sun blinding her.

"There they are," I hear my grandfather tell her. “Thank you for the scone."

"It’s my pleasure,” she says and looks back at us. “Why are you not wearing a shirt?" she asks when I get closer to her. The sound of my grandfather’s laughter fills the air.

"He’s trying to be your Romeo." He winks at Hazel, and she rolls her lips as he walks away now.

"Momma, I rode Caramel," Sofia says. “Fast fast."

"Did you?" Hazel says, and I get down from the horse and then reach for Sofia as she leans to me. "Was it fun?" Sofia shakes her head, and I see my grandfather opening the fence.

"Let’s go get her some water," my grandfather says, holding out his hand for Sofia and then the other hand for the reins.

Grabbing my shirt, I put it over my shoulder as I walk closer to her. I can tell that she has mischief all over her face, and when she opens her mouth, I know why. “What’s up, Romeo?”