Southern Sunshine by Natasha Madison
Chapter 24
Hazel
“What’s up, Romeo?” I joke with him and throw my head back when he groans out.
“It was hot out there,” he says, and I look at him with his shirt off. He’s definitely filled out since the last time. A scar on the lower right side of his stomach has my eyes lingering there. My fingers itch to touch it.
"Momma." I hear my name being called and turn to see Sofia running out of the barn. Her overalls are dusty, and her Rubber boots are wet. “I gave Caramel water,” she says, and the smile on her face makes her eyes a light brown almost green. "Now Grandpa Billy says I can feed her," she tells me and then turns to run back into the barn.
"I don’t think she’s been this excited in her whole life,” I say, turning now and seeing that Reed is standing really close to me. I can smell his musky woodsy smell. “Today was good?" I ask, pretending that standing this close to him does nothing for me. Meanwhile, I want to lean into him and slide my tongue into his mouth.
"It was great,” he says, looking at me and then the barn where Sofia just ran into. “It’s crazy how it’s so natural with us."
I smile at him. “I don’t think I’ve seen her this happy."
"Did you get all your errands done?" he asks, and I nod.
"I did, and then I saw your aunts and Amelia and Chelsea." I leave out the conversation I had with Savannah.
"What’s in the basket?" His eyes glimmer just like Sofia’s, the smirk on his face making him dangerous.
All the words leave my head as I watch him stick out his tongue and lick his lower lip. "Um," I say, clearing my throat and blinking my eyes to get myself out of the daze. “I made some blueberry scones, and then I had some orange and cranberry, so I made those scones also."
"Ohh,” he says, his hands going for my basket.
"Don’t you dare touch my scones with your dirty hands, Mr. Romeo,” I say, laughing and then see his eyes turn a darker brown.
"If I can’t touch your scones with my dirty hands," he says and steps closer to me. “What can I touch?" It’s my turn to stick my tongue out of my mouth and lick my lips. My stomach tightens, shooting sensations all the way down to my toes.
"Momma," Sofia says, running back to me. “I’m done." Reed takes a step back now. “Can we go eat?"
"Sure,” I say, holding out my hand and then handing Reed the basket. “Those are for you."
"For me?" he asks, shocked.
"It’s the least I could do for helping today,” I say, and he smiles.
"Hopefully, we can do it again." He looks at me, and I just nod.
"Let’s get you home and in the bath." I swing our hands. “Say thank you."
"Thank you, Uncle Reed,” she says, pulling from my hand and walking to him to wrap her little arms around his waist. "It was the bestest day ever."
He blinks away the tears in his eyes, squatting down in front of her when she lets him go. “It was my bestest day ever." He taps her nose with his finger. “I’ll see you later." He gets up when she turns and runs to me.
"I’m making chicken potpie for dinner,” I say over my shoulder when I walk away. “There may be a serving for you." He smirks.
"I’ll see you soon, then." He watches us get into the truck, and only when we drive away do I see him walk back into the barn.
"So how was your day?" I ask her, looking into the rearview mirror.
"We had so much fun,” she says with her hands raising up in the air. “I rode Caramel by myself," she tells me. “And then I wanted to go fast fast." Her voice is so full of life I can’t help but smile with her. “So Uncle Reed came on the horse with me, and we went super-duper fastest,” she says, clapping her hands.
I pull up to the house, and she’s already out of her car seat and jumps out of the truck when I open the back door. "In the shower,” I say as I open the door, and she nods at me while she kicks off her Rubber boots. I kick off my ballerina shoes and follow her up the stairs to the bathroom while she is going on and on about Caramel. I start the shower for her and then walk back to the bedroom and pick up some shorts and a shirt for her.
Dressing her and combing out her hair, I braid it for her, and she asks to go sit on the couch to watch television. I set her up and walk back to the kitchen, putting the chicken potpie into the oven to bake.
“Momma!” I hear her yell my name. “Do you think Caramel is going to miss me?”
“Yes,” I say, smiling. “But I’m sure she’ll be fine."
"Stay here and build something amazing with me."I can hear Savannah’s voice in my head. I couldn’t even say a word to her when she told me that. All I could see is getting up every day and walking into the shop, greeting people who I knew when I was a little girl. It was the whole reason I wanted out of this town, but now having Sofia here, I wonder how much she would flourish living here. Seeing her at the barbecue with the kids was everything. Seeing her with Billy and Charlotte was enough to make me burst into tears. They love her, and they don’t even know that she’s theirs.
My mind lingers, trying to think back to when we are at home. Surely, there was a time when she was as happy as she is here.
She has never smiled as much as she has here. Coming here, I knew it would be hard on me, but even I have had more smiles than I think I did at home. Don’t get me wrong, I love my life. I love our life. But after being here for three weeks, I have to admit something was missing.
I was going through the motions every single day, but I was empty inside. It was a routine—wash, rinse, repeat. I would go to work because that was my job, but I wasn’t over-the-moon excited to be there. In my head, that was how it was supposed to be. No one really loves what they do every single day.
Cutting the lettuce and then tossing it into the bowl, I think of the last time I woke up with a sense of dread. I haven’t had to force one smile since I’ve been here. It’s all been natural. I haven’t had to give myself pep talks either or bribe Sofia once to do anything.
The knock on the door has me turning, and Sofia gets up, looking at me. “Can I open the door?” I nod at her, thinking that I would have put her behind me back home and walked to the door to see who it was before I even thought of opening it.
She turns the handle of the door, and it’s not even locked. "Uncle Reed,” she says, and I look over at him as he stands there with two bouquets.
"I brought you flowers," he tells her, and her eyes open wide. “From Caramel and me." He hands her the small bouquet of daisies.
She takes it and walks to me with it. “I got flowers," she tells me, and I put my hands on my hips.
"Isn’t that special?" I tell her, and then she hands it to me, turning and walking back to the television.
I look over at Reed, who just stares at me and then comes in. “Somehow, in my head, that was going to have more fanfare than it just did." I laugh at him now. “She was happier giving Caramel water."
"I’m sure she loved them both the same." I try to make him feel better.
"These are for you,” he says, handing me the bigger bouquet.
"You shouldn’t have,” I say, not even trying to hide the smile. “I’ve never gotten flowers before,” I say, turning to search for a vase. "Thank you, that was very sweet of you."
He puts his hands in the back pockets of his jeans, and I look at him, tilting my head to the side. “Is everything okay?" I ask, and he looks at the television now and then Sofia before turning back and looking at me.
"Yeah," he says, and I sense he’s trying to say something. “We need to talk,” he says. “But not now, when she goes to bed."
That has to be the worst thing you could say to me right now. My stomach sinks, and I just nod at him as so many things go through my head. Maybe he spent the day with her, and he decided that it’s not for him. Maybe he’s just not cut out for this. It’s fine. It will be fine, I tell myself. "Yeah, sure," I say, avoiding looking at him. I put the vase on the counter and fill it with water. “Dinner is almost done,” I say, and he just leans on the counter and looks at me.
"Is everything okay?" he asks, and I just look over at him.
"Yeah," I say, ignoring even looking at him. I can feel him staring at me, and my nerves get the best of me. “Listen, I don’t know what you want to talk to me about,” I say, looking at him and then at Sofia again. “But if you don’t want to do this." I motion with my hand in a circle. “It’s okay."
"Hazel, I’ve never been more sure of doing this in my whole life," he says, not moving from the counter. “In fact, this …" He motions with his own hand in a circle, and the look he gives me is making my mouth go dry and my hands shaky. “Is just the beginning."
