Page 8 of Rhett

I liked that she went around saying goodbye to everyone. Making a last-minute decision, I walked her to her car. “If I call you, are you going to answer?” I said as we stopped beside her car.

Sofia stared up at me and I wished she hadn’t been parked in the shadows of a tree because I wanted to see her eyes, or at least better than I could now. “Y-Yes I-I’ll answer. Bye, Rhett,” she said softly.

“Bye, Sofia.” I stepped back and watched as she pulled away.

All I could think while I watched her drive off was that I was in fucking trouble. I made my way back to the house and the minute I was in the backyard. Marchy started to slow clap and then everyone else did too. Giving them all the finger, I grabbed myself a beer. Roman walked over to me and I scooped him up in my arms.

“What’s up, little dude?” I bounced him on my hip, smiling as his little boy giggles filled the night air. The sun was starting to set, casting a shadow across the backyard. “Are you my buddy?”

Roman babbled in his baby language at me. Whatever he said, he meant business and pointed at Marchy.

He caught that and came walking over. His boy, not biologically his, but his boy, wiggled until I put him down and he ran toward him calling, “Daddy.”

Marchy smiled huge as he squatted down, opening his arms. Roman hit him hard and my best friend scooped him up and tossed him in the air, over and over. When he stopped, he hugged his son to his chest.

“I’m really happy for you, man.” I said quietly, looking at his kid in his arms.

He shrugged his shoulders. “I have everything I ever wanted.” He paused. “Everyone seemed to like Sofia.”

I knew he was baiting me, fishing for dirt but I wasn’t going to fall for it. “Yep, they did.”

“That’s it? You guys hung out a lot and you walked her out.” We walked toward the French doors.

Luckily his fiancée interrupted us and I quickly dipped out.

At home I had been lying in bed and decided to text Sofia. We’d texted back and forth for over an hour and when I’d asked her out for a drink, I didn’t get the answer I was hoping for.

Sofia: I would love to, but no, I’m sorry.

I quickly tapped out my response.

Rhett: What is making you say no?

Sofia: I don’t see how you’d want to date me. I have an early morning so I’m going to bed. Goodnight, Rhett.

I gave her that play…for now.

I focus back on Atta. “I’m taking it slow. She seems shy and I’ll scare her off if I go too hard.”

He immediately starts laughing. “Holy shit, you’re into her, like really into her.” He holds up his hands. “Sorry, man. She seems nice and is pretty. I’m just surprised, that’s all. You always say you like being single.”

Atta’s right, I have, but there is just something about her and I want to figure out what it is. Maybe it’s because I saved her, and things were so close to going bad that day all three of us could have perished.

“It’s fine.” I shrug. “I don’t know, man. There’s something there.”

“I get it, brother. If it’s any consolation, at Marchy’s barbecue it seemed like she liked you.” With that he walks away, and I finish putting my gear away.

An hour later, I’m climbing into my Jeep and heading toward my parents’ home. They live in the White Bridge area of West Nashville. It’s where my sister and I grew up, and I loved living there.

It takes me over an hour to make it to their house. I pull up in front of their house and climb out. Mom greets me at the front door.

“Well, there’s my handsome boy.” She smiles her beauty queen smile at me and opens her arms for me to step into.

I hug her tight. “Hey, Mom. You look beautiful.”

“Thank you, sweetheart.” She’s sixty, but she looks more like our older sister. Annie, who is my older sister, and her could almost pass for twins. We’re all tall and lean, we all have dark hair, but they both have hazel eyes, and Dad’s and mine are brown. We also all have varying degrees of naturally tan skin. We’re a good-looking family, if I do say so myself.

She leads me inside to the kitchen and pours me a cup of coffee. “How was your shift?”

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