Page 70 of Someday

She makes a face and reaches out to take my hand across the table.

“Do you know how happy I am that everyone’s excited for us?” she asks. “I expected them to hate me forever.”

“No one could hate you, Sof. We all love you too much,” Scarlett says. “Just don’t leave us again.”

The undertone doesn’t go unnoticed and Sofie’s smile falters only slightly before she turns to Scarlett.

“I won’t,” she says.

She turns to look at me.

“I won’t,” she says again, her tone more emphatic this time.

Eventually the place clears out, and Sofie and I stand to go. I hug Grinny and pound Jamison on the back.

Scarlett hugs Sofie and then me, and she leans into my ear and whispers, “I trust you’re going into this with both eyes open. If you think you’re going into panic mode, talk to her. It’s the only way it will work.”

She pulls back, her hands on my cheeks and I nod slightly. I hate that I’m this transparent.

Sofie’s hand finds mine and we walk outside. When we reach her side of the truck, I open it for her and she sits down but turns toward me, her knees against me. Her hands slide through my hair, and I move between her legs, hugging her against me.

“You okay?” she asks.

“Yep. You?”

“If I didn’t think you’d regret moving so fast, I’d say let’s start building a barn today,” she says. “But I’m terrified of scaring you off.”

I lean back. “I’m terrified of scaringyouoff.”

“Well, what if we just decide what we’re doing anddo it?”

“I’d be good with that. What are we doing?”

She laughs. “What do you want, Theo?”

“I want you.”

“I want you too.”

“I don’t want you to have to be in a place that haunts you anymore,” I add.

“I don’t want that either, but it’s not up to you to fix that for me. I’ve been there for months and I’m okay.”

I’m not so sure you are, I want to say, but I don’t.

“What if we agree that we don’t do anything because we feel wehaveto and we also don’t hold back from anything because everyone else will think we’re rushing it?” she says.

“I like that plan.” I reach over and kiss her quick on the lips and step back. Before I shut her door, I say, “Let’s go build a barn.”

She’s laughing when I shut the door and I’m smiling so hard as I walk around to the other side. I think my sister was right—Sofie and I will just have to talk about things…air out all our fears along with what we’re dreaming for most.

CHAPTERTWENTY-SEVEN

FRIENDLY DISTURBANCES

SOFIE

A couple nights later, after we’ve tended to the horses and driven back to Theo’s place, we eat dinner on the deck. Fred is extra playful and his ears flap behind him as he runs around the yard.

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