A Walk Down the Aisle

And even though she told her story to her friends, she didn’t tell them about her screams when the hospital staff took her baby away without allowing Sophie to see or hold her. But she saw in their faces that they knew that part.

She told about Tori finding her, about how wonderful Tori’s parents were. “And she’s coming to spend some time with me.”

“How long?” Lily asked.

“As long as she wants, at least until school starts. Her parents will come to spend the weekends.”

“And Colton?” Mattie asked.

Sophie shook her head. “I never told him about Tori. He sees that as a lie. I don’t know how to make him see that it wasn’t that I didn’t want to tell him, or that I didn’t trust him. I couldn’t tell him. For fourteen years, I’ve allowed myself one day a year to wallow in that old pain. Tori’s parents send a letter annually on her birthday through the agency. Pictures, too. That one day, I read their new letter, and I reread the old ones. I look at pictures of a daughter I never held, and I see pieces of myself in her. I write a letter to her, a letter I never send, but just add to the box. For that one day, I allow myself to mourn. If I had allowed myself any more than that, I don’t think I’d have survived. And if I’d told anyone, and had to have seen the pity in their eyes daily, I would have buckled under the pain.”

But suddenly that all changed. Tori was in her life again. She’d actually touched her daughter. She would get to know her.

She didn’t think she could stand merely sharing the story. She wanted to shout it from the rooftops. She had a daughter, and Tori was back in her life.

Sophie’s hand rested on her stomach as she laid it all out for her friends. Well, not all. She didn’t tell Mattie and Lily about her pregnancy suspicions, and they didn’t ask. She had to be sure before she said anything. And then she’d have to tell Colton.

For a moment, she envisioned Colton telling her that they had to marry for the baby’s sake. And part of her would long to say yes, because having Colton in her life was what she wanted. But she didn’t want him that way. She didn’t intend to be an obligation. He was a man who valued honor, and she didn’t want to be something his honor demanded he attend to.

No, if she was pregnant, even if he offered to marry her—which she was sure he would do—she’d have to say no. She’d have to be certain he understood that she’d never keep him from his child. She was positive they could work out something amicable.

Telling him should be the hardest thing she’d have to do if she was indeed pregnant, but telling Tori, explaining it to her, would be worse. Sophie would have to find a way to tell Tori and make her understand that she’d never wanted to give up custody of Tori, that she’d done what she’d thought was best.

She’d have to be sure Tori understood that she was loved.

Then Sophie would tell her friends. These might not be the perfect circumstances, but this time, she was going to celebrate her pregnancy. Starting with telling her friends. But not tonight. Not until she was sure, and had told Colton and Tori.

“What about Colton?” Mattie asked.

For a moment, Sophie was confused, thinking that Mattie knew about her newfound suspicions, but then she backtracked on the conversation and realized she didn’t. “Colton and I...we’re not getting married, but we’ll build a new relationship. A friendship.”

That’s what he’d said he wanted, and she’d said she couldn’t manage anything more than friendly. Well, that was no longer an option. If she was right, being friends with Colton was a necessity.

She’d do anything for this possible unborn child, even break her own heart by pretending to be only friends with Colton when she was still so in love with him she could hardly bear the weight of it.

CHAPTER FOUR

TUESDAY AFTERNOON, Colton was on his John Deere mowing the lawn, knowing he should be in the fields but wanting to stay near the house. Yesterday, he’d worked in the barn.

He told himself that even in the summer he needed to get things done around the house. And that was true, but things getting done around the house couldn’t take priority over things getting done on the farm and vineyard. He should be out today suckering the vines, or...

He spotted a car coming up the long driveway and for a moment, he thought it was Sophie. For that split second, he thought she’d come to make him listen. To convince him that he was wrong and breaking up was wrong.

It wouldn’t be the first time she’d read him the riot act and made him change his mind.

For that split second, he was relieved. Sophie was going to fix things. To make him understand why she’d held so much back.

Then he saw that it was Finn’s car. He could see there was someone in the passenger seat and they were sitting far too tall to be Sophie. He didn’t need to be able to make out the features to know it was Sebastian.

Most days he’d welcome his two friends’ company, but not today. He’d been avoiding them and dodging their calls. Hell, he’d been hiding out from everyone. He’d realized that he had no groceries in the house because he’d planned on being on his honeymoon. Rather than shopping in Valley Ridge, he’d driven across the state line into Pennsylvania to North East to restock the kitchen.

He didn’t want to see anyone.

Except for Sophie, a small part of him whispered.

But since his friends had obviously seen him on the lawn mower, he didn’t have a choice. He turned off the riding mower and walked down to the house, resigned. There was no way out of their attempts to help him.

“You two couldn’t take a hint?” he said by way of greeting. He removed his hat and wiped the sweat from his brow before reseating it.

“No, obviously we couldn’t,” Finn said.

Finn pointed to a case of beer, and Sebastian held up a bag as he said, “We brought our own refreshments, so you don’t have to worry about playing host.”

“As if I’d worry,” Colton scoffed.

His friends headed over to the picnic table at the side of the porch.

Colton sighed, and followed them. “I’m not ready to talk about it.”

Finn snorted. “Yeah, that’s a huge surprise. Colton not ready to talk. I’m shocked. How ’bout you, Seb?”

“Sebastian.” Their friend corrected his name automatically. “And yes, I’m shocked, too.”

Colton gave in to the inevitable and sat down. “So, if you didn’t come for the sordid details, why’re you here?”

“We came to hang out with a friend who, though he might not be ready talk, needs us,” Finn informed him. “Even if he doesn’t realize he needs us.”

“That’s what my family says when they leave messages on my machine. They tell me that I need them. They’re wrong and so are you.”

“They’re worried,” Finn said. “We might have talked to your mom and she might have encouraged us to come out.”

Sebastian looked serious as he said, “And we thought you should know that the entire town knows that blue-haired girl from the wedding is Sophie’s daughter.”

“How do they know?” Colton certainly hadn’t said anything to anyone.

“Sophie told Lily and Mattie and asked them to spread the word. Just telling MarVee and that was taken care of.”

“But why?” Sophie had never told him. She’d kept the fact that she’d had a child and given her up for adoption a secret from him, and now she wanted the entire town to know? He tried to tell himself that he felt hurt, but he knew it was a lie. He didn’t feel hurt—he felt angry. He felt like a fool. How could she not tell him about such a huge event in her life? And if she hadn’t told him about her daughter, what else hadn’t she told him? That was the question that haunted him. What else was Sophie hiding?

Finn opened up a bottle of beer and handed it to Colton, then another and handed it to Sebastian. “Tori’s coming to spend the summer with Sophie. The girl’s parents are going to be here on weekends, but she’ll spend the weekdays with Sophie.”

Colton drew a long sip of beer when what he really wanted to do was slam it back and reach for another. Unfortunately, he wasn’t a drinker, and definitely not a drink-in-anger-and-pain sort of drinker, so he sipped.

“Thanks for letting me know,” he managed.

“So, are you two rescheduling the wedding?” Finn asked.

Colton took off his hat again and wiped at his brow as a means of stalling. He put his hat back on and shook his head. “No. I don’t think so.”

“Oh,” both of his friends said in unison.

“Speaking of weddings,” Sebastian said as he elbowed Finn.

Finn looked guilty and Sebastian looked awkward. Something was up. “What?” Colton pressed when they both remained silent.

“We held off saying anything because we didn’t want to take the spotlight off you and Sophie, and now...” Finn’s sentence died and he looked extremely uncomfortable.

“What?” Colton repeated.

While Finn took a sip of his beer, Sebastian said, “Finn’s getting married in August and he feels uncomfortable telling you, given the circumstances.”

Colton knew his friend needed his support, so he smacked Finn on the back and forced a smile. “Congratulations. You and Mattie? It’s hard to believe you’re going to marry the kid who used to make us all crazy. Do you remember that time we were sleeping over at your house, and Mattie spent the night with Bridget?”

All three men groaned in unison.

Finn shook his head. “Mattie still has the pictures she and Bridget took of us, and swears that if I ever try and leave her, she’ll let them go public.”

“I still don’t know how the hell they got into the room and put makeup on the three of us without us waking up.” Sebastian shook his head, and then glared at Finn. “There’s nothing for it, you’re going to have to stick with her through thick and thin, if only to save our fragile male egos.”

As if realizing what he said, he turned to Colton. “Sorry.”

“No, don’t be.” Colton looked at Finn. “I’m happy for you both, and I’m sure Sophie is, as well.” He was happy for his friend, but he felt... Ah, hell. What he felt was a jumble of emotions. He was too simple a man to figure them out. “So, why August?”

“We want to go on a Disney World honeymoon with the kids before school starts. Frankly, I think Abbey’s more excited about Disney than about the wedding,” Finn told them. “You both will stand up for me? We’re thinking something simple at the house....”

Colton listened as Finn laid out his plans, but his thoughts were on Sophie and her daughter. Tori. That was her name. And she was coming to Valley Ridge for the summer?

What kind of parents let their kid spend a summer with a stranger, even if that stranger did give birth to their child?

Probably the same kind of parents that let their kid dye their hair blue.

And even as he had the thought, he felt guilty. His younger sister might not have dyed her hair blue, but she had gotten her belly button pierced. His parents had a farm in Fredonia, about forty-five minutes away, and he didn’t see them as much as he’d like, especially in the spring and summer. But they’d come up for a day a few weeks back. The whole family had gone down to the lake for an afternoon. Misty had on a bikini, so the piercing was right there for the world to see. He’d been shocked, and when he said something, his mom and sister both laughed. “A woman’s only got a few good stomach years,” his mother had said. “Your pregnancy ruined mine and any hopes I ever had of a belly button ring. I said yes, because I thought Misty should capitalize on the fact that she can still wear one.”

“Plus,” his little sister had said, “I didn’t get a tattoo or pierce something highly visible. When I’m tired of it, I’ll take it out.” She’d leaned forward and kissed him. “You really are a stick-in-the-mud, you know that?”

Maybe he was a stick-in-the-mud. Maybe it was too much to ask that someone you’re vowing to spend the rest of your life with tell you the truth. He knew it was impossible for anyone to know absolutely everything about someone, but seriously, how hard could it be to say, My parents aren’t dead, and oh, by the way, I had a baby I gave away?

He forced himself to keep his mind on his friends’ conversation. Thankfully they didn’t expect much from him in terms of participating. That was a good thing about having a reputation as being quiet—no one expected too much conversational help from him.

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