Wade spilled some of the coffee Julie had just handed him after Sophie had called him back. She’d be arriving at Missoula airport at 10:10 that night. After all this time of trying desperately to avoid her, some bizarre misunderstanding with Emily would be reuniting them. The thought of seeing her had made his hand shake and hence the spilled java.
He reached for a sheet of paper, hoping that would clean up the mess, but it just spread it around more. Some coffee began to run down the side of the desk with a few sprinkles hitting the floor.
“Who’s been clumsy?” asked Julie.
“Sorry about the mess.”
“No problem as long as you didn’t burn yourself. I’ll go get some paper towels to mop that up.”
Julie walked away, and Wade took a sip from the now half empty mug. He looked at the clock on the wall. He’d have to leave Glacier Valley in a couple of hours to get to the airport in time to meet Sophie’s flight. His stomach acid churned again. This time not from shock but excitement. He couldn’t deny how great it would be seeing his childhood buddy, his teenage sweetheart. His…
Julie suddenly returning with a wad of paper towels stopped his mind from continuing along that train of thought. She pressed them down on the spill, and they ate up the brown liquid immediately.
“Do you think the judge will set bail for Emily?” she asked as she cleaned up the last of the coffee.
“I hope so. I think he will, knowing that she’s not been in any trouble before. He’ll also take her age into consideration.”
“I’m sure she’ll be so happy knowing Sophie is coming home. She was planning on taking a trip to Seattle this fall so she could see her new townhouse.”
“Which reminds me I should go because I want to get a haircut before I head to Missoula.”
“It looks fine to me.”
“Nope, feels a little on the shaggy side.”
Julie smiled. “I think it’s just an excuse so you can go see your girlfriend.”
Wade swallowed the last of the coffee and put the mug back down. He’d like to think that was true, but it wasn’t. Sadly for Cathy, that hadn’t entered his mind. Looking good for Sophie had.
*****
“Spread those legs, big boy.”
Cathy placed her hands on both Wade’s knees and pulled his thighs apart so she could get closer in order to cut the front of his hair. She wiggled her body nearer to his crotch, and now he couldn’t see a thing other than her breasts spilling over the top of her tight and low cut t-shirt.
The beauty salon was packed. Cathy had squeezed him in between a perm and going to pick up her four year old son, Max, from the daycare center. The topic of the day in the beauty parlor was Emily’s arrest. The questions had been coming hard and fast the minute they’d found out Wade had been at Mountainview shortly after the police had arrived.
“I’m in total shock. Can’t they do a DNA test or something?” asked a lady getting her nails painted fire engine red.
“They will. I know it’s all a mistake,” Wade said.
“Emily Richardson wouldn’t hurt anyone, and I’ll testify to that,” said a lady reading a magazine while her color processed.
“So Sophie is coming home. I can’t wait to see her,” said another woman soaking her feet in the pedicure spa.
“Me, too,” Wade said, looking up at Cathy and watching her smile turn to a frown.
“It’s nice of you to volunteer to pick her up. I mean driving to Missoula,” said Cathy clipping the front section of his hair. “In fact, I can’t wait to meet her.”
“You’ll like her. I know you will,” he said.
“Hold still because I’m almost done with you.”
Cathy gave one last snip and then ran her hand down his stomach and over his crotch.
Wade grabbed it before she reached his cock. “Hey, stop that,” Wade whispered.
“You didn’t say that at the hotel.”
“That was different. This is a public place.”
She leaned over and put her arms around him before giving him a quick kiss. “I’ve arranged for someone to babysit Max the night of the police fundraising dance, so we can have a whole night without any disturbances just like we did in the hotel room.” She rubbed her nose across his forehead.
Weeks ago that news would have thrilled him, but with Sophie back on his mind, he couldn’t quite feel the same level of excitement.
“I have to be on my way just in case I run into traffic,” Wade said, taking off the robe from his shoulders. “What do I owe you?”
“Just a night of non-stop sex,” said Cathy. She blew a few stray hairs from his collar before taking the robe from him.
Normally he would have fired a sexy one liner back at her, but today for some reason nothing sprang into his head.
Wade stood and checked his appearance in the mirror.
“Drive carefully,” Cathy said, walking him to the door.
“Wade, say hello to Sophie for me. Tell her to be sure to visit with me while she’s home,” shouted a lady.
“And me, too,” shouted another.
“I will.” Wade waved to everyone before making a swift exit just in case he got delayed by anyone else.
He walked to the parking lot out back and hopped into his SUV. He’d filled it with gas right before he’d gone to get his hair cut. Once he pulled on his sunglasses he was ready to hit the road.
Wade waved to a few folks as he drove along the main street. He then spotted his father heading out of the bakery carrying a box, no doubt housing his dad’s favorite cupcakes. He pulled over and pressed the button to lower the SUV’s window.
“Dad, I left a message on your machine. Have you been home yet?”
His father was old school and didn’t believe in cell phones, so Wade wondered if he’d heard the news about Emily yet.
“I sure did. However, I heard the news about Em long before I played your message. What the shit’s going on, Wade?”
“I don’t know. There’s obviously been some horrible mistake, or someone’s framing her.”
“Who would do that to that sweet old lady?”
“No one in Glacier Valley, that’s for sure.”
“You going on a date with Cathy? I mean I noticed you’re dressed up, and you’ve gotten yourself a haircut by the look of it.”
“Nope, going to pick up Sophie from Missoula airport.”
“Sophie?”
“Yes, Emily wanted her to come home and look after Mountainview while this misunderstanding gets sorted out.”
His dad pushed his cowboy hat to the back of his head and looked Wade in the eye.
“And you’re going to be okay with that?”
“With what?”
“Seeing Sophie and being around her again?”
“It’s water under the bridge. I’ve moved on after all this time.”
“If you say so. Oh, be sure to have Sophie come over and see me while she’s home. You know how I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for her.”
“Yeah, I know. I’ve got to be on my way, or I won’t make it the airport in time.”
Wade waved to his dad, hit the gas, and headed back onto the road before turning onto the main highway.
He turned up the volume on the radio and heard Faith Hill singing. By coincidence she’d always reminded him of Sophie. Wade eased back in the car seat and tried to relax as he set the cruise control and sang along to the music.
*****
One plus to not being allowed to greet passengers at the gate anymore was you had time to head to the nearest bathroom and check your appearance before they saw you.
Sophie dug in her makeup bag, searching frantically for her blusher and lip gloss. The flight from Seattle to Missoula had taken longer than she’d remembered. Maybe it was because it had been crowded and she’d been squeezed into a middle seat between two oversized ladies who had struck up a conversation early in the flight. The plane had also been an hour late arriving in Montana.
She glanced at her watch. She needed to get a move on because the delay had probably been a pain in the butt for poor Wade. She hoped he’d found some way to entertain himself at the airport.
Sophie leaned closer to the mirror and swirled some lip gloss over her lips before smacking them together. She stepped back, taking a comb and running it through her hair. It looked a mess from sitting in that cramped seat for so long. She rummaged through her bag and found an elastic band. She quickly pulled her hair back and secured it into a ponytail. Sophie picked up her bag from the countertop, made a mad dash for the door, and headed for the baggage claim where she hoped Wade would be waiting to drive her to Glacier Valley.
Her heart beat faster with each step she took anticipating what he’d look like. What they’d say and also what they’d talk about on the journey home. A group of older women obscured her view of the baggage claim area, but as they parted ways she could a glimpse of a man holding his cowboy hat in both hands while leaning against a wall in the car rental area. He was standing in profile, but she knew it was Wade. She’d recognize that fine looking bone structure anywhere. Time hadn’t changed or taken it away. She stopped walking, wondering if she could actually face him again.
However, she had to for her grandmother. And after all, he’d driven all this way to collect her.
She took a deep breath, willing her feet to start moving again. The closer she got, the more her heart picked up speed. It pounded in her ears, almost deafening her. He turned her way but hadn’t noticed her quite yet because he seemed to be looking at the carousel that had just started up.
Yes, he was a mature grown man now. His shoulders were wider, and he’d bulked up in a good way. He’d suddenly caught sight of her and mouthed her name.
Sophie’s heart missed a beat as she ran at top speed toward him, and he ran toward her.
When they met she put her hand out to shake his, thinking that was the safest thing to do. However, when he failed to accept it, and instead pulled her in close, she knew she was in love with him all over again. She wondered if he felt the same way, too.
Would that be stupid of us or romantic?
“Sophie, it’s so great to see you. You look really good.” They pulled away.
“You do, too.”
Now that they’d got past the hugging stage she thought about giving him a kiss on the cheek for old times, but he made the first move and kissed her lips instead.
She closed her eyes. How long had it been since they’d kissed? Seemed like eternity. Sophie thought it would be just a quick peck. She wasn’t expecting anything more, but Wade’s lips lingered on hers.
Sophie had always loved the way he kissed. No other guy, including her ex-husband, had kissed quite like Wade. He was the first boy she’d ever kissed, and it had been the summer of her sixteenth birthday. Yes, they’d kissed before, play sort of ones, quick ones where their lips smacked together for a few seconds. But on that birthday things had gotten more serious, and the kiss had been longer; mouths had opened, and eager tongues had slipped beyond their lips. When they’d finally pulled away Wade had said something she still remembered to this very day.
“You’re going to be my only girlfriend, and I’ll be your only boyfriend, so we won’t have any other first kisses, which officially makes that our last first kiss.”
Wade had finally pulled away, and Sophie smiled, remembering his words verbatim. He hadn’t broken that promise. She had.
“You look so mature,” he said, running his hand down her left cheek.
“Does that mean old?”
“No, it means you’ve turned from a pretty girl into a beautiful young woman.”
Wade had always had a way with words. Compliments seemed more special when they spilled off his tongue.
The buzzer on the carousel sounded, and it began moving. “I guess we should get your luggage and start the journey home. You must be tired.”
He put his arm around her waist as they walked along. “Yeah, I was up at 5 a.m. this morning because I started work on a new client’s living room at seven. Well, at least it’s only 10 p.m. in Seattle, so my body doesn’t think it’s quite time for bed yet.”
“I’m betting your head will hit the pillow fast and hard once you get back to Glacier Valley. Hey, do you still snore?”
Sophie playfully smacked him on the arm but then suddenly felt sad. Sad about all the years that had gone by and the fact they hadn’t even spoken to one another. Embarrassment washed over her, too. She’d done a really shitty thing to him.
Has he forgiven me? I hope so.
“You still crazy about clothes? I mean how many bags are we waiting for here?” He asked as they stood in front of the carousel.
“Just the one.”
“I can’t believe that.”
“I can always buy more things while I’m home.”
“Ah, ha, I knew it, Soph.”
Only Wade had ever called her that, and it took her by complete surprise hearing it after all these years.
An oversized black suitcase with a red stripe running down its middle slid down the chute and headed toward them.
“That’s my bag,” said Sophie, pointing to it.
“Just the one bag she said, but failed to mention that it’s big enough to fit a man inside.”
Wade being six feet three inches in his stocking feet was able to extend his reach and grab its handle long before it approached them. He eased it off the metal ledge and set it on the ground.
“And it feels like you have a man inside here, too. Yep, you’re still a girl who loves her clothes. Okay, I think I’ve spent enough time in Missoula airport. Let’s hit the road.”
He put his hat back on and smiled. Wade was one fine looking cowboy. Sophie had always had a weak spot for a man in a cowboy hat and boots. Unfortunately sightings of them in Seattle were far and few between.
“How’s Grans doing?”
“I think she was a little upset when she realized that she was going to jail and not just to the police station to have her photo taken.”
“Will I be able to see her tomorrow?”
“Sure, and I know she’s going to be real excited when she sets eyes upon you.”
“How did she get into this mess?”
“Beats me, but that’s what she’s hired me to find out.”
The sliding glass doors opened, and Sophie enjoyed the first of the Montana air. She took a deep breath. She wished she’d come home under better circumstances, but nevertheless she was happy to be back in the state where she’d been born and raised.
“I’m parked over in that ramp,” he said, pointing across the street.
“You said she’s hired you,” said Sophie while they waited at the crosswalk.
“Yes, guess you haven’t heard that I decided to become a private investigator when I moved back to Glacier Valley.”
Sophie smiled and turned to look at him. Wade a private eye. A cowboy PI. She could imagine him on surveillance wearing his hat, sitting on horseback and looking through some binoculars.
“How many clients do you have?” she asked as they crossed the road.
“Don’t tell anyone, but Emily’s going to be my first client.”
“My lips are sealed, but I know you’ll do a great job. If anyone can get Grans out of this stupid mess you can.”
“That’s my SUV,” Wade said, pointing to a black Jeep Grand Cherokee. He put the bag down and popped open the trunk. First he loaded in Sophie’s suitcase, and then took the bag off her shoulder and placed it on top of it before closing the back door.
“What happened to your black, what was it, a Camero?” she asked him.
“That bit the dust years ago.”
He opened and held the passenger door for her, and she climbed onto the running board and slid into the seat.
“Do you remember we used to take it to the drive-in movie theater?” she asked him when he got in beside her.
“Yep, a movie and popcorn for two for just $5,” he said, sticking the key into the ignition.
“You always were a cheap date,” Sophie said, settling back down in the seat.
Wade backed the car out, stopping momentarily to let a car pass. “I was not.”
“You were, too. Remember those flowers you bought me?”
Wade laughed as he checked the traffic and then merged on the road leading back to the freeway. “Edith told me I could take whatever I wanted from her garden.”
“She was smarter than you gave her credit for because her garden was always overgrown with weeds.”
“Yeah, so she got some free weeding done that day,” Wade said.
They both burst out laughing. Sophie knew the reason she was in this very situation, sitting here, being taken back to Glacier Valley was because her grandmother was in trouble, but nevertheless she couldn’t help but feel joy inside her. Something in the pit of her stomach made her feel good. She had Wade beside her again. Nothing bad ever happened when he was around.
Sophie turned on the radio and was about to switch stations.
“Hey, I like that music. Don’t tell me you’ve gone from country to rock and roll since you’ve been on the West Coast. What do they call it in Seattle, Gringe?”
Sophie laughed again. “It’s actually Grunge, and no, I still love country music, but that song was all about crying in your beer.”
“Crying in your beer, what’s that all about?” he asked momentarily taking his eyes off the road to look at her. “Well, young lady, you’ve become a cynical country girl since you’ve been in the big city. Nothing quite like listening to a cry your heart out in your beer ditty as you travel the highways.”
They both burst out laughing. If this kept up all the way home, her cheeks were going to ache like hell tomorrow.
She attempted to change stations again, but Wade put his hand on top of hers. He obviously didn’t do it to stop her because he just let his fingers rest on top of hers before running one of them over her knuckles. It tickled and felt good.
Sophie closed her eyes wanting to turn her hand over and hold onto his. He didn’t move his hand when he asked, “Are you seeing anyone?”
She looked at him.
Why is he asking me that? Does he think there’s still a chance for us?
“I’ve been seeing someone off and on for a couple of months, but it’s nothing serious, more friends than anything else.”
It was true. She and David went out at least once a week, but she never thought of him as serious boyfriend material; and she guessed he felt the same way about her, too. They were just two people who enjoyed one another’s company every so often.
“How about you?” asked Sophie, not sure why she’d asked.
“I’m…”
Sophie looked at him, her heart slowly sinking because she knew what was coming next.
“I’m dating a woman who’s not from Glacier Valley. She just bought the beauty salon.”
Sophie nodded and then looked out of the window. So he hadn’t asked because he thought they’d get back together. He was just making polite conversation. And why would he want to renew a relationship with someone who’d committed the ultimate hurt.
“That’s nice for you,” she simply said, now unable to look at him.
“Her name’s Cathy Moran. She’s older than me, divorced and has a four year old boy.”
She didn’t answer, couldn’t answer, because she didn’t want to hear about the woman who obviously had his heart. Sophie leaned her head against the pane of glass in the SUV and closed her eyes, almost on the brink of tears. Yeah, it was silly, but when it came to Wade…
“You okay, Sophie?”
“Just tired.”
“Why don’t you take a nap? No snoring though.”
She almost laughed, almost.