colors and flattering style made her look younger than a woman wanting to be a grandma.
“ Your grandmother wasn't much older than me when she passed. Bless her soul!”
This was getting ridiculous. “Grandma was eighty-two!”
Lucy sighed. “I'm just saying. Ihad you girls while I was still young.”
Sophie felt a little blindsided. “Mom, I'm only twenty-seven. Women have babies later in life these days. Besides, I don't even have a boyfriend, much less a husband.”
Lucy grinned slyly. “That's not what I heard.”
“ Seriously? You heard I was married? Mom, what are you smoking in that vaporizer?”
Her mom glanced down at her vapor pen in confusion thenback up at Sophie. “What do you mean?”
“ It's a reference to…oh…forget it. Bad joke.”
Getting back to the gossip, Lucy relayed the latest rumor.
“ Sweetheart, it's all over town that Reed Sutton's truck was parked in front of your bakeshop after hours.”
Fighting the urge not to look guilty and ask, “Who told?” Sophie scoffed instead. "Mom, Ben Carrington was at the shop too.”
Lucy's penciledin eyebrows almost reached her hairline. “Him too? Sophie Marie Brandon!”
“ Yes. No! I mean they were both there to get an estimate for a half wall we're having built in the bakery. Sutton Construction, remember?”
Lucy looked skeptical. “So there's nothing going on between you two?”
Before Sophie could confirm or deny that volley, she was saved by the ringing of her cell phone. Peeking at thescreen, she revised her idea on the save.
She turned away and answered in a near whisper, “Hi, Reed.”
Sophie could feel the weight of her mother's laser beam stare practically boring holes in her back.
Reed's deep voice could be heard loud and clear. Damn the good connection!
“ Hello, Soph.” He paused. “Sophie, why are you whispering?”
She coughed, pretending to clear her throat. “Was I whispering?Um, I wasn't trying to.”
Turning back around, she found her mom smiling triumphantly. Max was wearing a little doggie grin because he knew the jig was up too.
Sophie walked a few steps away in a futile attempt at privacy. “So, what can I do for you, Reed?”
There was nothing but silence.
“ Reed?”
“ Oh, sorry, Sophie. I was imagining the possibilities there." His voice turned into more of a caress."Where should I start?”
Heaven help her if Lucy overheard that!
As much as she seriously wanted to hear his suggestions, Sophie would walk on hot coals, in high heels, before letting her mom hear them too.
“ Did you come up with an estimate?”
Going from flirty to serious without missing a beat, he answered. “I have the estimated costs ready for your review. Should I bring them over to yourhouse or wait until I can speak with you and Tracy together?”
Reed Sutton, at her house. Now she was imagining the possibilities.
“ Actually, now isn't good. My mom's here for a visit.”
She did her best to ignore her mom, who was mouthing the words, “Tell him to come over!”
“ I could run them by this evening, if that's okay?”
Lucy was adding arm motions. “Tell him yes!”
At Sophie's failureto answer, Reed took it as a brush off. “Or, I can schedule a meeting with you and Tracy?”
“ No!” She shook her head. “I mean, tonight will be fine but I have to run my mom home first.” She looked pointedly at Lucy.
Reed sounded agreeable. “Great. See you around seven or so?”
“ Seven is good.” There. Stuck the landing!
Lucy gave a thumbs-up and mouthed, “Seven is great!”
“ Okay then, tell yourmom I said hello.”
“ Sure thing.” Her mom smiled approvingly, having already heard him.
“ See ya.”
“ Bye.”
She thumbed the End button and sat across from her mom. Max put his furry head in her lap, nudging her hand for a good petting. “So, Reed says hello.”
“ I knew it!” Lucy practically beamed from her chair.
“ That he said hello?”
“ That something is going on between
“ Your grandmother wasn't much older than me when she passed. Bless her soul!”
This was getting ridiculous. “Grandma was eighty-two!”
Lucy sighed. “I'm just saying. Ihad you girls while I was still young.”
Sophie felt a little blindsided. “Mom, I'm only twenty-seven. Women have babies later in life these days. Besides, I don't even have a boyfriend, much less a husband.”
Lucy grinned slyly. “That's not what I heard.”
“ Seriously? You heard I was married? Mom, what are you smoking in that vaporizer?”
Her mom glanced down at her vapor pen in confusion thenback up at Sophie. “What do you mean?”
“ It's a reference to…oh…forget it. Bad joke.”
Getting back to the gossip, Lucy relayed the latest rumor.
“ Sweetheart, it's all over town that Reed Sutton's truck was parked in front of your bakeshop after hours.”
Fighting the urge not to look guilty and ask, “Who told?” Sophie scoffed instead. "Mom, Ben Carrington was at the shop too.”
Lucy's penciledin eyebrows almost reached her hairline. “Him too? Sophie Marie Brandon!”
“ Yes. No! I mean they were both there to get an estimate for a half wall we're having built in the bakery. Sutton Construction, remember?”
Lucy looked skeptical. “So there's nothing going on between you two?”
Before Sophie could confirm or deny that volley, she was saved by the ringing of her cell phone. Peeking at thescreen, she revised her idea on the save.
She turned away and answered in a near whisper, “Hi, Reed.”
Sophie could feel the weight of her mother's laser beam stare practically boring holes in her back.
Reed's deep voice could be heard loud and clear. Damn the good connection!
“ Hello, Soph.” He paused. “Sophie, why are you whispering?”
She coughed, pretending to clear her throat. “Was I whispering?Um, I wasn't trying to.”
Turning back around, she found her mom smiling triumphantly. Max was wearing a little doggie grin because he knew the jig was up too.
Sophie walked a few steps away in a futile attempt at privacy. “So, what can I do for you, Reed?”
There was nothing but silence.
“ Reed?”
“ Oh, sorry, Sophie. I was imagining the possibilities there." His voice turned into more of a caress."Where should I start?”
Heaven help her if Lucy overheard that!
As much as she seriously wanted to hear his suggestions, Sophie would walk on hot coals, in high heels, before letting her mom hear them too.
“ Did you come up with an estimate?”
Going from flirty to serious without missing a beat, he answered. “I have the estimated costs ready for your review. Should I bring them over to yourhouse or wait until I can speak with you and Tracy together?”
Reed Sutton, at her house. Now she was imagining the possibilities.
“ Actually, now isn't good. My mom's here for a visit.”
She did her best to ignore her mom, who was mouthing the words, “Tell him to come over!”
“ I could run them by this evening, if that's okay?”
Lucy was adding arm motions. “Tell him yes!”
At Sophie's failureto answer, Reed took it as a brush off. “Or, I can schedule a meeting with you and Tracy?”
“ No!” She shook her head. “I mean, tonight will be fine but I have to run my mom home first.” She looked pointedly at Lucy.
Reed sounded agreeable. “Great. See you around seven or so?”
“ Seven is good.” There. Stuck the landing!
Lucy gave a thumbs-up and mouthed, “Seven is great!”
“ Okay then, tell yourmom I said hello.”
“ Sure thing.” Her mom smiled approvingly, having already heard him.
“ See ya.”
“ Bye.”
She thumbed the End button and sat across from her mom. Max put his furry head in her lap, nudging her hand for a good petting. “So, Reed says hello.”
“ I knew it!” Lucy practically beamed from her chair.
“ That he said hello?”
“ That something is going on between
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