“I see. But what if I’d hired one of Roan’s kids?”
Russell smiled. “Somehow I knew you wouldn’t find anyone through that ad. My wife told me I had to help you. She said I owed you for being a lying, cowardly wimp when I met you.”
“Oh my! I think I really like her.”
“She keeps me in line.” He was on the far side of the glass case and there were two animals left on top. “I’ve heard about these. You . . . ?”
“I what?” Sophie asked as she dried off her hands.
“Would you like to teach a sculpture class to our church members?”
“I’ve never done any teaching and besides, these are just self-hardening clay and they’re very fragile.”
“I know,” Russell said. “But what if I could get a kiln set up for you?”
“Did Reede put you up to this?”
“I have a more important Boss than him. I’m always trying to entice people to come to church, and if my sermons don’t do it, I use other things.”
Sophie walked around the counter and sat down. She’d been on her feet for many hours and she needed a rest. “I don’t know . . . I’d have to think about this. Are you talking children or adults?”
“Both,” he said as he took the seat across from her. “We have a lot of retirees in the area and they’re used to sixty-hour workweeks. They need something to channel their interest into besides golf. And there’s one man in particular who is nearly desperate to find a good teacher.” He smiled at her. ?
?I can see that you’re tired and tomorrow is going to be a long day, but think about this. You’d have time around your classes to do your own work, and I can assure you that any equipment you need I can gouge out of my father.”
Sophie was a little shocked that a minister would say such a thing.
“Not that Father,” Russell said. “The one I share with Travis. Randall Maxwell.”
“Oh,” Sophie said. “Isn’t he . . . ?”
“Can afford anything.” Russell stood up. “Just keep it in mind and Kelli will be here tomorrow. And, Sophie?”
“Yes?”
“You know the old adage about not judging a book by its cover? That especially pertains to Kelli.”
“Okay,” she said tentatively, as she had no idea what he meant.
When Reede got to the sandwich shop that evening, no one was about. So much for Roan’s ad bringing in help, he thought. The front door was unlocked and he thought he should remind Sophie to lock it when she went upstairs for the night. It was one thing to leave the shop open when she wasn’t inside, but another to leave it unlocked when she was there.
The lights were out and he could see that everything was clean and tidy, and in the back he saw something pink. Maybe Sophie had left a sweater downstairs.
But what she’d left out was herself. Sitting in a booth, her head on her arms on the table, and sound asleep was Sophie. He didn’t need to be a doctor to recognize exhaustion.
“Come on, baby,” he whispered as he kissed her on the temple. She woke enough to slide her arms around his neck.
“No mask,” she said dreamily.
He smiled as she nuzzled against him, her face in his neck. “No more masks. Just me, as naked as you see me.”
“I like you naked.”
“Do you?” He was smiling as he pulled her out of the booth. He knew he needed to carry her up the stairs, and of course he meant to do it the Scarlett and Rhett way, but the stairs were narrow and they’d never fit.
Sophie solved the problem by clinging to him like a child, her arms tightening around his neck. It didn’t take much for him to lift her and when he did, she clasped her legs about his waist and clung to him.
The deliciousness of Sophie’s body against his was almost more than he could bear.