One Chance (Hogan Brothers 1)

Smiling bigger. “Thank you. I always liked her.” Sophia looked up to the mother, wanting to make sure she wasn’t upset by her child speaking to a stranger. The other woman smiled softly with an encouraging nod. “Do you have a favorite princess?” Sophia asked the girl.

She thought about it for a minute before answering. “I really like Belle. She’s not a real princess, but she sure is nice.”

“You know, I think being a princess is more about being kind to others than having a title,” she told the girl.

“I like that.” The child grinned as a bus pulled up. Seeing it wasn’t hers, Sophia continued to wait as the pair got up to leave. “Goodbye.” The girl waved.

“See you, princess.” She winked at the little one’s surprised face.

Some things never ceased to amaze her as their bus left. One short conversation about princesses with a small girl, and she felt her mood lift. The pain and hurt from that morning still lingered but not as deeply. She didn’t feel suffocated by the hateful words anymore.

She still didn’t want to go back, though. Going back would mean losing another piece of herself. Going back would mean facing people who cared nothing about her. As her bus pulled up, she didn’t know what she was going to do, just that she needed a new perspective.

As “Human” by Rag’n’Bone Man blasted from the speakers on his radio, Nox continued to work on the sweet ride under his hands. He was fitting the dynamics of the engine in and replacing corroded wires when Mac, one of his newest hires, called out to him. “Yo, Nox! You got a visitor.”

“Who?” he called back, not looking up from the line he was trying to disconnect.

“Some sweet ride,” was all he said, walking away.

Mac was a man of few words, only speaking when necessary. At times, it annoyed the hell out of him, others he enjoyed the quiet.

Giving up on the line, he grabbed the cloth off the fender of the car, wiping his hands as he walked to the front office. Not seeing anyone, he looked to Mac with a questioning brow.

“Your office. She don’t belong out here.”

Which had him more confused.

Knocking on his office door so whoever it was didn’t startle, he walked in to see Soph. A huge smile lit his face at her presence.

“Soph? What are you doing here?” he asked walking over to her.

She turned to look at him, and he was bowled over with the dead emotion present in her gaze. “Hi,” she whispered, tears gathering on her lids.

“Soph?” Before he could say anything else, she seemed to transform before him. Her stance stronger, the tears gone, and her eyes no longer desolate. He wondered for a brief moment if it had even been there.

“I, uh,” she cleared her parched throat, “I hope it’s okay I came. I sent a message earlier but had to shut my phone off, so I don’t even know if you got it or not.” She was nervous and rambling.

“Damn girl, calm down,” he told her, leading her to the sofa Levi had finally left sometime while he was working.

“Sorry.” She murmured.

“I didn’t get your message, I’ve been rebuilding an engine all morning,” he explained.

A forlorn expression crossed her face as she answered. “I should go then. I don’t want to disturb you.” As she stood, he got a look at her. She was a hot mess. Her beautiful little dress did not match the chucks on her feet, and her legs were bright red as if…

“Did you walk here?” he asked, shocked. Grabbing her hand, he yanked her back down to the sofa.

She wouldn’t meet his eyes as she answered. “Well, sort of. I walked then took two buses, then walked again.”

He was baffled. “Where’s Braxton?”

She shrugged, still refusing to meet his eyes.

“Sophia,” he snapped. He wasn’t immune to the pain that still lingered in the depths of her gaze when she met his steely one. “What happened?” Something had to have. Braxton was supposed to be on her like glue when she was anywhere.

“Nothing,” she murmured, playing with her skirt.

“Christ, woman,” he growled pulling her into his arms, laying a light kiss on her head as she gripped his shirt. “Come on,” he told her, standing. “You’ll come work with me. You got a hair tie?” She dug through her purse and found one, whipping her hair up quickly. “Leave your stuff in here, I’ll lock the door.” She followed him out.