Ben’s head shot around. Josh laughed. “Surprise. She tried everything to get pregnant in her late twenties and early thirties. Didn’t happen. She was crushed. Her husband, a friend of mine, Jake Manzo…”
Ben frowned, “Not a local guy,” he interrupted Josh.
“Nope,” Josh agreed. “He left her. Biggest mistake of his life.”
“Don’t I know that feeling.” Ben was gazing through the windshield again, gripping the steering wheel. “I lost her and my kid because I was young, scared and just plain, stupid.”
“Yeah. There’s more, Ben. Hannah married my son, Heath last fall. They have a son, Joshua.”
Ben’s eyes watered when he looked at Josh. “A grandson.” He looked in the car away from Josh then he wiped his hand across his face. “I messed up bad, Josh. Will you help me?”
“Sophie is my priority right now, Ben. I’ll try to squeeze in your name in the conversation to see how it goes over with Kai. I was there when Hannah was born and when Joshua was too. You can’t hurt them. Are you sure this is what you want?”
His eyes turned to Josh. “I won’t. They’re all I have if she’ll give me a chance. Mom’s not going to make it. Josh, I’ve learned some valuable lessons in the last year or so.”
“I’ll do my best,” Josh told him.
“Thanks. Let me know how Sophie is. Would you?”
Josh nodded. “I need to get home to her.”
“Sure, I’ll let you go now.”
He walked away but Ben stayed parked where he was for a moment. Josh climbed in the truck and started it up. He felt awkward about leaving Ben in the parking lot of his business, but he wanted to go home to see Sophie.
Ben waved at Josh and turned around. He headed out onto the street and Josh followed him. When Ben turned right to go to his parent’s home, Josh went left to go home to Sophie.
He wiped his hand across his nose. He gripped the wheel of the truck. Twenty-three years of marriage he had with Sophie. He had been with her since he was fifteen. Intimately since they were seventeen. He loved her as much now as he did then.
She was like this dynamo that at times wreaked havoc on life. Sophie was beautiful but not in a classic way. She wasn’t the blonde, blue-eyed, beauty next door. She was mysterious and sensual even before she knew what that meant.
Josh wiped the tears streaming down his face. In his truck, was the only place he could allow himself to break. Sophie needed him to be strong. He slammed his fist into the steering wheel and let the pain burn through his wrist to his elbow. He loved her.
“You can’t have her,” he said to no one since he was alone in the truck. “We’re going to beat this.”
Josh wiped his face again. Then he cleared his throat. He was almost home. He had to pull himself together. In the driveway, he glanced in the rearview mirror and ran his fingers through his hair. He climbed out of the truck and locked it behind him. Then he went inside. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day.
Chapter 7
Sophie
Sophie’s appointment with Doctor Roberts was delayed because she was running late. Josh was holding his wife’s hand while they patiently waited because that was Josh’s nature. She was the uptight one and he was the chill one. They balanced each other and always had.
“Did you talk to Ally last night?” He asked.
He was asleep when she finally climbed into bed. “Nope. She didn’t call me last night either.”
“Soph, give her a chance.”
Her leg bounced with nervous energy. What other choice did she have? She gazed at her husband, then switched her position because these chairs in this waiting area weren’t all that comfortable. “Did you talk to her?”
“I did.”
“Why?” Sophie could feel the heat rise in her cheeks.
He snorted at Sophie. Then he sighed. Josh leaned forward and clasped his hands between his
legs. “Because she’s my daughter,” he replied. “Ally called me yesterday while I was still at the office.”