Sophie turned back to the window. Brian pushed Ally back and cupped her face. “He cares a lot about her.”
Josh propped his chin on Sophie’s shoulder. “I think so.”
“She’s mad at him about something.”
“Why do you say that?”
Sophie turned back to Josh and tucked her head in next to his. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. “I know our daughter.”
“You need to eat something before I head to the office. I need to be there when the crews come in.”
“Josh,” she groaned. “Food tastes terrible. My stomach feels awful. Please let it go.”
“Sophie, you need to try.”
She slipped off his lap and headed to their bedroom with the puppies trailing behind her. Both Russack women were irritated with the men in their lives.
**
“Mom,” Ally shook Sophie’s shoulder. “Mom, wake up.”
Sophie rolled over and Delilah squeaked. “Sorry, Delilah. Get out from under me, girl.” She reached under the blankets and scooped up the little, not so little puppy. “Momma is sorry, baby girl.” Ally cocked her eyebrow at her mother.
“Hush you,” Sophie told her. “With what I’m going through. I can love on these cute little fur balls as much as I want.”
“Marcy brought more rice pudding. You’re going to eat this.”
Sophie scowled at her. “Which of you called the poor girl who has enough to do with Miguel and Markus and told her I wasn’t eating?”
“Dad. All him.”
Sophie sat Delilah beside her and sat up. She did love the rice pudding. It was one of the few things that she could eat without gagging. She scooped a spoonful into her mouth and groaned. “This is heavenly.”
She gazed up and realized that Ally was staring at her. “What?”
She lowered her eyes. “Sorry.”
“No, spit it out. What?”
“It’s hard. Seeing you with no hair.”
Sophie took another bite then patted the bed next to her. Ally walked around and climbed in bed beside her mother. Cleo trotted up onto Ally’s lap and sat down so she could rub her ears for her.
“What’s going on with you and Brian?” She asked her daughter.
“It’s damn difficult to be in love with the quarterback of the number two team in the country when he has the most difficult part of his schedule coming up.” Ally rubbed her nose against the dog’s nose and was rewarded with a sloppy kiss.
“In love, huh?”
“Yeah Mom, Brian and I are in love.”
Sophie ate more of her pudding. “When did this happen?”
“Probably was that way all along and we were kidding ourselves. When you turned up sick, he was there for me,” Ally explained. “He wiped away my tears. Kissed me silly and told me he was crazy about me.”
“What else?”