Moonlight Masquerade (Edilean 8)

“I told them that this can wait for later,” Sophie said. “I didn’t mean to—”

The older woman lithely jumped off the table. “It’s all my fault and you told me it was. See you later,” she said as she ran to the door.

Seconds later, Sophie and Reede were alone in the room.

“What in the world is going on?” he asked. “Sophie, are you all right?”

“Fine,” she said. “Physically well, but I have something important to say to you.” She motioned for him to take a seat on the end of the exam table. “Remember when I made the potato animals for the children that day in the forest?”

“Of course I do.”

“Those children were traumatized—and rightfully so. An arrow had come sailing over their heads and pinned a man to a tree. No one knew if it was an accident or a madman was after them. I can just imagine the way the woman had to have warned them. She must have been nearly hysterical. She had to hold the man up to keep his wound from tearing, and she was trying to protect the children as she was calling for help, all at the same time.”

Reede had no idea where Sophie was going with all this, but from the look on her face it was very important to her. “But you calmed the children down,” he said, smiling. “When I saw you, you looked like some woodland goddess surrounded by children who were looking at you as though you were rescuing them from certain death.”

“Some of them were certainly scared, weren’t they?”

“Not with you and your dragons there. And at Thanksgiving the kids thought you were an angel. Sophie, you have a way with children that’s downright magic.”

“I like to feel needed. I think it’s why I chose going home to Lisa rather than accepting a sculpting job. I didn’t feel the world needed spoons with the heads of the presidents on them, but Lisa was a mess. She was a teenager with no mother, an insufferably lazy stepfather, and she needed an excuse to get away from a very bad group of people.”

“And then there was Carter,” Reede said quietly. “He needed you too.”

“Yes he did. His father is the biggest bully on the planet.”

“But what does all this neediness say about me?” he asked, smiling. “I’m pretty self-sufficient. I run businesses, clinics, take care of a whole town’s medical problems, and about half of their psychological problems. I’ve never told you—or anyone else for that matter—but I practically run a dating service. One time I—”

He cut off because Sophie was laughing. “You self-sufficient? Are you kidding? You’ve got to be the neediest person in the world.”

“Me? Sophie . . . ” He couldn’t help feeling hurt that she knew so little about him. “You know that here in Edilean I have employees but when I’m on my own I—”

“Get nearly run over by race car drivers.”

“That was one time,” Reede said and couldn’t help frowning. “Sophie, what are you trying to say to me?”

She took a deep breath. If she said what she truly and deeply felt, told him what she wanted, what if he said no? What if he laughed at the idea of her going with him? “Carter and Treeborne Foods will fund your hospital ship and I want to go with you.”

Reede looked at her, blinking. “But what about your sculpture? And the fabulous studio Henry is building? With his contacts he could set you up in the art world. With your talent, you could become famous.”

“I’m not like Jecca and Kim. I’m not driven to succeed in the art world.” She took a step toward him. “I felt better helping those children with the potato animals than I did after anything else I’ve ever made.” She took another step toward him. “Is there a place in what you do for a woman who can deal with traumatized children? Do you think you need someone like me in your work?”

“Sophie,” Reede said, and there were tears in his eyes. “Yes. I need you. And the world’s children need you.”

She was standing in front of him, her face close to his.

“Sophie, will you marry me and go with me to . . . to wherever the world needs us?”

“Yes,” she said. “I’d very much like to do that.”

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her—and outside the office they heard people cheering. It looked as if someone had been listening at the door. Within three minutes, the fire department set off its alarm, Colin turned the sirens of both sheriff cars on, and the bells of all three churches were set to ringing.

Reede pulled away from Sophie to look at her in surprise, then the two of them started laughing. “I think they agree with us.”

“Yes,” Sophie said. “Yes and yes and yes.”