“I hope you don’t have too many.” She looked at him in concern, feeling guilty about not staying but wanting to go home to Max.
“Nothing I can’t deal with.” He sighed. “Though sometimes I just want to leave the city and run away and marry a nice girl and live in the country.”
“That sounds like a great idea.” She smiled at him sweetly. “I’m sure you can make that happen.” She rubbed his hand warmly.
“Thanks, Sophie Engaged.” He sighed. “It was great meeting you, albeit, a few years or months too late. Have a great evening.”
“You too, Nick.” She stood up and smiled down at him. “Thanks for a great evening.”
“If you ever want to talk, you should call me.” He pulled out his card and Sophie shook her head.
“No, thank you but no.” She smiled at him sweetly. “I don’t think that would be a good idea.”
“Well, maybe one day we’ll meet in the park again.”
“That would be nice.”
“It’ll be serendipity.” He laughed at himself and shook his head at her look of curiosity.
“Goodbye, Nick.” Sophie walked out the restaurant slowly with a pit of worry in her stomach. It was time for her to go home and deal with Max and Jacob.
Nick watched her as she left and sighed to himself. Sophie was a beautiful woman; the type of woman he would love to be with. She wasn’t like the normal women he met in the city. She wouldn’t have done to him what the last girl had; the one that had him in this mess. He sighed and put his head on the table. He would have to go home soon and do what Frank had asked of him.
Chapter 7
Maxwell
Max was out of his mind with worry. He had no idea where Sophie was and she wasn’t answering her phone. Part of him thought that she’d left him for good; maybe she’d gone back to Florida to stay with her aunt and uncle. Maybe she never wanted to talk to him again. He didn’t know if he could bear to lose her. He looked at Jacob sleeping and made sure that he was safe on the blankets he and Ella had set up on the floor and then walked to his bedroom. He opened the safe quickly and took out a box and unlocked it with a key on his keychain. The video and the photos were still there and so was the gun. He looked at the photos distastefully and grimaced. If these were to ever get out, they would ruin a lot of lives, including his. The only thing was, his life may be ruined already. He closed his eyes and tried to remember how he felt the night before with Sophie in his arms. He’d felt like all his dreams had come true. He couldn’t let her get away without a fight.
He heard the front door bang and he jumped. He quickly locked the box and put it back in the safe and closed the door before running out of the room. His heart leaped to his throat as he saw Sophie standing there looking at him with heartbreak in her eyes. He walked up to her slowly saying nothing and reached out his arms to her. She ran into them with a cry and he held her close. He could feel her heart beating rapidly as he held her and he wondered if he would ever forget this moment. This wondrous moment when their hearts beat as one and she held him tight without even asking a question.
And then Jacob cried and she pulled back from him with pain in her eyes and looked around for him.
“Oh Max.” She half giggled as she saw the baby lying on the floor and walked over to him slowly before picking him up. “You can’t just leave the baby lying on the floor.”
“He’s on blankets.” His voice had the slightest tinge of reproach.
“That doesn’t matter.”
“It doesn’t?”
She laughed. “Honestly, I don’t know. But it just doesn’t seem right.” She held a crying Jacob in her arms and rocked him back and forth. “I think he needs changing.”
“Okay.”
“Maxwell you need to change him.”
“Oh?” He screwed his nose up. “Do I have to?”
“We’ll do it together.” She sighed and rolled her eyes.
“Thanks, Soph.”
“Yeah.” She carried the baby to the couch. “Will you get the diapers?”
“Uhm, where are they?”
“Look in the big yellow bag.” She tried to keep her voice calm but she felt like she was going to have a giggling fit.
“Where’s that?” He shrugged his shoulder.
“The big yellow bag to the right of you, Max.”
“Oh sorry.” He bent down and opened the bag and saw a bunch of items he didn’t recognize and picked the bag up and brought it over to her. “Uh here.”
“Pass me a diaper, please.”
“I’m not sure what it is.” He paused. “Sorry.” He watched Sophie standing there with his son and his heart expanded more than he knew was possible for both of them.
“Oh Max.” She giggled. “Hold Jake.”
“Jake?”
“I figured a Jacob would be called Jake, right?” She smiled shyly. “He looks like a Jake to me.”
“I love you, Sophie.” He stared at her, his blue eyes pleading with her for forgiveness. “I love you more than life itself.”
“I love you too, Max.” She sighed. “We’ll talk later.” She pulled a diaper and wet wipe from the bag and changed Jacob.
They put a now content Jacob back on his blankets and sat on the couch. Sophie made sure to distance herself from Max on the couch and he frowned.
“So I want to know what’s going on, Max.” She looked at him seriously. “How long have you known about Jacob?”
Max sighed and took a seep breath. He knew that it was too good to be true when she had come in and not bombarded him with questions right away. “Only since today, Sophie. I swear.”
“You didn’t know Alexis was pregnant?” she asked in a hushed tone.
“No.” His voice was direct and angry and he held her hand. “I had no idea, Sophie.”
“And he’s definitely your son?” She cocked her head and studied his face.
He swallowed and thought as she looked at him. He wasn’t sure what to say. There was a possibility that Jacob wasn’t his but that would mean delving into a part of his past that he wasn’t sure she could accept. A past that he was ashamed of and could ruin lives. “I think so.” He made sure to keep his voice even and steady. He didn’t want to lie to Sophie but he wasn’t sure how his sweet, innocent Sophie would handle the truth.