My parents have a nice spread on the edge of town. Their log home sits on a wooded lot, surrounded by a large pond. You can see it from any window in the house. The garage door is open as usual and when I turn off the bike, I hear their signature classic rock coming from the backyard.
I lead Sophie through the garage to the backyard. Mama is watering the flowers in one of her many gardens. Mama is obsessed with gardening. She talks to her flowers when she waters them. It’s hilarious. But she believes flowers benefit from being talked to. Something she probably read online.
Isa is sunbathing on a chaise lounge with her iPod on. I look around for Pop, but he’s nowhere to be seen. He’s probably in his office. Holding Sophie’s hand, I guide her over to my mom to make the official introduction.
I called Mama when Sophie went home to get ready to let her know I was bringing her. To say she was pleased is an understatement. She squealed loud enough that she almost blew out my eardrum.
The moment Mama spies us, she hurries to us and pulls me into a bear hug. She hugs me whenever she sees me, but not with this much exuberance.
“Hey sweetie,” she says in her heavy Puerto Rican accent as she squeezes the breath out of me. When she finally pulls away, she beams at Sophie. “You must be the reason he’s missed the last few Sunday dinners.”
Sophie looks my way with a question in her eyes before extending her hand to my mom. “I’m Sophie.”
Mama ignores her hand and pulls her in for the same type of hug she gave me.
Geez ma, take it easy on the girl.
“I’m so happy to meet you,” Mama squeals and pulls back to take a good look at Sophie. “I’m Camilla, but call me Mama.”
Isa runs to us with a smirk plastered on her face. “Rooter, what do we have here?”
As if she doesn’t know. I know damn well Mom told her about Sophie the moment we hung up.
“This is Sophie—” I begin, but Isa cuts me off.
“I’m Isabel, but everyone calls me Isa.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Isa.” Sophie holds out her hand.
“We don’t shake hands in this family,” Isa explains and wraps her arms around Sophie for a quick hug before hugging me. She whispers in my ear, “Good choice, she’s pretty.”
I shoot Isa and Mama a look warning them to take it easy on Sophie. This is her first visit. I don’t want them to overwhelm her any more than she already is.
I steer Sophie to the deck by the pond and we sit on the wicker sofa. With Sophie to my right, Isa sits to my left.
“I’ll go get Papa,” Mom says and disappears into the house.
Next to me, Sophie chews on her bottom lip and picks at her cuticles. I give her an apologetic smile and gently squeeze her leg for reassurance.
“Did you wear a bathing suit?” Isa asks Sophie.
Sophie shakes her head. I hadn’t thought to tell her to bring one. I was too caught up in the excitement of bringing her to meet my family.
“You can borrow one of mine when you’re ready to get in,” Isa offers and points to the beach area of the pond.
“Thank you.” Sophie gives Isa a small smile, but I can tell she’s uneasy. I don’t blame her. We as a group are a lot to digest when you first meet us.
After what seems like forever, Mama and Pop emerge from the house. Pop looks from me, to Sophie and back to me again. When he gives me his nod of approval, my shoulders relax. I hadn’t realized how nervous I was until this moment. This is the first time I’ve brought a girl home, and she isn’t just any girl. She’s the girl. It’s important that they like and accept Sophie. I stand to greet Pop and Sophie does the same.
“Pop, this is Sophie.”
“Hey, pretty lady,” Pop says, “I’m Mick, but everyone here calls me Papa.” He pulls her in for a hug the same as Mama had which takes me by surprise. He’s usually more reserved with his affection. But when he pulls back, I see excitement in his eyes. Not only does he accept that I’ve brought her, he’s happy about it.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Sophie says.
“We’re happy you could make it,” Pop replies.
Mama asks Sophie if she likes gardening to which Sophie replies she doesn’t have a lot of time for hobbies between school and work. Mama goes on about how relaxing gardening is, but that it’s time-consuming. When Isa and I were both young, she had to give it up because she didn’t have the time to devote to it.
Before I know it, the three girls are immersed in conversation. While the girls chat, Pop and I talk about the old Harley he and I are restoring. Every now and again I make eye contact with Sophie to make sure she’s okay. All signs of her earlier apprehension are gone.
“So, how did you two meet?” Mama asks, glancing back and forth at me and Sophie.
“Sophie lives next door,” I explain.
“Lucky you.” Pop winks.
I agree with a nod and a chuckle. Lucky indeed.
“We’re very happy to meet you, Sophie,” Mama says to Sophie with a wide smile and pats her on the hand.
My family are all ears as Sophie tells them a little about herself. She tells them about Miranda and the Frank’s. She admits her mother passed away, but doesn’t say how. When Mama expresses her condolences, Sophie simply says thank you and leaves it at that. Thankfully no one presses for details and I’m relieved when Mama asks Sophie about her college studies. When the conversation wanes, Isa suggests we all go for a swim.
I glance to Sophie. “Are you up for it?”
“Sure,” she smiles, completely at ease.
“Come with me,” Isa tells her and tugs her by the hand. “I’ll get you a bathing suit.”
The instant the girls leave Mama says, “She’s very beautiful, Son.”
“Yes, she is,” I proudly agree.
“But it seems things are moving rather quickly.”
I shrug. “I’ve known her a while.” It’s not a total lie. Sophie may not have been in my life for very long and our relationship is new, but it has been a long time in the making.
“And the thing with Candace?”
“It’s done.”
Pop clears his throat and says, “I hear she isn’t taking it very well.”
“She’ll get over it.”
“Be gentle with her, Rooter,” Mama warns.
“I’m trying, trust me. She isn’t making it easy.”
“That girl has been in love with you forever,” she says. “I had a feeling this was going to happen when you two got involved.”
“If I’d known, I never would’ve hooked up with her.”
“What’s done is done.” Mom sighs and smacks the tops of her thighs before standing. “I’m going to put on my bathing suit.”
Pop gets up from his chair to join me on the wicker couch. Through the corner of my eye I see Isa jog to the beach. Sophie must still be in the house.
“This was a surprise,” Pop says, referring to me bringing Sophie to the family dinner.
“I know. I’m surprised, too.”
“You’re sure about this? About bringing her into the family?”
I look him square in the eye. “Absolutely.”
He nods. “Okay then. It’s done.”
I exhale a long breath. “This means a lot to me, Pop.”
“Son,” Pop bumps my shoulder with his. “She seems great and sure is pretty.”
“Yes, she is.”
“But I gotta say, I thought I’d never see this day come.”
“Me either, Pop.” I pat him on the back. “There’s just something about her.”
“Hey, Sophie!” Isa hollers and waves from the pond.
When I turn around, Sophie’s standing behind us on the deck. Isa’s bikini top is a tad big, but Sophie is still a sight to behold. I wonder if she heard our conversation, but her expression gives nothing away.
“If I was twenty years younger and single, you’d have some serious competition, boy.” Pop jokes and bumps me roughly on the shoulder.
“This one’s all mine,” I assert and pull Sophie onto my lap.
While the girls are in the house cleaning up after dinner, Pop and I sit in wicker chairs on the deck and talk Club business. I watch Sophie through the sliding glass doors.
“Son, now that you’ve brought Sophie into the family, you should tell her what’s going on.”
He’s referring to the situation with Andy and the Henchmen. I blow out a breath. “I don’t want to burden her with that shit.”
“She needs to understand what it means to be affiliated with the Club. The danger it presents.”
“She has a good understanding of what life in the Club is like.”
“Then why not tell her what’s going on?”
I glance back at Sophie who’s washing the dishes. Seeing her smiling alongside my mom and my little sister makes me happy. “Because we just got together. I don’t want to give her a reason to be scared already.”
“I get it, Son.” He scratches his beard. “But her being unaware puts her at greater risk.”
“How?” I turn in his direction. “Whenever I’m not with her, I have eyes on her.”
“You know as well as I do, you can’t prevent an attack when your eyes aren’t open or when you’re unaware. By telling her, she can be on the lookout.”
I shake my head. “I can’t put that on her. It isn’t right.”
“You put this on her when you chose to be with her,” he sighs. “I can’t make you do anything, but I will tell you right from wrong. You’re wrong to keep this from her.”
I lean forward and rest my elbows on my knees. “I just can’t Pop.”
“If you think she can’t handle it, why get involved with her?”
“It’s not that. I know she can handle it.” I slump back into the chair and rub my face with both hands. “I’m just not ready to burden her with it so soon. I want to enjoy being together for a while.”
“I respect that. Just remember, most often, the hard choice is the right choice.”
I cock my head to the side. “Coming from the man who almost always chooses the path of least resistance.”
“Touché. But this is different. I’ve never hidden anything from your mother.”
“This is just shit timing.”
“The shit that goes down in the Club always happens at a shit time. It’s the nature of life in the Club.”
He’s speaking the truth. “I want to break her into the life slowly.”
“I’ve always said, the best way to test the water is to jump in. Otherwise, you may never go all in. You want her to be all in, right?”
“Of course.”
Pop leans in my direction. “At some point, she’ll have to jump in and the sooner the better.”
“Yeah, but me throwing this on her right now is more like pushing her in.”
He shrugs. “In the end, the outcome is usually the same.”
The whole way home, Pop’s words play on repeat, “The best way to test the water is to jump in.” Maybe so, but sometimes you jump in and the water is too damn cold and you jump right back out and refuse to get back in. What if I pushed Sophie in and the water is too cold? She already knows the gist of my life in the Club. I told her early on that it’s dangerous. It was the reason I pushed her away. She knew the risk, and she chose to be with me, anyway. So, even though I’m not telling her about the issue with Andy and the Henchmen, she knows danger lurks about. She knows something could happen at any given time. There’s no reason to scare her with this shit.
“My family loves you,” I tell Sophie after we pull into my driveway. Before we left, my mom pulled me to the side and told me what a lovely young woman Sophie is. Isa talked her ear off most of the night. Isa doesn’t fake it when she doesn’t like someone. And like me, she has great intuition about people.
“I think they’re pretty great, too.” A genuine smile spreads across her face. “I’m glad you took me.”
Not only did Isa spend the night attached to Sophie’s hip, she also told Sophie the significance of my taking her to dinner. Isa laid that tidbit on me when she hugged me good night. Initially, I was furious. But after some thought, I was glad to be off the hook. And honestly, I suspected Isa might say something. I didn’t expect her to come outright with it, but I figured she would plant the seed in Sophie’s mind that tonight was more than just a fun family dinner. I clear my throat and rock back and forth, heel to toe, digging for courage to bring it up. “Isa told me she spoke with you.”
“You mean in regards to the significance of taking me to the Russo Sunday family dinner?”
“Yeah,” I say with my hands crammed in my pockets.
“I would’ve rather you told me.”
Looking down at the garage floor I see a bottle cap and kick it, sending it across the bay. “I was afraid you would think it’s too soon and refuse to go.”
Sophie nods. “Everything about us is happening really fast, but, it has been a year in the making. So…”
Relieved, I blow out a breath and rest my forehead on hers. “I want to give you all the things you don’t have. You have a family now, Sophie.”
Sophie gasps and her eyes gloss over. “I don’t know what to say.”
With a hand on each side of her face, I kiss Sophie’s lips softly followed by her cheeks, nose, and eyelids. I trace her bottom lip with my tongue until her mouth parts. With my hands still cupping her face, I kiss her long and languid. I lose myself in the kiss—in her—as her tongue rolls with mine. Sophie moans softly and her body falls into mine. Every nerve ending is on fire with the need to be as close to her as possible. What I feel goes so far beyond want or lust. I need to be with Sophie. Tonight. By the look in her eyes, the feeling is mutual.
I take her hand and lead her to my back door. The instant I swing the door open, Dopey leaps out, jumping on me with excitement. I motion for Sophie to go inside and tell her I’ll be right in.
Once inside, without a word, I take Sophie by the hand and lead her up the stairs to my room. I turn on the lamp on my nightstand and stare into her eyes. Tonight, I’m going to touch and kiss every single inch of her body that she’ll allow me access to. If she tells me to stop, I will, but something tells me she won’t be saying anything but yes.
I take off my t-shirt and then tug at hers, asking for permission to remove it. She raises her arms and I pull it over her head. Her chest rises and falls with fast, shallow breaths as her greedy eyes scan my naked torso before finding my eyes once again. She licks her lips and bites her bottom lip.
Yeah, she wants this as much as I do.
I give her a teasing wink as I loosen my belt. She licks her lips again and takes a step back so she can watch as I unzip my jeans and let them fall to the floor. So sweet and innocent, she gasps as though seeing me for the first time. It does crazy things to me having her look at me this way. It makes me want her all the more, but reminds me to take it slow.
I step forward and reach around her to unclasp her bra. Sophie removes it the rest of the way and I take her left breast in my hand. I’ll never get used to touching her. “So beautiful.”
I flick her hardening nipple with my thumb before bringing my free hand to her other breast and repeating the act. I’m in heaven. Sophie tosses her head back and whimpers at my touch.
“I love looking at you and touching you,” I murmur.
With our eyes locked, I unzip her jeans and slowly push the denim down her hips and thighs. She clutches my shoulders for stability as she steps out of them. As I rise, my hands skim the outside of her thighs.
“I want you so much.” I gently stroke her face. “Are you ready?”
She bites her lip and nods.
“I need to hear the words, Baby.”
“I’m ready,” she whispers sweetly and I feel an indescribable pang in my chest.
I pull the comforter back and lay Sophie on the mattress. My chest swells with emotion as I hover over her. For the first time in my life, I’m being led by something more than sexual desire. I bow down and kiss her neck just beneath her ear. Sophie wraps her arms around me and arches into me until her chest is pressed to mine. Knowing what she wants I press myself between her spread legs before circling her nipple with my tongue.
“That feels so good,” she murmurs and brushes her fingers through my hair.
The sound of her sultry voice shoots straight to my cock, igniting my flame. “Yeah, Baby, talk to me.”
I take her breast into my mouth and flick the nipple back and forth until her body quivers. “You’re perfect.”
I grip myself through my boxers as I place a trail of wet kisses from her chest down to her belly button. I stroke myself as I lick her from one hip bone to the other. Sophie bites down on her bottom lip and moans. With my eyes on hers I dip my fingers into her panties, teasing the edge of her sex with soft strokes. She watches me with eager eyes as I slowly make my way closer to her slit. I finally reach my destination and I’m pleased to find her wet and ready. My fingertip brushes the tip of her clit eliciting a raspy moan. I circle the swollen nub in a slow, steady rhythm.
“God, yes,” Sophie breathes. “Keep doing that.”
The desire in Sophie’s voice spurs me on as I drag my fingers up and down her wet folds. There are so many things I want to do with and to her. I want to make her come in every way before I’m inside her. “You’re so wet, Babe. I want to taste you.”
Without answering, Sophie closes her eyes. I take my hand out of her panties to remove them, and my fingers are red. Tonight’s fun has come to an end. But now how to handle this? She’s going to be humiliated.
“Babe,” I say gently.
Sophie looks at me and I hold my hand up for her to see. Her face turns ashen and her body goes rigid. She clutches her face to hide from me.
“Hey,” I speak gently and lift her hands away from her face, but she keeps her eyes squeezed closed. “It’s okay.”
Her body shakes as she cries and it breaks my heart. She needn’t be embarrassed. Not knowing what else to do, I scoop Sophie up from the bed and carry her into the bathroom so she can have a moment alone to get cleaned up. Once I put her down, I turn on the sink faucet and clean my hands. She stands as still as a statue with her legs pressed together and her arms covering her breasts.
“Tell me what you need,” I say. “I’ll go to your house and get it.”
Her eyes fall to the floor and she clears her throat. Her small voice trembles, “Tampons, clean underwear—the cotton kind—and something to sleep in. It’s all in my dresser.”
I lift her chin and kiss her lips. “I’ll be right back.”
Sophie is in the shower when I get back to my house. I place her things on the bathroom counter and close the door behind me. In the bedroom, I find a small spot of blood on the bottom sheet. I change it so she doesn’t see it when she comes back in the room.
The water shuts off and a lot of time passes. She should have come out by now, but she’s probably too embarrassed to face me. I go to the bathroom door to check on her.
“Babe? Everything okay?”
“No.”
“Are you dressed?”
“Yeah.”
When I open the door, she’s perched on the toilet seat with her head in her hands. I crouch before her. “Hey, don’t be embarrassed.”
Sophie refuses to look me in the eye. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”
“You have nothing to apologize for,” I assure her. “It’s a fact of life, Babe. Not that big of a deal.” Not that I would tell her, but this isn’t my first experience at this particular rodeo. I stand and extend my hand.
Sophie looks up at me studying my expression before taking my hand and following me to the bedroom. I crawl into the bed and motion for her to join me. Once she does, I wrap my arms around her and hold her close. “Are you comfortable? Do you need anything? Tylenol, ibuprofen?”
“I’m okay,” she squeaks.
“Close your eyes and sleep,” I whisper and kiss the back of her head.
We lie in silence for a while until her breathing finally evens out, and she falls asleep.