When Alec arrived at the hospital just after lunch the next day, Sophie had a visitor. Alec recognized him as a man from church, but didn’t know his name until Sophie introduced him.
“This is Brad Marshall, Mr. Riley.”
“Hello,” Alec smiled and shook his hand.
Brad stood, shook his hand, and greeted Alec kindly, but did not sit back down. “I have to get going, Sophie.”
“All right.”
“I have a lesson in about 20 minutes.”
“Thank you for stopped, Brad, and for flowers.”
Alec noticed them for the first time, and barely kept his expression stoic. You can’t accept flowers from this man, Sophie. You’re going to marry me!
“Good-bye. It was good to meet you.”
Alec heard the words, but it took a moment for them to register.
“Yes, good meeting you, too,” Alec replied and tried to mean it. He watched Brad leave, and then looked back to find Sophie’s eyes on him. Instantly forgetting Brad Marshall, Alec smiled at her disheveled appearance, and she smiled in return.
“How are you?” He kept his voice somewhat businesslike in an effort to hide his true emotions. “Did you have a good night?”
“They come in all the time,” Sophie complained with a sigh, and then frowned. “I am sorry. I must be crab.”
Alec smiled again. “You’re not crabby very often, are you?”
“No, I guess not. Maybe children would say different. How is Tory?”
“She’s all right. She wanted to come right away this morning, so I’ll be picking her up right after school and bringing her. Rita and Craig are going to wait until this evening.”
Sophie thought it was very kind that he would come now when he had to come after school, too, but she was beginning to expect such things from him. For a time Mr. Riley had barely noticed her. Now he treated her as a cherished family member, and Sophie’s heart was often blessed by his acts of kindness.
“Did you say they will come tonight?”
“Yes.”
“Well, if is snowy, they do not have to come out. Tell them to be safe.”
“I will.”
“I think I can leave tomorrow, so also tell children I will be back to make supper tomorrow night.”
Alec didn’t answer right away. Gladys had told him Sophie would feel this way. “I’m not sure the doctor will want you to do too much too quickly,” Alec said with just the right note of disinterest.
“But I have job,” Sophie said, as if this explained everything.
“Your job will still be there when you get back on your feet.”
Sophie did not look pleased, but Alec wasn’t going to argue with her. Instead he said, “Rita sent this to you.” From his pocket he drew forth a gold locket.
“Oh, my locket.” She sounded so pleased. Alec put it into her outstretched hand and she tried to open it and couldn’t.
“Here,” he offered. “Let me.”
He opened it carefully and held it for her, but Sophie had run out of steam and didn’t even reach for it. She looked at the picture as he held it up, her eyes softening with love.
“Your parents?”
“Yes. On wedding day.”
Alec studied the photo as well. “What are their names?’
“Vladamir and Ekaterina Velikonja.”
Again Alec gazed at the picture, going over the strange-sounding names in his head. Ekaterina was smiling at the camera, but Vladamir was looking down at his bride. Even in the tiny photo, the love he felt for her was evident.
“They look very much in love.”
“They were,” Sophie said around a huge yawn.
“Would you like me to put it on you?”
She shook her dark head against the white pillow slip. “I am afraid it will go lost. Would you take it back home with you?”
“Of course.”
Again she yawned.
“I think I’m boring you.”
She knew that teasing tone and smiled, but it didn’t keep her eyes open.
“They give you shots that make you feel so tired,” she murmured. Her lids were completely down now. “They said I must walk this afternoon, but right now—” She let the sentence trail off, and Alec watched as her features relaxed in sleep. He sat with her for over an hour. She didn’t waken, but in some ways he was glad. This wasn’t the time to say anything. It wasn’t time to make his feelings known, and if she woke and found him there, she might wonder why. Right now, Alec was not prepared to answer her questions.
“Where are we go?”
It was the following day. Sophie had enjoyed many visitors the day before, but now it was just after lunch and Sophie, having spent two nights in the hospital, had been discharged. Alec picked her up in his truck, after cleaning the cab for the occasion. But when he didn’t take the right turn for Holly Court, Sophie became suspicious. It was the moment Alec had dreaded.
“I’m taking you to Mrs. Nickelberry’s,” he said easily.
“Why?”
“Because the doctor said you were not to climb stairs or work, so you can’t get to your apartment, and there’s no one home all day to check on you.”
“I do not need checks.”
Alec didn’t answer.
“I want to go back to my apartment. I can climb stairs once. I can even go to work after I rest. Maybe not today, but tomorrow.”
They were in Gladys’ driveway now, and Alec finally turned to look at her.
“You’re staying here.” His voice was calm.
Sophie’s face flushed with anger. “This is fool.”
“Foolish,” Alec corrected automatically, and Sophie exploded at him.
“Do not correct Sophie’s English when she is anger, Alec Riley!”
Alec had all he could do not to laugh, but he managed to nod seriously.
“I will go in,” Sophie now spoke to the windshield, sounding very confident, “and tell Gladys to take me home.” She flung the door open at that point, but only managed two steps before she felt like she’d come against a brick wall. Alec didn’t bother with any of her things, but walked slowly behind her as she labored up the path and steps. His hands reached for her several times, but she managed on her own.
Gladys must have been aware of their arrival because the front door opened to Sophie as if by magic. The older woman greeted them warmly, but did not gush. One look at Sophie’s face and then Alec’s, and she knew how it had gone.
Sophie couldn’t believe how awful she felt. She had been ready to take on the world in the truck. Now she stepped inside Gladys’ house and just stood there until she felt her coat being removed and then someone’s hand propelling her from behind. When she was ordered to lie down on the sofa, she did as she was told. Her eyes closed in momentary rapture over how soft and comfortable it felt, and when she opened them Alec was standing over her. He looked about nine feet above her, but even then she could see the merriment in his eyes.
“When you’ve had a few hours’ rest here on this sofa and finally get to the house, will you scrub the kitchen floor on your knees or clean the bathrooms first?”
Sophie couldn’t stop her smile. “I am crab, and I do not want to be bossed.”
Knowing that better than anyone, Alec only smiled and told Gladys he was going for Sophie’s things. After bringing them in he didn’t linger, but warned both Gladys and her patient that they were sure to have visitors in the form of his children. And he was correct. The Riley children had known Sophie was headed to Gladys’ and didn’t even bother to go home after school. Sophie, who had just awakened from a nap, was ready to visit.
“How are you?” Rita asked first.
“I am fine. I want to come back to work, but your father said no.”
“I thought the doctor said no,” Craig commented.
“I am fine,” Sophie said, but the kids only exchanged a look. This was not lost on Sophie.
They all plot against me. I do not want to be babied. I want to go back to work. But in the midst of Sophie’s tempestuous thoughts, she remembered how awful she felt just walking in from Mr. Riley’s truck. You are not as strong as you’d like to think, Sophie. You had better do as you’re told.
She came out of her own reflections to hear Tory speaking. She was sharing something that had happened at school that day, and when Sophie saw the comical look on her face, she laughed and gasped.
“Are you hurt?” The child wished to know.
“My side,” Sophie explained. “But only if I laugh.”
Gladys had joined them and told Sophie this was normal.
“It will pull for quite some time. You may need to take it very easy, even after the doctor says you can be up and around.”
For the first time Sophie only nodded. It was beginning to look like she would be laid up for several days. A moment later, when Gladys asked the Riley children to come to supper on Friday night and bring their father, she knew it was true. It would be sometime next week before she could return to work.
“Well, Alec, hello,” his mother said into the telephone with surprise. “Is everything all right?”
“Do I really call so seldom that I panic you with the sound of my voice?”
His mother laughed. “I’m just surprised. Are you calling about spring break?”
“Yes. Did you get my letter about April 6?”
“Yes. It said the kids are done that day.”
“Right, we’ll leave right after school and try to put in several hundred miles. It will make a long second day, but we’ll be into Naples the afternoon of Palm Sunday.”
“That sounds fine. I’m already baking some of the kids’ favorite cookies.”
“I figured as much. Listen, Mom, what I really called about was to ask you if Sophie could come down with us.”
“Of course, Alec,” she answered without hesitation. “I was going to ask you if Craig might like to sleep in the bungalow this year, but it would be perfect for Sophie.” She stopped speaking then, and Alec knew what was coming. “Is there something you want to tell us, Al?”
She heard his sigh.
“I’d like there to be, Mom, but right now, no, there isn’t. I haven’t even asked Sophie yet, so I’m not even sure she’ll come. But if she does, you can bet she’ll think I’m asking her along to work.”
“But you’d rather she didn’t.”
“Right. It was only two weeks ago that she was in the hospital, and I think she needs the rest.”
“But it’s not just that, is it?”
“No,” he admitted softly. “I’d like to get to know her better, but I haven’t figured out how to go about it.”
“I take it she has no knowledge of your interest.”
“None whatsoever.”
“And the children?”
“Just Rita.”
“How does she feel about it?”
Alec chuckled. “She tried to be subtle, but she basically asked me straight out why I wasn’t dating Sophie.”
Kay joined his laughter. “You’ve never experienced that before, have you?”
“What’s that?”
“I mean, when you courted Vanessa there were no children around. Now you have six eyes watching your every move.”
Alec had never thought of that before and didn’t know if he wanted to laugh or groan. If he ever did get Sophie to see that he was interested in her, he’d have all three of his children observing every detail. It was something more to pray about.
He and his mother talked of the store his folks owned and operated, the weather, his father’s back, and general things for another 20 minutes. Alec, who had been talking in the bedroom, was tired enough to go to bed, but resisted. He rose from the chair and dug in his closet for his shoes. It was still very snowy out, but the roads were dry and he was in need of a run—hopefully one that would clear his head and help him to carry on patiently until he knew without a doubt that he could talk to Sophie about what was happening in his heart.