Sophie stood next to Darby in the activity room, her pigtails sticking cockeyed in an unruly array. Sam had made an attempt at beauty skills, but with that straight, fine blonde hair he had to work with, he thought it was a miracle she looked as good as she did.
He watched as Sophie tried to straighten them out. His face contorted in a scowl. What was she doing? He didn’t need her help. How his daughter’s hair looked wasn’t a matter of life or death.
“Hey Darby Doodle, ready to go?” Darby ran and threw her arms around her dad.
“How was your day?” Darby pulled back and crossed her arms. She glared at Sophie.
“That mean Miss Sophie won’t let me be Mary in the baby Jesus play. I told her that’s who I wanted to be, but she won’t let me.” An alligator tear rolled down her eye.
“Wait, a Nativity play? That sounds fun.”
“It won’t be. She’s mean. I hate her!” Darby stomped her foot.
“Come on now. That’s not the way to be.” He wiped her tear with his thumb. “Sometimes things don’t always work out the way we want them to.” Sam glanced up and realized Sophie was standing there.
With her arms crossed.
With a look that could only mean did you really just say that?
Now would be a good time to leave. “Get your coat. Did you do any projects we need to take?”
“Yeah, I made an ornament.” She ran to her cubby and retrieved it. “See, I made Daddy H, Mama T and this is you and this is me.” She threw on a proud grin.
“Daddy H and Mama T?” Sophie stepped near them.
Sam looked up. “Darby, go get your coat. I’ll be right with you.” He turned to Sophie. “Daddy Henry and Mama Tara.” He sat down on the edge of the child-sized table. “Remember Henry? My older brother? They were in a tragic car accident.”
Sophie’s mouth formed an O, and she put her hand on his shoulder. “That’s awful.” She sat down beside him. “How old was Darby?”
“Yes, it was. Horrible. She was two. Tara died immediately. Henry asked me to raise Darby if he didn’t make it.” His face clouded. Sophie moved her hand to his. The warmth of her compassion travelled to his heart. Oh, how he had missed her.
“So, you’ve been raising her the last two years?” She put her hand back in her lap.
“Yep. For a while I really questioned whether it was a good idea or not. There were more than a few times she would have been better off with someone else.” Who did I think I was to raise a kid? I couldn’t even have a successful relationship.
“Learning to do diapers? Definitely a learning curve. She’s a good kid. I feel really blessed to have her. We had to learn together—feel each other out. Figure out what it was like to be a pair. She’s changed my life.” Sam stole a glance at the stunning woman beside him. His heart pushed out a strained beat. Sophie was so beautiful it hurt. He wanted to reach out and touch her. Why, oh, why had he broken it off? He swallowed. He needed to be careful here. He couldn’t just think of myself. He had to think of Darby first.
“Did your parents help out?”
“My folks help out now and then. They stop by long enough for my dad to tell me all the things I’m doing wrong.” All I ever wanted from him was praise and to be proud of me. At the very least to recognize that I was trying.
“So, nothing’s changed with them, huh?” Her lips had a tug of a smile. He nodded. She adjusted the scarf on her head. “Remember that time when we stopped by their house to borrow a hammer so I could hang pictures in my apartment?”
“And my dad told me I didn’t know the handle from the claw?” They laughed. “And you held the nail while I hammered. You were pretty brave.” He remembered the scent of her hair rubbing against his bare arm.
Sam cleared his throat and glanced at Darby, who was drawing a picture. “After I lost my job, Henry took me on as a carpenter apprentice. That’s what I do now. I really like it.”
“Maybe losing your job didn’t turn out to be a bad thing.” The only bad thing about it was losing you.
“What are you doing now?” He looked into her hazel eyes.
“I’ve been subbing for a second-grade class while the teacher is on maternity leave. I was hoping to get hired full time, but it’s really hard to get on at that school. So, I’ve applied for my dream job at an international school.”
“You always liked to travel. And I’m sure you’re a good teacher. Darby loves you.”
“In spite of not being Mary. The truth is, I only have so many costumes and the one for Mary is way too large for her. She’ll make a great angel.”
“She’ll get over it. She doesn’t hold a grudge for very long.” Sam stood and glanced at Darby, who was chasing Daniel around the room. “Come on Darby. Grab your picture and coat. We need to get some dinner.”
“I want to ask a favor of you. Would you be willing to play guitar for us? We want to sing Away in a Manger and it would be way better with an instrument.”
Sam turned. “Uh yeah. I guess I could do that. Tomorrow?” Sophie nodded.
* * *
Sophie walked outside, zipped up her down jacket and pulled her knit hat tighter. The night couldn’t have more gorgeous—cold and clear, filled with more stars than she could count. Orion’s belt sparkled and led her eyes to the big dipper. She flashed to memories of Sam, holding her hand, pointing out the constellations.
She sighed. Would there be any chance they could get together again? The way he had talked to her this afternoon. Well, she had to admit it was softening her heart. She couldn’t imagine taking on a two-year-old. Losing his brother and sister-in-law would have been enough trauma. But to try to hold it together for a sweet little girl? She had never seen that coming. Not that he hadn’t liked kids, but they weren’t really in his realm. Kids were her gig. But even with that, could she have taken on the challenge of raising a young niece?
Sophie’s boots crunched through the top layer of snow as she walked towards the hillside. It was lit with hundreds of patio lights strung between poles and large bright lights, as seen at night construction sites. Kids and adults were sledding down. Squeals of laughter and happy voices. She couldn’t help joining the joy with a laugh that escaped her lips.
Suddenly, a sled with a bundled-up girl with a red nose holding tightly to a stuffed raccoon slid by her, narrowly missing her feet. Sophie yelped and jumped back.
“Miss Sophie!”
“Well now, you look like you’re having fun.”
“Yeah, me ’n Chester love sledding.” Darby jumped off the sled, placed Chester on it, and grabbed onto the rope. “You should go down with me! It’s really fun.”
“I don’t know.” Sophie looked around. Sam must be around somewhere. This could be a little awkward.
“Come on. I know you’ll like it.” Darby grabbed her hand and started tugging on her.
“Okay, maybe one ride.” She followed Darby up the hill. “Who is your raccoon?”
“Chester. You know. From The Kissing Hand? The story where his mom kisses the raccoon’s hand and tells him he can always feel her kiss when she puts it on her cheek?” Darby stopped, made Chester give her a kiss on her mitten, and put it onto her cheek. She smiled.
“I do know that story.” Is that how Sam has taught her to remember her mom and dad?
They reached the top, where Sam was waiting.
“You’re going sledding too?” Sophie nodded. “Well hop on. Darby, you sit in front with Chester.”
Sophie climbed onto the sled and put her arms around Darby’s waist. Behind her, a light flashed. Did Sam just snap a photo?
“Ready girls?” Sam crouched down and gave Sophie’s back a shove. Sophie squealed, held tighter to Darby and, not even a minute later, laughed as they reached the bottom of the short hill.
“That was fun, Miss Sophie! Didn’t you think so?” Darby hopped off and held her hand out to Sophie to help her up. Someone’s been teaching her good manners.
“Let’s do it again.” Darby held Sophie’s hand as Sophie drug the sled up the hill.
“Daddy! Chester and I can stay up here while you and Miss Sophie go down.” Sophie hesitated and looked at Sam.
“Come on! You have to!” Darby squealed. “Besides, friends don’t let friends sled alone.”
Sam helped Sophie sit in the front and he slid in behind her. He rested his hands on her shoulders and dug his feet into the snow to push them off the slope. He moved his hands around her waist. She stiffened. This shouldn’t be happening. Before they hit the bottom, her head was leaning against his chest.
Sam swerved to avoid another sled and upturned theirs when it stopped. Sophie face planted and heard a deep, rumbling laughter. She pushed herself up and stood, planting her hands on her hips and a frown on her face.
“Thanks a lot Sam!” He let out another laugh.
“You should see yourself! There’s snow all over your face.” He pulled off his gloves and reached over to flick snow off her eyelashes. He let his fingers linger as he gazed into her eyes.
Sophie’s heart began to race. “It’s really cold out here.” She had to remember what he had done to her. She couldn’t let herself get pulled into his touches. “I’m going in to get some hot cocoa.” Don’t look at his eyes. Or his lips. Or think about kissing him. Nope. Not gonna let him hurt me again.
“Yeah. Good idea. I’ll get Darby and join you in a minute.”