I just lay there on the dining room table, spent. He lifted me gently, as if I were precious and breakable, and carried me to the sofa. He sat down and cradled me to him. Then he kissed the top of my head and stroked my hair. In that moment, I felt beautiful. I felt wanted.
“What time is it?” I whispered in a sleepy haze.
“It’s eleven.” Instantly, all the lust evaporated from my mind, and only one word played on repeat.
Sophie.
“I have to go. I need a shirt. I’m a mess. This was so irresponsible. I have a daughter. I can’t just be doing this. I can’t be some random hookup for a hockey player.” I panicked, running into the dining room, snatching up my clothing. He walked over to me and grabbed my hand, forcing me to look at him. His gaze was soft as he studied me.
“No one said you are random. I don’t want randoms, I am not that guy. I want you because you seem different, you seem to care, maybe even too deeply. I’ll drive you home. I’ll get Trevor to drive your car back to you first thing in the morning before you wake up.” Looking into his eyes in that moment, I felt his words were sincere.
Chapter Seven
Holly
The next morning, I stood in the kitchen, all my thoughts consumed with Bryant. I could feel his touch on my skin and his kiss on my lips. I knew I was in over my head where he was concerned. He was so understanding when it came to Sophie, too. He seemed to place importance on her well-being, which made him more appealing. I just didn’t want to get hurt in all this. Bryant Sommers was the kind of man that, if I allowed it, could really damage me.
“I’m ready for school, Mommy. Did you have a good time at work?” Sophie’s sweet voice broke me out of my thoughts. I looked at her and smiled.
“Yes, baby. It was great. Did you have a good night with Mrs. Miller?”
“Yes, it was awesome. She showed me how to play cribbage. She’s a shark. She really doesn’t cave like you do.”
“I don’t let you win at card games,” I said, feigning shock, when in reality, I always let her win. My mother had been hard on my sister and me. She always pointed out our faults and cheered on being competitive. It crushed my spirit as a child, and I didn’t want that for Sophie. She was only going to be a little girl for such a short time. Life was already cruel; I wanted to shelter her from as much as I could for as long as possible.
“It’s okay, Mommy. I like that you let me win. Mrs. Miller just says that letting me win won’t help me grow. She called herself a hard-ass.”
I laughed, putting my arms around my daughter and loving the feel of her tiny arms around me.
“Let’s get you to school, kiddo.”
“Ready for school, Sophie?” Mrs. Miller walked into the apartment. She had a small Christmas tree in her hand decorated with beautiful red and silver decorations. “This place needed a little holiday cheer. Since you won’t be moving in with me until January, I thought we could decorate this week. What do you say, Sophie?”
“I would love that. Mommy and I always love Christmas. Are we going to the shelter again this year? It’s really nice feeding and helping people who have less than us. Mommy says it’s important to give what you can to show how grateful you are for what you have. I have Mommy and you, Mrs. Miller. I am healthy, I have food in my belly, and I have a nice warm home. Some kids out there don’t have any of that.”
I looked at my daughter, and a stream of tears flowed from my eyes. I couldn’t stop crying. Here was my sweet, beautiful girl who didn’t have much, and yet, she was grateful.
“You’re a good momma, Holly. Don’t forget that,” Mrs. Miller said as she smiled warmly.
“Now, Miss Sophie and I have a date. I promised her a walk to the bus stop. Besides, I figured you might need a few moments of quiet before work.” She winked at me, and I felt the heat rise up to my face.
“Mommy, don’t forget about the food bank.” I was grateful for the reminder. I had forgotten that every year Sophie and I had a Christmas tradition where we did three good deeds. I blamed my forgetting on the stress. This year, we were supposed to be taking the shift from six to nine in the evening. As it was a Friday, I had decided to let Sophie stay up. But this year, I realized, I also had plans with none other than Bryant Sommers.