“Okay, tell me what’s going on. In all the years I’ve known you, any time I ask if you like a guy you pop back with a for sure no. Even Trey, I knew you were only with him for the sex.”
I loved my best friend, but sometimes I wanted to tape her mouth shut. “I’m not really sure what I’m feeling right now, Annie. I’ve never . . . well I mean . . . he makes me feel . . . I guess I . . .”
“Jesus! Spit it the hell out.”
“That’s just it. I don’t know how I feel! I’ve never felt like this before.”
She gasped. “Have you talked to Sister Elizabeth? What does she say?”
I rolled my neck a few times to get the tension out. “Hey, I’ve got to go. I have an almost six-year-old barreling at me on a bike with training wheels and she’s out of control.”
“What! He has a kid! Holy fu—”
Hitting end, I smiled as Sophie rode her bike up to me and hit the brakes hard and fast. Must run in the family.
“Paislie!” She turned to Clarisse and waved. “Paislie is gonna watch me now. She’s my new best friend!”
Clarisse and I had met last night in the kitchen when I was sneaking around the house trying to find my way about. She gave me a tour of the house and then made us both a cup of tea. We talked for three hours about everything and anything. I instantly loved her. I knew it was because she reminded me of one of the nuns back at St Patrick’s.
“Sophie, Virginia will be here any minute to get you.”
Glancing up, I gave her a questioning look. “Her nanny. Malcolm insisted Sophie only go to after-school care three days a week. Monday’s and Friday’s Virginia comes. She’s running late today.”
With my hands on my hips, I flashed Sophie a huge smile. “Well, if it’s okay with Clarisse, I’d love to hang out until Virginia gets here.”
Sophie jumped off her bike and ran to the older woman where she dropped to her knees and begged.
Clarisse shook her head and said, “Fine. You be a good girl for Ms. Paislie, you hear?”
“Yes ma’am!” Promptly turning, she got back on her bike and started peddling while Clarisse got in the little golf cart she had been riding in while following Sophie, and headed back to the house.
“Do you like it here?” Sophie asked.
I shrugged. “Well, I haven’t gotten a chance to really look around yet. I did hear there are horses here though!” I said with excitement in my voice.
“And ponies! Uncle Malcolm bought me one for my birthday last year and then said it was lonely so he bought another one. I didn’t really get to visit them much when we lived with Daddy, but now that Mommy and me live here all the time I can see them anytime I want!”
Wow. Malcolm really likes spoiling Sophie. “That was nice of him to do that for your pony.”
Sophie nodded her head. “Yeah. Mommy said Uncle Malcolm likes to spoil me because he has a broken heart.”
That piqued my interest. “He does? Oh how sad! Why?”
“Casey.”
That was unexpected.
Casey? Who’s Casey?
“I don’t think I’ve met her yet,” I said, hoping that would pull more information out of her.
Oh, good lord. I’m pumping information from a five-year-old.
“Oh, she’s dead!”
I stopped walking and stared at her. “She’s . . . dead?”
Sophie did a circle around me. “Yep. I’m not allowed to talk about it ‘cause it makes Uncle Malcolm really, really sad.”
“Oh,” I said, disappointed I wouldn’t get any additional information.
“But I can talk to you ‘cause you won’t be sad ‘cause you don’t know her.”
I fist pumped internally and I knew God was shaking his head at me. Glancing up toward the heavens I mouthed, Sorry Lord. Forgive me.
“Nope, I don’t know her so you can tell me. Why does it make him so sad?” I asked.
“Promise not to tell?”
I crossed my heart. “Promise.”
I’m totally going to Hell.
“Uncle Malcolm got hit when he was driving and she went to heaven while he held her and said goodbye.”
My heart dropped to my stomach. I covered my mouth as I let the little bits of information Sophie fed me sink in. Who was Casey and how long ago did this happen? In all my research I hadn’t found anything about a girlfriend named Casey.
“How sad,” I mumbled.
“Yeah. Do you want to run while I ride my bike? I’m fast.”
And like that, Sophie had moved on. “Ahh . . . sure! Let’s go!”
She took off as I ran next to her. By the time we got up to the house and she rode around me a few more times, Virginia pulled up and off Sophie went to head to some jumping place.
I waved goodbye as I watched the car drive off. Turning, I went to head up the porch stairs only to find Malcolm standing at the top. My breath hitched as I took in the beautiful sight before my eyes. His scruff was trimmed to perfection and I quickly found myself imagining it rubbing against my skin. My nipples hardened at the thought.
Ugh. Stop it, Paislie!
“She really likes you,” he said with a genuine smile.
I returned it with one of my own as I pushed all naughty thoughts away. “I really like her. She has more energy than the Energizer Bunny though, I swear!”