Sweet on Sophie ( (A Red Maple Falls Novel, #11) Read online

  Table of Contents

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  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Epilogue

  Sneak Peek of All Because of You

  Also by Theresa

  Become a Townie

  Acknowledgements

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  Sweet on Sophie

  A Red Maple Falls Novel

  Theresa Paolo

  COPYRIGHT

  All rights reserved.

  Printed in the United States of America.

  No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval systems, without prior written permission of the author except where permitted by law.

  Published by Theresa Paolo

  Copyright February 2020

  Edited by CookieLynn Publishing Services

  Cover Design by Amanda Walker PA and Design Services

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious.

  Any similarity to real persons, living or dead is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Dedicated to my Red Maple Falls readers.

  This book is for you.

  Chapter 1

  As a doctor, there wasn't much Drake Stevens couldn't handle. Before becoming a family practitioner in the small town of Red Maple Falls, he worked in the ER at Mass General. He'd seen it all, from a severed hand to gunshot wounds. When he opened his own practice, things weren't as crazy, but he still had a few doozies… like the time little Matthew Hayes shoved a raisin up his nose, and with the moisture from his mucus, it had expanded, blocking his nostril. Then there was Old Man Simpson, who came in with aches and pains that he could not explain. Turned out he liked to indulge quite often and hadn’t realized he’d fallen off a bar stool the night before.

  Drake was prepared for anything; nothing worried him or rattled him until today.

  He glanced in the rearview mirror, catching the innocent brown eyes of his six-year-old niece. The six-year-old just lost her mother, his sister, to ovarian cancer. Charlotte stopped crying the day after the funeral, but she stopped talking then, too. He didn’t know what to do or say to help her through this nightmare that he was having a rough time navigating himself. He was usually good with the kids who came into his office, but he only had to give them words of encouragement for the short time they were in his office, and after they left, it was the parents who took over. That he could handle. This was way over his head.

  He wasn’t a parent. Never planned to be. He was the middle guy who kept them healthy and patched them up. When he finished, he handed them to their keepers, and he went on with his day. He couldn’t hand Charlotte off. No. For some reason, that he couldn’t comprehend, his sister thought he was the best choice to raise her only child.

  Clearly, she wasn’t in her right mind toward the end. If she was, she would have known that a pack of wolves would have been a better option. Yes, he could take care of Charlotte’s physical needs. Treat her when she gets sick or hurts herself, make sure she eats a balanced, healthy diet, but it was everything else that worried him. He knew nothing about the emotional needs of a six-year-old. Her silence baffled him. Obviously, she was reacting to her mother’s death and the changes she was facing, but he didn’t know what to do to make this transition easier.

  They’d been in the car for two hours, and she hadn’t made a peep. He hoped she would tell him if she had to use the bathroom or if she was hungry, or thirsty. Maybe she’d actually answer him if he asked…

  “You okay back there?”

  She met his eyes in the rearview mirror, grasping her doll to her chest, and gave the slightest of smiles before nodding. He accepted her nod and focused on the road. They were thirty minutes from his place…well, their place now, and he was looking forward to getting out of the car, stretching his legs, and helping Charlotte settle in before he came up with a plan.

  He needed to enroll her in school. Luckily, it was four days before the first day. Once in school, he wouldn’t have to worry about where Charlotte would go while he was at work.

  Work had always been his main priority. He had an entire town that depended on him, and he couldn’t let them down. Charlotte was his priority now, but what about Terry, who needed him to keep up with her blood work and keep her sugar under control? Or one of the many Hayes’ who were growing their families and needed him for yearly checkups and when the children got themselves into a bit of trouble that required a trip to the doctor’s office?

  Tension pulled across his shoulder blades, and he rolled his shoulders to try and break up the tightness. He’d sign Charlotte up for school then speak with his office manager, Kristen, and see if he could work his schedule around Charlotte’s, even if it meant cutting his hours or bringing Charlotte to the office for a couple hours a day.

  He’d find a way. He always did. And he suspected that was why his sister entrusted him with her pride and joy. If anything, he was resourceful.

  Thirty minutes later, he pulled into the driveway of his two-story colonial and placed the car in park. He’d fallen in love with the house from the minute he’d seen it, even though it was too much house for him. Now, with Charlotte, she’d have plenty of space to run around and grow. Maybe there was a reason he’d been so drawn to this house. Or maybe he was just trying to make sense of everything.

  “Home sweet home!” he announced and turned in his seat to face Charlotte.

  She glanced at the house, her brown hair falling from her sloppily tied ponytail. He’d done the best he could, but he’d definitely have to try harder if it couldn’t hold up to three hours in the car.

  He got out of the car at the same time Charlotte opened her door and slid out. The hot pink and purple leggings clashed with her red and green Christmas top. She’d dressed herself this morning, and he didn’t have the heart to tell her. Her orange shoes brought the whole ensemble together.

  “Come on, I’ll show you your new room and tomorrow we can go to the store and buy whatever you want.” She didn’t have much to bring with her. His sister had struggled to pay her bills and provide the little she could. They’d been estranged for so long until her diagnosis that even when he tried to help out, she refused his offers. He’d sent Christmas presents in the form of gift cards, and luckily, she had accepted those without a fight.

  Charlotte had clean clothes and always had food on the table, though. But her bedframe was broken, her mattress a hand-me-down and her dresser three knobs short of being complete. After years of paying off student loans, he was finally caught up and had a decent savings. He’d get Charlotte whatever she needed or wanted.

  He might not have had a clue on how to be a parent, but he knew one thing for sure. His niece would never go without.

  Chapter 2

  Sophie Reynolds looked around her classroom, p
leased with the progress she had made. Bright colors stood out against the stark off-white walls, giving the space an inviting and fun appearance. The ABC’s lined the front wall taped above the large dry erase board and corkboard. A cute die-cut border of multicolor puzzle pieces outlined the corkboard. The middle was filled with yellow paper and beside it, cutouts of crayons with their colors labeled in thick black marker. Sophie had made the crayons her first year as a teacher and the laminate she’d covered them in kept them a permanent fixture every year.

  She had her reading corner set up with a bright green carpet, white wicker rocking chair with a fuzzy purple pillow, and a group of bookshelves lined up into an L, creating a nook. The word READ in multiple colors hung from yellow ribbons on the outside of the bookshelf.

  She wanted to promote a calming space, so she added a few succulents on top of the bookshelves in small owl planters to match her theme this year: Hoot Hoot Horray! You’re in First Grade!

  The book nook was her favorite spot, and she only wished she had more books to fill the neon green, pink, and blue baskets that she used to group the books by reading level and category. Unfortunately, on her salary, she could only afford to buy a few new ones every year. Her online wish lists had helped get the collection she had, and she hoped, in time, she’d be fully stocked.

  But she had other needs as well. The school budget didn’t allow for much, so she was constantly reaching into her own pocket to provide the necessary tools for her students to make their time in the classroom as productive and exciting as possible.

  She took a few photos and texted them to her twin sister. After all, Ellie had helped her come up with this year’s theme.

  Ellie: Looks great, sis. The kids will LOVE it.

  She hoped so. If they were comfortable in the classroom, it would help them be their true selves, which is all she wanted for her students.

  A knock on her door grabbed her attention, and she spun with a smile. Joan, the second-grade teacher, and Beverly, the fourth-grade teacher, stood in her doorway. Both had been at the school for twenty-five years, and Sophie had learned the ropes from both when she’d first started.

  “Hi ladies. What can I do for you?”

  Beverly, donning a Red Maple Falls Elementary sweatshirt from last year’s field day, stepped into the room. Her graying hair was parted down the middle and pulled back in a low ponytail. “I told you her classroom looked amazing,” Beverly said, her brown eyes drifting to Joan.

  Joan followed Bev into the room and stood beside her. Joan towered over Bev by a good six inches. Her hair was a mix of brown and gray was cut into a bob with bangs. Her gaze settled for a moment on the book nook, and pride filled Sophie.

  “How can you afford all this on our salary?” Joan asked.

  “I get a lot of help through online wish lists.”

  “See,” Beverly said, and Joan nodded.

  “See what?” Sophie usually could follow the two women’s conversations, but she was a little lost at the moment.

  “We think it’s time we passed the baton down,” Beverly said.

  Sophie’s eyebrow lifted in curiosity. “What baton?”

  Joan brought her attention back to Sophie. “You know every year, Bev and I are in charge of the fundraisers, and we think it’s time new blood takes over, and you’re the perfect choice.”

  Sophie pointed to herself. “Me?”

  “Absolutely,” Beverly said. “Your classroom always looks the best, and you already know how to go about using the internet to get help. All Joan and I have are the same tired ideas. People are getting sick of bake sales.”

  “Who can possibly be sick of a bake sale? Everyone loves baked goods, and if you get Shay Hayes to donate some cupcakes from Sweet Dreams Bakery, you’re guaranteed a great turnout.”

  “And you’re friends with Shay, so even better,” Joan said.

  Who wasn’t friends with Shay? She was Red Maple Falls cupcake supplier. Everyone in town had been in her shop, bought her cupcakes, and stuck around to ask about her two sons. She was always happy to pull out her phone and show pictures of the boys.

  “I guess I can ask her,” Sophie said.

  “A bake sale is great, but we need something that’ll bring in a little more money,” Bev said. “We’re looking to update the books in the library. They’re really starting to show their age, and it’s only a matter of time before they start falling apart.”

  “Also,” Joan chimed in. “We want to get tablets for the kids. All my grandkids have it at their schools in Boston, and we don’t want our students to miss out on opportunities that we can provide them.”

  “What do you say?” Bev prodded.

  If Sophie hadn’t been ambushed, she might’ve had time to come up with a reasonable excuse, but at the moment, she didn’t have a single one. “Sure. Why not?”

  Bev and Joan clapped their hands together and let out an excited cheer.

  “We’re hoping to have the new books before Christmas break,” Joan said, and Sophie’s head whipped up.

  “That gives me only four months to plan and execute.”

  “We have faith in you, dear,” Bev said, and Sophie was glad someone did.

  She took a deep breath, pushing down the panic forcing its way to the surface. It took her an entire summer to come up with a theme for her classroom. Four months seemed like a lot of time, but they wanted the books before Christmas break, so she didn’t only have to have the money, she needed to have the purchases done and the new books stocked on the shelves.

  She’d figure it out. She always did. She just needed to come up with a plan of action.

  “Let us know if we can help,” Joan said, but by the way she and Bev hurried out the door, Sophie wouldn’t hold her breath on getting help from them.

  She glanced around the classroom one more time, taking in all the little details and colors that made the space look amazing. “I pulled this off,” she said to herself. “I never think I can, and every year I do.”

  With a sudden boost of confidence, she grabbed her bag and headed out. She had to think, and she always did her best thinking when she mindlessly browsed the shelves of the local businesses.

  Sophie walked into the Country Times Department Store. It wasn’t exactly Macy’s or any of the other big box stores, but it was the closest thing they had in Red Maple Falls. It was a hidden gem lost amongst the trees on the corner of Pinecone Avenue and Acorn Drive. It had everything from apparel to school supplies to housewares to tractor parts and even livestock feed. As a first-grade teacher, Sophie loved to wander through the school supply section.

  She waved to Maisey, who’d been manning the register since Sophie was a kid. A large mounted deer head hung above the register, looking out at the store.

  Sophie headed straight for the school supply aisle and came to an abrupt stop when she spotted Drake Stevens.

  Oh no.

  He looked deliciously good in a pair of khaki shorts, navy blue button-down, and boat shoes. It was a shame he was such a dud, and they had zero chemistry. She had high hopes for that date a couple years ago, going as far as imagining their wedding and their children. She was a little crazy, but on paper, the man was perfect.

  She never expected that date to be one of the biggest disappointments of her life. How could someone who was so good looking, so accomplished, so kind to his patients, be so disconnected and aloof?

  The date was a total disaster and exactly why she’d been avoiding any and all contact with him since. She couldn’t bump into him now. She needed to save herself the inevitable awkward exchange. That is, if he even cared to remember who she was. By the way he carried himself on their date, she’d bet her arts and craft supplies that he would not.

  She was probably just one of many women he brought to dinner. Though she couldn’t imagine how well they turned out if he couldn’t even pay attention to what she had to say. Sure, teaching wasn’t for everyone, but at least show some respect and pretend to care.


  About to turn around and pick another aisle, her feet stopped when she heard him mumble under his breath. “Wide ruled or college ruled. How the hell am I supposed to know? Does it matter? She’s not in college…”

  Against her better judgment, she moved toward him. A young girl about six stood at his side in a pair of lime green leggings and a red and black plaid shirt. Her brown hair hung in her face as she stared at the floor.

  Drake Stevens didn’t have children, but Kristen had said his sister recently died, and he gained custody of his niece. Sophie hadn’t thought much about it. Why would she? But now, standing here, watching the poor guy try to decide between wide ruled and college ruled, she couldn’t walk away.

  “Wide ruled,” she announced and pointed to the bright pink composition notebook in his hand.

  “Sophie!” The notebooks fumbled from his hands, but he managed to catch them before dropping them to the floor. He recovered, stood straighter and smiled. “Hi.”

  She offered a smile back, then bent down to the little girl hiding behind his leg and peering out to her.

  “Hi,” she said. “I love your outfit. Did you pick it out yourself?”

  The girl nodded.

  “My name’s Sophie. What’s yours?”

  The girl didn’t respond. She stared at her with doe eyes and a barely there, shy smile.

  “Um, she doesn’t talk,” Drake said, and Sophie glanced up at him. He motioned his hands toward her, the pages of the notebook flopping with the movement. “I mean she does, but she’s not right now.”

  His eyes locked on hers and, without him uttering a word, Sophie understood.

  “That’s okay, we don’t need words,” Sophie said. “If I had to guess you’re about six years old?”

  The shy smile blossomed slightly.

  “I bet I’m right,” Sophie said, offering an encouraging and joyous grin.

  The girl nodded, and Sophie threw her arms in the air. “I knew it! Are you going into first grade this year?”

  Another nod.

  Sophie gasped and pressed a hand to her chest. “I’m a first-grade teacher. How awesome is it that you’re going to be in my class?”