Firefly Duet: New Beginnings and Lasting Love Read online

  “Thank her for me.”

  Sofia clicked off her phone and sat down with her mom to relay the news. A vision of Jett’s truck rolling into one of the magnificent Colorado fields made Sofia drop her head forward, her eyes stinging with tears. Her father had been the one to cry with her at Anthony’s funeral. Silent and strong, her mother gently smoothed her hand the length of Anthony’s coffin, a final gesture in taking care of her beloved son.

  “Would you be okay without me for the day, Mom?”

  “Do you want me to go to the hospital with you to visit Jett?”

  Sofia shook her head. “I’ll have Rafe take me.”

  “Eat something,” her mother encouraged. “I’ll be fine.

  Sofia took a small bite of the blueberry muffin, drifting backward in time two nights ago. Jim’s teasing kisses. His tongue sweeping hers. The wry smile when he tasted pie on her lips.

  Will, Kai and Leo’s oldest son’s, face showed sheer gratitude when they arrived to drop off her mother for the day to visit with the kids.

  “I need your help,” she said as Rafe backed down the driveway.

  “Sure. I have to stop at the ranch and do a few chores Jim asked, then I’m free for whatever you need.”

  “How long will that take you?”

  “Maybe an hour.”

  “Can we stop at Jett’s house on the way? I need to talk to Cindy.”

  Rafe stopped the car at the bottom of the driveway. “Doc Cindy?”

  “Yes, I’m ninety-nine percent sure I can find her there.”

  “So that’s why she wasn’t at the ranch for dinner last night. Are they sleeping together?”

  Sofia dipped her head at Rafe. “You’re not serious with that question, are you?”

  “No. God. Sorry. My brain’s for shit today. Why would she be at Jett’s house? What are you talking about?”

  “Rafe.” Sofia put her hand on his arm. “Last night at the ranch…”

  “You don’t know what the conversation with Jim was about,” Rafe interrupted.

  “Then tell me,” she said, taking advantage of him mistaking where the conversation was heading.

  Rafe backed out of the driveway on a frustrated sigh. “I can’t.”

  Her question was one a best friend would never answer. “That was unfair of me.”

  He glanced her direction and grimaced. “Just trust me. You two need to talk.”

  Sofia nodded. “Can you take me to the hospital today? I’d like to visit Jett. Maybe Jim and I can talk more.”

  “I still don’t get the Doc Cindy connection.”

  Sofia sighed. “When Jett followed me last night, he told me he just found out he has a son. I think he wanted to tell the whole family too. I’m not sure. But then he and Jim argued and, well, we know the rest. All I know is Jett says he’s been seeing Dr. Wheeler, as a patient, and I guess she was helping him otherwise. She was babysitting last night.”

  “Fuck.” Rafe muttered under his breath and accelerated. “How old is the kid?”

  “Four. His name is RJ. I tried calling Dr. Wheeler’s cell phone earlier this morning. She didn’t answer. I don’t even know if she’s aware of the accident.”

  “In this small town? She knows.”

  Fifteen minutes later, after knocking on the door and looking in windows at Jett’s place, they returned to the truck.

  “Let’s think a minute,” Rafe said.

  “We should go to the hospital.”

  “I’ll call Will. Since your mom is with the kids, he can go do the couple chores at Ben’s. My guess is Cindy’s en route or already at the hospital.”

  An hour and a half later, Sofia made her way quickly to the fifth-floor ICU after checking in at the information desk.

  “Sofia!” Kai said, letting go of the hand of a little boy who sat on the waiting room chair next to her. “What are you doing here?”

  “I couldn’t stay away—we couldn’t stay away,” Sofia said breathlessly, gesturing to Rafe who followed.

  Kai smiled at the little boy pulling on the bottom of her shirt, rubbing her hand over his head. “These are your daddy’s friends, Sofia and Rafe.”

  Rafe squatted. “Hi, buddy.”

  She glanced up when Jim came out of the room across the hall and stopped short.

  “Hi, Sofia.”

  Feeling suddenly like an outsider, she stuttered, “Rafe and I felt like we should come. I want to see Jett. We couldn’t find Cindy. Or RJ.”

  “You knew?” Kai looked to Jim. Sofia silently blessed Rafe who made the awkward moment easier by acting absorbed in getting to know RJ. He settled into a seat and grabbed a children’s book off the table.

  “Let’s find somewhere to talk.” Jim led her down the hall to one of the private waiting rooms. Once inside, he sat on a couch and motioned for her to sit next to him, putting his arm around her. She pressed a fist to her chest at the exhaustion and worry on his face.

  “Jim, I didn’t know about RJ until last night. I think Jett wanted to tell everyone.”

  “Before I acted like a jealous ass.”

  “What happened?”

  “He took a curve too fast and rolled his truck.”

  “He was intoxicated.” Sofia’s voice held resignation. “Where’s RJ’s mother now?”

  “She split. I only know the story from Doc Cindy. Jett told her the mother was a drug addict and couldn’t take care of the boy any longer.” Jim shook his head.

  “What’s going to happen now? With RJ?”

  “Kai is going to take him home with her tonight. He can stay with her and Leo for a few days, and then I’ve said I’ll take him until Jett can get back on his feet.” Jim squeezed his arm around her shoulder and leaned his head against the wall with his eyes shut.

  “It could be several months before Jett is recovered enough to take care of RJ. What about the lodge?”

  He opened his eyes and smiled. “I know. He’s my brother’s son. He needs his family. I’m his family.”

  “But—”

  Jim put his head against the wall again, watching her. “I know I asked you to stay to help. But the reality is, things are going to be on hold for a while.”

  Sofia looked down at her hands. “I understand.”

  Jim placed his hands on his knees and stood. “Let’s go see him.”

  Outside Jett’s hospital room, Ben now sat with RJ on his lap. He bounced the boy on his knee and sang a nursery song about wheels on the bus. The boy laughed and giggled adorably, and Sofia stopped in the hallway. This family that accepted her so lovingly weeks ago now poured attention on Jett’s son.

  “It’s so sweet,” she said.

  “Sofia’s going to go in,” Jim told the group, and everyone nodded.

  She smiled awkwardly, as if a spotlight was on her and everyone grasped something she didn’t.

  “It’s a shock at first,” Leo put his hand on Kai’s knee to steady her as she spoke. “It will help him to know you’re here.”

  The lights were dimmed, but even so it was immediately apparent how much equipment surrounded Jett. His body lay bandaged from the neck down.

  “Oh, Jett.” Sofia put her hand over her heart and stood alongside the bed. Machines hummed, breathed, and blinked. An IV drip hung from a metal frame.

  Jett’s eyes were closed and she took his hand, relieved to find it warm. She studied every feature of his face, from his incredibly long eyelashes to his nose with the slightest bump, she guessed from being broken sometime in the past.

  “You’re the only man I know who can break every bone in his body and still be vain enough not to get a scratch on his handsome face.” She smiled at her own teasing. “You promised to teach me to tie flies.” She let go of Jett’s hand and picked at her cuticles. She couldn’t remember the last time she cared about her fingernails. “Look what I’ve become.” She held up her hands as if Jett could see.

  Straightening her back, Sofia moved a chair close and clasped her hands in her lap like a schoolm
arm addressing an unruly student. “Please listen.” She examined each piece of equipment surrounding the bed. “When are you going to let go of a path that no longer works?” She lifted her chin. “Your life is meant for so much more.” Her voice wobbled. “You’re smart. And fun. And you taught me how to fish. You’re going to teach your son to fish. This accident is either going to be the worst thing that ever happens to you or the best. Maybe it will pull your head out of your ass and make you face your demons. If it gets you past whatever pain pushes you to drink yourself to death, then there is no doubt it will have been worth it.”

  She shook the bedrail and let go, fists clenched. “You’re so lucky you have a brother. Your family loves you, and so do I. You’re so damn lucky and you’re acting too stupid to know it.”

  “Sofia?” Cindy entered the room and came to stand by her side. “Are you okay? We could hear you,” she said gently. “You were yelling at him.”

  “I’m so sorry.” She made eye contact with Jim who stood just inside the door. “I shouldn’t be here any longer. I can’t do this again.”

  Chapter 21

  Sofia listened to Ben whistling in the kitchen. Glancing at the clock, she realized she and her mother would be on a plane heading home in only six hours. Yesterday’s trip back to the Ben’s house was somber, leaving Jim behind at the hospital seemed a practice run for her departure today. She’d vowed not to look back as they drove away, but she did. He placed his hat on his head, tucked his hands in his pockets, and dropped his head forward.

  After donning her robe, Sofia padded to the kitchen and joined Ben at the table.

  “Coffee?”

  She nodded. “When will Jim be back?”

  “Late afternoon. This is our last morning together.”

  Sofia took a sip of coffee to wash down the lump in her throat.

  “How about you tell me one more story about Anthony?”

  It seemed easier this morning to talk about her brother than to think of leaving Ashnee Valley for good. “My stories about Anthony have all led up to the day he died.”

  Ben nodded.

  “Anthony was in the hospital. He’d been in and out of there for the last few weeks, and he was aware he would die soon. I went every day after work.” She stared at the liquid in her mug. “There was snow on the ground. Anthony loved winter. He used to play hockey, snowboard, ski, anything. So it didn’t really surprise me when he asked me to help him get bundled up so he could go outside. But this was something the hospital would not permit because he was so weak. He begged me. ‘What does it matter?’ he’d argued.” Sofia pressed her lips together. “So we snuck out.”

  “Troublemakers.” Ben smiled gently. “What happened when you went outside?”

  “He hit me with a snowball.”

  Ben raised his eyebrows. “I bet you didn’t see that coming.”

  “No, I didn’t. He threw another one and egged me on, but I wouldn’t throw back. How could I hit my dying brother with a snowball? It didn’t make sense, what he was doing. Anthony handed me a snowball at one point, and I remember staring at it like it was a foreign object. ‘Goddamn it, Sofia, hit back!’ He got very mad, his face all red and he was out of breath. ‘Hit back. Hit back.’ I wanted him to shut up.” Sofia cleared her throat. “I wanted him to shut up and I told him to. Shut. Up. Get it over with.”

  Ben nodded. “I understand the feeling.”

  Her breath came in shallow gulps now. “I threw that snowball as hard as I could and it hit him right in the face.” She ducked her head, a hot tear landing on her nightgown as Ben waited patiently for her to go on.

  “Anthony laughed so hard he fell to his knees, and I ran over to him like a big ninny. I don’t know what I was thinking. I know better.” She sniffed and smiled at Ben. “I was afraid I’d hurt him because he’d fallen. It didn’t even register he was laughing.” She wiped her nose on the back of her sleeve and then reached for the napkin Ben slid across the table. “Anthony pulled me down on top of him and shoved snow down my back.” Hot tears streamed down her face.

  “He wanted to play.”

  “Yes.” Her voice trembled in reaction to Ben’s encouragement. “His doctor. He scolded me. He said it was a big mistake for me to take him outside. He said I let him get too cold.” Sofia hung her head and sobbed.

  “Do you think it was a mistake?” Ben asked when she’d worn herself out.

  “Yes.” She nodded. “I just wanted him to be my brother one more time. I’m so sorry for what I did.”

  Ben put his hand on her cheek. “Oh, Sofia. You were showing him you loved him.”

  “I was the last one to see him alive. He died before my parents arrived in the morning. I’m so selfish.”

  Ben took her hand. “I don’t think you were selfish at all.”

  “I took that last chance away from them.” Sofia wiped her eyes with the napkin and blew her nose. “I won’t take anything else from them.”

  “It sounds like you and Jim…talked about children?”

  Sofia nodded. “I understand. He’s going to have his hands full taking care of RJ.”

  “I see,” Ben said with a grim expression. “That’s what he told you?”

  “It’s for the best. It’s time for me to go home now.” Sofia paused. “Jett’s going to be okay.”

  “With time, yes.”

  “In the meantime, you have another grandson.”

  “Indeed.” Ben chuckled.

  Her words came out barely a whisper as she fought back tears again. “I’m going to miss our talks.”

  Ben sat back in his chair, a squeeze to her hand before he let go. “I’m going to miss you. You’re like a second daughter to me.”

  “I made something for you. Can I show you?”

  “Is it a pie?” Ben joked.

  Sofia met his grin with one of her own, appreciating his humor more than he would ever know. “I’m afraid not. It’s a mock-up for a book about the lodge and Catherine.”

  “Yes. Show me.”

  She left the room to retrieve her laptop and returned to the kitchen table. “I would never pursue this if you don’t like the idea, so don’t hesitate to tell me.” Sitting close, Sofia pulled up a graphic file and slid her computer in front of Ben. “The idea started first from listening to Jim and how he wants to restore the main lodge. The grand room, for example, would be called Catherine Hall.”

  Ben pulled a handkerchief from his back pocket, wiping his eyes. “No one has told me about that yet.”

  Sofia continued. “And remember Jett’s idea is to add little homes or cabins to the property. Here’s the map we looked at before. He wants to name each one after Kai’s children so everyone is included. I filled it in with examples.”

  Ben chuckled. “Suze Q House. Look there, you put the twins’ houses together connected by a deck in between. That’s clever.”

  Encouraged by Ben’s response, she closed the map and opened the file for the book. “This would be an art book. Big.” She gestured size with her hands. “With mostly photographs of Catherine’s sculptures and also her notes and sketches from her art journals. Using the book, the photographs and notes could also be made into signs around the property to accompany Catherine’s actual sculptures and incorporated outdoors on paths between buildings.”

  Ben put his arm around her shoulder and hugged her to his side. “Where they were always meant to be.”

  Sofia put her head on Ben’s shoulder and kept clicking through so he could view the whole concept. “Where they were always means to be,” she repeated.

  “I’m overwhelmed.” Ben pressed the bandana to both eyes. “You put all the ideas together? You took all these photographs?” He scrolled back to one of the handwritten notes. “I haven’t seen Catherine’s handwriting in years. I never read her diary.”

  “So, you like it?”

  “Every bit of it. But how will this happen if you aren’t here to guide it?”

  “Your sons will do it. I don’t know
anything about construction or renovation. I think working on it together, once Jett recovers, will bring them closer. The way you wanted. With your blessing, I’ll move ahead on the book.”

  “Your eyes dance when you tell me about all this. I’d be honored if you went ahead.”

  Her mouth lifted into a smile. A streak of sunshine in the midst of her broken heart. “It gives me purpose now that I’m going back to New York and takes pressure off other expectations.”

  Ben observed her contemplatively. “We tend to put ourselves and each other in boxes.”

  Sofia sighed, pulling the laptop in front of herself again and shutting down her computer.

  “Sofia, I’ve spent most of my life doing what was expected of me. The only time I didn’t was when Catherine died. I wasn’t a good father.”

  “You’re such a good father and grandfather.”

  He scooted his chair back, stood, and walked to the counter to pour another cup of coffee. “I am now. I wasn’t for a time. It’s easy to blame that on grief. People, even my kids, understand it to a certain degree. And it was grief, but not entirely.”

  “What else was it?”

  “I never wanted to disappoint those who died. Whether my parents when they passed or Catherine’s memory, so I just barreled down the road I was already on.” Ben sat down again. “I didn’t embrace the detour or the people who were still alive. By doing that, my kids didn’t learn how to do this very well either. We’re still trying to bring ourselves back together. All I’m saying is talk with your family.”

  Sofia nodded. “I’ll try.”

  Chapter 22

  It had been forty-eight hours since Sofia departed Colorado, and he was miserable as fuck while he waited for the elevator to open to the fifth floor at the hospital.

  “Hi, Jim. Your brother is having a tough day. He’s stable, but pretty much unconscious between the pain killers and the hard work his body is doing to repair itself. He’ll have to stay in the ICU longer. I know this is frustrating. He is improving. That’s the good news.”