Matchmakers Box Set: Matchmakers, Encore, Finding Hope (11 page)

Carissa turned her lips up into a crooked grin that Sophia had seen many times on her father’s face. “And does Seattle feel like home?”

Again, her stomach tightened. Nowhere had felt like home—until she’d crossed the threshold of the house with Carissa.

CHAPTER EIGHT

They’d blown off their cello rehearsal, and Sophia feared the wrath of Pablo even though he wasn’t near. He’d threatened to kick her out of his ensemble if she slacked on her practice while away. She hadn’t taken his threats seriously, but it should have been enough to make her stick to a schedule. He’d done it to other musicians.

They’d gone to the chick flick, as promised, and eaten through two buckets of popcorn while trying to hold in the tears between laughs. Afterward, they went to the Juice Emporium and treated themselves to a cold, fruity blend of whatever Mary Alice chose to make for them.

Mary Alice wiped up the counter and looked at Carissa. “Hey, kiddo, will you cover the counter for ten minutes while I gossip with Sophie?”

“Sure.”

Mary Alice joined Sophia at one of the tables. “I’m very happy to see the two of you out and about together. She really has needed a woman in her life. One that wasn’t doped up all the time.”

“I don’t know that I’m in her life very much. I leave in a week.”

Mary Alice nodded. “Well, at least you’ve given her a smile.”

“What does that mean?”

“She’s a sad one,” she said, shooting a glance toward Carissa who was helping a customer. “Don’t get me wrong. She doesn’t walk around moping all the time, but she feels like she’s missed out on that normal life so many of us had.”

“Had...”

“I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories.” Mary Alice placed her hand on Sophia’s.

“No. I was that girl, too,” she said in realization.

“I know that. I was there. That’s why I think you two make a great team. You understand her like no one else can.” She let out a breath. “Well, I don’t want to hook her into working too long. But I did want to invite you and David over for dinner on Sunday night. He’ll be back, right?”

Sophia nodded.

“Great. The boys will all be gone and Carissa’s working so I know the shop will be taken care of. Seven sharp.” Mary Alice patted Sophia’s hand and then went back to work.

Sophia sipped her juice. Mary Alice had scammed her into a dinner date—which was just Mary Alice’s style. She shook her head. Who
wasn’t
in on trying to get her and David back together?

“Okay, so what are we going to do now?” Carissa plopped down in the chair across from Sophia and took a sip of her own drink.

“Let’s see. It’s eight o’clock on Friday night. You’re seventeen years old, and you’re spending the evening with a thirty-six-year-old bore.” She laughed at herself. “What more could you want to do?”

“Go home and paint our toenails.” Carissa bounded from her chair and was out the door before Sophia could even comprehend what she’d said. She waved good-bye to Mary Alice and followed Carissa.

She’d come back to Kansas City planning to leave as soon as the party was over, but she was finding so much that pulled at her to stay.

The smell of popcorn filled the house, even if they weren’t eating much of it after having gorged themselves on it at the movie. The beat of music poured from Sophia’s room, and the sound of laughter filtered above it all. Sophia and Carissa sat on the floor, toenails freshly painted and avocado masks covering their faces.

It was eleven o’clock when Katie finally tapped on the door and then pushed it open when it went unanswered.

“Grandma.” Sophia peeled the cucumber slices from her eyes. “I’m sorry we woke you.”

“Well, we’re not used to late nights around here.” Her tone was soft as it had always been.

“We’re so sorry. We’ll turn it down and wrap it up. We didn’t realize it had gotten so late.” Sophia stood and wobbled to her door. She kissed her gently on the cheek and then wiped off the bit of mask that had transferred to her grandmother’s face.

“I love you, Sophie. I’m so happy that you’re home.”

“I love you, too.” She shut the door and wobbled over to the stereo to turn down the music. “Do you know, in all my life, I don’t think she ever came to the door to tell me I was too loud at night. I can’t remember ever having a slumber party here or friends up here too much. Mary Alice was the only one,” she reminisced. “Do you do this a lot?”

“What, makeovers and slumber parties?”

“Yes.”

“A few times. My friend Emily…my
old
friend Emily and her mom do this all the time. They let me in on it a few times, but it’s kinda their ritual.”

Sophia noticed Carissa’s eyes divert to the ground behind her green avocado mask. She felt the tears stinging her eyes.

It wasn’t sadness in the fact that she hadn’t had friends who wanted to paint their toenails with her when she was younger, or the fact that Emily had broken poor Carissa’s heart by making out with her boyfriend. At least, this was who Sophia assumed had been part of that. What had saddened her was the fact Carissa had wanted to do such things with her mother and didn’t get to. She trusted Sophia to be that mother figure and help her live out her little-girl dreams.

The lump in her throat almost had her gasping for air.

“You know, and I’m not saying I’m going to, but if I were to move back here, we could plan this every few weeks. Just a girls’ night in. Old movies, music, popcorn, and toenail polish. We could have a theme,” she said, realizing she’d committed without meaning to and was about to go further. “We could choose an OPI color. You know, the ones with the real unique names and then plan the whole night around it.”

Carissa looked up at her and smiled. Her eyes had brightened, and Sophia felt the tug at her heart. She’d made her happy.

“I’m going to bed now before Miss Katie grounds us.” Carissa stood and pulled the tissues out from between her toes. “My favorite color is An Affair in Red Square.
What can we do with that?”

“We’ll figure it out.”

“How about Friday night next week before the party?”

“It’s a date.”

Carissa quietly slipped out the door as Sophia’s phone rang. It was David’s number. She inhaled deeply then answered the phone.

“Hello.”

“I’m glad you’re up. I was afraid I was going to wake you.”

“Carissa and I were having a girls’ night.”

“What’s that?”

“We went to a movie, had a juice, painted our toenails, put on avocado masks, listened to music, and laughed.”

“I can’t believe you two are getting along so well. She’s always wanted a mother to do those things with.”

“That’s what she told me. Mandy wasn’t that kind of woman?”

“No. No, she certainly wasn’t.”

Sophia sat down on the edge of her bed. “She calls her Mandy, not Mom.”

“She doesn’t deserve the title,” David repeated the words just as his daughter had done earlier.

“Why did you call me?” Her heart fluttered at the sound of his voice, and she lay back and accepted the wonderful feeling.

“It’s hard to lie in your bed and smell you all around me without thinking about you.”

“Oh, David.” She sat up and raised her hand to her rapidly beating heart. She closed her eyes and thought of the room where he lay. Knowing he was tucked under her sheets in her bed made her long to be there with him.

“I’m sorry, but it’s true. How come this is the only furniture in your house?”

“I only ever slept there. I figured the bed should be nice.”

“Well, it is. I needed to hear your voice though. It wasn’t enough to play the message on your answering machine sixteen times.”

“You didn’t really do that, did you?” The flutters from her heart moved to her stomach. She missed him more than she ever had.

“Don’t believe me? I’m sure your neighbors are not approving of your house guest.”

She laughed.

“When are you coming home?”

“Actually, I just got word that my flight out of Chicago and back to Kansas City will be later.”

“They already know that?”

“Yeah. Broken plane, canceled flight, reorganization. It happens. So I should fly in tomorrow night about eleven fifteen.”

“Carissa will be sad. She misses you.”

“Doesn’t sound like it. Sounds like the two of you are happy doing the girl thing.”

Sophia sighed, thinking about it. “Yeah, I guess we are.”

“Sophie, have you given any thought to what I said to you earlier? You know, about moving back to K.C.”

“David, I can’t give you positive answers yet.”

“I know. I just wondered if you’d thought about it.”

Sophia squeezed her eyes tight. “Yes, I’ve given it some thought.” Though she decided not to tell him about seeing the house. She didn’t want to fan the flames of an argument she knew she couldn’t win.

“Go out with me when I get back? Maybe we could even take a few days and head to Saint Louis or something.”

“Why?”

“I’ve missed you. I think it would be good for us to talk about things.”

Sophia sucked in another breath. Her head was filled with images of David lying in her bed, and all she could think was she wanted to be there with him. But she couldn’t lead him on. She still had her career to think about. She couldn’t just uproot and leave it.

“Mary Alice invited us to dinner on Sunday. Seven o’clock.” she said to alter the subject.

“Good. I could use a good meal. Mr. Chan’s left me with quite the upset stomach.”

“I should have mentioned that, too.” She laughed, and he followed. No matter how much they fought, it seemed like they could fall back into a rhythm, and it only intensified her longing for him.

“Okay, then I’ll start with that. It’s a date.”

“It’s a date.”

“And I guess I’ll see you on Sunday morning. Everyone should be tucked in tight by the time I get home tomorrow.”

“David, thanks for stopping by my place. I’ll think a bit harder about moving back. I’m at home here, and you’re right, I can leave here just as easily as I can leave Seattle when Pablo needs me.”

“Thanks for thinking of it.” But his voice had an edge it hadn’t carried earlier.

Sophia woke up too late for breakfast Saturday, and Carissa had already taken Katie and Millie to the grocery store so the house was empty. She made herself a cup of coffee and a piece of toast and headed to the study to work on her music. It was well after lunch when she emerged to find herself still alone. A note on the study door informed her Carissa was working and the older ladies were out visiting.

By two o’clock, she was fidgeting with nervous energy. She slipped into a pair of yoga pants and a T-shirt from a Pablo DiAngelo tour of France, found a water bottle with the logo of David’s airline on it, and then headed out the door with no goal other than walking far enough to calm herself. She passed her elementary school and the post office. She passed the office her grandfather had worked at until he retired and the grocery store where Katie shopped. Before she knew it, she’d walked three miles in one direction. All the way to Cherry Street.

What the hell, she thought. She could look at the house one more time. It wasn’t as if she was really going to buy it, but she could remember it.

“Sophia?” The unmistakable voice of the neighbor from across the street rang in her ears as she turned around to see Mrs. Crow scooting toward her with the help of her walker. “Is that you?”

“Yes, Mrs. Crow, it’s me. How are you?” She had her hand already extended toward the elderly woman, who had finally made it across the street.

“Where have you been? I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve been touring the world, Mrs. Crow. You’re looking very well.”

“Oh, this old hip of mine,” she sighed. “Well, I could go on for days. So, you lookin’ at the house? It hasn’t been the same since you two young kids lived there.”

Sophia laughed at the young kids comment. Surely, the old lady hadn’t thought of them like that, but then again, she and David weren’t much more than kids when they bought the house.

“Carissa and I looked through it the other day. I’m thinking about moving back, and my own house seems like a good place to start. Not to mention, I did most of the fix-it-up work in there.”

“It would be a good investment. Carissa, that’s that little girl?”

“Yes. She’s David’s daughter. She’s seventeen now.”

“And that woman?”

Sophia swallowed back the resentment that Mrs. Crow knew
that woman.
And that
that woman
had lived in her home.

“She left them. David has raised Carissa alone.”

Mrs. Crow just nodded. “Well, you should buy the house. I’d love to have you back. I have grape jelly in jars, and I’ll have one on your porch when you sign.”

“Well I don’t know…”

“You do. Nice to see you, Sophia.” The woman turned back toward her house. “See you soon.”

The encounter with Mrs. Crow reminded Sophia more than ever how much she’d enjoyed the feeling of friends and community here in Kansas City. But did she really want to move back? She broke into a jog to clear her mind.

A few steps later,her cell phone vibrated in her pocket. It was a text message from Carissa.

CAN WE TALK?

What could Carissa’s text mean? If it weren’t urgent, Sophia was sure she’d have waited until she got home. Her jog turned into a run. Soon she was in front of the Juice Emporium and she ducked inside, her face damp with perspiration and her blood pumping wildly through her veins.

“Sophia, hi!” Carissa smiled from behind the counter. She’d pulled her hair away from her face in a ponytail and wore a hint of makeup in muted colors. The days of blackened eyes seemed to be gone, replaced by a happier-looking teenager. “What are you doing?”

“I just got your text.”

“I didn’t mean you had to come right now.” She let out a laugh.

“I was already out running.” Sophia wished she were more in tune with Carissa.

“Why?”

“I meant to go for a walk. That was two hours ago. I ended up on Cherry Street, and Mrs. Crow came out and told me she had grape jelly for me.”