Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
S omehow, the days slipped away from her, blending into a blur of work, errands, and fleeting moments of quiet. It wasn’t until her sister-in-law called, her tone equal parts teasing and scolding, that she remembered the baby shower that weekend. The one that she was throwing for her.
She didn’t know how she’d forgotten. After all, she had helped Avery fill out all the invitations a few weeks back. She’d even offered to throw it at her house.
“Oh, don’t forget, you only get to do this once for your very first nephew or niece,” Avery said with a laugh.
Sophia winced as she hung up the phone, guilt curling in her stomach. She was the one planning it, and yet she hadn’t even settled on a theme, let alone figured out the decorations.
Determined to make up for lost time, she took the following day off from work and roped Juliette into joining her for a shopping spree in Edgeview.
It was nice to head back to her old stomping grounds. The larger town still had plenty of charm, with its cobblestone streets and quaint storefronts. Everywhere in town was already decked out for the upcoming spring season. How was it spring already? Pastel banners swayed gently in the breeze, and flower boxes overflowed with blooming tulips and daffodils.
“This is cute,” Juliette said, holding up a garland of tiny, hand-painted baby onesies strung together with twine.
Sophia tilted her head, considering. “It’s cute, but do you think it’s too much? I was leaning towards something simpler.”
Juliette gave her a look. “Soph, you’ve been leaning towards simple your whole life. This is a baby shower. It’s supposed to be fun and over-the-top cute.”
Sophia sighed but smiled, knowing her friend was right. “Alright, toss it in the cart.”
As they wandered through the aisles of the craft store, Juliette piled their cart with everything from pastel balloons to mason jars and twinkling fairy lights. Sophia added a few touches of her own—a stack of baby print napkins, a set of blue and pink trimmed plates, and a banner that read Welcome, Baby! in elegant script.
By the time they reached the checkout counter, their cart was overflowing.
“Are we hosting a baby shower or redecorating the whole house?” Sophia joked, handing over her credit card.
Juliette grinned. “Trust me, it’s going to look amazing. Besides, you only get to welcome your first niece or nephew once.”
The fact that her friend basically mimicked her sister-in-law’s words had her laughing.
After they loaded their haul into the back of the car, Sophia suggested they grab some lunch. “Thanks for helping,” she said as she slid into the driver seat.
“Any time,” Juliette replied, buckling her seatbelt. “But don’t think you’re off the hook yet. We still have to figure out the games and the food.”
Sophia groaned playfully as she started the car. “One thing at a time.”
“Okay, where are you taking me for lunch? We can come up with ideas for games and think about food ideas while we eat,” Juliette said.
“How about I take you to my favorite Chinese restaurant?” A grin spread across her face as she turned the car towards her old neighborhood.
Juliette perked up in the passenger seat. “You mean that little spot with the red lanterns and the fortune cookies that actually give good advice?”
“That’s the one,” Sophia replied, feeling a pang of nostalgia as they drove down familiar streets. The area hadn’t changed much since her childhood—same cozy houses, same overgrown sidewalks—but there was a comforting charm in its consistency.
They pulled into the small, almost-hidden parking lot behind the restaurant. The scent of garlic and soy sauce wafted out as soon as Sophia opened the door, making her stomach rumble in anticipation.
“This place smells amazing ,” Juliette said, taking a deep inhale as they stepped inside.
The hostess greeted Sophia with a warm smile. “It’s been a while! Table for two?”
“Yep,” Sophia said, grateful for the familiarity.
They settled into a booth near the window, and Sophia quickly scanned the menu, though she already knew what she was getting.
“Okay, so while we wait, let’s talk baby shower games,” Juliette said, pulling out her phone and typing furiously. “What’s your take on some of the classics—diaper raffles, guessing the baby food flavors, stuff like that?”
Sophia made a face. “Some of those are a little... crazy, don’t you think? What about something more interactive? Like a game where guests write down advice for the mom-to-be, and we read them aloud.”
Juliette nodded thoughtfully. “That could be sweet. Or we could do a memory game with baby items on a tray. You know, see who’s the most observant.”
Sophia smiled. “Now that’s sounds fun.”
Their conversation was interrupted when the waiter arrived and set down a pot of jasmine tea and their plates—sweet-and-sour chicken for Juliette and Sophia’s favorite, Mongolian beef.
As they dug in, they continued brainstorming, bouncing ideas off each other effortlessly. Between bites, they mapped out the games, sketched a rough timeline for the shower, and debated the merits of a cupcake tower versus a traditional cake. They went with the cupcakes. Pink and blue options since the sex wasn’t going to be revealed.
By the time they were finished eating, Sophia felt excited for the baby shower day to come.
“Alright, what’s next?” Juliette asked as they walked back to the car, the leftover containers balanced precariously in her arms.
Sophia glanced at her watch. “How about we head back to Pride and swing by the florist to check out what they can put together for floral arrangements for the tables?”
Juliette grinned. “Lead the way. I’m officially your baby shower assistant for the day.”
Sophia laughed as she started the car.
The drive back to Pride was filled with more laughter and even more brainstorming. By the time they reached Pride, Sophia felt like she could finally tackle the rest of the planning. With Juliette helping her, she’d almost been able to ignore the pain of losing her mother all day long. Almost.
They had taken almost a full hour at All in Bloom, Pride’s flower shop, picking out the flowers that would decorate the tables. They would be delivered to her house the morning of the baby shower.
After dropping off Juliette and unloading all of the bags onto her kitchen counter, she took a step back to survey the mountain of supplies they had purchased. Plates, napkins, balloons, ribbons, and an assortment of other decorations covered every surface. It felt like an overwhelming task, but at least she was making progress.
She grabbed a glass of water and stepped outside onto her small deck. The early evening air was cool and carried the warm scent of salt from the ocean. Her backyard was quiet, save for the gentle rustling of leaves in the breeze and the crash of the waves on the beach. Despite her earlier concerns about the space, she could picture how it would all come together—the string lights and candles twinkling, the tables set just right, and the fire pit crackling in the grass.
But she needed a break from planning for a while.
She kicked off her shoes, grabbed a light sweater, and headed out towards the beach. The sand was soft and cool beneath her feet. The sun was just starting to dip below the horizon, casting shades of orange and pink in the sky. Walking along the shore always helped her clear her mind, and tonight was no different.
With each step she took, her shoulders relaxed more. Her breathing settled and her mind cleared.
Beach therapy, the best kind of therapy in the world.
As she rounded a bend near a cluster of dunes, she spotted a familiar figure in the distance. Palmer was tossing a stick for Loki, who bounded enthusiastically through the shallow waves to retrieve it.
Sophia hesitated for a moment, but Loki noticed her. The dog let out a joyful bark and then bolted towards her, the stick still clamped in his mouth.
“Hey, Loki!” she called, bending down to greet him as he skidded to a stop in front of her, tail wagging furiously.
Palmer watched them, his face breaking into a smile when he saw her. “Fancy meeting you here,” he said when he walked over to join them.
“Hey,” she replied, scratching behind Loki’s ears. “I’m taking a much needed break to get some fresh air.”
“Same,” Palmer said, glancing at Loki. “This one gets antsy if he doesn’t get his evening run on the beach.”
Sophia straightened, brushing sand off her hands. “It’s nice out tonight. Peaceful. Warm finally.”
Palmer nodded. “It is. So, how’s the baby shower planning going? Juliette didn’t wear you out too much, did she?”
“How’d you hear about that?” she asked.
He shrugged. “Small town. I had a job at her parents’ place this morning. After you picked her up.”
Sophia laughed and felt stupid suddenly. Pride was such a small town, of course everyone always knew what was going on.
“She tried. But thankfully, we got a lot done. I’m hosting the big event this weekend in my backyard, so it’s a little... cramped, but it’ll work.”
“Cramped or cozy?” Palmer teased.
She smirked. “Let’s go with cozy. I’m borrowing tables and chairs. Hopefully, it won’t feel like a sardine can back there.”
“Need any help setting up?” he offered, his tone casual but sincere.
She raised an eyebrow. “Are you volunteering to string up lights and arrange chairs?”
“Why not? I’m good with heights, and Loki here makes a great supervisor,” Palmer said with a grin, gesturing towards the dog, who had flopped down at Sophia’s feet.
Sophia chuckled. “I might take you up on that. But you’ll have to work with my brother. He’s agreed to move the fire pit area off the deck and into the yard for guests to hang out.”
“I think I can handle that,” Palmer replied.
They walked a little farther down the beach, the conversation flowing easily between them. She’d never felt more comfortable around him than now. It was strange. When they were younger, they had been so nervous around one another. Now it was like wearing your most comfortable jeans. It just felt… right.
The waves lapped gently at the shore, and the sky deepened into hues of purple and blue. Loki darted ahead, chasing seagulls and barking at the surf, his energy seemingly endless.
As they reached a stretch of beach where the dunes rose higher, Sophia paused and turned to him. “Thanks again for offering to help with Max. I hear you’re still working out a few details?”
He shrugged. “Max has some great ideas for the place. Some expensive ones.” He chuckled. “But he seems to think it will all come together.” He took a small step closer to her and lowered his voice. “He hinted that you’d talked to him about…” His hand reached up and brushed her arm.
She nodded. “Yeah. To be honest, not before he kissed me.” She held up a hand. “He sort of sprang it on me. And I can honestly say that it fell very flat.”
She searched his eyes and, instead of seeing anger or hurt, there was a touch of humor.
“I bet that hurt him,” he said.
“Not so much. He actually guessed that it was you I was seeing.”
“Seeing?” He smiled and she laughed.
“Sure, what else would you call this?” She wrapped her arms over his shoulders. “Dating?”
He frowned suddenly. “Well, since we haven’t officially gone out on a date…” He shook his head. “Seeing it is then. I don’t think you could label it as just friendship.”
They stood there for a moment in comfortable silence, watching the ocean as the first stars began to twinkle above. “Palmer?”
“Hmm?” His eyes scanned hers.
“I think…” She shook her head. “I don’t want us to call it just friendship.”
His smile was fast and caused her heart to jump in her chest nervously. Then he took another small step and his hand reached up and cupped her face. “Then let’s not.” He bent down and brushed his lips across hers softly.
Her knees turned to jelly, and she was thankful his arms moved around her waist, holding her close to his warm body as he deepened the kiss.
She didn’t want the night to end. Didn’t want him to release her. When his lips moved away from hers, she heard herself whisper.
“Come home with me.”
He stilled. “Sophia.” He sighed and rested his forehead against hers. “There is nothing I want more…”
She placed her finger over his mouth. “Then just do it. Loki can come too.” She smiled. “I have condoms. I want you, and from that kiss, it’s obvious you want me.”
He smiled. “You make it impossible to argue the facts.”
“Then…” She shifted slightly, lifting her chin.
His smile dipped slightly. “Soon.” His fingers brushed her chin. “I have to leave at six in the morning for Edgeview.”
She winced. “Okay, that is a good reason to not spend the night.” She laughed. “How about for tonight, you kiss me again and walk me home?”
His smile brightened. “Deal,” he said before his lips covered hers again.
Time was lost. Her temperature rose. Her body vibrated. She’d never felt anything more overwhelming in her life than how much she wanted him. It filled her dreams that night and no doubt would for the rest of her life.
Even though she’d felt slightly frustrated and unsatisfied that she’d spent the night alone, the next day she walked into work beaming.
“Someone got lucky,” Juliette said during her first break.
“No, just… slightly lucky,” she added with a laugh.
“Palmer finally made his move.” Then her friend gasped. “Or was it that Max guy you said moved into town?”
“No, gosh.” She shushed her and glanced around. “Palmer.” She shook her head. “Max and I are just friends. And,” she said slowly, “I didn’t get lucky. We just… kissed.” Her smile doubled.
“You’ve already just kissed,” Juliette pointed out.
“Yes, but this time it was…” What? Longer? More magical, heated, extraordinary? “Different.”
“Right.” Juliette rolled her eyes. “Come back when you get to first base.”
Sophia laughed at her friend’s back as she walked away.
For the rest of the evening, she thought about just how to accomplish the task of getting to all the bases. Truth was, she’d wanted Palmer from the first moment she’d met him all those years ago. Now, even more so. Whatever happened next, she knew that she’d have to be the one to make the move or, as Juliette said, she’d never get to first base.