Minutes later, she was driving behind him, trying to push the uncomfortable fit of the situation off her shoulders. Sadly, it only grew. It had become almost unbearable by the time she and Ty dropped Collin off at children’s church and made their way into the sanctuary.
The two rows behind her usual pew were filled with familiar faces. Opal and Lincoln sat with Seth. Behind them sat Josie and August with his two brothers. And sitting in her pew, with room for only one more, were Jasper, Doc, Agnes, and Wes. Of course, the available spot was beside him.
Sure, they all attended the same church most every Sunday, but they were usually sprinkled throughout the sanctuary instead of huddled together. They were clearly forming some type of united front.
“Good morning, young lady,” Agnes said, motioning for Sophia to have a seat beside Wes. He picked up his Bible and placed it in his lap, as though he had been holding her a place. He offered her a polite smile before sliding his glasses on and looking toward the front.
The prelude music was coming to a close and the pastor was heading toward the pulpit, so Sophia knew there wasn’t time to find another place. She sat, putting some space between them, only to be pushed closer as Ty wedged himself in beside her. Everyone in the entire pew had to shift over to the left to make room. Even so, they ended up packed like sardines.
“Ty, you can sit with us,” Opal whispered near Sophia’s shoulder. “There’s plenty of room.”
“That’s okay. I don’t mind sitting close to this beautiful woman,” Ty whispered back, his warm breath tickling the side of Sophia’s neck as he gave her shoulder a lingering squeeze.
Yep. It’s the day that’s not fitting right. Not my baggy pants or itchy blouse . . .
She feigned a headache after the service, declining her parents’ dinner invite. Ty seemed too consumed with his phone to really care one way or the other.
Once she had Collin loaded up, Ty announced, “I have a meeting this afternoon.”
Sophia squelched the sigh of relief. “That’s okay. I think I’ll join Collin in a nap before his playdate.”
Ty glanced at his phone and nodded absently. “I’ll try to pop over later and check on you.”
Sophia was about to climb in when Ty pulled her into his arms and went in for a kiss. She shoved out of his embrace and held up both palms. “Never again are you to take anything from me without my permission.”
“Babe—”
“I mean it, Ty. You’re not allowed to kiss me. That’s way out of line.” Her eyes slid just past Ty’s shoulder and caught on Wes. His face was high in color and his hands were fisted by his sides. Wes ticked his head in Ty’s direction, but Sophia gave her head a subtle shake to warn him off.
“But you’re my—”
“I’m not your wife anymore. We both signed the papers that are proof of that.” She pointed toward his vehicle. “You should get to your meeting.”
“Yeah. You’re right.” The words were agreeable, but his sharp tone said otherwise. Thankfully, he left without further comment.
Sophia released a pensive sigh as she glanced to where Wes still stood. Too many eyes were watching, so she only offered him a brief wave before climbing into her SUV. On the drive home, she pushed all things Ty Prescott out of her mind while trying to dissect what had been going on at church with Wes and the crowd rallying around him. It was odd. But what was even more odd was her overwhelming desire to hold his hand during the service, even with Ty on the other side of her.
Sophia heated up a bowl of leftover chicken and dumplings for Collin. Once he was fed, they lay down for a nap. After the toddler settled down, Sophia snuggled beside him for a spell and simply cherished the peaceful moment with him. She managed to drift off for a while, but that uncomfortable feeling was still there when she awakened and even followed her and Collin all the way to the park, where they met Collin’s preschool buddy Dawson and his mother, Laney.
“What a beautiful afternoon,” Laney supplied while stretching out on the park bench beside Sophia.
“Hard to believe we’re only weeks away from Christmas and here it is in the midseventies,” Sophia commented, her eyes trained on Collin and Dawson as they climbed onto the merry-go-round. She was about to walk over and give it a spin for them when Dawson’s older brother offered to do it. Sophia thought she recalled Laney saying he was eleven, but she couldn’t remember the boy’s name.
“Heard your husband is in town.” Laney nudged Sophia’s arm and it was all Sophia could do to not instantly form disdain for the woman.
“Ex,” she corrected without offering any further information. She looked back at Collin and jolted. “Your son is going too fast.”
“Eric, slow down,” Laney yelled, but the boy kept running like he didn’t hear her. “Heard y’all been out together. Girl, he’s so hot.” The woman had the nerve to giggle, not paying attention to her kids.
Sophia had no patience for the woman’s silly swooning, her focus centered on her son. “Please tell Eric to slow down again.”
“They’re fine—”
A twinge of anxiety hit Sophia’s stomach as she sprang to her feet to put a stop to the boy’s rapid spinning, but she wasn’t fast enough. To her horror, she watched Collin’s little eyes round in fear just as he lost his grip on the bar in his hands. Before she could reach the merry-go-round, her boy took flight and landed with a sickening thump against the ground.
“Collin!” She knelt beside him where he coiled into a ball and groaned, but didn’t move him for fear something was broken. She noticed a thick root protruding from the ground. “Baby, where does it hurt?”
“Eberywhere.” He clutched his middle and began to cry in a stilted manner, giving Sophia a frightening clue that he was having a hard time breathing.
She pulled her phone out, called 911 for an ambulance, and then dialed Ty. He didn’t answer, so she rambled off a message before hanging up.
“Poor baby. We can take him in my van,” Laney offered.
“No, I don’t think we should move him.” Sophia hit the next contact that she needed and he answered on the first ring. Once she heard his voice, her own sob released. “We’re at the park. . . . Collin had a hard fall. . . . Think he fell on a big root. . . . He’s clutching his middle. . . . An ambulance is on the way,” she managed to tell Wes between sobs as she rubbed Collin’s back. A car started up and the engine revved in a growl on the other end of the phone, so she knew he was on the way. Hanging up the phone, she focused on keeping Collin still and calm.
The next hour was a blur. The ambulance arrived, loading them up and depositing them at the ER. Wes was already there waiting and without any delay had Collin whisked to the back for tests.
Somehow, while Sophia waited in a private room, Opal and Josie showed up, Sophia’s parents close behind them. Undoubtedly and thankfully, Wes had enough wits about him to make phone calls on her behalf. Opal took over trying to reach Ty. After several failed attempts, Sophia remembered. “Ty’s in a meeting. He’ll get the messages eventually.”
After what seemed like hours, Wes eased into the room and knelt before Sophia. He spoke quietly, garnering everyone’s undivided attention. “After examining Collin and then performing an ultrasound on his abdomen, I detected a tear in his spleen. I ordered a CT to confirm the diagnosis, which it did.”