A Miracle for the Confident Cowboy (Love in Sweet Bloom)

Chapter 20

CHAPTER TWENTY

Duke had to be clinically insane. The ring in his hand practically screamed it. He’d bought it a month ago when he’d thought Sophie would be coming home for Thanksgiving, but then her schedule got pushed and she said she wasn’t sure when she’d be coming home—only that she’d be back by Christmas.

He snapped shut the ring box in his hand and glanced up at where Pippa and Allie were seated in the coffee shop. He’d noticed them entering when he’d come out of the hardware store across the street.

Time was ticking. Christmas was in a couple of days. If anyone would know about Sophie’s arrival, it would be them.

It wasn’t a good idea to go to Pippa about this. Deep down, he knew it. He should have just asked Sophie for the details—pressed her for them when she’d gotten quiet. Something told him she didn’t want him to know when she’d be coming in, but for what reason he wasn’t certain.

All he knew was he needed to be the one to get her—to show up at the airport and bare his soul to her.

He’d been a fool for far too long. He’d gotten into his own head, unable or unwilling to accept maybe they could have made something work if he hadn’t been so stubborn. His heart thrashed in his chest as he stood just inside the coffee shop.

Spices mingled with the coffee beans being brewed. Christmas decorations were hung on every open space of the wall. The menu had been written out in red and white chalk lettering. Everything about the shop reminded him of a year ago—when the holidays had hung over him like a dark cloud.

Not anymore.

He was going to make things right. He was going to tell Sophie how he felt. It was the biggest reason he hadn’t made any firm plans to go home this year. His mother would understand, at least that was what he’d told himself. After he’d patched things up with Sophie, he’d make sure to visit his mother and make up for everything.

His feet seemed to remain glued to the floor, cemented in with the tile that had been laid. He couldn’t bring himself to take those few precious steps.

Pippa glanced in his direction then her brows creased. Allie turned at that point, leaving him no other option but to move toward them. The woman who had been his matchmaker nearly a year ago, smirked at him, her eyes sweeping over his frame. “Hey, Duke. Everything okay?”

Duke clutched the box harder in his fist, not willing to let his nerves get the better of him. “I need to ask you something.” He glanced over to Allie who appeared just as amused. They probably knew exactly what he was there for. “It’s about Sophie.”

Pippa lifted a brow and snickered as she tossed a knowing look to her sister-in-law. “From what I’ve heard you two have finally stopped being so stubborn and you’re talking again. You don’t need me to be your go-between?—”

“When is she arriving? It has to be any day now, right?”

To her credit, she actually looked surprised. She blinked and tossed one more look at Allie.

He stiffened. “She’s not back already, is she? She said that?—”

Pippa straightened in her seat and shook her head. “No, she’s getting in…” Her brows furrowed further. “She didn’t tell you?”

He cleared his throat and tugged at the collar of his shirt. “She said everything was up in the air last we spoke. Then she got really busy…” The blood drained from his face. Sophie was avoiding him. She didn’t want to see him when she got back. Once more, his hand tightened on the ring. This might be the biggest mistake of his life—but he wasn’t going to let that little doubt stop him. “I need to know when she’s going to be back so I can meet her at the airport.” His eyes flicked to Allie. “It’s a surprise.”

It wasn’t pity in Pippa’s eyes he saw. Instead, it resembled something else. Excitement, maybe? Or sympathy? Understanding was there. Her gaze slid across the table to where Allie sat. “What do you think?”

Allie shrugged. “Up to you. Do you really want to go pick her up in an hour?”

Duke froze and his heart slammed against the ribs in his chest. “She’s coming home today?”

Pippa’s slow, teasing smile did nothing to ease the ache currently throbbing in his chest. “She’s coming home today.”

“And you’re the one getting her from the airport? Rob?—”

“Rob’s busy with some stuff at home today—cleaning out the guest room.”

Right. With Sophie coming home, she’d need a place to stay. Duke inched closer. “Let me pick her up.”

Pippa didn’t appear to be surprised at all by his request, but she didn’t respond right away.

“Put the guy out of his misery,” Allie murmured. “Let him do it.”

His gaze swung from one to the other.

“But Sophie didn’t tell him?—”

“Please,” he whispered so quietly he wasn’t sure she could hear him over the hum of the coffee shop.

Her eyes lifted to meet his once more then she sighed. “Fine. But if she gets mad at me?—”

“I’ll take the blame. What time does she get in? Do you have a gate?”

Pippa rolled her eyes at the grin Allie shot in her direction as she pulled out her phone. “In an hour. I’ll message you the details.”

Duke fidgeted. He paced back and forth just outside of security. Sophie was coming in on a private plane, but that didn’t mean he’d be able to meet her at the gate. His nerves jangled and his palms went clammy. Doubt crept into his mind, recalling the surprise on Pippa’s face as he’d alerted her to the fact that he hadn’t known the details of her arrival, but he pushed it away.

A fresh wave of people wandered into view, turning a corner after having disembarked. His eyes searched the crowds, looking for her familiar form. Every nerve, every muscle in his body ached with the need to see her, to hold her again. It was as if no time at all had passed and yet at the same time there was a mountain of space between them.

His breath caught when she came into view. She was staring at her phone, pulling her suitcase at her side as she moved toward the exit. His speech. He had to remember his speech.

Time slowed. Even the melodious notes of the music playing over the speakers of the airport couldn’t penetrate the sound of his roaring heartbeat. There she was, just as beautiful as he’d remembered. And she was coming right to him.

Her head lifted and her eyes locked with his. She slowed just before crossing the threshold where other people waited for their family and friends. Her face was a mask of absolute unreadability. Her lips parted and her cheeks flushed rosy.

For a brief moment, alarm rocketed through him. She could stay on that side of the glass. She could refuse to come near him, preventing him from being able to tell her how he felt. The ring in his pocket weighed so heavy, he thought it might tug him right through the floor and into whatever basement the building might have. Or perhaps he’d be stuck, encased in cement.

Duke took a step toward her and it seemed to be enough to get her moving once more. Her eyes brightened and that smile he adored crossed her face. Relief crashed into him, nearly knocking him to his knees. Sophie slipped through the doorway and headed right for him. Without hesitation, she draped an arm around his neck and gave him a quick—too quick—hug.

Sophie pulled back, her eyes sweeping to the area around them. “Where’s Pippa? She was going to bring Daisy!”

“She said I could pick you up. She’s been taking good care of the little one. I helped a little bit, too.” He was babbling like a fool. His brain felt like he was in a fog. It refused to help him get out the words he’d so carefully crafted in his mind—words to win her back, to beg for another chance. He needed to tell her he fell in love with her the moment she stepped foot into the animal shelter.

“Charles!”

His head snapped up and he stared wide-eyed at his mother and sister emerging from the other side of the barrier. “Freya? Mom? What are you doing here?” His family pulled him into a tight hug, pulling him away from the woman who had been close enough to scoop into his arms if he hadn’t been torn away.

Sophie’s eyes sparkled when he met them. She didn’t move away, run, or dismiss him. That was a good sign.

His mother placed both hands on his cheeks and looked him over before pulling him in for another hug. When she stepped back, she motioned to Sophie. “Your friend invited us along for the trip.”

Friend . She hadn’t told them they were closer than that. His determination faltered but only just. There was something in Sophie’s gaze that gave him pause. There were words left unsaid—words he wanted to hear more than anything.

Duke turned his focus back to his mother. “You didn’t tell me you were coming! This is such a surprise.”

Another tearful hug, from his mother. “We’ve missed you so much, sweetheart. When you couldn’t come home, we knew we had to see you. We made it work.” Something in her voice hit him square in the chest. So much emotion. So much joy. He could almost forget the guilt and the belief that he wasn’t good enough.

Almost.

His mother gave a side-eye in the direction of the woman who had brought them here. A smile curled her lips and she lowered her voice. “She’s not just your friend, is she?”

Duke stiffened, alert and worried Sophie might have heard what she’d said.

Amelia patted his cheek. “I approve.” She turned toward Freya. “Come dear. Let’s wait for our luggage.” She winked at Duke before ushering his younger sister toward several luggage carrousels, leaving him alone with Sophie.

It was painful to force himself to face her—deliciously so. She’d returned. It had been a year and she was back. All of their conversations over the phone and through messages came to the forefront of his memory. A chagrined smile touched his lips. “Hey,” he murmured.

“Hey,” she whispered.

They each took steps toward one another until she was within reach. Her soft laugh was only emphasized further when she glanced away and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

“You met my family.”

Her gaze shot back to meet his. “Yeah, well, I figured we could skip over the awkwardness of accepting we might have been wrong and just move on to the next step.”

He cocked his head, studying her, watching her, not daring to believe they’d unwittingly been on the same page about this whole thing. Was it possible she wanted him back as much as he did her?

Sophie dropped her gaze and snickered. “I half expected Pippa to pop out and tell us ‘I told you so’. When she lifted her eyes once more, her cheeks were flushed. “Do you ever get the feeling we… it would have been easier if we…”

Duke grasped her chin between his finger and thumb. “I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life but letting you go the way I did—I’ll never regret anything more.”

She released a soft breath.

“Why didn’t you ask me to pick you up?”

“I didn’t think…” her voice faded and the color in her cheeks intensified. “I didn’t want to put you out.”

He frowned. “I’d never feel that way about you. Sophie…” he breathed, “ever since you left last Christmas, I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I’ve been miserable up until—” He forced a wry chuckle. “Until you returned my messages.”

Her lips formed a small ‘o’.

“I love you,” he added for good measure. “I never stopped.”

Sophie sucked in a quiet breath.

“That’s why I’m here,” Duke continued. “I needed to come here to convince you?—”

She placed a finger on his lips, cutting him off. “You don’t have to convince me of anything, because I love you, too.” Her hand moved to his cheek and she tilted her head. “I love that you care for your family. I love that you chase after things that make you happy. I even love your ridiculous stubbornness?—”

He forgot himself then. He forgot their surroundings, the people rushing to their last-minute flights to travel before the holidays. He forgot about the smell of spiced and roasted nuts being sold at a nearby kiosk. He forgot everything and everyone except Sophie—his personal Christmas miracle.

Duke swept her into his arms and lifted her into the air. She laughed, staring down at him with a love he couldn’t believe he hadn’t seen before. Slowly, he let her slip down his body. Her hands slipped into his hair and her lips captured his. Their kiss, just as magical as he’d remembered it. Whatever happened next, she would be at his side. They would do it together.