Sophia by Olivia Sands

Author:Olivia Sands [Sands, Olivia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Olivia Sands

Chapter 17

The next two months passed with interminable slowness, and Nelson couldn’t decide if that was because it was taking forever to get construction started or if it was because Sophia was always around. She was a constant presence reminding him what she wanted and teasing him with what he couldn’t have. She didn’t understand he was doing this for her sake. She deserved better than a man without a job or true purpose and no clue how to find one again.

Finally, construction began, and as the foundation of the house took shape, Nelson could envision having a home of his own. He could see his future taking shape, and it was easy enough to visualize Star there with him, though he had yet to receive further word about her adoption status.

He pitched in where he could with construction, gaining more strength in his body and more confidence in his skill. He was never going to be the man he’d been before, but he could see a tantalizing glimpse of being confident and self-sufficient again. Each nail in the frame of the house seemed to reinforce the idea that someday, he’d be independent once more.

He couldn’t let the idea soften his resistance to Sophia’s unwavering campaign. He had to keep in mind that she deserved more than him, even if he could soon offer her a home. Well, one built thanks to the generosity of her parents.

He would have a home, but he still had no job and no definite direction for the future. She deserved a man who could provide for her and care for her as an equal. Just because he wanted to be with her didn’t mean he had the right to do that to her. With nothing to offer, he’d be the lowest kind of self-pitying jerk to give in to the attraction and her obvious determination to win him over.

It wasn’t even a matter of winning him over. She’d won his heart years ago. It was precisely because he cared so much that he couldn’t let himself weaken.

As the weeks slipped into months, it became more and more difficult to maintain his resolve. Every time he looked at her, he saw a growing shadow of hurt in her gaze. He was protecting her. That he knew for sure. But what he discovered was that he was clearly damaging her too.

He was no closer to a resolution or an idea of how to proceed as the next Green monthly barbecue approached. He pitched in to help Landon and Hudson with preparing a suckling pig, but he was continuously aware of Sophia bustling around both in and out of the house, also pitching in. A lot of work went into the preparation for the barbecue, but he didn’t shy away from it. Even as busy as he was, he always remained tuned in to her presence. Was it the same for her?

Braxton and Taylor were the first to arrive, getting there a little early. Etta, Taylor’s grandmother, also accompanied them.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.