Healing Hearts (New Hope Falls #6) - Kimberly Rae Jordan Page 0,142

for celebration. He’d colored and looked through Bible storybooks, which had helped to distract him, but at least he’d stayed.

Once they reached the house, Sophia got out and hurried inside. She reappeared a couple of minutes later with the beautiful floral arrangement that Lani had made for her to give Nana for Valentine’s Day. They were going to drop them off a day early since the care home was having a special dinner the next day that Nana wanted to attend.

“Did you remember the chocolates, Momma?” Bryson asked as she opened the door.

Ryker leaned over to take the arrangement from her so she could get back into the truck.

“Yep. It’s right here,” Sophia said as she patted a bag she held. Grabbing the handle above the door, she pulled herself up into the seat, then took the arrangement back from Ryker.

“Those are her favorite chocolates,” Bryson said. “So we can’t forget them.”

“I think you know she’ll share with you, so you wanted to be sure I brought them,” Sophia said with a laugh.

Bryson giggled but didn’t bother to deny it. The sound of their laughter warmed Ryker and made him smile. It had only been in the past couple of months that their laughter had started to flow more easily and frequently.

After Ryker had parked, Bryson scrambled from the truck. He stood on the pavement, dancing from foot to foot in eagerness. Thankfully, it was no longer eagerness to quickly get inside the building. He’d slowly but surely—and with the therapist’s help—come to terms with being outside for longer periods of time.

Of course, with it having been winter for the past few months, insects—wasps in particular—weren’t as prevalent. The true test of his ability to endure being outside would come once warmer temperatures arrived in spring.

Ryker took the flower arrangement from Sophia and held it in the crook of his arm. Bryson reached out and took his hand, then grabbed on to Sophia’s as they began to walk toward the care home.

When the nurse behind the welcome counter greeted them, Bryson gave her a friendly greeting in response. The woman smiled broadly at him, and Ryker knew it was because she had seen the changes in Bryson over the past few months.

Sophia stopped to chat with her for a minute, asking how her granddaughter was doing before they continued on to Nana’s room.

“Nana, we brought you flowers and chocolate,” Bryson announced as they walked into her room.

“Are you picking me up for a date?” Nana asked with a grin from her seat by the window.

Ryker chuckled as he waited for Bryson to figure out an answer for that. The boy had learned about dates since he’d been on plenty of them with Ryker and Sophia.

Bryson jumped up on a chair at the table across from Nana before looking over at him and Sophia. “Are we going on a date?”

“That wasn’t the plan,” Sophia said. “But it looks like maybe Nana has someone else who wants to take her on a date.”

That was when Ryker noticed a massive bouquet of roses sitting on the windowsill. For a moment, he wondered if he should get his eyes checked since it had taken him more than two seconds to notice the abundance of roses in the room. It made him feel like perhaps the bouquet of roses he’d bought for Sophia for the next day was severely insufficient.

“Do you have a boyfriend, Nana?” Ryker asked as he walked over to set the flower arrangement on the table in front of her.

“Well, I don’t know, Ryker. Does a man giving me flowers mean he’s my boyfriend?” she asked. “Because if so, apparently you’ve just become my boyfriend.”

“What’s a boyfriend?” Bryson asked.

Sophia covered her eyes with her hand and sighed. “This was not the conversation I envisioned having this afternoon.”

Ryker laughed as he slipped his arm around Sophia’s waist. “I’m sorry that I can’t be your boyfriend, Nana. I’m already spoken for.”

“Well, I guess the best woman won,” Nana said. “Though I’d say that the age thing was definitely a point in your favor, Sophia.”

The three of them laughed while Bryson just looked confused.

“So what chocolate did you bring me, Bryson?” Nana asked.

“Your favorite!” Bryson exclaimed as he turned to take the small bag Sophia held. “Will you share them with me?”

“Bryson!” Sophia exclaimed. “You don’t ask someone to share their gift with you.”

Nana started to laugh again, and Ryker couldn’t help but grin because he loved watching Sophia parent this more confident, outgoing version