Healing Hearts (New Hope Falls #6) - Kimberly Rae Jordan Page 0,45
by a sweet-talking man simply because he’d paid attention to her. And people probably thought she was crazy for sticking with him, not realizing that there was just no way to escape. There had been no way past the walls of the compound. Walls that Ezekiel had insisted were there to protect them, but Sophia had known they were actually there to keep them imprisoned.
“Is Bryson allergic to bees?” Ryker asked, pulling her thoughts from the past she kept trying to move beyond. “You mentioned he was scared to go outside because he’d been bitten by a bee.”
“They said it was actually a wasp—if that makes a difference. And he didn’t have a reaction that affected his breathing, but his arm swelled up after he was bitten on his hand. It hurt him a lot too.”
Ryker nodded. “Wasp stings can hurt a great deal, but it sounds like, while he had a reaction, it wasn’t a bad one. But it does explain why he freaked out at Charlie.”
Sophia frowned. “What did he tell you? I couldn’t get it out of him and deal with Mellie at the same time. Just that it had something to do with a bug.”
“Charlie brought a bug in from outside and told Bryson he was going to make it bite him, so he’d swell up like a balloon and pop.”
She saw red as the meanness of the other boy was revealed more fully in Ryker’s words. That went beyond teasing.
“Was Charlie there when Bryson got bit by the wasp?”
Sophia blinked back the angry tears that wanted to break free. “Yes. I wasn’t, though.”
“You can’t be with your child twenty-four/seven, Sophia.”
Couldn’t she? These days she was certainly managing to achieve that, but Ezekiel never would have allowed it. “By the time I finally saw him, he’d been screaming for ages, and his arm was badly swollen.”
“It sounds like a traumatic time for both of you.”
Traumatic? Yeah, that described it perfectly. “He was so scared, not understanding what was happening to his arm. That’s probably why he reacted like that to what Charlie said.”
“That makes sense.” Ryker looked down at Bryson as he began to stir. “Looks like his adrenalin-drop-induced nap might just about be over.”
“Momma?”
Sophia smiled at Bryson as he blinked, lifting his hands to rub the backs of them against his eyes. “Hi, baby.”
He looked up at Ryker then held out his arms toward her. Not like he was eager to get away from Ryker, but more that he needed to be close to her.
Before she could move to take him, Ryker stood up and deposited him onto her lap. She gave him a smile of thanks as she wrapped her arms around her boy. Burying her face in his curls, she inhaled the familiar scent of the baby shampoo she used on him.
He reached up and wrapped his arms around her neck. “Sorry, Momma.”
“Sorry? What are you sorry for?”
“For screaming like that.”
“It’s okay, baby. I know you were scared.”
She felt him take a deep breath and let it out. “Ryker made me some bananas.”
“But your momma’s are better, aren’t they?” Ryker said with a laugh.
Bryson turned enough to peek at Ryker. “Her peanut butter is better.”
“Do you want the rest of them?” Sophia asked. “You have three pieces left.”
When Bryson nodded, Ryker slid the plate closer to them. She didn’t bother to mention pizza coming because he probably wouldn’t eat the bananas. It was her hope that he would eat the remaining bananas in addition to a piece or two of pizza—depending on how big the slices were.
Bryson finished the bananas, then asked for some milk. Keeping him balanced on one hip, she got a glass and poured milk into it. The doorbell rang as she finished pouring the milk, so Ryker went to answer it.
When he reappeared, he was followed by her dad. Sophia stared at him in surprise. It wasn’t often that her dad came by.
“Hi, Dad.”
“Nana reminded me that you probably needed some help with the yard,” he said, his gaze settling for a moment on Bryson, whose face was still puffy from the tears he’d shed earlier. “I’m sorry I didn’t think of it sooner, but it looks like you got it taken care of.”
“Yes. Ryker has been helping me.”
“Ryker?” He swung to face Ryker and stuck out his hand. “I’m Cliff Haldorson. Thanks for giving Sophia a hand with that.”
“You’re welcome. I’m happy to help.”
“Did something happen?” her dad asked as he looked from Ryker to Bryson.