Rustic Hearts

Sophie

 

“Sophie, can you help me with these?” Aunt Doreen calls to me from the back deck.

I leave my sketchpad and pencil on the quilt and hurry to the door to relieve her of the basket she has in her hands.

“Thank you, sweetie. It’s so lovely out that we thought we’d eat out here again this evening. We won’t get too many more opportunities before the bitter cold blows in,” she explains as she leads the way out to an extra-large picnic table under an old oak tree.

The basket is filled with colorful plates and silverware and napkins. She takes a checkered tablecloth, shakes it out, and spreads it over the wooden table. I set the basket on a bench, and we start setting the places. Aunt Ria joins us and loads the table with trivets and serving utensils. She places mason jars with fresh-cut sunflowers and candles in the center.

“Perfect,” she declares as she lights the candles.

Braxton and Elle emerge next with covered pots. Braxton sets the chicken and dumplings on a trivet, and Elle follows with the creamed corn and peas. Madeline brings up the rear with pitchers of water and iced tea.

“Excuse me. I’m going to go freshen up real quick,” I tell Aunt Doreen.

I grab the quilt and my supplies as I make my way to the house. I pass Daddy as I enter the back door.

“Sophie?” he questions as I race through the kitchen.

I look back to him. “I’ll be out in a minute. Just putting my things away and washing up.”

He looks relieved as he nods his head and continues out.

Once I drop everything in my room and use the bathroom, I return to the backyard.

“Sophie, flip the switch to the left of the door, please,” Madeline calls to me.

I do as she asked, and the entire backyard illuminates with twinkling lights. They are strung all through the big oak trees. The sun is starting to set, and the sky is painted in gorgeous shades of pink and orange. The whole scene is magical, like stepping into a fairy garden.

I join them at the table and sit in the space left for me between Pop and Madeline across from Elle and Braxton. Pop picks up a spoon and slaps a massive pile of dumplings on my plate. Then, he loads me down with corn and peas.

My eyes widen as I look at all the food. “Um, I can’t eat all that, Pop.”

He side-eyes me. “We have to plump you up, little’n. Gram would have had a fit if she saw how slight you are.”

I grimace. “I’m not slight.”

“You ain’t sturdy either,” he notes.

“Sturdy?”

I hear a snicker and look up to see Braxton trying to suppress a laugh.

“Gram was always trying to fatten me up too. Like I was a calf they wanted to send to auction,” Elle chimes in, and I look to see her smiling at me.

“Men like a woman with a little meat on her bones,” Pop informs me.

“Oh, Dad, stop. Women don’t like being told they’re too ski

“Back me up here, Brax. Men prefer a soft woman with curves. Am I right?”

I bring my eyes back to Braxton, who is swallowing a big bite of dumplings.

He picks his glass up and washes it down. Then, he speaks, “Yes, sir. Curves are definitely appreciated,” as he looks at Pop.

Then, he brings his attention to me and grins as he takes another bite. His blue eyes are dancing with amusement. He’s teasing me. My stomach does a little flip as I realize I like it. Thank goodness the sun is going down and casting a pink haze across the yard, so no one notices the blush that I’m sure is tinting my face.

“How long are you here for, Sophie?” The question comes from a man at the far end of the table, who looks to be about my age.

I raise an eyebrow at him.

“Sorry, I’m Silas. I work here on the ranch. I live up the hill, near the county line, with my wife, Chloe. She’s at her parents’ house this week, waiting the birth of her sister’s baby, or she’d have joined us.”

“And I’m Walker.” A deep voice booms from the guy to his left, startling me. He is large, and his brown coveralls barely fit, stretched across his massive chest. He has thick, dark hair that needs a trim and bushy eyebrows. He reminds me of a teddy bear.

“It’s nice to meet you both,” I reply.

I look around the table, and everyone’s attention is now on me, so I continue, “I’m not sure how long I’ll be in Poplar Falls. I know I’m staying through the weekend for Gram’s service, and Aunt Doe asked me to stay for the reading of her will. I guess it depends on when all that’s happening.”

“It’s great your job lets you travel with an uncertain schedule,” Silas adds.

“It was easy to get approval since I’m my own boss.”

“Really? That’s great. What do you do?”

“She’s a jewelry designer,” Elle chimes in.

“Is that so?”

“Yes. I have a design studio and manufacturing site in the city.”

“So, you make, like, necklaces and stuff?” Walker asks.

“Yep. I design specific pieces for people, and my team creates it from my sketches.”

“So, it’s special jewelry?”

I consider his question for a moment. “You could say that. Sometimes, a client asks for a particular thing or a replica of something I have sold before, but mostly, they just want something unique to them. A piece that commemorates an event or a place, maybe a moment in time or even a person.”

“You can do that with a hunk of metal and some beads?” Silas asks the question, but I can tell he is curious and not being an ass.

“Absolutely. For instance, I made a hairpin for a client before I left. His wife had suddenly passed away last year, and his daughter is getting married in a few weeks. He wanted to have something special made for her, so it would feel like her mother was a part of it. His wife had loved hummingbirds, so I designed a lovely hummingbird hair comb made of silver and clear crystals. Then, I used a sapphire from one of her mother’s rings for the bird’s eye. That way, she has her something old, something new and something blue and a piece of her mother with her on her wedding day.”

All eyes are on me as I finish my story.

“That’s beautiful, Sophie.” Aunt Doreen beams at me, and I return her smile.

Then, I hear a sniffle from across the table.

“It really is,” Elle whispers. Probably thinking of her mother and her own wedding day.

Braxton has finished eating, and he’s staring at me with an odd look.

I’m uncomfortable, being the center of everyone’s attention.

“Thank you. I do love it. It pays the bills, and luckily, I can sketch from anywhere, so here I am.”

“We hope to keep her for a little while,” Aunt Ria says as she fills my glass with tea.

“Not too long. I do need to get home before my mother goes crazy.”

“Vivian has had you all to herself for long enough. Time to share you with the rest of us,” Pop says as he finds my hand under the table and squeezes.

I look over to Daddy. He hasn’t said a word. He just keeps eating as Madeline adds seconds to his plate. When he notices me watching him, he looks up and purses his lips as if he wants to say something but can’t find the words.

Maybe there is too much to say and too many years between us.

I pick up my fork and start eating. A little moan escapes me as the gravy from the dumplings hits my tongue.

Braxton snaps his eyes to mine, and I blush again.

“This is so good, Aunt Doe and Aunt Ria,” I manage to choke out.