Choosing Happiness by Melissa Stevens Read Free Book Online Page B

part of the family, so that’s what I’m doing. Now, we generally serve around six-thirty, but come early and spend time with us. We'd love to get to know you better." She was cheery but insistent.
    "All right, ma'am."
    "What did I tell you about calling me ma'am?" Her tone turned stern.
    "I mean, Sophia."
    "That's better. We'll see you this evening. Do you need the address?"
    "No, I have it." Ben had made sure he had that, too.
    "All right then, we'll see you tonight."
    "I'll see you then." He disconnected the call and dropped his phone back into the holster on his belt.
    “Sophia?” His partner Ramon asked.
    “My best friend’s mom.”
    “Why are you going over there tonight?”
    “Dinner. She’s invited me to the family dinner.”
    “And you don’t want to go?”
    “It’s not that I don’t want to go, but Ben’s out of town and I don’t know the rest of the family so well. I’m just hesitant.”
    Ramon nodded, he didn’t seem to have anything to add but the look on his face said he understood.
    ***
    J ake showed up at Charles and Sophia's house a little before six o'clock. He wasn't sure what was expected of him, but he knew showing up was. Carrying the bouquet of flowers he'd brought for Sophia, he knocked on the front door and waited. The door swung inward, revealing Sophia. She was wearing an apron and carrying a hand towel.
    "Jake." She smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "Come on in." She pushed the door open all the way and stepped back to make room for him to pass before closing it against the chill in the air. "Take your jacket off, make yourself at home."
    "These are for you," Jake extended the flowers to her. "I didn't know what else to bring."
    She took them. "You didn't have to do that. We want you to bring you, nothing more."
    "I've never been to a family dinner. I didn't want to show up empty handed." He shrugged out of his jacket and looked around for where to hang it.
    "That's the point of family, we only want you for yourself." She opened the door to the closet near the front door. "In here, dear."
    "Thanks." He took an empty hanger and hung up his jacket, then closed the closet. Turning around he asked, "Do you need any help with dinner?"
    "Oh, do you cook?" She moved toward the kitchen.
    Jake followed. "Not really, but I'm good at following directions"
    Sophia laughed. "It's good of you to offer, but I’ve got it handled. The lasagna is in the oven and the salad's in the fridge. We just have to wait for it to cook." She opened a cabinet on the far end of the kitchen from the sink and stove. "Could you hand me that vase, Jake?" She pointed to one on the top shelf.
    "Sure." He lifted the vase down and handed it to her. Sophia carried the vase and flowers to the sink, added a spoonful of sugar to the vase and started filling it with water.
    "Charles is in the living room. Why don't you go see what he's up to? I'll be there in a few minutes. I'm just going to get these taken care of."
    "I'll think I'll do that."
    Walking into the living room, Jake found Charles sitting in his recliner, a book open on his lap, but his head drooping as he dozed.
    "Looks like retirement is exhausting," Jake said, hoping to wake Charles.
    Charles jumped slightly, startled by Jake's voice. "It can be. I spent the morning at the shop, pitching in with the backlog of cars that came in over the weekend. The kid Ben left in charge is capable but they're still a man down with him gone."
    "So you went down and helped out for a while to keep them from falling behind."
    "I still like to get my hands dirty now and then, but I'm glad to be free of the day to day management. I like working with my hands, but I hate the paperwork."
    Jake nodded, sympathizing. Paperwork had never been his favorite aspect of any job. He'd rather be out doing something than shuffling numbers and reports.
    "So, how's your new job going? The city police force right?" Charles asked.
    Jake nodded. "That's right. So far so good, but I've