Sonja’s cheeks turned an attractive shade of pink. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound like that.”
“No problem. It wasn’t like I was keeping it a secret or anything. I haven’t decided if I’m going to accept the nomination.” He dropped his gaze to his bare feet. “I know what winning could do for you … and Jesse financially. I have Eric and the rally to boost my business.”
He looked at her frowning face.
Wrong words. “It’s not that I don’t think the B&B can win, even with the rally.”
Her frown deepened and she patted Xena who had been pacing back and forth between them and the door, ready for her walk.
Maybe it was time for him to cut bait. “I should get my boots on and get back to the shop. That rush job. I’ll get Xena’s leash from the kitchen.” Jeff made a temporary get-away.
He returned booted, leash in hand. “Here you go.”
Sonja took the leash and snapped it on Xena. “Sorry if I sounded like I was accusing you of something. I have a lot on my mind with the B&B opening, Lauren and Jesse being gone, and having Shelley. I think it would have been a lot less stressful if we hadn’t had the delays and been able to open in the spring as Jesse and I had initially planned.”
“No need to apologize. I understand. I’ve opened a business, too—twice.” Jeff pressed his lips together. That might not have been the best way to say that.
Xena tugged Sonja toward the door, so Jeff walked her over. He wasn’t sure what Sonja would say if he offered to help with the B&B. But he had an offer she shouldn’t refuse. “I’m sure it’s hard getting everything done with Shelley there.”
“Yes,” she agreed. “And here I have her at a friend’s and I’m ditching the work at the B&B for a walk on the beach.”
Jeff opened the door for her. “It’s a beautiful day. The walk will energize you for whatever you need to do this afternoon.”
Sonja raised her face to the sun as if to soak in its rays, giving Jeff a chance to admire her almost perfect features and the smooth line of her neck in profile without her noticing.
He cleared his throat. “And, if you need more time, I can pick her up from her playdate and bring her here for a while, give her supper.” He was thinking Shelley might want to go to McDonald’s for a kids’ meal. “She could even stay over.”
“What about your rush job?”
“I told the guy, it would be done by 3:00, 3:30 at the latest, and after that I’m covered for the bike rentals until closing.”
Sonja bit her lip. “I suppose, if you’re sure. You wouldn’t have to do supper for her.”
“I’ll cover supper.” The woman shouldn’t need this much convincing. She didn’t have to do everything. Had that been what her ex had expected? Jeff couldn’t deny that he’d been like that sometimes. But his wife hadn’t hesitated to give him a verbal kick in the behind when he’d gotten out of hand. “I wanted to have Shelley over anyway to show her the set of blocks I made her.”
Sonja’s pensive expression made him wish he could read what was going on in her head. Fat chance of that happening. In all the years he’d been married, he hadn’t been able to completely master that feat.
“Yes,” she finally said. “Your taking Shelley for the late afternoon and early evening would be a great help to me. I’ll let Eva know and text you her address to pick up Shelley. And thanks.”
“Just doing my part. It’s what family does.”
“Right, family.” She smiled. “See you later.”
Jeff watched Sonja take off jogging down the beach before he got on his motorcycle to return to the shop. He wasn’t even going to try to decipher the warm hum that Sonja’s smile of agreement had triggered in him.
He was just going to enjoy it.
C H A P T E R 5
Jeff had been right. Walking Xena had energized her. She’d gotten all of the windows washed in the second-floor guest rooms and made real progress on her breakfast menus and food orders for the first month. Physical work she could generally manage with Shelley around, but mental tasks not so much. Shelley wanted to help her on the computer, and that just didn’t work.
The sound of a vehicle coming up the driveway made her check the clock on her laptop. Six-twenty. If it was Jeff, he’d timed it perfectly. She’d just finished. Sonja headed downstairs and met them at the front door, which she’d locked after all of Jeff’s prodding.
She opened the door and Shelley shouted, “Grammy! Daddy Jesse and Ren see dolphins.”
Sonja’s chest tightened. “I didn’t miss their Skype call, did I? I thought they were calling at seven.”
Jeff walked into the check-in area. “No, they’re calling at seven as far as I know. Shelley and I played with the blocks. She likes the one with the dolphins on it best.”
Sonja closed the door. “I didn’t even know she knew about dolphins.”
“And can pronounce the word, too,” Jeff said. He set Shelley on the floor.
“Did you have fun playing with Arthur?” Sonja asked. Shelley nodded so solemnly that she wondered if the little girl had.
“Papa picked me up.”
“While I’d like to think I rate over her little playmate, all she talked about for at least an hour after I picked her up was ‘Arthur this,’ and ‘Arthur that.’ I think she’s tired. Eva said she didn’t nap.”
“Arfur and me too big to nap,” Shelley confirmed.
“I see. Have you eaten? I was just going to make something for myself.”
“Yeah, we went to McDonald’s,” Jeff answered.
“And I got this.” Shelley pointed at the Hello Kitty hair band she wore in her blond baby curls.
Sonja bent to admire the hairband and straightened to see Jeff’s soft gaze fixed on her. Light-headedness washed over her.
“Go ahead and make yourself something to eat,” he said. “I’ll give Shelley her bath and get her into her pajamas.”
“No, jammies.” Shelly stomped her foot.
“I don’t know, Grammy. I guess Shelley doesn’t want to talk to her daddy and Lauren on the computer tonight.”
Sonja caught Jeff’s verbal toss. “Right. Only little girls who are in their pajamas can talk on the computer tonight.”
“Okay.” Shelley took Jeff’s hand. “Jammies.”
The three of them headed up the stairs. “I want to put away the cleaning stuff, and then I’ll come up,” Sonja said when they reached the second floor. She smiled as she watched the brawny man and tiny girl climb the flight to her flat, hand in hand. Jeff was really good with Shelley, which spoke a lot about how good a father Jesse was—especially considering Shelley’s biological aunt had dropped her on him last year in a complete surprise after her birth mother had died.
A few minutes later, Sonja entered her flat warmed by gleeful squeals from the bath, followed by a deep chuckle. It sounded as if they were having a good time. She took a Healthy Choice dinner from the freezer and put it in the microwave. It would be fun for the three of them to talk to Lauren and Jesse this evening. They’d only been gone a few days, but she missed them.
Shelley came racing into the kitchen just as Sonja finished her food. “Jammies on. Put Jesse Daddy and Ren on the `puter.
“Hold your horses.” Jeff had followed her in.
“Funny Papa. No horses.”
Sonja put her plate and fork in the sink, stifling her everything-in-its-place gene that would have her washing the fork and rinsing the plastic plate and dropping it in the recycle bin. “My laptop is on the coffee table in the living room.”
Shelley raced into the other room.
“You’d think she’d be worn out by now,” Jeff said.
“She’s running on a second wind. I hope her being overtired doesn’t cause her to get upset when we Skype with Jesse and Lauren. You know, Shelley seeing them on the computer screen.”
Jeff pressed his lips together. “I should have had her nap after I picked her up from Ben and Eva’s. You know, I wasn’t around much when Jes
se was Shelley’s age. I was still in the Army, deployed to Africa for a time.”
That made Sonja all the more impressed with how good he was with Shelley. “No, if you’d put her down for a nap, she might have slept right through, and we’d be running the risk of having to wake her up for the call and her being cranky.”
Shelley’s flying leap onto the middle of the couch made both Sonja and Jeff laugh. Jeff settled on the couch with the little girl while Sonja opened the laptop and turned it on. She turned to join them and wavered. She’d thought she and Jeff would sit with Shelley between them, but Shelley had climbed onto Jeff’s lap. He’d sat in the middle of the couch. She’d have to sit in the space left between him and the arm of the couch.
“Sit, Grammy.”
Sonja threw off the awkward feeling and sat, putting the maximum space available between her and Jeff. Lauren and Jesse’s call broke the silence that hung in the air. She leaned forward and touched the screen to answer.
“Daddy Jesse, Ren. Me, Shelley,” The little girl pointed at herself.
“Hi, sweetie,” Jesse said.
Shelley touched Jeff and then Sonja. “Papa. Grammy.”
The honeymoon couple laughed. “Yes,” Lauren said. “Are you being a good girl for Grammy and Papa?”
Sonja swallowed. Lauren sounded just like her.
“Dolphins,” Shelley said.
“We played with the blocks today,” Jeff explained.
“We’re going to swim with the dolphins tomorrow,” Jesse said. “I’ll send Papa pictures for you.”
They talked for a few more minutes, with Shelley mostly curled up on Jeff’s lap, thumb in mouth watching the screen.
“We have to get going.” Jesse appeared to focus on Shelley. “We need to sleep so we can get up early for the dolphins.”
Lauren joined Jesse in a “Goodnight, love you.”
In a move that brought tears to Sonja’s eyes, Shelley hopped off Jeff’s lap and kissed Jesse’s image on the laptop. “Love you, Daddy Jesse and Ren.”
The couple waved and ended the call.
Shelley faced Jeff. “Night, night. Dolphins `morrow.”
Jeff rose. “I’ll tuck her in.”
“Grammy, kisses.”
Sonja wrapped Shelley in her arms, the sweet smell of clean baby bringing back memories. Reluctantly, she let Jeff take Shelley.
“One story.” She heard Jeff say, sending Sonja’s thoughts to the day after the wedding, and Jeff sprawled on the couch asleep. She blinked away the vivid picture of a disheveled Jeff and the definitely non-platonic-family feelings running through her. Hopefully, Shelley would go right to sleep tonight.
“Out like a light,” he said when he returned a few minutes later.
“Good.” She rose to walk him to the door.
“Before I go, can I ask you about something that’s bothering me?”
Sonja tensed. Was he going to ask about the way she’d reacted earlier to his shop also being nominated for best new start-up business?
“You know more than I do about kids. When do you think Shelley will drop the Jesse and start calling him just Daddy?”
She sure didn’t expect that. But this was good. Family stuff she could handle. “Shelley knew him as Jesse first. But we all refer to him as her daddy.” Sonja shrugged. “I’d think sooner, rather than later she’ll drop the Jesse. Definitely once she has more contact with other children who don’t call their parents by their first names.”
“What about Lauren?”
“I don’t follow.”
“Does she want Shelley to call her Mommy.”
“She’d love her to, but she’s not pushing it, since Shelley must have memories of her birth mother.”
“I see.” Jeff shuffled his feet. “Thanks. I guess I’d better get going.”
Sonja studied his handsome face. Had the conversation been a ploy to get her to ask him to stay longer? No, Jeff was more upfront than that. But it was early and she wouldn’t mind some adult company. After all, this conversation, the phone call with the kids, him with Shelley reminded her that they were family.
“It’s early. Do you want to stay for a cold drink or something?”
“Sure.” Jeff commended himself on keeping his surprise out of his voice. Maybe she wanted to talk about the business start-up competition. He studied her face. Sonja’s expression seemed to echo the surprise he’d hidden.
“All I have is sweet tea.”
If that was supposed to somehow put him off, it didn’t. “Sounds great. Like you said, it’s early. Maybe we could watch a movie or something.” Might as well push the limits.
Determination replaced the surprise on her face. “Unless there’s something on TV, all I have are chick flics, or the Hallmark channel.”
He placed his hand over his heart. “You don’t think I like chick flics.”
She ran her gaze over him, electricity following in its wake.
“Eric Slade is an old friend.” She placed her finger over her lips and rolled her eyes to the ceiling as if she were deeply pondering the question. “Um, I’d guess not your first choice.”
“It depends on who I’m watching movies with.”
Sonja brushed the front of her shorts with her palms.
“Since Shelley arrived, I’ve developed a fondness for Disney movies with princesses and mermaids.”
Sonja laughed. “We could watch one of those. I have several on DVD.”
“How about a compromise? A Hallmark mystery?”
“Sounds good to me. I’ll get the tea. You can see what’s on.”
Jeff watched Sonja walk across the living room to the kitchen doorway before picking up the remote from the coffee table. Should he sit and make himself comfortable on the couch? He eyed the furniture. At one end? In the middle. Or should he wait until Sonja returned and take his cue from her? Why was he even debating with himself? He sat on the left side of the couch halfway between the arm and the cushion divide, leaned back, and crossed is ankle over his knee. He flicked on the TV and selected the Hallmark movie station.
“What have you got?” Sonja asked crossing the room with two tumblers of tea.
“Emma Fielding Mysteries. It looks good.” No need to mention that his opinion was based on the main character looking kind of like Sonja with longer hair.
Sonja handed him his tea and sat in the middle of the other couch cushion. “It was good talking with the kids.”
“Yep, and Shelley handled it well.”
They watched the movie in silence until the commercial break.
“Did you get back to Caroline?” Sonja asked.
“About the nomination?” Duh. What else would she mean? “Not yet.”
“Don’t turn it down.”
“I would.” He stretched his arm across the back of the couch behind her. “For you. And Jesse, of course.”
Sonja’s eyes darkened and then flashed. “Don’t think we can take the heat, eh?”
“Oh, I’m sure you can.”
He had no doubts she could manage the heat business-wise. But he wasn’t certain he could take the heat of where his thoughts had been going since he’d suggested they watch a movie—or something.
“But seriously, your B&B is more likely to bring outside dollars to Indigo Bay than my shop.”
“What about the rally?”
“A one-time thing.” He drummed his fingers on the couch back. “In the long run, it’s going to be the tourist ATV and bike rentals and local repairs that are going to bring the steady income, not the custom bikes. Much as I love designing and building them.”
“So you’re saying you’re no competition for the award,” she teased.
He walked his fingers a couple inched down the couch back. “Not exactly. Just stating the facts. I’ll compete against you. But I’ll also lend you … and Jesse,” he added as an afterthought, “a hand if you need one.”
“But how do I know that as my competitor, you don’t have an ulterior motive?” Sonj
a leaned forward and placed her tea glass on the table.
Jeff wasn’t sure how to take that. He had an ulterior motive all right for spending time helping Sonja, but it had nothing to do with business or the competition. “Because it’s all in the family. Me helping you. You helping me. It increases the family odds of winning.” Jeff dropped his arm the final inch so that when she sat back again, his arm rested on her shoulders. He held his breath while he curved his fingers around her shoulder.
She stiffened, then relaxed, and he went back to breathing. “Think of me as filling in for Jesse while he and Lauren are honeymooning.”
Sonja bit her lip in thought, and Jeff had to turn his attention back to the resumed TV program to counter his reaction.
She nodded. “You have a good point. I would have asked Jesse to do the things you took care of yesterday.”
“All right, then. We’ve decided.” He steeled himself for her to disagree or at least qualify what he’d said.
She rose.
Here it comes.
“Keep track of the story for me. I’m going to get more tea. Do you want another glass?”
“No, I’m good.” He lifted his arm to the couch back, missing her warmth next to him. More than good. He really missed having someone to come home to, sit and watch TV with, talk to.
And he had no clue whether what he was feeling for Sonja was simply that, the loneliness of living by himself or something more. But he was going to find out. One way or another.
C H A P T E R 6
Sonja looked at the pile of old pantry shelving she’d dragged out and piled in the commercial trash removal bagster next to the garage. Taking out the old shelving so the new could go in was only one of several jobs she’d almost called Jeff to help her with over the past few days. But she hadn’t.
Shelley dropped a small drawer facing on the pile. “Good work, Grammy. Me, too.”
“Yes, you’ve been a big help to me.”
“I help Papa, too.”
Sonja and Jeff had traded Shelley back and forth as their work needed them to, but they hadn’t spent any time with each other in the past few days.
Sweet Horizons Page 5