The Bachelor Pact Box Set

by Rita Herron

  Long-lost Lovers.

  Was Peter going to be one of the success stories of the reunion episode?

  Needing to work his frustration out of his system, he installed the new thermal-pane windows in the kitchen. Earlier he'd stopped by Maddie's, reviewed some of the decorating plans she and Sophie had made, and picked up the special stained glass Sophie wanted installed in the kitchen bay window. Maddie had admitted that she and Sophie were on the fence about the decorative piece due to costs, but Lance decided he'd adjust the figures so it would work. If Sophie wanted the stained glass, she would have it.

  She didn't have to know that he'd waive a fee or two....

  By the time Sophie's show aired, he had the stained glass in place, and had applied the first coat of paint on the kitchen walls. Sophie had chosen a pale yellow, which gave the room a bigger feel, especially with the bay window letting in natural light. She'd selected a Wedgwood-blue faux-marble paint finish for the dining room to match the blue granite counters, and he'd seen the mixture of blues, reds, and yellows she and Maddie planned to use in the living room.

  Needing a lunch break anyway, he grabbed his bottled tea and sandwich from the cooler and sat down to watch the show.

  The familiar music for Sophie Knows sang through the stage speakers; the cameras panned the audience, where he noticed Lucy and Peter sitting, and then zoomed in on Sophie as she entered. As always, she was stunning. Dressed in a silky-looking vee-necked black tank with a wide striped sash tied around her tiny waist and one of those funky black skirts that was split and angled up the sides of her legs, she sucked the wind from his lungs. Her makeup was always flawless, her appearance model-gorgeous. Once again, he wondered how a developer like himself would ever live up to her perfection.

  "Ladies and gentlemen, today we have the final episode in our singles series—we're here to reunite a few long-lost lovers."

  The audience clapped, and Lance bit off a piece of his dry sandwich, wondering how many long-lost lovers Sophie had in her past. After all, she'd never talked much about herself and her life before Savannah and the Sophie Knows show. On the show she played a part; here at home he'd glimpsed a more vulnerable woman. He'd seen her choices in her home, seen her without makeup, almost seen her without her clothes. What was the real Sophie Lane like underneath the show persona?

  He made a mental note that if his plan worked and she accepted his date, he'd find out all he could about the real Sophie.

  * * *

  Agitation tightened Sophie's nerves as she forced herself through the show. Deseree had called suggesting she pop in to visit her and Lucy, then fly back with Lucy on Sunday. Sophie had stalled, claiming she was so swamped with the renovations she didn't have time for company. She'd also stalled Peter as a guest with the promise that she'd arranged a meeting for him with the talent scout. Actually, she'd asked her secretary to handle the details.

  "Our first guest is Amy Price." Sophie gestured toward the thirty-year-old woman. "Tell us your story, Amy."

  The slender mother of two fidgeted with her hands. "I'm here to reunite with my first love. He and I dated in high school, but when college rolled around, we went our separate ways."

  "How long has it been since you've seen him?"

  "Twelve years."

  "And what's happened in your life since then?"

  Amy chewed at her lipstick. "I dropped out of college when I got pregnant. I married the baby's father, but it didn't work out."

  "You're divorced then?"

  She nodded, staring down at her hands. "My heart was always with Jay."

  "Did you try to find him?"

  "I was afraid." A small nervous laugh escaped her. "We parted bitterly. I wanted to forget college, and marry him after high school, but he thought we should both get our educations."

  "He sounds like a smart guy."

  "He is, and he was right." Her head lifted a notch. "After my divorce, I went back to school and finished a business degree. Now I'm a computer consultant at a company here in Savannah."

  "Well, let's bring Jay out and see what he has to say."

  Seconds later, a tall, fair-haired man appeared with a rose in his hand and a smile on his face. "Amy, is it really you?"

  Sophie's chest squeezed with emotions as the couple embraced. "I take it you're open to starting a relationship with Amy?" she finally asked.

  "I've never forgotten her," Jay admitted as he pulled away slightly. Moisture filled his eyes. "And yes, I want us to see where it leads this time."

  The audience clapped and cheered while Amy and Jay claimed side chairs and began to converse.

  The next couple didn't quite work out. The man had recently gotten involved with another woman, so the timing was off. Sophie couldn't help but wonder if the timing had been off with Lance. Maybe ten years from now Lance would want to get serious....

  The third couple were in their eighties. Sophie had never seen anything so touching. They had apparently been lost to each other during World War II. He had been a soldier, and she'd been told he died in combat.

  "I gave Erma a promise ring when we were fifteen," Horace said. "Took me four months to save up for it, making minimum wages back then."

  Erma pulled a small valentine keepsake box from her purse. "And I kept it all these years. I couldn't quite believe you were dead."

  "I was a war prisoner," Horace explained. "Fifteen years. By the time I returned to the States, I was shell-shocked, broken down. Then I heard Erma had married. But I kept all the letters she wrote me while I was overseas."

  Erma sniffled. "I had a few good years with my husband, but he died in a mine explosion in 'fifty-nine." She lifted a hankie and dabbed at her eyes. "But I still thought of you, Horace. You were my first love."

  "And you never married, Horace?" Sophie asked, her own voice quavering with tears.

  "No, my heart was set on Erma." He lifted her hand in his and kissed her gnarled fingers.

  She lifted a shaky hand to touch the white hair at his temple. "And my heart still belongs to you, Horace."

  The two embraced, and Sophie's heart squeezed. Their story reminded Sophie of the star-crossed lovers who were supposedly trapped within her house. What would it be like to have a man love you until you were old and gray?

  Would she ever have that kind of undying love?

  * * *

  The remainder of the day Lance worked with a vengeance, determined to have the second coat on the kitchen walls and one layer of glossy white on the molding and trim. As usual, Sophie's cat had greeted him with a hiss, although he had brought along a cat toy. Jazzy had stared at it suspiciously and retreated up the stairs. Rome wasn't built in a day, he reminded himself. He wouldn't win the cat over in one either. But at least they had come to some terms: They tolerated the other being in the house, although their truce had yet to extend to sharing the same room.

  A few minutes before five, when he expected Sophie home, he arranged his surprise, frowning when that Peter guy left a message saying he'd call back. He sneaked a peek at the card accompanying the flowers on her table and frowned—George. The man was definitely pursuing her. And the hulky football player had called three times.

  Feeling foolish but determined to follow through with his plan, Lance wrote a suggestions for dates on six slips of paper, then slipped each of the notes inside a balloon, blew up the balloons, and tied one to each diet Coke in the six-pack. Each time Sophie popped a balloon, he'd take her on the date suggested in the note.

  Whoever said Lance Summers wasn't romantic...?

  Chapter 15

  After the show, Sophie was exhausted, but she had to deal with Peter. Her secretary had phoned the talent scout who'd appeared on the show and arranged an appointment for him. She also had a message from her agent. The L.A. producer had phoned again about the reality-show offer, and a second offer from a producer at CNN sounded intriguing. They were looking for a special feature newscaster. Hmm. Maybe.

  Still, she stalled and told h
er agent she'd think about it.

  When Lucy popped in, she told her about the offers. "Lucy, you go with Peter and watch him."

  "Sure." Lucy fluffed her curls. "I might get discovered myself."

  Sophie pinched the bridge of her nose. "Make sure he doesn't reveal my identity."

  "You're making way too much out of this, Soph. If your audience knew about your Diva act, it might boost your ratings. Have you ever thought of that?""My ratings are fine, I have job offers in L.A. and Atlanta, and I'm going into syndication, remember?" More people were going to see her, more people who might recognize her... her dyed hair might not be enough. "You really want to be on television?" Sophie asked, vying for another strategy.

  Lucy scrunched up her eyes. "Why not? You don't think I'm talented enough?"

  Heavens, she'd hurt her sister's feelings. "You're gorgeous and talented," Sophie said. "But making it in television is rough, Lucy." Sophie bit her tongue. "You've seen what it did to Deseree. After dancing, she tried making it in the acting world."

  "Maybe she didn't have a choice," Lucy said.

  "There are always choices," Sophie countered. "Deseree didn't look hard enough."

  "And maybe you're not looking hard enough to see why she made those choices."

  Sophie jerked her head up, surprised by Lucy's antagonistic tone. "What's that supposed to mean?"

  Lucy twisted a strand of hair around her finger. "Deseree obviously didn't have the confidence you did. Maybe she felt trapped."

  Sophie understood about feeling trapped—hadn't she felt trapped by circumstances when she was young? All those times when Deseree hadn't come home at night and she'd been left to soothe Lucy's worries. All those days she'd pretended to the other kids at school that her mother wasn't the call girl they knew her to be. Sophie had invented so many lies she hadn't been able to keep them straight. Just like now, her head was spinning from trying to continue the charade. "We've had this argument before," Sophie said. "I know she had it rough growing up, Lucy, but so did we. I simply want a better life for both of us. I want you to go back to school, get a degree—"

  "You're on television; why can't I pursue a TV career? I could be one of those weather girls, or another Vanna White on a game show."

  "Is that really what you want?" Sophie asked hesitantly.

  "I don't know; you certainly don't like my Sleepover, Inc., job."

  Sophie rolled her eyes, ready to launch into another motherly lecture, when Peter knocked at the door. He stuck his head in. "I need to leave now if I'm going to make that appointment."

  Lucy nodded. "I'm right behind you."

  Sophie grabbed Lucy's hand. "Please, Lucy, I realize you don't agree with me, but don't do anything rash. This scout already almost recognized me. If you tell him about the Diva act, he may put two and two together and figure out who I am."

  "I still think you're making way too much out of that." Lucy squeezed Sophie's hand. "But trust me, sis: I won't do anything to hurt you."

  Sophie's voice felt rough when she spoke. "I... I want a chance here, with the show, maybe with Lance."

  Lucy hugged her. "I know, Soph. But remember, if Lance isn't the one, you'll find someone else. I'm sure of it."

  Trouble was, she didn't want anyone else. Maybe soon Lucy and Peter would be back in Vegas and her secrets would all be safe....

  * * *

  Why couldn't Sophie give up on Lance? Lucy wondered as Peter drove the rental car toward the Savannah Harbor Resort, where he was supposed to meet Edward Wormer, the talent scout.

  Lucy's charms were supposed to help her find new lovers and sidetrack Sophie from this one-sided attraction. Maybe she needed a new spell, one to release Sophie....

  She shot an irritated glance toward Peter. Why did she have to baby-sit her mother's old boyfriend when she should be making that new spell, when she wanted to be seducing Reid? She had to return to Vegas tomorrow morning for the Saturday-night show, so tonight would be her last and only opportunity for a while. And when or if she ever saw him again, he'd probably have moved on to some other hot babe.

  A dull ache throbbed in her chest, and she massaged it, wondering if that last chocolate doughnut she'd eaten this morning had been a tad too much. After the interview she'd drive Peter to the airport; then she'd do a little shopping, find herself something seductive to wear tonight, something that Reid couldn't resist....

  And before she left tomorrow, she'd figure out a way to convince Sophie to fly to Vegas for Mother's Day to meet her and Deseree. Granted, the three of them made an odd family, but it was the only one Lucy had, and she was determined that the three women stick together.

  "It really wasn't necessary for you to tag along," Peter said as he parked in front of the hotel.

  "Sophie insisted."

  "She has issues."

  "Maybe so, but you'd better do right by her, Peter, and not reveal anything about her past. She went out on a limb to line you up with this appointment."

  Peter covered her hand with his. "Lucy, I know you don't believe it, but I honestly care about you and your sister. You are Deseree's daughters."

  "You feel fatherly toward us?" Lucy laughed. "Peter, you're not old enough to be our father."

  "But we've worked together a long time, and I love your mom."

  As much as any man ever had, Lucy conceded slightly. "Thanks, Peter. If you really care, please honor Sophie's wishes."

  Peter nodded and climbed out of the rental car. Lucy didn't feel it was necessary to accompany him inside. She trusted he wouldn't give away Sophie's past—not after her last warning. Instead she dug her book on charms from her purse while she waited. She had to make sure she hadn't done something wrong with the spells.

  Maybe she'd even make up a new one to help Sophie fall in love with that guy George or that hunky football player, Rory, or maybe when she came to Vegas, Lucy could set her up with someone there.

  She skimmed the charms and spells, but didn't find anything about releasing someone from an infatuation. Hmm. She'd noticed a voodoo-magic shop on the corner before they'd arrived at the hotel. Peter was safe inside; he would be fine. She'd hop over to that shop and pick up a few things she needed to help Sophie...

  * * *

  As the day wore on, Lance grew more and more nervous about Sophie's reactions to his balloon idea. Twice he'd already taken the silly-looking display to his truck; then he'd imagine Sophie with that black-leather milksop or that football player, and he'd drag it back inside. On the third trip back and forth he'd dropped it, one of the aluminum cans had exploded, spraying all the balloons, and he'd had to redo the entire contraption.

  He wiped at a bead of sweat on his forehead.

  Who'd ever thought the idea of asking a woman out would make him so damn jittery?

  I wouldn't go out with you if you were the last man on earth.

  What would he do if Sophie rejected him?

  His cell phone rang, and Lance laid down the paintbrush and checked it, wishing it were McDaniels. The Savannah Sleep Clinic's name appeared instead.

  He clicked the on button. "Hello, Lance Summers here."

  "Mr. Summers, this is Dr. Settleton at the Savannah Sleep Clinic. We have your test results back."

  Settleton's tone sounded serious. Worried. Like a man preparing to deliver bad news.

  Good grief, what if Lance had some kind of brain tumor pressing on his brain that caused his sleeplessness? Maybe a blood clot...

  "Yeah?" he asked, hating the way his own voice wobbled over the word.

  "Other than the occasional jump in blood pressure, our tests show that there is nothing physically wrong with you."

  "That's good news, right?"

  "Well, yes. Of course, it still doesn't explain why you're suffering from insomnia." His breath wheezed over the line. "But in my opinion, after our conversations, I'd speculate that your condition is triggered by stress."

  Lance dropped his head forward and rubbed his neck. He'd paid God knew how muc
h money for this doctor to tell him he was stressed. "Of course I'm stressed. I have a company to run." And McDaniels to win over.

  "Work can create tension, but you might consider seeing a counselor to talk about any unresolved problems, issues from childhood...."

  Christ, not that psychobabble about childhood repressions. "I didn't hate my mother or father, if that's what you're getting at. I loved my parents, and my brother and sister."

  Settleton chuckled. "I wasn't going to suggest you hated your family, but often a loss, a sudden death in a family such as the one you experienced in your teens, can add pressure on a child that the child suppresses until later years. Given that you were left to be the sole caretaker, you probably experienced feelings of abandonment, fear of loss..." He hesitated. "Those unresolved issues might also affect your relationships today, or lack of relationships."

  He'd never really examined his feelings. Hell, he hadn't had time. Maddie had been so vulnerable and erratic herself, and Reid had been headed for juvenile.... Begrudgingly, he admitted Settleton was making sense. But what did that have to do with Sophie?

  He glanced across the counter, anything to distract himself, and noticed an envelope with the name Deseree written on it. Deseree, the woman who ran the charity Sophie supported.

  "Think about it," the doctor continued, cutting off his thoughts. "Face your inner demons, whatever they are, and then you can move on."

  "Eliminate the stress?"

  "If possible. If not, learn to deal with it, and your fears."

  He wasn't a cowardly man, was he?

  The back door opened, and Lance froze. The source of his stress had just walked inside, dressed in a slinky black sundress that hugged her curves and showcased that spiky black hair. She was so damn beautiful. Not only beautiful, but intelligent, a celebrity, and a generous one; no telling how much money she gave to this charity.

  Had he been afraid to get involved with her? Afraid he'd love someone and then lose again?

  His gaze flew to the balloons, nervous tension rippling through him. No, he refused to let fear rule his life. He'd face his issues and deal with them—starting tonight.