A playful leer shadowed his face. “Care to work up an appetite?”
“I thought you’d never ask.” Sophie took his hand and led him to her bedroom.
* * * *
A noise woke Duncan. He stared up at an unfamiliar ceiling fan, confused for half a second before he realized he wasn’t home. He rolled to his side. Sophie lay sleeping, her pink lips slightly parted and the pattern of her breathing steady. Dark, tangled hair cascaded over the pillow and her fair skin seemed even lighter against the rich navy comforter resting partway over her shoulder. The soft, pale mounds of her chest tempted him and, like Pavlov’s dog, his arousal stirred, but he didn’t reach for her as he’d done more than once during the night.
Quietly slipping from beneath the covers, he retrieved the clothes he’d tossed on the floor at bedtime and slipped them on. Bella lifted her head off the dog bed in the corner and followed him out. Downstairs, he scoured the kitchen for a coffeemaker and coffee. Maybe he’d make breakfast too. He located a can of Folgers just as the front door handle rattled then unlocked. He froze.
Were the kids back already?
Bella barked and ran to the door as Jay hurried in, followed by a dusting of snow caused by a wind gust.
He stomped the snow from his boots then leaned over and scratched the dog’s head. “Hey, girl.” He looked up and his jaw unhinged.
He scanned Duncan from top to bottom then his forehead crinkled. “What the… Is my sister sleeping with you?” Unshaven, with dark circles under his lower lids, Jay carried a thermos tucked under his armpit.
Duncan’s tongue twisted in a knot, it was a little too early in the day to be caught off guard. “You should talk to Sophie about this.” He cringed at his unmanly response. “Do you always walk right in? I don’t think she’s expecting you.”
“Obviously.” His gaze seared Duncan. “I was about to plow the driveway. I came in because of the strange car in the driveway. Figured I’d refill my thermos and make sure my sister’s okay.” He walked in and clunked the thermos on the counter. “I figured something was up when I saw you two at Bellantoni’s. How long has this been going on?”
“Let’s not blow this out of proportion. Sophie’s a grown woman.”
“I know she can date. You’re my issue.” Jay’s voice boomed. “We couldn’t compete with the ridiculous price you offered the Tates. We were counting pennies to get the deal to work from the start. Don’t you understand how much this land means to her?”
“Of course I do. That’s why I offered it to her.”
Jay’s lower lip dropped. “You did? When?”
“Stop!” Sophie stood halfway down the steps in a white terry cloth robe, arms pretzel-folded tight against her chest, with flushed pink cheeks.
“Is this true? The property is ours?”
She proceeded down the stairs, biting her lip. The taut lines of her face reminded Duncan of the same unmistakable fury he’d seen the night after the public hearing, when he’d lied about his identity.
“Why’d you tell him about your offer?” Her words were quiet, the kind of quiet almost scarier than yelling.
“You never told me not to. Why did you hide this from him?”
Her face went blank and she looked away.
Jay stepped toward Sophie. “I can’t believe you kept this from me.”
“I had my reasons.”
“Are you crazy?” Jay’s jaw tightened. His angry stare cut a path between her and Duncan. “RGI has more properties than they know what to do with. Give me one good reason.”
She glanced at Duncan, a clear plea for assistance. He considered telling Jay about Trent’s real relationship to Elmer but wasn’t sure he could trust him, at least not in this state of mind. “Listen, Jay. You’re crossing a line. Back off.”
Jay glared at Sophie. “You’re going to let him talk to me that way?”
She stared at Duncan with a downturned mouth then sighed.
She finally looked at her brother. “You and I don’t think alike. We never have. He offered the land to me. I’ve made the decision to wait and see what the town decides.”
“Jesus, Sophie. Do something for yourself for a change.” Jay jabbed a finger in her direction. “You’re not gaining points with anybody by giving up this chance for our family. Especially not with him.” He pointed at Duncan.
Jay swiped his thermos off the counter. “Don’t come crying to me when you wish you’d said yes. It’ll be like you complaining about how you didn’t go away to college. Or married Mike. An old story, Sis, and getting overplayed. Take a chance on yourself for once.”
“I resent that. I don’t complain about my choices.”
“Not directly, but it comes up. How you’ve missed out in life. Do you know the guilt I’ve lived with because you stayed here to help Mom?”
“You shouldn’t. You came back for Dad later.”
“Whatever.” He swiped his hand through the air. “You seemed so excited over the Tates’ land. More excited than you’ve been in a long time.” His tone went flat, lifeless. “Especially since losing Henry.”
A tear escaped and she quickly brushed the wetness aside.
Jay turned to Duncan. “Are you two dating or did I walk in on”—he pressed his lips tight—“a casual night together?”
Duncan wanted to jump to her defense, admit his strong feelings, but Sophie cut him off before he could.
“I don’t owe you an explanation on how I spend my spare time,” she snapped before he could answer.
Not the answer Duncan wanted to hear. Was he reading her signals wrong?
Jay cheeks reddened and he stayed silent.
“Thank you for doing the driveway.” Sophie’s voice was monotone. “I appreciate what you do for me.
Jay stormed toward the door. “I know.” He slammed it shut.
* * * *
Jay’s comments left Sophie stripped bare of a disguise she’d worn for a good portion of her life, naked for Duncan to judge. She walked into the kitchen to make coffee and deal with her humiliation in private.
Duncan came up behind her. “I’m sorry. Jay was so angry. I wasn’t sure I could trust him if I told him about Trent and Elmer’s relationship.”
“I understand.”
“I probably shouldn’t have even told you, but trusted you’d keep things quiet.”
She nodded but cringed at his use of the word trust.
“Why didn’t you tell your brother about my offer?”
“He would’ve insisted we take it.”
“So?” He slipped his arms around her waist. “Would that be so horrible?”
“No. What about Trent? Doesn’t he matter?”
Pity filled his sad smile. “You matter, too.” The sharp buzz of his cell phone echoed from the pocket of his overcoat, strewn over the coatrack. “I’d better get that.”
She started some coffee then shuffled to the window. Outside the fresh snowfall gleamed clean, no blemishes, unlike her. Duncan’s disappointed expression reminded Sophie of the day Bernadette called her a people-pleaser. The summer after sophomore year of college, they’d been tanning themselves at the town beach. Hot sun had warmed Sophie’s skin, putting her seconds away from sleep when Bernadette blurted out, “You should take this Cosmo quiz.”
Sophie had lifted her head from the reclined, low-lying beach chair. “On what?”
“The title is ‘Are you a people pleaser or a selfish Sarah?’” Bernadette had been lying on her stomach on an aqua towel, elbows propped in the sand and a folded magazine in front of her.
“I’m not selfish.”
“No. I’m pretty sure you have the opposite issue. First question. Your boyfriend wants to go to see a movie but it’s nothing you’d like. You, A, stay home and watch TV instead. B, go to the movie to keep him happy. Or C, find another movie which both of you could enjoy.” She chewed the pen cap and lifted her eyes over the magazine, waiting for an answer.<
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“C, I guess.”
Bernadette had lowered the pen and dipped her chin. “Really?”
“No, wait. B. I’d go to the movie. There’ll be other chances to see something I’d like.”
Bernadette gave a judgmental grunt. “Question two, your coworker spends too much time on the phone with friends. When the boss comes down on her over a deadline you A, point out how she shouldn’t take personal calls at work. B, ask if there’s anything you can do to help. Or C, tell the boss she’ll never get the job done because she can’t manage time.”
“Hmm…” Sophie had hesitated. “If the work needs to be done for the good of the office, what’s the point of A or C? I mean, of course, I’d help.”
Bernadette had covered three more questions, all with the same result. “People pleaser,” she’d laughed. “I got you pegged.”
It wasn’t the first time her friend had made this point. “Your honesty isn’t always your best quality, Bern.” Sophie had leaned back in the chair and closed her eyes.
Bernadette had swatted her arm. “Don’t get mad. You know you’re my best bud. You just need to lay off always accommodating people, especially Mike. You give in to him on everything.”
Bernadette had offered the same look of pity Duncan had just handed her. Neither was wrong. If Sophie had given more credence to the stupid quiz, her life might have been different.
She’d spent her life accommodating others. Those acts proved an easy way to please Mom and Dad, especially because Jay always gave them so much to worry over. The habit continued. Small things here and there. Bigger things followed.
Even with her unplanned pregnancy. Heck, a simple “no” to Mike’s amorous advances the weekend she’d visited his university, and the life she currently lived would’ve been erased from the map. But she hadn’t said no that day. She’d said yes because of what had happened two months earlier, on his weekend home in Northbridge. As she’d worked at the tasting room of the Tate Vineyards, Mike had fooled around with Lucy Tanner at Putticaw Park. If Meg and her boyfriend hadn’t ventured there for a picnic, Sophie would have been none the wiser.
When confronted, Mike had apologized like a politician caught taking a bribe, but he’d cited several incidents where Sophie acted standoffish about sex when he’d asked. Lucy, he’d admitted, was a mistake and he’d begged her not to breakup. On that visit with Mike, they’d had sex, her motive not love for Mike but simply her pure hatred for Lucy.
A stupid move if she’d ever made one.
When her period hadn’t arrived, resentment toward Mike’s pushiness flourished. After they’d lost Henry, she blamed Mike even more.
Duncan slipped his hands along her hips and startled her from the past. He dropped his chin on her shoulder. “Sorry.”
“Everything okay?”
“Uh-huh. I was thinking, maybe Jay has a point.”
“About?”
He lifted his head and turned her around to face him. “I’m not judging you. I’ve been pretty blinded by my own goals most of my life. There has to be something more balanced than what either of us is doing. There’s nothing wrong with wanting things for yourself in life, you know?”
She laced her fingers around the back of his neck. “How about I reconsider your offer? This isn’t a yes, but I’ll think about it. I want to make sure I’m doing this for me, not you.”
The corner of his eyes wrinkled with a slight smile. He pulled her close and kissed her deeply. Sophie rested her palms against his chest, enjoying the muscular tenseness beneath his thin T-shirt. He pulled back and they gazed at each other while he eased his hands under her robe. With slow movements, he explored her backside then he pulled her close, his arousal obvious. He traced the panty line along her thigh then slipped his fingers under the fabric between her legs, making her inhale a quick breath. She whimpered a cry of pleasure and combed her fingers through his thick hair. Desire snared his expression and his gaze wandered her exposed chest through heavy-lidded eyes.
They hurried to the bedroom where Duncan removed her robe with one swift movement and slipped off her panties. He undressed and pressed her to the bed, holding her hands above her head. His strong frame hovered over her, possessed her, and made her squirm with need. Using his knee, he guided her legs apart. They joined as one, moved in tandem, speaking the silent language of love through touch. Without a single word, Duncan Jamieson seized every part of her. Mind, body and soul.
Half an hour later, she snuggled in a secure space near Duncan’s chest and twirled her index finger in his curly chest hair as he ran a smooth hand along her shoulder.
He took her hand in his. “Before all that commotion, I planned to start breakfast. How do you want them? Over-easy or scrambled?”
“Scrambled, please.”
“Your wish is my command.” He kissed her forehead and hopped out of bed.
As he hunted the floor for his clothes, she studied his long muscular legs. Moments ago, she’d been trapped beneath them while the sandy-colored stubble on his cheeks teased her skin. He caught her watching and paused, the desirous, eye-softening expression she’d seen multiple times before they’d made love spreading across his face and making her heart swell.
Duncan located his sweatpants and watched her as he slipped a Nike T-shirt over his head. “A penny for your thoughts.” He leaned over, grabbed her robe off the floor, and tossed it in her direction.
She caught the corner and sat up, gripping the robe to her chest and searching for the courage to say the next words.
His grin disintegrated. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” She slipped on the robe and held the sides closed with her hand. “I want you to know these past weeks with you… They’ve been unbelievable. You’ve really swept me away. In a way that’s never happened before.”
He came close and sat on the edge of the bed. His eyes shifted downward and a pensive expression overtook his face. Taking her hand in his, he leaned in and gave her a short kiss. “I’ve really had a great time too. Really great.” An awkward aura filled the air as if he wanted to say something else but couldn’t. “How about I get those eggs started?”
“Sure.” She forced a smile.
He headed for the door, tossing a wink her way just before disappearing into the hallway. What was that about? The moment highlighted how much she had to learn about him. Guess he had a lot to learn about her too.
She rolled out of bed and headed toward the bathroom for a quick shower. Hopefully all this research she’d done on his family could now disappear. She never wanted him to know. He’d run off once because of it and even though hiding the details was dishonest, she never wanted to risk losing him over a past she really didn’t care about.
Chapter 27
Dad came into Jay’s kitchen and refilled his mug with coffee while Sophie loaded the dishwasher with their brunch dishes. “Want some?” Dad held the carafe in her direction.
“Sure.” She pushed down her sweater sleeves and picked up her near-empty cup so he could pour.
A cheer sounded from the living room, where Matt and Jay watched the Patriot’s game while her sister-in-law, nephew, and Tia played Scrabble in the dining room.
“You and Jay okay?” Dad lifted his thick white brows. Today he’d worn his navy Patriot’s jersey, which made his broad chest seem even wider. “You both seemed quiet.”
“Just a small issue. Everything is fine now.”
She’d phoned Jay right after Duncan left yesterday. He’d apologized right away. Apologies were his kryptonite, so one offered quickly had to be sincere.
He stirred sugar into his coffee. “Nothing like one of Jay’s brunches, huh? Thank God someone paid attention to Mom’s cooking tips.”
“No chance that was going to be me.” She paused. “Mind if I ask you a personal question?”
“I suppose.” He poured a dollop of half-and-half then offered her some.
She took the container. �
�Remember when Mom used to share the story of how you two met?”
His mouth crumpled. “Of course I do.”
“How come you were so quiet whenever she brought it up?”
He shrugged. “What more could I add?” His gaze averted to the avocado refrigerator in Jay’s dated kitchen, where a few years back he’d spent a small windfall on a used twenty-year-old gas-powered Viking stove but ignored his wife’s request they replace the other appliances first. “Guys don’t talk about that stuff, honey.”
She poured and put down the container. “You felt the same way as her, right?”
“I sure did. The first time I saw your mother, she took my breath away.” Tenderness radiated from his voice. “Whenever she shared the story about those bells ringing, I liked to tease that she needed to get her hearing checked.”
Sophie warmed. Her mother would act annoyed over the remarks but had never seemed to be too upset.
Dad took a slow sip of coffee. “I never told her, but I swore I heard them too.”
She reached out and squeezed his forearm. Over twenty years had passed since Sophie’s mother died, but his deep love for her stood strong.
He stared into his mug. “I suppose I should’ve said something. Guess I did, in my own way.” He looked up. “Men are different. Words don’t come easy to us.”
“What?” She blurted a laugh. “When I was a kid, you had plenty to say to me. Jeesh, seemed like Ann Landers raised me some days.”
“Then how’d I raise such a smart-alec?” He grinned. “You know what I mean. We show how we feel. Gifts or small gestures.”
Friday night, Duncan had arrived with those beautiful flowers. Saturday morning, she’d come downstairs to a set breakfast table. At her napkin, a little smiling heart key chain had been propped against the plate, which lit bright when squeezed. A tender smile had crossed his lips as she attached the token to her keys right away.
She sighed. “All right. That helps, I think.”
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