“Harlan, are you torturing Sophie with stories about Riley as a baby?” Anne asked.
Her husband chuckled and pulled out a chair for his wife to sit. “Actually, I leave those memories for you to divulge. You’re a much better storyteller than I.” He smiled indulgently at his wife.
Sophie resisted the urge to scratch her head. The senator was an enigma. A man with an agenda, but one who obviously loved his family so much it eclipsed anything else in Sophie’s mind.
Footsteps running down the stairs echoed through the house and seconds later, Lizzie joined them for breakfast, scowling when she saw Sophie. She didn’t bother to hide her dislike from her grandparents, who obviously indulged her tantrums and spoiled behavior even more than her father did.
Sophie rose and poured herself more coffee, deciding maybe the caffeine would help her deal with the demon child. Lizzie was Riley’s daughter, and Sophie was determined to win over the young girl.
The teenager chose a chair far away from Sophie, near the other end of the rectangular table. There was some chatter among her grandparents, but Lizzie remained quiet.
“Lizzie?” Sophie asked.
“Hmm.” The young girl didn’t look up from her cereal as she ate.
“Have you seen any good movies? My sisters and I get together for a girls’ night and we’re trying to pick something light and fun. Do you have any suggestions?” Sophie tried to engage the teen in conversation.
“Like you care. You’re just trying to be nice to me to suck up to my dad.”
Sophie gritted her teeth and glanced around the table. The senator had taken a phone call in the other room, which left only Riley’s mother as a buffer.
Anne gave Sophie a sympathetic glance but said nothing in the way of real support.
Sophie was on her own. As much as she wanted to tell Lizzie off and be done with her attitude, Sophie felt sorry for the child who feared losing her dad to some strange woman.
Sophie clasped her hands in her lap and leaned forward. “Lizzie, you don’t know me at all, but I’m going to tell you a little something about myself.”
“I’m not interested.”
To Sophie’s surprise, Anne sucked in a shocked breath. “You may not be interested, young lady, but you will listen to what Sophie has to say. You’re in my home and we treat guests politely here. Do you understand me?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Lizzie muttered.
Sophie smiled, grateful for Anne’s interjection. “My parents weren’t divorced like yours, but they died when I was younger than you are now.”
She watched the teen carefully for signs of reaction and was grateful when Lizzie cast her eyes down to her lap. At least Sophie knew she was listening and decided to continue.
“I was raised by my uncle who happens to be your father’s agent. So I know something about not wanting to be left out and I know even more about being afraid of losing someone you love.”
Although Lizzie remained silent, her cheeks had turned pink, making Sophie wonder if she was embarrassed by her earlier outburst.
Sophie paused and thought about what to say next. “I’m here as a guest and I’m a friend of your father’s, but I have no intention of taking him away from you and I don’t want to compete with you in any way. You come first for him. You always will.”
Lizzie didn’t respond. If Sophie had reached her, she had no way of knowing it and the silence around the table grew, until Anne tossed her linen napkin down and rose from her seat.
“Elizabeth Nash, I know your parents have taught you better manners than what you’re displaying now,” the older woman said in obvious frustration. “Sophie was nice enough to reassure you despite your behavior. Now I suggest we go on from here. She asked you a question about the movies and I think you should answer it. Nicely,” Anne added, emphasizing her point.
Sophie hadn’t expected the verbal support and she mouthed a thank-you to Anne. The other woman smiled in return and eased herself back into her chair.
“She’s not my mother and I don’t see why I have to have anything to do with her.” Lizzie’s stubbornness rivaled her father’s.
“Because your father said that you do.”
At the sound of Riley’s voice, Sophie jerked around in her seat.
He stood in the doorway of the dining room, his broad shoulders filling the space. Even though she’d just seen him last night, Sophie couldn’t take her eyes from him now.
He wore a tan-colored shirt and had rolled up the sleeves halfway, exposing his muscular forearms, which he’d folded across his chest as he eyed his daughter with a determined stare.
“But…”
“No buts.” Riley strode into the room. Pausing by Sophie, he leaned down and kissed her cheek, making a statement to everyone in the room.
Especially to Sophie. At the unexpected and blatant gesture, her heart skipped a beat and her breath caught somewhere between her chest and her throat.
As if he’d done nothing out of the ordinary, Riley headed for the credenza, poured himself some coffee and joined the rest of the stunned people at the table.
“Elizabeth?” Riley prodded his daughter. “Either you answer Sophie’s question as your grandmother suggested or you apologize for being rude. Either one works for me.”
Lizzie glanced up, tears filling her big eyes. “You never used to be so mean to me. You used to take my side. Now all of a sudden, you’re ganging up on me and I know why. It’s because you want me to spend more time with Mom so you’ll have more time alone with her.” She jerked a finger toward Sophie. “Mom said you have someone special in your life and I should respect it,” she said, a mixture of disgust and jealousy icing her tone.
“Then why don’t you?” Riley asked his daughter softly.
“Because I don’t want to lose you.” Big teardrops fell from Lizzie’s eyes and Riley held out his arms so his daughter could come for the hug she so desperately wanted.
Sophie watched the emotional scene play out and slowly eased her chair back so she could slip out of the room. Her own emotions were raw and at the surface, tears threatening to swamp her, too. She knew what it was like to lose a parent in some way and she couldn’t help but empathize with the young girl. At thirteen, Lizzie was reacting to her emotions. Thinking about other people’s feelings wasn’t within her frame of reference right now and Sophie couldn’t blame her.
Sophie made her way back to her room, grateful nobody had followed her. She needed time alone with her thoughts, which were already hammering at her hard.
Sophie had been a few years younger than Lizzie when she’d lost her parents, but Sophie finally understood the panic and fear in the teenager’s eyes and comprehended the source of her defiant attitude. Sophie was only sorry she hadn’t equated the two things on such an elemental level earlier, but now that she had, there was no way she would be the cause of that kind of pain for Riley’s daughter. There was no way she’d let Riley lose the most precious person in his life.
Sophie pulled her suitcase from the closet and began to pack for home. No need to wait for their flight later today when she was certain she could leave now.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
RILEY PATTED Lizzie’s back, and she stepped away and headed back to her seat. “You okay?” he asked her.
She nodded.
He turned to Sophie, intending to make peace between the two ladies in his life, but saw an empty chair instead. His stomach plummeted and a wave of emptiness swept through him. “Where—”
“She slipped out,” his mother said.
“I’m sorry.” Lizzie glanced at him through wide, too-innocent eyes.
He doubted her sincerity, but now wasn’t the time to get into it. As much as he wanted to go after Sophie, he intended to settle some things within his immediate family first. His father had rejoined them, and if the whispering was any indication, his mother had filled him in on what had just happened.
Based on recent experience, he’d never have them all to
gether in one room again. “I have something I want to discuss. It’s something that affects us all, and Lizzie needs to be part of the conversation.”
“What’s up?” Lizzie asked.
Riley drew a deep breath. He hadn’t slept last night and, as much as he’d like to blame his insomnia on thoughts of making love to Sophie, he’d had other things on his mind as well. Like winning Sophie back.
And cleaning house, he thought. There was no way he could try to bring Sophie into his life until he proved to himself and to her that he was a man capable of dealing with some serious issues in his life. He knew she thought of him as a guy with a girl in every city, and for a while, that hadn’t been far from the truth. The fact that he wasn’t like that anymore didn’t matter without proof that he wanted to set his life in order.
He’d caused much of his daughter’s attitude and problems by spoiling her. He’d acted with the best of intentions, but he’d screwed up and it was time he admitted it.
“You were right when you said that I never called you on your actions before Sophie came into the picture.”
“You see? I knew she was the problem!” Lizzie said triumphantly.
He shook his head. “Not the problem, but the solution.”
“I don’t get it,” Lizzie said warily.
“I don’t either, son.” Harlan held his wife’s hand and spoke for them both.
He smiled grimly. “You will once I explain. I let Lizzie get away with having an attitude, with acting like a spoiled brat—”
“Hey!” She interrupted, jumping from her seat.
“Sit down and let me talk,” he said in his sternest voice.
She sat.
“I didn’t want to be the bad guy because I was afraid of losing you, of having no relationship with you the way—”
“The way we did for a while, right?” Harlan asked quickly.
Too quickly. He had interrupted Riley in order to keep him from mentioning Spencer’s name. Riley glanced at the man who’d raised him. “It has to be said.”
His mother raised a trembling hand to cover her mouth, but she said nothing.
“What has to be said? What’s going on?” Lizzie asked.
“Nothing,” Harlan said.
“Everything,” Riley countered. “Mom, Dad? You raised me well and I love you both. But you raised me to value honesty above everything else and I can’t move forward with my life if I don’t come clean with Lizzie now.”
Harlan clenched his jaw. “She’s thirteen. I think you’re asking a lot of a thirteen-year-old to keep this kind of secret.”
Riley’s attention settled on his daughter. Her face was contorted in confusion. “I trust her,” he said, hoping to convey his love for her, as well.
Harlan rose. “Well, pardon me if I don’t sit here and watch you bury this family and my career,” he muttered and walked from the room.
“I’ll calm him down.” Anne turned to Riley. “I understand why you need to do this,” she said, granting him the one thing he needed most right now: her understanding.
“Thanks. Just one question before you go. When did you find out about Spencer? Did you know all along?”
“I found out through the papers like everyone else,” she said, and from the sad tone in her voice, Riley believed her.
“We’ll talk later,” he promised.
She nodded and followed the path her husband had taken. Riley trusted in his parents’ marriage as much as he trusted in…in Sophie, he realized. And he knew that he was sitting here now, about to divulge his entire past to his daughter, so that he could have a future with Sophie.
The woman he loved.
He’d thought it last night and had only grown more certain after making love to her on the field. In the time since Spencer’s disappearance, his life had undergone a bigger transformation than he’d ever thought possible. Finding out his real father was gay had forced Riley to come to terms with so much in his life, he almost owed the old man a thank you.
But first…he faced his daughter.
Almost an hour later, Lizzie knew everything, from Harlan not being his real father to Spencer Atkins being his biological one. She’d been sincere when she’d promised to keep the news to herself, but she’d laughed a lot, too. Nothing less than he’d expected from a thirteen-year-old girl.
They talked about their relationship and the changes that they’d both have to make going forward, hugging and crying as they tried to negotiate and agree. One of the deals they made was Lizzie’s promise to apologize to Sophie.
Riley actually felt good, as if he were making progress. When he’d revealed that he intended to do everything he could to make Sophie part of their family, Lizzie had turned back to his obnoxious, rebellious thirteen-year-old once more.
And all was right with Riley’s world.
ALL AROUND RILEY, everything was wrong. From the moment he and his female companions had stepped onto the plane, earlier than planned because he refused to let Sophie fly home by herself, to the minute they’d walked out of the gate at JFK, chaos had reigned.
Lizzie was angry they were cutting their trip short, and though she’d apologized to Sophie as he’d demanded, her I’m sorry had lacked any sincerity whatsoever and she’d refused to speak the entire flight home.
Sophie had withdrawn, as well. When he’d discovered her packing in her room, all she would say was that the father-daughter bond was sacred and she refused to come between them and cause a rift. After all, she’d reminded him, his biggest fear had been ending up estranged from Lizzie, as he’d been from Spencer. She was doing him a favor, she’d said, and she felt certain he’d come to see it and even thank her one day.
Like hell.
Riley planned for Lisa to pick Lizzie up from the airport, leaving him time alone to deal with Sophie. Because his ex missed their daughter, she’d agreed. Lisa had shown up as planned and whisked the sullen child away, winking at Riley and shooting him a thumbs-up signal behind Sophie’s back.
His ex-wife approved of his choice in women. Whoopee, Riley thought. Still, he appreciated her help in giving him a chance to win Sophie over.
Until he heard someone call Sophie’s name. He turned and saw her sister Micki and her husband, retired baseball player Damian Fuller.
“I’m sure I told you I’d take you home,” Riley said before Micki reached them.
Sophie didn’t look at him. “I didn’t want to put you out so I called my sister.”
“So I see.” And he didn’t miss the irony.
When Sophie had insisted he act like Lizzie’s parent instead of her friend, Riley had used her words as an excuse to pull away. Now, when he took her advice and laid down the law with his daughter, acting like the parent Sophie had wanted him to be, she pulled away from him.
And Riley saw it as the excuse he knew it to be. Unfortunately he had no time to call Sophie on it, because Micki ran to the luggage carousel and threw her arms around Sophie, hugging her hard.
“It’s been so long!” Micki exclaimed.
Sophie hugged her sister back, laughing and grinning in a way Riley hadn’t seen—ever. This was the Sophie he’d always imagined, the warm, loving woman who had everything she wanted and needed in her life. Except, her sisters were married and Sophie was alone.
Riley was right. She needed him, too. She just didn’t know it yet.
“Two weeks and you and Damian deserved every last minute. But I am so glad you’re home.” Sophie pulled her sister tight once more.
“Women.” Damian Fuller gestured to the two blondes making a spectacle of themselves.
Riley nodded. “I’m—”
“Riley Nash, NY Giants. I think I’ve heard of you.” Damian laughed.
Riley nodded. “Same here, Fuller. Good to meet you in person.” He shook the other man’s hand.
Damian studied Riley for a moment, not hard to do when the sisters were preoccupied with each other. “Mind if I give you a piece of advice?”
Riley shru
gged. “Can’t hurt.”
“The first thing is, don’t bother trying to step in between the sisters. Not now. Not ever.”
Riley raised an eyebrow. “In other words, grab my bag and call it a night?”
Damian nodded. “Sophie’s tough because she’s had to be. Middle-sister syndrome along with the same fear they all share of losing someone they fall in love with.” The other man slapped Riley on the back.
“Hey, it’s not like she’s professed her love to me,” Riley clarified.
Damian shrugged. “You’re obviously in deep with her and the only way to deal is to give her enough space to realize what she’s missing. Otherwise she’ll keep pushing you away and never be forced to look at herself in the mirror.”
Riley hefted his bag off the conveyor. “Did you become a shrink since retiring?”
“Nah. I just became part of the Jordan family. A guy learns about all the sisters real quick that way. And speaking of being part of the family—” Damian led Riley a short distance away from where Sophie and Micki were chatting, completely oblivious to the men.
“Yeah?” he asked, anxious to get home.
“Sophie’s my sister-in-law and that makes her family. So if you aren’t serious, get the hell out and don’t come back. Because if I see you again, I’m going to assume you mean business.”
Riley rolled his stiff shoulders back, stretching his tight muscles. “In other words, hurt her and I answer to you?”
“Something like that.”
Considering the shape he was currently in, Riley wasn’t worried. Not to mention the fact that he and Damian were in complete agreement where Sophie was concerned. “I only want her happiness,” he felt compelled to tell Sophie’s brother-in-law.
“Good. Then I won’t have to kick your ass,” Damian said, laughing.
Riley grinned. “No, but if you wouldn’t mind knocking some sense into your sister-in-law, I’d be mighty obliged,” he said in a thick Mississippi drawl.
Then, without saying goodbye to Sophie or Micki, he tossed his duffel over his shoulder and left the airport. Leaving Sophie on her own as she obviously desired.
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