Sophie was surprised to see a tear spill down her mama’s cheek. Squeezing her hand, she said, “I wouldn’t be where I am today without your love and support. Don’t think I don’t know that.”
“But I can’t help but wonder if I was so focused on making sure you had a career that I downplayed the importance of love. Make no mistake, you need both. At least I think you do.”
Sophie may have disagreed with that sentiment a year ago. She’d been happily building her business and was satisfied with casual relationships that didn’t require too much of her time, but now that she’d had a taste of what real love felt like, she knew her career alone would leave her feeling empty.
“I think you do too.” Sophie sighed. “But it seems I’ve made the mistake of falling in love with the wrong man.” She bit her lip, trying to contain her sadness. Even though they were alone, Sophie didn’t want to fall apart in front of her mother. “Dalton and I just weren’t meant to be.”
“Do you really believe that?” Ethel asked, stroking Sophie’s hair.
“It doesn’t matter what I believe. That’s what he believes and he’s decided it’s over.”
“That’s a shame. It was obvious to me how much he cared about you.”
Sophie knew her mother was just trying to make her feel better. “That’s sweet of you to say, but-”
“You think I didn’t know?” She laughed. “Honey, I’ve seen the two of you together before. The way his eyes always sought yours when he thought no one was looking. The seemingly innocent touches, the fact he wouldn’t allow another man to get close enough to ask you to dance. Anyone could see he was crazy about you. But until tonight I wasn’t sure you felt the same way about him.”
“It didn’t happen overnight,” Sophie admitted. She was reluctant to share too much information, but felt compelled to explain. “At first we were just having fun. It was great. No strings attached.”
“You mean friends with benefits?” Ethel laughed at her daughter’s shocked expression. “I’m not that old, honey. I have heard of the term.”
“Well, yeah,” Sophie said, blushing. “I guess you could call it that. I knew Dalton was a player, so I wasn’t expecting anything from him.”
“When did things change?” she asked, gently. “When did you start falling in love with him?”
“Looking back I guess it was starting to happen before I moved to L.A., but I was in denial. It wasn’t until we were apart that I realized how hard it would be to live without him.”
“Is that why you decided to come back, so you and Dalton could be together?”
“I guess that was part of the reason,” Sophie admitted, clasping her hands. “But there was more to it than that. I realized this is where I want to be, with my family and friends, close to my studio, designing in a space I love.”
“I assume you’re referring to the cottage you bought?”
Sophie had taken her parents out to see the place a few days ago and while they’d been concerned the renovation would be a big undertaking, they were trying to be supportive of her decision, especially since it meant she would be living a short drive from them instead of a plane ride away.
“Yes. I can’t wait to get settled there.” She tried to infuse her voice with enthusiasm, but it wasn’t easy. Every time she thought about the cottage she remembered the walk-through with Dalton and the plans they’d made together.
“But…?”
“Dalton and I talked about buying the cottage together.” Sophie looked away when her mother frowned. She didn’t need to be chastised right now.
“I can’t believe you two were so serious and you didn’t think to come to me and your father and tell us about it.”
“I’m sorry.” Sophie covered her mother’s hand with her own, hoping to soften the blow. “I wasn’t trying to shut you out. I just didn’t know where it was going to go and I didn’t want to get your hopes up.”
“I don’t know that Dalton is the man we would have chosen for you, but there’s no question he’s loyal. He’s been a good friend to your brother, always there when he needed someone.”
“I know.” Sophie believed that was part of the reason she’d allowed herself to fall for Dalton, because she knew there was another side to him reporters didn’t get to see. “I don’t know what’s going on with him right now and I can’t deny I’m hurt and angry that he won’t talk to me about, but that doesn’t change how I feel about him. I know he’s a good man.”
“Does that mean you’re holding out hope that you two can work this out?”
“He’s encouraging me to move on.” It pained her to admit it almost as much as it had pained her to hear him say the words. “He doesn’t want me to wait around for him.”
“I didn’t ask what he wanted. I’m more concerned about what you want.”
Sophie smirked. Her mother had become more opinionated over the years, bending to her husband’s will less and less. “I want him.”
“Then fight for him.”
If only it were that simple. “You know as well as I do that you can’t force someone to love you, Mama. Nor should you try. If he doesn’t want me as much as I want him, it’s pointless to hold out hope.”
“Oh, he told you he doesn’t want you anymore?”
“Well no, but-”
“Then he told you he doesn’t love you?”
“No, but-”
“What did he tell you?”
“That we can’t be together.” Sophie knew her mother was only trying to help, but it was time for her to let go, not hold on tighter. “That he can’t be what I need.”
“Then you were clear with him about the kind of man you needed?”
“No.”
Ethel shook her head, looking baffled and amused. “I’m sorry, but I’m trying to understand this. Don’t you communicate with him at all?”
They could talk for hours about anything and everything, but Sophie realized she’d never told him the kind of life partner she was looking for because she didn’t want it to seem she was trying to back him into a corner. “Of course we do, but the future has always been…” She shrugged. “I don’t know, kind of an abstract idea, I guess. It’s not that we ever talked about marriage and kids or anything like that.”
“But you did talk about living together?”
“We talked about investing in the cottage together,” Sophie corrected. “There’s a difference. Sort of.”
“I don’t mean to be obtuse,” Ethel said, chuckling. “But I don’t see how you could gain clarity when it seems nothing is clear.”
“He made one thing perfectly clear,” Sophie said, feeling defensive. “It’s over. I’d say that’s the only thing that matters.”
“Would you?” Ethel stood. “Well, I guess you know better than I do.”
“Don’t do that,” Sophie said, gripping her mother’s forearm as she prepared to leave the table. “Don’t make me feel like I’m missing the obvious. I’m not.”
“I’d say you’re forgetting how much this man loves you, Sophie. I saw that with my own eyes tonight when he went after you.”
“You did?” Sophie wanted to believe that more than anything, but she couldn’t ignore the inner voice in her head warning her not to be gullible. While she knew her mother only wanted her to be happy, she had an ulterior motive for playing matchmaker. Namely the grandchildren she hoped to have. According to her, the more, the better.
“You’re my baby,” Ethel said, touching her daughter’s face. “Do you really think I’d be standing here telling you to fight for a man who might hurt you?”
“But you told me to be careful,” Sophie reminded her. “You know about Dalton’s reputation as a womanizer.”
“That was before I realized you’d been playing it safe all along. You haven’t really put yourself out there with Dalton. You haven’t told him that you want a life and a family with him. Maybe if you did, it would change everything.”
“Or maybe it wouldn’t change a dam
n thing.” Pursing her lips, Sophie slid her chair back and reached for her purse. “That’s a chance I’m not willing to take.”
“Just remember,” Ethel said, before her daughter reached the door. “It’s the chances you don’t take that you live to regret.”
***
Sophie was at the spa with Carly the following morning, indulging in pedicures when Carly said, “I know you’re trying to be brave, but you’re not fooling me. You’re a wreck.”
That was an accurate assessment, but Sophie refused to ruin their day by admitting as much. “You must be sleep-deprived. I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not.” Carly looked hurt as she tossed her fashion magazine on the free chair beside her. “And I’m hurt that you’d try to pretend you are. This is me, remember? I’m your BFF. I thought we told each other everything.”
“We do, but you’re getting married tomorrow and I’ll be damned if I‘ll burden you with my problems right now.”
“The wedding planner has everything under control,” Carly assured her. “I don’t have anything to worry about, so please indulge me. Tell me what happened with Dalton last night. Why did he leave like that?”
“He didn’t tell Brett what happened?”
“He called shortly after he left to apologize for bailing on the dinner party like that, but he just said he wasn’t feeling well. Obviously we knew there was more to the story than that.”
“I wish I could tell you what’s bothering him,” Sophie said. “But I can’t. I’m as confused as you are. Maybe you should ask Brett to talk to him. He might feel more comfortable confiding in him.” Sophie had thought about asking her brother to pay Dalton a visit to make sure he was okay, but she’d ultimately decided the groom would be too busy tending to other things the day before his wedding.
“He must have said something to you,” Carly said, frowning. “Where did you guys leave things?”
Sophie hadn’t intended to tell Carly about the break-up until she returned from her honeymoon, but since she was pressing now, Sophie decided to give in.
“It’s over.” Sophie tried to keep her voice neutral as she offered the esthetician a tight smile. “His decision, not mine.”
“But why?” Carly cried. “You two are perfect for each other!”
Sophie cleared her throat, trying to maintain her composure. “Evidently he didn’t see it that way.”
“There has to be more to it. What are you not telling me?”
“I wish I knew.” Sophie flipped the pages of her magazine, trying to distract herself from the agony that beat like a second heart whenever she thought of everything she’d lost when she let him walk away. “He’s not telling me so I can’t tell you.”
“What does that mean?” Sophie asked, twisting in the chair to face her friend, much to the annoyance of her aesthetician. “He told you it’s over but he wouldn’t tell you why. That doesn’t sound like Dalton. I’ve always known him to be straightforward. Like it or not, he says what’s on his mind.”
“I might have agreed with you a few weeks ago, but it seems he has some secret he’s not willing to share with me. I’ve tried to get him to talk about. I’ve practically begged him to let me help him through it, but he’s not interested.” As they had all through the night, her mother’s words came back to her. She wasn’t a quitter and abandoning this relationship was the hardest thing she’d ever had to do, but contrary to what her mother thought, she didn’t have a choice.
“So what are you going to do now?” Carly asked, sounding dejected as she settled back in the high-back chair to receive her treatment.
“Nothing’s changed,” Sophie said, trying to downplay her disappointment. She’d never fancied herself an actress, but if she managed to hold it together through the next couple of days, she would deserve an Oscar. “I’ll buy and renovate the cottage as planned, work on my designs for next year and probably hire a few more people for the studio. I’ll keep the condo until the renovation is finished. After that, I’ll probably sell it or maybe keep it as a rental.” She shrugged. “I don’t know, I haven’t thought that far ahead.”
“And you’ll go back to dating?” Carly’s lips twisted in a sardonic smile. “Or do you plan to be an old maid, living out the rest of your life in that little lakeside cottage? Maybe you’ll find a litter of cats and-”
“Shut up!” Sophie knew Carly was painting a picture of the worst-case scenario to try and light a fire under her. She wanted her to salvage her relationship with Dalton before it was too late, but her friend failed to realize it was already too late. “Just because it didn’t work out with Dalton doesn’t mean it won’t work out with someone. I haven’t given up hope.”
“I’ve known you most of our lives,” Carly reminded her. “And no man has ever lit you up the way Dalton did. What makes you think it’ll be so easy to replace him?”
“Did I say it would be easy?” Sophie knew it would take months before she was ready to start dating again, but she refused to believe it would be impossible for her to find happiness again.
“You once told me that you believed in soul mates,” Carly said, smiling at the woman who’d pulled up a chair beside her to remove her nail polish while her partner completed the pedicure. “You said you thought there was one perfect person for everyone. Of course, you were talking about me and Brett at the time, but do you really believe that?”
Sophie remembered the conversation word for word. They’d shed a few tears when Carly confided that she was ready to give up on her ‘silly infatuation’ with Brett and Sophie encouraged her to hold out just a little longer. She’d always believed her best friend and brother were meant to be together and couldn’t have been happier when they’d both stopped fighting it.
“I believe it.” Sophie knew where Carly was going with this. If she’d been smart she would have down-played her romantic theory, but she and Carly had made a solemn promise to always be honest with each other.
“Do you believe Dalton is your soul mate?”
Sophie tipped her head back against the cushioned headrest and closed her eyes when she felt the hot sting of tears burning her eyes. She wanted to scream at her friend for being so insensitive, reminding her she’d been the dumpee. She had no control over this situation. Dalton had made it clear he didn’t want her and whether she felt he was her soul mate or not seemed irrelevant.
“You’ve had your fair share of setbacks,” Carly said, squeezing her hand. “But you never let them keep you down for long. If you really love Dalton and believe he was the man you were meant to be with, you’ll find a way.”
“Love shouldn’t be this hard,” Sophie said, tipping her head and opening one eye to peek at her friend.
Carly laughed. “You’re talking to the wrong person, girl. After what I went through with your brother, it’s a miracle we’re walking down the aisle at all. Most women in their right mind would’ve given up on him years ago.”
“But not you,” Sophie said, forcing a smile. She was grateful her best friend had decided to give Brett one last chance. She’d never seen her brother happier than he’d been since Carly agreed to be his wife.
“I don’t have to remind you that I lost faith. I punished myself every time I saw him for loving him even though he didn’t feel the same way.”
“But he did.” While it took Brett a long time to come around, she had no doubt he’d been in love with Carly all along, but his stubborn pride kept him from admitting it. Pride. She thought about her conversation with her mother. She’d claimed she had too much pride to continue pursuing Dalton after he’d made it clear it was over.
“I know that look,” Carly said, her eyes sparkling with amusement. “What’s goin’ on in that head of yours?”
“I was just thinking I don’t want to make the same mistake my brother did. I’m going to pay Dalton one more visit before I meet you guys for dinner tonight. I’m going to swallow my pride and demand to know why we can’t be together.”
“That’
s my girl,” Carly said, winking. “Show him you’re a hell of lot braver than he thinks you are.”
Chapter Fourteen
Dalton’s hand trembled as two pills spilled from the plastic bottle into his palm. Just one more time. At least that’s what he told himself. He needed something to take the edge off and the few beers he’d had weren’t cutting it. After one sleepless night, he couldn’t afford another. He needed to be sharp tomorrow, especially if he was going to get through the wedding day without spilling his guts to Sophie.
The ravaged look on her face when he told her to move on haunted him every waking moment. Even when he closed his eyes to try and escape to sleep, she was there, her face streaked with tears, her voice and spirit broken as she demanded answers he couldn’t give. He’d never felt more worthless or ashamed and he knew while the pills wouldn’t solve the problem, they would at least dull the pain for a while.
The doorbell rang, prompting him to curse as he tipped the pills back in the bottle before throwing the plastic cylinder back in his desk drawer. “I’m comin’!” he shouted as he crossed the foyer while his unwelcome visitor rang a second time.
Opening the door, he was prepared to tell his visitor he wasn’t in the mood for company when the words died on his lips.
“Hi, Dalton.”
He sucked in a sharp breath, torn between pulling her into his arms and slamming the door in her face. “What are you doing here? I thought I made myself clear last night.”
“You may have said everything you have to say,” she said, planting her palm on his chest as she stepped past him. “But I want the last word.”
His throat was dry as his eyes travelled over the short black dress and high heels she wore. “Are you coming from somewhere?” If she’d been out on a date he’d lose it. Even though he’d told her to move on, he didn’t need to see the evidence she’d taken his advice.
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