by Brenda Novak
His mother would be disappointed. She’d fawned over Eve for hours at dinner yesterday, no doubt planning the day when Eve would become her daughter-in-law. But all he’d been able to think about was the woman who’d made him the pumpkin dessert he’d scarfed down in the car.
* * *
Sophia woke up with a hangover—and she knew she deserved every ache and pain. What she’d done last night had been such a huge mistake. Giving into her addiction undermined her confidence and sense of well-being when she could least afford it.
“Stupid...” she muttered as she threw off the blanket and looked around Ted’s living room. Fortunately, he wasn’t there. Although he’d taken care of her last night—she could see that he’d put new bandages on her fingers to protect her cuticles and set out two pain tablets and a glass of water—he’d left her to recover on her own. Thank God. Maybe she could slink off and try to forget that last night ever happened.
Sometimes people needed a second chance.
Sometimes they needed more than that.
How many chances had she burned through?
Too many. But this was her first screw-up since Skip had disappeared from her life. Without him, she was actually happier and more in control, despite her other problems. So why would she succumb and wreck her perfect ninety-four-day record? For this?
She pressed her fingers to her throbbing head and told herself she had to remember what drinking was like once the euphoria had worn off.
A creak from above brought her head up despite the pounding inside it. Was Ted getting out of bed? He usually went to coffee on Fridays. She guessed he was walking to the shower.
Staggering to her feet, she used the walls to steady herself as she made her way to the deck, down the stairs and across the yard to the guesthouse.
Only once she was safely home with the door locked behind her could she breathe easier. She didn’t have to work today. Because of the holiday, she had Friday and the weekend off. Hopefully during the next three days they’d both be able to forget that she’d raided the wine cellar.
* * *
Chief Stacy was in the grocery store. Sophia saw him from behind and quickly steered her cart one aisle over. She didn’t want him to see her; nor did she want to talk to him. Her headache had subsided and she felt much improved since she’d doctored her hangover. But she was in a hurry to purchase the things she needed so she could get out of there. Once she’d worked up the nerve to see Ted again, she’d offered to make dinner despite having the day off if he’d allow her to use his car, and he’d pulled away from his computer to get the keys out of his pocket. He’d tossed them over as if it was no big deal, but she couldn’t imagine Eve would be too thrilled to see her driving around town in his Lexus.
She thought she’d escaped Stacy’s notice. She’d already gone through the checkout line, loaded her groceries in the backseat and started the car when he came out of the store pushing his cart. But just as she was backing out, he thumped the side of the vehicle to let her know he was coming up alongside and motioned for her to roll down her window.
Sophia considered ignoring him. She hadn’t done anything wrong. As far as she was concerned, he had no right to detain her. But he was the chief of police. The power he held frightened her enough that she didn’t dare defy him.
“Is there something I can do for you?” she asked.
He glared down at her, making her glad she’d put on sunglasses. It wasn’t warm enough for shades. The clouds rolling across the sun promised rain—maybe snow later on if the temperature dropped. But her eyes were red from last night’s bender, so she’d taken the precaution of covering them. She’d learned, from her years with Skip, how to camouflage just about anything.
“I see you’re not going down without a fight,” he said, gesturing at the car.
“You must be sad that I still have some way to get around, since you were so eager to see me lose my own transportation.”
He spat on the blacktop. “Wasn’t my fault you lost that shiny Mercedes. You weren’t keeping up with the payments,” he added with a facetious tsk.
She glanced in the rearview mirror. There was nothing behind her. She wanted to go, but if Chief Stacy tried to stop her, his cart could scratch Ted’s car. She couldn’t let anything happen to the Lexus while it was in her possession. “What is it you want?”
“Besides what you owe me?”
“I don’t have any money. You know that.”
“You could get five grand for selling one of your eggs to a fertility clinic.”
She felt her mouth drop open. “One of my...eggs?”
“That’s right. A lot of women do it. It wouldn’t even take much time, wouldn’t interfere with your important position cleaning up after the big suspense writer. And think how happy you might make some young couple who can’t have a baby on their own.”
“I could make you happy, too, by giving up the money. Is that it?”
“Why not? Fair is fair. Then we could be better friends.”
“You’re crazy,” she said. “Get out of my way.”
“What’s crazy about doing whatever you can to make things right after squandering other people’s hard-earned money? I’ve never lived in the biggest mansion in town. I’ve never driven the fancy cars you and Skip drove. It’s time to pay the piper, Sophia.”
She clenched the steering wheel that much harder. “No fertility clinic would take one of my eggs.”
“Of course they would. Look at you. You were once the envy of Whiskey Creek. You’ve got great genes!”
“Do I? My mother has a mental illness, and my father died of cancer. I doubt my genes will be worth as much as you think.”
“Don’t give up before you try.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Are you the person who threw that rock through my window? Who vandalized my house?”
He conjured up an expression of mock innocence. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I’m talking about harassment. You’re harassing me—and if you don’t stop, there’ll be trouble.”
“Oh, yeah?” He quit pretending. “What can you do about it, huh? Who are you going to tell? No one will believe you over me.”
“You make me sick.”
“The feeling is mutual. Anyone who can walk away from the carnage your husband caused doesn’t have a conscience.”
“You’re a bully, no different from Connie Ruesch.”
“Connie who?”
“Never mind. This is the important part—I won’t put up with what you’re doing to me.”
“You have no choice. You pick a fight with me, you’ll lose.” Suddenly, he smiled and took a bottle of wine from his cart, then handed it to her through the window. She didn’t want it, but if she hadn’t taken it, she was fairly certain he would’ve dropped it in her lap.
“A token of my goodwill,” he said. “I know you’ll want to guzzle it the second I turn my back, but I wouldn’t advise it. DUIs are expensive.”
Laughing softly as if he was the cleverest man on earth, he wheeled his cart around and headed in the other direction, but not before calling back to her, “Look at the beautiful Sophia DeBussi. Broke. Alone. Despised.”
A chill rolled down Sophia’s spine. Those were the exact words on the note attached to the rock that had broken her window! Stunned that he had the nerve to admit that he was the one who’d vandalized her house, Sophia sat gaping at the wine he’d handed her. Obviously, on top of everything else, he was aware of her drinking problem. Word of that could’ve come from her in-laws, who’d told Agent Freeman. Or maybe Agent Freeman had mentioned it himself. He would’ve had no idea he couldn’t trust local law enforcement with that information.
“Stacy, you bastard.” She shifted her gaze to watch him in her side mirror—and it was all she c
ould do to stop herself from getting out and throwing that bottle at his head.
* * *
Ted had a lot to do. He shouldn’t have been so focused on the fact that he’d missed coffee this morning, but he kept wondering if Eve had told everyone that they were no longer seeing each other. That they’d failed when they’d been so certain—or at least hopeful—had to be embarrassing for her. It was embarrassing for him. But what could he do? The further he got from last night’s conversation, and the commitment he’d made to the relationship before that, the freer he felt. They weren’t meant for each other. It would’ve been a huge mistake to keep forcing it. As illogical as it seemed, picking a mate based on character traits alone didn’t seem to be any more foolproof than letting his heart run amok. A certain amount of chemistry had to be present.
When someone knocked on the door, he assumed it was FedEx with the check he’d been expecting from his publisher. It required a signature, so he hurried down from his office. But there was no courier; instead, Kyle stood on his front porch.
“Hey, man, what’s up?” Ted greeted him.
Kyle looked him over. “You okay?”
He knew about Eve. Ted could tell. He’d expected to hear from someone. It wasn’t as if Eve could go to coffee without being asked where he was—which would lead to the inevitable “we’re no longer together” conversation. Maybe that was why he hadn’t been able to get his mind off his friends.
At least Kyle was the first to approach him. Kyle had tried to warn him not to get involved with Eve but, because he’d made a similar mistake with Callie, he’d also be more understanding.
“I’m fine.” Ted stretched his neck. “Between you and me, I’m better than I should be. It’s Eve I’m worried about. I hope—I hope I didn’t make her feel bad.”
“Well, you damn sure didn’t make her feel good,” he said wryly. “That’s what I was hoping to help you avoid in the first place.”
“I know. How’d she act this morning?”
“Wasn’t there.”
So neither of them had shown up. “Then how—”
“Cheyenne announced it.”
It made sense that Cheyenne would be the first to hear, since she and Eve were so close.
He waved Kyle into the house. “Come in.”
They went to the game room and lounged on either end of the leather sofa. “How’d Cheyenne break the news?” Ted asked.
“Just came right out with it. She also said she didn’t want any of us asking about you when we see Eve again. And we’re not allowed to tease her.”
Ted feared that might be too tempting for some of the guys to resist. But he’d probably get ribbed about it more than she would—thank God. “So...could you tell how she was taking it?”
“Chey said she’d be fine. She said you’d both be fine...given time.”
“But you came over anyway.”
“I wanted to see how much time you’re going to need.”
Ted grinned sardonically. “Your sensitivity overwhelms me.”
“Okay. I came to rub your nose in your mistake. So let’s hear you say it.”
“Say what?”
“‘Kyle, I humbly apologize for not listening. You were absolutely right in trying to warn me away from one of our close friends.’”
Ted gave him a playful kick. “Screw you.”
Chuckling, Kyle got up and started racking balls on the pool table. “At least tell me what happened.”
Ted walked over and selected a cue stick. Kyle didn’t have to ask; he wanted a game or he wouldn’t be racking the balls. “I’m not discussing it with you or anyone else. I doubt she’d appreciate me running my mouth.”
“Uh, huh. Okay. Good answer.” He seemed intent and supportive, but then he grinned. “So what happened?”
“I just told you—”
“So?”
Ted scowled. “Quit it!”
Kyle chucked him on the chin. “It wasn’t there, am I right?”
The fact that Kyle had guessed without any effort at all made Ted feel like even more of an ass. “Okay, I should’ve listened to you. Happy now?”
“I am,” he said. “At least I’m no longer the only one who’s ventured into no-man’s-land.”
“You’re making me feel a lot better.”
The smile curving Kyle’s lips stretched wider. “No problem.”
Ted watched him select a cue stick now that he had the balls in place. “You want to go first?”
“After you.”
He took the shot and watched the balls scatter. Two striped ones found their way into a pocket, giving him a nice start. He circled the table looking for his next shot.
Kyle waited off to one side. “When are you going to start dating Sophia?” he asked.
Ted glanced up. “Who said anything about Sophia?”
“Come on!”
“She’s not ready for a relationship.” He used a dismissive tone, hoping that would be enough to get Kyle off his back, but Kyle wasn’t so easily discouraged.
“Does that mean you’re not going to date her?”
“Why are you so set on finding out?”
“Because Riley and I have both considered asking her out.”
Ted had just bent over to take another shot but, at this, he buried the white ball along with the one he’d been aiming for.
Kyle slapped him on the back. “That’s what I thought.”
“No, go ahead.” Ted spoke as if it was nothing.
It was Kyle’s turn to miss his shot. “What?”
“You heard me.” Ted didn’t want Sophia to “settle,” didn’t want her back just because she felt she had no one else. Giving her other options and letting her choose—that was the only way he’d ever be sure.
* * *
Sophia was in the hot tub when Ted came out of the house; she was alone because she’d agreed to let Alexa stay over another night.
“It’s cold this evening,” he said.
She tilted her head up. He was standing on the deck, but she couldn’t see him clearly. It’d been raining, so dark clouds obscured the moon.
Sadly, her mood was as dark and unsettled as the weather. Since her encounter with Chief Stacy, she’d been examining her budget, trying to get some idea how long it might take her to save up enough to leave Whiskey Creek. But it all seemed so far off because she was starting with nothing. She didn’t even have a car. “The water’s perfect.”
When he came down, she saw that he was wearing swim trunks and realized he planned to get in with her. He’d spent the day in his office, trying to catch up on his book. At least that was where he’d been when she made dinner. He’d been so engrossed when she carried up his tray that he’d barely acknowledged her.
“There’s a bottle of wine sitting on my kitchen counter,” he said.
She sank lower in the water to avoid the cold air. “That’s for you. I’m hoping it’ll make up for one of the bottles I drank. I’ll pay for the other one, of course—for both if you don’t care for that brand.”
“The brand’s fine. I’ll take it off your hands, but after how bad you felt last night I’m not sure you should be cruising the liquor aisle.”
“I didn’t buy it. Chief Stacy did.”
At the mention of Whiskey Creek’s chief of police, he studied her more closely. “Come again?”
“It’s a long story,” she said.
“Looks to me like we’ve got all night.”
Not really. She had to get some sleep. She’d come to the conclusion that she had to make better use of her off hours, had to gain some skills and figure out other ways of making money or she’d be trapped in Whiskey Creek indefinitely and that meant leading a disciplined life. But she took a few minutes as he settled acr
oss from her to explain what had happened at the grocery store. It gave them something to talk about other than the debacle she’d created last night.
“Hard to believe someone in his position would T.P. your house,” he said. “What is he...twelve?”
“That happened a few days before and was probably kids. But he was behind the vandalism and the rock that broke the window.”
“Are you sure it was him?”
“Positive. He quoted the first part of the note wrapped around that rock.”
Ted stared at her. “That’s ballsy, to give himself away like that.”
“He couldn’t resist. He’s too proud of what he’s done.”
“That’s out of line for anyone, but especially for him,” Ted said, his words clipped. “I’m going to talk to Noah’s dad and see if there isn’t something that can be done.”
Sophia felt his feet brush against hers and jerked back. “Don’t waste your time. Chief Stacy’s been tight with the mayor ever since he was elected.” She swished some of the bubbles away. “I just have to get out of Whiskey Creek. There’s too much bias here. I’ll never have a chance to start over.”
“But leaving means you’d need a job. And what will you do without a car?”
“Depending on where I go, I might be able to take public transit. Or ride a bike.”
“What kinds of jobs will you apply for?”
“Maybe I could get on as a hostess at a restaurant or a receptionist at a day spa. Or I could do in-home daycare.”
“You have to be licensed for daycare.”
“I could get licensed.”
He didn’t say it, but she could tell he didn’t think she’d make enough to survive. “Where’s Lex?” he asked. “Wasn’t she coming home tonight?”
“She was, but her cousins wanted her to stay with them. I don’t normally let her sleep over at Colby’s. I don’t trust Skip’s brother to stick around and supervise, but...she hasn’t had much of a social life since everything happened, and I couldn’t bring myself to say no.”
“That’s understandable.”
“I hope everything’s okay.”