His stomach rumbled, and he couldn’t help but chuckle. No man could think on an empty stomach.
Jack went to his refrigerator and surveyed the contents. Sophie’s words came back to him—again. She’s right. There’s no garlic in here. He opened the freezer. Nothing fun in here at all.
He snatched up his car keys and took the stairs to the garage.
* * *
IT WAS AFTER sundown when Sophie walked into The Louise House. Even this close to nine o’clock, the ninety-degree heat meant Louise Railton’s ice-cream shop was packed to capacity.
Sophie carried an Alliance poster under her arm as she circumvented the line and went up to Louise. “Hey, Louise. Is it all right if I put this in the bathroom like we talked about?”
“Sure, honey.” Louise smiled as she scooped up a triple cone for a young boy whose eyes were as big as his face. “Once I get these folks taken care of, you come back. I want you to try my new pineapple-coconut-caramel ice cream. Or are you on that stupid diet again?”
“Tonight, not a problem,” Sophie replied. Finding the bathroom empty, she taped the poster to the back of the door just as Louise had instructed her on the telephone that morning.
As Sophie turned around she spied herself in the full-length mirror. At first she didn’t believe her own reflection. Sure, she’d missed some lunches and breakfasts lately, but she was getting really thin. She’d hit her ideal weight, but she didn’t feel as good as she had months ago when she was eating organic veggies and running the trail on a consistent basis. There was something to be said about balance in life. She’d been so busy she hadn’t even paid attention to her own body. Her work had become her passion, and she was making some good changes, but she knew she couldn’t keep up this pace forever. She’d liked the strong body and endless energy she’d had. Was all this passion worth losing herself for?
Maddie was right. I have to rethink my priorities.
Sophie stepped out of the bathroom and got in line behind the last couple, who ordered single-scoop cones. Once they paid and sat down at one of the antique tables that Louise had covered in aqua-and-white-striped canvas, Sophie asked Louise for her ice cream in a dish.
“Sure, honey. Whipped cream?”
“No. Yes. No.” Sophie laughed. “No whipped cream. I want to taste just the flavors.” She paid Louise and then looked around the room.
“I love nights like this,” Louise whispered. “Every seat taken.”
“I guess I’ll have to eat standing up.”
“There’s a fella back in the corner at a table for two. He’s all alone. Maybe he’ll share,” Louise said, handing Sophie her change. Then she pointed to the back right of the shop.
Sophie’s smile slid off her face.
“Jack.”
“You know him?” Louise asked. “He’s new in town, right? He’s only been in here once before. Cute.”
“I know him.”
“Good. Then go visit,” Louise urged as a family of four came in the front door. “Hiya, folks! Want to try my new pineapple-coconut-caramel?”
Sophie left Louise to her sales pitch and wended her way to the back table where Jack sat dipping his spoon into a deep dish of what looked like peppermint ice cream mounded with hot fudge.
“I never pegged you for the ice-cream type,” she said.
When Jack lifted his head, Sophie could have sworn she saw a flash of light in his eyes. Was he actually happy to see her? Why?
“It’s my vice.”
“Mine, too,” she admitted. “Louise said this is the only available chair in the shop. You can ask her.”
“I believe you.”
“So, do you mind if I join you?”
Jack jumped to his feet so fast he knocked the table. He pulled out the little black wrought iron chair for her. “Please. Sit.”
“Thanks,” she said and placed her dish on the table. She smiled at him as she sat down. He did the same.
“How’s Frenchie?” She was just making conversation but was surprised that she truly was interested in the little dog’s impact on Jack’s life.
“Terrific. Amazingly, she has monopolized every room in the condo. Because she loves the deck as much as I do, I’m getting bids from contractors to put up some kind of screen or mesh so she can’t accidentally fall through the railing.”
Sophie’s eyes widened. “But she’s been all right so far?”
“Absolutely. When I’m home, most of the time she’s right on my feet. Literally. Except after she eats. She naps. At night she sleeps with me. Curled next to my neck.”
Sophie’s eyes fell to the hard muscles in his neck as they rounded into his shoulders. Frenchie had claimed the exact spot she would have chosen to rest her own head.
Smart dog.
Sophie tore her eyes away and busied herself by tasting Louise’s latest concoction. “Oh, my goodness, this is her best yet.”
“No way. This was pretty darn good,” Jack said. “Peppermint with hot fudge on top. I love this at Christmas. My mom gets vanilla ice cream, I crack the candy canes and fold them in. Then I make the fudge.”
“I never would have guessed. You and a kitchen just don’t seem to jibe in my mind.”
“Christmas makes gourmets out of many of us,” he countered. “You’d be surprised what talents I have.”
“I’m sure I would.” She stuck her spoon in her ice cream. “Still, this is so refreshing. Here, try it,” she said and shoved the dish toward him. Jack dipped his spoon and tasted.
He closed his eyes. “Sublime. Practically a health food.”
Sophie laughed. She was surprised how good it felt to actually laugh and smile. Why was she tingling all over? And how long had it been since she’d felt even mildly flirtatious?
She took another bite of the ice cream. Just looking at Jack, his T-shirt stretched over his well-defined chest and his biceps bulging out of the short sleeves, made her heart race. She needed a mantra to knock back the attraction.
She watched his lips wrap around another spoonful of ice cream. She couldn’t help wondering what it would be like to kiss him.
She mentally erased the image. Get back on track, Sophie. He’s not that into you.
“You come here a lot then?” he asked, wiping his alluring mouth with a napkin.
Sophie averted her gaze. “I do. Or rather, I did. Louise is a friend. She’s closed in the winter so we all take advantage during the summer and fall. Wait till you taste her pumpkin-gingersnap ice cream. Seriously, I wait all year for it. It’s my grandmother’s favorite.”
“Your whole family is addicted to ice cream, then?” Jack cringed. “Sorry. Bad choice of words. I didn’t mean to bring any of that up.”
“It’s okay,” she said. “Frankly, I was here to give Louise an All—a poster. The ice cream was an afterthought.”
“Oh.”
“She doesn’t have much money so her donation was small, but the poster will be seen by a lot of people this summer. I’m also hoping to put up some new ones targeted for elementary kids. This place is busy after school every day during the fall.”
Jack played with his ice cream. “These are all good ideas, Sophie. Are they yours?”
“Some. A lot. I keep doing my research to see what’s worked in other cities.”
“And do they work? Really?”
Sophie took a huge hunk of pineapple and chewed the icy piece. “That’s a tough question. Are you asking me to round up statistics for you, Jack?”
He shook his head and put down his spoon. “No. Actually, I don’t even want to talk about it.”
“Fine.”
Silence.
She studied him. He was still staring at her. “What do you want to talk about?”
“I saw you running. On the trail. I thought you
only ran in the evenings.”
“These days, I catch it whenever I can. You?”
“I ran twice today.”
“Holy cow, I’d be exhausted,” she exclaimed. “Once a day is enough for me. But then I’m a beginner. I love it, though.”
“Me, too.”
He toyed with his spoon but didn’t eat. Her curiosity had always caused her problems, and sometimes had ended relationships before they began. Still, she had to know. “Were you watching for me, Jack? Is that why you saw me?”
“No. Not really. I just thought you ran in the evening.”
“Because you saw me in the morning—running. That’s how you knew. And you saw me in the evening.”
“Yes.”
Sophie didn’t know whether to be flattered or to escape. “Why were you watching me?” she blurted out like a three-year-old. Always probing.
“I like the way you run,” he said matter-of-factly. “I watch a lot of people run, but you’re a natural. I’m surprised you’ve only just taken it up.”
She swallowed a spoonful of ice cream. That was honest and more complimentary than she’d imagined. Despite his easy manner, she kept waiting for his wicked tongue to slice her to ribbons. “That’s a nice thing to say, Jack.”
“Yeah. Imagine that. A compliment coming from me.”
“I didn’t mean it like that,” she countered.
“I know you didn’t. But I would have deserved it if you had,” he said. “Anyway, I’d better go before I say anything else.”
He rose, picked up their empty dishes and dropped them off at the dishwasher window. He didn’t look back. Didn’t wave to Sophie as he went out the door.
Sophie raked her fingers through her hair then stared down at the tabletop. “What just happened?” she murmured.
She was in a conundrum. Jack was obviously doing his best to be friendly, but try as they might, they couldn’t stay away from the subject that ripped them apart.
Death was always an emotional issue, and even more so when blame and guilt came into play. Neither of them had moved on, dealt with the pain or had been able to come at the problem from a healthy point of view.
Sophie was aware of what she was doing. She was anesthetizing herself with work. By volunteering for the Alliance, she assuaged her guilt. Slowly, she was able to erase the image of Aleah’s pained face from her memory. Sophie knew that given time, months or maybe years, she would forget the contours of Aleah’s face, the sound of her voice and the anguish she felt remembering the young woman and her final moments.
If Sophie could go in a room and scream until her throat was raw, perhaps that would help. Wailing. Some of the other nurses had said it helped them during grief. Sophie wasn’t so sure. She was ready to try it.
Lurking in the back of her mind was the worry that one day there would be another victim on her table. Another addict she couldn’t save. Another innocent victim staring down death because of drugs. How would she control her emotions in the future when she was doing so poorly now?
Her grandmother told her to give her sorrow to the angels. Sophie had tried, but so far, it hadn’t worked.
And what of Jack? How was he dealing with his pain? He’d said he’d run twice today. Was that his way of staunching his agony? Did he exhaust himself through exercise?
And what was that about seeing her on the trail?
She’d seen him that one time while she was running, but she’d been so certain he hadn’t recognized her. He certainly hadn’t acknowledged her. Yet he was studying her “style”—presumably from his condo deck.
Easy thing to do. Natural. Even if he hadn’t been waiting for her to go by, she would have been easy to spot. Maddie and Nate had often seen her running the trail from their living room window, Nate had said.
Not for a minute did Sophie think Jack was the stalker type. No, Jack was no threat to anyone.
Except himself.
For that she felt pity for him—again.
Sophie’s coping mechanisms might not be perfect, but at least she was helping others in the process. If she could make a difference in people’s lives, she just might help herself.
If she was truly a generous person, then her desire, her passion, to help others ought to extend even to Jack. Shouldn’t it?
She scoffed at her idea. There wasn’t a chance in the world he’d accept help from her. He’d deemed her the enemy. He’d drawn the line in the sand. Even though he’d come close to crossing over tonight, he’d gone back to his isolation. Back to his box of rules. Back inside his shell.
Someone had to help bring him out—to save him.
It would never be her.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
SOPHIE WAS GLAD now that she’d decided to walk to The Louise House from Mrs. Beabots’s rather than drive. She needed the time to put her thoughts together. Try as she might, everything in her life seemed just as big a jumble as it had yesterday. And the day before.
“Sophie, there you are,” Mrs. Beabots called from her front porch.
“Hi, Sophie,” two more female voices chimed.
In the soft glow of yellow mosquito-repelling lightbulbs sat Katia, Sarah and Mrs. Beabots in white wicker chairs. All were waving and smiling at her as if she was a long-lost friend.
It was truly odd, if not downright suspicious, Sophie thought, that for years hardly anyone in Indian Lake had made overtures to be her friend. Yet since she’d moved into town and rented this apartment from Mrs. Beabots, she was curiously being included, when before she felt like a pariah. Maybe that was a little harsh. After all, Sophie had gone after Nate Barzonni. Then there was that pass she’d made at his brother, Gabe, when he’d come to buy her parents’ vineyard. She couldn’t blame Maddie, Liz and their friends for keeping their distance.
But lately, they’d been kinder to her, more welcoming, which had to mean they had forgiven, dismissed or chosen to forget Sophie’s earlier behavior. Sophie couldn’t say if they were better than she, but they were certainly wiser.
Wisdom. Hmm. Something else to add to her goals.
Sophie stopped on the sidewalk and smiled back at the women on the porch. Katia and Sarah smiled with genuine delight as they waved her up. Incredible. She’d spent so much time flirting with men that she’d never considered building or nurturing friendships. She was achingly guilty of objectifying men like notches on a gun belt. Trophies.
And where had it gotten her? She was still alone.
Then there was tonight with Jack. He’d made several friendly overtures. She didn’t understand it. He was foe. Wasn’t he?
She’d always run from anything long lasting with the men she dated, but she realized she actually did care about Jack’s opinion of her. She wanted him to see her in the best light.
But why?
“Sophie, where have you been?” Mrs. Beabots asked, sounding far too much like Sophie’s grandmother.
“I was at The Louise House. She’s got a new pineapple ice cream that’s to die for.”
“Mmm. Bring us any?” Sarah asked, laughing.
“Sorry. I try not to have it around. Next time I go, I’ll call and see if you want some,” Sophie offered.
“I’m just kidding. We try to watch the sweets with kids around.”
Sophie climbed the porch steps. “I thought kids and sugar were synonymous.”
Mrs. Beabots snapped her fingers and smiled. “That’s why I like you, Sophie. So down-to-earth. Kids aren’t kids without treats.”
Sarah frowned. “Frankly, I agree with you both. My mom made pies and cakes for me all the time. I didn’t turn out so bad. Luke insists the kids eat healthy.”
Katia shrugged. “As long as the kids are active and brush their teeth, what’s the harm? I say we start a blog on this.”
“What’s a blog?” Mrs. Beabots asked.
Sarah rolled her eyes. “Katia! Don’t even think it. Too much work.” She held up her palms. “Wait, I take it back. I’m with Mrs. Beabots on this. I’ve never heard of a blog.”
Their lighthearted, friendly banter cheered Sophie up. It had been forever since she’d simply joked around with anyone. No wonder she worried all the time. There was no space left in her head for fun or friendship building.
Sophie climbed the steps and sat in the last empty wicker chair.
“Would you like some of my special mint tea?” Mrs. Beabots asked. “Actually, there’s no tea in it. Just mint from the garden, boiling water, bourbon and sugar. It’s good for the digestion,” she said conspiratorially, leaning over and picking up an antique rose-patterned teapot.
Sophie’s eyes widened. This was fun and unexpected. Katia was right. Mrs. Beabots was full of surprises. “I’d love it,” Sophie replied. “Thank you,” she said, taking a delicate cup and saucer from her hostess.
“Sophie,” Katia began. “We were admiring the sunflowers you gave Mrs. Beabots. She said you grew them in your garden at home.”
“My grandmother’s sunflowers are—”
“Legendary,” Mrs. Beabots interjected. “Don’t be shy, dear. I told the girls here that your grandmother sells them to florists.”
“That’s true,” Sophie confirmed. “The roses are mine and my mother’s. We planted only the varieties that have that wonderful perfume and then we give them good doses of manure to keep them fragrant.”
“Well,” Katia said. “I love them all. I’ve never seen so many colors of sunflowers.” Katia stared down at her teacup and tapped the scrolled gold handle. “Sophie, I’d like to ask a huge favor.”
Sarah interrupted, “Enormous favor, Katia.” She looked at Sophie with mirth in her eyes. “Bigger than enormous.”
Sophie frowned. She should have known they wouldn’t have been this friendly to her without a motive. People always had an angle.
Katia put her hand on Sophie’s knee. “Forget it. It’s too much.”
“Wow. What is it?”
“The thing is, I hired Olivia and her mother, Julia, to handle my wedding. And they’re doing a great job, but, I hate to say this, my wishes have increased—not that I’m bridezilla. It’s just that the flowers are driving them crazy because the florists in Chicago can’t get the sunflowers I want. Sophie,” Katia said pleadingly, “I wondered if I could buy all the flowers for my wedding from you. Er, from your grandmother.”
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