by Joanna Sims
Her voice became shrill as she threw her hands up into the air. “Then why are they in the driveway right now?”
Chapter Ten
Sophia glared at Luke in accusation. “Did you know about this?”
Luke shook his head. “Apparently Mom couldn’t wait to welcome me home.”
Sophia peered out the window one more time before she threw up her hands. “Well, a little warning would have been nice.”
It was out of character for her to be flustered. She didn’t like the feeling. And the fact that Luke seemed completely undisturbed by this sudden change in plans served only to irritate her more.
“Look at me!” Sophia waved her hands in front of herself. “I’m a mess!”
“You look fine,” he said in a slightly dismissive tone that sparked off her temper.
She snapped at him. “What do you know?”
“I think I can tell if you look okay or not. I have eyeballs in my head,” Luke replied. “Why are you getting hysterical?”
Hands on her hips, Sophia stopped in front of him. “I am not getting hysterical!”
Luke raised one eyebrow. “You’re a little hysterical.”
“Oh, zip it, Brand!” Sophia snapped. She struck the palm of her left hand with her right hand in a slicing motion to emphasize her words. “I like order. I like a plan. Your family was supposed to be here tomorrow! And now that they’re here early...”
“You’re hysterical,” Luke broke in.
“I am not! And even if I am a little...you’re one to talk, Mister Marine, who has to have everything in perfect order and perfectly planned!”
“I was trained to adapt to any situation,” he said seriously. “This one included.”
At this moment, she really did wish that looks could kill. Luke was having an awfully good time at her expense, and if he hadn’t tried to kiss her just a minute before, she wouldn’t be feeling so wigged out.
“If you so much as say one more pro-Marine thing, I’m going to personally wring your neck!”
Her threat had the exact opposite effect on Luke that she wanted. His mouth curled up into his half smile and he had the audacity to wink at her. “Ooh-rah.”
Sophia balled up her fists and let out a frustrated noise.
“That’s it! We’re not speaking!” Luke was incorrigible, and there was absolutely nothing she could do about it. When she realized that she wasn’t going to convince Luke to join her emotional unraveling, and that her emotional unraveling was giving him a platform to irritate her more, she quit the conversation.
Unfortunately, she was never successful at the silent treatment. So, it lasted for about thirty seconds.
“It’s your fault I’m freaking out, anyway!” Sophia stomped over to a mirror in the hallway.
“I thought you weren’t speaking to me....”
Sophia leaned into the mirror and examined her face. There were smudges of dirt on her forehead and on her cheek. Perfect!
“God, you are annoying! You just couldn’t leave well enough alone, could you?”
“Hey, I’m just standing here minding my own business.” He had the gall to sound genuinely innocent of any wrongdoing.
Sophia took one look at her haphazard ponytail and threw up her hands again. There was no covering up the fact that it needed to be washed. She looked a mess. And she looked guilty! That was the real problem.
“Do you call trying to kiss me minding your own business?” she hissed at him under her breath; she didn’t want anyone to hear her from the other side of the door. “Why would you do that? What were you thinking?”
Luke actually smiled with his teeth. “I was thinking that I wanted to kiss you.” He was really enjoying this. His enjoyment served only to send her frustration shooting through the roof.
With one last disgruntled look at her own reflection, Sophia spun away from the mirror and returned to her spot in front of him. “Well, you shouldn’t have!”
“Probably not,” he agreed easily. Too damned easily! “Is that why you’re coming unhinged? It wasn’t a big deal. You gotta calm down. You look like you’re breaking out in hives.” He gestured to her neck.
“Not a big deal?” she asked, incredulously. “Not a big deal!”
“Nothing happened.”
“Thanks to me!” she pointed out as she narrowed her eyes at him. “You know, it’s really helpful that you’ve picked this moment to say more than two sentences in a row to me after a decade of one-liners!”
“Glad to be of assistance.”
“I was being sarcastic!” She heard how shrill her own voice sounded to her ears; she immediately closed her eyes and took in a sharp, soothing, calming breath.
In her mind she repeated the phrase “I am calm, I am at peace.”
“What are you doing?” Luke’s annoying voice punctured her mental mantra and rendered the phrase useless.
Through gritted teeth, she said, “I’m calming myself by using a meditative phrase.”
A few seconds later, Luke replied, “You might want to try something else. The blotches are still there.”
Sophia opened her eyes and swiveled her head toward the object of her irritation. “Blotches? I should have a big red A stamped on my belly, thanks to you! How’s that for a blotch!”
With one last hateful look at Luke and his stupid, smug, handsome face, Sophia plastered a welcoming smile onto her own face, walked over to the door and pulled it open.
She was greeted at the door by a cold blast of air and the family’s German shepherd, Elsa. The minute Elsa spotted Luke, she raced into the entryway.
“Hey, girl!” Luke patted his chest for Elsa to put her paws on his shoulders. When she complied, Luke roughed up the fur on her neck and back.
At the moment, Sophia wanted to strangle Luke, but when she watched him with Elsa, it reminded her that he wasn’t completely rotten to the core.
“Sophia, my dear! Hello!” Barbara Brand breezed into the foyer with her husband, Hank, following closely behind.
“Could you grab this, dear?” Barbara said to her tall, lean, silver-haired husband. She slipped out of her full-length faux-fur coat and handed it to Hank. As soon as Barbara was free of her winter trappings, she wrapped Sophia into her arms. “I’ve been so worried about you, my darling. How is my grandson?”
“We’re both doing well. I’m glad to see you.”
For a moment Barbara admired her with Luke’s same clear, bright blue eyes. No matter what the weather, Barbara always looked as if she had stepped out of a fashion magazine; her blond hair was smoothed back into a flawless chignon and her ears were adorned with her signature pearl drop earrings. She had followed her husband to Montana, but she never let go of her Chicago roots.
Barbara pressed a kiss to Sophia’s cheek before she turned her attention to her son. She moved quickly to Luke’s side. She reached up and put her hands on both sides of his face. “Lucas. Lucas. You’re finally home.” Then, she wrapped her arms around her son and hugged him tightly.
Sophia watched as Luke engulfed his mother in a bear hug. “Hi, Mom.”
When Barbara pulled back slightly to get a better look at her boy, she said, “You’re so thin, Lucas. My goodness! Why are you so thin?” Then Barb reached up and touched Luke’s goatee. “And this isn’t my favorite!”
“He looks good, Barb! Leave the boy be.” Hank slapped Luke on the back and clasped his hand with his.
“Good to see you, Dad.”
“How’s the leg, son?” Hank asked in his gruff, bass voice.
“Yes. How is your leg?” Barbara stepped back a bit and looked down.
“It’s getting better. Don’t worry.”
Barbara gave him a stern look. “I’ll be the judge of whether or not I should worry.” She looked at her husband. “Imagine your son telling me what to do in my own house!”
For the first time in a long time, Sophia saw Luke look sheepish. His mom could put him in his place quicker than anyone she had ever seen. Luk
e went from surly soldier to compliant son when Barbara was around.
Barbara didn’t make a move to let Luke go. She looked over at Sophia. “He hasn’t been giving you too hard of a time, has he?”
Sophia and Luke locked eyes for a brief second. She shook her head. “No. He’s been on his best behavior.”
Until just before you arrived.
“Shame on you for not telling me you were coming home early!” Barbara said to her son.
“I wanted to surprise you,” Luke said easily.
Before she could retort, Tyler, six foot four like his father and heartthrob handsome, walked through the door with the bags. “Hey! There he is!” he said as he dropped the bags on the floor and shut the door with his foot. He walked through to the entryway and engulfed both his mother and brother in a giant bear hug.
“Good to see you, man!” Luke looked genuinely happy to see his younger brother.
Tyler slapped his brother on the back several times before he swept Sophia up into a bone-crushing hug. “Hey, sis! Miss me?”
“You have no idea.” Sophia laughed. Tyler was so handsome, with an easygoing cowboy charm, that it was hard for anyone to dislike him.
“Hank, what is she doing in there? Do you hear hissing...?” Barbara asked in an irritated tone. Elsa was whining excitedly in the kitchen.
Sophia and Luke looked at each other, and knew exactly what was occurring in the kitchen. Elsa had found Ranger, and Ranger had decided he did not like being found by the German shepherd.
Barbara stopped talking and walked decisively over to the kitchen doorway. She looked in for a moment, analyzed the situation and then turned her gaze to Luke.
“Lucas, darling?”
“Yes, Mother?”
“Why is there a kitten in the kitchen?”
Hank walked over to stand next to his wife. He seemed perplexed. “There’s a kitten in the kitchen, Barb.”
“I see that,” she replied to her husband, and then she readdressed Luke. “There’s a kitten in the kitchen, Lucas. Why is there a kitten in the kitchen, Lucas?”
“That’s Ranger,” Luke said nonchalantly; he winked at his brother.
“Why is Ranger on my kitchen table?” Barbara asked in a steady, precise voice.
Hank was shaking his head. “Why is there a kitten in the house? That’s what I’d like to know. There wasn’t a kitten here when I left two weeks ago, and there shouldn’t be one here now!”
Sophia chimed in. “It’s my fault he’s on the table, Barb. I’ll get him off.”
Sophia moved toward the kitchen, but Tyler had already threaded his way past his mom and dad to scoop Ranger up; he held him in the air to get a good look at him. “Hey, Ranger! You’re a funny-looking little cat, aren’t you?” He held Ranger to his chest. “Who does he belong to?”
“Us,” Luke said simply.
“He’s going to grow into those ears.” Sophia defended Ranger.
“Of course he will,” Tyler agreed easily.
“Well.” Hank said, “he’s going to have to grow into them somewhere else.”
That sparked off a loud, boisterous debate amongst the family. Barbara and Hank lead the charge for Ranger to find a new home, and Sophia, Tyler and Luke defended the gangly kitten’s right to stay at Bent Tree.
“There isn’t another place. This is it,” Luke reasserted. He wasn’t backing down. He was determined that Ranger was going to make his home at the ranch.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, Lucas! You know that we have so many other responsibilities to attend to. What possessed you to do such a thing?” Barbara asked, but her eyes softened when she looked at Ranger tucked into the crook of Tyler’s arm.
“He’s just one kitten, Mom,” Luke said.
Hank shrugged out of his coat and pointed his finger at his son. “That kitten needs to find another place to call his own, Luke. You tell Bill to come back over and get him. Now, that’s all there is to it.”
Hank gave his wife one last look before he disappeared into the sanctuary of his study.
“Are you really going to throw an orphaned kitten out into the snow at Christmas, Ma? Is that the spirit of the season?” Tyler asked before he winked at Sophia.
All of them knew that Ranger was staying. Even Hank knew it. The Brand family had never turned their backs on a stray, and they weren’t about to start with Ranger.
Barbara shook her head with a heavy sigh. It was a sound that signaled to Sophia that her mother-in-law had given in without much of a fight. Barbara walked over to Tyler, took the kitten into her hands and looked into his eyes. “And where did Billy happen to find you?”
“Truck stop bathroom,” Luke filled in.
Barbara made a displeased noise. “Who would do such a thing? He’s just a baby.”
“He’s a baby who needs a home,” Luke added.
Barbara eyed her son over Ranger’s head for a moment. “The battle is already won, Lucas. Anything at this point would simply be a waste of artillery. Haven’t those Marines taught you anything?” Barbara ended her sentence with a raised eyebrow at Luke before she turned her attention back to the kitten that had melted in her hands. “Oh, for heaven’s sake...” she said again, with another shake of the head. “I suppose Ranger will do.”
Luke gave Sophia a satisfied look. Barbara was hooked and Ranger had a home. It was as simple as that.
* * *
The family had gathered for a celebratory dinner in Luke’s honor. Barbara planned the menu and Sophia was happy to pitch in. She was grateful for the company and the distraction. She still couldn’t believe what had just happened to her. She couldn’t believe that Luke had tried to kiss her; and more important, she couldn’t believe that she had actually considered letting him kiss her!
This must be a rebound reaction. It had to be! There was simply no other explanation for her behavior. Yes, she had discovered a very lovable, nurturing side of Luke she hadn’t even seen before. And yes, she was enjoying his company. And yes, her body was responding to him in ways that could not be considered platonic. But, and this was a very big but, that didn’t mean that she wanted anything more than friendship with Luke. And certainly, he didn’t want anything more from her! The man had spent the better part of a decade giving her a stony expression and a hard time. And that was when he wasn’t outright avoiding her!
Obviously the two of them were turning toward each other for comfort because they had both lost Daniel. It made sense. And it had to stop.
That’s why, after she had gotten over her obsessive-compulsive meltdown, she was very glad that Luke’s family had arrived when they did. Just in the nick of time!
After the dinner mess had been cleaned away, the family dispersed. Sophia, who hadn’t been able to keep from seeking Luke out with her eyes all night, had been internally champing at the bit until the evening had ended and she could have a minute alone with him to set things straight. She was determined to find out what had happened between them, and to make certain that it never happened again.
Of course, whenever she had sneaked a glance at him, he wasn’t looking back at her. In fact, he seemed completely relaxed and unaffected by their brief encounter. No doubt it had been meaningless to him, with his “woman in every port” attitude. No doubt he was just missing out on some random female companionship after a tour of duty, and she just happened to be convenient.
Whatever the reason, whatever the motivation, she was going to make certain it didn’t happen again.
Sophia made it back to her room before Luke and claimed the bathroom first. She scrubbed the day’s dirt off her body and face. Then she twisted her long wet hair up into a towel before she slathered moisturizing cream on her face.
For a minute she looked down at her belly. She was getting more pregnant by the day. She had a checkup this coming week, and she was starting to feel very impatient to have the pregnancy over so she could start getting to know her son. She also wanted to get back to her life in Boston. Whenever she emai
led or spoke with her friends on the phone, she felt horribly homesick. She wanted to go home.
After she had finished her nightly routine, Sophia sat in a rocking chair next to the crib and scrolled through her emails. She was just wrapping up her responses when she heard Luke enter his room next door. She clicked on the send button, logged off and closed the laptop, then stood and pulled the towel off her head. On her way to Luke’s room she dropped the towel over the tub, then ran a comb through her wet hair. Finally, with one last look in the mirror, she took a deep breath and tapped lightly on the door.
“Yeah?” Luke responded to the knock.
“You decent?” Sophia asked through the door in a hushed voice. Now that the rest of the family was milling around in the old farmhouse, she was going to have to watch the volume of her voice.
“Not likely,” Sophia heard him say as he pulled the door open. His eyes gave her a clinical once-over that set her teeth on edge, before he turned back to hanging up his shirt.
She took one step inside the room and leaned her back against the wall. She watched him while he finished his chore. He was stripped bare to the waist and the top button of his jeans was undone. In spite of herself, she just couldn’t stop admiring the way Luke’s muscles rippled as he hung up his shirt.
Luke shut the closet door. “What’s up?”
His face looked different. It took her a minute to figure out why. “You shaved your goatee.”
Luke propped himself against the end of the bed. He reached up and rubbed his hand over his freshly shaven face. “No sense lighting Mom’s fuse over nothing.”
Sophia nodded. After a moment of uncomfortable silence, she found another way to avoid getting to the point.
“You aren’t using your cane as much as you should,” she replied, suddently hesitant to start the discussion she knew they needed to have.
“Is that what you came in here to say?” he asked her. He was looking at her in a very odd way. He looked relaxed enough, but something in her gut told her that Luke was wound up tight as a drum beneath his nonchalant exterior. It was if he was waiting for something unpleasant to happen.