The Angler, the Baker, and the Billionaire (Destination Billionaire Romance)

by Day, Amberlee

  “Are you a Trekkie?” Sophie asked.

  Reva pulled the apron down a bit, revealing more of the picture. “Loren is. We went to a convention a few years back, and he insisted we get matching shirts. I was just coming to see if you were eating with us later, but looks like not. You look amazing. What’s the occasion?”

  “I … guess I have a date.”

  “Is Jamie back in town, then?”

  A pang of guilt made her pause before she spoke. “No, I haven’t heard from Jamie. He didn’t tell me where he was going and made it clear I wouldn’t hear from him until he came back.”

  “That’s weird. Okay, then who …?”

  “You won’t believe it.”

  “Don’t make me guess, I’m terrible at guessing,” Reva said.

  “It’s … Peter Cohen.”

  Reva’s expression didn’t change as she processed Sophie’s words. Finally, she cleared her throat and folded her arms. “So you’re throwing over Jamie for a billionaire? Do I have that right?”

  Sophie took half a step back. “No, that’s not it at all. Jamie left town. I told him I’d met Peter—”

  “You told Jamie you’d met Peter Cohen?”

  “Well, I texted him. He’d already left town. He didn’t seem to care, even made it sound like he thought I’d changed my mind about Peter because of … who he is. Then he texted that he’d see me in a few weeks.”

  “And what do you think? Is Peter Cohen more attractive than Jamie because he’s a multi-billionaire?”

  “Because of his money? No. Maybe he’s more attractive, but that’s because he cuts his hair—”

  “I see.”

  “—and shaves. And because he’s, well, open and honest with me.”

  “Is he now?” Reva asked. “How do you know he’s more open and honest than Jamie?”

  “Well … for starters,” Sophie said, “because I know Peter’s last name. And what he does for a living. I don’t know those things about Jamie.”

  “But money doesn’t matter?” Reva asked.

  “No. I mean, can you say what Jamie does for a living? I know he’s a fisherman, but it looks like he jumps around from job to job.”

  “Could I say what Jamie does for a living? No, I couldn’t. I just thought …” Reva really did look exasperated. “I thought it looked like you and he might be having feelings for each other.”

  Sophie turned around and sat down with a bounce on her bed. “I did, too. But then … he just left. No word where he was going, just gone, no definite return date. No communication. I might like Jamie—a lot—but …”

  “But he’s not relationship material?”

  “But he’s not here.” She slammed her fists on the bed in frustration.

  Reva came and sat on the bed next to Sophie. “And if he was?”

  Sophie’s heart flipped at the thought. “I’d love it if he were here. I had so much fun with Jamie, and, I can’t help it, I’m attracted to him. We went on these fun dates … and half dates.”

  “Half dates?”

  “Mm-hm.” The feeling of being in Jamie’s arms, dancing under the stars in the very dress she was wearing to the symphony, sent a flood of warmth through her. “I have to admit, though … I’d also love it if he cleaned up and if I knew more about him. In the meantime, there’s no reason not to go to the symphony with Peter Cohen.”

  Reva gave Sophie’s shoulders a squeeze, then hopped off the bed and headed for the door. “The symphony, wow! That sounds fancy. I’m not trying to give you a hard time. You do look gorgeous, Sophie, and I hope you and Peter enjoy your evening.”

  Sophie relaxed at Reva’s genuine smile as she headed out the door. She liked the upbeat, friendly chef. It probably was strange to Reva that Sophie would be bothered by Jamie’s mysteriousness and his appearance, but that’s how Sophie felt.

  Her phone beeped with a text. It wasn’t Jamie, but Peter.

  I’ll be at the lodge in two minutes. Can’t wait for our afternoon together.

  Butterflies took flight in her stomach. Sophie shook her head. With her mother’s illness and the demands of the bakery, it had been years since she’d even been out on a date before coming to Sitka. Now she was getting butterflies over two men at the same time. She was the first to admit she didn’t know what she was doing.

  When she opened the door to Peter two minutes later, Sophie felt her breath catch. How did he get lucky enough to be so wealthy and so good-looking? The way he looked at her didn’t help. She’d seen it in his eyes since she first saw him at the Pioneer Home, but tonight Peter Cohen looked at Sophie like he wanted to sweep her up and kiss her. She wasn’t sure she’d mind if he did.

  Peter wore a tailored black suit and white shirt left open at the neck.

  “I hope I’m not underdressed,” Sophie said. “Most of my clothes are more suitable for working in the bakery.”

  “You look perfect, as always. Ready for an evening at the symphony?”

  “Yes.” She took the arm Peter offered—a muscular arm—and he led her across the deck. “It must be a matinee if we’re going this early. I didn’t even know Sitka had a symphony.”

  Peter stopped and looked at her.

  “What?” she asked.

  “Just … trust me that I’ll have you home by eight.”

  Sophie smiled at herself as she told her former arch nemesis, billionaire CEO P.J. Cohen, “Okay. I trust you.”

  Peter’s jet made the flight from Sitka to Anchorage in less than two hours. They’d spent the time talking about San Francisco and concerts they’d attended and business school versus running a business. Carol, the flight attendant who’d served Sophie and Marisa salads that first day she’d flown into Sitka, today served her and Peter grapes and cheese for lunch.

  “Mmm, this is good cheese,” Sophie said. “I think I’ve had it before.”

  “I’m glad you like it. We sell it in the stores.”

  “At PJ’s? Is this … smoked Gouda?”

  Sophie thought she saw a twinkle in Peter’s dark eyes. “Yes, it is.”

  When they arrived in Anchorage, Sophie was startled to find they were in an actual city of high-rise buildings with a lovely white-capped mountain backdrop. “I had no idea there was such a large city in Alaska,” she said.

  “It is unusual for the Last Frontier,” Peter replied. “Alaskans like to say that the best thing about Anchorage is that it’s so close to Alaska.”

  A limo whisked them from the airport to the concert hall. As they walked into the building, the empty hallways surprised Sophie.

  “The matinee must not be well-attended on a Tuesday,” she said. “There’s no one here.”

  “I believe everyone with a ticket has arrived.” Peter opened the large door to the hall, leading Sophie down rows and rows of empty seats, to the front row of the mezzanine. “I hope you don’t mind sitting up here. I love having the large view of the place, and the acoustics are spectacular.”

  Sophie sat down in the seat Peter indicated. From that height there was a vastness of space, from the ceiling high above to the orchestra section stretched out in front. The fact that every other seat was empty increased that feeling.

  “Are you ready?” Peter looked like an excited kid.

  “Sure.” Sophie wasn’t sure how she felt about being there alone. Were they going to watch a rehearsal?

  Suddenly the front lights went on and Sophie could see that an entire orchestra filled the stage, ready to play. The conductor’s voice reached throughout the auditorium.

  “Welcome, Mr. Cohen and Miss Molina.” Sophie jumped at hearing her name. “For today’s special matinee performance, we’ll begin with Rachmaninoff, ‘Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.’”

  Sophie wasn’t familiar with a great deal of classical music, but she did know this. She beamed at Peter. “I love this!” she whispered.

  Again, the way he looked at her made her melt inside. “I’m happy to hear it.”

  When the matinee conc
luded, they gave the orchestra a standing ovation of two before Peter whisked them off again in the limo and back onto the jet.

  “I’m sorry to rush you,” he said a few minutes after takeoff. “I wanted to share this with you, but didn’t want you to turn into a pumpkin.”

  “This has all been so lovely, thank you.”

  “If we’d been in Anchorage longer, there’s a restaurant I wanted to take you to. But since we don’t have time … Carol?”

  Carol came in, followed by a man in a grey chef’s coat. They each carried a covered plate of food.

  “Sophie, this is Chef Bruce Sousa, one of the finest chefs in Anchorage. What do you have for us tonight, Chef Bruce?”

  Sophie hardly heard a word the man said, she was so shocked. Had Peter really gone to all this trouble for her? She couldn’t take it all in. When the food was served and she and Peter were alone again, she sat staring at this tall, dark, handsome man in front of her. His dimple disappeared when he saw the look on her face.

  “Is something wrong?”

  “No, of course not. It’s perfect.” She put her napkin in her lap to prove it. “I’m just … overwhelmed. The plane, the limo, the symphony … now a top-rated chef? Is this how you live? Is this normal for you?”

  Peter took a sip from his glass before answering. “Normal? This is … sometimes. Normal is meals on the island or in one of my other homes.”

  “You have other houses?”

  “I do. Nothing as big as in Sitka. I do eat out a lot, but a home-cooked meal is my favorite.”

  “Have you … Have you ever been married?”

  “No. I was engaged.”

  “And … it didn’t work out?”

  Peter stabbed a large bite of fish with his fork and chewed it vigorously. “Nope.”

  “I see.”

  “It was a brief relationship, followed by a brief engagement.”

  “How long ago?”

  “Recently. That’s why I—” He stopped abruptly, taking another drink before finishing. “Nearly a year ago.”

  “I see.”

  “And you are dating someone.” He didn’t look up, but focused on cutting his food.

  “What?” She was thrown off, thinking about Jamie. “Oh, yes. Well, kind of.”

  “Kind of?” His eyebrows went up, and she wasn’t sure what to make of the look he gave her.

  “We met about a month ago, so it’s not serious.”

  “I see. So you’re dating someone, but you don’t really like him that much.”

  Sophie squirmed. Why was it that every time Jamie came up in conversation, she ended up feeling uncomfortable? “It’s not that …”

  “No?”

  “It’s just … I still don’t know him very well.”

  “I see.”

  “He hides. He has this enormous, bushy beard and hair down to his shoulders. He looks like a homeless person—”

  “Sounds scary. What attracted you to him, if he’s so repulsive?”

  “He’s not repulsive. In fact, he’s charming. And funny and very nice. Well spoken, too.”

  “Not too bad for a homeless man. Does he work?”

  “Yes. He’s a fisherman, at least some of the time. In fact, he works for you.”

  “He does? What’s his name?”

  “Jamie.”

  “You’re dating Jamie?”

  “I … I guess. I don’t even know his last name. Do you?”

  “You’re dating Jamie and you don’t know his last name?”

  “No. He’s kind of evasive that way.”

  “Well, no wonder you’re only kind of dating. As far as you know, he could be a criminal.”

  Sophie put her fork down with some force. This conversation was making her angry. “Well, is he? I mean, he works for you sometimes. Wouldn’t you know?”

  “I don’t believe he is, but then … obviously I have a track record of occasionally hiring criminals. Where is he now?”

  “I have no idea,” she said. “He told me he was leaving town, and … that’s all I know.”

  “His loss, my gain.” Peter had been happily consuming his dinner while Sophie stewed over this conversation about Jamie. “I hope you don’t mind, Sophie Molina, but my intention is to monopolize your time as long as I can manage it. Is that alright?”

  Sophie felt a hot flush from her head to her toes. Peter sounded so commanding yet so sincere, with his Gregory Peck voice.

  “All right so far,” she said, feeling that tinge of discomfort once again.

  25

  Over the weeks that followed, Peter Cohen kept his word about monopolizing Sophie’s time, and he did it in style. They dined at the nicest restaurants in town, always at the best tables. On three different days they flew to Juneau for private swing dance lessons after Sophie said she’d always wanted to learn. When she mentioned how she wished movie theaters would show classic black-and-white movies on the big screen, he rented the Sitka Theater for a noon showing of the 1934 classic The Thin Man. And, when he hosted business associates and their wives at the island one weekend, he sent Doug in with the speedboat every afternoon to have Sophie by his side to help him entertain.

  Meanwhile, Sophie’s early mornings were busy at the bakery. They’d had their grand opening, and Sitka welcomed them with open arms. The bakery’s success meant she, Marcy, and Ellie worked a full eight hours baking and serving customers, plus Cathy hired extra help to handle sales in the afternoon. The bakery buzzed with happy customers and the organized chaos of baking, which Sophie loved.

  Cathy and baby Jessie came to visit often. With so many of her off hours spent with Peter, it was almost the only time Sophie saw them. Roger stopped in most mornings to pick up sandwiches and cinnamon rolls for the boats. If he knew she was seeing Peter now, he didn’t mention it. In fact, he barely made eye contact with Sophie, let alone conversation.

  One morning, while Jessie lay sleeping in a portable crib set up in the back room, Cathy put on an apron and helped around her Cookie Jar kitchen for the first time. She was in high spirits, singing and chatting with her helpers.

  “It’s so fun to have you here,” Sophie said. “I know it’s not every day yet, but isn’t it amazing to see your dream coming true?”

  “It is!” Cathy glowed with excitement as she iced a batch of blueberry old-fashioned donuts. “Not that I want this time with my little Jessie to go quickly, but it’s positively energizing to be here. You girls all work together so well, and I’m really pleased with how we set the building up. It’s a good flow.”

  “It is, and your decorating is perfect. Have you noticed we’re starting to get groups of regulars for coffee and donuts every morning?”

  “Curtis and Uncle Knuckles and their cronies? I haven’t seen them yet, but Roger’s been telling me they love it here.”

  “Also, some ladies’ auxiliary group has been holding weekly meetings here,” Sophie said. “They sit over at the large table for hours planning something or other.”

  “That makes me so happy. Speaking of happy …” Cathy looked up to make sure the others were out of earshot. “How are things with Peter?”

  Sophie was surprised Cathy had brought him up. Like Roger, she seemed to be avoiding the subject. “Fine.”

  “It sounds like you two have been seeing a lot of each other?”

  “Yes, I suppose we have.”

  “And you like him?”

  Sophie warmed just thinking about Peter. He was so handsome, attentive, and fun to be around. “Yes, I do like him.”

  “And … what about Jamie?”

  Sophie got that feeling again. “I haven’t heard from Jamie in weeks. Have you, or Roger?”

  “No, but that’s normal.”

  “That’s what I thought.”

  “Sophie, what happens when Jamie comes back?”

  “I honestly don’t know, Cathy. I love being around Jamie. I was really starting to have feelings for him, but it’s like he’s just disappeared. I didn’t
feel like I could trust him when I first met him, and now …” She shrugged.

  “And Peter? Do you have feelings for Peter?”

  The question lay heavily on Sophie’s mind. Did she have feelings for Peter? Yes, she did. But she knew she was holding back, too. Until Jamie came back and she could face what she felt for him, her budding relationship with Peter wasn’t going to progress. He seemed to feel it, too. While he looked at her like he wanted to kiss her, he still hadn’t tried more than offering her his arm or guiding her with a hand on her back. Every time their hands touched or his leg brushed against hers, it felt like the electricity between them went up a notch. And yet, he still held back.

  “Feelings? I don’t know, Cathy. There’s something there, but … Maybe I’ll know when Jamie comes back.”

  Or, maybe I’ll have to decide.

  A package arrived for Sophie at the pink bakery that day. Inside was a wet suit, a rose, and a note.

  I have a surprise for you. I’ll pick you up at the lodge at one. Text me if you can’t make it. Peter

  Sophie’s heart raced looking at the suit. They must be going underwater, and she knew that would be cold. Somehow, though, knowing that Peter would be there sent a warm shudder throughout her body.

  Peter’s surprise was waiting in a secluded area of the Sitka Marina; past the gated Sitka Charter Fishing area to another locked gate. As Peter punched in the security code and held the gate open, he grinned like a kid. “You’re going to love this.”

  Sophie, though she found Peter’s enthusiasm catching, paused a moment before going through. For just a moment, Peter’s Gregory Peck/Atticus Finch voice had slipped. It wasn’t the first time, and she had the eerie feeling that she’d just peeked at the man behind the curtain.

  Just as quickly, the movie star voice was back. “Don’t worry, it’s perfectly safe.”

  Sophie chuckled. “Now I’m worried.”

  It wasn’t a long section of dock, and near its end a yellow craft with a large clear bubble on top bounced gently on the water. Peter stopped in front of it. “This is it!”