by Kay Correll
She led him over to a glass display case.
“That’s a nice-looking necklace and bracelet.” Chase pointed to the pieces displayed in the cabinet.
A blush heated her cheeks. “I… uh… I made those.”
He turned to look at her, his eyes wide with surprise. “You did? Those are great. You’re very talented. Singing and an artist. Wow.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t really call myself an artist.”
“Well, I would.” Chase nodded emphatically.
Sophie intrigued him.
It had been his good luck that he’d run into her as he wandered down the streets of Sweet River Falls. He’d been ruing the fact he hadn’t asked her out or made some kind of plans to meet up with her again.
He wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice. “So, I was wondering… would you like to go out while I’m in town?”
She turned her head away from him for the briefest moment. Ah, here it was coming. She was seeing someone, or getting over a bad relationship and had sworn off of men, or maybe she just wasn’t interested in him.
Though, he’d thought they’d made some kind of connection while they sat by the lake last night, but what did he know about women? He’d sworn off of them himself.
She turned to look at him and gave him a tentative smile. “I’d like that.”
“Really?” He couldn’t keep the surprise out of his voice. He’d already decided she was going to turn him down. He wasn’t very good at this dating thing.
“Yes, really.”
“Great. Dinner tonight?”
“Dinner sounds nice.”
“So, how about you recommend the place since you’re the expert on Sweet River Falls.”
“There’s Antonio’s Cantina. Mexican food and really great margaritas. It’s just down the street.”
“Antonio’s it is. What time should I pick you up?”
“Seven works for me.”
He turned to leave. “Oh, wait. Where do you live?”
She pointed one finger up to the ceiling. Up above the shop.”
“That’s convenient.”
“It is.”
“Okay, I’ll see you at seven.”
Chase went out into the bright sunshine and whistled as he headed back to his car. She’d said yes, and he was ridiculously happy about that.
Sophie kept looking at her watch, waiting for school to be over so she could call Beth. A group of customers came in mid-afternoon and kept her busy. She thought they were just window-shoppers, but they ended up buying two paintings and one of her silver jewelry pieces.
She glanced at her watch as they left. Beth should be finished teaching now. The door opened to the shop again and she sighed. First, she’d wait on the new customer. She turned around and grinned. “Beth.”
“Hey, you. Thought I’d stop by for a few minutes.”
“I was just getting ready to call you.”
“But my intuition told me to come by instead.” Beth walked over and gave her a quick hug.
“Guess where I’m going tonight?”
“No clue.”
“I’m going out with Chase Green.”
“You asked Chase out?” Beth’s eyes widened.
“No, he asked me out.” Sophie shook her head. “We’re going to Antonio’s.”
“It would probably be obvious if I went and got a table in the corner and spied on you guys.” The corner of Beth’s mouth raised in a teasing smile.
“Probably.” Sophie rolled her eyes.
“So much for that plan.”
“It was all kind of a coincidence. I saw him out the shop window. He was looking at Hunt’s photograph so I went out to talk to him. Oh, and guess what else? I heard back from Hunt. He’s coming to town for the Art Weekend.”
“Well, you’ve had a pretty fabulous day, haven’t you?”
“So far,” Sophie agreed. She’d had a great day. A date with Chase and she’d gotten an artist for the show.
“You have to call me tonight when you get home and tell me all the details.”
“I’m getting kind of nervous about it.”
“Why?”
“Well, he’s a famous country singer and I’m just… me.”
“You’re just talented and fabulous and pretty and he’s lucky to go out with you.” Beth’s voice had a fierce protective edge to it. She paused and looked critically at Sophie. “Now, what are you going to wear?”
Sophie looked down at her practical skirt and blue blouse. “I hadn’t gotten that far.” What did a person wear on a date with a country singer?
“How about that new teal sweater you bought when you went into Denver last month? It looks great with your eyes. And your skinny black jeans. Oh, and your cowboy boots with the teal stars on them.”
“Well, just like that, my wardrobe is planned.” Even if it didn’t stop the butterflies in her stomach and the ridiculous giddiness that flowed through her just thinking about this evening. Which was silly. Really silly. And yet… it was there.
“I’m a full-service best friend, just sayin’.”
Sophie gave her a hug. “You’re the best friend ever.”
“I’ve got to run, but seriously, call me when you get home tonight. No matter what time. I want to hear every little detail.” Beth turned and started out of the gallery. She paused when she got to the door. “And, Sophie, relax and have fun.”
Sophie waved. She fully intended to have a great time. If she could just get over feeling so nervous.
She looked at her watch again. Melissa was coming in soon to work and she’d be closing the gallery tonight, so Sophie should have time to get ready before Chase came to pick her up.
Chase Green.
Chase Green was coming to pick her up for a date…
Chapter 8
Chase couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a date. Oh, he’d gone to some events with women. Places he was supposed to be seen. Parties he needed to attend. Sam was always urging him to network. But he hadn’t gone out on a date-date… just him and a woman, just the two of them, in forever.
That must be why he was so nervous.
So very nervous.
More nervous than when he first stepped out on stage. Well, the kind of nervous he used to feel when he stepped out on stage. The last time he’d stepped out on stage… well, that had been a nightmare.
One he wasn’t going to think about now.
He’d stopped by a florist in town and picked up a bouquet to give to Sophie. Now he was wondering if that had been the right decision. He was so rusty with his dating skills. But all women liked flowers, right? He hoped so. He’d gotten a bouquet of yellow roses with some kind of lacy looking white flowers in with them.
He entered the shop, not knowing how to get upstairs to Sophie’s apartment. A woman finished talking to some customers and came over to him. “You must be Chase. Sophie said to send you on up. The stairs are in back.” She pointed to a door in the rear of the gallery.
He crossed the expanse of the gallery past cleverly arranged displays and opened the door at the back. He entered a small alcove with another door to the outside. The stairs rose off to the left. He took a deep breath, ignoring his racing pulse, and climbed the flight. With each step, he told himself not to be so nervous.
It appeared he wasn’t listening to himself.
When he got to the upstairs landing, he knocked on the door. The knock echoed through the nook at the top of the landing.
Within moments, the door opened and Sophie stood in the light spilling from inside. He swallowed. She wore a teal sweater that positively lit up her eyes. Black jeans hugged her long legs. Two silver bangles caught the light on her left wrist. He wondered if she’d made them.
“Hi.” She smiled at him.
“Hi.” He stood there like a fool. He glanced down at the flowers. “Oh, here. These are for you.” He awkwardly thrust them toward her. Very gallant. Not. He tried to hide his nervousness behind a smile.
; “Thank you. Come in and I’ll put them in water.”
He followed her inside and looked around the apartment. The loft was open from the kitchen to a great room to a couple of comfortable chairs in front of a huge picture window on the back wall. A cozy afghan draped over a couch, and a rocking chair that practically begged a person to sit on it was placed near a reading lamp. She had artwork on her wall, of course. A varied mixture that somehow all tied together in perfect harmony.
Her loft was warm, inviting, and such a contrast to his sparse apartment. He made up his mind right then to fix up his apartment when he made it back to Nashville. There was no reason he lived like some penniless college student.
He followed her to the kitchen area and stood by the counter. She pulled out a white glass vase from a cabinet and arranged the flowers. “The vase was my mother’s. She collected milk glass everything. Vases, plates, bowls. I kept most of her pieces.”
He wasn’t sure what milk glass was exactly, but he could see a variety of white vases and bowls in the open cabinet.
“Thank you so much for the flowers. They’re lovely.” She placed them on a small cafe table in the corner. The table had two chairs with bright, comfortable-looking cushions. He could see her touch in everything. The furniture, the decorations, even the subtle warm color of the walls.
“Your apartment is nice. It all looks so… comfortable.” Was that an okay compliment to make? Was comfortable a compliment? Should he have said pretty? Or well put together? Could he get any more awkward?
And now he was talking to himself.
In his mind.
This was crazy.
“Thanks.” Sophie looked at the flowers on the table, then moved the vase an inch to the right. Much better.
Chase still stood in the same spot in the kitchen. Should she ask if he wanted a drink? No. Maybe if they left and went to Antonio’s, the noise and friendliness of the restaurant would make her feel less skittish?
“You ready?” His rumbly voice rolled through her loft. She was pretty sure she could sit and listen to his voice talk about anything he wanted to talk about.
“I’m ready. We can just walk. It’s not far.”
“Fine by me.”
She grabbed her jacket and Chase helped her slip it on. She flipped out the lights, and they headed down the stairs and out the back door. “We can walk down the river walk, then cut across Main when we get to the courtyard area.”
She headed down the pathway beside the river with Chase at her side. The rumble of the river as it poured over the smooth rocks did little to soothe her jangled nerves. She should say something, anything, but her mind went blank. They walked on in silence until they reached the courtyard.
“We cross here, then Antonio’s is right down that side street.”
He took her elbow as they stepped off the curb at the corner, but quickly let it go as they crossed the street. Even though she ignored it, she could imagine she still felt the heat on her elbow from his momentary touch.
They continued to Antonio’s, and Chase opened the door for her. She slipped inside, still searching for words.
“Sophie. So good to see you.” Antonio walked over and kissed her cheek. “And who is this?”
“Antonio, this is Chase.”
Antonio reached out his hand. “Nice to meet you, Chase. You two follow me.” He led them to a booth in the corner.
Sophie slipped into the booth, and Chase sat across from her. She took the menu Antonio handed her even though she didn’t need it. She knew everything on the menu.
“Margaritas to start?” Antonio looked at them.
“Yes, for me.” Sophie nodded.
“Sounds good to me, too.” Chase looked up from his menu.
They ordered their meals and sipped on their drinks. She didn’t know why she was having such a hard time talking to him.
Sure she did. He was a famous singer, and she was just… Sophie Brooks. No claim to fame.
She noticed a few people in the restaurant glancing over at them. They recognized Chase, that much was obvious. She couldn’t help but wonder if they were speculating on why he was here with her.
As if to prove her point, Gloria Edmunds walked up to the table. “Hello, Sophie.”
“Hi, Gloria.” Gloria was about the last person she wanted to see.
“Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend?”
“Chase, this is Gloria. Gloria, Chase Green.” Why had she added his last name? Maybe Gloria hadn’t recognized him?
“Mr. Green. It is so nice to meet you. What brings you to Sweet River Falls?” The look on Gloria’s face plainly showed that she didn’t think that Sophie was the reason Chase was here.
“Just taking a little break.”
“Here in Sweet River Falls? I would think you’d be vacationing somewhere more exciting.”
Way to support the town, Gloria.
“I’m actually enjoying the slower pace. I’m staying at the lodge on Lone Elk Lake. It’s very nice.”
“Nora’s place?” Gloria’s face held a mask of barely disguised disapproval. “Oh, well. If you decide it’s too rustic there, a new really nice hotel went in just outside of town. The Bellingham. It’s very elegant and chic.”
Gloria said the word rustic like it was the most contemptible term ever.
“I think the lodge is lovely. The perfect place to stay.” Sophie defended the lodge. Gloria had always had some kind of grudge against Nora, but Sophie wasn’t having any of it.
“I guess. If you like plain and… simple. Not many luxuries like I’d think Mr. Green would be used to.”
“I’m actually enjoying my stay there. It’s peaceful and the view is great.”
“I guess.” Gloria didn’t look convinced.
“Well, enjoy your dinner, Gloria.” Sophie hoped Gloria would take the hint.
“Oh, I just came in for a margarita.”
“Okay, then enjoy your drink.” Sophie gritted her teeth.
“Mr. Green, if you’d like me to show you around town, I’d be happy to.” Gloria dropped a business card on the table.
“Uh, thanks for the offer.” He shot Sophie a quick look.
“There’s not a lot to see, but there’s a really nice restaurant near the event center. The chef there is excellent. I could get a reservation if you’re interested. I’m sure you’d enjoy the food there much more than Antonio’s.”
“Sophie says the food here is great.”
Gloria laughed. “Well, it’s okay.”
Sophie began to worry that Gloria would never leave.
“Well, it was nice meeting you.” Chase smiled at Gloria.
Gloria tapped her business card laying on the table. “Call me.” She turned and walked away without saying another word to Sophie.
“Well, she was… interesting.” Chase’s face held a quizzical expression.
“Gloria is something. She has this rivalry or something going on with Nora. Not sure what started it. But she thinks she’s better than Sweet River Falls. She moved to Denver for a while but moved back. I’m not sure why, since she obviously thinks so little of the town.” Sophie stared at the business card on the table, wanting to take it and crumple it in a wad of paper.
An awkward silence drifted over the table while Sophie sat and ranted about Gloria in her mind.
“So, the Autumn Art Weekend. Do you have it every year?” Chase set his drink on the table.
Finally, a topic she could launch into. “We do. I think it’s been about twelve years now.” Her mother was involved in planning the first one. It had grown over the years. Sophie tried to do right by her mother’s vision for it and threw herself into the festivities every year. “It draws a lot of people to town. All the shops participate in some way. We have food trucks with all kinds of fabulous food. The arts and crafts fair at the event center has a lot of holiday merchandise and draws crafters from all over the state. The concert was added about eight years ago when the town built the big ev
ent center. It has a huge multi-use area with bleachers that we use for different festivals and concerts during the year.”
“For all the festivals that you keep track of on your festival calendar.”
She grinned. “The very one.”
Chase was sure a good listener to remember that tiny detail about her. She kind of liked that he remembered that.
“I saw a write up on it in the town newspaper. Saw that Brooks Gallery was a sponsor. At the time I didn’t know that you were the Brooks Gallery.”
“That would be me. Well, my parents started the gallery. Mom loved traveling around to find art to display along with finding a lot of local talent. When she and my father…Well, they were in an accident. They passed away about five years ago.”
“I’m so sorry, Sophie.”
She looked down at her hands, studying the silver ring encircling her finger, steadying herself. It still hit her at odd moments after all these years, and she had to fight back the tears. She finally looked back up at him. “Well, I took over the gallery after that. I couldn’t let all their hard work just die with them.”
“It must have been hard to lose both of them at once.”
“It was the—” She stopped and took a sip of her drink. “It was the worst time of my life.” She took another sip and used the straw to swirl the ice in her drink. “But, I got past it. We always do, don’t we? We don’t have any choice but to get through what life throws our way.”
“No, we don’t have any other choice.” Chase’s eyes were filled with sympathy.
She twisted the ring on her finger. “Luckily Melissa had been working for my mother for years. She knew so much and was so helpful while I was trying to sort everything out.”
“The woman with the blonde hair I saw talking to some customers?”
“Yep, that’s Melissa. I don’t know what I’d do without her.”
She took a deep breath. “Anyway, I was a teacher before that. Taught music at the high school. I loved it. Loved teaching the kids. But I left that job to take over the gallery and I’ve been there ever since.”
