Wine and Scenery (Citizen Soldier Book 7)

by Donna Michaels

  “Seriously? They out-bid us again?” He closed the door behind him, and it muffled the rest of his conversation.

  But she understood the aggravation in his tone. It sucked when you spent hours working on an estimate, trying to figure out how much you could afford to trim costs in order to secure a bid…only to have someone swoop in and steal it from you.

  It had forced her father to expand their working territory in hopes of lining up more jobs. She was lucky enough to still be able to work close to home, so she could also do the occasional set design on the side, but her brothers were working the new territories, somewhere in the western part of New York.

  Her gaze remained on the closed door. Ryder was a smart guy. He’d figure something out. Right now, she needed to get dressed, then find out how to get to Phoebe’s.

  Last night, she’d arrived too late to see her friend, so she grabbed the key Phoebe had left at the front desk, and used the outside entrance to the condo. But apparently, her brilliant designer friend Brandi also built in another entrance through a hallway that connected all the family condos to the main residence where Phoebe lived.

  Must be how Ryder had gained access.

  Awareness tumbled down to her toes. Stupid body. The guy wasn’t even in the condo anymore and yet he still had a lingering effect on her.

  But it didn’t matter. She wasn’t in Pennsylvania to reconnect with the guy. No, she was there to work. So, despite the fact he hadn’t sported a wedding ring—which she…uh…unintentionally noticed—Sophia pushed him to the back of her mind.

  Her focus belonged on designing and building sets for Phoebe’s summer productions. They would be a welcome addition to her resume and portfolio, before her big meeting with two Broadway producers in the fall. Her preliminary designs for a major spring musical had garnered her a callback. She had a few changes to make per their request, but she was determined to bring her A-game to that meeting. Getting distracted by a sexy fling from her past was not smart.

  With a shake of her head, she pushed Ryder to the back of her mind, and quickly opened the closet. Since today was a discussion day, she slipped into a comfortable sundress and sandals, before calling Phoebe to confirm their morning meeting.

  “Hi, Sophia,” her friend said, a smile evident in her tone. “The front desk told me you were here.”

  She nodded. “Yeah, I got in late and didn’t want to wake you. So, I’m checking to see if we’re still on for this morning.”

  “Absolutely. If you’re ready, why don’t you come to my place now? We can look at your designs over coffee. I’m so excited,” Phoebe said, all in one breath. “The main residence is through the door at the end of the hall. It’s unlocked, so just come in and head down the stairs to the kitchen. You can’t miss it.”

  Never one to pass up coffee, she agreed, before hanging up, then grabbed her laptop and purse on her way out of the condo.

  In the hall, she passed three other doors like hers. What a great way for the Wyne family to enjoy the resort, while retaining their privacy from guests. Her friend Brandi was a genius.

  Entering the main house, Sophia’s admiration for her old college buddy increased as she walked down a gorgeous wooden staircase, into an open floor plan of a family room-kitchen combo. The décor was rustic and warm, with wooden floors and walls, and a huge stone fireplace, but the floor to ceiling windows were the highlight of the room. They let in a view of the lake sparking through the trees.

  “Wow, this place is amazing,” she said, stepping off the last step, where Phoebe greeted her with a hug.

  Her friend chuckled. “I know. I’m the luckiest woman ever. I’m married to an incredible man who has an adorable son, I live in this amazing home his sister designed, and now, I get to work out of a top-notch theatre that I get to design.”

  A grin tugged her lips as she drew back. “You’re right. You are lucky. And, oh my God, that coffee smells divine.”

  “Have a seat.” Smiling, Phoebe motioned toward the kitchen table. The epitome of cool and relaxed, she had her hair pulled back in a ponytail and wore a similar sundress. “I’ll get us some coffee.”

  “Thanks.” She set her purse and laptop bag on one of the chairs and couldn’t help but note how content and happy the award-winning Broadway star was, playing domestic hostess. Warmth spread through Sophia’s body. It was nice to see her friend so happy. “Where are Ethan and Tyler?” she asked, taking a seat.

  Phoebe’s husband was a guide at the resort he owned with his brothers, and Tyler was Ethan’s eight-year-old son from a previous marriage.

  “Ethan’s working,” She replied. “A couple of guests signed up for a three-hour hike. And Tyler’s in Texas for the summer.” Sadness crept into her friend’s eyes. “He’s only been gone two days, but it’s weird. It feels more like two hundred.”

  Sophia knew the woman loved the young boy as if he were her own flesh and blood. “That’s right.” She nodded. “Brandi mentioned her nephew was coming to visit when we Skype’d last month. I also got to see her sweet little baby boy.”

  “Oh my God, I know. Isn’t Kyle just the cutest?” Phoebe gushed.

  “He sure is.” Envy tightened her chest. Someday. She truly believed she’d find the right man—on her own—and have a family and a career she loved, too. But not right now. She had to work on the career part first.

  “Before I forget, Ethan told me Ryder is supposed to stop by your condo to fix a few things.” Phoebe set a delicious smelling mug of coffee in front of her, before sitting down with her own. “I heard the two of you had a little bit of history, so I thought I should warn you.”

  Reaching for her mug, she snorted. “Too late.”

  Her friend sat up straight. “He stopped by already?”

  “Yep.” Sophia sipped her coffee and wondered just exactly what she’d heard about her history with Ryder.

  “So?” Phoebe leaned closer. “How’d it go?”

  Another snort rippled up her throat. “Awkward.” She set her coffee down and sat back in her seat. “I’m just glad I decided to wrap a towel around me when I got out of the shower.”

  “Oh my God...he walked in on you as you got out of the shower?”

  She shook her head. “Not exactly. I entered the bedroom from the bathroom a few seconds before he entered from the living room.” An image of his startled expression floated through Sophia’s mind, followed by the memory of how that expression had turned appreciative a few seconds later.

  “I’m so sorry,” Phoebe said. “Ethan spoke to Ryder about the condo yesterday morning. We didn’t know you’d arrive last night.”

  “It’s okay.” She waved a hand and shrugged. “No harm done. It’s not like the guy hadn’t seen me wearing less, all those years ago.” As briefly as possible, she filled her friend in on her time with Ryder. “So, this morning was only mildly awkward. Besides, he didn’t’ stick around long. After apologizing, he said he’d come back later, then left.”

  “Still, I feel awful. I’m sure that was not how you’d pictured running into him again.”

  “I hadn’t pictured it at all,” she fibbed…a little. “Kind of figured he was married with children by now.”

  Phoebe shook her head. “Nope. Single and unattached.” Her friend grinned over her coffee. “In case you were wondering.”

  “No. I wasn’t.” Another fib.

  The fact she had wondered didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. Digging out her laptop, she held onto that thought. “I can’t wait to show you what I’ve come up with.”

  A subject change, but the Broadway star turned owner/producer didn’t seem to mind.

  “And I can’t wait to see your designs.” Phoebe rose to plop in a chair next to her, and rubbed her hands together. “I’m so excited.”

  So was Sophia.

  Helping to create memorable shows were just as important to her. It was her passion, too.

  Work. Career. Leaving the family business. Those were the things she nee
ded to concentrate on.

  Not Ryder and his insanely good looks.

  Or his wickedly talented mouth and hands.

  Given that her attraction to the guy was still strong, she was definitely better off avoiding the sexy, single and unattached guy.

  Chapter Two

  “Glad to see you could make it.” Seated in their usual booth, Benjamin Wyne lifted his soda and grinned at Ryder.

  He smirked. “Wiseass.”

  “I ordered you the usual, so if you want something different, you’ll have to tell your dad.”

  “Thanks.” He slid into the booth, across from his buddy and shook his head. “The usual’s fine.”

  They’d been meeting at Gabe’s—his father’s restaurant—every Monday for lunch for several years now. Once in a while, he ordered something other than a burger and fries, but today was definitely a burger day. He needed to dig into something hearty to expel some of his pent-up aggravation.

  Ben narrowed his eyes. “You lost another bid, didn’t you?”

  Muttering an oath, he scrubbed a hand over his face. “Colarusso snagged the Moleski account.”

  Renovating the local hardware store would’ve secured work for his second crew. Now, if he didn’t land one, or both, of the two home renovation estimates he’d submitted last week, he might have to lay them off.

  “Well, I have some news that might cheer you up,” Ben said, regaining Ryder’s attention.

  “Oh? Are you and my sister having another baby?”

  When he’d first found out his best friend was sleeping with his youngest sister, Ryder had been less than pleased. In fact, he’d punched Ben right in the face. After all, back then, his buddy had been way too popular with the ladies. But, Lea changed all that.

  Married life and parenthood suited his friend. There was a contentment about him that had never been there before. Ben smiled easily, laughed often, and adoration and pride were evident in his eyes whenever he gazed at Lea and their month-old daughter.

  “No.” Smiling, Ben scratched the bridge of his nose. “Not that we don’t want more kids, we do, but we agreed to wait until Melody is a year old before we start trying again.”

  Time to change the subject. Now that Ben was sleeping with his sister, talking sex was just wrong. And nauseating as hell.

  “So.” He sat back in his seat and eyed his buddy. “What news do you have that’s supposed to cheer me up? You get your hands on Mets tickets?”

  Ben was full-time National Guard and in supply. He had a ton of contacts.

  “This is better than Mets tickets.” His buddy grinned, and the knowing look in his eyes made Ryder suddenly nervous. “Remember the friend from design school my sister brought home for New Year’s Eve five years ago? Sophia? Well, she’s back in town.”

  His pulse flickered at the mention of her name. “I know.” He shrugged. “I ran into her this morning.”

  Ben’s brows shot straight up. “No shit? Well, what happened? Are the sparks still there? Because, damn, man, the way the two of you hit off that week was almost as crazy as the blue streaks in her hair. I mean, hell, you two disappeared for nearly two days. Poor Brandi hardly got to spend any time with her.”

  Guilt rippled through his gut. “There was too much wine and champagne flowing. We sort of lost track of time.”

  Ben snorted. “That’s not all you lost, pal. As I recall, you mentioned something about the two of you’d spending most of that time naked in bed. Hell, you had a smile on your face for weeks.”

  Jesus…he’d told his buddy that? Then he’d definitely had too much to drink, because he never talked about being balls deep.

  But Ben was right. He and Sophia had been naked most of the time, although the bed wasn’t the only place they’d had sex. Incredible sex.

  The memory had haunted him, because it had happened six months after he’d returned from Iraq without Jinan. It’d been so soon, and yet, Sophia had managed to make him forget the woman he’d loved. A blessing and a curse. One full of guilt.

  “Here you go.” The waitress arrived with their food and his iced tea.

  “Hi, Elle,” he said, reaching for two packets of sugar to sweeten his drink. “How’s your first week of work going?”

  “And the book?” Ben asked.

  She was in town doing research on a police procedural romance, and when she wasn’t going out on calls with their cop friend, Jeremy, she was here, helping his dad.

  Smiling, she leaned against the booth and tipped her head. “As for the first question, things are going great here. Your dad is a sweetheart to work for, and I’m enjoying getting to meet so many locals. It’s a big help with my research. As for the book…that’s not going so great.” She sighed. “Let’s just say, Officer Mercer is not at all like your father to work with.”

  His chuckle echoed Ben’s. “Yeah, Jeremy is a great cop, but outside of his job, he does tend to lack people skills.”

  She snickered. “Tell me about it. I sent him a link to an article on people etiquette, but he deleted it in front of me without even opening it.”

  Ben choked on his drink. “Did you really send him that link?”

  “Yeah.” She smiled. “Why?”

  “Damn, I would’ve loved to have seen Jeremy’s face.” Ben grinned. “I hope you’re going to bug him for a while.”

  Her chuckle mixed with his. “Yes, I’m not through with him…I mean, my research.” She winked. “I still have a few weeks left, then I’m going to stick around your wonderful town while I write the book.” She turned her gaze on him. “Thanks for letting me rent your cabin. It’s perfect.”

  He thought so, too. “No problem.”

  Even though he now lived in a bigger one near the lake, he couldn’t part with the single bedroom cabin. It’d been his first purchase and solo renovation when he was twenty. That was the reason he held onto it, not because of memories of an amazing New Year’s Eve in the hot tub with a certain visiting city girl.

  No, those memories, and the guilt of his enjoyment, were the reasons he’d moved out.

  “Well, I’d better get back to work.” She straightened. “More orders are up. Let me know if you two need anything else.”

  He nodded. “Will do.”

  Grinning, Ben cut into his open-faced meatloaf sandwich. “Man, I can’t wait for drill this weekend.”

  “You’re going to harass Jeremy, aren’t you?” he asked, spreading mayo on his burger before adding ketchup to his fries.

  “Damn straight.” Ben nodded. “Too bad you didn’t re-up when your contract ran out this spring. You could’ve joined in.”

  A smile tugged his lips. “Almost wish I had.”

  His buddy lifted a brow. “I can pull some strings and get you back in.”

  “No thanks,” he said, lifting his burger. “I put in enough years. Besides, it’s a young man’s game. I’m nearing my mid-thirties.”

  “Hey, I’m the same age as you, pal.”

  He snickered. “Yeah, but you’re full-time. It’s your career. Mine is construction, and it’s time I gave it my sole focus.”

  “You’re right,” Ben agreed. “But you sure are going to miss out on some fun this weekend. Unless you plan to invite Sophia to your bigger, better hot tub…”

  Swallowing a curse, he eye-rolled his buddy. “You’re an ass.”

  “Your sister happens to like my ass.”

  “Christ.” He set his burger down in disgust. “What’d I tell you about that?”

  The asshole laughed. “Sorry, can’t resist. You make it so damn easy.”

  “Yeah, easy this.” He flipped the idiot off, which only made him laugh harder.

  Ethan walked in the door and immediately shook his head. “My brother’s being his normal, annoying self, I see.”

  Ryder nodded as the oldest Wyne brother approached.

  “He’s family, I have to put up with him,” Ethan teased. “You, on the other hand, can avoid the abuse.”

  He shrugged. “Gu
ess I’m just a masochist.”

  But in truth, Ben was a great friend. He’d had his back in battle, and on the home front. Hell, ever since kindergarten. His buddy had been there for him and his family when Ryder’s mother had died in a car accident when he was eighteen. The poor guy had actually seen it in one of the visions he sometimes got. Ben had also been there for him when Jinan had chosen to fulfill a family duty and marry someone else.

  No, Ben might be an idiot at times, but he was a solid friend.

  “You have to be a masochist to put mayo on your burger.” The guy’s face wrinkled in disgust.

  He dipped a fry in the leftover mayo, and holding Ben’s gaze, he popped it into his mouth.

  “Ah, seriously?” Gagging, his buddy pushed his half eaten lunch aside. “Now who’s being annoying?”

  He turned to Ethan and grinned. “Care for some meatloaf?”

  “Don’t mind if I do.”

  Ryder moved over to make room for him, then laughed when Ben snatched his plate back.

  “Not so fast. I can still eat while disgusted,” his buddy claimed.

  Ethan smirked. “Nothing comes between my brother and his food. Hell, you’ll probably still eat when you’re dead.”

  Ben nodded. “True.”

  Their laughter echoed through the restaurant, and Ryder was grateful to them for lightening his mood. No sense in letting Colarusso Construction ruin his lunch. They may have won the Moleski account, but he was determined they wouldn’t win the next one.

  “So…” Ben quirked a brow at his brother. “Were you present when Ryder was reunited with Sophia?”

  Ethan’s head snapped in his direction, disappointment creasing his brow. “No. I was unaware they’d met. Damn. I wanted to see it. Were the sparks still there?”

  “I asked him the same thing, but he hasn’t yet answered me,” Ben said, gaze boring deep. “My guess is it’s a big, fat yes, and he’s in denial.”

  He reeled back. “Denial my ass.”

  “Yes, denial,” Ben insisted. “Ever since Jinan, you’ve shut down, man. Frozen out any woman who tried to get close.”

  “It’s true,” Ethan said, snatching a fry from his plate.