It would be a bummer if his assignment ended early, but Noah owed Sussex his truthful assessment of the situation.
Cameron sidled up to him and jerked his chin in Sophie’s direction. “Now see? If you were an official participant in Operation Love, you’d be right in the thick of that.” Cameron’s grin threatened to overtake his entire face. “Instead of looking at things from the outside.”
Noah scoffed. “Who says I want to be in the thick of a bunch of grown men competing for one woman’s attention? I have zero interest in what’s going on over there.” He tried to make his tone nonchalant.
“Well, someone forgot to tell your face that,” Cameron quipped. “You look as if you can’t keep your eyes off them.”
“You’re imagining things,” he said through gritted teeth.
“Whatever you say,” Cameron replied in a singsong voice.
Noah made his way back to the kitchen without looking in Sophie’s direction. As it was, he had plenty of information for his report to Sussex. Strangely, it didn’t make him feel good. Instead, he noticed a gnawing sensation in his gut.
He shoved that aside, refusing to feel guilty for doing his job. Noah had a professional duty to provide his client with any and all information regarding Sophie. He wasn’t in the habit of sugarcoating things.
Then why did he feel so conflicted about passing this information along to Sussex?
After reaching for his next ticket, he found himself placing the frying pan down on the stove with an extra bang. He couldn’t waver about this assignment or his obligations to Sussex. To do so would indicate weakness. The past had taught him the dangers of allowing himself to veer off course. Bad things happened when you allowed any hint of emotion to creep into your investigation. Sussex was his client. His fee would rescue Noah’s company from the brink of disaster. As far as Noah could tell, Sophie seemed to be content and happy with her new life in Alaska.
There was not a single thing he should feel guilty about.
* * *
All morning Sophie had been battling a wave of homesickness so strong she wasn’t sure she would be able to withstand it. Right in the middle of her shift she had to suppress the urge to make a phone call to her father. She had been missing him more than usual lately, as well as the rest of her extended family. Aunt Lillian was the closest thing in this world she had to a mother figure. Other than Hazel, of course.
Ever since Sophie’s beloved mother had passed away when she was a young girl, she’d missed her something fierce. Missing her father was something completely different, mainly because she knew there was something she could do to change the situation. All it would take was a single phone call. It wouldn’t be a cure-all for the situation, but perhaps it would serve to bridge the gap between them. Maybe then her heart wouldn’t feel as if someone had ripped out a portion of it.
What if something happened to Daddy? What if she never got to see him again? She’d heard stories about people who were estranged for years, until one of the parties passed away before fences could be mended. That would be devastating! She wasn’t sure if she could live with herself if something like that happened.
Forgiveness was a healing balm. Hadn’t Mama taught her that very lesson when she was a little girl? Sophie let out a sigh. She’d been working toward forgiving him, but she hadn’t quite been able to move past his betrayal. It had broken her heart to realize that her father considered his only child to be expendable. Even when she’d told him about John’s duplicity, he’d still urged her to go through with the wedding. All so the mighty Java Giant empire wouldn’t be adversely affected. As if the shareholders even cared about her marrying her father’s right-hand man, John Sussex. As if they would be tainted by the scandal of a broken engagement.
There was a part of her that worried about her father finding her and pressuring her to marry John. Even after all this time she knew her ex-fiancé hadn’t given up on her or his quest to marry into the Mattson fortune. After all, he had devoted years to pursuing her and putting a ring on her finger. Being in Love had given her the strength to stand on her own two feet and to resist those type of pressures. God had been her constant companion and she’d drawn strength from Him. Running away to Alaska had given her a way out. She would always be grateful for that escape hatch.
Dear Lord, please help me find a way to bridge the gap between my father and me. I love him so very much. He hurt me badly, but I need to forgive him. I need to move past the pain and find a way to reach out to him. Because I miss him. I miss talking to him and seeing his face and hearing him call me Peaches. I’ve grown up here in Alaska. I’m not the same young woman I used to be. I’m wiser. Stronger. And even though I love being here in Love, I know now that I didn’t need to run away to stand on my own two feet.
Sophie picked up the food sitting at the pass-through window and made her way to her customer’s table. “Here you go, Zachariah,” she said, setting the plate in front of him. “A turkey burger with all the trimmings and extra honey mustard. And some sweet potato fries.”
Zachariah Cummings grinned at her. He was an older, white-haired gentleman who thoroughly enjoyed his daily meals at the Moose Café. It hadn’t escaped Sophie’s notice that Zachariah was a lot more pleasant these days, ever since he’d been reunited with his long-lost granddaughter, Annie. Annie Murray had come to Love to run the town’s public library and to find her family roots. Happily, she had found love with Declan O’Rourke.
“Thank you, sweet Sophie. I hope it tastes as good as it smells. This new cook is really something.”
“Yep. He sure is,” Sophie said, trying to make her voice sound neutral. The last thing she wanted was for anyone to pick up on the tiny crush she was developing for Noah. It probably was nothing more than being in the presence of a very attractive single man for long periods of time. It was the first time she’d felt this way since she’d arrived in Love.
Sophie walked over to Hazel, who was serving her favorite customer, Jasper. Once the older woman had placed the plate in front of him, she turned around and let out a low whistle. Her eyes were as wide as saucers. Sophie frowned, then followed Hazel’s gaze. It led straight to Noah, who had emerged again from the kitchen in order to talk to a customer. It made Sophie happy to see Noah interacting with the townsfolk. The residents of Love had accepted him and his cooking with open arms. She didn’t want to examine her feelings too closely, or wonder why her stomach did flip-flops whenever Noah’s name was mentioned.
“Noah sure is something else. He’s about as easy on the eyes as a sky full of stars.” Hazel jabbed her in the side. “Don’t you think he’s the bee’s knees?”
Sophie eyed her friend warily. She knew the signals that suggested Hazel was up to something. Matchmaking flowed in her veins. She was at her happiest when the citizens of Love were paired up.
Sophie nodded. “He seems like a good guy. He’s hardworking, that’s for sure. And he can cook like nobody’s business. Cameron made a good decision in hiring him.”
“A man who cooks as if it’s an art form is pure gold.” Hazel sent her a glance filled with meaning. “The ladies will be lining up to meet him. You should get first dibs, since you work together. Don’t even try to tell me you don’t find him attractive.”
Sophie’s heart fluttered. “I can’t think of a single woman who wouldn’t,” she admitted. “He’s a bona fide hunk.”
“Then shake a tail feather, Sophie. Invite him to a social gathering or church services,” Hazel urged. “Who knows? Maybe he can be your date to my wedding.”
Sophie felt her cheeks getting flushed. “I—I don’t know. We work together. That could be a recipe for disaster.”
Hazel waved her hand dismissively. “That doesn’t amount to a hill of beans in the great scheme of things. If you don’t stop putting up roadblocks, you’re going to be the last single woman in town.”
“Leave Sophie alone and stop carrying on about the new cook. You should be ashamed of yourself! You’re old enough to be his mother.” Jasper scowled up at Hazel from his table.
The woman beamed. “Yes, indeed. He’s a young ’un. But there’s nothing wrong with these eyes of mine. He’s still an Alaskan hottie,” she said in a jubilant voice. She winked at Sophie. “And a single one at that.”
“If you keep carrying on like this, you might be single, too,” Jasper grumbled, before digging into his omelet.
“It’s too late to turn back now,” Hazel said. “We’ve got a date with Pastor Jack in less than four weeks. I’ve already bought my wedding dress, so by hook or by crook, we’re getting hitched.”
Jasper flashed Hazel an irresistible smile. “I’m counting down the days. I can’t wait to make you Mrs. Jasper Prescott.”
“Oh, you say the sweetest things,” Hazel said in a cooing tone. “That is, when you’re not being ornery and a thorn in my side.”
Sophie had to place her hand over her mouth to hide her gigantic grin. Hazel and Jasper were something else! Squabbling one minute, then making up the next. She never knew what to expect from them. She had the feeling their marital union would never be dull.
Hazel wiggled her eyebrows at Sophie. “Am I right, or am I right, Sophie? That new cook is hotter than the griddle he cooks on.”
Just as Sophie thought Jasper might succumb to apoplexy, the sound of a throat being cleared drew her attention to Noah, who had made his way over without them noticing his approach. He was standing right behind Hazel, and the glint in his sky blue eyes left no doubt that he’d overheard her.
Noah’s grin threatened to overtake his entire face. He locked gazes with Sophie, who couldn’t have looked away if she tried.
“So what do you think, Sophie? Is Hazel right about me?” Noah asked, his eyes twinkling with mischief.
Chapter Five
Noah wanted to laugh out loud at the startled expression on Sophie’s face. She resembled a deer caught in the headlights. She opened her mouth to speak, then closed it without uttering a word. She reached up and nervously smoothed back strands of her hair. She shifted from one foot to another.
“What are you doing? Fishing for a compliment, Nicholas?” Jasper barked from his seated position. He glared at Noah as if he wanted to fight him. Noah had the distinct impression Jasper didn’t like him, although he wasn’t quite sure why. It wasn’t as if he’d done a single thing to alienate the man.
“His name is Noah,” Hazel corrected.
Noah had never met anyone quite like the mayor of Love. Although everyone here in town seemed to adore the feisty gentleman, so far Noah hadn’t really seen anything other than a cantankerous old man with a sharp tongue.
Hazel rolled her eyes toward the ceiling. She shook her head. “Don’t mind him, Noah. He’s just a tad jealous of good-looking younger men,” she said in a loud whisper.
“Jealous!” Jasper sputtered. “I’ve never been jealous a day in my life.”
“Ha! That’s a laugh!” Hazel slapped her knee with her hand. “You had a conniption fit when Zachariah asked me to dance at the spring festival.”
As Hazel and Jasper began to go back and forth, Noah raised his eyebrows in Sophie’s direction. Did they always argue like this? he wondered. Sophie didn’t seem fazed by it.
“I—I have to go check on my customer,” she blurted, then raced toward a table by the window.
Noah had the distinct impression that his playful question had caused her to take off like a jackrabbit. He had just been teasing her. He prayed his words hadn’t made her feel uncomfortable, especially since they were coworkers. As the owner of his own company, he knew that employees had to be careful not to step across any inappropriate lines.
Noah tried to stuff down the smidgen of disappointment he felt about Sophie running off. Talking to her meant discovering new things about her. And in order to keep Sussex apprised about the goings-on in Sophie’s life, Noah needed to have a relationship with her.
Noah made his way back to the kitchen, chastising himself for his attempt at flirting with Sophie. Even though he knew it wasn’t a wise thing to do, he hadn’t been able to resist. He liked the way her creamy skin flushed and the way her lashes flickered as she tried to hide her embarrassment.
Hmm. So far, there really wasn’t much he didn’t like about Sophie. Except for the fact that she was the woman who’d caused his client a world of hurt and pain. Why did he always have a tendency to forget that brutal fact? It wasn’t wise for him to push certain details to the side. Doing that once before had caused him to be blindsided in the worst way possible. Noah was determined not to let that happen again.
Yes, indeed. He let out a low whistle. Things were quickly becoming complicated.
This woman was dangerous to his equilibrium. Sure, she was beautiful. He’d known it before he had stepped foot in this one-of-a-kind Alaskan village. But he hadn’t expected to feel such a powerful attraction to the gorgeous redhead. And her Southern accent was downright adorable. Strange how Sussex had neglected to mention her Georgia roots. He’d led Noah to believe that Sophie was a New Yorker through and through.
Nothing in his experience could ever have prepared him for her.
Noah let out a beleaguered sigh. With every smile and cutesy anecdote, she made him forget the sole reason he had ventured to Love, Alaska. She made him believe that she was an apple-pie-eating, butter-wouldn’t-melt-in-her-mouth, sweet girl next door.
According to his client, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Sussex had depicted her as thoughtless and cruel, self-absorbed and ditzy.
In Noah’s humble opinion, Sophie didn’t seem like any of those things. But you barely know her, he reminded himself. First impressions aren’t always correct. Sometimes you have to peel back a person’s layers to really and truly see them. Hadn’t Kara shown him that in no uncertain terms?
Cameron’s voice broke into his reverie. He had sneaked up on him in the kitchen when he’d been daydreaming. “Hey, Noah. I keep forgetting to tell you about our Taste of Love event. It’s happening in a few days. Has anyone mentioned it to you?”
“Can’t say that anyone has,” Noah answered, eager to hear about it. It was a funny thing to admit, even to himself, but this town was growing on him by leaps and bounds. He was beginning to feel a part of this tight-knit community. Faces were becoming more familiar to him and people were calling out to him in the street when they crossed paths. He’d been invited to bake sales, church services, birthday celebrations and a Dr. Seuss party at the library.
“It’s a town event we’ve been having for the last few years to help support local businesses. For instance, the bookstore might give out bookmarks and have authors do book signings, while the candy store might give out small bags of jelly beans.”
“Great way to market your products,” Noah said with an approving nod.
“Business has been booming here, but we still have some growing to do,” Cameron said. “The event will be good for us.”
“So what’s on the agenda for the Moose Café?” Noah asked.
“Actually, I was hoping we could brainstorm a bit, since you’re the one who’s in charge of the grub. I want to do some mini coffee drinks and put Sophie in charge of that. I’ll give you free rein to come up with an appetizer or two to feature at the event.”
“So would Sophie and I be working together?” Noah asked. He wasn’t so sure it would be a good idea to be working side by side with her. As far as he was concerned, it might be too close for comfort.
“Yes. Is there a problem with that?” Cameron asked, his brows knitting together.
As Noah struggled to honestly answer the question, a child’s voice cried out, “Daddy!”
A little girl, who appeared to be around tw
o years old, came running toward them with outstretched arms. Cameron’s face lit up as he bent and lifted the little charmer into his arms. With her dark hair and chubby cheeks, she was a miniature version of Noah’s boss.
“Emma!” Cameron greeted her by nuzzling her cheek with his nose. She let out a delighted cry.
“I missed you,” Emma said in a soft voice. She stuck her lip out.
Cameron pressed a kiss on her cheek. “I always miss you, pumpkin.”
“Emma.” A beautiful blonde woman appeared in the doorway. She shook her finger at the child. “It isn’t nice to run away from Mama.”
Emma tugged on her father’s chin. “I wanted to see Daddy.”
Cameron shook his head at her. “You gotta listen to Mama. Trust me. She knows best.”
The woman turned toward Noah and stuck out her hand. “Hello. I’m Paige, Cameron’s wife and Emma’s mother. You must be Noah. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“Pleased to meet you, Paige,” he said, shaking her hand. He waved at Emma. “Hey there, cutie.”
Emma hid her face in her father’s shoulder. Noah reached out and tickled her arm. She let out a shriek of laughter, then said, “Again.” Noah tickled her a few more times, much to the child’s delight. Her giggles reached inside his chest and tugged at a place he hadn’t even known existed.
“You’re a natural with kids,” Paige said, her words making Noah feel as if he was ten feet tall.
His Secret Alaskan Heiress Page 6
