“For your information,” Mason said matter-of-factly, “the state bird of Texas is the mockingbird and we have plenty of them flying around the building. They tell me lots of things.”
“Pertaining to Sophie, I presume.” Nadine picked up her smartphone and pretended to swipe. “I’m going to find the best psychiatrist in the city of Austin. Hopefully a doctor can help you with this bird disorder you’ve developed.”
Shaking his head, Mason shoved back his chair. “My coffee is cold. I’m going back to work. Are you ready?”
Groaning, Nadine ran a hand through her wispy blonde hair and glanced around the room. “Sure, I’m ready. There’s no men around here giving me the goo-goo eye anyway.”
Mason smirked. “If a man was, you’d promptly tell him to go stick his head in a garbage can.”
Nadine laughed. “Not if he was the right man.”
Mr. Right. Mason was sick of hearing that term and even sicker of picturing Thom Nichols as the definition.
He rose to his feet and started to follow Nadine out of the breakroom, when behind them, Sophie suddenly called out to him.
“Here’s your chance,” Nadine whispered. “Better go say hello. I’ll see you later.”
Feeling like a nervous teenager, but trying to be cool, Mason walked to the end of the table where his dream lady and Mr. Heartthrob were chatting as though they’d been friends forever. To say this was a fast turn of events would be putting it mildly.
“Hi, Mason!” she said cheerfully. “I saw you leaving and wanted to say hello before you got away.”
“Hello, Sophie. Thom.” He smiled at Sophie then forced a polite glance at Thom. The other man reminded Mason of one of those handsome movie stars who always played the hero on screen, but in reality couldn’t do so much as change a flat tire if a dozen lives were depending on him. “How’s the coffee?”
“Great,” Thom quickly answered and gestured to the small thermos sitting in front of him. “Sophie brought her own special brew from home and talked me into trying some.”
Mason wanted to knock the leering smile he was giving Sophie right off the other man’s face. Instead, he focused his gaze on Sophie.
“Good planning,” he said sagely. “About the coffee, I mean.”
Color swept across Sophie’s cheeks and Mason knew she’d picked up on his subtle comment.
“I try to think of the little things. They make the work day go brighter,” she said with a wide smile, then looked adoringly at Thom. “Did you know Thom is heading the marketing for your new sports app? The media blitz he’s planning is bound to make it a huge seller.”
Mason had rather believe the app would be a huge seller because he’d developed a good product. Not because of a slick talking salesman who could convince folks on Galveston Island to buy a set of snow chains.
Mason said, “I like to think Sports & More is a worthwhile project that deserves plenty of marketing.”
“You’re lucky, Mason,” Thom spoke up. “Mr. Robinson made the decision to spend a bankroll on the marketing for Sports & More. You must have done something right this time. I love sports, but to be honest, I perform better on the dance floor than I do the gym floor.”
In Mason’s opinion, the grin Thom was giving Sophie could only be described as lecherous. Which made it even more puzzling to Mason as to why she’d want a guy like Thom in her life. But women viewed things differently than men, and clearly she was seeing something in Thom that Mason was missing. Whatever the reason for her infatuation with the man, Mason couldn’t just stand passively around and watch this beautiful woman get her heart crushed.
“I’m sure you’ve had lots of practice doing the…hustle,” Mason replied.
Sophie’s brows arched upward, but she didn’t make any sort of reply. Thom merely let out a cocky laugh. Mason decided he should make a quick exit before he really insulted Thom and made both of them angry.
Glancing at his watch, Mason said, “Well, my break is over. Nice to see you two.”
Once he’d returned to his desk, it was only a matter of seconds before Nadine sauntered into his cubicle and propped a hip on his desk. “Okay, what happened? Did you score points with the girl?”
Frowning, he tried to focus on the computer screen in front of him, but the only thing in front of his eyes was Sophie. “I wasn’t trying to score points. Which is just as well. I came close to calling Thom a creep right to his face.”
Nadine groaned. “Let me give you some advice, Mason. The more you toss insults in Thom’s direction, the more she’s going to defend him.”
He turned and glowered at her. “I know that much. It’s just that whenever I’m around the guy I get the urge to vomit. And then things start coming out of my mouth before I can stop them.”
“Look, my friend, if you’re really interested in snagging Sophie’s attention, you need to forget about Thom Nichols and start concentrating on how to make yourself more appealing to her. If you do things right, she’ll start looking at you instead of him.”
“You think so?”
“Trust me. You have loads to offer a woman.” She patted his shoulder. “I better get to work. Wes has assigned me the job of coming up with a mother/baby app store. I can’t imagine what our boss was thinking. My daughter is twenty years old now. What do I remember about having a baby?”
“Hmm. I expect it’s like riding a bike. Once you learn, you never forget.”
Nadine laughed, causing Mason to chuckle along with her.
“Well, a person can get rusty if he doesn’t practice,” he agreed. “But you can always knock off a little rust.”
“And how am I supposed to do that? Have another baby?”
“Why not? Women your age are having babies all the time.”
Her expression softened in a way Mason had never seen before and then she reached out and gently patted his cheek. “You are the sweetest man ever. Sophie’s an idiot if she doesn’t latch on to you.”
Sweet. Mason didn’t want to be a piece of candy. He wanted to be viewed as authoritative, masculine and tough. He wanted women, particularly Sophie, to see him as a take-charge kind of guy who could melt a heart with just one smoldering look. He wanted to be more like his brothers, Doug and Shawn. Neither one of them ever had to worry over catching a woman’s attention. Their problem was trying to decide which one they wanted and on what night of the week.
But Doug was an assistant prosecutor in Bexar County, a fierce lion in the courtroom. And Shawn was a lieutenant on the San Antonio police force. They were both handsome and forceful, with jobs that women admired. Even as children, Mason had never felt as though he could compete with his stronger, older brothers. And time hadn’t changed Mason’s feelings. Sure, he had a great job and his physical appearance wasn’t exactly homely. But compared to his brothers, he was a geek.
If he ever expected to get Sophie to notice him, then he was going to have to be more like Doug and Shawn and a whole lot less like himself, he thought grimly.
*
More than an hour later, Mason was working when Sophie suddenly walked into his cubicle, nearly sending him into shock. The only time she’d ever stopped by his desk was when she’d personally helped him with a health insurance issue.
But it was clear this visit of hers had nothing to do with insurance. She was grinning from ear to ear and practically dancing on her toes.
She pulled up a chair and leaned her head close to his. The soft scent of her perfume swirled around him and tugged on his already dazed senses.
“Mason, I’m sorry if I’m interrupting your work,” she said in a hushed tone. “But I’m so excited I had to tell someone! And since I shared my plans with you last night—Well, it’s happened!”
Totally bemused, he stared at her beaming face. “It has?”
“Yes! Already! Can you believe it? Here I was thinking I was going to have to do handsprings out in the hall to get Thom to take a second look at me and all it took was a cup of exotic coffee.”
Mason had never felt so deflated in his life. “You two looked pretty chummy in the break room.”
“Chummy? Mason, you’re so funny.” Laughing lightly, she gave his knee a gentle squeeze. “He’s asked me out on a date! A real date! Tonight! Isn’t it incredible?”
Mason felt like handing her the letter opener on his desk and telling her to stab him right in the gut. The act would have been more merciful than the news she was giving him.
He looked into her brown eyes and wondered if they would ever shine for him the way they were shining at this moment.
“A date, huh? That was fast work.”
“You’re telling me! I only started my plan today. I never expected to have results this quick.” Her expression suddenly sobering, she glanced around the large room to make sure no one was listening. “Mason, you’re a really honest guy. Tell me, do you think Thom might’ve asked me out just because—well, because I’m Gerald Robinson’s daughter?”
Hell yes! Mason wanted to shout the words at her. But he held them back. One thing he was certain of, Sophie was a soft, gentle person. It would hurt her deeply if she thought her dream man might be using her for his own gain. Mason couldn’t do that to her. Not right now. He couldn’t bring himself to shatter the deliriously happy look on her face.
The more you insult Thom Nichols, the more Sophie will defend him. At this moment, Nadine’s words couldn’t have been more right.
Unable to keep looking her in the eye, Mason’s gaze drifted to the computer screen. But for all he could see, the words might as well have been written in a foreign language. “Oh, Sophie, I wouldn’t worry about that. Thom already has a good position in the company. He hardly needs you to help him get in your father’s good graces.”
“I guess that’s true enough,” she said quietly. “I shouldn’t have ever let the idea cross my mind. It’s just a date. Not a marriage proposal.”
Thank God, Mason thought. If that ever happened, he’d have to speak up.
“That’s true. And anyway, you’re an intelligent woman. You’d know right off if a man was trying to use you.”
Her eyes grew soft. And then suddenly without any warning at all, she leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his cheek.
“Thank you, Mason. You’re wonderful!”
To his utter amazement, she pressed another kiss to same spot she’d already branded with her lips, then jumped to her feet.
“Stop by my desk tomorrow and I’ll let you know how things go,” she told him, then with a wiggle of her fingers she hurried away.
Mason lifted fingertips to the spot she’d kissed not once, but twice. The skin was still tingling as though she’d stuck a naked electric wire to his cheek. If a simple kiss to the side of his face had caused this much reaction, the feel of her lips against his would probably have him dancing like a drunk idiot atop his desk.
Darting a glance toward Nadine’s desk, he realized the woman must have seen the whole interchange between him and Sophie. She was smiling broadly and giving him a thumbs up. The encouraging signal had Mason stifling a loud groan. Nadine didn’t know Sophie had merely stopped by to announce her date with Thom. And at the moment, Mason felt too sick to set his coworker straight.
*
Later that evening at the Robinson estate, Sophie was hurrying to her bedroom when her mother called out to her.
“Sophie? Why are you running through the house like a child?”
Laughing, Sophie stopped in her tracks and waited until her mother caught up to her.
“Probably because I feel like a happy kid tonight. Don’t you ever feel that way, Mother? Like kicking up your heels and doing pirouettes?”
“I like to think I’m in good physical condition for my age,” Charlotte told her daughter, “but I’m not exactly ready for ballet leaps and spins.”
For a woman in her midseventies, Sophie’s mother still looked youthful. Of course, it helped that she could afford to get routine facials and have her own personal trainer, along with a chef who designed meals to keep her weight down and her skin and hair glowing.
Smiling brightly, Sophie said, “I refuse to believe that, Mother. I happen to think you could dance all night.”
Charlotte pursed her lips with disapproval. “Those occasions are long over for me, Sophie.”
Sophie frowned. “That’s nonsense. Dad doesn’t think in those terms. He still does plenty of fun things.”
“Fun,” Charlotte repeated in a mocking tone. “Your father views the whole world as his playground. That will never change.”
It was a rare occasion that Charlotte made any sort of comment about her husband. More often than not, she went about her business as though Gerald didn’t exist.
Looping her arm through her mother’s, Sophie urged her down the hallway to her bedroom. “Come sit and help me pick out something nice to wear,” she told Charlotte. “I have a date tonight and I want to look extra special.”
“Who is this special date?” her mother asked, taking a seat in one of the wingback chairs. “Do I know the young man?”
“I doubt it,” Sophie called from inside the closet. “He works for the company—in marketing. His name is Thom Nichols.”
“Nichols,” Charlotte repeated thoughtfully. “Is he related to Drew Nichols, who owns Austin Capital Bank and Trust?”
“I have no idea,” Sophie answered as she stepped out with clothes tossed over her arm.
Charlotte gasped with dismay. “You have no idea? You’re going out with the man and you don’t know any more than that about him?”
The branches of a family tree were very important to Charlotte. So was public perception. Which made Sophie wonder how her mother had stood so stanchly by her husband when the news of his London love child had hit the rumor mill in Austin.
“Oh, Mother, I hardly need to know the size of Thom’s wallet before I go on a date with him.”
Her spine ramrod straight, Charlotte scooted to the edge of the chair. “I am not talking about money. As a Robinson you have a social standing to uphold and—”
“A Fortune Robinson,” Sophie interrupted dourly. “Surely you haven’t forgotten I have an extra name now. But then, I suppose as a Fortune, I have an equally important reputation to uphold.”
Her hands clasped tightly together in her lap, Charlotte said stiffly, “The added name is a fact I don’t care to ponder on.”
“That’s perfectly understandable,” Sophie said gently. She walked over and sank onto the dressing bench facing her mother. “Ever since Keaton has come into the family I’ve been wondering about you, Mother.”
A shutter fell across Charlotte’s face, making her features unreadable. “There’s no reason for you to be wondering about me. I’m fine. And I’ll remain fine.”
Not wanting to add to her mother’s suffering, Sophie chose her next words carefully.
“Actually, I’ve watched the way you’ve conducted yourself through this whole scandal, Mother, and I’ve been amazed. I couldn’t have been nearly as strong and steadfast as you’ve been.”
The rigidness of Charlotte’s face eased a fraction as her glance returned to Sophie. “It’s not been a picnic for me by any means. But I understand your father completely. Actually, I understand him better than anyone,” she said. “And sometimes a wife just has to put on a brave face and look the other way.”
The other way? Sophie was incredulous, but she carefully hid the reaction from her mother. Charlotte had grown up in a past era, where women had different roles in life. Especially when it came to men and marriage.
“Maybe so, Mother. And I know a person is supposed to be forgiving. But I happen to think you deserve better from Dad. For the life of me, I can’t imagine why you stay married to him.”
Her mother shot her a stern look of warning. “Your father and I have a complicated relationship. It’s also unbreakable. I can assure you of that.”
Unbreakable because her mother refused to let go of a cold marriage? Or ma
ybe it was her father who kept his wife bound to his side for purposes other than love?
“Anything can break, Mother, with enough pressure.”
“Gerald has provided me, you and everyone in his family with a wonderful life. Not one of you children has a thing to complain about. So don’t.”
The firm tone of Charlotte’s voice told Sophie not to push the issue, so she would honor her mother’s wishes and let the subject drop. But that didn’t mean Sophie would stop speculating and wondering if there could be more to her mother’s loyal devotion to her cheating husband.
Smiling, she focused on her upcoming date instead, standing and holding up a pale pink mini dress with black accents. “What do you think about this for dinner and a movie?”
“Dinner and a movie? You’re calling that a special date?”
Sophie’s laugh tinkled through the bedroom. “It’s the man that’s making it special. Not where we’re going.”
Clasping the dress to her, Sophie waltzed over the plush carpet, while her mother eyed her with speculation.
“Sophie, you always were an impulsive, dreamy child. I’d hoped that by the time you graduated college you’d be more realistic and settled. But it’s clear you’re still flittering around like a butterfly, believing life is nothing more than a rose garden. One of these days you’re going to have to face the real world.”
Pausing in front of Charlotte’s chair, Sophie fought hard not to roll her eyes. If it wasn’t so sad, her mother’s comment would be laughable. Did she think pretending to have a loving, caring husband wasn’t delusional?
“I crammed four years of college into three and I’ve held down a demanding job ever since,” she said stiffly. “I’d call that very real, Mother.”
Charlotte’s features softened somewhat. “Oh, Sophie darling, there’s no sense in you getting all defensive. I only meant—well, you’re a romantic soul. You believe life is full of hearts and flowers and kisses. And I suppose there’s nothing wrong with that—in small doses. But you also need to be firmly grounded.”
When Sophie came home sporting an engagement ring, then her mother would see her butterfly daughter was perfectly capable of landing safely on her feet.
Her Sweetest Fortune Page 3
