The only sound in the otherwise silent house came from downstairs, where the boys yelled in the throes of their game.
“Sophie, I can’t get past the idea you were the other interested party in the Tates’ land.”
“Would that have mattered?”
“Maybe.” He blew out a breath. “It’s complicated.”
“Didn’t you wonder who you outbid? I mean, this is a small town.”
Duncan’s broad shoulders dropped and his usual confident chin lowered to his chest. “No.” A pause. “Not once.”
Remorse didn’t strike her as something a man like him showed often, yet she found herself at a loss for words.
He looked up. “My decision to bid was personal. Not only for my firm.”
“You mean because your family used to own here?”
“Yes and no.” Duncan rested an elbow on the counter, covered his mouth with his palm. He dragged the hand slowly down to his chin. “It does involve my family. I’m afraid telling you would break a confidence, though. I want to, but…” He shrugged.
She averted her gaze to the counter. The strange notes. The payoff to the Northbridge police by Frank Jamieson and the gunshot at Buzz’s house. How did that fit in with all this? That his bid might be personal had never entered her mind. A discussion about Henry right now seemed wrong. Very wrong.
She nearly jumped when he tenderly took her hands his. He raised his brows and the shine in his eyes showed hope.
“If I’d known you the way I do now…. Well, I’m not sure my other reasons would have mattered.” He studied her, as intense as a seer trying to read her mind. “That day I went to help with the kayaks and found you after all these years….” He shook his head lightly and a smile pulled on the corners of his mouth. “I couldn’t believe it. You looked at me like…” His voice softened. “Like you felt it too.”
His gaze pinned her in place, demanded an answer. Every emotion from that day returned, how his hand in hers had seemed so right, how the encounter seemed like their destiny. “Yes. I felt it too.”
Duncan cupped her cheek in his large palm. His thumb moved in a slow caress and she stared into his kind, loving gaze.
“Are you sure there’s nothing between you and Lucy?”
He softened his eyes. “You’re the one I can’t get out of my head.”
He leaned in and brushed his lips against hers. Reaching up, he spread his fingers through her hair and pulled her closer, Duncan’s heady gaze made her cheeks flush then his warm mouth covered hers and parted her lips. His cheek rubbed against hers and the soft shadowed grain tickled her skin. Awareness of his faded cologne collided with the sweet flavor of wine on his tongue while he sampled her lips with a soft and certain caress. She ran her hand up his solid shoulder, along his strong neck. He sighed against her mouth as she raked the soft, thick waves of his hair with her fingertips.
Heavy footsteps pounded the stairs from the lower level family room. They slowly pulled apart, breathless. His gaze stayed locked on hers, his lusty thoughts quite readable.
Sophie cleared her throat, but it did little to clear her swimming head. “Should I reheat your food?”
The kids hit the top landing.
“Nah. Things in this room are hot enough. I’m pretty sure it’s still good.” Duncan grinned, kind of goofy and she tingled inside.
She grinned back, but the spectacular kiss made her question her decision to investigate his family behind his back. Earlier today, Cliff had suggested they meet with Les Wilson to learn more about what he’d told Meg. Les might know exactly what the Northbridge PD had buried years ago for the Jamiesons. She reached up and touched her lips, still tender from his kiss. Was this a sign she should step away from the story?
Sophie stood at a crossroad but had no idea which way to turn.
Chapter 17
“I’m gonna see if Daddy’s in the lobby and say hi then go sit with Megan and Danielle.” Tia popped up from her seat and skipped down the high school gym’s bleacher steps.
Sophie cringed, picturing her daughter falling if she tripped. “Tell Daddy I need to talk with him.” Mike’s promise to come to Matt’s basketball game also meant he could no longer ignore her.
“Okay.” Tia continued without looking back.
Duncan passed Tia on his way up the bleachers. His long strides made the trip seem effortless. Single digit January evening temperatures had left his cheeks scarlet, although the rest of him looked warm, bundled in a tan tartan scarf and dark wool coat buttoned to the top of his chest. A bit like the way she’d bundled the kids when they were little. These temperatures even had her fully wrapped in winter gear.
“Thanks for saving me a seat.” Duncan surveyed the gym while he undid the scarf. “Quite a crowd.”
“Last year’s district championship win has left the Northbridge natives restless for more glory.” Sophie scooted closer to Dad and filled the space where Tia had been. She patted the place next to her. “For you. If you’re hungry, they sell hot dogs and pizza out in the lobby.”
“Helen said she’ll have something for me when I get home.” He removed his coat. “Hello, Alan.”
Dad glanced up from his paper. “Duncan. Good to see you. Want to join us?”
In any venue with background noise, her father’s hearing worsened, nothing like the super-power abilities she remembered growing up. In those days, he could hear a mocking facial gesture made behind his back.
“I’d love to.” Duncan gave her a between-us grin, put the coat on the bleacher, and settled next her as Dad continued to read.
Duncan lowered his voice. “By the way, thanks for the wine-tasting tips. Maybe next time we can tackle a white?” Hope reigned on his face, as if he’d practiced that line all day.
“Sounds like fun. Sure you can handle it?”
A thin grin veiled his lips. “Do I seem like a man who backs down from a challenge?”
“No. I’d never say that about you.”
“Bet you don’t either.” He tipped his head a bit analytically. “You probably go about it in a whole different way.”
“Think you know me, huh?”
He stretched his long legs onto the bleacher in front of them. “Think I’m starting to.” He undid the knot in his tie and studied her for a reaction.
The remark, coupled with the allure of his loosened tie-look, pushed her into a zone so deep she might lose air. “Yes,” she softly replied. “You’re starting to know me.”
Duncan’s stare captured hers long enough for her to gauge his satisfaction.
“Bet you could teach me a thing or two about sailing. Those racing pictures in your office were impressive.”
“Do you sail?”
“Yeah, with a boat the size of your dinghy. We have a Sunfish and used to own a small sixteen footer.”
He nodded. “Maybe someday you can join me on my boat.”
“Sure. Why’d you name it True Love?”
His cheeks turned a light shade of pink and a strange expression settled on his face. “Let’s just say I really love my boat.”
She didn’t prod, yet one thing remained clear: she still had a lot to learn about this man.
The teams ran into the gym from the locker rooms and the large crowd roared. She scanned the court for Matt but instead, at the doorway beneath the large hand-painted eagle mascot, Mike stood watching her with a military-like stance and crossed arms.
The years had changed the dirty blond-haired boy Sophie had given her virginity to, both inside and out. Now trimmed sideburns accompanied a neat semi-buzzed cut. His long, rugged face showed even more forehead due to the dip of a receding hairline and his blue-green eyes never revealed anything he wanted to hide. He’d aged pretty well, considering he didn’t agonize at the Estee Lauder counter for products to delay the process like Sophie did. Her son said he’d joined a gym in Stamford, where he now lived, and he looked in better shape than ever.
&n
bsp; Sophie thinned her gaze at Mike, who quickly turned away and headed to a seat in the first section of bleachers. What a coward!
When it came between fight or flight, Mike always ran. A fact evidenced repeatedly during their marital problems and the way he’d handled the loss of their son. The e-mail she’d sent him demanding to know why he’d undermined her decision about Matt’s concert and how he’d discussed her handling of Henry’s death with them, had gone unanswered.
“Friend of yours?” Duncan stared in Mike’s direction.
“My ex.”
“Did you want to sit with him?”
She chortled and shook her head. “Mike’s here for Matt. I’m quite happy with the current company.”
Duncan’s eyes sparkled, leaving her as winded as if they’d twirled to a rapid salsa and he’d dipped her into a tango finale. Close together, their shoulders touched and arms flowed in tandem down their sides. His hand moved in the space between them, as if searching for something. The movement stopped when he wrapped Sophie’s hand in his warm fingers, gave them a gentle squeeze, then rested them so they were hidden from view. He stared straight ahead, attention on the game but smoothed the top of her hand with his thumb.
* * * *
Almost an hour and a half later, the final score flashed on the scoreboard. The eight point lead was a close win for Northbridge, but a win nonetheless.
Dad leaned around Sophie. “A helluva game, don’t you think, Duncan?”
“Absolutely. Not sure if I can take an entire season of this stress, though.”
Before they could leave their seats, a few folks from town approached him with amiable energy, probably supporters of his resort. Dad mumbled something about getting a candy bar at the concession stand. She motioned to let Duncan know she’d be helping her father down the stairs and left him with a small audience.
They reached the bottom step. Mike stood near the doors with a guy who’d coached Tia’s soccer team in second grade. “Dad, I need to see Mike.”
He nodded and walked off.
Mike’s back was to Sophie. She reveled in the element of surprise and picked up her pace before he made an escape. “Hey, Mike?”
He turned with a smile then it vanished. “Oh. Sophie. What’s up?”
“Got a minute?”
“Um, sure. Give me sec.”
“Meet me outside the front doors.”
“Outside?” He glanced at the crowd around them. “Okay.”
She made her way through the entry foyer then pushed open the glass doors. Her thin cardigan, worn over a long-sleeved shirt, was no match for the frigid air. About a minute later, Mike came out.
“New boyfriend?” He shoved his hands in his jean pockets and avoided looking directly at her.
“I didn’t ask you out here to discuss my love life.” Sophie crossed her arms. Why did every conversation between them have to be so difficult?
He sneered. “Yeah, I figured. Look, I answered your e-mail about Florida. What more do you want me to say?”
“If I recall, your response was ‘got it.’” She dropped her voice. “You didn’t even address the remarks you made to the kids about how I’m handling Henry.”
The upper floodlight bounced off the tense lines of his jaw. “Listen, that’s how I feel. Did you forget why we’re not married anymore?” He dropped his chin and stared at the concrete sidewalk, as hard as the wedge they’d formed during their marriage. “It’s been seven years since we lost him. You need to move on.”
An icy snowflake grazed Sophie’s warm cheek, the start of predicted overnight snow. “I have moved on.” The onset of tears sent a prickle through Sophie’s cheekbones. “You make me sick. This isn’t about a bad test grade or a lost baseball game. That’s our child you’re talking about.”
“You know what I meant.”
“No. I don’t.”
He slowly lifted his chin, studied her with a glare frosty as the surrounding air. “I think the only reason you bid on the Tates’ land is because of what happened there. You’re stuck in the past.”
“Oh come on, Mike. You know what it means to my dad? My family has always wanted that land back. How many times did you hear Jay and I discuss how much we hoped to run that vineyard someday? God, what’s wrong with you?”
“I’m just saying you’d better be sure this property fight is for the right reasons. I don’t think it is.” The hard, cold stare of disgust, from a man she had once loved, sent a shiver along her spine. “Maybe this company taking it away from you is a blessing in disguise.”
“Everything okay?” Duncan stepped from the shadows holding her coat. “Tia said she saw you go outside. I figured you might need this.”
* * * *
Duncan threw on flannel pajama bottoms and a T-shirt then crawled between the cool covers of his bed with a book. After reading the same sentence multiple times, he tossed the paperback aside. The tail end of the conversation between Sophie and her ex-husband played over and over in his head. He’d sensed she was hiding something about why she wanted the vineyard property. Based on her ex-husband’s remark, she was. But what? He should’ve asked, yet somehow prying didn’t seem right.
He kicked off the covers and headed to the bathroom for two aspirin. Most of his life, he’d managed to keep relationships emotion-free. Exactly the way he liked them. Yet now, a force ran wild, leaving him all wrapped up in Sophie. Holding her hand tonight made his heart ache with a longing he hadn’t craved since high school. Since Carolyn.
The first official girlfriend in his life. So many years had passed since he’d uttered the heart-revealing confession of love to her. When the transfer student from Massachusetts moved to the village of Briar Cliff Manor in their senior year and registered at Greenbrier Academy, he’d been smitten immediately.
She’d stood apart from the other girls at school. Most wore their hair in headbands or low-tying ponytails, but Carolyn’s straight, brown locks swung like Cher’s and hung to the middle of her back. Her funky pendant necklaces and multiple bracelets, a far cry from the delicate jewelry on most girls, were a permissible assault to the school’s strict navy blazer and pleated skirt policy. Duncan couldn’t get enough of her. Soon they’d begun to date.
One rainy spring afternoon, Duncan’s baseball practice had been canceled. Carolyn had come to his room when classes ended. With his roommate in the library working on a paper, they’d kicked off their shoes and fell onto the bed in each other’s arms. Carolyn had loosened Duncan’s tie and unbuttoned his shirt, the hunger and urgency unlike other times they’d made out. His developing feelings for her were validated by the physical need.
The trail of kisses she placed between his throat and naval had driven him wild. In a fit of passion, he’d blurted out, “I love you, Carolyn.”
She’d looked up, a bit surprised. “You’re special, too, Duncan.”
The wallop to his ego had more than embarrassed him. An icy pain had settled around his heart. One he hadn’t fully understood. A month later, when he and Trent returned home for Thanksgiving, his mother had doted on Trent and he’d again recognized the same hurt. His mother’s subtle neglect toward Duncan, one he’d witnessed his entire life, rubbed at his need for attention, a need still raw from Carolyn’s lack of love.
Once in college, all the power and confidence he’d applied to his schoolwork was put to use in his dealings with women. Women, he learned, liked confident men. The less interested he acted, the more they wanted him. Dating was easy and the minute anybody got too serious, he controlled the direction by ending things.
Earlier tonight, sitting on those bleachers, though, Sophie’s nearness had made his blood rush and his knees unstable. He stared at his reflection in the medicine cabinet mirror. Pitiful. Where had the grown man with charm and enough aloofness to preserve his heart gone?
That moment on the bleachers, when he’d clutched her hand and it melted into his, everything he’d pushed away dr
ifted toward him. The axis of his relationship with Sophie had tilted. Which was why her ex-husband’s comment outside left him wanting to know more about her past.
Chapter 18
The familiar scrape of Jay’s truck pushing snow off Sophie’s driveway stirred her from a deep sleep. She peeked through half-opened lids at her nightstand clock. 6:10. Reaching for the TV’s remote, she switched on the news and pushed herself up on both elbows.
The quirky weatherman, an energetic and amusing guy who did things no other person on the morning news dared, reported the forecast in black derby, plaid vest, and a pipe hanging out of his mouth, a la Burl Ives as the snowman in Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. A map of the state showed northwestern Connecticut had received eight inches of the fluffy white stuff, enough to close school.
Sophie plopped her head back on the pillow and Bella pounced up onto the bed, tail wagging with metronome efficiency. “Hey, girl.”
She nestled next to Sophie, who rubbed underneath the dog’s furry chin and tried to ignore her doggy breath, instead reliving the excitement after the basketball team’s victory last night. She’d had a personal victory too. Duncan’s presence filled a cavernous space inside her, a space reserved for deep desire, a space vacant for too many years. Every part of her soul believed he was the real deal, yet the newfound recognition wrestled with her conscience. Her lies to Cliff meshed with her strong feelings for Duncan, the weight of both a lot to bear.
Bella poked Sophie with her cold, wet nose.
“So what if I don’t tell Cliff. Right, Bella?”
The dog’s ears pricked.
“I mean, my reporting on this story has been more than fair.”
Bella’s head tilted, a sure sign of agreement.
“Bet you want to go out.”
The wiry terrier’s chestnut eyes beamed as if to scream “Yes!” then she pounced off the bed onto the hardwood floor and waited by the door.
Sophie threw on thick sweatpants and a fleece pullover then peeked out the mini-blinds. Dwindling flurries and the gray sky hid the dim glow of the sun. Jay’s ten-year-old red Dodge Dakota, nicknamed Trusty Rusty, revved then descended down the long, freshly plowed driveway.
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