“I can’t believe they’re not grateful for all the things you do for them, Kyle. That’s awful. And I had no idea they acted this way toward you, either.” Her brow puckered in concern. “You don’t deserve that.”
“It’s not that big of a deal in comparison to what’s happening with you.”
“It’s not a contest to see who has it worse.” She pulled her legs up and wrapped her arms around her knees. “Like you said, maybe we could figure out how to fix some of this stuff.” She glanced over at him. “I’m in if you are.”
He bumped fists with her. “Absolutely.” He saw her mouth curve into a smile as she relaxed into the chair again. “Hey, what are you up to tomorrow? Do you have to work?”
“It’s my day off,” she said. “What did you have in mind?”
“How about a picnic by the river? I’ll drive.”
“I’d love that,” she said. “Would you like me to make some food for us?”
“We can get some sandwiches from the bakery or something.”
“And pass up those prime rib leftovers? I don’t think so.”
“My kitchen, my expensive cuts of meat . . . ” he joked.
“I’d want to go on a picnic with you if all we had to eat was peanut butter and jelly sandwiches,” she said.
They stared at each other.
“I’m looking forward to it too,” he said.
They hadn’t had dinner yet, and he’d already asked her out on another date.
SHE CUT INTO the prime rib, which was perfectly done. She decided to make olive oil-laced seasoned roasted potatoes instead of the more traditional mashed potatoes with sour cream and cream cheese. She steamed broccoli and carrots for another side dish and opened a bottle of Syrah so it could breathe. Kyle was in the other room answering some e-mail. It felt like a couple at home for the evening instead of two people who hadn’t talked in ten years.
“Are you sure you don’t need my help?” he said.
“This is easy,” she said. “Don’t worry about it.”
She couldn’t wait to see the look on Kyle’s face when he took the first bite. She loved cooking as much as she loved teaching. She’d wondered if there was any way to combine the two, but she didn’t have any formal training. She practiced new recipes on her friends and family instead.
She missed them so much already. She’d been distracted from her continuing homesickness with Kyle, but she needed to figure out what she was going to do next. He’d said that they should work together to find solutions to the things in their lives that weren’t working. She didn’t want to burden him or anyone else. Mostly, she wanted to forget she’d ever met Peter and resume the happy life she’d had, but she’d realized something over the past three months.
Peter had taken almost everything from her, but he hadn’t been able to scare her enough that she was willing to give up. She’d left everything she knew at home in Cocoa Beach. She was making a new home in Noel, and she was warmly welcomed by the people she’d met here. She liked her boss and her coworkers. A bigger apartment might be nice at some point so she could get a larger kitchen, but she was pretty happy with what she had right now.
She heard Jessie J singing again as Kyle’s phone rang. He’d left it on the kitchen counter. “Kyle?” she called out. “Want me to answer it?”
“Yeah,” he shouted back.
She hit Talk and the speaker function. “Hello, Kyle’s phone.”
She heard male laughter at the other end of the phone and two voices asking her questions.
“Hello there. This is Drew McCoy. Is Carlson around?”
A deeper, rumbling voice chimed in: “Looks like someone has a date, McCoy.”
“Aw, hell. Maybe we shouldn’t tell her all his bad habits right away, huh?”
“He’s in the next room. Just one moment, please,” Sophie said.
“Just a second,” the guy with the deep voice said. “What’s your name?”
If these guys had Kyle’s personal phone number, they were most likely friends. In other words, they were okay to talk with. “I’m Sophie,” she said. “I went to high school with him.”
“Ahhh,” the guy she now knew as “McCoy” said. “High school sweethearts.”
“I’m gettin’ all choked up here,” the guy with the deep voice said. “Sophie, I’m betting you know stuff about him we’re dying to know. Tell us all about it. You can trust us.”
“That’s right. We’re completely trustworthy,” McCoy said.
Sophie heard feminine laughter and a woman’s voice in the background. “Sophie, I’m Derrick’s wife, Holly. They’re not trustworthy at all. Don’t believe them.”
Kyle rounded the corner from the living room and grinned at her. “Welcome to my life,” he said. He held out his hand for his phone. “What the hell are you guys up to today? And hey, Holly. How are you doing?”
“Just fine, Kyle. Thank you for asking. I’ll let Derrick tell you why we’re bugging you on vacation.”
“You’re not bugging me. Call anytime. Hell, you know there’s always room here for you if you decide you’ve had enough of that guy,” Kyle said.
The guy with the deep voice must be Derrick, Sophie thought.
“My beautiful wife is staying right here, Carlson. With me. Find your own damn wife. Speaking of a ‘wife,’ who’s Sophie?”
“Yeah. Does she know about you yet? I’ll bet Morrison would be more than happy to be introduced.”
“Morrison isn’t old enough to shave yet,” Kyle said.
“I’m sure he could get the job done,” McCoy chimed in. “In the meantime, we have a job for you. What are you up to in the next couple of weeks?”
“As little as possible. Why?” Kyle said.
“I promised Michael that Holly and I would chaperone his senior prom.”
“And you’re running off to Hawaii or something instead.”
“Oh, hell no. We’ll be back in Noel for the team stuff, but not that day. We’re having an ultrasound in Seattle, and it’s not possible to reschedule,” Derrick said.
“Is something wrong? Holly’s not sick, is she?” Kyle’s brows puckered in concern.
“She’s pregnant. And no, we’re not naming it after you.”
Sophie saw a huge grin spread over Kyle’s face. “Congratulations, man. That’s incredible.”
“It is,” Derrick said. “I’m a lucky man. The mamas and my grandma are so happy too. Holly’s not feeling the best right now, but the doc says she’ll be much better in a month or so.”
“I’ve been giving Collins some pregnancy advice,” McCoy chimed in.
“The hell you have. Do you know what he told me? ‘Tell her she’s beautiful and don’t be thinking you’re getting out of those three AM grocery store trips for the cravings.’ That’s not advice. That’s standard operating procedure around here. Shee-yit. Like my mama always told me: if Mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.’ ”
“Isn’t that the truth?” Kyle said. “Okay. You want me to chaperone the dance. May I bring a date?”
“Why not?” Derrick said. “McCoy will be in Noel too. He’ll bring Kendall. You bring the lovely Sophie, and the four of you could have a night out on the town. As a matter of fact, why don’t the four of you have dinner on me? I’ll call Rudolph’s and prepay the tab.”
Noel had a fairly good steakhouse, but the guys always seemed to end up at Rudolph’s anyway. The menu was eclectic. The service was great, but the beer was even better.
“You don’t have to do that,” Kyle said.
“Sure I do. You can buy us dinner the next time you’re in town. Speaking of ‘in town,’ Reed’s wife has all the arrangements for the off-season team activity in Noel finalized. You’ll be there, won’t you?”
“Wouldn’t miss it.”
“Well, then. I’ll send you a text with the date, address to the high school, and the principal’s name. It might be a good idea to call him and introduce yourself before you show up, guy. Thanks for doi
ng this for me.”
“Any time,” Kyle said.
“Sophie, it’s good to meet you. Don’t fall for his crap,” Derrick said.
“Yeah. If he doesn’t treat you right, you let us know,” McCoy added.
“I’m hanging up now,” Kyle said.
“You’re next, buddy. Don’t think you’ll escape it,” Derrick said.
Kyle and Sophie heard a click, and silence.
“Meet my teammates,” Kyle joked.
“What did they mean—‘you’re next’?”
“Dinner smells great,” Kyle said. “Want to eat? I’m starving.” He strolled over to the kitchen island, grabbed the platter of prime rib and the bowl of potatoes, and put them on the kitchen table. “How about I grab a couple of plates and stuff, and you can sit down and relax. I’ll get some wineglasses too.”
“I’m guessing you’re not going to answer my question,” she said.
A minute or so later, he’d brought the bowl of steamed vegetables and the bottle of wine. “I’ll be back with plates and stuff.” He poured her a glass of wine and avoided her eyes. “To answer your question, it’s not that big of a deal.”
“So tell me about it.”
He came back to the table with plates, silverware, and napkins. He also had a large black flashlight, which he stood up in the middle of the table and turned on. He reached out to dim the pendant light that hung overhead.
“The decorator didn’t buy me any candles. This is probably the best I can do.”
“You really know how to set the mood,” she teased.
His dark eyes twinkled, and she lost her breath. “I guess I should come clean about Derrick’s comment. This all started a few years ago. The Sharks have more married guys on the roster than anyone else in the league. They sign with Seattle and all of a sudden, they’re getting married.”
“Really? Is that unusual?”
She reached out for the serving spoons and fork at the same time he did. Their hands touched. He brought the back of her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. Her heart melted.
“Let me get it,” he said. “You cooked. Twice.”
“But I love to cook.”
“I know you do. I’m hoping you’ll want to spend some more time in my kitchen.” He wriggled his eyebrows at her, and she laughed. He made sure their plates were filled while she enjoyed the scents of a perfectly done meal.
“Weren’t you telling me that you hoped you’d meet someone who wasn’t just attracted to your kitchen? How about I’d like to meet someone who was interested in me, not only in the fact I can cook?”
“I’d like to say I never said that stuff, but damn, Sophie, this dinner is amazing.” He took another bite.
“Weren’t you telling me that all the guys on your team have gotten married?”
“Most of them. This guy named Brandon was first. It took him a while to meet his wife, but he married her a year later. Another guy who used to play for us married her sister several months later. The younger guys on defense are busting out in wedding rings. If that wasn’t scary enough, they’re all on my back too.”
“You’ve been here a while. You’ve managed to avoid it so far, right?” She took another bite of food. It was even better than she hoped it would be. She really missed making a wonderful meal, but she couldn’t complain. Some pasta and a little safety were always better than the best four-course meal.
“I may or may not have bet those clowns a thousand bucks each that I will avoid saying ‘I do’ until my career is over.”
“How many clowns are there?”
“You talked to two of them. The other ones are Zach and Seth. Zach’s married to Cameron. You’ve seen her if you’ve ever watched FOX Sports.”
She nodded like she knew what he was talking about. She really didn’t watch sports, but she’d heard about the guy who played for the Sharks with the sportscaster wife from some of her coworkers.
“Seth got married on Valentine’s Day in Kauai. He married Jillian, who plans the team’s charitable events. If all the hearts and flowers weren’t enough, these people are all disgustingly happy. It’s bedroom eyes and kissy face all day long when I have to be around them.”
“Girl germs, no returns,” Sophie said.
“You know what it’s like to be around stuff like that.”
She nodded. Peter had left her pretty unwilling to get involved with another guy, but she still remembered what it was like to be around someone she wanted to spend a lot more time with. Like Kyle.
KYLE HELPED HER clean up after their delicious dinner. They made do with a pint of Ben & Jerry’s for dessert, and he held out his hand to her after they tucked the bowls and spoons in the dishwasher.
“Want to watch a movie with me?”
A few hours ago, Sophie had wondered how she was going to tell Kyle that maybe they shouldn’t spend time together. As they talked and laughed together, she realized she didn’t want the evening to end. Time with a friend seemed to have mystical, restorative powers. Or, she was having fun, and she wasn’t ready to stop yet.
“That sounds like fun,” she said.
He led her out to the huge sectional couch in his living room. They sat down, and he grabbed the remote and said, “Netflix streaming or Amazon Instant Video?”
She had to laugh. The closest movie theater was twenty miles away from Noel. At least the city government had made sure there was high-speed Internet, or they’d be looking for entertainment at the grocery store with the senior citizens. There wasn’t a lot of nightlife in Noel either. The tourists exhausted themselves with shopping and outdoor pursuits; most bars and restaurants in the small town were closed by 10:00 PM.
“Maybe I should make some popcorn,” she said.
“If you want some, that’s great, but I’m stuffed,” he said. “I’ll be dreaming about that prime rib later.”
“There are leftovers to eat tomorrow.”
“I can’t wait,” he said and reached out for her hand again.
She swallowed hard. She looked down at her hand clasped securely in his. There was so much to say, but for once, she’d like to spend a couple of hours sitting on the couch with nothing more pressing to do than enjoy herself.
“I have to tell you this,” he said. “I’m kinda into you. I have been since we were in school.” He let out a long breath. “Are you okay if we take this slow?” He peered at her through a mop of dark, shoulder-length waves. His full lips twitched into a shy smile. “I don’t want to screw it up,” he confessed.
It was probably a huge line he’d used with women before, but hearing something so bashful coming from the normally confident, handsome, funny Kyle charmed her. Even if it wasn’t original, it worked. She licked her suddenly dry lips. “I like you too.”
“That’s good to know,” he said. He squeezed her hand.
“I wonder how things would have been different if I’d gone to the prom with you instead.”
“You were a bit unavailable in those days.”
“Yeah. It wasn’t working, no matter how hard I tried to convince myself it was. Of course, then I met Peter, and that was even worse.” Maybe she should change the subject. No one wanted to hear about the train wreck that was her love life. She still had a tiny flicker of hope in her heart that things could be different.
Somehow, law enforcement would keep her ex away from her, she’d meet a man she wanted to be with and who wanted to be with her in return, and her life would be happy. She didn’t have to plan her entire future in the next ten minutes.
“I’ve had some sketchy relationships over the years too,” he said. They stared at each other for a minute or so, and he grinned at her. “How about that movie? What would you like to watch?”
She’d rather spend the evening talking with him and continuing to catch up on the past ten years, but maybe he preferred the relative safety of a shared activity that would not require baring one’s soul. They had plenty of time to explore each other’s thoughts and dreams
. Maybe sitting on the couch holding hands was the best medicine for both of them right now.
“That’s a good question,” she said. “Do we watch something we’ve seen before, or do we take a risk?”
“What’s your favorite movie?” he said.
“Pitch Perfect,” she said.
He clicked the TV on, hit the Amazon Instant Video icon, and located the downloadable movie. “I know I’m supposed to say something like I love the Fast and Furious franchise more than anything,” he confided. “Don’t tell anyone, but I own the Pitch Perfect DVD. It’s in Bellevue.”
“You’re not a Fast and Furious fan?”
“Don’t let it get out,” he joked.
“That’s aca-awesome, Kyle.”
They watched the bar on the screen as the movie downloaded for a few seconds.
“I’ll bet you sing along too,” he said.
“ ‘Titanium’ is one of my favorite songs,” she assured him. “And I sing ‘Since U Been Gone’ in the car. At least I did when I had a car.”
“We can sing it in my car.” He moved closer to her on the couch as the download ended. “Want something to drink before I click Start on the movie?”
“No, thank you. I’m fine,” she said.
“You are, aren’t you?”
She laughed as he moved closer.
“I have one more thing to confess,” he said as he reached out to cup her cheek in his hand. He slowly rubbed his thumb against her jaw. Her heart was going as if she’d chugged a four-shot latte, and the memories came rushing back. She remembered a thousand nights of football games, pizza, and hanging around on the beach with her friends. She remembered Kyle as a laughing teen with wavy, tumbled dark hair, sparkling dark eyes, and the confidence of someone who believed life held only good things for all of them. She thought that charmed life would go on forever.
They weren’t high school students anymore. They’d both had their share of joy and pain as they’d ventured into the adult world. The stakes were higher now, especially since they’d confessed a mutual interest. The pain in her heart, if this did not work out, would be a momentary annoyance compared with the anguish she would feel if she exposed Kyle or his family to danger as the result of her unhinged, vengeful ex.
Guarding Sophie Page 5
