Guarding Sophie

by Julie Brannagh

  “She’s one of our firearms instructors. She’ll be fine.” The officer reached out to pat Sophie’s upper arm. “We’re going to find him.”

  “I know. I thought I’d finally gotten away from him.”

  The officer glanced at Sophie’s purse. “You said you bought a burner phone when you got here. Did you keep your old phone, by chance?”

  “It’s at the bottom of my purse. It’s a Samsung. It cost a lot, and I couldn’t stand to throw it out.”

  “May I see it for a moment? Let’s see if it still has any charge on it,” the officer said.

  Sophie dug the phone out of her purse and handed it to the officer, who powered the phone up. She touched the screen a few times, powered it off, and handed it back to Sophie.

  “Fixed it. Let’s see your burner phone, if you don’t mind.”

  “Of course,” Sophie said. “May I watch what you’re doing with it?”

  The officer turned the screen so Sophie could watch her as she touched the screen on her disposable cell phone.

  “I’m accessing the settings function. Click on Location, and then Google Location Settings.” The officer glanced at the phone. “I’m disabling both Location Reporting and Location History.”

  “Why is that necessary?” Sophie asked the officer.

  “Cell phones have a tracing function that’s accessible from search engines. I guess you didn’t know that.”

  “What?” Sophie said. “You’re joking.”

  “Nope. It’s great for us, but not so great for people who are being stalked or otherwise bothered by someone else,” the officer said. “That function is disabled now. If you get a new phone and don’t know how to do it, stop by the station and I’ll help you.” She patted Sophie on the back.

  Sophie sank onto Kyle’s couch because her legs wouldn’t hold her up. She had led Peter right to her as a result of her own ignorance and unwillingness to throw out a $400 phone. All the preparations and sacrifices she’d made were for nothing. God, she was dumb.

  “We’ve got this. We’ll find him. Don’t worry,” the officer said. She turned to walk outside.

  KYLE’S BUSINESS PHONE rang, and he reached out to grab it.

  “Hey, Carlson. Heard you had a little excitement today,” Derrick Collins said. “ESPN’s all over it. Plus, your voice mail’s full on your other line.”

  “I’ll take care of it. Thanks.”

  “A bunch of the guys are already here. Want to meet us for a bite? We’ll be at Rudolph’s in an hour. We’re getting checked into the B&B right now.”

  Kyle wasn’t surprised that Derrick knew he was in Noel. Anyone who’d listened to the sports news today now knew where his cabin was too. Damn it.

  “I’ll see if Sophie wants to come along. She’s freaking out. I don’t blame her. The cops told us we can’t stay here tonight, either.”

  “Holly got a second room here in case my mom and grandma wanted to come along. They’re at home. Want the room?”

  Kyle let out the breath he’d been holding for over an hour now. The Sharks had managed to commandeer every available hotel room and B&B in the little town for the several days of team activities they had planned; he’d wondered if he’d have to take Sophie to Redmond or Wenatchee to find somewhere for them to stay. She had to work tomorrow too. He knew she was worried about the dent to her wallet if she couldn’t go to work, but she was even more worried about endangering her coworkers and the customers of Noel Foods.

  He didn’t want her out of his sight. He was also worried about the safety of the other people in the store. Maybe the senior citizens who hung out at the table in the corner of Noel Foods might let him sit with them for a few hours. He’d already been warned about the homemade Kahlua. Sophie could stay somewhere safe while he and the Noel PD kept an eye out for Peter if he was stupid enough to show up at her work.

  “Yes. I want the room. Thanks for offering.”

  “We’ll tell the B&B people and we’ll see you both in an hour or so.”

  Kyle grabbed his other phone out of his pocket and glanced at the missed calls. Fifteen calls from his parents. Ten calls from assorted guys who were probably concerned that they’d have to start paying their own cell phone bills each month. The cops had finally told the multiple news satellite trucks that pulled up outside his house all afternoon to leave.

  Sophie was upstairs taking a shower. He had a few minutes. He hit Dial on his parents’ phone number. His mother answered on the second ring.

  “I’ve called you multiple times today. Why didn’t you call me before now?”

  She didn’t sound scared. She sounded accusatory, which was no different from any other time they’d talked to each other since he was young. He had no idea what he’d done to her. He wished he did. Maybe he needed to ask.

  “Hi, Mom,” he said. “Nice to talk to you too.”

  “People from the news have been calling our house asking for a comment. We didn’t know what was going on. Someone broke into your house?”

  “No. Someone threw a rock through my living room window.”

  “It might have been nice to get a phone call before now.”

  He rested his forehead in one hand, took a deep breath, and plunged in. “Mom, I’ve been a little busy with the police and a houseguest. I’m sorry I didn’t call sooner.” Of course, the typical angry sputtering started, and he interrupted her. “What is it that I ever did to you, Mom? Wouldn’t most parents be wondering if I was safe or if I needed anything after someone threw a boulder through my living room window?”

  He heard silence at the other end of the phone.

  “Again. What is it that I did to you?”

  “You have a lot of nerve even asking me that question. You have all that money while your dad and I have worked every day for what little we have. We deserved more in life. And you should be more generous.” She was on a roll. He let her talk for a few minutes, listening to her detail every way she thought he’d failed her.

  “Let me get this straight. You don’t think I’ve done enough for you?” He forced himself to remain calm. “I bought you a house. I’ve bought you a new car every other year. I sent you all on vacation, paid the bills, gave you money—I’m not sure what else you think I should do for you.”

  “We should have a bigger house. Your dad wants a Cadillac.” She was still talking, and it occurred to him that she’d never asked him if he was okay. If he wasn’t, he wouldn’t be talking to her, but he realized that things between them were never going to change. She didn’t care what he thought or how he felt. She felt cheated. He couldn’t imagine why. What would his parents have done if he was a guy with a blue-collar job—would he still be expected to pick up the tab for everything?

  In a blinding flash of insight after years of wondering, he knew there was something very wrong with both of his parents, and it had nothing to do with him. He couldn’t give them enough money to make them love him. He’d done as much as he could. Maybe it was time to let go.

  His real family consisted of the people he spent the most time with and who were always there for him—his friends and teammates. And he knew he wanted to do whatever he could to spend more time with Sophie. She loved his new kitchen, but he knew with certainty that if the trappings of his wealth disappeared tomorrow morning, she’d be just as happy making dinner for them in a one-bedroom apartment somewhere.

  His mother was still insisting that his family deserved “more” when he took another deep breath and calmly said, “Nice to talk to you, Mom. I think it’s best we don’t talk to each other for a while. I’m hanging up now.”

  “You can’t do this,” his mother shouted. “I’m still talking.”

  He hit End on his phone and shut it off.

  Sophie walked into Kyle’s office a few minutes later. “Kyle?”

  “I’m right here,” he said. Twilight gathered outside his office window. He hadn’t turned a light on.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah.” He
sat up in his chair and turned to face her. “Some of the guys are going to Rudolph’s for dinner. Want to come along?”

  “Of course,” she said. Her lower lip trembled, but she smiled at him.

  RUDOLPH’S LOOKED LIKE an old-fashioned ski lodge. Large windows and soaring ceilings with exposed beams let light in and showed off the mountains that ringed Noel. The ground floor featured a gigantic, wall-length bar that offered twenty taps of microbrewery beers and carefully constructed cocktails. The food ranged from small plates and burgers to pasta dishes. Piped-in holiday R&B and jazz were a nod to Noel’s “all Christmas, all the time” theme. Wooden tables for four or six covered the available floor space. A wide staircase led to a more private seating area upstairs.

  Sophie had been to Rudolph’s once with a few of her coworkers. Things at the restaurant were typically quiet on a weekday. Not tonight. Kyle circled the area several times until someone pulled out of a parking space right across the street.

  “I recognize these cars. My teammates have taken every available parking space in the town,” She had to smile when she saw him roll his eyes in mock irritation.

  “You said the B&B we’re staying at is close by too.”

  “We gotta lug our stuff over there later. Hopefully we won’t end up parking in Wenatchee,” he said, but he laughed. “Come on. Let’s go see if there’s any beer left.”

  He reached out for her hand as they crossed the street to the restaurant. She still wasn’t sure whether being out in public was a good idea, but she was somewhat comforted by the last conversation she’d had with the police officers before she and Kyle had left his house. The police had several solid leads. She didn’t think Peter would be dumb enough to confront them in a public place. Then again, he wasn’t the sharpest pencil in the pack.

  Kyle squeezed her hand as he reached out to pull the restaurant’s door open for her.

  “Don’t worry about him. Let’s go have some fun.”

  Sophie glanced around as she stepped inside the restaurant. There weren’t many customers downstairs. She could hear the noise from upstairs.

  Kyle’s teammates were here, and she was about to meet them.

  KYLE REACHED OUT for Sophie’s hand again as they walked to his car later that evening.

  “That was great,” she said. She still didn’t remember everyone’s name. That might take some work. She remembered Seth and Jillian, Zach and his wife, Cameron, and, of course, Derrick and his pregnant wife, Holly. The players, their wives, and girlfriends clustered around Sophie, joking and gently teasing, and they welcomed her like they’d known her their entire lives.

  “They only seem nice,” he joked. “Wait until you get to know them better.” He helped her into the car, threw himself into the driver’s seat, and hit the button to start the car. “Is there anything else you need before we go to the B&B?”

  “Are you sure you’re okay with this? Maybe I could go find a room in Wenatchee or something. I—”

  “You need a good night’s sleep. Plus, they’ll feed us a great breakfast tomorrow morning.”

  If Peter hadn’t decided to show up, she was pretty sure she would still be at Kyle’s house. Maybe he would have liked to spend some time at her place too. It was humble, but it was what she could afford. She wanted to spend as much time with Kyle as possible. Truthfully, the crush she’d had on him when she was in school had developed into a lot more in the past couple of days. If he wasn’t here, she would have been on her way out of town. She loved Noel already, but she wasn’t sure she could stay.

  Kyle turned onto a paved lane lined with trees decorated with tiny clear lights. The house that loomed out of the darkness looked like something out of a fairy tale. It featured another sloped roof, but this looked like an old-fashioned country inn. The walls were a clean, restful white. Each window featured a flower box in full, riotous bloom. The house was surrounded by lush gardens. “Abendblume” was painted over a large window facing onto a small cobbled courtyard.

  “If it’s this gorgeous outside, I wonder what it looks like inside,” Sophie said.

  “I stayed here several times before I bought my place,” Kyle said. “You’re going to love it.” He pulled into a parking space, shut the car off, and turned to her. “We need to get you inside, but there’s something I need to tell you first.”

  “Is something wrong?”

  “No, not at all,” he said. “We’re staying in the room Derrick’s mom and grandma were going to use. There’re two double beds.” He reached out to squeeze her hand. “I don’t want you to feel like we have to share a room, but I wanted to be close by just in case,” he said. “I can scare off the bad guy if you need me to.”

  “You’d do that for me?”

  “Of course.” She saw the flash of his smile. “I get paid to be scary. If you don’t need my help, though, I can always go bunk with Tom’s kids.”

  She’d met Tom Reed, the quarterback of the Sharks, and his wife, Megan, earlier. They were staying at a hotel a short distance away because it had a swimming pool that their three boys were beyond excited about. The little boys wasted no time climbing up into her lap and telling her all about the pool and how their baby sister was still too young to go swimming. She had pretty much fallen in love with them at first sight.

  The mental picture of Kyle in a sleeping bag on the floor of the little boys’ room made her smile.

  “They wouldn’t let you get any sleep,” she said.

  “Tell me about it. They’re high speed, low drag. They’re just like their dad.” She heard his quiet snort of laughter in the darkness. “I hope I’m that lucky someday.”

  “You want to marry Megan Reed?”

  “Nope. I’d like some rug rats of my own, though.”

  He got out of the car, crossed to her side, and opened the door for her.

  “Let me grab the bags, and I’ll introduce you to Renee. You won’t want to leave after you meet her,” he said.

  Sophie could hear the tinkling of a small fountain in the gardens. They climbed three broad steps, and the front door swung open before Kyle had the chance to knock.

  Renee, the warm, friendly innkeeper, greeted Sophie with a huge smile and a hug.

  “Welcome,” she said. “You must be Sophie. Derrick told us you’d be coming.” She beamed at Kyle. “And we know this guy already.”

  Kyle put the bags down on the floor and hugged Renee. “It’s good to be back.”

  “The inn is full of your teammates tonight. There’re some complimentary snacks and wine for all of you in the piano room. Also, there’s been a change in your accommodations. Derrick and Holly will be staying in our downstairs suite, and you’ll be in the room they were supposed to have. I hope you’ll enjoy it.”

  “Let me guess: Derrick probably didn’t want her climbing the stairs,” Kyle said.

  “No, he didn’t.” Renee led the way up a beautiful curved hardwood staircase with an elaborately carved railing to the second floor. “This room has a jetted tub and a really great shower. There’s also a balcony that you can relax on if you’d like. You’ll be able to see the view of the gardens and the mountains tomorrow morning.”

  Sophie felt Kyle’s fingertips brush the small of her back as Renee unlocked the door and indicated that they should precede her inside. “Here we are. This is Almsrosen. I hope you’ll enjoy it. If there’s anything you need, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

  Sophie glanced around at the most beautiful room she’d ever seen. She could see the small balcony through French doors. The four-poster bed was made up in ironed white linens and a thick comforter, and it was stacked with fluffy pillows. There was a cheery fire in the wood-burning fireplace. The lights were dim, and she heard classical music playing softly. She glanced around the corner to see a very large bathroom featuring a whirlpool tub big enough for two. Most people never got to enjoy this kind of luxury until their wedding night.

  And there was only one bed.

  KYLE HEARD THE doo
r shut softly behind Renee as she left. After one hell of a day, the delight on Sophie’s face as she glanced around the room, warmed his heart. There was only one problem. He’d told her they wouldn’t be sleeping together.

  Hopefully, the inn had a few extra blankets, because he’d be spending the night on the floor. He joked about bunking with Reed’s kids, but he wasn’t going to leave Sophie alone while the police were still looking for her ex. He put their luggage in the corner. They could unpack later.

  “It’s so beautiful in here,” she said. “Did you stay in this room when you were here before?”

  “I stayed in a room down the hall. This is gorgeous, isn’t it?”

  “I’m sorry that Derrick and Holly aren’t getting the really romantic room.”

  “Oh, they’re all romantic,” he blurted out.

  He heard her soft laugh as she trailed her fingertips over the comforter on the bed.

  “Lucky me,” she said.

  “The bed is yours,” he said. “I know I said we’d have two beds—”

  “It’s no big deal,” Sophie said. “They needed to switch rooms. We’ll be fine in one bed. It’s huge.” He saw her fidget a little. She was as nervous as he was. “Plus, I know how tired you must be. We can get some sleep, and we’ll feel much better tomorrow,” she said. She crossed the room to grab her suitcase. “I think I’ll go change.” She walked into the bathroom, and he heard the click as the door shut.

  SOPHIE SCRAMBLED INTO the flowered knee-length nightshirt in her suitcase, washed her face, and brushed her teeth. He probably needed the bathroom, too, so she’d better make it quick. She wondered how different things would be if they were here because they’d made plans, instead of bolting from his house because her stalker had managed to find her. Maybe they would have had a light dinner on the balcony outside their room while they looked at the stars and talked, or sipped champagne while they took a bubble bath together. She let out a sigh.

  She reached inside her makeup bag and grabbed the small bottle of perfume she’d bought on a whim recently. She loved the scent of white flowers and how it made her feel—beautiful and sensual. She wanted Kyle to think she smelled wonderful too. She dabbed some on the crooks of her elbows and behind her knees, and replaced it in her makeup bag. She bit her lower lip as she stared at the three-pack box of condoms in the bag. Maybe she should bring one, just in case. She grabbed one out, put the bag back into her suitcase, and stood her rezipped suitcase in a little alcove under the bathroom counter.