by Lori Ryan
“I thought this was supposed to be roughing it,” she said
“Well, Warner said they did a little remodeling to accommodate his father. Maybe the bathroom was one of the things they updated.”
“Nice update,” she said. She turned and stared at him for a long moment, her gaze traveling up and down his body.
Was she thinking what he was? God, the thought of being in the shower, wet and soaped up with Sophie, had him growing harder than the tile around them.
“Well,” he coughed out, “I’ll leave you to it then.” Before he could say or do something else stupid, he stepped out of the bathroom and closed the door.
This was going to be a long thirty days, keeping his hands off his wife.
Chapter Sixteen
Sophie sat on the front porch swing, one leg tucked underneath the other, and toed the swing into motion. Growing up, they’d had a porch swing like this one. She’d written her first song sitting there as she’d watched the sun rise and set over their small part of the world. In many ways it seemed like such a long time ago.
She loved singing, loved performing, but she had to admit this last year had taken its toll on her. You couldn’t keep up this pace forever without something breaking.
She stared out at the large trees that loomed high in the air, their leaves seeming to touch the orange sky that was just beginning to wake up. She drew in a deep breath and held the cool air in her lungs for several seconds as she listened to the stillness.
Her world hadn’t been silent in a long time and she’d forgotten how much she missed it. Whatever happened between her and Grant, she was at least glad she’d taken a break. She needed to renew her mind, her spirt…and her heart.
As they did most mornings, her thoughts turned to Grant. He hadn’t been up this morning when she’d creaked down the stairs. Searching the small kitchen, she’d made a pot of coffee, sneaking out to glimpse the sunrise as she waited for the machine to finish brewing.
“Morning,” his deep, rough voice called from the doorway.
She glanced up and her eyes went wide as she swallowed hard.
Grant was wearing gray sweatpants and nothing else. Good God, had he actually gotten hotter since she left?
“Brought you some coffee,” he said.
She finally noticed he was carrying two mugs.
He walked toward her, holding one of them out to her. “Cream and sugar with a splash of coffee, right?” He smiled.
Really, if she was going to make it a month here with him, she’d have to ask Grant to stop smiling. It did things inside her, things it shouldn’t.
“You okay?” he asked.
She shook her head, taking the cup from his hands. “Uh, yeah. Sorry. Thanks.” She brought the mug to her lips and blew on the coffee before taking a sip. Anything to shut up before she said something stupid like, “Hey, you look good enough to eat.”
The coffee smelled delicious. “Is this flavored creamer?”
“Yep,” he said. “Hazelnut.”
“I love hazelnut creamer.”
“I know,” he said, nudging her thigh with his knee. “Scoot. I want to swing.”
She moved over and lifted the mug to her face, covering the small smile that had escaped. “So what are you doing up this early?” She asked. “You’re not usually an early riser.”
He shrugged, holding his mug with one hand as he stretched his arm along the back of the swing, which did ridiculous things to his muscular chest.
She swallowed hard and averted her gaze.
“Things change.” He gave a small push and set them in motion.
Sophie leaned back against the back of the swing and enjoyed her coffee, afraid to ask more. They sat in companionable silence, something they’d always been able to do. Their careers meant they were almost always talking, so many times when it was just the two of them, they would say nothing at all.
Sophie’s mind raced, unable to let Grant’s comment go. “What things have changed?”
He turned and stared at her, his warm, hazel eyes capturing hers just as fiercely as they had the first time they’d met in that studio in L.A.
“I don’t take the simple things for granted,” he said softly.
“Like what?”
“After losing you and then my father, I realized that I’d taken my relationships for granted. I just assumed everyone would be there when I got around to it, whatever it was.” He looked to the mountain towering before them. “I also took acting for granted, assuming it would always be there, that I would always want to be an actor. And that people would want me to be.”
“And that changed?”
“I still want to be an actor, I just had misplaced motives I guess, in the beginning.”
“Like what?” she asked, thinking she might already know the answer.
“Fame, fortune, you know,” he turned to her and smiled, “the usual stupid things insecure actors want.”
“That was never you, Grant.”
“It had become me. I guess consumed me is a better word. I’m like most performers, I only feel as good as my next acting job.”
She nodded, understanding his logic.
“Over the years I got caught up in the hype, the awards, the fame. It was like all that noise silenced the true voices inside my head, the ones that had always kept me sane.”
“Like your father’s?”
He leveled his steely eyes on her, raw emotion and vulnerability threatening to spill over. “And you.” He sat silent for several heartbeats. “I remembered what was important to me in the beginning, who was important. I remembered what mattered most to me, who mattered most to me.” His gaze held her captive. “And that changed everything. Especially me.”
She swallowed hard, wishing her heart wasn’t still so in love with him.
“I was running,” he said, thankfully changing the subject.
“This morning?”
“Yes, early this morning I went for a run.”
Grant had always been diligent about working out, saying it was actually fun for him. For Sophie, not so much.
“In the woods?”
He chuckled. “Where else would I go, Soph?”
“I don’t know, I thought maybe you drove up to the resort or something and used their gym.”
“No. No resort, just good old-fashioned outdoor exertion.”
She stared at his bare chest. He didn’t smell like he’d just worked out.
“I took a shower,” he said as if hearing her silent question.
She nearly swallowed her tongue thinking of Grant in the shower. And why hadn’t she heard him earlier?
“Speaking of showers.” He stood, sending the swing swaying, and swatted her bare thigh. “We need to get going soon.”
Sophie tried to ignore the tingle of pleasure his touch had brought. “Where are we going?”
“To O’Halloran’s, I told you last night.”
“Oh, yeah I forgot. I was too worried about what kind of Blair Witch Project you were taking me on.”
He chuckled.
“It’s nice to hear you laugh,” she said, not sure where that statement had come from.
“It’s nice to laugh.”
His statement held so much unspoken pain, her heart squeezed in her chest.
“Well, why don’t I go make us some breakfast? I saw the fridge is stocked.” Without waiting for a response, she brushed past him, making sure to not touch him. Just as she pulled open the screen door, he called her name.
“Sophie.”
She hesitated, then glanced over her shoulder.
Grant stood, leaning against the railing, one bare foot crossed over the other, that smug smirk on his face, his gaze firmly anchored on her ass.
For some reason, the ogling didn’t offend her, but she teased him anyway. “Eyes up here, sailor.”
His eyes slowly traveled the length of her until their gazes met. The light hazel of his eyes had turned darker now, almost matching the deep f
orest green of the pines surrounding them.
“Can’t blame a guy for enjoying the scenery.”
Part of her wanted to believe it was just one of Grant’s smarmy retorts he gave in public but she could see the truth underneath. Before she could stop herself, she burst into laughter, louder and longer than she had in quite some time.
“It’s good to hear you laugh, too, Sophie.”
It felt good to laugh, but she didn’t want to reveal that just yet. With one last glance at Grant’s beautiful face, she turned and walked into the cabin, reminding herself she needed to keep her guard up. They wanted different things, didn’t they?
Grant’s words echoed through her mind.
I remembered what mattered most to me, who mattered most to me. And that changed everything. Especially me.
Chapter Seventeen
Grant pushed open the door to O’Halloran’s Outdoor Adventure Store, the tinkle of the bell overhead reminding him of home. The large two-storied building held recreational equipment of all shapes and sizes. He studied the area, surprised by how many new things Grady had stocked in the store.
“Hey, Grant!” came Grady’s familiar voice.
Grant glanced around the store, unable to locate the man.
“Back here.”
Grant finally saw him, standing near the back of the store, taking a kayak down from a display. He was wearing a hat with his company’s logo on the front. He’d have to remember to get one for Sophie. She had fair skin and tended to burn in the sun.
“Hey Grady, good to see you,” he said, walking toward the owner. Grant glanced over his shoulder, not surprised to find Sophie already studying some of the equipment.
Grady laid down the kayak and held out his hand. “Good to see you too, man.”
Grant grasped Grady’s hand and shook it. Today, life was good, and he hoped for the day to get even better, spending time with his wife.
“What can I help you with?” Grady asked.
“Sophie and I will be in town for a few weeks.”
Grady glanced over Grant’s shoulder. “That’s Sophie Day?” he asked in a hushed tone, sounding surprised.
Grant chuckled. “Yep.”
“Wow. I’ve never met her before.” Grady removed his hat and scrubbed his head. “She looks a lot different.”
Sophie was a private person, and worked hard to stay away from the public limelight unless it related to her career or a performance. Most people saw the public persona of Sophie Day, pop star, always well dressed and put together. But she was often able to slip by unnoticed, only having to wear a small hat and shades if she wasn’t made up.
Unless she was with me, he thought, ruefully. Once the tabloids had actually reported that Grant was having an affair with a younger woman, complete with a pic of the “girl.” It had been Sophie but no one had realized it. He and Sophie had always laughed about it, claiming she was “the other woman.”
“Sophie,” Grant called to her.
She lifted her head and smiled, an expression that still shot him in the heart. He’d never met anyone who affected him so viscerally as Sophie had, or emotionally.
She tucked the brochures into her back pocket and walked toward them with a huge smile.
“This is Grady O’Halloran,” Grant said, introducing him.
“You own the store?” Sophie asked.
“Yes, ma’am.”
She glanced around the display floor which resembled a clearing in a forest. “It’s beautiful. I think we could actually stay in here for several days and get all the adventure we need.”
Grady laughed. “I’m glad you like it. There’s an area near the back where we teach you how to tie fly-fishing lures, and a small fish tank where you can try them out.”
“Oh, like Mr. Noble’s workshop,” Sophie said.
“You saw the workshop?” Grant asked.
“Yes, I woke up early so I snooped around.” One side of her mouth quirked up with that mischievous grin he thought only he had perfected.
Grady cut in. “Yes, Warner comes in from time to time to do demonstrations. He’s an expert at fly-fishing lures. Is that something you’re interested in? Fly fishing?”
Sophie wrinkled her nose. “Don’t you have to stay still and quiet?”
“It helps,” Grady said.
Sophie stared at Grant, her lips twitching as she held back a laugh.
“What?” Grady asked.
“Grant can’t sit still or stay quiet for more than two minutes.”
Grady laughed.
“One time,” Sophie started, “a director forced him to stay silent an entire weekend. Not one word.”
Grady stared at Grant. “Why?”
“He was playing the part of a deaf librarian.” She giggled and Grant hadn’t heard a better noise in a long time. He’d stay silent forever just to hear Sophie laugh every day.
“Actually,” Grant said, “I was the librarian’s son.”
“You said it was the longest weekend of your life.” Sophie grinned.
Grant kept his inner thoughts hidden. Or tried to. He’d experienced much longer weekends, some terrible, since she’d left him.
Grady cleared his throat. “So, what kinds of things are you looking to do?” Grady asked.
“Well, Sophie doesn’t want to be too adventurous—”
“That’s not true,” she said, half pouting.
“Sophie,” Grant looked down at her with a questioning glance. “Do you like camping outdoors?”
She shivered. “All those bugs and creepy-crawlies. No. But,” she jabbed a hand in the air, “I like RVs. That’s camping isn’t it? Does that count?”
Grant and Grady shared a look.
It was Grant who answered. “Uh, sure.”
“So what other things do you not like to do, Sophie?” Grady asked.
“What kind of things are there?”
“There’s whitewater rafting,” Grady said. “Although you’d have to travel for that.”
“No way,” Sophie said. “I don’t like drowning.”
“Most people don’t, Soph.” Grant chuckled.
“What else?” she asked. He was surprised by her excitement.
“Rock climbing,” Grady said.
Sophie stepped back and shook her head. “Oh, heck no. Plummeting to my death and crashing into jagged rocks where vultures will feed on my dead carcass? Just,” she shivered, “no.”
Grady laughed and gave a nod. “Rock climbing is actually safer than you think if done with the right equipment and the right guide. The rock faces on the Sumner side of the mountain are some of the safest. No casualties”
“Yet,” Sophie muttered. She looked to Grady, her eyes narrowed. “Are you going to quote facts that say rock climbing is safer than driving to try and get me up on that mountain?”
“No,” Grady said, surprising both of them. “Statistics can be skewed on either side. I try not to convince anyone to do something if they have a very strong fear. There are other adventurous things to do. This is about having fun.”
“Hmm,” Sophie said.
“What?” Grady asked.
“I just thought…”
“In life and love, you have to decide for yourself if the risk is worth the reward,” Grady said.
“Wow,” Grant raised a brow, “that was deep.”
“I’m not just a pretty face.” Grady laughed.
“And you?” Sophie asked.
Grady stared at her, head tilted. “Me what?”
“Have you taken the risks, in life and in love?”
“In love?” he said. “Only once. In life, all the time. I’m an adrenaline junky, so I take more risks than most, probably. More than my family is comfortable with.”
Sophie and Grant stood silent, pondering his words.
“If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years it’s that there are no guarantees in life. Only I can decide what I’m willing to risk and who I’m risking it for. I prepare for the wo
rst in everything I do, hoping the views from the top will be worth the climb. Metaphorically speaking.”
“And are they?” she asked with hopefulness.
“Most of them have been.” Grady smiled. “But like I said, I’m an extreme sports kind of guy.”
Sophie stood silent and Grant wondered what she was thinking about.
“If you’re curious about rock climbing but afraid, I would suggest hiring an outfitter to guide you and make sure you’re safe,” Grady said. “We have several here at the store. I sometimes do it on my days off and so does Cam Delgado. He’s great with beginners.”
“Who?” Grant asked.
“Cam Delgado. He’s Lina’s roommate.”
“Oh right.” Grant nodded. As long as he lived, Grant would never understand why his brother Jake was okay with his girlfriend, Lina, still living with two guys.
“Wait,” Sophie said, “is he one of the firefighters in that calendar your sister-in-law made?”
“Been flipping through the calendar, have you?” Grant asked.
Sophie smirked. “I may have bought one at my concert…or twelve,” she muttered under her breath.
“Twelve!” Grant said, surprised.
“What?” She stared up at him. “They’ll make great Christmas presents for my friends and family.”
“Your sister is gay,” Grant spit out.
Sophie shrugged.
“And you’re going to give your church-going parents a Hot Men with Hoses calendar?”
Grady choked out a laugh.
“My mom might like it.”
And this was what he’d missed most about his wife, teasing with her, laughing with her. Being with her.
“Okay, so no rock climbing?” Grady asked, staring between the two of them.
“Not with Cam,” Grant blurted out before he could stop himself. There was no fucking way he was going to let Sophie stare at some firefighter’s ass all afternoon and let him man-handle her up and down the side of a mountain.
Sophie stared at him but there was a twinkle in her eyes that gave him hope. This time it seemed she enjoyed his small show of jealousy.
“What else is there?” Grant asked.
