Falmouth Echoes (A Cape Cod Series Book 2)

Chapter 19

“What do you mean you locked yourself out of the house?” Sophia switched the phone from one ear to the other and cradled it between her neck and shoulders. “Aren’t you supposed to be at work?”

“I had the morning off,” Darren replied with a grunt. “And I can’t break in because the security alarm will go off.”

Sophia stopped whisking the batter. “I don’t understand how you even got locked out.”

“I didn’t close the door properly, and Teddy got out, so I ran out after him. That’s all there is to it.”

“Is Teddy alright?”

“He’s fine,” Darren said through gritted teeth. “Can you stop sounding so amused and come open the door?”

“I never said I found this amusing.”

“I can hear it in your voice,” Darren told her with another grunt. “The neighbors are going to think I’m breaking in or something. Can you please hurry?”

With that, Sophia hung up and set the whisk back down. After popping her head into Nora’s office and explaining the situation, the owner of the bakery waved her off without ever looking up from her computer. In the locker room, Sophia untied the apron, threw it in the locker, and grabbed her purse. Then she raced out the backdoor that led into an alleyway and went around to her car.

She kept checking her mirrors and sticking her head out to offer apologies to everyone she cut off. As soon as she pulled up next to the curb outside her father’s house, she suddenly realized why Darren had pestered her so hard.

Through the thin towel he had around his waist, she could see the faint outline of Darren’s behind. His entire skin was glistening with sweat, and he was peering through the windows, doubtless trying to find a way in. Sophia’s heart was racing inside of her chest as she got out and slammed the door to the car shut. A few of the neighboring women lingered in their doorways, openly gawking at Darren’s chiseled physique on display.

Sophia herself couldn’t look away.

When Darren spun around to face her, Sophia slammed her mouth shut and lifted her chin up. “I was going to make a joke about keeping your pants on, but looks like you beat me to it.”

Darren scowled and folded his arms over his chest. “This isn’t the time for jokes.”

Sophia shoved a hand into her purse and pulled out the keys, giving them a slight jingle. “Actually, it’s the perfect time. I’m pretty sure you gave every single woman on this block something to talk about. That’s quite a show you’re putting on. Sure you didn’t do it on purpose?”

“Why would I do it on purpose?”

Sophia paused. “Don’t you guys have that fireman’s calendar that you do every year? The one where you all pose half-naked with, like, puppies or cats or something?”

“You know it’s for charity.”

“Oh, sure. Having half the female population in town lusting after you is for charity.”

Darren made a low noise in the back of his throat. “Can you just open the door already?”

“In a minute. I’m enjoying this way too much.”

And she wasn’t ready to let Darren inside just yet, not when she was just as appreciative as the woman on her block for the unexpected show.

“Do you want the entire town to be talking about this?”

Sophia choked back a laugh. “You know, I hadn’t even thought about that. Yeah, they probably already are by now, so it’s too late.”

Darren’s hand darted forward, but she moved the keys out of his reach. “Come on, Soph. You’ve had your fun. Let me in before my skin is burned to a crisp.”

Sophia gave him a pointed look. “Nice try. I know you can tan easily. And this is payback for that mess you and your buddies made in the kitchen the other day.”

“You really need to let that go,” Darren grumbled darkly.

With one last smile in his direction, Sophia brushed past him and faced the door. She pushed the key into the lock, heard the click, and twisted the knob. Then Darren raced past her, with Teddy hot on his heels. Sophia stepped in after them and glanced around, taking in the pile of pots and pans in the kitchen.

“Were you having a party or something?”

“I was trying to make something new for lunch,” Darren replied, pausing to snatch his phone off the counter. “I’m going to go—Teddy, stop that.”

Teddy growled and tugged on the edge of the towel.

“What’s the matter with you?” Darren set his phone down and used both hands to try to take the towel back, but Teddy wouldn’t release it. He clamped down on it with the full force of his teeth, and Sophia watched as the two of them engaged in a tug of war that ended with Teddy growling and sending a buck-naked Darren into a spin.

Then he darted off with the towel, and Darren scrambled after him.

Sophia pressed her lips together to keep the laughter from bubbling out. Darren raced past her and circled the coffee table in the middle of the living room. Teddy stood on the other side of the table, hackles raised and the towel still between his teeth.

“I don’t think you’re getting that back.” Sophia kept her gaze fixed on the back of his head and tried not to look further down. “You should offer him a treat or something.”

Darren shot her a look over his shoulders. “Thank you for that astute observation, Sherlock. What would I have done without it?”

Sophia shrugged. “I’m not the one who’s stark naked and chasing the dog around the house.”

Darren twisted to face her, and Sophia’s entire body buzzed and hummed, color rising up her cheeks and neck. “Can you get me something to cover myself with?”

“Towels are being washed, but I think I can find something,” Sophia squeaked in a breathless voice.

She gave him her back and rummaged through the kitchen. Her fingers closed around the dish towel, and she threw it over her shoulders. When she turned back around, Darren was holding the towel over himself with one hand and using the other to hide his behind.

Sophia’s heart was pounding against her ears.

“We’re going to pretend this never happened,” Darren told her as he walked sideways and in the direction of her old room. “Just don’t antagonize Teddy further, or he might take away the dish towel, too.”

Sophia cleared her throat. “I have no idea what you’ve done to him, but it’s definitely your fault. He’s a sweet and obedient dog.”

Darren gave her a dirty look. “Don’t you have a job to get back to?”

As soon as he stepped into her room, he slammed the door shut behind him. Sophia doubled over with laughter and patted Teddy when he came over and handed her the towel. She draped it over the back of the kitchen chair and called out to Darren, who didn’t respond.

On the drive back to work, she couldn’t stop replaying what had happened between them, everything from the rush she felt at seeing her ex practically naked on the front lawn to realizing that whatever these feelings were that still lingered weren’t going away anytime soon.

Or ever.

With a sigh, she pulled into her usual parking spot and got out. For the rest of the day, she kept her head down and tried not to push away all thoughts of Darren and a reconciliation to the back of her mind until Nora came out of her office and beckoned her forward.

Earning a few looks from the rest of the staff, Sophia reluctantly set down the hand blender and stepped forward.

Inside Nora’s cream-colored office, Sophia had no idea what to do with her hands. “Thank you again for letting me duck out earlier.”

Nora sat down behind her desk and pushed her glasses up her nose. “I’m glad you were able to sort it out. I hate when I get locked out.”

“Me, too.”

Nora sat up straighter and pushed her chair forward. “I called you in here because I wasn’t sure if you heard what’s been happening. There’s this tall, dark-haired man who’s been wandering around town, asking about you.”

Sophia’s brows furrowed together. “About me?”

“About the Wilson Clan,” Nora clarified with a frown. “I thought you should hear it from me. No one wants to tell him any kind of information, but maybe you’d better inform the police. I’ve heard he’s a mean-looking guy.”

Sophia’s mouth went dry, and something low and unpleasant unfurled in the center of her stomach. “I’ll call my brother.”

As soon as she stepped out of her boss’s office, she sprinted to the locker at the end of the hallway. There, she took her phone out of her pocket, leaned against the door, and called Ian first. Then she added their father and Lily to the call, her heart pounding uneasily the entire time.

“It sounds like Dad might be looking for Amy,” Lily replied after a lengthy silence. “Did anyone happen to get a picture or something?”

Sophia pushed herself off of the wall and ignored the ice seeping through her veins. “I don’t think so, but I can ask.”

Ian exhaled. “I’ll let my boss know. In the meantime, you and Dad need to be careful.”

Sophia blew out a deep, shaky breath. “Darren is staying with us, and we’ve got Teddy and the security system. We should be fine. Dad, maybe you should come and stay with me…at least until this is sorted out.”

Stu grunted. “I’m not leaving this man run me out of my own house. If he comes after me, he’ll have to do it like a man.”

Sophia’s stomach clenched. “But Dad—”

“No, I’ll be fine. You worry about yourself.”

A short while later, during the drive back home, Sophia was still thinking about the man who was asking about them. She wondered if it was the same man who was following her the other day and brushed the thought away.

When she pulled up outside her father’s house and saw the lights switched on and soft music spilling out into the night, she smiled.

Inside, Darren was in the kitchen with an apron wrapped around his waist and a beaming Teddy at his feet. “Hey, what’s all this?”

“I was trying to make lasagna,” Darren replied without looking at her. “Your dad called to tell me about what’s happening. He’s at dinner with some friends, so it’s just us tonight.”

Sophia kicked off her shoes and left them by the door. “He needs the distraction. It’s been a crazy few weeks.”

Darren glanced up and frowned. “So, does Lily really think it might be her dad trying to find Amy?”

“Maybe.” Sophia peeled off her sweater and hung it up behind the front door. “He’s not exactly thrilled that Amy left him, and according to Lily, he’s not the forgiving type.”

Darren’s frown deepened. “She should look into getting a restraining order.”

“So should Olive,” Sophia said, covering the distance between them and leaning against the kitchen counter. “Her ex is a real piece of work, too.”

Darren grunted and returned his attention to the food.

After a dinner of pasta with red sauce, chicken drizzled with spices, and a green salad, Darren pulled her in for a hug. He ran his fingers down the length of her back, sending shivers racing up and down her spine.

As soon as he pulled away, he left Sophia standing in the hallway outside her old room with a heavy feeling in the center of her stomach. Teddy hurried after her and into her apartment.

Once she crawled into bed, Teddy curled up on his bed and fell asleep.

She brought her hands up over her head and kept thinking about how lucky she was to have found a man like Darren. From their very first meeting, when he’d held her back from racing into the bakery to save the cake she’d spent days working on, she’d known he was special.

Sophia had just forgotten how great he really was. She’d let her own fear and insecurity get in the way of things, and now she wondered if it was too late.

Were the two of them even meant to find their way back to each other?