Chapter 14
“When I said that we should do more things together to bond, I was thinking more like yoga or getting our nails done.”
Lily twisted her arms over her head and pushed herself up to the tips of her toes. “Running is a lot more fun, and it releases a lot of feel-good endorphins.”
Sophia huffed and swatted a lock of hair away. “I did mention that I don’t like exercise, right? At least not running.”
Lily stopped stretching and draped an arm over Sophia’s shoulders. “That’s because you don’t have a routine yet. I’m pretty sure I could make you love it.”
Ian lowered his water bottle and snorted. “Yeah, good luck with that. That’s not going to happen. You’d have a better chance of teaching a cat to sing.”
Sophia shot her brother a dirty look. “Says the guy who scarfs down donuts like there’s no tomorrow.”
Ian narrowed his eyes. “When are you going to let that go already? Everyone has a guilty pleasure, even you.”
“I’ll let it go when you stop bringing up my stress baking,” Sophia fired back, tossing a withering glance in her brother’s direction. “I heard you at dinner the other day. It’s very irritating.”
Lily draped her arms around the two of them and steered them in the direction of the front door. “Why don’t we run and talk? This way, it’ll be therapeutic on all fronts.”
Sophia and Ian exchanged annoyed looks.
Then they were outside in the early morning sun, a warm breeze drifting past, smelling like freshly cut grass and freesias. Lily released them and set off at a brisque pace, her ponytail swishing back and forth as she did. Ian took off after her and caught up to her easily, pausing to give his sister a smug look. Sophia muttered to herself as she stretched out her hamstrings. When she finally did catch up to them, she was red-faced and out of breath, and Lily didn’t even look winded.
Ian, on the other hand, looked a little green around the edges.
“Looks like someone needs to stop sending other people to chase after the bad guys,” Sophia teased, pausing to stick her tongue out at Ian. “See? This is why you need to lay off the donuts.”
Ian scowled. “Like I don’t know about the dark chocolate you keep hidden in every corner of the house.”
Sophia lifted her chin up. “Dark chocolate is healthy.”
“Not with the quantities you eat.”
“Everyone is allowed to have coping mechanisms,” Lily reminded them, her gaze swinging back and forth between the two. “Ian, how’s it going with the break-ins? You mentioned that they hadn’t happened in a while. Does this mean they’ve given up?”
“No, it usually means they’re waiting for interest to fade before they strike,” Ian replied, his eyes tightening around the edges. “We haven’t had any new leads in a month, though, so the captain isn’t happy.”
“I’m sure you’ll—”
Lily was cut off by the shrill ringing of Ian’s phone. He fished it out of his sweatpants and pressed it to his ear, a furrow appearing between his brows. Then he hung up, shoved it back into his pants, and came to a halt in the middle of an empty, commercial street.
“This has been fun, but I have to go. Station needs me to go in because there’s been another break-in.”
“Stay safe,” Sophia called out to his retreating back. “Let us know how it goes.”
Ian waved back at her and sprinted off. Once he’d turned into a speck on the horizon, Sophia spun around to face her sister and found Lily giving her an odd look.
She tucked her hair behind her ears and paused to scrub her face. “What? Do I have mayo on my nose again?”
Lily shook her head and paused to match her pace to Sophia’s, the two of them slowing to a brusque walk. “No, I was just wondering how you can handle having a brother who’s a cop. Don’t you worry about him all the time?”
“I do, but you learn to handle it,” Sophia replied with a rueful smile. “Otherwise, the worry is going to drive you crazy, and you won’t be able to function.”
Lily nodded. “I definitely feel like that would be. Like I wouldn’t be able to handle it all. Ever since I found out that Ian’s a cop, I’ve been paying more attention to crime rates and statistics and lingering over the morning news. I honestly don’t know how you do it.”
Sophia patted Lily’s back. “You’ll get better; trust me.”
Lily twisted to face Sophia, her eyes softening around the edges. “You did it with Darren too, didn’t you? An ex who’s a firefighter, and a brother who’s a cop… It’s a wonder you aren’t a nervous wreck.”
“Most of the time, I am,” Sophia joked, pausing to shake her head. “When I was married to Darren, it was a lot worse. The first few years of marriage were the worst, up until I got pregnant. I’d wake up in the dead of night, searching for him. I even started sleepwalking.”
And it wasn’t until Darren had insisted on booking an appointment with a therapist that she’d been able to breathe again. Using the coping mechanisms her therapist had given her, Sophia was able to find healthy ways to cope with the stress by giving it an outlet and not allowing herself to be overpowered by it.
It wasn’t always easy, but when she was married to Darren, it helped during the times he had night shifts and the days when there was an actual fire, and she’d go hours without hearing from him.
Suddenly, Sophia had a vision of herself cradling a tiny Zoe to her chest while reading Zac a book and trying not to dwell on the horrors of the outside world.
She’d spent too much time thinking of worst-case scenarios whenever the phone blared in the dead of night or the doorbell rang unexpectedly.
Now, Sophia was determined not to give it too much thought, and she was certain Lily could do the same, if only to be able to survive the pressure of it all. It wasn’t an ideal situation by any means, but Sophia knew it could be a lot worse, and at the end of the day, she was proud to know people who were willing to put their lives on the line for others.
“I’m glad you were able to figure out a method that works for you.” Lily came to a stop outside Cousin Emily’s bakery, and the two of them peered through the window.
Giggling, they stepped inside and waved at the staff standing behind the glass display in a red and white uniform. Jazz music played through the overhead speakers, and Sophia found herself admiring the tile floors beneath her feet and the red vinyl booths scattered throughout.
She wondered what kind of décor she’d use if she had her own bakery.
As quickly as the thought came, she pushed it away and moved to the front of the line. After ordering two cups of coffee and cheese croissants, she and Lily stepped back outside. In silence, Sophia munched on her food and enjoyed the sun’s warmth on the back of her neck.
Sophia paused with the croissant halfway to her lips. “Can I ask you a question?”
“That counts as a question,” Lily teased in between bites of her food. “You can ask two questions. What’s up?”
Sophia took a long sip of her coffee, the liquid trickling down her throat before settling in the pit of her stomach. “How did you know it was time to end your marriage? I mean, there must’ve been a lot leading up to it, but how were you able to tell that you couldn’t do it anymore?”
Lily swallowed and cleared her throat. “I think, like you said, it was a lot of small things leading up to it, but it wasn’t a big moment or anything like that. I remember I’d done a conference call with the kids, and when I was done, Lance came into the kitchen, criticized the food I made him, and walked out the front door without a backward glance.”
“That was it? I thought it would be something a bit more…”
“Dramatic?” Lily’s lips lifted into a half smile. “Yeah, I thought so, too, but in my experience, the small things add up, and I realized I couldn’t waste one more second being unhappy.”
Sophia tore off a piece of her croissant and nibbled. “I know he was awful to you, so you’ve never considered going back, right?”
Lily’s expression turned thoughtful. “I wouldn’t say never. There were times when I doubted my decision, mostly because of the amount of grief he gave the kids, but I knew that I wouldn’t be going back for the right reasons. Lance can’t change. He’s already proven that.”
“What if he had changed?”
Lily studied Sophia’s face. “Yeah, I guess if I felt like he’d changed, I might’ve gone back, but there’s no way to know for sure with these things. Look, walking away from a marriage is never easy, and it’s not a decision you can make lightly, and it’s okay to doubt yourself and miss the relationship you had. However, it’s also important to recognize when it’s time to let things go and walk away for good.”
Sophia sighed and said nothing.
“You’re really torn up about the Darren thing, huh?”
Sophia glanced up sharply. “What Darren thing? What are you talking about?”
Lily chuckled. “Soph, I know we haven’t known each other long, but you are an open book. I’ve seen the way you’ve been sneaking glances at him, and you two spend a lot of time together for a divorced couple.”
“We’ve got kids, and we live in the same town,” Sophia sputtered, ignoring the color rising up her cheeks. “It’s normal for us to interact.”
“Is that what you’re calling it?” Lily paused to throw away their cups and used the napkin to wipe her mouth. “Look, I’m not an expert, but as far as I can tell, you still have feelings for Darren. It’s normal since you were together for so long, but I don’t know if it means anything else.”
Sophia’s eyes darted away, and she studied the steady flow of people on either side of them. “It can’t mean anything else. Darren and I drifted apart for a reason. The thing is, I kept telling myself it wasn’t an issue when Zoe left for college, but I should’ve known then. By the time Zoe left, it was too late.”
“It’s normal for couples to drift apart once they become empty nesters,” Lily told her, pausing to give Sophia’s hand a tight squeeze. “It’s even normal to live separately for a while, but you’re the one who keeps saying that the reasons you drifted apart still stand.”
“Sometimes, I’m not sure if they do.” Sophia stretched her arms up over her head and searched her sister’s face. “Do you get what I mean?”
“I do, and I’m sure you’ll figure it out. In the meantime, we should head back. I’m sure Stu, Ben, and the others are wondering why we aren’t back yet.”
A short while later, Sophia and Lily stepped in through the front door and were greeted with a chorus of well wishes. Sophia paused to give her dad a one-armed hug before setting the table. After breakfast, she lingered, not wanting to be alone with her thoughts. In the afternoon, Lily and Ben set up a table in the backyard, and they all sat around, playing cards and drinking iced tea.
When the sun dipped below the horizon, Ben invited Lily out to lunch. Aunt Heather and Uncle Ed went out with a few of their friends and managed to persuade Stu to join them. Sophia ignored all of their attempts at luring her out and settled in for a quiet night with a glass of wine, a bowl of popcorn, and a lazy Teddy dozing at her feet.
Halfway through her movie, she heard a distinct clicking sound. Hastily, she rummaged through the table drawer and pulled out her pepper spray. Then she patted the couch for her phone, finding it wedged between two pillows. Teddy was already between her and the front door, his fur in hackles and his lips drawn back to reveal his teeth.
Darren was on the phone with Sophia when the door burst open, and the assailant stepped in. Teddy wasted no time launching himself at the assailant’s leg and sinking his teeth in. The assailant’s howl of pain was unmistakably a man’s, and it sent fear straight to Sophia’s stomach. She began to scream at the top of her lungs and threw herself at the masked intruder, landing a few scratches and bites.
Then she lifted her pepper spray and aimed for his clear hazel eyes.
He let out another curse, shook Teddy off, and stumbled backward. Sophia grabbed Teddy’s collar and tugged him back as the intruder stumbled around the living room, swatting at things and rubbing his eyes. By the time he opened his eyes, they were tinged a bright, blood red, and sirens echoed in the distance. Hastily, and with an angry look in Sophia’s direction, he staggered backward and flew down the stairs.
Ian’s car came to a screech, and he set off after the intruder, a blur of color and movement against the darkness of the night. Darren’s firetruck followed soon after, and Sophia’s ex came flying out of the side door, catching up to Ian easily. The two of them rounded a corner and disappeared, leaving Sophia scrambling with her phone and an irate Teddy, who kept thrashing and howling.
Once he saw Ian and Darren round the corner again, red-faced and grim, Teddy relaxed, and she released his collar. He raced toward them, paused to sniff their feet, and licked their hands. Then he came back to where Sophia stood in her pajamas and a hoodie, her heart racing at a million miles a minute.
She looked from her ex to her brother, and her stomach dipped. “You didn’t catch him, did you?”
Ian sheathed his gun. “We lost him in one of the alleys. For a guy who got peppered sprayed, he sure is fast.”
“But it’s good that we know he’s a guy. That helps us narrow down the suspect list,” Darren added with a small smile in her direction. “You did good, Soph.”
Sophia blew out a breath. “Don’t look at me. Teddy did most of the heavy lifting. For such a sweet dog, he sure does know how to bite. He really sank his teeth in there.”
Darren crouched in front of Teddy, took his face in his hands, and gave him a kiss. “I knew I had you to thank for the limp. Thanks to Teddy, we might be able to get a blood sample to help us identify who it was.”
Sophia patted Teddy’s head. “How?”
“I’ll send a team to the alley. If Teddy bit him hard enough, there should be enough traces of blood to help,” Ian replied after casting a quick look over his shoulders. “In the meantime, you should go back inside and get some rest.”
“As if I could get any kind of rest right now.”
Stu pushed his way through the swarm of cops and made a beeline for Sophia. “I can’t leave you alone for a long time, can I? Sweetheart, if you wanted some excitement for the weekend, all you had to do was come out with us.”
Sophia drew Stu in for a hug. “You know me, Dad. I’m all about the fun.”