Chapter Nine Sophie #2
“Exactly! It’s our annual welcome-to-spring festival. Everyone in town comes out to the harbor. There’s food, local wine, music, dancing under the new cherry blossoms…” Grace’s eyes twinkled. “Very romantic.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Sophie hedged. “I should really focus on getting these plans finalized, and there’s so much to do—”
“Sophie Bennett,” Grace said firmly, “you are not spending your first weekend in Solace Springs cooped up alone in this boathouse. The festival is the perfect way to meet everyone in town. Plus,” she added with a wink, “a certain boat captain always helps set up the fairy lights along the docks.”
“That’s supposed to convince me to go?” Sophie asked, ignoring the way her traitorous heart did a little hop at the mention of Luke. “Watch me spend an evening avoiding eye contact with a man who probably thinks fairy lights are ‘unnecessary illumination’?”
“Well, that and the fact that I know he secretly loves this particular community event, even though he pretends to hate it,” Grace said. “He even has a small dance he’ll do, if forced to.”
Sophie tried, and failed, not to imagine Luke dancing under cherry blossoms and twinkling lights. Her brain helpfully supplied an image of his strong hands at her waist, and she quickly redirected her thoughts before Grace noticed her blushing.
“Plus,” Grace continued, “it’s tradition for newcomers to be officially welcomed at Spring Awakening. The whole town will be expecting you.”
“No pressure or anything,” Sophie muttered. “Just my entire social future hanging in the balance. Maybe I should make a spreadsheet of potential conversation topics. ‘Weather’ in column A, ‘Local Fishing Techniques I Know Nothing About’ in column B…”
“Yes, I would totally recommend a spreadsheet when it comes to the people here. So, have I terrified you enough into attending?”
Sophie laughed. “Fine, I’ll come. But I’m not dancing. The last time I tried, a child asked if I needed medical attention.”
Grace quirked an eyebrow. “Look who’s just turned up.”
Sophie followed her gaze through one of the front windows to see Luke was standing outside her front door, looking uncomfortable and impossibly handsome. She got up, ignoring Grace’s wiggling eyebrows, and opened it. “Hey.”
“Hey. Just wanted to let you know I’m free tomorrow,” he said.
“Free…for what?”
“To help. With the renovation. Kyle said he’d be coming to sort the pipes out,” he said, referring to the plumber Sophie had managed to call after returning from their boat trip, “so I could introduce you, be on hand if he needs me, help you with some bits and pieces.”
“You’re volunteering to help me with the renovation?” Sophie clarified, still processing. “To help, and I quote, ‘the woman who knows nothing about proper boathouse maintenance and will probably install fairy lights where load-bearing beams should be’?”
Luke had the decency to look slightly embarrassed. “I never said that.”
“Not in those exact words. There were more grunts and disapproving looks involved.”
Grace snorted into her cup. Luke rolled his eyes as he realized she was there, muttering great under his breath. “Look,” he said, his jaw doing that delicious tensing thing that was entirely unfair during business negotiations, “you need help. I know these structures. It makes sense.”
“It does make sense,” Sophie agreed slowly. “But I couldn’t possibly ask you to—”
“You’re not asking. I’m offering.”
“Well, this is fascinating,” Grace announced, standing up with poorly concealed glee. “But I should get back to the café. Lots of…coffee…things…happening there.”
After Grace left with a singsong “Have fuuuun!” Sophie turned back to Luke, who was studying the exposed beams with intense concentration.
“Fine then,” she said. “How much?”
“How much what?”
“That thing where I give you money in exchange for services rendered? It’s quite popular in advanced economies.”
“I don’t want your money,” he said, looking genuinely offended by the suggestion.
“Well, I can’t just let you work for free. That’s taking advantage.” Did she imagine that slight raise of the eyebrow?
“Consider it neighborly goodwill.”
“Neighborly goodwill from the man who looked at me like I’d suggested painting the lake pink when I mentioned repainting the walls.”
“Do you want my help or not, Bennett?” His voice had that gruff quality that did completely inappropriate things to Sophie’s insides. Add a small quirk of those delectable lips and she would melt entirely.
She pretended to consider it, tapping her chin thoughtfully. “Fine. But I’m at least feeding you. And coffee. Nonnegotiable.”
“Deal. I’ll be here at eight tomorrow. We’ll start with the structural assessment.”
“So bossy,” Sophie murmured. “Eight it is, Captain.”
As he left with a curt nod, Sophie allowed herself exactly five seconds of undignified internal squealing before giving herself a telling-off and returning to her renovation plans. After all, she had a bookshop to build and, apparently, a very handsome, very grumpy assistant builder to manage.