Chapter Fifteen Sophie
Fifteen
Sophie
Sophie stood at the edge of the dock as Luke’s boat disappeared into the darkness, the distant orange glow on the island reflecting off the water.
Around her, the festival had shifted from celebratory to concerned, clusters of people gathering at the shoreline to watch the drama unfold across the lake.
“Well, that’s one way to end a snog session,” she muttered to herself, arms wrapped tightly around her middle.
Her lips still tingled from Luke’s kisses, her body humming with frustration and lingering desire.
Trust her to finally throw caution to the wind only to have the universe immediately douse said wind with a bucket of cold reality.
“So…You and Luke Rhodes.”
Sophie turned to find Mabel beside her with a knowing smile playing on her lips.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Sophie replied with what she hoped was convincing innocence. “We were just discussing…boathouse renovations.”
“Uh-huh.” Mabel handed her a cup of steaming liquid that smelled suspiciously like her potent punch, this time warmed up.
“Is that what they’re calling it these days?
Because from where I was standing, it looked like you were conducting a very thorough inspection of each other’s tonsils beneath the McCauley cherry tree. ”
Sophie’s cheeks flamed. “Oh God. Who else saw?”
“Relax.” Mabel laughed. “Half the town is either too drunk on my punch or too distracted by the mysterious island fire to notice. Though I should warn you that Margaret has excellent night vision for an octogenarian and she’s not as discreet as I am.”
“Brilliant,” Sophie groaned, taking a sip of the punch. The warmth slid down her throat, settling in her stomach with a pleasant burn. “So much for my reputation as a serious businesswoman.”
“Please. This is Solace Springs. Your reputation would be more suspect if you didn’t occasionally lock lips with a local.” Mabel nudged Sophie’s shoulder playfully. “And as locals go, Luke Rhodes is definitely top-tier snogging material, as you Brits would say.”
“I’ll have that embroidered on a pillow,” Sophie replied drily, though she couldn’t help the small smile that crept across her face. “God, Mabel. What am I doing? I’ve known him all of a week.”
“Sometimes that’s all it takes,” Mabel said with a shrug. “One week into meeting my husband, we broke his parents’ bed with our antics.”
“Mabel, you little firecracker.”
“All I’m saying is, lake time works differently. A week here is like a month anywhere else.”
Sophie’s gaze drifted back to the island, where she could make out the speeding boat silhouetted against the flames.
Somewhere on there was Luke, all solid strength and capable hands.
Hands that had been on her waist, in her hair, cupping her breast with a delicious pressure that made her shiver even now.
“It’s just…” Sophie hesitated, not sure how to articulate the tangle of emotions Luke stirred in her. “I didn’t come here for this. I came to start a bookshop, to prove I could do something brave and unexpected. Not to fall for the first gorgeous man who fished me out of a lake.”
Mabel took a thoughtful sip of her punch. “Maybe the brave thing isn’t always what we think it is. Sometimes it’s easier to move across an ocean than to let someone see who you really are.”
Something about Mabel’s words landed in a tender spot. Sophie stared into her cup, watching cherry blossom petals floating on the surface spin in lazy circles.
“Look, I’ve known Luke his whole life,” Mabel continued, “and truth be told, I’ve never seen him look at anyone the way he looked at you tonight.” She paused, considering her next words carefully. “Though come to think of it, maybe the universe did you a favor with that fire.”
“How’s that?”
“Luke tends to go all in when he commits to something—whether it’s a boat engine, a storm-damaged dock or, apparently, you.” Mabel raised an eyebrow. “After his mom left, he walled himself off completely. Now that those walls are starting to come down…”
“What?” Sophie prompted when Mabel trailed off.
“Just…maybe it’s not the worst thing to have a night to catch your breath.
To make sure you both know what you’re getting into.
” Mabel glanced toward the island. “Luke has roots here that go generations deep. This lake isn’t just where he lives.
It’s who he is. To be sure about him, you need to be sure about this place, too.
I don’t think he could cope with yet another person upping sticks. ”
Sophie nodded slowly, a new clarity settling over her. What Mabel was saying made uncomfortable sense. For all her color-coded binders and five-year plans, when it came to romance, Sophie had the impulse control of a toddler in a sweet shop.
Solace Springs itself had been one massive impulse.
Did she even know if she wanted to stay here permanently?
The night before, she’d been fretting about the lack of decent Thai food delivery.
Tomorrow, she might realize she couldn’t live without London’s tube system or shops that stayed open past 7 p.m.
And if she wasn’t absolutely certain this was her forever home, what right did she have to risk Luke’s heart?
The man was as rooted to this lake as the cherry trees.
Clearly his mother and then his ex had already done a number on him by leaving, and now here was Sophie, potentially about to become Claire 2. 0: The British Edition.
God, listen to myself, she thought. As if a man who looked like he’d been carved from granite by an artist with a very generous chisel would be devastated by her potential departure.
Luke Rhodes was hardly going to waste away pining for her if things didn’t work out.
More likely he’d just grunt, fix another boat, and carry on with the next woman who fell into his lake.
“You’re a wise woman, Mabel,” Sophie said finally.
“I surely am,” Mabel replied. They both stood watching the fire for a while before Mabel eventually said: “You should get some rest. They’ll be at it for hours, making sure it doesn’t flare up.”
“Will the inn be okay?” she asked.
“Looks to be the other side of the hill from the inn,” Mabel said, squinting her eyes.
The walk back to Sophie’s boathouse was quiet, the path lit only by the occasional streetlamp and the three-quarter moon overhead.
Sophie’s mind whirled with conflicting thoughts: desire for Luke warring with the practical voice that said rushing headlong into this relationship might not be the wisest course.
When she reached her dock, she paused to look across the water to where the boat drew closer to the island fire. Would he be okay? What if he was hurt?
The wretched way that thought made her feel spoke volumes: I am really falling for this man.