Chapter Twenty-Five Sophie #2
“Details.” Ray waved dismissively, winking at Sophie. “This cranky bastard’s been giving me grief since he was knee-high to a tadpole. Used to steal bait from my traps to feed that three-legged cat that lived under the docks.”
“I was ten,” Luke muttered, the corner of his mouth twitching. “And you’re the one who taught me how to pick locks so, technically, you’re an accessory.”
Ray laughed, a booming sound that seemed to come all the way up from his boots.
“True enough. His grandfather nearly skinned us both alive when he found out.” He turned to Sophie.
“So what’ll it be? The regular Luke special or you brave enough to try Ray’s Mystery Catch with my homemade Inferno sauce?
This one”—he jerked a thumb at Luke—“can’t handle the heat. ”
“I value my taste buds,” Luke said drily. “Unlike some people who’ve burned theirs off with that battery acid they call hot sauce. Let’s just make it two of your Hook, Line, and Solace Sandwiches.”
Abbey approached then, a big smile on her freckled face. “How are the boathouse renovations coming along?” she asked Sophie.
“Really well, actually,” Sophie replied. “Though I’ve discovered that boathouses have approximately seventeen thousand hiding places for spiders. It’s like a nature documentary in there, except I’m the one screaming.”
Abbey laughed.
“ ’Course it helps having Luke there every day,” Ray said. “Reminds me of when you two were dating back in high school, Abbey; always over at your pa’s place fixing something or other!”
Sophie looked at Ray in surprise. Abbey was Luke’s ex?
Sophie took her in with new eyes. If someone had asked her to design the perfect all-American sweetheart, Abbey would’ve been the result.
Glossy hair that looked naturally sun-kissed rather than bottled, not a freckle out of place, and the kind of wholesome prettiness that belonged on butter commercials or hometown tourism brochures.
Of course she and Luke had been a couple.
The local boy with arms built for lifting boats and the sunshine girl who probably baked prize-winning pies.
They must have slow-danced at prom under twinkling fairy lights while Sophie was busy getting drunk on cheap vodka at her London comprehensive school dance and making questionable choices with older men named Gary.
Luke gave Sophie an awkward smile. “Christ, Ray, that’s going back years.”
“That’s such a lovely dress, by the way, Sophie,” Abbey said, adding to her charm by quickly deflecting. God, she was super nice, too! Damn her.
Sophie glanced down at her floral wrap dress, feeling suddenly overdressed.
“Oh, it’s probably a bit fancy for a food truck, but I was supposed to be having dinner at the Lakeside Bistro tonight.
We left, though, didn’t we, Luke?” Sophie continued, words tripping over each other as she tried to wrap her head about this goddess being Luke’s ex. “The woman who owns it is so rude.”
Luke’s eyes widened.
“Oh God, that was probably my mother,” Abbey said.
“Your mother?” Sophie felt heat creep up her neck as Luke’s mouth twitched, his hand on her back. Fantastic. I’ve just called this perfectly lovely woman’s mother a rude cow. Next I’ll probably insult her grandmother’s cooking and kick her dog for good measure. “Oh no, I didn’t mean to—”
“Don’t apologize!” Abbey laughed, her warmth only making Sophie feel worse.
“Trust me, I know exactly what she’s like.
She probably gave you the full speech about ‘maintaining standards,’ or some such nonsense.
Last week I heard she told a family they couldn’t bring their toddler because he was ‘disruptive to the dining atmosphere.’ The kid was sleeping in his stroller.
” She gave Sophie’s arm a quick squeeze.
“Good luck with the renovations; can’t wait to visit when it’s open. ”
“Thank you,” Sophie said just as Ray called out to let them know their food was ready. Luke carried their plates and canned drinks over to a picnic table overlooking the lake, Coral at Luke’s feet.
“I totally put my foot in it just now,” Sophie said.
“Don’t worry about it. Abbey’s cool. She knows what her mum’s like more than most.”
“So…you and Abbey dated, then?” Sophie couldn’t help but ask.
Luke nodded. “Yeah. Three years in high school. I wasn’t the best boyfriend. My mom leaving kind of turned me into a bit of a jerk.”
“A mum leaving will do that to a boy. If you don’t mind me asking, what happened with your mum?” Sophie knew, of course: Grace had told her. But she got the sense Luke needed to talk about it in that moment.
“Met some bigwig during a girls’ weekend in Seattle,” Luke said, jaw set.
“Didn’t know it was because of him at the time, but she started going away more.
Then one day, she packed her bags while Pa and I were out fishing.
” His jaw tightened. “Left a note on the kitchen table like we were a grocery list she didn’t have time to deal with properly. ”
“So she’s with this guy now?”
Luke shook his head. “Nah, not from what I’ve heard. Was a short-lived thing.”
“You said you don’t see her much. Did she cut off contact?”
“More like I did. She sent letters after she left, presents. Tried to get me to come stay with her in Vancouver when she moved there. I refused. And not a chance she’d have been welcomed back in Solace Springs.
” He shrugged. “I just stopped taking her calls in the end, stopped opening her letters and presents. Not spoken to her in years.”
“Oh, Luke, that’s terrible.”
He shrugged. “It’s fine; was a long time ago. My dad never got over it, though. Turned to drink.”
Sophie’s heart ached for the boy Luke had been, losing his mum at such a crucial age, then having his father become an alcoholic. She reached out, her hand covering his. “I’m sorry.”
Luke looked down at their hands, then up at her face. “Yeah, me, too.”
“Do you wish you could talk to your mum now?”
“Nah. She tore our family apart.” His voice seemed to have a carefully constructed neutrality that came from years of pretending the hurt wasn’t still raw. “And like I said, she turned me into a teenage jerk. Poor Abbey.”
“So…if it weren’t for your mum leaving,” Sophie asked, “do you think you and Abbey would still be together?”
Luke raised an eyebrow. “You jealous, Bennett?”
“Me? Jealous? That’s ridiculous. I don’t do jealous. I’m far too mature and sophisticated to—” She stopped mid-sentence when she caught the amused look on his face. “Fine. Maybe a tiny bit jealous. She’s basically a walking advertisement for small-town perfection.”
Luke pulled her closer, his arm around her shoulders feeling warm and solid.
“And you’re a walking advertisement for English rose perfection.
But no, no regrets because,” he said softly, “if I hadn’t made that mistake, I might still be with her and would never have met you.
” He then gestured to her roll. “You gonna eat that?”
Sophie took a bite and made an involuntary sound of pleasure. It really was divine: buttery, sweet, and perfectly seasoned. Proper seafood that tasted like the best bits of every lake and beachside holiday had been stuffed into a bun.
“Oh my God,” she said when she could form words again. “This is incredible.”
“Told you,” Luke said, trying and failing to hide his satisfaction.
She took in the panorama of Solace Springs laid out below them, lights twinkling along the lakeshore like fallen stars. She made a mental note to return during the day and bring a book with her. “I can see why you’d choose this over white tablecloths any day. Ray’s a character, too.”
“Yeah, our dads were best pals. Was like an older brother to me.”
“I realize I’ve never asked, do you have any siblings?”
Luke shook his head. “Only child. You mentioned you have an older sister? She like you?”
“Oh God, no, Lisa’s chaos in high heels.
Lives in Brighton, works in events, which basically means she gets paid to drink prosecco, boss people around, and somehow pull off miracles with fairy lights and portable toilets.
” She shook her head fondly. “We’re total opposites.
She thrives on chaos; I’m over here maintaining a detailed log of every book I’ve ever read, with star ratings and emotional impact scores.
She calls me ‘wholesome with a vengeance’; I call her a health and safety nightmare.
” Then, softer, “But she’s loyal. Wild, but loyal.
And if someone messes with me? God help them. ”
Luke laughed. “She sounds interesting.”
“Oh, she is. She was always the family rebel. Drove my parents nuts, sneaking out, getting into trouble. When our mum got sick a couple of years ago, though…” She paused, swallowing around the familiar ache.
“She was amazing. Handled all the arrangements, dealt with the doctors. I was useless, just crying and panicking, but Lisa just…stepped up.”
“Sounds like a good person to have in your corner.”
“Definitely. She’s got that same protective streak you do. Always looking out for everyone else. Like the way you did at the town meeting earlier. I liked that.” She traced abstract patterns on Luke’s veined hand then leaned into his neck.
“Do you miss home?” he asked her.
“Sometimes. But this feels like home, here with you right in this nook,” she said, snuggling her cheek into the warm spot between his collarbone and neck.
They stayed on that bench long after their food was gone, talking about safer topics.
When the spring chill finally drove them back to Luke’s boat, Coral was so deeply asleep she didn’t even wake when Luke gently placed her on a comfy blanket on one of the boat’s benches.
Sophie watched the tender way he handled his dog and listened as he whispered to Coral.
She couldn’t quite believe she’d met such a bundle of contradictions in a man: all hard and soft rolled into one, and it just made her want to roll around with him.