It wasn’t exactly where I imagined I would be at that stage in my life. Sophie leaving me had blindsided me. Mother’s incessant complaining and angry rages about Sophie had placed doubt in my mind about all of my decisions.
I hadn’t wanted to give up, and I was convinced I could win her back. Then there was Nat, ready and waiting to take her place by my side. It was what I had always wanted, or was it? No matter how we spun it, it still rang false. All the lies Mother weaved, the palms she greased to paint Natalia and me as soulmates, fell flat. People were just too afraid to say what they really thought.
But Natalia wasn’t Sophie. She didn’t have her softness, her genuine kindness. Over the years, Natalia maintained a rigid exercise regime as well as regular salon andrejuvenationtreatments. As time passed, she got thinner, tighter, her features impossibly smooth and waxy-looking.
Sophie was as beautiful as always. By the time the divorce had officially gone through, she had dropped the baby weight, and every time I saw her, she managed to take my breath away. Although there wasn’t a huge age difference between the two,there was something everlastingly youthful yet womanly about Sophie. Mature and even-tempered, with a body that had me salivating. Each new glimpse of Sophie lodged an arrow deeper into my heart and caused doubt and regret to creep up my throat. I couldn’t help but make comparisons. Where Nat was tall and svelte, Sophie was all curves, soft dips, and swells. While I was mooning over her, all she wanted was distance.
How? How can she pretend to feel nothing for me? Cut me out, end our relationship after one little bump?Had she asked me, I would have broken things off with Natalia and sent her to live in another state or country. I didn’t even get that chance, the opportunity to atone for my sins.
Sophie still loved me. I knew she did. Her love was pure and didn’t have strings attached. Maybe that was why it was so easy for her to cut all ties with me. Even though we shared a daughter, Sophie remained elusive, all messages going through a third party or with Pops hovering nearby, ready to play savior.
On the ride to the office, I found myself scrolling through Sophie’s profile, studying each photo of her smiling face and striking features. Her long, thick hair stirred something familiar, and a memory washed over me—the faint scent of coconut, warm and intoxicating. She looked so full of life and happiness. All I could think about was how much I wanted that back. How I had taken it all for granted before.
Thinking about the past few years with Natalia had my stomach souring. All the ease, the calm that was my relationship with Sophie, disappeared once Natalia moved in. Everything was a crisis. Everything needed an immediate response. Money and time. There was never enough of it where Nat was concerned.
Not to mention, we still didn’t have a child together. Mother’s main selling point on the marriage was our ability to produce a male heir, to ensure we stayed in Grandfather’s good graces and were left what we deserved from the company. I couldn’t help but think that ship had sailed, and we had only dug ourselves deeper into that mess.
Swiping through the photos of Sophie and Lou, I stopped onthe image of them with the strange man. In the five years since our divorce, I had never seen Sophie with another man. She had never even dated, to my knowledge. A part of me always wondered.What if I could go back? What if we had a second chance?A plan started forming, a vision of a different future—the one I lost. Sophie and Eloise, back by my side, with Grandfather’s approval finally given freely. I could divorce Nat and reunite my family. It was what would be best for everyone. I just had to make Sophie see that.
Chapter 13
Lincoln
Finding time to see Sophie in person was a new and fascinating experience. In the week that followed the fair, I brought her lunch once, and we managed to meet for coffee later in the week as well. The longer we spent time apart, the more desperate I became for any sight, touch, or taste of her.
The drastic shift in my thoughts should have spooked me. I was a sworn bachelor, soured on the idea of relationships after my own marriage crashed and burned. I’d thought I was happy with my life, satisfied. With Sophie, all of a sudden, I wanted more, and the only thing that scared me was the idea that she might not feel the same. I cherished the time we had spent together so far, but I was desperate for more.
Sophie had invited me over for dinner with her and Lou. I was pleased, curious to see the inside of their space. That didn’t mean I wasn’t planning an official date night for me and my girl. Shock at how invested I already was ran through me, but I dismissed it, my growing obsession with Sophie outweighing any of my previous concerns.
In the short time that I’d gotten to know her, Sophie seemed to think about everyone else before herself. I wanted to spoil her, but something told me she would be… difficult about it. I was taking my time to learn as much as I could about both Sophie and Lou. Likes and dislikes, habits and schedules. It seemed mundane, listing it out like that, but my life was far more flexible than theirs. I was ready and eager to become a part of their routine.
Everyday life wasn’t picture-perfect. It wasn’t all over the top, fairytale dreams. I wanted something authentic; the daily play-by-play of a messy, unpredictable life. Because that’s what this all was to me. I hadn’t been in a serious relationship since my marriage, and I had never dated anyone with kids. The gravity of the situation, what was on the line, wasn’t lost on me.
For our first date, I had something simple but fun planned. I took her out in the Nulu area, starting with dinner reservations at Repeal Oak-Fired Steakhouse. The food was always delicious, and the dining room was spacious, providing privacy and room for intimate conversation. I picked Sophie up, and she looked edible in the jeans that molded to every part of her hips and ass. The simple top she had on showed just enough skin to torture me, but not nearly enough to satisfy my craving for her.
The hostess was a younger girl—barely drinking age, if I’d had to guess.
“Hi, there! My name is Bethany. How can I help you tonight, Mr…” she asked, batting her lashes at me while studiously ignoring Sophie.
“Reservation for Carson,” I told her, reaching for Sophie’s hand, entwining our fingers. The hostess eyed her with a frown before looking back down at the books.
Once seated, Sophie seemed stiffer, a bit nervous. She was looking around at everyone in the restaurant but me. Once the waiter took our orders and left the table, I decided to get some questions out of the way.
“Tell me about your ex.”
She looked at me, startled, eyes wide. “What? Why would you want to talk about that?” she asked, looking adorably scandalized.
“It’s not like we can ignore it. He’s Lou’s dad. I assume he’s still a part of your life. Plus, I’m sure you have questions about my ex-wife.”
“I didn’t know you were married,” she replied, before biting her lip, as if to hold back the rest of her response.
“Yep. Only once. Been divorced for almost ten years now. Your turn.”
“We were only married a year when I found out he was having an affair. It turned out I was just a placeholder until his childhood sweetheart was ready to get married,” she told me, a practiced nonchalance in her manner that belied how deeply it all had wounded her.
“So he wanted to marry the mistress?” I asked, having a hard time comprehending. To my surprise, she snorted, a sardonic smile on her face.
“I think Max would have preferred to keep things how they were. The clueless housewife in public and his sultry mistress on the side. Max is very used to getting anything and everything he wants.” Not liking the sound of that, I prodded further.
