“Anybody would do it,” I mumbled and cleared my throat, stepping toward Sophie.
“He’s like a freaking Disney princess,” Mason said.
That was the second time today I’d been accused of that.
I turned to Sophie to see if she would jump in to agree, but she was gone now. Faded away into the shadows. This would have been a perfect opportunity to ease her into theconversation. Plus, I wasn’t in the mood to entertain the pretty tourist in cutoffs.
“Well, I’m glad I could clear that up for you, I should—” I started.
“Oh, Pace. Good, you’re here finally.” It was Ruth. She sashayed up to me in her long skirt, and the rings covering all her fingers clicked as she brought her hands together. “I need your help after all. It’s those damn city delivery drivers. They left a bunch of boxes behind the B and B. Mind taking a minute to help me bring them in?”
“Of course, Ruth.” I grinned at her as my eyes continued to search for Sophie.
Maybe she just went to get a hot chocolate. I’d help out Ruth really quickly, and then I’d go find her so we could make a plan.
But after Ruth, Anne Marie Elkins, the retired librarian, needed me to help with her booth, and then Lu Billings and Noah Cooper asked if I knew whether Levi was here, Lu had a question about adding her art to the gallery. One thing after another popped up. Where were all these people today when I was desperate for a distraction? All of a sudden, I was the town’s most wanted man.
It was over an hour before I was able to break away and go back to searching for Sophie. I made a few inquiries, but nobody seemed to know who I was talking about.
“Who’s Sophie?” Claire asked when I found her and Levi canoodling around a smaller fire on the outskirts of the park. I told Levi that Lu was looking for him.
“She’s El Kincaid’s granddaughter. She works at the hobby shop,” I said, and the second it came out of my mouth, I knew I made a mistake.
“Is it her list?” Claire leaned in, voice hushed but straining with barely contained excitement.
“Yes.” I checked around to make sure nobody was listening, but the ruckus of the band and bonfire was too loud. “But don’t say anything. It was a whole thing to even get her to talk about it.”
For the first time since finding Sophie’s list, I started to doubt that I was the right person for this. After all, when have I ever been enough for anyone?
“Poor thing,” Claire said. “Is she okay?”
“Not dying. Just social anxiety,” I said, and regretted how casual it sounded.
“Justthat,” Levi said dryly.
Maybe I’d been too relaxed about it. I should know better. Being a firefighter teaches you real quick that the worst damage isn’t always the kind you can see. I had acted like I would in any emergency, without thought. But that wasn’t what was best in this scenario. Sophie was fighting battles most people wouldn’t even notice.
“Oh,” Claire said again, this time dragging out the word. She and Levi exchanged a look.
“But she came out here tonight?” Levi asked, brows furrowed in confusion.
“Not exactly.” I tugged off my baseball cap and toyed with the rim. “We were in the middle of talking. And then I got a text that there was an emergency—” Both of their eyebrows shot up. “There was no emergency. Just drunken stupidity.”
“Typical,” Levi said.
“But I brought her here, and then she must have gotten away, and now I can’t find her.” I pulled my hat onto my head, hiding my face. “And as I’m speaking, it’s becoming more and more clear what a tremendous asshole I’ve been.” The growing frowns on their faces didn’t help.
“People have no qualms saying whatever they want to whomever they want in the name of ‘just being honest,’” Claire said.
“It’s a lot,” Levi added.
“Shit,” I said. “How am I supposed to find her now?” How was I ever supposed to get her to trust me?
“It’ll be okay. I’m sure she’ll understand that your heart was in the right place,” Claire reassured me.
“Do you want us to help look for her?” Levi asked.
“No. I don’t want to draw any more attention to her. Or let her know that anybody else knows about the list. She’s really?—”
