Page 55 of The Cherry Blossom Boathouse

Jake’s jaw dropped. “The Bistro? Holy shit, Rhodes. That’s like…actual romance. With cloth napkins and everything.” His expression shifted to something more serious. “You know I took Monica there for our anniversary, right? We broke up a week later.”

“Oh great,” Luke muttered. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

“I’m just saying, that place has a track record. Very intense. Very…relationship-defining.” Jake clapped him on the shoulder. “But hey, maybe that’s what you need. Force you to actually use your words instead of just grunting at her.”

Luke was about to tell Jake exactly where he could shove his relationship advice when he noticed Sophie was now surrounded by three men from the volunteer fire department, all of them leaning in close, talking animatedly. One of them—Davis, the cocky bastard—was demonstrating something with his hands that had Sophie laughing.

“You better keep an eye on that one,” Jake said, following his gaze with obvious amusement. “Davis has been asking about her since she got to town.”

Something hot and possessive flared in Luke’s chest like a gas burner catching. Sophie looked up and caught his eye, smiling that warm, private smile that was just for him. But Davis was still talking, still making her laugh, still standing too damn close.

Luke was moving before he’d consciously decided to. The three men around Sophie stepped back slightly as he approached—Luke Rhodes in protective mode was apparently not someone you wanted to test.

“Oh, hi,” Sophie said, her smile brightening. “We were just talking about the break-ins. Davis thinks—”

“I’m taking you to dinner,” Luke interrupted, the words coming out like a statement of claim rather than an invitation. Behind him, Jake groaned, putting his head in his hands.

Sophie looked confused. “Now?”

“Yeah, now.”

Davis and the other firefighters exchanged glances, clearly getting the message. Luke Rhodes had just marked his territory, and they were smart enough not to challenge it.

As they walked away, Luke caught Jake’s knowing smirk. The bastard had played him perfectly and they both knew it.

But as Sophie leaned slightly into his touch, Luke found he didn’t particularly care.

Twenty-Five

Sophie

The Lakeside Bistro was perched on stilts at the edge of Solace Springs, the wooden structure extended partially over the water and offering gorgeous views of the lake.

“This place is lush,” Sophie said. “I almost expect cartoon birds to start helping me set the table.”

Luke’s mouth quirked up at one corner and Sophie counted that as a win. Getting a partial smile out of this man felt like scoring the winning goal in the World Cup.

“You should have told me we were coming here,” she continued. “I’d have worn something fancier.”

“You look pretty fancy to me,” Luke said as he led her through the entrance. “Pretty damn beautiful, in fact.”

She felt that warm fuzzy sensation again.

Inside, original boathouse elements had been artfully incorporated into the decor: vintage oars crossed on walls, antique fishing equipment transformed into light fixtures and what looked like an actual boat hull serving as the bar. Splashes of color came in the form of hand-painted murals of Solace Lake through the seasons and cherry blossom garlands wrapped around wooden beams. Sophie breathed in the aromas of warm bread and fresh herbs, with an elusive hint of something like honeysuckle drifting from the house cocktails being mixed at the bar.

“The boatman,” a woman’s voice cut through the ambience. “How…unexpected to see you here.”

The boatman?

Sophie turned to see a tall, reed-thin woman with a perfect dyed-red bob approaching them.

“Evening, Victoria,” Luke said to her, looking slightly annoyed. “I thought you’d be at your Elmsworth Falls restaurant.”

“Oh, I like to check in on my smaller businesses every now and again. So, did the Germans I sent your way turn up last week?”

“They did,” Luke replied. “Thanks for that.”

“I should charge you commission.”