Page 68 of The Cherry Blossom Boathouse

“Yeah, but I think he had some backers, too.” Then he frowned. “That reminds me. Forgot to mention it at the time, been so busy with the renovation. Saw something on your phone the other week. Wasn’t snooping, just came up on your screen before I could drag my eyes away. It was a message about backers? Didn’t know you had business partners.”

Sophie nearly choked on her second sip of punch. Oh God. It must have been a crowdfunding notification. She’d been so careful to keep her phone locked, but evidently not careful enough.

“Not exactly partners,” she said carefully, her mind racing. She’d meant to tell him about the crowdfunding…eventually. Once the bookshop was further along, once they’d defined whatever this thing between them was, once she’d figured out how to explain it without making it sound like she’d misled him.

Luke’s eyes, sharp as ever, caught her hesitation. “What then?”

“Just…friends,” Sophie heard herself say. “From London. They contributed to a little fund to help with the renovations. Like…a housewarming gift, sort of.”

The lie slipped out so easily it startled her. Sophie Bennett, who prided herself on honesty, was standing here telling a bold-faced lie to the man she’d been sleeping with the past few weeks.

Luke studied her face for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then he nodded once, though something in his eyes suggested he wasn’t entirely convinced. “Nice of them.”

“Yes, it was,” Sophie agreed. She took another gulp of punch, welcoming the burn. “Very generous.”

Before Luke could press further, Grace appeared, linking her arm through Sophie’s. “I’m stealing your date for girl talk,” she announced to Luke. “Go be with Jake and the boys.”

Luke raised an eyebrow but didn’t protest as Grace dragged Sophie toward a cluster of people gathered on the deck outside.

“Found her!” Grace declared, depositing Sophie in a vacant chair. “Now spill. How’s it going with our resident boat whisperer with a permanent scowl?”

“And more importantly,” Caleb said as he joined them, “is he as good in bed as those thighs suggest?”

“Caleb!” Mabel scolded, though her eyes twinkled with interest.

Sophie felt a blush creep up on her. “I don’t kiss and tell.”

“That good, huh?” Caleb winked. “I knew it. Do you concur, Abbey?”

A blush spread up Abbey’s cheeks as an unwelcome jolt of jealousy sparked through Sophie.

“Don’t ask me; we were kids back then,” Abbey said, somehow reading Sophie’s thoughts. “Luke’s like a brother to me now.”

“Certainly not acting like a brother with our new London girl,” Caleb said.

“Leave the poor girl alone,” Grace said, though she looked equally curious. “She’s only been in town a few weeks.”

“And already accomplished what half the single women in Solace Springs have been trying to do for years,” Margaret commented drily. “Get Luke Rhodes to socialize.”

“We’re just…enjoying each other’s company while I renovate the boathouse,” Sophie said.

“Speaking of renovations,” Caleb said, leaning forward conspiratorially, “your renovation is going viral on Instagram. I saw a mood board you shared.”

Sophie blinked, momentarily thrown. “What do you mean?”

“A mood board you did for the renovation got shared by that big Bookstagram account…What’s it called…? Books and Beaches?”

The blogger must have taken it from her fundraising page.

“I’ll have to check it out,” Sophie said weakly, thinking of Luke. Thank God he wasn’t on social media.

She spotted him inside by the bar with Jake, Ray, and a few other men. He seemed relaxed, one hand in his pocket as he listened to whatever story Ray was telling, complete with wild gestures that threatened the drinks of everyone within a three-foot radius.

“Luke won’t like that,” Mabel murmured, as though echoing her thoughts. “He’s always detested social media, like when Claire was posting all those plans for the town on Facebook.”

“What was she like? Claire?” Sophie asked before she could stop herself.

The group exchanged glances.