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“You still are,” Sophie said truthfully. “I had no idea Gray had so many teeth.”
Something sad flashed across Ashley’s pixie-like features. “Yeah, well. He’s always been quiet and reserved, but back then he wasn’t quite so…”
“Emotionally handicapped?” Sophie supplied with a smile.
She expected Ashley to smile back, but she gave a small shake of her head. “I was going to say ‘wounded.’”
Sophie’s smile faded, and she stared again at the picture of Gray. She was so used to seeing his lack of social charms as a character flaw. What if it was an emotional scab that she kept picking at?
“What happened? The fiancée?” she asked Ashley.
The other woman gave a short nod. “It was a rough one.”
For some reason, Sophie had a hard time picturing Gray being hurt by a woman. He seemed the type to let the messy emotional stuff roll right off of him.
Ashley seemed to be studying Sophie for a minute before directing Sophie’s attention to another picture. “That’s Jessica.”
The picture seemed to be at a celebration of some sort. Gray had his arm around a blonde woman, and Sophie leaned in for a closer look.
And felt like she’d been kicked in the stomach.
“She looks just like me.”
Ashley nodded. “This picture doesn’t even do your similarities justice. The facial features are uncanny. Ian mentioned that Gray thought there was a resemblance, but seeing you on the front porch took my breath away. It was like déjà vu.”
“Wow, no wonder he’s had such a hard time liking me,” Sophie muttered. “What happened exactly?”
Ashley looked away guiltily. “It’s not really my story to tell. I shouldn’t even have shown you this picture. I just thought you should know. She’s the reason he insists he’ll never get married.”
There was another kick in the stomach. Much harder this time.
It doesn’t matter.
Why should it matter? One kiss and an arm around the back of her chair did not a soul mate make.
“Really?” Sophie asked, grateful that her voice didn’t croak. “I didn’t know. I mean…we’ve obviously never had that kind of discussion.”
Ashley gave her a knowing look. “I’m not trying to rush you to the altar, of course. But if you are looking for an eventual husband and father of your children, well…it’s always better to know sooner, isn’t it?”
“Thank you for telling me,” Sophie said, not really sure if she meant it. Navigating this weird thing happening with her boss was hard enough without knowing she was basically a ghost from his past.
As for the whole Gray will never get married thing, well…that just wasn’t her problem, now, was it?
After using the restroom, Sophie helped Ashley finish doing all the dishes, but her previously light, giddy mood had evaporated. Her eyes kept straying to Gray’s profile as he and Ian still sat at the outdoor table.
At Ashley’s request, Sophie took dessert out on the patio and began dishing up strawberry shortcake with more force than necessary.
“Here,” she snapped at Gray. She shoved the plate in his direction and sucked in a sharp breath when she felt his fingers brush deliberately against hers. And linger.
He stared up at her with hooded eyes, and Sophie jerked her hand back so quickly that she bobbled the plate, leaving Gray to make a quick grab for it with two hands.
“Sorry,” she muttered as a strawberry fell into his lap. The pink stain on his perfectly pressed khakis was immensely satisfying.
He gave her a questioning glance, which she ignored. She couldn’t help it—she was mad. Mad that he hadn’t trusted her enough to mention a rather significant detail about his past.
Really, he might have mentioned that she just happened to be the spitting image of a woman who’d spit on his heart.
And it wasn’t just anger rippling through her.
