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“My family owns a restaurant here in Alaska. I grew up in that environment and learned to cook at an early age.” He let out a chuckle. “One of my earliest memories is learning how to make lasagna from my grandfather. He grew up in Sicily and came over to Alaska after he married my grandma. He taught me something I’ll never forget. When you cook for someone, always add a special ingredient. Cook it with love.”
Sophie let out a gasp. Noah watched a myri
ad of expressions cross her face. Tears pooled in her eyes.
He wiped his hands on his apron and quickly made his way to her side, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Hey! Are you okay? Did I say something to upset you?”
Sophie shook her head. “No. You just made me homesick for a second. My family has a similar expression.” She heaved a tremendous sigh. “Being here in Love is wonderful. I feel like I’ve found my footing after falling on my face a few times. But not being able to see the people I love has been difficult.” She pressed her hand against her chest. “My heart aches a little from missing them.”
“Sounds like a perfect time to give ’em a call. The fries won’t be ready for a bit, so why don’t you make a phone call home? I’m sure they’d love to hear from you.”
Sophie ducked her head. “I can’t,” she said in a soft voice. “We’re not exactly on speaking terms at the moment.”
He had to mask his reaction so Sophie wouldn’t see his complete and utter surprise at her statement. Noah hadn’t seen this curveball coming. It was incredibly difficult to imagine her estranged from anyone. She didn’t seem capable of remaining at arm’s length with her loved ones, even though it fit in perfectly with his client’s portrayal of Sophie as cold and unfeeling. And it certainly hadn’t been included in the information Sussex had provided him. Why hadn’t he been told by his client that Sophie and her family were at odds?
“I don’t want to pry, but is it something that can be mended?” He blurted the question, not knowing whether he was asking for himself or for his investigation.
Sophie shook her head. “Not at the moment. Hopefully someday.” She began to fiddle with her fingers. “I was being pushed in a lot of different directions that weren’t good for me. Strings were being pulled behind my back. When I needed my family to support me unconditionally, they didn’t. And it hurt me very badly.”
He took a moment to let her words sink in. Sophie’s pain was palpable.
“Family dynamics are difficult sometimes. Take it from me. I have four brothers at home. Growing up, we fought and scrapped and argued. And we still do from time to time,” Noah admitted. “But there’s nothing we wouldn’t do for each other. And I’m guessing that your family feels the exact same way about you.”
Sophie bit her lip. “I used to think so, but they wanted me to marry someone who didn’t want to marry me for the right reasons. When I exposed him, my father didn’t believe me. He was on my ex-fiancé’s side. It’s kind of hard to get past something like that. It crushed me.”
Everything grew hushed in the kitchen. Noah felt his entire body freeze up. Was she talking about Sussex? If so, none of it meshed with the background story Noah had been given by his client. Hadn’t he said their relationship had been idyllic until Sophie had dumped him and left for Alaska? Hadn’t he implied another man was involved?
“You were engaged?” Noah asked, trying to keep his voice sounding normal. He needed to figure out what was going on. Was Sophie playing him for sympathy? That didn’t really make sense to him, since there was no reason for her to make up this elaborate story. After all, she had no idea he was actually a private investigator hired to keep tabs on her.
Sophie nodded. The pain etched on her face made his stomach ache. In that moment he wanted to hunt down the people who had hurt her and give them a piece of his mind. John Sussex? Her family? What had they done to this woman?
“Yes, I was supposed to get married. But I decided not to go through with the wedding once I realized he was only using me. I overheard a rather incriminating conversation between him and a lady friend of his. To tell you the truth, it was rather heartbreaking. I heard him say he didn’t love me and he never had.” Sophie sighed. “It’s a terrible feeling to know you’re a pawn in someone else’s game, but it made me realize that I didn’t want to be used or manipulated on such a grand scale. Not for anything in this world.” She shrugged. “He’d been a close family friend for years, though, so it was a double betrayal.”
Noah frowned. According to Sophie, her ex-fiancé hadn’t loved her. And there had been another woman involved. She had mentioned being used. The agony on her face when she had spoken about being betrayed resonated with him. He’d walked down that twisted, winding road himself. Kara’s deception still affected him to this day.
But his head felt muddled. What he’d just heard didn’t mesh with his client’s story that Sophie had been a disloyal fiancée who’d broken his heart and run off to Alaska. Sophie had mentioned being used as a pawn, which piqued Noah’s curiosity. Why hadn’t Sussex given him more background information? He needed to get to the bottom of all the inconsistencies. Quickly.
He didn’t really trust himself to speak at the moment. For just a little bit, he wanted to let the information settle inside him. It was hard to accept that his professional instincts might have been way off course. It was a matter of pride with him to get facts right. In his line of work too many things could go awry if he didn’t. Had financial desperation made him sloppy? Had he missed red flags with Sussex? Or was Sophie laying it on thick to win his sympathy?
“That’s why I appreciate this town so much,” she continued. “I came here to get away from all of the turmoil and to make a fresh start. And even though it was hard, I managed to do it.”
“It sounds like you wanted to get away from all the drama,” Noah said. If she was telling the truth, it was a game changer. She wasn’t the femme fatale. She could possibly be the victim.
Noah turned away from the stove and looked at Sophie. In this moment he wanted to give her some advice, and it had nothing to do with his assignment or his growing attraction to her. It was just plain talk from a friend. “I do believe that there’s nothing on this earth like family. I understand why you were devastated, and I’m sure there’s a lot you’re not saying, but maybe you should consider reaching out to your family. Give them an opportunity to make things right.”
Sophie regarded him with eyes as big as an owl’s. She didn’t respond, but merely gave a slight nod of her head.
The ding of the buzzer alerted Noah that the french fries were ready. He grabbed a mitt and took them out of the oven, then placed the pan on the stove. With his back to Sophie, he turned on the griddle and began making the grilled cheese sandwiches, making sure to add pickles to hers. Noah felt a little smile twitching the corners of his lips as he did so. This was a first for him.
Noah was glad she couldn’t see his face at the moment. He knew it must be twisted with confusion. He had no idea what to make of anything other than the fact that he was enjoying this time with Sophie. Everything flowed so nicely between them. It was comfortable and natural. He felt as if he’d known her for years.
Unfortunately, the information she’d just revealed had brought him back to the stark reality of his situation. His assignment compromised everything between the two of them. Or anything there might be. She thought he was someone she could trust. Noah felt unworthy of the information she’d just shared with him.
Had Sussex been able to pull the wool over his eyes? Had Noah’s financial situation caused him to miss warning signs about his client? Had the instability of Catalano Security caused him to lower his professional standards?
So much for his PI skills! He prided himself on being able to detect a lie. His instincts were usually on point.
Or was he simply blinded by Sophie’s beauty and vast charms?
