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It had felt good to tell Noah her truths about John and her family. Sometimes it was easier to talk to someone you didn’t know very well. Somehow the pressure had felt less intense. To Noah she was a blank slate. Telling him about her relationship with John felt freeing. With Noah, Sophie didn’t have to worry about revealing things about her past that might disappoint or shock him. He hadn’t seemed judgmental at all, or critical of her estrangement from her loved ones. He had really listened to her and then given her food for thought.
Was it really possible to just reach out and connect with her father? Or would the weight of the past come crashing down around them? Sophie suspected their estrangement was tied up in the loss of her mother, a terrible blow neither of them had ever fully recovered from. Ever since then they had been tiptoeing around each other.
There’s love in the bottom of every cup. She couldn’t stop thinking of the slogan she knew so well. Those words were stuck in her head, reminding her of everything she’d left behind.
A person could convince themself that they’d done the right thing, especially after a betrayal, Sophie realized. Talking to Noah about his large, bustling family had broken something loose inside her. She wasn’t sure she cared about being right any longer. Missing her father was like missing a limb. She wasn’t a hard-hearted person. It had taken every ounce of strength she had to keep up this huge divide between herself and the people she loved more than anything in the world.
Chapter Eight
Noah looked out the huge bay window of Cameron’s house. It had snowed last night, dumping at least five inches of powder on the ground. Gazing at the wintry landscape made him smile. He felt at home here in Alaska in a way he had never experienced in Seattle. Although it was a big and beautiful city, it had never quite tugged at his heartstrings. And even though he didn’t relish shoveling the driveway, it was a small price to pay for a little slice of paradise.
This morning was going to be a relaxing one for Noah. The Moose Café wasn’t scheduled to open until noon due to some maintenance issues, which gave him some free time to explore the town. He let out a groan as he remembered the favor Sophie had finagled from him yesterday. A full twenty-four hours later and Noah still wasn’t quite certain how he’d managed to get roped in to serving as Dwight’s romance mentor.
“You know how it happened,” he muttered. “A beautiful barista with a killer smile and a sweet Southern accent approached you.” One who was still off-limits. One who had no idea he was spying on her for a big fat paycheck.
He felt slightly flattered that Sophie regarded him as an expert, but it couldn’t be further from the truth. Noah never had a problem getting dates or attracting women, but his relationships never lasted long. Other than his ill-fated love affair with Kara, he couldn’t remember another romance he’d had with any substance.
Although he had agreed to meet up with Dwight later on, after his shift, Noah wasn’t looking forward to it. Dwight seemed like a good guy, but Noah already had his hands full with his work schedule and keeping Sussex apprised of Sophie’s comings and goings. What did he really know about romancing women, anyway? If he did, wouldn’t he have settled down himself by now?
He held his cell phone up to his ear and listened to his messages. There were six in all from Sussex. Noah winced and h
eld the phone away so he wouldn’t suffer damage to his hearing. The man was acting like a toddler having a tantrum. His client was not in a good mood, presumably because he hadn’t heard from Noah in several days.
Noah wasn’t proud of himself for dodging the calls. For the first time in his life he was avoiding talking to a client. Now that Sophie had caused him to doubt Sussex’s version of events, Noah felt even guiltier about this assignment.
He was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Should he confront Sussex? Without this gig, his life in Seattle would quickly unravel. His company would be toast. And it wouldn’t affect just him. He had employees who were counting on him to rescue the company. If he didn’t, their lives would be turned upside down, as well. Noah knew he was afraid to fail as a businessman. His own parents had weathered hard financial times, yet they had always managed to keep the diner afloat.
And Sophie. He cringed at the idea of her finding out he’d been hired to report on her every move. What would she think of him? He cared more than he’d like to admit about Sophie’s opinion of him.
Sophie Miller was some kind of wonderful. He let out a chuckle at the memory of their first meeting at the café. How could a person ever be ready for a flash of lightning? Was it possible that he’d been hit by a thunderbolt? He now knew exactly why Sussex was so determined to hang on to Sophie Miller. She was the sun that everything revolved around. She shone brighter than diamonds. He reckoned that she was a force of nature that could move mountains.
Noah could very well see himself falling for the beautiful barista if he wasn’t careful. A man would have to be crazy not to see her appeal. He needed to guard his heart.
Under different circumstances, Noah wouldn’t hesitate to ask Sophie out on a date. It would be selfish to pursue anything more than friendship with her, even though he knew there was something brewing between them. It wouldn’t be fair to Sophie, since she had no idea he was in Love under false pretenses. From the sounds of it, she had already dealt with major betrayals in her life.
It would be easy to sit back and forget the reasons he’d ever set foot in this town. There was something soothing and comforting about the community of Love. Being here made him feel as if he could put aside all his troubles, although with Sussex blowing up his cell phone, that wasn’t likely to happen. He served as a constant reminder that Noah was on his payroll and that his presence in Love was strictly business.
After digging himself out of the driveway, Noah headed into town and straight toward his destination—the Free Library of Love. The moment he stepped inside, he began to deeply inhale. He loved libraries. The smell of them. The way the books felt in his hands. The hush of stillness in the air. No sooner had he walked a few paces than he was greeted by the librarian standing behind the main circulation desk.
“Hi there. I’m Annie O’Rourke, head librarian. Is there something I can help you with this morning?” The sweet-faced brunette smiled at him.
“Hi, Annie. I’m Noah Callahan,” he replied. He wasn’t certain, but he thought her eyes widened upon hearing his name.
“Nice to meet you, Noah,” she said in a perky tone.
“Could you point me in the direction of the true-life crime novels?”
“Sure thing.” Annie nodded. “Just follow me.”
“Are you any relation to Declan O’Rourke, the pilot?” he asked. “He flew me into town when I first arrived.”
“I’m proud to say I am.” She wagged her ring finger at him. “We’re newlyweds. I came to this town to head up the new library and to find adventure. In the end I found my life partner.” She grinned at him. “You never know what’s around the corner for you here in Love.”
“I’m not looking for entanglements,” he said in a firm voice. “I came to town for a job. I do love living here, though.”
Annie nodded again. “Let me know if you need any additional help. This section right here is full of great choices.” She walked away briskly.
Noah hoped he hadn’t sounded rude, but he didn’t want to give the wrong impression about his presence here in town. As it was, he’d already had a dozen or so invitations to dinner and town events from single women. Although he had been flattered, there wasn’t a single one who’d tempted him.
