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If she didn’t slam the door in his face.
* * *
Buzzing with caffeine and adrenaline,Nick pulled up in front of Brandt’s house. He’d crashed hard on the plane when the hours in the punishing surf caught up with him. Now, he was eager to see Sophie. Maybe having Bailey with him when he returned would soften her up. Couldn’t hurt his chances, anyway.
Brandt opened the front door before he could knock, and his sweet dog galloped out to greet him and slather him with kisses. Nick gave Bailey’s floppy ears a vigorous scratching and glanced up at Brandt.
His friend leaned against the doorjamb; his arms crossed. “Back already? That was a quick surf trip.”
Nick cleared his throat. “Yeah, it was. Thanks for watching Bailey.”
“So you planning on sharing what this was all about?” Brandt cocked his head.
Nick adjusted his sunglasses. “Nope. Not right now anyway. Just had to clear my head.”
His best friend’s eyes narrowed. “Did you run off because of the woman? The ring wasn’t big enough or something?”
“Dude, since when have you wanted to discuss my schedule?”
“Your schedule?” Brandt’s lips twitched. “Since my buddy dragged me to L.A. to buy a diamond the size of his head and then ran off to Hawaii for a couple of days. Chalk it up to curiosity.”
“Yeah, remember what they say about curiosity. Look, I’ll fill you in later. Gotta run. Thanks again.” Nick ushered Bailey to his car and escaped home before his friend could dig any deeper.
He settled Bailey into the house and showered off the travel. Nick pulled on his favorite jeans and an ancient Cornell T-shirt for luck and headed down to the cottage.
Sophie’s VW wasn’t out front.Shit. He was ready to talk now.
He parked and knocked on the door. Silence. Where was she?
Damn it, he didn’t want to have this conversation on the phone––that was why he hadn’t texted her back telling her he was returning to town. No, when he saw her again, he needed to see Sophie’s genuine reaction. Although it had only been a few days, it felt like a lifetime since he’d seen her beautiful face.
A car engine purred up the drive, so he jammed his hands in his pockets, attempting to appear nonchalant. When his sister’s BMW drove up, he straightened, disappointment pouring through him.
Alyssa stepped out of her car and hurried toward him. “Nick, there you are. Where’ve you been?”
“Hi, I had to get out of town for a few days. Sorry I…”
She shoved him with a little bit too much enthusiasm. “Don’t youevertake off without a word like that again. I was worried about you and had to call Brandt to chase you down. Imagine what you would have done if I’d just disappeared without and ignored your messages.”
He held up his hands. “I know, I know—I screwed up. I’m sorry. It won’t happen again. But I had to get away.”
“Oh really? Why would you need space?” Her eyes widened. “What upset you? Or should I say who?”
He released a harsh breath and raked a hand through his hair. “You know it was because of Sophie. Do you know where she is? I need to see her. And what are you doing here?”
A crease appeared between Alyssa’s brows. “She left town…”
“What? She moved back to San Diego?” Nick’s throat tightened.
Alyssa patted his shoulder. “Calm down––she didn’t move. She’s out of town and asked me to come feed Zack for a few days.”
Had Sophie given up on him already? Had he blown it by not returning any of her messages or calls? Was he too late? He sucked in a deep breath.
Alyssa’s eyes filled with concern. “She did come looking for you and seemed pretty upset. Did you two have a fight? I’ve never seen you like this.”
He flinched. “Look, I need to talk to her first. Please tell me where she went.”
“I honestly don’t know. I haven’t heard from her. She said she’d text me when she had a return time. Why don’t you call her and let her know you’re back?”
