AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She gives me one last look of sadness…regret…before her features change to a mask. She latches onto the idea of Wilford and we run with it, talking about him the whole way back. I’ve never had a dog as an adult because I’m never in one place long enough, but if I ever got one, Wilford would tick off most of my boxes. Except, I don’t know how I’d cope with the massive amounts of hair he’d leave in my Mercedes.
My arms and shoulders burn from the rowing, but it’s good to get out my aggression. I welcome the pain because this kind is a lot better than if I allowed myself to think of missed opportunities.
As we near the dock, I see the resort in its finery and feel a surge of pride. It’s nearly ready. It’s an homage to Longdale Lake. I realize that in some ways, it’s an homage to our childhood as brothers, and to Sophie herself.
Now I’ve gotten all nostalgic and sentimental. Which isn’t acceptable.
I can’t do this. It’s a good thing we didn’t kiss.
With that sour thought, I help Sophie off the boat and her hair is almost dry. She’s somehow cleaned off the makeup smudges under her eyes.
We begin walking back to the resort. The moment we had is now charbroiled to a crisp between us. I could try to salvage something. I’m not going to try to kiss her—I can’t do that to either of us. But I could do something friend related…or boss related.
She reaches down to pick up the shoes she’d kicked off in our earlier escape, and I find mine, too. The bush it landed in is only a little worse for wear.
“Want a milkshake? I owe you one from last August.”
Her brows rise and then fall. She continues to walk. “Can I take a raincheck? I’m a little sick to my stomach. Seasick. Besides, Shake, Shake, Shake isn’t open for the season yet.” She sighs. “I think I’ll just go home for the night and work on the purchasing tomorrow.”
“I’m sorry you’re not feeling well.” It’s my fault. I’m the one who roped her into going out on the lake without even asking her if she wanted to. “You go home and rest. And promise me you’ll let me buy you a large black licorice peanut butter cup one soon.”
“Will do.” She nods once and picks up the pace. “I just need to run up to your office and get that printout I left yesterday.”
I don’t want her to leave on this awkward note, but I’m grasping at straws and coming up empty handed.
We walk across the terrace and to the back doors. They don’t slide open, though.
“Locked,” I tell her as I try, and fail, to open them. “Let’s go around the front.” I’d rather do that than text Sebastian and ask him to help me. He’s still angry that I ran from him, guaranteed.
We circle around the premises, following stone steps and pathways in silence. Her steps are long and purposeful, but without warning, she stops short. Her entire being goes stock still.
“What is it?” I ask, alarm settling over my skin.
Her gaze is steely, arching out past the grounds of the resort and beyond our property to the beach. A couple of fishermen are walking in our direction. They don’t seem to have noticed us.
“Hey, that’s that guy. Mr. Wallis?” I ask her. I narrow my eyes. “And that must be his son. Your…”
“Ex. Yes.” She finger combs her hair and starts walking again.
Troy the Ex lifts the hand holding a fishing pole in something of a wave. “Sophie?” he shouts. He doesn’t sound happy to see her. Even though they’re
still several yards away, I can feel the tension emanating from both Troy and his dad.
Sophie lifts a hand, her smile plastic. “Nice to see you,” she shouts in a friendly way. It’s dismissive, and I’m relieved we aren’t stopping to chat. Neither of us glance back over to them as our pace increases, and once we’re inside the front doors and into the lobby, the smell of fresh paint stinging my nose, I resign myself to the fact that she’s leaving for the night.
We reach the elevator doors, and she jams her thumb into the button, pushing it three times for good measure. We don’t say anything until the door bings open.
“I gotta say, I’m speechless here.” I don’t know whether to try to think of something nice to say about Troy the Ex, or if I should state the obvious. I choose obvious. “Soph.” I shake my head and whistle. “He’s just…not what I pictured for you.”
She grunts a snort laugh and folds her arms tightly. She’s quiet as we wait for the elevator doors to open.
When they do, she pushes past me and I have to speed up to catch her, her shoes tapping on the tile floors. “What did you expect him to be like, huh? A cover model for some cologne body spray?”
“Well, I didn’t expect him to look like he belongs on the cover ofFish and Streammagazine.”
She shoots daggers from her eyes as we reach my office door. “Oliver.” Her voice is a low growl.
“Okay, sorry. It’s really strange seeing the guy you almost had kids with.”
