Chapter Nineteen
Ryder watched Sophie stand and greet yet another Revival business owner, beaming at them with her killer smile and charming the socks off them. They were at dinner with Griffin and Darcy at the famous Rock’s Steakhouse, and between the three of them they’d had almost nonstop visitors.
Even after sleeping with him for the last three weeks and spending all her free time with him, she managed to keep him surprised.
Of course, the entire town knew they were together, and Ryder couldn’t help thinking about how seamlessly she fell into his life. They were dangerous thoughts he couldn’t control. She was everything he could want in a woman. Fun and insatiable, and every day with her was an adventure.
He was addicted to her. And as one day bled into the next, he stopped thinking about her leaving and entertained the possibility that she’d stay. She seemed happy.
It might be a foolish thought, but as she kissed the cheek of Mary Beth Crowley, the town’s matriarch and all-around hard-ass, and made her laugh, he couldn’t help hoping.
Sophie had stopped complaining about the lack of Starbucks.
Stopped speaking of Nordstrom with longing.
Stopped talking about Chicago as home.
How could he not hope? Especially when they were so damn good together.
Sophie sat back down and Darcy, the first lady of Revival and fellow hellion, raised her dark brows. “You won over Mary Beth?”
With a smirk, Sophie picked up her menu. “She was easy once I figured out her only motivation was the success of the town.”
“Well, you’re a wonder,” Darcy said, smiling. She took a sip of wine. “How are you liking Revival?”
Sophie tossed a sassy look in her direction. “It’s hard to complain too much.”
Darcy laughed, waving a hand. “When I first moved back from New York, I thought I was going to die.”
Sophie shook her head. “I don’t know how you did it.”
“Well, it was different for me, I suppose. I grew up here.” Darcy slid her hand over Griffin’s, and their fingers entwined. “And there was this boy I never forgot.”
Sophie bit her bottom lip. “Do you miss it?”
“Sometimes, but this is home now, and I truly feel this is where I’m meant to be.”
An expression Ryder couldn’t decipher slid over Sophie’s face. “That must be a nice feeling.”
I could be that for you, I could give you that, if you let me. The thought was hard and demanding, and truthfully a little frightening.
“It is.” Darcy stroked her thumb over Griffin’s palm. “After a while, I realized I missed the convenience of it. The noise and activity that allowed me not to think, if that makes sense.”
“It does.” Sophie’s expression creased before clearing. “Griffin told me you run a blog.”
Darcy’s expression widened. “Did he now?”
“Yes, he said you’re a freelance writer and write a blog,” Sophie said.
“I do.”
Sophie smiled. “I had a blog in Chicago. I miss it.”
Darcy took a sip of wine. “Well, there’s no reason you can’t start one here.”
Sophie shook her head. “I ran an entertainment blog, and since Revival doesn’t have any entertainment, it would be kind of skimpy.”
“True,” Griffin said, rubbing a hand over his jaw. “All you need is a different angle.”
Sophie jutted her chin toward Darcy. “What’s your angle?”
“Sex.” Darcy winked.
Sophie laughed. “Fun. Do tell.”
Darcy shrugged. “I do advice, product reviews, how-to columns, stuff like that.”
Sophie winked at Griffin. “Aren’t you a lucky guy?”
“You have no idea,” he said with a grin.
Darcy held her finger to her lips. “Shhh, don’t tell anyone. It has to be our little secret.”
Only a select few knew the origins of Darcy’s blog, considering she was first lady of a small town. Ryder was surprised she’d told Sophie, but on the other hand, not surprised at all.
They were cut from the same cloth, after all.
Sophie made a locking gesture over her mouth and threw away the imaginary key. “I won’t tell a soul.”
“I trust you,” Darcy said. “Look at all the good things you’re doing for the town. That speaks volumes.”
“I’m just doing my job,” Sophie said.
“I disagree.” Darcy beamed a smile. “Doing your job would be to keep everything that had been set up running smoothly and in an organized fashion. But you went out and made it better, increased revenue, publicity, community excitement.”
Sophie shrugged. “To me that’s my job.”
Darcy tilted her head toward her husband. “I’m afraid Griffin might be in love with you.”
Griffin rolled his eyes.
Ryder scrubbed his hand over his jaw. “I think Darcy is right.” He winked at the pretty woman with her dark hair and dancing blue eyes. “What are we going to do to break up this love affair?”
Now it was Sophie’s turn to roll her eyes.
The truth was, Griffin was a little in love with Sophie—not with her body but with her mind. He’d been desperate for someone with her considerable talents and planned on milking her for whatever he could.
Darcy’s expression turned sly and she raised her glass, taking a sip of her martini before saying, “We could just have a four-way and let them get it out of their system.”
Sophie laughed. Griffin had been taking a drink and started to choke. Darcy reached over and patted him on the back.
Ryder, however, looked at Sophie with utter seriousness and nodded. “If we must, we must.”
Darcy put on a good appearance for the public, but she was a bad girl and never let Griffin forget it in safe company. Her lips twitched. “You guys could come back to our hot tub.”
Sophie’s expression danced with mirth. “Only if we’re naked.”
“Darlin’, that’s a given,” Ryder said and put his hand along the back of her neck, rubbing it softly. “I’m not about to pass up on a chance to see Darcy naked.”
Sophie’s gaze flicked over Darcy. “I can’t say I blame you.”
Darcy laughed and smirked at Ryder. “You’d better find a way to keep her, because she might be my new favorite person.”
He was working on it. Because he wanted to keep her. Needed to keep her.
“Who knew small town America could be so fun,” Sophie said, with a wicked grin.
Griffin and Darcy laughed.
Ryder reached over, pulled her close, and whispered in her ear, “You are trouble.”
“Would you have it any other way?”
“Not in a million years.”
* * *
The following afternoon, Sophie sent off a text to Ryder and smiled. Can you meet me at that bar over in Shreveport tonight after work?
She had to admit Revival was growing on her. Maybe it had to do with Ryder—okay, it probably had a lot to do with Ryder, but living in a small town was turning out to be more fun than she thought and certainly not the torture she’d envisioned when she took the job.
She got to see Maddie all the time.
The townspeople had been nothing but receptive and welcoming.
There was something fun about walking down the street and people calling her name.
And then there was Ryder. Gorgeous, hot Ryder who was not only the best sex partner she’d ever had but who brought her Starbucks during his lunch break and seemed to be up for anything she wanted.
Her phone pinged. We can meet at home and go together.
She licked her lips. That wasn’t her plan. She had other plans. Surprises in store for him. She made an excuse. I have a meeting. I’ll meet you there at seven.
Since she wouldn’t be able to sneak into her house without his notice, she’d made arrangements to get ready at Maddie’s.
Then we’ll have two cars.
She shook her head. But I’ll already be there.
A few seconds passed. All right, if you insist.
I’ll meet you at the bar. She smiled. She’d make it worth his while. As hard as it was not to tease, she didn’t want him on alert. She wanted him completely surprised. Shocked.
She could hardly wait.
This was what she loved about him.
She’d never had so much fun.
Never felt so free. Because not only did he indulge her, he encouraged her. Some of the things she’d done with him were probably illegal. And she couldn’t get enough.
Griffin entered her doorway, his broad shoulder against the frame. He grinned at her. “Have you recovered?”
The hot tub had been very inappropriate, but they’d kept their clothes on, and while Darcy and Sophie teased them incessantly, they hadn’t made out. The truth was, they all played a good game, but Sophie didn’t want to kiss anyone but Ryder and she knew Darcy felt the same about Griffin.
But they’d made a good show and tormented without mercy. Flirted. All in good fun. By the time they’d left, Sophie was pretty sure Darcy had suffered the same fate as she had. She hadn’t even gotten to the car before Ryder was on her, his hands in her wet underwear.
It had been awesome.
She laughed. “I’m one of those annoying people who recovers quickly.”
“Good for you.” He slid his hands into his pockets.
“And how are you feeling?”
“Fuzzy.” He flashed her a smile. “But it was too much fun to mind.”
“Exactly.” She gestured toward the seat across from her desk. “So I’ve been thinking of an idea I wanted to run past you.”
He sat down and tilted his head. “What’s that?”
“I know that you’re not quite there yet, but I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about the tourist trade. I believe there’s a real opportunity. We’ve already talked about the small-town getaway idea, but I decided to do some market research, and it turns out it’s a growing trend. Disconnecting from city life is a huge selling point. You’re close enough to Chicago to make it a great weekend getaway. You’ve got the river. And quiet. The town is undergoing changes, and I think you can attract more businesses if you try and capitalize on it.”
He nodded, shifting forward in his chair a little. “I agree, but I want to be careful not to ruin those aspects of the town that make it home.”
“I couldn’t agree more. And after meeting a lot of the citizens of Revival I don’t think they’d be happy with Revival, turning into a tourist town. They like what they have and don’t want it to change. You want a happy medium, something that will make it attractive to small businesses but not so much that you ruin what’s great about this place.”
“And you think you have an idea?”
“I think I have the beginnings of an idea.” She folded her hands on the desk. “What if, instead of some sort of smaller resort like we talked about earlier, we jump on the tiny house trend? I’ve looked at the land and talked to the city planner, and I think you could reasonably build fifteen tiny houses that will still feel really secluded. You could maintain the forest feel, preserve the trees and nature that would be ruined by a resort, and as an added bonus, we could build some awesome tree houses. I’ve looked, and people are really into this. It would be unique and different. I also think it would be attractive to people year-round because you’re close to several skiing areas. It’s also far enough away from the river citizens to make them not feel invaded.”
She’d put a lot of thought into this and done a lot of research. This could work. She felt it in her bones. It would increase revenue to businesses but keep Revival intact. She grabbed a printout of the spreadsheet she’d been working on and pushed it at Griffin. “These are only down and dirty numbers, but I think you’ll see very conservatively it would help the town without displacing it.”
He picked up the spreadsheet and studied it with intent. He was an accountant by trade, and numbers were his business. He nodded. “Sophie, this is brilliant. The question is, how? I mean, it’s a great idea, I love it, but obviously this would require investors, and the project seems too small to be attractive to anyone in the hotel game.”
She beamed. “I’ve already thought of that.”
“Of course you have.” He chuckled. “What was I thinking?”
This was what she loved about her job. What she was good at. Finding opportunities other people overlooked. It was how her blog had become so successful. Everyone knew the flashy places, the big scores, but she’d sought out the hidden gems. The ultra-cool places with a unique vibe. She always recognized it when she saw it, and her instincts had never failed. She didn’t think they would fail her now. “I know a lot of people. More specifically, a lot of rich people. I’m thinking we could do some sort of investment consortium. I’m not sure if it would work—or if they’d be interested, but we could invite them all for the weekend and try and sell the opportunity. For most of them it would be a pet project, nothing that would make or break them, but I think I could sell it as a fun opportunity. We’d have a lot of things to do before that happens, but I’m going to Chicago in a couple of weeks, and if you’re okay with it, I’d like to talk to Shane Donovan, who has ties already in the community and uncanny business acumen. He’s also a no-bullshit guy. If he doesn’t think it would fly, he’ll say so. But if he does, and he’s interested, we can come up with a plan. What do you say?”
Griffin blinked at her and shook his head. “Darcy’s right, I am a little bit in love with you.”
She laughed. “So you’re in?”
“I’m in. What do you need to put together for Shane?”
Excitement bubbled inside her, and Sophie realized she cared about this job. She cared about Revival and wanted the town to be a smashing success. Even if she wouldn’t be here to see it, she’d leave this place better than she found it. “I’ll put together a list. We have a few weeks and Ryder is going with me, so we can talk to Shane together.”
“The two of you are very convincing.” Griffin met her eyes. “You make an awesome team.”
“I think so too.” Because she did. Together they fit and she loved being with him, loved working with him, and loved everything about the way he thought. “Should I set up a meeting for the three of us to sit down and brainstorm?”
“Please.” He stood and turned to go, only to stop in the doorway. “Soph, I’m glad you’re here.”
Pleased, she smiled. She’d always loved doing a good job. “So you don’t regret taking a chance on me?”
“You were never a risk. I knew I was getting a bargain.”
“It’s been fun, and I’m glad to help.”
A sly expression crossed his features. “Any chance I could convince you to stay permanently?”
Her heart skipped a beat. She laughed and waved him away. “Get out of here.”
His head tilted and he shrugged. “We’ll see.”
He walked away and her throat tightened. She didn’t like the reminder she was leaving. Not because she didn’t want to go home, but because it reminded her of how deeply invested she was in Ryder. How much she needed him and wanted him. How he was starting to feel like home. An unusual and unheard of feeling. Home was something that happened to other people, not her.
She looked down at her phone. He’d texted her. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes with Starbucks.
She texted back. You’re a god among men.
I get that all the time, darlin’.
She had no doubt that he did. He was a keeper.
An ominous shadow dimmed her happiness.
A keeper she wouldn’t get to keep.
* * *
“Whoa!” Maddie looked up from the stove where she cooked dinner and gave Sophie a long wolf whistle. “Holy shit, Sophie.”
She grinned and tugged down the minuscule skirt of her dress. “Good?”
From the table where Mitch had been entertaining Lily with funny faces that made the baby howl with laughter, he gave her a long once-over. “That’s quite a dress.”
It was. It was black and slinky, barely covering the curve of her ass and dipping dangerously low. Her cleavage spilled out of stretchy fabric that looked painted on and hugged every single one of her curves. She completed the outfit in sky-high four-and-a-half-inch stilettos.
Mitch’s expression turned serious as he looked at his daughter. “Now, Lily, don’t let Aunt Sophie give you any ideas. While she may cause a heart attack in the male population, you are only allowed to dress in a nun’s habit.”
The little girl with her shock of red hair gave her daddy a big, wet raspberry.
Sophie smoothed her hand over her hair and leaned down to mock whisper, “He’s wrong, Lils, you wear whatever you want.”
Mitch grinned, shaking his head. “Remind me to never let you take her shopping when she’s a teenager.”
“No promises,” Sophie said, chuckling.
Maddie waved a hand over Sophie. “I’m assuming you’re meeting Ryder?”
“Of course.” She’d completed her transformation into high-priced slut by curling her hair into wild, messy waves and darkening her makeup to smoky, completing his fantasy with dark red Chanel lipstick.
She looked seriously hot. She knew that. She smirked. “I have plans.”
“May God help him,” Mitch said, his tone dry.
“Indeed.” Sophie picked up her bag. “Thanks for letting me get ready here. I didn’t want to risk running into him at home. I cleaned everything up, but now it’s time for me to run.”
Mitch winked. “Have fun, Soph. Don’t break him.”
“I make zero promises.” Sophie turned on her high heels and blew a kiss to Maddie. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
Maddie put down the spatula and glanced at her husband. “Can you watch the stove while I walk Sophie out?”
“Sure thing, Princess,” Mitch said.
Sophie pushed open the swinging door of their kitchen and started walking down the hall, Maddie at her heels. When they got to the door, Maddie grinned. “Now, remember to use protection.”
They always did, although she was on the pill and thinking tonight might be time to throw caution to the wind. Ryder had gone to the doctor a few weeks ago for his annual physical for the department, and Sophie knew she was clean. She wanted him inside her, with no barrier. Wanted to feel him hard and hot, sliding deep. But it wasn’t a discussion she wanted to have with Maddie. She didn’t want to be late.
Sophie laughed. “All right, Mom.”
Maddie tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “You’re having fun, right?”
“I’m having the most fun.” Sophie’s heart beat fast every time she thought of how much.
“Good. This is exactly what I wanted, for you to have fun while you lived here.” Maddie wrinkled her nose and cleared her throat. “I have a confession to make.”
Sophie raised her brows. “What’s that?”
“There was another house for rent and I picked this one because of Ryder.” She shrugged her shoulder. “I thought you guys might hit it off.”
Sophie shook her head. “You are such a brat.”
“When you first met him I thought it backfired, but I knew when I forced you into blind dates it was on. The look you gave each other was priceless.”
Sophie couldn’t be mad. How could she? When the results were so freakin’ awesome. But she still huffed and put her hands on her hips. “Oh my God, Maddie. What about poor Bill and Cheryl?”
Maddie waved a hand in dismissal. “Please, those two are meant for each other. They’re just so nice and accommodating they couldn’t see what was right in front of them.”
“Okay. You need to stop playing matchmaker.”
“Why? Can’t you see how good I am at it?”
“I see you’re impossible.”
Maddie winked. “Rumor has it those two were in a heated make out session in front of her house two nights ago.”
Sophie laughed. “Good for them.”
Maddie’s expression creased with smugness. “I mean, it’s tame compared to what you and Ryder are doing, but not just anyone can handle that kind of wild.”
Sophie put her hand on her chest. “Oh my God, Maddie. I don’t even mean the sex . . . I mean, everything.”
Maddie tucked her bottom lip between her teeth. “I’ve never seen you like this over a guy.”
“I know.” Sophie didn’t want to go down that road, so she glanced at the door. “I have to go blow his mind now.”
Maddie hugged her. “You have fun.”
“I will.” With Ryder there was no other option.