Chapter Three
The kitchen was nice enough. Nothing modern or fancy, but at least it was all white, so she could add her own touches. The wooden cabinets were plain, the appliances antiquated, and the counters some sort of boring ceramic tile. A blank slate she could make her own.
She went to her big laundry basket full of cleaning supplies—Penelope’s idea of a house-warming present—and pulled on a pair of rubber gloves before grabbing the cleaner.
Might as well start with the sink. She tested the water, and it came out in a blast, surprising her. Back home she’d rented a brand-new condo where everything was low flow. She hadn’t seen water pressure like this since the nineties. Clearly Revival didn’t care about water conservation.
She sprayed down the sink and started to scrub, contemplating what she could do with the space. That would give her something to fill the time. She’d never considered herself a workaholic like Penelope, but until she’d lost her job she’d never realized how much actual time she’d spent working.
She needed projects to work on. Yes, she had the projects with the city, but the hours didn’t come close to what she was used to, so this house would have to do.
She hoped her landlord would appreciate her efforts.
She huffed. God, he rubbed her the wrong way. Realistically she didn’t have a good reason other than gut instinct warning her off him. He just reminded her too much of the kind of man she’d given up a long time ago. She was older now. Wiser. She didn’t care how good-looking he was. She didn’t want to live next door to him, but she had no choice.
She was stuck. This was what she got for letting Maddie take care of all the details because she wanted to avoid the reality of her situation. What she should have done was come check out the place herself, but how could she have predicted Ryder Moore?
She scoured around the drain. She’d do what she always did and make the best of it. Of course she’d avoid him at all costs. It was only six months. And while she wouldn’t be working seventy hours a week, she’d keep busy.
There was plenty to do. She had to come up with ideas on how to effectively utilize the new town square, to ensure new and existing businesses saw the positive effects and increased traffic and revenue, and she had two major events to plan and make a smashing success. The town square grand kickoff coincided with the Fourth of July, and that left her two months to make it so spectacular people would come from all over just to see it.
The mayor of Revival, Griffin Strong, had already given her the current plans, and she’d prepared a list of suggestions to make it a thousand times better. Then she’d have the Pumpkin Festival to keep her busy, and she’d be back home by Thanksgiving.
This might be a disaster, but she needed to remember to be grateful, because she was lucky to have a place to go, with friends to support her and work to do while she waited out the shit storm tainting her reputation back in Chicago.
She’d be grateful. Do her job. Keep away from her neighbor and go back home without causing a ripple.
Ryder Moore was a minor blip of annoyance she wouldn’t pay any attention to.
Maddie and Penelope came barreling into the house, tumbling into the small kitchen. Sophie realized she’d been scrubbing the sink furiously for the past five minutes and stilled her frantic movements.
Maddie screeched. “What was that?”
Sophie flicked on the faucet and again marveled at how the water blasted out. She splashed the water around to get rid of the cleaning solution and said calmly, “What was what?”
“Now, Sophie,” Penelope said in her calm, “let’s discuss this reasonably” voice.
Sophie turned off the faucet and faced her friends. “What?”
Maddie, the more high-strung of the two, blew out an exasperated breath. “Why were you so unpleasant to Ryder? You need to be nice to him.”
“I wasn’t unpleasant.” She picked up the cleaning product again. Sure she’d given him the finger, but her friends hadn’t seen. Penelope gave her that look and Sophie grinned at her. “You know you’re going to make a great mom someday.”
Penelope shook her head. “Don’t change the subject.”
“What’s the subject?” She didn’t see what there was to talk about. She didn’t want to spend one second of energy on stupid Ryder. Okay, yes, she was being a touch ... unreasonable about him, but so what? She didn’t have to like everyone, and she certainly didn’t need to apologize.
Maddie ran a hand through her long red hair. “He’s your landlord, and your neighbor, it’s best if you keep him on friendly terms. I don’t even understand what your problem is. Ryder is a great guy. Everyone thinks so.”
Of course they did. She couldn’t imagine a single woman in Revival that wouldn’t have heart palpitations when he walked by, but she wasn’t so easily charmed. Her hormones were too smart to be fooled by all that testosterone. She was a South Side city girl; she could spot bullshit a mile away. She raised her hand and held up three fingers. “He called me pet names three times, Maddie. Three times! That’s so obnoxious.”
“He was clearly antagonizing you,” Penelope said, as though that explained everything in a perfectly logical fashion.
Sophie threw up her hands. “Duh. That’s my point.”
Maddie sighed. “Only because you were being so snippy with him.”
Sophie shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. It’s not like I’ll see him.”
Maddie chewed on her bottom lip. “He’s a friend of ours. He’s new in town. We invite him to things.”
“It’s no big deal. It will be fine.” She’d avoid those things if he were around. Easy solution to a non-problem. The benefit of moving to the boonies was she didn’t have to deal with anyone she wasn’t interested in.
“Just remember, he gave you a great deal.” Maddie put her hand on her chest. “As a favor to me.”
Sophie wanted to stop talking about him. He made her itchy, and she had a million things to do today. She gave Maddie her best smile. “I promise I’ll be good, Mom.”
She was saved any more discussion when Mitch, Maddie’s husband, called out from the foyer, “Anyone home?”
Maddie called back, “We’re in the kitchen.”
A second later Mitch Riley, Penelope’s husband, Evan, and Shane, Maddie’s oldest brother, stood in the foyer.
Maddie spun around and looked at her husband’s empty arms. “Where’s Lily?”
Mitch cocked his head and grinned. “What? Is she too young to be left alone?”
Maddie put her hands on her hips. “Where’s my baby?”
Shane scoffed, “Relax, Mads. Ce-ce’s got her.”
Cecilia was Shane’s wife, who also happened to be Mitch’s sister, and was five months pregnant herself. Sometimes their complicated family gave Sophie a headache, and she felt one growing at the base of her skull right now. They were all so intertwined in a way that eluded her.
Like Penelope, Sophie was an only child. Unlike Penelope, Sophie had always liked it that way. Connection and attachments were complicated, and she liked to keep things simple. She’d grown up with decent parents who loved her and gave her a stable home and a roof over her head, despite a permanent case of wanderlust. Yes, they were a bit eccentric and flighty, and oh so new agey, always looking for the next step in an enlightenment they never seemed to find. As soon as they’d done their duty and she’d become a legal adult, they’d taken off to explore to their hearts’ content. Her parents were hippie throwbacks, and they made their way around the globe by being international house sitters, living in communes, and taking on charity expeditions. Sometimes they stayed in a place for a month, sometimes years. Right now they were three months into their year in India. They left her alone to live her life, which was fine. Sophie wouldn’t be able to handle the way Maddie’s family always hovered over her.
Sophie talked to her parents once every couple of weeks on Skype, and occasionally they came home. As far as she was concerned, seeing them once a year was the perfect amount of parent time.
Sophie liked her freedom and had no desire to be tied down. She had no idea how Maddie put up with constant family involvement. It would drive her crazy.
The only people in this world she felt bonded to were Maddie and Penelope. Yes, she loved the rest of the group too, loved the Donovans and their big, crazy family, even though they were pains in the asses. But Maddie and Penelope were her rocks. The ones she’d do anything for.
They were more than enough for her. She didn’t need more entanglements in her life. Sure, sometimes at Christmas when everyone was busy with celebrating with family she experienced a sense of wistfulness, but she solved that with nonstop activity. And they always included her, so it worked out.
Maddie’s tension didn’t seem to abate with her husband’s reassurance. “Do you think she’s okay? Maybe I should call Cecilia and make sure she knows the schedule.”
Mitch walked over to his wife and put his hands on her shoulders, kissing her on the top of her head. “Maddie, relax. I took care of it.”
Maddie worried her bottom lip. “I’m sorry I’m so paranoid. I just don’t want anything to happen to her. She’s so small and precious.”
Evan snorted. “Please, that baby is a monster.”
“Evan!” Penelope glared at her husband.
Maddie gasped, swinging in the direction of her brother. “You take that back.”
Evan shrugged. “You are all smitten, but that kid is plotting world domination. You can see it in her eyes.”
Sophie laughed. Evan was right. Lily Riley was a force to be reckoned with. She took spirited to a whole new level.
Maddie scowled. “Don’t say that about my sweet baby.”
Evan pulled Penelope in front of him, like she could shield him from his sister. “Penelope and I took her to the park, and I swear she was holding court in the sandbox. One of the babies threatened to crawl away and Lily cried until the poor kid came back. And then she smiled at me, all cunning.”
“He might be exaggerating a touch,” Penelope said, given she was required to be the most logical person in the room.
Mitch, however, chuckled. “That’s my girl.”
Maddie put a hand on her chest. “Our daughter is not cunning.”
Everyone gave the proud mama a smile but remained silent.
There was a knock on the front door and Sophie sighed. Who could that be? Nobody she knew would knock. Everyone she knew would just walk right in. Bright pink gloves still on her hands, she took them off and excused herself, slowing as she saw who was at her door.
Ugh! It was him.
Their eyes met. And without all the distractions of other people, a spark of heat flared between them.
Yeah, screw that. Not in this lifetime.
When she reached the screen she gave him a narrow-eyed glare, but determined to do right by her friends, she said sweetly, “Can I help you, Mr. Moore?”
He opened the door and stepped inside like he owned the place. She went to call him on the invasion only to realize he actually did. Thinking of Maddie, and peace, she politely said nothing.
“Mr. Moore, huh?” He gave her another one of those wicked smiles he seemed to favor. A smile Sophie was sure got him anything his little black heart could desire.
“You’re my landlord.” She crossed her arms and huffed. “I’m supposed to be respectful.”
“Ah, darlin’, I wouldn’t want you to go changing on my account.” God, his voice was ridiculous. Like dripping honey.
Sophie bet he made more than one thing drip all over town. She put her hands on her hips. “I’m not rising to the bait.”
Then he had the nerve to let his eyes take a long, leisurely stroll down her body. “What fun is that?”
The challenge, the spur of competition and thrill of banter raced through her blood, swift and sudden. She’d always been a sucker for sharp, witty repartee. It was like crack, and it made him a hundred times more attractive. Which was unfortunate considering he was far too attractive already.
She raised her chin and said in her most haughty tone, “I’m not here for fun. I’m here to work, keep my head down, and serve my time before I go back home.”
He chuckled. “I’d bet good money you haven’t had a quiet day in your entire life.”
“Since you don’t know me, you have no basis for your claim.”
“I’ve got good instincts.” He stepped closer and he was so big, so broad, and so freakin’ gorgeous.
It was like every cell in her body came to startling, angry life. Why couldn’t he be slow? A bit dim-witted like men who looked like him were supposed to be? She rarely met a tongue as sharp as her own, and she was enjoying this a little too much. Her vagina had terrible taste in men and notoriously steered her wrong, which was why she’d stopped listening to it years ago.
So instead of a retort that would send them further down the rabbit hole, she said, “Can I help you?”
His attention shifted to her mouth, settled for a bit before moving back up to her eyes. He held out a ring with three keys on it. “These are the rest of the keys.”
Well now, he actually had a purpose that didn’t include sparring with her. Great. She held out her hand. “Thanks.”
He didn’t drop them into her palm; instead he raised the first one. “This is to the basement.” He flicked the other one. “The back door.” And the third. “This is to the garage.”
“Got it.”
He dropped the ring into her palm and she put the keys in her pocket.
Their gazes caught and held a little too long.
In his honeyed voice he said, “The garage can stick and be a little stubborn, so let me know if it gives you problems and I’ll show you my tricks for easing your way in.”
Was that dirty? It sounded dirty. She should be good. Say thank you and send him on his way. But instead, she smirked. “I’m a big girl, I assure you I know how to ease my way in just fine.”
“I’m sure you do, honey.”
What were they talking about here? Because it sure as hell wasn’t keys.
She needed to put an end to this. She cleared her throat. “So are we done here? ’Cause I’ve got a lot to do.”
He nodded. “You know where to find me in case you need help with how something works.”
She flashed him her most winning smile. “I’ve been living on my own a long time. I promise you, your door is the last place I’ll show up.”
“Didn’t your mama ever tell you not to make promises you can’t keep?”
She put a hand on a cocked hip and wiggled her fingers. “Good-bye, honey.”
He laughed, not remotely insulted. “Try not to make too much noise, I’ve got to get some sleep.”
She huffed. “It’s the middle of the day, you deadbeat.”
He opened the door and said over his shoulder, “Late night.”
“Those hookers wear you out?” Okay, she had to stay away because she couldn’t seem to control her mouth.
He spun around and held out his arms. “Like I have to pay for sex. I mean, come on.”
Then he turned and jogged down the stairs and across the front yard before she could get in the last word.
“I’m fairly certain he doesn’t have to pay for sex,” Penelope said, somehow standing next to Sophie.
When had she shown up? And why hadn’t Sophie realized she was there? She put her arms over her chest. “You just shut up.”
Penelope rose to her tiptoes trying to get a gander at his disappearing form. “Good God, that man is hot.”
“He’s obnoxious.”
“And hot.”
Sophie turned and glared at Penelope. “You’re married, and everyone knows Evan is the most gorgeous man ever, so stop that.”
“I’m married.” Penelope grinned. “But I’m not dead.”
“Well, I don’t want to talk about him.” She shook her head. “What was Maddie thinking?”
“I don’t understand why you don’t like him.”
“Because I don’t.” She took off back toward the kitchen, determined to put Ryder out of her mind and not think about him again for the rest of her natural born life.