Chapter 24

Sophie

I heard the door creak open, but I didn’t look up. My eyes were glued to my computer, scanning through the numbers at lightning speed. I’d been analyzing Hopper Antiquities’s books for just a couple weeks, and already, I knew something was off. It happened seven years ago. Thousands of dollars just disappeared overnight. It was like someone went in to the accounts and withdrew the money. That was what I suspected happened, but there was no paper trail, nothing at all to indicate where the money went.

Footsteps thudded softly against the carpet as the visitor moved toward me. I recognized his breathing immediately. Andrew was feet from me when I finally wrenched my eyes away from the computer to look up. He smiled down at me and pulled up a chair without a word.

“Hey,” I said, still distracted. “Everything okay?”

Andrew nodded. “How’s it going up here?”

“I don’t know.” I sighed deeply and leaned back in my chair. “I’ll figure it out.”

“What is it exactly?” Andrew asked with a frown.

“About seven years ago,” I said. “A discrepancy popped up in the books. It’s off by thousands of dollars. I have no idea where the money went or who withdrew it. It’s as if it simply vanished into thin air. I’ve searched every account the company has, and still, there’s nothing.”

“That’s not possible,” Andrew said. He glanced at the computer screen, then back at my face.

“It is,” I said. “Unfortunately.”

“So, is that money just gone?”

“No.” I shook my head. “I’m going to figure it out, Andrew. It might take me a while, but I’ll find out where it went. Then, we can come up with a plan to get your finances back in order.”

Andrew smiled. His expression changed from one of concern to one of playful desire. He grinned at me and leaned forward, his eyes flickering to my lips.

“What are you thinking about over there?” I asked with a soft laugh.

“You,” he said simply. “Come take a walk with me.”

“I can’t,” I groaned. “I’m so close. I don’t want to stop until I figure it out.”

“Just a quick break,” Andrew said. “Please?”

I searched his face. He was determined to get me out of the office, and I didn’t know why. I frowned and stood up. As I walked around the table, Andrew’s eyes followed my every move.

“What’s going on with you?” I asked, perching myself on the edge of the table.

“I’m distracted.” Andrew sighed. “I can’t focus on work, and I’m losing my mind in that office. I need to get out. To breathe in some fresh air.”

“We were just on vacation.” I laughed.

“It wasn’t a vacation,” Andrew said quickly. “Although, it did feel like it. Technically, we were working.”

“I didn’t realize that fell within my job description.” I grinned wickedly, making Andrew laugh and roll his eyes.

“Come on,” he said. “Just a quick break. Then, I’ll let you get back to work without any more interruptions.”

“Fine.” I sighed dramatically and pushed away from my desk. “Lead the way.”

Andrew jumped up quickly and held out his hand. I took it and let him lead me down the stairs and through the glass doors. We stepped out into the courtyard, and I immediately knew what Andrew had in mind.

“Are we riding?” I asked, gesturing toward the stables.

“I thought we might.” Andrew shrugged. “Unless you’d rather take a walk.”

“No.” I shook my head. “A ride sounds perfect.”

We reached the stables just as Amy poked her head outside. She smiled when she saw us and hurried over.

“I didn’t know you were back,” she said. “How was your trip?”

“It was incredible,” Andrew said. “How are you doing, Amy?”

Amy’s eyes widened in surprise. Just a week before, she’d finally met Andrew in person after years of working for him. She was downright shocked that he would ask her about herself.

“I’m doing well, Mr. Hopper,” Amy said. “Thank you for asking.”

“Will you get the horses ready for us?” Andrew asked politely. “We won’t be out long. Just a quick ride around the property.”

“Of course.” Amy smiled at me and then disappeared inside the stables.

I stared at Andrew blankly. Amy wasn’t the only person surprised by his sudden change in attitude. When we first met, Andrew was all work and no play. He lived and breathed Hopper Antiquities. Nothing and no one could tear his attention away from work, and now, he was a completely different person.

“Why are you staring at me like that?” Andrew asked nervously.

“I just,” I began, shaking my head slowly. “It’s nice to see you this way.”

“What way?” Andrew asked.

“Relaxed.” I shrugged. “I guess, I thought when we got back you would dive into work like before. I never imagined you would drag me out of my office in the middle of the day on a Friday.”

“My priorities have changed,” Andrew said simply.

I smiled and fought the urge to kiss him. Amy reappeared, leading the horses by their reins. They were already saddled and ready to go.

“Here you go,” she said when she reached us. “You guys need anything else?”

“Nah,” I said. “We’ll be back soon. Thanks, Amy.”

“Why don’t you head home?” Andrew offered. “It’s the weekend. Get out of here and have some fun.”

“I should really wait to put up the horses,” Amy said with a frown. “They’ll need to be cooled down.”

“I can handle that,” Andrew said. “I won’t let anything happen to them, I promise.”

“Are you sure?” Amy asked nervously.

“Positive.”

Andrew smiled at her warmly before turning to help me onto my horse. I climbed up easily and settled onto the saddle. Andrew waved to Amy and then jumped on his own horse. He glanced at me and jerked his head to the side, leading the way out of the courtyard.

We rode away from the stables and fell into an easy silence. Just like the last time we rode together, we lost ourselves in the peaceful moment. The wind blew through my hair and cleared my mind in a way nothing else could. I sighed and closed my eyes, leaning my head back and letting Gemma take the lead.

When I opened my eyes again, Andrew was pulling on Donna Lee’s reins. She slowly came to a stop beside a small pond I hadn’t seen before. Gemma and I trotted over to meet them and then stopped. I jumped down just as Andrew’s feet hit the ground. He took both horses over to the pond and tied their reins up on a nearby tree.

I watched him as he moved. His footsteps were lighter, and his eyes were full of a newfound brightness. The blue one shone in the late afternoon sunshine, and the green practically sparkled. He kept a faint smile on his lips, almost as if he didn’t realize it was there. I couldn’t stop my own smile from spreading across my face.

“What?” he asked when he found me staring at him again.

“You’re different.” I shrugged. “It’s nice to see.”

“It’s because of you,” Andrew said. He motioned for me to join him on the grass. We sat down, and I leaned back on my hands, titling my head up toward the sky. “That lesson my mother tried to beat into my head. Well, I finally realized what she was talking about.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, turning slightly to look at him.

“Work isn’t everything,” Andrew said. “There are more important things in life. Mom always said it, but I never truly understood. Not until I met you.”

I felt my cheeks blush, but I didn’t look away. I was becoming more used to Andrew’s compliments. They didn’t shock or surprise me anymore. Still, I wasn’t sure I deserved that much credit.

“If your priorities have changed,” I said. “Then that’s because of you, not me.”

“Don’t sell yourself short,” Andrew said softly. He reached out to tuck my hair behind my ear. I leaned into his hand and sighed.

“This is crazy, isn’t it?” I asked.

“Us?”

I nodded. “We met two weeks ago,” I said. “How can we already be so…”

“Into each other?” Andrew asked.

I nodded again, but Andrew just laughed and moved closer to me. He pulled me into his arms and sighed deeply as we looked out over the pond.

“My mom used to say romance is something that exists outside a time limit,” he said. “She always told me that love was the one thing you can never plan. It sneaks up on you, it knocks you on your ass, and it completely turns your life upside down. Whether you’ve known someone for twenty years or twenty minutes, they can impact your life. It’s just one of those things that can’t be explained.”

“Your mom sounds amazing,” I said.

“She was.” Andrew sighed again. “I just wish my father had been, too.”

“From everything I’ve heard about him, he was.”

“No.” Andrew shook his head. “Not everyone knew the real him.”

“Tell me,” I said softly. I shifted in Andrew’s arms so I could look up at his face.

“When my mother died,” Andrew said, his forehead creased. “Dad was out of town. He was on a dig somewhere, and well, he just didn’t make it back in time. Liam assured me he tried, but I don’t believe it. Someone with as much money as him should have been here to say goodbye. He should have been the one holding her hand when she finally passed, and instead, he was working. He left me alone to handle everything, and still, everyone thinks he was a goddamn hero.”

I’d never heard Andrew speak so frankly about his family. His eyes were darker than before as he remembered that time. It broke my heart to see him in so much pain.

“I’m sorry.” I breathed and sank into him. “I can’t imagine being alone when my mom died. My dad was my lifeline during those first few months. Without him…”

I shook my head and fell silent. I didn’t even want to think what would have happened if my dad had been MIA when my mother passed. The thought was too horrendous to entertain.

Andrew and I sat together for a while longer. Neither of us said a word. We watched the sun begin to set over the pond, and Andrew held me close. Our conversation had taken such a serious turn that neither of us knew how to bring it back to something light. Truthfully, I didn’t want to.

I loved that Andrew and I could talk about something real, something difficult. His mother was right, time didn’t matter when it came to finding the right person. I was beginning to think I’d found mine.

“Are you cold?” Andrew asked, his lips resting against my ear.

“No.” I shook my head. “I’m perfect.”

Andrew kissed my earlobe. Goosebumps erupted all over my body. I squirmed in his arms as he continued to kiss me, his lips moving from my ear to my neck. By the time I craned my neck around to find his lips, my body was on fire.

Andrew laid me down on the grass and made to love me in a way he never had before. It wasn’t quick or animalistic like it had been before. There was no desperation or aggression in his movements. He wanted me more than ever, I could see it in his eyes, but he took his time with my body. He made sure I felt every single kiss he laid on my naked skin.

When we finished, I laid in his arms until the sun was nearly gone.