Discovering Sophie (34 page)

A nurse came into the room. “
Buenos días
,” she said, giving Sophie a big smile. Then in perfect English, said, “It is good to see you are wide awake,
señorita
. How do you feel?”

Sophie’s eyes darted between the two men. They were complete opposites. Jack, his light-brown hair with sun kissed highlights, pale-blue eyes and dressed in casual shorts, T-shirt and flip-flops. Peter with his curly, dark hair, brown eyes and dressed for a business meeting. Sophie looked back at the nurse and answered, “I feel a little out of it.”

The nurse checked Sophie’s IV and catheter. “That’s normal. But you know this. You are a doctor, ¿
no
?”

“Yes. But my expertise is in children.” Her eyes flickered back to the two men who both probably needed a timeout. Well, at least Jack.

The nurse patted her on the arm. “I’m going to empty your catheter. Hopefully we can take it out sometime today.”

Sophie noticed both men look at each other nervously. Jack started to back up. “We’ll just leave you alone for a minute.”

Sophie watched them leave together, too tired to think about what to do. She loved Jack, but she cared about Peter and didn’t like to see him hurting. Jack could be insensitive, and it wasn’t necessary to hurt Peter any more than he already was.

Outside her room, Sophie could hear the low sound of two male voices conversing with each other. How would things work out?

* * *

“You don’t need to be so overbearing,” Peter said tightly once they were outside of the room.

“Kissing Sophie isn’t overbearing,” Jack defended. He did feel a little guilty, though. Especially since Sophie seemed upset with him. “Besides, I asked her first.”

“I should’ve never left you alone with her.” Peter skewered Jack with a look. “And I hate when you call me Pete. I believe I’ve asked you several times not to address me that way.”

Jack’s male ego was running rampant this morning. Sophie wouldn’t be very pleased with him. Thinking of her, Jack apologized, “I’m sorry, Peter. I wasn’t being very nice, and I was doing it on purpose.”

His honest admission seemed to disarm Peter. He exhaled heavily. “I can see I probably don’t stand a chance.” He looked at Jack imploringly. “Please, just give me some time alone with her to say goodbye. I’m scheduled to fly out of here in a few days, but I can always get an earlier flight.”

Wow, Jack wasn’t expecting that. Peter had just accepted he’d lost. The least Jack could do was give him time to say goodbye. “Uh, sure. I’ll go to my hotel and do a load of laundry and answer my email.”

Relief crossed the man’s features. “Thank you.”

Yolanda came out of Sophie’s room. “You can both go back in there, but I expect you to continue being good.” She narrowed her gaze at Jack. “Especially you,
Señor
Jack.”

Jack felt even guiltier for his immature behavior. “I will.”

Peter opened the door and allowed Jack to go in first. Sophie eyed both of them warily. “Everything okay?” she asked hesitantly.

“Sure,” Jack said, moving to her side. “Peter is going to stay and keep you company while I run to my hotel room to answer emails.”

Her eyes clouded with worry. “How long will you be gone?”

“Not long. I’ll be back in an hour or so.”

Peter looked surprised Jack was giving him that much time. “I’ll take good care of her.”

Jack nodded and bent down, brushing his lips against Sophie’s forehead. “I’ll see you soon.”

On the drive to the hotel, Jack started to feel nervous. He’d won the girl, and he’d made the statement several times that he was going to marry Sophie, which meant he would be relocating to Colorado. His stomach felt queasy as he thought about everything he needed to do in order to make that happen.

He would have to sell his house, or he could turn it into a rental property. That way he and Sophie would have a place to stay when they came for a visit. Jack rebuffed the idea that it would also be security if things didn’t work out with Sophie.

The night before, he and Peter had talked. Peter had suggested that Jack and Sophie’s feelings for each other were mainly based on the bond they’d shared when Sophie learned of her father’s death and then again when they’d been kidnapped and escaped together.

While that might be true, Jack knew his attraction to Sophie had been strong from the moment he’d first met her. Still, chemistry was a fickle thing. What if he moved to Colorado and his or Sophie’s feelings changed?

Then there was the whole issue with his family. He still had no idea how to go about mending those relationships. Jack’s hands gripped the steering wheel hard. If things didn’t work out with his family, would Sophie ever be able to be truly happy with just Jack and eventually their children if they had any?

Peter’s family was close, and they did love Sophie. He’d read all the personal messages on the poster board to her. They already considered her a part of their family. Some of the notes mentioned seeing her at Thanksgiving, which was only a couple of weeks away.

It was a holiday that typically brought families together, and it would probably be the perfect time to reunite with his brother and parents. Still, it scared him to think about facing his family again. Seeing Heather and Adam together would hurt. Even after all these years, he knew it would hurt. Could Jack really forgive them for all the pain they’d caused?

By the time Jack pulled into the parking lot, he wasn’t sure what to do. The only thing he knew for certain was that he loved Sophie.

* * *

Sophie didn’t know what to say to Peter. They both listened silently to Jack’s retreating footsteps. With her heart monitor no longer needed, the room seemed awfully quiet.

“I’m sorry about your dad,” Peter said, his brown eyes filled with tenderness.

“Thank you.” Her voice quavered, and she bit her lip to control her emotions. “At least now I know what happened to him.”

“My family sends their love.” He smiled and picked up a white poster board that was leaning against the wall. “They all got together and made this for you. I showed it to you yesterday, but I’m guessing you don’t remember that either.”

He turned it over and her breath caught. Pictures of Peter’s parents, his siblings and their spouses and children covered the board, with messages for Sophie written in between them.

“That is the sweetest thing in the world.” She held out her hands and Peter handed it to her. “I can’t believe they did this for me.” Her eyes skimmed over the familiar faces. She read a few of the messages and couldn’t help smiling.

“They love you Sophie.” Peter’s voice was so soft and sad at the same time. “So do I.”

Her vision blurred as tears filled her eyes. Part of her still loved Peter. It was nothing compared to the way Jack made her feel, but she still cared about him. “I know you do.”

Peter reached into his pocket and withdrew the velvet pouch containing the ring he’d given her. “I brought this with me, hoping you’d decide to accept my proposal.” He took a seat in the chair next to her bed and emptied the bag, letting the engagement ring fall into the center of his palm.

Sophie stared at the glittering diamond, seeing her dream of becoming a wife and mother packed into such a small package. A lump lodged in her throat. She had decided not to accept the ring, even before she’d met Jack. It was the right decision, but deep down she had this fear that this might be her only chance to get married. Jack still hadn’t said anything more about marriage. Of course she’d been too sick for them to have any kind of a serious discussion, but what if he didn’t want to marry her?

Peter picked up the ring and held it between his long fingers. The vulnerability she read in his eyes pierced her heart. Before he said anything, the nurse named Yolanda came into the room.

She spotted the ring in Peter’s fingers and clapped a hand over her heart and said something in Spanish. Peter knew a little of the language and Sophie saw he liked what Yolanda had said.

“
Sí
,” he said, winking at the nurse.

Yolanda smiled at Sophie. “He is a good man,
Señorita
. I can tell.” Then she turned around and left the room as fast as she’d appeared.

Sophie wasn’t sure what to think about the woman’s statement. For some reason, the nurse didn’t seem to like Jack. Trying not to be bothered, she focused on Peter and found him watching her closely.

“I want to marry you, Sophie.” He leaned forward, and the diamond sparkled under the lights. “I know you have feelings for Jack, but I believe you still care about me.”

“Yes.” She shook her head. “I mean, yes I still care about you, but I fell in love with Jack.”

Peter tipped his head in acknowledgement. “I can understand that.” He twisted the ring so it caught the light again. “But have you considered your feelings for him are based off of the bond you two shared when you learned about your father’s death? You two also went through a lot together with the abduction by those ruthless men and then your illness.”

“It’s more than that, Peter. I don’t know how to explain it.”

He palmed the ring and closed his fist around it. “I’m not trying to undermine your feelings.”

Sophie frowned. That was exactly what he was trying to do.

Peter let out a big breath. “Okay, I guess I am, but I want you to be sure you know what you’re doing.” He sat back, his lips pressed flat. “We’ve been together for a long time, Sophie. You know me, both my good and my bad. You know where I stand with God. You know my family.”

He pinned her with a solemn look. “How well do you really know Jack? What about his family?”

Her throat was tight, and she felt like she couldn’t breathe. She’d known Jack for two weeks, but it’s not like they were getting married next week. But when would they get married? Neither of them had a plan. Was Jack staying in Costa Rica, or would he try to move to Colorado?

She swallowed, wishing Jack would come back now. She felt so unsure about everything. When he was with her, it was easier to imagine them together.

“I...I don’t know.” Sophie dropped her eyes and stared at the poster board once again. A few of Peter’s older nieces had referred to her as Aunt Sophie and asked if they could have another princess movie night at her condo over the Thanksgiving holiday. They’d done it before, and Sophie had relished every second of the time spent with the sweet little girls.

Suddenly she felt so tired. She really didn’t know how to answer Peter. Any argument about her feelings for Jack—which appeared to be based solely on physical attraction—seemed hollow.

“Sweetheart,” Peter said, reaching over and taking one of her hands. “I’m sorry if what I’ve said has upset you.” His hand, so smooth and warm, tightened around hers. His touch wasn’t electric like Jack’s, but it was comforting. “You don’t have to make any decisions right now. I just want you to think about it, okay?”

“Okay.” Her voice was barely audible. Tired, like how she felt.

Peter must have sensed that. “Go to sleep, honey. I’m right here.” He stroked her palm with his thumb. “I’m not going anywhere unless you tell me to.”

* * *

The scene before him was not what Jack had expected to find. He leaned against the doorjamb and fought to control his emotions. Both Sophie and Peter were asleep, and they were holding hands.

He tried to tell himself it meant nothing, but after what Yolanda had just said, he wasn’t so sure. Had Peter really proposed again, and with a diamond ring? Sophie’s left hand was tucked underneath Peter’s, so he couldn’t see if she was wearing a ring or not.

Feelings of betrayal and jealousy gripped him around the middle. What had happened in the hour and half it had taken him to answer his emails and do a load of laundry? He’d been so confident about Sophie’s feelings for him that he hadn’t been in any hurry to return.

As if sensing she was being watched, Sophie’s eyes fluttered open, and when she saw Jack, her face lit up. “Hey,” she said softly. She pulled her hand out from Peter’s and stretched.

“Hey, yourself.” Jack didn’t see a ring and felt a measure of relief ease the tension in his chest. “Did you have a good nap?”

“Yes.” She glanced over at Peter. “I guess we fell asleep.”

The innocent remark struck a nerve. “Yeah, I could see that.”

Sophie's pale cheeks flushed pink. She dropped her gaze as if she felt guilty. “I’m glad you’re back,” she said, her eyes darting back up at him.

“Are you?” Jack hated the bitter sound in his voice, but it was as if he was reliving those days when Heather had told him she was pregnant with Adam’s baby.

“Of course.” The confused, hurt look that crossed Sophie’s face made him feel bad. He started to apologize, but right then Peter jerked awake and stood up. Something dropped on the tiled floor and pinged twice before coming to a rest.

Jack looked at what had fallen and felt his skin grow cold. A gold wedding ring with at least a two carat diamond sparkled under the lights. “You dropped something,” he said evenly.

The tips of Peter’s ears were red as he shuffled forward and picked up the ring. Jack’s breath felt trapped in his lungs, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to wait around to see what would happen. He drew in a shallow breath of relief when Peter dropped the ring into a black velvet pouch and slipped the bag inside his pocket. While Peter hadn’t put it on Sophie’s finger, it looked like he had been a busy boy doing something other than saying his goodbyes as he’d led Jack to believe.

“Did you two have a nice visit?” The tone of Jack’s voice oozed with irony as he kept his gaze firmly centered on Peter.

“We did.” Peter narrowed his eyes. “Were you able to get any work done?”

“Yeah.” His eyes flickered to Sophie. “A group of doctors out of Utah and Idaho want me to guide them on a two week humanitarian mission a couple of weeks before Christmas.” Jack hadn’t responded yet because he wasn’t sure what he was doing with his business or where he’d be living. Now he wanted to pull out his phone and confirm the reservation.

“Are you going to take them?” Sophie asked in a soft voice.

Jack felt his wall of self-protection going back up, and he shrugged. “I haven’t decided yet.” The tension in the room was as tight as a coiled spring. No one spoke for several heartbeats. Then a buzzing sound ended the awkward silence.