Playing For Keeps (Emerald Lake Billionaires 2) (21 page)

“Why don’t you put it in the freezer for half an hour?” Ryan asked.

“I’m worried about cooling it down too quickly. The sudden cold could change the way the ingredients interact with each other.” Sophie glanced at her watch. “We’ve still got another hour before John arrives.”

They’d put the supplement in all of the shallow containers they could find. The less volume in any one container, the quicker the liquid would cool.

Sophie checked the temperature again. “We should be okay. Have you heard anything from Tank or Hayley?”

“They won’t call us. Tank has cut off all communication except with John.”

Sophie wiped down the counter. She needed to do something to keep herself busy. She was worried about her sister and her mom.

“Go to bed, Sophie. I can pour the supplement into the containers and give it to John when he arrives.”

“I can’t. I need to be here.”

Ryan didn’t argue. “I’ll make coffee.”

She watched him walk across the kitchen before she straightened the containers of medicinal plants on the shelves.

“Do you want a sandwich with your coffee?”

She poked her head around the edge of the pantry.

Ryan held a bag of bread in the air. “We’ve got cheese, tomato, and salami. If you’re feeling brave, I could add some onion.”

“Cheese and tomato would be great. I’m not feeling particularly brave at the moment.” She turned back to the pantry and gave the containers a final nudge.

If anyone walked into the kitchen, they wouldn’t know how important the bowls of brown liquid were. With very little money, she’d found something that could provide practical help for people with memory loss. Sophie had thought it would be the answer to her prayers. She couldn’t believe how wrong she’d been. With nothing left to clean or put away, she stood in the middle of the kitchen.

Ryan had his back to her. He’d taken his jacket off hours ago. With his shirt sleeves rolled up and his tie long gone, he looked like a regular guy. The kind of guy Sophie could get used to.

He’d driven to Maggie’s home to collect the ingredients she needed, then helped her steam the berries and herbs. They’d passed them through cheesecloth to remove the pulp and added the liquid to the other ingredients they’d prepared. They’d worked well together. Almost too well considering the argument they’d had earlier.

“You didn’t hold your nose,” she said.

Ryan turned and smiled at her. “I’m getting used to the smell.”

Sophie pulled a stool out from under the counter. “The joiners did a good job with the kitchen. It looks beautiful.”

“It helps when you know what you want. Whoever chose the stone counter and cabinet colors did a good job.” He put a sandwich on a plate and passed it to her.

She felt herself blush. “I had a lot of help from Danny and Jamie. If it wasn’t for them, you could have ended up with black granite counters and white cabinets.” Sophie ran her hand along the white stone. Flecks of silver, cream, and beige glittered under the pendant lights.

Ryan poured her a cup of black coffee. “It wouldn’t have looked as good as this. Do you realize this is the first time we’ve used my new kitchen? And it’s only quarter to three in the morning.”

Sophie leaned her elbows on the counter and watched Ryan make his own sandwich. “Jamie was going to bring some bacon and eggs for breakfast. If you’re still feeling domesticated you could help him.”

“By the time he arrives, I’ll be feeling dead.” Ryan’s tired smile reminded her of the smile he’d sent her in the library auditorium.

“You’ll make someone a fine husband.”

The knife in Ryan’s hand stopped moving. “But not you?”

“Definitely not me. Why did you tell everyone we’re engaged? It’s not like you to do something so…impulsive.”

“I thought you were going to say something worse than impulsive.” Ryan bit into his sandwich. “I thought being engaged was better than being called a billionaire’s Cinderella.”

Sophie watched Ryan take a sip of coffee. He wasn’t telling her the whole truth. “Has Dorothy contacted you?”

“She sent me a text an hour ago.”

“Does she ever sleep?”

Ryan rubbed his forehead. “Not that I’m aware of.”

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” He glanced at her and winced. “I’ve got a headache. It will go away soon.”

“Have you taken anything for it?”

“Two Tylenol half an hour ago.”

She looked at her watch. By the time the Tylenol kicked in, John would be here to collect the supplement. “I can finish off in here. All I have to do is pour the supplement into the plastic containers and give it to John.”

“I’ll wait with you.”

Sophie glanced at Ryan before picking up her sandwich. With his jaw set at a stubborn angle, she knew he wasn’t going anywhere. “I’ve got an apology to make.”

Ryan stopped chewing.

“I might have overreacted. About us being engaged. People get engaged all the time. Sometimes it lasts, sometimes it doesn’t. No one will be surprised when we tell them it’s over.”

“Why wouldn’t they be surprised?”

Sophie shrugged. “I’m a scientist, you’re a country singer. We don’t have anything in common.”

“We both like chocolate.”

“That doesn’t count. Most of the world likes chocolate.”

“What about cheese and tomato sandwiches?” Ryan smiled. “We’ve eaten them nearly every day for lunch.”

“That’s because there isn’t anything else in your fridge.”

“Not true. Jamie bought salami and gherkins last week.”

“And pickle breath is so attractive.” Sophie laughed at the gleam in Ryan’s eyes. “What’s wrong with chicken and salad?”

“It doesn’t taste as good as cheese and tomato.”

“I’d like to disagree with you, but I can’t. You make a good sandwich.”

Ryan smiled. “While you’re agreeing with me, I’ll add in the lake. We definitely have that in common. You said you would have bought the property beside me if you could afford it. Not everyone likes living forty minutes from the nearest town.”

“They do if they want to surround themselves with the most incredible scenery on earth.”

Ryan poured himself another cup of coffee. “You’re not easily convinced, are you?”

“I believe in fact, not fiction. The chance of us falling in love with each other is practically zilch.”

“A person’s life can change forever with less than we have in common. Sometimes all it takes is a look. What about our song? You can’t say that wasn’t meant to be?”

Sophie leaned her elbows on the counter. “It was pretty amazing, wasn’t it? Why did you call it
Finding
Sunshine?”

He took a big gulp of coffee. “It worked with the lyrics.”

“It does more than that. It adds another dimension to the song. It’s beautiful.” She looked at Ryan and held her breath. He was staring at her as though he could read her mind. But what was in her mind was fanciful nonsense. Cheese sandwiches and a lake weren’t valid reasons for falling in love with someone. What she was thinking wasn’t logical or sensible or any of the things she knew were important.

“One day, Sophie Elliott, you’re going to believe in something that’s so irrational that it’s going to scare the living daylights out of you. And when that happens, you can tell me I was right all along.”

“I’ll bet you a triple cheese sandwich that we’ll both be gray and wrinkly before that happens.”

Ryan’s serious expression slipped into a smile. “I’ll take your bet, but I guarantee we won’t be old and wrinkly.”

Sophie shook Ryan’s outstretched out. She ignored the spark of electricity, the promise of more. Ryan Evans wasn’t part of the future she’d planned. But she knew he’d be a big part of her past.

CHAPTER NINE

Sophie slipped on her sunglasses, bowed her head, and walked quickly along the sidewalk. Every second person she’d seen this morning had either pointed to her or congratulated her on her engagement.

It was a nightmare.

She stopped outside a flower shop and looked at her watch. If Ryan could announce to the world that he was getting married, then his fiancée could buy him flowers. Even though he’d made a huge mistake at the talent show, she wanted to thank him for helping her last night. They’d given John the supplement at three-thirty in the morning. He wouldn’t tell them where Tank, Hayley, and her mom were, but at least he’d told them they were safe.

She heard a noise behind her and looked over her shoulder. The reporters who were following her started taking photos.

She glanced at Tanner. He was the only reason the reporters weren’t asking her questions. He’d herded them away from her like an experienced cowboy. They’d quickly moved out of his way, leaving enough room for Sophie to breathe.

Tanner stood beside her. “Is everything all right?”

Sophie nodded. “I thought I’d buy Ryan some flowers.”

Tanner’s eyebrows shot upward. Ryan had told him about their fake engagement and what they might encounter in town. “Have you got something special in mind?”

Sophie grinned at her co-conspirator. “Shame on you, Tanner,” she whispered. “I’m not looking for hemlock or poison ivy. I wanted something more flamboyant.”

“Like lilies?”

The one flower in the world that Sophie didn’t like was the lily. They reminded her of funerals and sad times. “Not lilies. I’ll find something inside. Will you be okay out here?”

“I’ll let you know if I need rescuing.”

There wasn’t much chance of that. Tanner was big, bad, and muscly. The reporters knew to stay clear of her bodyguard.

Sophie looked down at her watch again. She was supposed to meet Tess in five minutes. A woman in love would have been able to select a bouquet in that time. For someone still reeling from Ryan’s spontaneous burst of brain activity, she should be able to choose flowers in ten seconds flat.

She opened the wooden door and stepped into heaven. Roses, daisies, gerberas, and carnations filled the store with a sweet scent. Their blooms decorated every available shelf and table, spilling color throughout the store like a beautiful oil painting.

“Good morning. How can I help you on this fine summer’s day?”

Sophie smiled at the woman behind the counter. Her Irish accent was soft and soothing, the exact opposite of the loud voices of the reporters who’d followed her.

“I see you’ve brought a fan club with you. Would you like me to make sure they stay on the other side of the door?”

“It’s okay. Tanner’s standing guard.”

The woman’s gaze shifted to the sidewalk. “Oh, my. He’s quite big isn’t he?”

Sophie grinned at the questioning look Tanner sent her. “When you get to know him he’s not so intimidating.”

“If you say so.” The woman held out her hand and smiled. “I’m Becky O’Donaghue. Welcome to my store.”

“Hi. I’m Sophie.”

“You’ve told me about Tanner. Who might your other friends be?”

Sophie looked at the reporters. “They’re not my friends,” she sighed. “They’re reporters. Something happened last night and they want a story to take away with them.”

“Your something wouldn’t have anything to do with your engagement to Ryan Evans would it?”

“How did you know?”

“I was at the talent show. It made my heart burst to see the happiness on his face. Your song was lovely.”

“Thank you.” Becky seemed like a nice person, but Sophie felt uncomfortable talking about last night.

“Who are you buying flowers for?”

“Ryan.”

A wide smile broke across Becky’s face. “Come with me. I can make a bouquet from any of the blooms you see. Or if there’s a bouquet you like, you can take it home with you.”

Sophie walked toward a wall of roses. “These are beautiful.”

“I bought the roses fresh from the market this morning. What color do you like?”

Sophie scanned the rows of flowers displayed in every color of the rainbow. She moved down the aisle and stopped in front of a vase of yellow roses. They reminded her of sunshine.

“I’ll take a dozen yellow roses, please. Do you have a card I could write on?”

Becky lifted the vase off the shelf and took them across to the counter. While she wrapped the flowers in paper, Sophie chose one of the cards Becky produced. She wrote her message inside and slid it into an envelope.

“Would you like the roses delivered or do you want to take them with you?”

“Can I pick them up in an hour? I’m going to Angel Wings Café to meet a friend.”

“Of course you can. I’ll put them away so no one else sees them.”

Sophie paid for the flowers, thanked Becky, and left.

When the front door opened, Tanner stood between Sophie and the reporters. “Did you get what you wanted?”

Sophie nodded. It wasn’t what Ryan would be expecting, but that was okay.