Once back in her room, Sophie kicked off her boots and stretched out on her bed to call Joe.
“How did it go?” he asked.
“Good. There’s a lot to learn but Amanda was super patient and really sweet. She’s got to be the nicest boss in the world.”
“Glad it went okay,” he said.
Sophie paused, giving him an opportunity to say he knew Amanda, or to say that he liked her, having once been rather close to her. But he said nothing and she suddenly didn’t feel like she could bring Charity up over the phone.
“How’s your grandfather’s face? Is he all bruised up?”
“He’s healing, which means, yes, he’s quite blue and yellow.”
“Dinner went well?”
“Roast chicken and boiled potatoes.”
“And you made that?” she asked.
“I did.”
“You’re pretty talented.”
“I just don’t like being hungry,” he answered.
“Will I see you tomorrow?” she asked.
“I’m hoping to take you to dinner and a movie tomorrow night. Would that work with your schedule?”
She winced, feeling guilty. “You’re my number-one priority,” she said. “Whatever you want works with my schedule.”
“Then have a look at what’s playing at the theater in Marietta and see if anything appeals to you. I can pick you up from work tomorrow at six and we could go straight to dinner.”
“I like it. See you then.”
*
Joe spent the afternoon the next day washing, waxing, and detailing his mom’s dark green Jeep Wrangler so that when he showed up in Marietta, he’d have a pristine car to give to Sophie. The Jeep had less than eleven thousand miles on it, and hadn’t been driven in the past eighteen months except for brief outings to keep the battery from dying. It had been a new car Joe had bought his mom for her fiftieth birthday three years ago, but her arthritis made driving too painful and after the first six months, the Jeep pretty much sat in the garage.
Joe was glad she’d decided to sell it to him. There was no way he would have ever been comfortable just taking it from her. By buying it, he ensured there would be no guilt trips later.
He made sure he was waiting outside the pink hair salon before six. It was sprinkling a little, but he was wearing his cowboy hat and the brim kept the rain off his face. He wished it wasn’t raining, though, not after all the time he’d spent waxing the Jeep. But even in the drizzle, it was shiny, and looked virtually brand new.
Sophie came outside a few minutes after six. She looked puzzled as she approached him. “Where’s your truck?”
“At home.”
“Is it not running?”
“It’s fine. I just wanted to drive your new car to you.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out the car key and car fob. “It’s actually not a new car. It’s three years old but it has very few miles and only one driver.” He hit unlock on the Jeep and the lights flashed. “What do you think?” he asked, handing her the key ring.
She looked at the Jeep and then him, and then back to the Jeep. “This is an expensive car, Joe.”
“I got a very good deal on it.”
“But still—”
“Sophie, don’t always worry about money. I’m not hurting for cash.” He walked to the driver’s side, opened the door for her. “Tan interior, leather seats, the seats are heated, too, which you’ll appreciate come fall. Four-wheel drive so you could go off-roading if you want.”
She made a face as she slid behind the steering wheel, “Do I look like an off-roading kind of girl?”
“I don’t know. But you sure look pretty in that car.”
Sophie flexed her hands against the steering wheel, and glanced around, admiring the interior. “Joe, it’s beautiful. I don’t know what to say.”
“As long as you’re happy.”
She reached up and tugged on his coat, drawing him down. She kissed him. “Thank you. You spoil me. I’m not used to it, but I appreciate it.”
He kissed her back. “You are more than welcome. Now, are you good to drive? We’re just heading to the Chinese restaurant next to the theater. I think we have enough time for a quick bite before the seven fifteen show.”
*
The next week passed quickly, with them falling into a routine they both enjoyed. They’d work and then meet for dinner or, in some cases, an after-dinner drink. They were enjoying a dessert date at Main Street Diner Thursday night when Joe mentioned she’d been in Montana two weeks today, and it was there at the diner they’d had their first date.
Sophie wrinkled her nose as she licked the buttercream frosting from the prongs of her fork. “I wouldn’t call that a date. It didn’t feel like a date. I was so nervous. You made me so nervous.”
“Me? You were crying even before you met me,” he retorted. “You got off the plane in tears.”
“I know. Two flights, one big layover. It gave me way too much time to think.”
“What were you thinking about?”
“That life sure can change in just a few months.”
Joe’s smile faded. “Do you still miss him?”
“Who?”
“Your ex.”
“Oh, Leo.” Sophie shook her head. “No. Not at all.”
“Why not? You were together a long time.”
She wondered if he was comparing her and Leo to his relationship with Charity, but Charity didn’t leave him for another man. Charity didn’t cheat on him by starting to see his brother…
“I met him because I worked for his family business,” she said after reflecting for a moment on what she could say without revealing the whole sordid Sophie-Leo-Sarah debacle. “Brazer Farms is one of the biggest dried fruit exporters in California, based in Central California, an hour or so from where I grew up. I interviewed with them out of college, started as an assistant to the export manager, and gradually worked my way up. Leo headed up sales, and we spent a lot of time together at work, and then began to spend a lot of time together outside of work. We weren’t a stay-at-home couple, though. We were always going somewhere, always busy, and because of our careers, we had a lot of business events and parties to attend. Looking back, I think we were too busy pretending we were a good couple instead of being a real couple.”
Joe’s brow lowered, his expression one of disbelief. “That doesn’t make sense to me. You weren’t a real couple?”
“A lot of energy went into what people saw—flowers to me at the office, dinners at fancy restaurants, vacations at posh places.” She glanced down at her plate, feeling a little heartsick at the memories. It didn’t feel good remembering Leo or the past. She still didn’t know all the details about his relationship with her sister, only that there was a point where they both developed feelings for the other, and somehow they forgot to tell her.
Her eyes suddenly prickled and her chest ached with suppressed emotion. She really didn’t want to sit here and talk about Leo. She didn’t want to think about the past. This was why she was in Montana. She had a new life now. She had a new family, new friends, new work. Just thinking of new friends and work, she thought of Amanda. Sophie really liked Amanda. Amanda was stylish and smart and funny—and incredibly compassionate.