Playing For Keeps (Emerald Lake Billionaires 2) (31 page)

“Sometimes.”

She raised her eyebrows.

“Okay. Most times, but people generally mean well. At least they didn’t ask to take a photo with me.”

Sophie could see the two women. They were holding their cell phones and taking photos of the back of Ryan’s head. “We’re being photographed.”

“You’re kidding?”

“Nope. Smile for the cameras.”

Ryan slowly turned around and smiled. Both waitresses smiled back and waved their thanks. “I hope that photo doesn’t hit Facebook until after we’ve left.”

“So do I.” She pulled her coffee cup closer and took a sip. “Otherwise, I’m going to have a lot of explaining to do to Hayley. She’d planned her entire bridesmaid’s wardrobe around our celebrity wedding. When I told her we weren’t getting married she wouldn’t speak to me for half an hour. If she thinks there’s even the remotest chance that we’re getting back together she’ll be overjoyed.”

Ryan cleared his throat. “Is there?”

The coffee in Sophie’s cup wobbled dangerously close to the rim. “I’ve never stopped being your friend.”

“I wasn’t talking about friendship.” Ryan looked up and sighed. “How do you feel about takeout? We’re being photographed by a horde of women.”

Sophie looked over her shoulder and smiled. At least six women, all holding cell phones, were standing outside the café, taking their photo. By the time she turned back to Ryan, he was standing up, ready to pay the check.

Their waitress came across to their table. “I saw them, too. We’ve got a back door. We haven’t started your order, but we’ve got some sandwiches we could put in a takeout bag for you?”

“That would be great.” Ryan handed her more than enough money to cover lunch and a big tip.

The waitress looked behind them. “Quick. You need to move.”

“Where have I heard that before,” Sophie muttered.

“Occupational hazard.” Ryan picked up his guitar and pulled her behind him as he followed the waitress. He took the sandwiches that Andrea held out to him and nodded toward the back door. “Let’s go. Freedom awaits.”

And with one last smile aimed directly at the hearts of the waitresses, they were off.

***

Later that evening, Sophie held another dress in front of her. “What about this one?”

Hayley tilted her head sideways. “No. It’s too sweet. You want something that says you could be bad.”

Heat hit Sophie’s face. “I do not.”

“Of course you do. You’re crazy about Ryan. You had lunch with him and now he’s invited you to his house for dinner. That’s got to give you a clue about how he’s feeling?”

“We were overtaken by fans at lunchtime. The only reason he’s making me dinner is because we ate lunch in his truck.”

Hayley picked up a blue wrap dress and smiled. “This one’s better. What do you think?”

The soft cotton dress had always been one of Sophie’s favorites. “I like it, too, especially since it’s not a bad girl dress.”

“It’s badder than the rest of your clothes.”

Sophie ignored her sister’s teasing smile and headed toward the bathroom. Ryan’s unexpected invitation to dinner had sent goose bumps along her spine. Even though lunch had been different from what she’d expected, they’d had a good time.

He’d told her more about his schedule and the plans he’d made for a future that didn’t include touring around the world so much.

After lunch, she’d made some phone calls and decided what she’d like to do.

By the time Sophie had finished getting ready, her sister and mom were busy making dinner. She leaned against the kitchen doorframe, watching them bustle around the kitchen. Hayley brought her mom back to her apartment after work each day. They made dinner together and tried to make their mom’s life as normal as possible.

After months of using the supplement, her mom’s movements were less jerky. She could stand on her own for longer, be less dependent on someone else for her care. Sophie didn’t know if her mom would ever fully recover from Alzheimer’s disease, but she’d made incredible progress.

Tears filled her eyes when she imagined what her mom’s life would have been like without the supplement.

Hayley turned around and smiled at her. “Look at you.”

Sophie walked across the room and hugged her mom. “What do you think?” She spun in a circle.

“You look lovely.”

Hayley grinned at their mom. “Sophie’s going on a date with Ryan.”

Her mom looked at them blankly, before smiling. “Tank’s friend?”

“That’s right, mom.” Sophie smiled at the grimace on Hayley’s face. Not only did their mom remember everything about Tank, but if someone was in the same room as their mom and Tank, she remembered them as well.

Sophie kept a close eye on her sister. “I thought I’d take mom to the grizzly bear sanctuary tomorrow. Do you want to come?”

“I can’t. I’ve got other plans.”

“What can be more important than spending a few hours in the sunshine?”

Hayley wiped her hands down the side of her jeans and looked around the kitchen. “I promised someone I’d help them. What if I pick mom up on Sunday from the nursing home and we do something then?”

“Is everything okay?”

“As okay as it’s ever going to be,” Hayley muttered. “If you get a desperate text from me, ignore it.”

Their mom picked up a carrot and stared at it. “Hayley’s going with Tank to see his mom and dad.”

Sophie’s gaze shot to her sister. “I thought you didn’t like him?”

“I don’t. He’s bossy, stubborn, and thinks he’s always right. But I promised I’d go with him when he visits his family. He hasn’t seen his mom and dad for more than ten years.”

“He’s such a nice man,” their mom added.

Sophie smiled. It was kind of sweet that her mom thought Tank was nice. “If you need me, call me. We should be home by two o’clock.”

Hayley looked at the clock on the wall. “You’d better leave or you’re going to be late. Have a good time.”

Sophie picked up her car keys. “I will.”

Their mom walked across the kitchen and gave her a hug. “Goodnight, Sophie. I love you.”

She hugged her mom tight, treasuring the moment. “I love you, too.”

When she stepped away, Sophie glanced at Hayley. “I’m sure Tank will appreciate your company tomorrow.”

“Maybe. Now go, you’re going to be late.”

She rushed toward the door. “Don’t wait up. Be careful driving mom back to the nursing home. If you need me, call my cell phone.”

“Goodbye,” Hayley said dryly.

Sophie ran to her car. Halfway out of town she looked at the white box beside her.

She hoped Ryan liked surprises.

***

Sophie parked her car in front of Ryan’s home. She smiled when she saw Tanner waiting beside the entranceway. “Are you still on duty?” she asked.

“For a while longer. How’s Dallas?”

“Great. Our research is going really well.”

“You must be relieved.”

“It feels good not to have to hide anymore.” She took the box off the passenger seat and balanced it in her hands. Out of all the emotions she felt, relief wasn’t one of them. There was still a lot of work ahead of the team working on the supplement, a lot of variations they were investigating.

Tanner opened the front door and smiled. “It’s good to see you, Sophie. Go on through. Ryan’s in the living room.”

Sophie walked through the gallery and into her favorite room. She smiled when she saw where Ryan was sitting. “You’ve got a piano?”

He looked up from the notebook he was writing in. “It’s been in storage for the last six months. It’s a baby grand, all the way from my apartment in Nashville.”

She ran her hand along the silky smooth surface and smiled. “It’s beautiful. Are you working on a new song?”

“More like an old one I never finished. Do you want to hear it?”

Sophie put the box on a table. “Play me the music before you add the lyrics.”

Ryan made room for her on the bench seat beside him. When his fingers touched the first keys, she felt herself relax. Notes lifted and fell, drifting through a melody that was hauntingly beautiful.

When the music ended she couldn’t say anything.

“What do you think?”

She took a deep breath. “It’s beautiful. Can you sing the lyrics now?”

Ryan hesitated. “I haven’t finished them, but I’ll sing what there is.”

Sophie wasn’t expecting to hear the words that Ryan sang. It was a ballad about a man who’d lost his way. The chorus was sad, bringing tears to her eyes.

When Ryan finished, she sighed. “How does his story end?”

“I don’t know.”

She closed her eyes and remembered the words, the emotions swirling in the room. “Where did it come unstuck?”

Ryan looked down at the keys. “At the beginning.”

“It was a beautiful beginning,” Sophie said softly. “The words and the music pulled me into his story. I felt his pain.”

“His life shouldn’t have been full of so much pain.”

Sophie glanced at Ryan. She thought about the song, the message woven between the words. She touched the sleeve of his shirt and frowned. “Do you really feel as empty as the man in your song?”

Ryan turned around and held her hand. “I’ve spent most of my life feeling empty. I never lived up to my parent’s expectations. Even now, when I can afford almost anything in the world, they don’t think music is a serious career. I married Cindy because she believed in my dreams. I thought she believed in me, too, but I was wrong.”

“If you hadn’t followed your dreams, you wouldn’t be here. You took a risk and worked hard. You’ve achieved so much.”

Ryan’s fingers tightened around hers. “I’ve still got a long way to go.”

“How do you want your song to end?”

Ryan took a deep breath. “As if the beginning wasn’t a mistake. That everything between now and then had a purpose. I want the happy-ever-after ending, Sophie.”

She let go of Ryan’s hand and picked up his pen. With trembling hands she started to write in his notebook, adding more lyrics to his half-finished song.

Ryan sat quietly beside her. He replayed parts of his song when she needed to hear the twists and turns, the highs and lows that made the melody so compelling.

When she’d finished another verse, she handed him the notebook.

Ryan read the words that had come straight from her heart. “You should have been a musician or a poet.”

Sophie wiped her eyes. “I wanted to live up to my parent’s expectations. The difference between you and me is that you were courageous. You knew you needed to create beautiful music. I wanted to make my parents happy. When dad got sick, I felt lost. Nothing made sense until I started working on the supplement. Instead of writing music, I created complex chemical equations. I compared specific plant extracts with traditional drug therapies. I didn’t know what I was doing or where I was going. All I knew was that it needed to work. I want the happy-ever-after ending, too.”

Ryan held her hand. “Come with me. I’d like to show you something.”

She followed Ryan onto the patio overlooking Emerald Lake. The sun had already sunk behind the mountains, hiding the lake in deep, mysterious shadows.

With the flick of a switch, Ryan turned all the lights off inside the house. Pitch black darkness surrounded them.

“Close your eyes, Sophie.”

“This isn’t where you turn into an ax murderer is it?”

She heard Ryan’s soft sigh.

“I’m not usually this worried, but I have a good reason.”

“Are your eyes closed?”

“Do I have to?”

“Yes.”

Sophie closed her eyes. “I might not have been completely honest when I said I wasn’t afraid of the dark. I have a slight, but totally reasonable discomfort around dark places.”

She felt Ryan’s hand in hers. “You can open your eyes now.”

Sophie’s mouth dropped open. “It’s beautiful.”

Thousands of twinkling fairy lights had been strung around the beams of the pergola. It looked as though the stars had come down to say hello.

She gazed at the lights and smiled. “We could wish on a thousand stars.”

Ryan’s smile was slow and steady. “I only need one wish to come true.” He looked down at their intertwined hands and took a deep breath. When he lifted his gaze to hers, she almost cried.

“I love you, Sophie Elliott. I know we’ve both got busy lives and things we want to do. But I want to share those things with you. I’ll do anything I can to make you happy, to be someone you can be proud of and want to grow old with.”

Without taking his gaze from hers, Ryan got down on one knee. His usually confident smile wobbled at the edges. “Sophie Elliott, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

Ryan was looking at her with so much love that Sophie never wanted to forget this moment. She pulled him to his feet and held his hands. “I love you, too. While I was in Dallas I realized how much my life has changed since I met you. I don’t need to save the world anymore. All I need is you.”