Page 27 of Play Our Song

“She probably didn’t want to talk about something that was so awkward and painful,” said Jules, rolling her eyes. “Honestly, Soph, I don’t know how we’re ever going to marry you off.”

“I don’t need marrying off,” said Sophie.

“What do you need, then?”

“I need…” She sighed. “I need someone nice and comfortable to curl up on my couch with.”

“Right, your couch. As in, not your dad’s. You need someone to take you away from all this. And that’s not going to happen if you keep turning down every available woman in town.”

“I have not turned down every available woman in town,” Sophie protested.

“Just Tilly then,” said Jules.

“Yes.”

“The one that you actually want to date.”

“Yes,” said Sophie again. “I think.”

“You think or you want?” asked Jules. “Because before you make the effort, you really should know.”

Sophie blew out a breath. Try as she might, and she had tried over the intervening two and a half days, she couldn’t forget about Tilly.

At first it had seemed the easiest thing. Just put it all behind her, pretend that the embarrassing incident never happened, tell Jules that she wasn’t going to choir anymore. Except that would be letting Billy down, and Sophie really didn’t want to do that.

Oh, that, and also every time she closed her eyes, she saw Tilly’s face. There was that too. She sighed into her beer. Why did she feel like this? Was it just because Tilly was the first available woman to appear in town in forever? Or was it something more serious?

“You really like her, don’t you?” Jules said, interrupting her thoughts.

Sophie looked at her pitifully. “I think so.”

“Right,” said Jules. “Does she make your tummy feel funny?”

Sophie nodded.

“Do you want to kiss her?”

Sophie nodded again.

“If there was a fire, would you pull her out of a burning building?”

“What kind of question is that?” Sophie asked. “I’d like to think that I’d pull anyone out of a burning building.”

“Fair,” said Jules. “But on the whole, I’d agree that you like our new police officer. And I don’t think she’s a bad choice. She was in here the other lunchtime with Max, talking about some big new case she’s working on. She was… cute. All flushed and excited.”

“You’re married,” Sophie said.

“And you’re getting jealous, which is also cute,” Jules said. “But if you actually do have some kind of feelings for her, there’s really only one option here.”

“Which is?” asked Sophie anxiously. “I mean, maybe there’s some kind of rehab program? Or perhaps I could just run away. Move to South America or something.”

“You could, but then Billy would just hunt you down and kill you,” Jules told her. “She’s got this winter concert planned to a T, and like it or not, you’re now a part of it. I don’t think there’s anywhere in the world that you could hide from an angry Billy.”

“No leaving the choir, then?”

Jules shook her head. “In fact, you’re in for a surprise in the next few days.”

“What kind of surprise?” She was suspicious now.

---