Page 28 of Designing Love
Daniel scoffs, “She doesn’t have time to play house. She has clients waiting for her in Vancouver.”
“Sophia doesn’t need anyone managing her. She’s helping me with the house because she wants to. You calling that a distraction says more about your priorities than hers.”
Daniel shakes his head dismissively. “Don’t pretend you know what’s best for her.”
“Maybe I don’t, but what exactly do you know about what Sophia really wants or needs?”
Daniel looks at me like he can’t believe my audacity. I can’t believe it either, but there’s a protective instinct snapping inside me. If this is the man who cast such a long shadow over Sophia’s life, I really hate the idea that he’s here to claim her again.
Behind me, Sage’s bracelets clang warningly. “Both of you, enough.”
Daniel glances at his watch, glowering. “Fine. But Sophia and I aren’t finished.” With that, he pushes past me roughly, his shoulder knocking mine, and a painting standing nearby tips precariously toward the floor. The bell above the door jangles again, an ironic chime punctuating his exit.
A charged silence falls. I exhale, shoulders knotting with tension I didn’t realize I was holding. I feel the old painting pressed under my fingertips — my attempt to rescue it from total annihilation. Carefully, I prop it upright.
“Sorry, I didn’t realize you had company,” I say quietly, my concern for Sage evident.
She rubs her temples. “Don’t apologize. You might’ve saved me from a meltdown.”
An unexpected burst of laughter escapes me. “He does seem like the paintbrush-to-the-face type.”
She almost smiles, but there’s obvious worry behind her eyes. “He’s… Sophia’s ex-husband. But they’re still in business together…”
The bottom drops out of my stomach at that confirmation. “He came all this way?”
Sage heaves a sigh, fiddling with paintbrushes on the cluttered table. “Seems like it.”
The words resonate like a threat.Is he planning to take her back with him? Does she even want that?My thoughts churn, my stomach twisting uncomfortably. The possibility of Sophia leaving — of this new connection evaporating — suddenly feels all too real.
I swallow, forcing steadiness into my voice. “Does she know he’s here?”
Sage hesitates, shaking her head. “I doubt it. He stormed in, demanding to see her. I tried to explain she’s not around.”
“She’s stronger than she thinks,” I say quietly, recalling her quick wit and fearless laugh when we discovered raccoons in the Miller House. But a knot of doubt coils inside me. Is she strong enough to resist him if he pushes hard?
Sage’s eyes soften, reading the concern on my face. “You’re worried, aren’t you?”
I blow out a frustrated breath. “I guess. It’s just… stuff like this rarely ends well. I don’t want her cornered into going back because he’s persuasive.”
Or because I haven’t known her long enough to be a reason for her to stay. That silent admission burns in my chest. My guard’s been down with her since day one — her quick humor, warmth, the quiet spark of something beyond friendship. Now I’m wondering if I’m being naïve and if Daniel’s hold on her is deeper than I realized.
“Anyway,” Sage says gently, “I can tell her you dropped by if I see her first.”
“Please do. We were supposed to meet up but, uh... I should go. Need to follow up with the local contractors.”
Sage nods, and I turn to leave, the gallery’s clutter suddenly feeling claustrophobic. Outside, the sunlight hits me like a spotlight. I whip out my phone, thumbs hovering over the screen. Maybe I can’t control how Sophia handles Daniel, but I can at least get the Miller House on track — show her there are opportunities for her here.
One text to the roofing contractor, another to an electrician. My mind reels with to-do lists. Even if, in the back of my mind, doubt whispers that she might choose something simpler — a life away from Bluewater Cove and me.
Pocketing my phone, I exhale shakily. “Stay optimistic,” I mutter under my breath, glancing toward the direction of the beach.
For now, though, I’ll keep texting contractors, scheduling inspections, and forging ahead. Because if there’s any chance Sophia might stay, I’ll do my best to give her a reason to.
13
CAFFEINE, CONFESSIONS, AND CHAOS
Sophia
