He followed her and helped with reaching and stooping, insisting she not lift anything heavier than a zucchini. Sophie finally sat down and put her head back against the pillows. Ephraim prepared a hot, sweet cup of cocoa and pressed it on her.
“You need it. You’re pale.”
She reached to accept it then looked at her shaking hand.“ I must need the sugar.”
When he didn’t say anything, she glanced up at him.“ I’m okay, Ephraim, really.”
“That’s what worries me.”
CHAPTER 11
Sophie awoke slowly,aware of the darkening room. She’d fought against lying down on her bed but after a few minutes and a cup of hot, sweet cocoa and an aspirin, she’d relinquished the battle and went into her bedroom. Now, as she lay under the light blanket that usually decorated the end of her bed, she heard the faint sound of Ephraim’s voice.
She winced as she sat up, her side telling her she’d not only had the slight puncture wound, but had twisted some muscles when she’d fallen on the boxes. Slipping on her shoes, she went into the living area and found Ephraim at the counter, his phone to his ear.
“I know, I know. I should have had someone come down earlier. Who? Don’t know him. Yeah, okay. I’ll look for him in a couple.”
Ephraim disconnected the call and laid the phone on the counter, then bent his head and rested it in his hands, mussing his dark hair. Sophie advanced and must have made a sound, though she didn’t hear it, and he turned to her. “How’re you feeling?”
“Okay. I think I may have twisted a muscle when I fell, but nothing that another aspirin won’t help.” She went to the sinkand poured a glass of water, then drank it down, suddenly aware of her dry throat. When she’d placed the glass in the sink basin, she turned to him. “Who were you talking to?”
“Hank,” he said and run a hand through his hair. “He’s sending a guy down to help out.”
“Why?”
“Why?” he asked, his tone raised slightly.” Because someone tried to kidnap you. Because you have a knife wound, Sophie. And I wasn’t there to keep you safe.”
He ended the sentence in a tone of such disgust she wasn’t completely sure what his last words were. When she figured it out, she advanced on him. You were an aisle away.”
“Exactly. I wasn’t thinking of keeping you in my sights. I was buying groceries,” he ended with a wave of his hand. “I think my head injury hurt did more damage than I originally thought. Clearly, I’ve lost my edge.”
She waved her own hand at him. “Listen. I wasn’t watching either. And I’m the original careful person. You can’t be blamed for thinking a grocery store would be safe.”
“Nowhere is safe until this guy is caught, Soph. Can’t you understand that?”
She’d kept her temper, she thought, until this. Understand? Of course I understand. I understand that we don’t know who is after us. Or do we?”
He shrugged.“ Hank found out a guy by the name of Curtis Wood is in the area. He’s ex-military and a freelancer, like I used to be. He hasn’t been picky about his work, either but at least I don’t have a rap sheet to show for my past.”
She looked up at the ceiling for a minute. “Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?”
“I told you I had a pretty good idea of who the guy was.” He sounded a bit sulky then continued. “Okay. Here’s the situation. Curtis is the kind of guy that likes to use a knife. He’s beenacquitted of assault three times, not sure how that happened, but each time involved a knife. He also has had some dealings with a couple of my ex-clients whose business dealings were shady at best. When I found that out, I dropped him.”
“When was this?” She asked.
“A couple years ago. I’d done a job following an ex-employee and when he ended up in the hospital, through no fault of mine, incidentally, I told the client I was quitting and to find someone else to tail the guy. Turns out the man in the hospital was a whistle blower. He had to go into hiding for a while, turns out.” Ephraim shook his head. “I’m not proud of my past, but I’m trying to make up for it.”
“But it keeps coming back to haunt you.” She said quietly.
“Yeah.” He looked at her then. “Me, I can handle. But seeing you with a bandage on your side, no. Not gonna happen again.”
“And you think another man, a man I don’t know or trust, is going to do a better job than you?”
“Well, my track record doesn’t look that great right now.”
She wheeled around and stalked to the patio door and stared out into the darkened yard. Ephraim waited for a minute then followed her and stood beside her, trying to read her expression. When she turned to him, her cheeks were flushed and her eyes flashed with anger.
“I never thought I’d say this. but get over yourself, soldier.”
