“So you must visit a lot.”
“Sophie’s always very busy with work.”
“Well, luckily, she has me to help host family now. You’re all welcome to come stay as often as you’d like.” I start talking behind his hand, trying to ask him what the hell he’s saying.
“What do you do for work?” My father asks. Soren peels his hand from my mouth. He quickly shoves a meatball in before I can talk. It’s delicious.
“I work for the ski patrol as a paramedic.”
“Sounds seasonal.”
“I’m working something out with the resort for full-year employment,” Soren says.
“Rather nice house,” my dad continues. “Especially for a divorced man.”
“I bought this with family money. My ex owns the house we lived in back in Washington.”
“Family money?” My aunt pipes up. I look at Soren. How is there still so much I don’t know about him? I’ve been asking him constant questions, but I’m realizing I skipped over the basics.
“My parents passed away when I was young, so I had some money I could use to buy this home.” My dad hums and stops asking questions. People start finishing food, and suddenly, a glass of water is pushed in front of me. I look up to see my mom. I sigh and gulp it down. It seems this is her truce for now.
“See you in the morning,” she says, meandering out of the dining room and up the stairs with everyone else. Which leaves me and Soren alone. I leap up from his lap.
“Sorry,” I say quickly, getting jittery as the prospect of bed settles over me.
“Come on,” he says, pulling me towards the bedroom.
“I should clean up in the kitchen.”
“Tomorrow. It’s late. You should get to bed. It’s been a long evening.” He drags me into his room. I grab the doorframe.
“Sophie.”
“I should sleep on the couch,” I whisper.
“They need to believe we're newlyweds,” he whispers back. My heart is pounding.
“I think that’s covered already.”
“No. We met and married within two weeks. That’s not normal. We need to convince them a level-headed, strong woman like you would agree to something like that.” He rips me into the room and slams the door.
“Oh,” I say, feeling dazed by his unintended compliments. The scotch is still swimming in my brain a little bit. Soren twists us around and presses me against the wall. The door shakes in the frame, and I give a loud gasp.
“Good, just like that,” he whispers to me, his head hovering above mine. “Did you really go on a date with that loser because he looked like me?”
“Of course not.”
“You’re such a bad liar,” he chuckles. “Which is why I’m going to help you with lying to your family. Bear with it.” He leaves me against the door to go into his en suite bathroom. I hear the shower turn on and drop to the floor. I look at the bed.
What exactly do I need to bear with tonight?
13
SOREN
Istare at Sophie in my bed. What the fuck am I doing? I guess what I’m doing is convincing her family we’re actually married. No one in their right mind gets married two weeks after meeting and then acts like a prude afterward.
I put her aunt closest to us and the kids all the way at the other end. We don’t have to do much. Just enough to sell it.
