“Sure.” That’s never going to happen.
Though I can think of a certain brunette I wouldn’t mind spending some time with on a beach. She’d be wearing an impossibly skimpy bikini. Being the gentleman that I can be when I put my mind to it, I’d put myself on sunscreen duty.
It would be a shame to see that creamy skin of hers get sunburnt.
My mind once again wanders, this time to all of the places where I’d make sure to spread the lotion. I’m about to slip completely into the fantasy when my sister’s voice pulls me back.
“Listen, I wanted to talk to you about Sophie.”
My heart stops. Shit. Did Winter find out what happened? Is she pissed off at me?
No, she hasn’t sounded angry at any point in this conversation. Not even when I was being an aloof jerk. She’d sounded more amused than anything.
I swallow hard. “Oh?”
She sighs again. “So, I’m just going to throw this out there. I know the two of you hooked up at the wedding.”
My stomach sinks. Fuck. “Look, I?—”
“But that’s not why I’m calling. Well, not really. Though, we are going to talk about it at some point.” Her voice is more teasing than anything else, which only adds to my confusion. “Right now, that’s not what matters.”
I’m about to ask her what matters when it hits me. Maybe something happened to Sophie.
“Is she okay? Is she hurt?” I stumble over my words, barely able to get them out. “Is she?—”
“Before you get all worked up, she’s fine.”
“Oh, thank God.” I drop to the couch in relief, resting my forearms on my knees. Head between them, I take deep breaths to calm my pounding heart.
“She’s actually on her way to Alaska.”
I straighten up. “She is?”
“Yep. I just dropped her off at the airport.” She pauses for a moment. “I was hoping you might go meet her flight.”
“Yeah, of course. Just send me the details.”
Still reeling from the rollercoaster of concern at my sister’s finding us out to fear for Sophie’s safety, I still haven’t fully processed the surprise that the woman who has been occupying my every waking thought—and most of the ones when I’m asleep too—will be on my turf in a few hours.
“Why is she coming to Alaska?”
“You can ask her about that when you pick her up in a few hours.” Winter pauses for a moment. “Could you do me another favor?”
“Sure.”
“When you see her, will you please… just really listen to what she has to say and think before you respond?”
I frown. “That’s a strange request.”
“But will you do it?”
“Yeah, of course.” I rub my hand over my beard. “I can do that.”
“Good. Because I think that once you hear what she has to say, you’ll realize it’s the best thing that could have ever happened to you.”
NINE
CLIFF
