Against the Wall

Chapter Sixteen

The week sped by as Sophie finished the design for Willa’s Garden to the council’s satisfaction. Jake won his local trial and was asked to consult on a trial in D.C. He’d called on his way to the airport to let her know.

Pleasure had filled her that he’d checked in with her before leaving. Just like they were a couple. And during that week, it seemed as if they were. Quick lunches, a few dinners around his hectic schedule, with a hot, hungry cowboy taking her to new heights in his bed afterward. Man, she was lost.

Without Jake around, Sophie used the time to think instead of sleep. She was sketching the porch from the swing one morning when her phone rang.

“How’s my favorite girl?” Her uncle’s gruff voice charmed through the line.

“Uncle Nathan! How are you?”

“I’m fine. Just got word—your commissioners denied the development and golf course.”

Defeat slumped her shoulders. “I’m so sorry.” Would they go bankrupt now? Tears filled her eyes. She wanted to be furious with Jake, but if what he said was true, she couldn’t blame him for exposing the group. Though he certainly hadn’t needed to use her to do it.

“Not your problem, sweetheart. Had an interesting phone call from a Jake Lodge, however.”

“Really?” Suspicion laced her tone.

“Offered to buy your design for a fifty-acre parcel next to some casino.”

“You’re joking.” Sophie kicked the wooden floor so the swing started to move.

“Nope. Of course it’ll have to be reconfigured for a different space. He also said that your staying on was a condition of the sale, however.”

“Son of a bitch.” Her temper ignited until her throat closed. Sure, she had feelings for the lawyer, but nobody manipulated her.

“Excuse me?” Her uncle chuckled. “I thought you’d be pleased.”

“What? Pleased that he’s trying to run my life? Trying to keep me here? It isn’t bad enough that his mother has given me an art showing, now he’s going to buy my services? I don’t think so.” She kicked the floor harder. It was only because she might be pregnant. And damn, if that didn’t hurt. He had been more than happy with a short fling before the damn condom broke.

“What art showing?”

Sophie told her uncle in great detail about the showing, pausing once and again to kick the floor. The swing complained with a soft squeal.

“Wow, Soph. Isn’t that what you’ve always wanted?”

“What are you talking about? I want to design golf courses.”

“You like rendering the designs for golf courses. Your favorite part begins when you pull out the colored pencils.”

“So?”

“So, why not give the art a shot?” he asked.

Dread filled her. “Are you firing me?”

“Of course not. But I want you to be happy. I’ll adore you no matter what you do for a living.”

Warmth for her uncle filled her chest. He’d always been there for her. He knew how much she wanted to paint—to be a real artist. But she wouldn’t be bullied into it by Jake Lodge, who only wanted to keep his possible kid close. “It’s my decision on what I do for a living, and nobody is going to railroad me into a career. Any career.” The term so there echoed in the silence.

“Like your mother?”

“Uncle Nathan—”

“Say the word and you’ll have a plane ticket waiting for you at the airline counter. I’ll bring you home immediately if you want,” Nathan said.

Sophie stopped swinging. If staying in town would save her uncle’s company, she’d suck it up and do it. “Are we going bankrupt?”

He sighed. “No. Well, I don’t think so. But that’s not something for you to worry about, sweetheart. I’ll take care of it.”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too. Want me to send you a ticket home?”

“Thanks, but I have some business to take care of here first.” Then she would make her own decisions—without any interference.

“Call me if you need me.” He clicked off.

Sophie pushed back from the porch swing just as a blue Toyota Sequoia rumbled to a stop behind her Jeep.

Leila waved from the backseat’s open window. “We came to take you to lunch. And to see your surprise.”

“Hop in.” Loni reached across the front seat and pushed open the passenger door.

Sophie wavered at the top of the porch stairs.

“Come on. You get a surprise,” Leila called out impatiently. With a grin and a shrug, Sophie bounded down the wide steps and hopped into the large SUV.

“We should’ve called,” Loni said as she drove away. “Sorry about the commissioners.”

“It wasn’t much of a surprise after the hearing, anyway.”

“Now you can design the tribe’s course, right?”

Sophie stiffened. “I don’t think so.”

“I guess that’ll be between you and Jake. “ Loni focused intently on her driving. “Should we do lunch first or go see the surprise?”

“The surprise!” Leila chirped from the backseat. “You are going to love it, Sophie.”

“That’s great.” Sophie turned smiling eyes on the little girl.

“Are you and Daddy getting married?” Wise charcoal eyes twinkled.

Loni gasped out a cough. “Uh, Leila, that’s private.” She shot a curious sideways glance at Sophie.

“No, it isn’t. If Sophie marries Daddy, then I get a mama.” Wistfulness filled the girl’s tone.

Sophie’s heart splintered. “You and I are friends, no matter what.”

“Oh. So you won’t be my mama.” The girl sniffed.

“I’ll be your friend.”

Leila shrugged, crossing her arms. “That’d be good, too. Though Daddy’s a catch. Somebody else will marry him and be my mama if you don’t.”

Loni smothered a laugh with her hand. “How do you know your daddy’s a catch?”

“Grets’s mom said so last week.”

“Grets’s mom shouldn’t say things like that,” Loni said.

“Well, Grandma? Is Daddy a catch or not?”

“Of course he’s a catch.” Loni rolled her eyes.

“Told you, Sophie.” Leila giggled.

Sophie turned a surprised glance toward Loni when they entered the drive leading to Jake’s house. Loni smiled.

“You could live here. It’s pretty great.” Leila continued her campaign.

The vehicle rolled to a stop before Jake’s expansive home, and Sophie was saved from answering as the little girl jumped out of the Toyota.

“This way.” Loni’s eyes sparkled as she got out of the car and turned toward the stand-alone garage with triple brown doors.

“My surprise is in the garage?” Sophie asked. Leila placed a small hand in hers, and her heart swelled.

“No, upstairs.” The little girl tugged her toward the stairway to the left of the doors then released her to run up and push open the door. Sophie followed at a slower pace with Loni on her heels and gasped as she entered the empty room.

A high-pitched roof and exposed beams gave the shadows angles to play while light filtered in wide windows scattered across all four walls and illuminated the oak floor. Sophie focused on the lone easel set on a drop cloth in the middle of the room.

“Jake always planned to make this into an exercise room, but he uses the gym in town instead. It looks perfect for a studio.” Loni’s voice echoed around them.

“It is perfect,” Sophie breathed, the possibilities entrancing her. “But I don’t understand.”

“Don’t you like it?” Leila asked, her eyes gleaming.

“I love it.” Rolling pastures dotted with horses spread out the back window, mountains rose high and proud out the side, and Mineral Lake stretched out to the left. “But Loni—”

Loni opened her arms. “Looks like a nice place to work on the exhibit for Juliet. The girl really could use a successful launch.”

“She could?”

“She just moved here a few months ago. An exhibit would surely put her in good form. But we hadn’t found the right artist. Until now.”

“I don’t know…” Sophie’s gaze softened on the easel and empty canvas. “I’m shocked Jake would create this for me at his house. I mean, we’re not really dating or anything.” Why would he create something like that for her at his home? She hadn’t decided to do the gallery showing and hadn’t agreed to the tribe’s golf course—as far as he knew, she was returning to San Francisco soon.

“Well, take it up with Jake. Though I believe my boy can be extremely persuasive.” Loni turned for the door and beckoned Leila forward. “Where should we take Sophie for lunch?”

Sophie wasn’t surprised when her cell phone rang. Jake’s deep voice slid over the line like warm honey. “How are things?”

“I’m not sure what to say.” She leaned against the wall in her room.

Silence pounded across the line for a minute. “Say about what?”

“The art studio.”

“What art studio?”

She jerked. “Um, the art studio in the top of your garage?”

He cleared his throat. “There’s an art studio in my garage?”

“Oh, God.” She sank on the bed and yanked a pillow over her face. Jake had no clue. “Your mother and Leila—”

Jake swore. “Aw, shit, Sunshine. I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

“I figured that out,” she mumbled. For a brief time, she’d thought maybe he was considering something permanent. Heat filled her face until her cheeks ached. What the hell had she been thinking? She hadn’t wanted that anyway—the man was too controlling.

“The town, my mother, they love you.” Jake sighed. “They interfere, but they mean well.”

“I know.” Could the world just open up and swallow her? Please?

“Maybe it’s a good thing. The studio at my place… In case you’re pregnant,” he said slowly.

“I can be pregnant in San Francisco,” she ground out. She threw the pillow across the room.

“A baby needs a father.”

Her embarrassment turned to irritation. “I won’t let you manipulate me—trying to buy my design and everything.”

There was a shuffling and then, “Damn it. I have to go. But I’m not trying to manipulate you.”

“Are, too.”

“You’re impossible. We’ll discuss it as soon as I can call back.” With that, he clicked off.

“Jerk,” Sophie muttered into the empty room.

Sophie finished the designs for Willa’s Garden but neglected to redesign the golf course for the tribe. Jake didn’t call, and she told herself she was happy about that. The last thing she wanted was to fight with him about a baby that probably didn’t exist. Loni and Leila found an excuse each day to drop by and take her to lunch, and one day the three of them even rode horseback to a picnic spot overlooking Loni and Tom’s ranch. Loni patiently related tribal history, probably to nudge her into doing the paintings, while Leila blatantly brought Jake into every conversation, along with not so subtle reminders that if Sophie didn’t snatch him up, somebody would.

Sophie found herself wishing the little girl were hers. To love and protect.

Finally, she just couldn’t deal with her thoughts alone any longer. The voices in her head were starting to argue with one another. She called the one person in town who might understand. “Juliet? How about we meet for lunch?”