And what good was dinner going to do anyway?
Already, she could see herself sitting next to Darren and sneaking glances at him when he wasn’t looking. She pictured his parents teasing her and laughing all night, and it made some of the knots in her stomach tighten. Considering how long it had taken both of them to get to a good place, Sophia knew she had to make the right decision—for both of their sakes.
Darren stepped closer to her and flashed her his signature million-dollar smile. “Come on, don’t overthink it. It’s just dinner, and it’s to apologize for the other night.”
Sophia’s lips lifted into a half smile. “I wasn’t aware there was anything you had to apologize for.”
Darren snorted. “You and I both know that’s not true. Knowing my luck, I probably did screw something up, so maybe it should just be like a blanket apology.”
Sophia choked back a laugh. “I’m pretty sure that’s not how apologies work. You can’t apologize once and have it apply to everything.”
“You’ll never know if you don’t come to dinner,” Darren told her, the easy smile still on his face. “Also, I’m firing up the old girl and making steak just the way you like it.”
Sophia’s mouth watered. “With mashed potatoes and corn?”
“And sangria,” Darren added with a quick look over his shoulders. “Anyway, think about it, and let me know. I’ll set an extra plate regardless.”
“Okay.”
In the doorway, Darren paused to give her another smile, and her heart gave an odd little dip.
What are you doing, Sophia? Snap out of it. The two of you split up for a reason, remember?
And the reason still existed in spite of her lingering feelings for Darren.
Chapter Four
“No, I’m telling you he’s still watering the front lawn,” Sophia whispered, pausing to let the curtain slide back into place. “He’s been like that all morning.”
“Have you tried talking to him?”
“No, I’m waiting for the grass to die and for him to have trimmed all of the bushes before I decide to approach him,” Sophia replied with a roll of her eyes. “Of course, I’ve tried talking to him, little E.”
“You haven’t called me that since middle school,” Ian grumbled, his voice sounding far away before it came back on, clearer than before. “Okay, I don’t know what you’re supposed to do. What did he say when you talked to him?”
“Nothing. He’s not even acknowledging what day it is, and I’m afraid to bring it up in case he doesn’t remember.”
Ian exhaled. “In all the years that we’ve known him, Dad’s never forgotten his and Mom’s anniversary. I doubt this year is any different, especially with Lily being in our lives.”
Sophia cradled the phone between her neck and shoulder blades and snuck another peek through the curtain. Still, her dad stood there in his usual shorts and plain T-shirt with arelaxed grip on the hose. A few of the neighbors had given him concerned looks, but no one stopped to say anything.
Sophia was feeling guilty because she wasn’t any better than them. What was she supposed to tell him that wouldn’t make things worse? Even after years of practice, each year during their wedding anniversary, Sophia found herself tongue-tied, anxious, and grappling for the right words.
During her marriage to Darren, she’d leaned on her husband, allowing him to keep them all distracted. For the past two years, it had been up to her to lead the charge, and she was just as unprepared now as she was when she first moved in.
And she still had no idea how to make things better.
“Why don’t you go outside and keep him company till I get there?”
“You should’ve been here already,” Sophia whispered. “You know I’m really bad at comforting him during moments like this.”
“I’m sorry that I can’t ask crime to take the day off,” Ian replied dryly. “Why don’t I just send out a department memo or something?”
Sophia stepped back and ran a hand over her face. “We don’t have time for your sarcasm. Just get here already.”
With that, she hung up and straightened her back. After downing a large glass of cold water, she stepped out and lifted a hand up to her face, shielding her eyes from the sun. Once her vision adjusted, she saw that her dad was crouched in front of the bushes, a pair of sharp shears in his hands.
You can do this. Just keep him distracted. You’ve done it before, Soph.
