Zoe twisted to face her mother, bouncing back and forth on the balls of her feet. “After the internship at Wilson Realty, I’m going to do the habitat program for a few months, maybe a year, just because I want to get out there and see the world.”
Sophia’s stomach clenched. “Oh, I see. As long as you’re happy, that’s all that matters. Why only a year, though?”
“Because after that, I want to come back and help you run Nora’s Delights or whatever it’s called by then.”
Sophia’s heart missed a beat. “What?”
“I want to help you expand Nora’s Delights,” Zoe continued, the words pouring out of her in a rush. “I know you always complain about the business side of everything and how much you hate numbers, so what you need is a partner you can trust who can make sure the business side of things is up to par.”
“Sweetheart, you don’t have to do this for me. You’ve got your own life and dreams—”
“And I want this to be something we do together,” Zoe interrupted, pausing to take both of Sophia’s hands in hers. “I know it’s sudden, so you need some time to think about it, but the more I think about it, the more I realize what a great idea it is. I’m actually excited about this.”
Sophia searched her daughter’s face. “You are?”
“Yeah, and I want to give you some time to get your bearings and get used to being manager before I swoop in and we start talking about expanding and stuff,” Zoe told her with another bright smile. “I’ve already got a business plan mapped out.”
“You really are excited about this.”
Sophia withdrew her hands and pushed the gate open. Stu was standing in the doorway in a pair of shorts and his garden gloves when they walked past. Zoe paused to give him a quick hug but didn’t stop talking the entire time.
Sophia’s heart was swelling with emotion: excitement, hope, and joy all rolled up into one. While Zoe’s plan still meant being away from her daughter for a year, at least it meant she got to come home after her grand adventure.
She couldn’t have been more relieved that things were working out.
Everything was finally falling into place.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Sophia pressed the phone to her ear and fell back against the mattress. “This better be important because if you’re calling me because you can’t sleep again, so help me, God, Ian, I will—”
“They caught the robber…intruder, whatever you want to call him,” Ian interrupted in a whisper-soft voice. “I have the night shift today, and I just got the news.”
Sophia shot up in bed and threw the covers off. “And? Don’t keep me in suspense here. What’s happening?”
Ian’s voice was muffled, then it came back on, quieter than before. “He’s refusing to talk without a lawyer.”
Sophia sucked in a harsh breath. “That’s not surprising, is it?”
Ian exhaled. “It’s not, but we’re still going to try. Since it’s late, we’re not sure we’re going to be able to get him a public lawyer at this time of night.”
“What about Cousin Terry? She’s a criminal lawyer, so isn’t this right up her wheelhouse? At the very least, she must know someone who can help.”
Ian paused. “You’re a genius. I’m going to give her a call right now.”
Sophia twisted to peer at the clock on her nightstand, blinking gray and blue at her. “Ian, it’s like three in the morning. Maybe you should—”
Ian hung up before Sophia could finish the sentence. She pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at it for a few seconds. Then she shoved it into the pocket of her pajama bottoms and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She patted Teddy on her way to the bathroom. By the light of the moon, she splashed cold water on her face and paused to grip the edges of the sink.
Was the intruder finally going to be brought to justice?
Was the nightmare finally going to end?
When Sophia came back out of the bathroom, her phone was buzzing. Her stomach gave an odd little lurch as soon as she saw Darren’s name flash across the screen. She paused to gather her hair up into a ponytail and slid to answer the call. His voice was frantic and rushed when he spoke.
“Whoa, calm down. I didn’t get any of that.”
“I wasn’t sure whether or not I should call, but I’m sure Ian must’ve told you. They’ve got the guy, Soph. He’s in police custody right now.”
