Guarding Sophie Read Free Page B

dug out of the pump. “Please ask her to call me.”
    â€œOf course I will,” Mrs. Hayes said. “I can’t believe you’re not married yet.”
    â€œNot yet,” he said. He didn’t think it was a great idea to tell Mrs. Hayes he’d never quite forgotten her daughter over the years.
    Half an hour after spotting Sophie at one of the store’s check stands, he had a cartful. The ready-made section in the deli had a surprisingly large selection. He wasn’t a big fan of salads containing Jell-O, but there were plenty of other tasty-looking items to choose from. He remembered his mom always telling him to stay out of the grocery store when he was hungry. Well, it was too damn late for that. He took a pound of fifteen different items, bagged a couple of rotisserie chickens, and headed for the meat department. He had a brand-new gas grill back at his place. Grilling wasn’t hard. Grilling was in every guy’s DNA. As a result, he bought some steaks and some ground beef. He also went a little (well, a lot) overboard in the frozen foods aisle. So he had an ice cream habit. He rearranged everything in the cart to grab another couple of six-packs of beer and approached the register.
    Sophie didn’t glance up. She was making change for one of her coworkers.
    â€œI have another couple of bundles of ones, but here’s what I can spare,” she told the older woman. “If we need more, we can call Mitch.”
    â€œHe’s in the back listening to the Mariners game.”
    He heard Sophie’s soft laugh. Ten years had passed, and that laugh still made him smile. “He’s always in a better mood when they win.”
    â€œIsn’t everyone in a better mood when they win?” the other woman asked. She gave Kyle a nod. “Looks like you have a customer.”
    Sophie shut her cash drawer and glanced up at Kyle. “How are you today?”
    She reached out for the front of his cart to pull it closer, stared at him for a few seconds, and froze. She seemed to struggle for words.
    â€œKyle? Kyle Carlson, from Cocoa Beach High School? Is that you?”
    He thought he’d hidden his identity so well. He evidently sucked at disguises. He was somewhat pleased, however—at least she’d remembered him.
    â€œIt’s me,” he said. “How are you doing, Sophie?”
    â€œWhat on earth are you doing here?” she said. She must have remembered she was at work; she guided the cart into her check stand and began to pull items out of it. “I thought you got drafted by Philadelphia.”
    Philadelphia had traded Kyle to Seattle before he’d played one down for them. It might have had something to do with the fact Seattle offered a king’s ransom of draft picks and another player to them in exchange after their starting wide receiver tore an ACL in training camp. Anyone who didn’t watch sports, though, probably thought he was still standing on top of the Rocky steps in Philadelphia, eating a cheesesteak and checking his phone.
    He glanced down at her hands. She didn’t wear a ring.
    â€œI thought you married Danny. Weren’t you engaged?”
    â€œThat didn’t last long,” she said. She was still grabbing the ready-made food cartons out of his cart. “You must be having a party or something tonight.”
    â€œI was a little hungry.”
    She grinned up at him. “Didn’t your mom ever tell you not to go grocery shopping when you’re hungry?”
    â€œProbably,” he said. Another employee bagged up his items while a line formed behind him. She probably didn’t have a lot of time for chitchat, but he really wanted to talk with her some more. “Want to get a coffee later? We can catch up a little,” he blurted out.
    â€œWith you?” She looked startled.
    â€œUh, yeah. When are you off for the day?” Kyle said.
    â€œAbout two.” She bit her lower lip.