Looking past her sisters, she scanned the room and she caught sight of Riley. Even surrounded by other men in formal attire, Riley Nash stood out. He was devastatingly handsome in a tuxedo-as well as out of it, as she remembered all too well.
He appeared happy and relaxed, flanked on one side by his daughter, Lizzie, and on the other by his father. His real father. Riley and Spencer appeared to be having a civil conversation near the bar. An actual smile lifted Riley’s lips into his trademark heart-stopping grin.
She felt her stomach flip, unnerved at seeing him for the first time since their conversation in his apartment. She recalled that moment as more like a monologue than a conversation, and she still hadn’t mentally recovered from all he’d had to say to her that night.
Yet here he was, apparently over the scandal of his real parent being revealed, and making inroads with the man, whom he’d sworn he would keep at arm’s length. My, how things had changed, she thought. Riley was clearly giving Spencer a chance.
Something she hadn’t been willing to do for Riley, himself. He’d said that she was so afraid of the things she couldn’t control that she would risk walking away from him first, before he walked away or left her. When she’d run away, she’d backed up his claim. By being here tonight and socializing with Spencer, Riley was, in sports terms, one-upping her.
He was showing her up by being brave. He was the ultimate risk taker and the one person Sophie couldn’t predict or control. Just like she couldn’t control her love for him, and that love still surrounded her, making the air she breathed so heavy and thick that she couldn’t inhale easily.
She needed space, not just from Riley but from the happy couples surrounding her. “Excuse me,” she said to her sisters, who were already involved in other conversations.
Sophie lifted the hem of her dress and headed for the ladies’ room located outside the ballroom doors. No sooner had she entered the empty powder-room area and begun to rummage through her purse for lip gloss, than the door opened wide and someone stepped through.
Sophie glanced into the mirror and saw Riley’s daughter staring back. “Hi, Lizzie,” Sophie said immediately, hoping to break the ice that had still remained between them since last time they were together.
“Hi.” A tentative smile curled the girl’s lips, surprising Sophie.
“Beautiful dress,” Sophie said, admiring the lilac gown the teenager wore.
Lizzie’s smile grew wider. “Isn’t it cool? My mom took me to buy it.”
Where was the hostility? Sophie wondered. The sullenness? The anger? And then she realized the cause for the young girl’s friendly attitude: Sophie was no longer dating her father.
Sophie had achieved Lizzie’s good favor at the expense of Riley’s. Pushing that thought aside, she refocused on the teen. “Well, you can tell your mother for me you both have great taste. Of course, I bet anything you put on would look stunning on you.”
Perhaps Lizzie was encouraged by their civil tone, because she slowly edged closer to the mirror where Sophie stood.
“Can I talk to you about something?” Lizzie asked.
Sophie nodded. “Of course.”
The girl bit down on her lower lip, her nerves showing. “I…um…I wanted to say I’m sorry for…you know, being such a brat back in Mississippi.”
Another shock, Sophie thought. “You already apologized at the airport. You don’t need to do it again,” she said softly. “But I appreciate it.”
“I hope so, because I mean it this time.”
Sophie tried not to laugh and failed. She wanted to explain that she wasn’t laughing at Lizzie but the teenager spoke first.
“I know why you’re not seeing my dad anymore.”
Sophie blinked, stunned into utter silence. Lizzie claimed to know what Sophie couldn’t even explain to herself. “You do?” she asked, buying herself time to come up with another, more appropriate response.
Lizzie nodded. “It’s because of me. Because you think I’d be miserable if he was still with you and because you think I’m too horrible for words.”
This time Sophie managed not to laugh at the teen’s over-dramatic words. “You’re wrong,” she assured the young girl. “You have nothing to do with it.”
“But-”
Sophie held up a hand, forestalling an argument. “I’m willing to bet that whatever you believe I think of you is one-hundred-percent wrong.” Sophie drew a deep breath. “Because I happen to think you’re a teenager going through normal teenage stuff,” she said. “Added to that, you have parents who love you but are divorced, so you have to share your mom with her husband, but you’ve never had to share your dad. Right?”
Lizzie nodded, still not looking up.
“So you copped an attitude with me. Big deal. I’m an adult, I can handle it. Especially since you apologized.”
“You mean it? Because I told my shrink that it’s my fault that you left and my dad’s been a major grump ever since.”
Lizzie waited for her to respond, finally meeting Sophie’s gaze with wide, hopeful eyes.
“I mean it,” she assured Lizzie. Though Sophie wasn’t sure what shocked her more. That Lizzie was seeing a therapist or that Riley had been miserable ever since they’d been apart.
But she had to focus on his daughter now. “I have two sisters, one older and one younger, so I know girls,” Sophie told Lizzie. “I also deal with star athletes and, trust me, many of them throw bigger tantrums than a teenager with attitude.” She grinned, liking her analogy a lot. “Do you believe me?”
“Yeah.” Lizzie nodded. “You know what?”
Sophie tipped her head to one side. “What?”
“You’re not so bad.”
Sophie had to laugh at that. “But would you say that if your father and I were together?”
“You know what? I know that I would.” Lizzie’s eyes shone bright with approval.
Sophie didn’t kid herself that if she and Riley were a couple, there wouldn’t be rough patches with this kid, but for now, she had Lizzie’s seal of approval. But what was she going to do with that acceptance?
“You’re not so bad yourself.” Sophie smiled at the teenager and winked.
“I have to go to the bathroom,” Lizzie said, and headed for the other room.
Sophie reached into her bag and swiped some gloss over her lips. Her heart raced a mile a minute and she was uncertain as to why. Then again, all the unexpected developments tonight were enough to bring on a case of full-blown anxiety. With that in mind, she stepped back out to the ballroom, uncertain of what awaited her next.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
THE BALLROOM LIGHTS had been dimmed, making it more difficult to locate people inside. Sophie hoped she could use the cover of darkness to gather her thoughts.
“There you are!” Cindy made a beeline for Sophie, pulling her aside. “I’ve been looking all over for you.”
Sophie smiled. Despite the chaos she was feeling, she was happy to see her friend. “Well, here I am.”
“Looking fabulous,” Cindy said. “Gosh, I envy you that silky blond hair.”
Sophie had had her hair blow-dried straight for tonight’s party. Meanwhile her friend had a headful of glorious red curls falling over her shoulders and striking a perfect contrast with her emerald-green dress.
Sophie shook her head. “Why is it we always want what we don’t have?” she asked lightly.
“I have it now!” Cindy said, her words not making any sense but her excitement tangible anyway.
“I don’t understand.”
Cindy drew a long, deep breath. “I always spent my life witnessing other people’s happiness. You know, the beautiful girl gets the gorgeous guy. I never thought it would happen to me.”