Page 59 of Wrapped in You

Or maybe we wouldn't even "talk."

Who needed talking when there was kissing to be done?

"Boss?" Randy's voice interrupted her reverie.

Sophie nearly leaped from her skin. "What's up?"

Randy smiled. "Do you want to take the rest of the afternoon off? Fiona and Tommy are both coming in to help with dinner, and I don't think you've taken a single day off since filming began. Have you?"

Sophie waved her hand. "It doesn't matter."

Randy was focused. He was scrubbing the table of a ketchup stain and looking at her at the same time. "It does matter. This is your health we're talking about. We have a heavy couple of weeks coming up."

It was bizarre to Sophie to have someone watching over her like this. She hesitated and even considered telling Randy to mind his own business. But Randy was compassionate. He had that small-town mindset that meant he thought of everyone else before himself.

She couldn't tell him she wanted to "stay on set" just in case Derek wanted to talk to her.

"I'd better get Josiah home, anyway," Sophie admitted. "But I'll be here bright and early tomorrow morning."

"I know you will, boss," Randy said. "Rest up, okay?"

Sophie and Josiah walked back to Josiah's truck. Sophie was mindful of Josiah's hand-eye coordination; she smelled his breath for traces of alcohol. But all she smelled was the lunch's burger and fries.

"That was a beautiful day's work," Josiah said as they crunched through the snow. "I never thought I'd make it to Hollywood. But look at me now!"

Sophie laughed.

Although he seemed more focused and "with it" than he'd been this morning, Sophie still convinced him to let her drive him home. It was a few miles outside of town—a little too far to walk—and when she saw that he was safe and comfortable on his living room sofa, she called Cindy to see if she could pick her up and take her back.

"It's like you read my mind," Cindy said. "I need to get out of the house!"

Cindy pulled into Josiah's driveway twenty minutes later. Annie and Peter were in the back seat—both asleep and terriblysweet. Sophie whispered, "Look at them! Perfect angels!" as she buckled herself in.

Cindy shook her head. "They've been screaming all morning. But driving them anywhere always puts them to sleep."

This was why they decided to keep driving through the forests of Upstate New York, along the highways beneath the snow-filled clouds, through little villages near Willow Creek and beyond. All told, they drove for two and a half hours, whispering to one another as the children slept.

Cindy looked tired but thrilled. She looked over at Sophie as they chatted far more than Sophie thought was safe, and Sophie teased her, saying, "Look at the road!"

Cindy laughed and tossed her head. "I'm sorry! I just can't believe you're telling me all of this!"

It hadn't taken Sophie long to explain what had happened on set that day. Josiah had driven his car straight into expensive equipment, Sophie had run forward to save the day, and then Derek had come and planted a world-shattering kiss on her lips.

"It's not even three in the afternoon, and everything has changed," Cindy said.

Sophie wrung her hands. "But he ignored me after that."

"Beg your pardon?" Cindy's tone darkened.

"He didn't come get lunch like he normally does. He avoided my gaze. I don't know. I have a bad feeling."

Cindy sighed. They were stopped at a red light, watching cars whiz past them. "He seems like a complicated man."

Sophie nodded. Tears sprang to her eyes, but she didn't want to let Cindy see them.

"I really don't want you to get hurt," Cindy said finally.

Sophie considered saying: too late. But she didn't want to sound pathetic.

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