Page 6 of Marrying a Spy

He squeezed his hand into a fist as the reason flooded his mind. This town held too many bitter memories. Especially for those who grew up on the other side of the tracks. No one took too kindly to the delinquent from the trailer court.

Sure, Sophia didn’t have a dad, growing up, but that was better than what he had.

A drunk, abusive father was worse than a no-show. And he’d run through everyone in town, either using them for money or booze.

Noah muscled down the frustration that he felt every time he thought about his dad. A loser like that didn’t deserve his time or energy. When he passed a few years ago, Noah didn’t even bother to come to the funeral. Why should he? His past was best left in the rearview mirror.

When Noah got to the door, he pulled it open with a little too much gusto. He took another deep breath. He needed to cool down. Keep a level head as he approached Sophia again.

There was a petite girl standing at the greeter’s podium as he approached.

“Welcome to the Rusty Barrel. How many?” she asked.

Noah parted his lips but didn’t have a chance to answer. Instead, a familiar voice called from the bar. “Well, I’ll be,” Jazzy said.

Noah felt the stress leave his body as a smile played on his lips. He turned, and when his gaze met her dark brown eyes, his smile widened.

“Soph told me that she saw you, and I called her a liar, but here you are.” Jazzy stepped out from behind the bar and approached him. “Honey, I got this,” she said, as she passed by the hostess.

When she got to him, she wrapped him up in a huge hug. Noah marveled at how small she felt in his arms. She’d always been such a strong person, but he could see the years had aged her tiny frame.

“Hey, Jazz,” he said.

She pulled back. “Why has it taken this long for you to come back? This is your home.”

An uncomfortable feeling brewed in his stomach. He couldn’t get attached. He would leave these people when he got what he came for. Once he had Sophia’s dad, he was out of here.

“I’ve been busy,” he said. He let her go and forced a carefree smile.

She tsked. “That’s not an excuse, young man.”

A group came through the door, so Noah and Jazzy stepped toward the back hallway.

“How was the reunion?” she asked, glancing up at him. She didn’t have to say with who.

He shrugged, hoping to mask his emotions. “Not good. She still hates me.”

Jazzy waved away his comment. “Hate is such a strong word. She’s just a little broken right now.” She turned so she could eye him. “You know that Becky—her mom, and Benny passed away.”

He knew. He’d read it when he was getting briefed on the case. Seeing that had just about broken his heart. Thinking of Sophia all alone.

He faked surprise. “What? Really? When?”

Jazzy told him about the icy roads and the accident. Once she was done, she leaned in and studied him. “But I don’t believe it was an accident. Strange things were always happening around Becky, and this wasn’t anything different.”

He knew what she was talking about. Having a crook for a husband had a tendency to bring around a lot of questionable people. Jazzy had every right to believe that there had been foul play because there probably had been. Just nothing that anyone could prove.

He nodded. “Yeah. It always felt that way, huh?”

Jazzy sighed. “Poor, Sophia.” Then she zeroed in on him. “You’re not here just to leave her again, are you? I swear, that girl can’t go through another heartbreak.”

It was as if Jazzy had just sucker punched him to the gut. That was exactly why he was here. This was his job. Besides, bad things happened when he cared for someone. The only way to keep Sophia safe was to stay as emotionally far away from her as he could.

Movement behind Jazzy drew his attention up, and his breath caught in his throat. Sophia had emerged from the back room, tying a black half apron around her waist, her long black curls accentuating her fair skin.

He hesitated, enjoying just watching her. She hadn’t noticed him standing there. Her features were soft, and for a moment, he could almost remember what it was like to touch her.

When she lifted her head and met his gaze, he turned his focus to Jazzy. He hated that his body heated under her stare, like she was burning holes into his skin.

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