Page 62 of Second Round

A scowl passed over his face. “Sophie, that was months ago. Jackie, this isCharlotte.”

“Hello,” I said. I felt unreasonably disappointed that Leo hadn’t told his ex about me. But it was a two-way street. I’d never said a word to Brent, and apparently the kids hadn’teither.

Charlotte looked up at me from under her long bangs. “Nice-to-meet-you,” she said in a polite rush, then leaned against her dad. I didn’t pressure her with any furtherquestions.

We all sat down at the table. Charlotte stayed on her father’s lap. The waitress came and took our orders and then there was a briefsilence.

Leo turned to his daughter. “How was theplaneride?”

“We had little TVs,” Charlotte replied. “I watched threemovies!”

“Half of three movies,” Sophie corrected. “She doesn’t like the sadparts.”

Awww, Charlotte was very sensitive. Tristan had been like that as well. He hated any tension, and once the two of us had to leave a movie in the middle while Brent and Hannah stayed. And it was only one of thoseAir Budmovies. Now he was able to watch zombies and killer robots without anyproblem.

The drinks arrived, and I proposed a toast to the newlyweds. We clinkedglasses.

“How did the wedding go?” Iasked.

Wes grinned and reached for Sophie’s hand. “It wasperfect.”

She shook her head. “Mais, le mauvais temps…rain, rain, rain. Just likeVancouver.”

He laughed easily. “Good thing we didn’t do an outdoor ceremony like I wanted. So what if a few people got wet on the way in? You looked like an angel, and the ceremony wentgreat.”

Sophie looked up at him and smiled. The affection between the two of them was palpable, and Ismiledtoo.

Once the food arrived, Sophie began updating Leo on people he knew who were at the wedding. She wove French and English together, and I couldn’t keep up. I turnedtoWes.

“Do you speakFrench?”

“Not one word.” His teeth were extra white and shiny, possibly because he was so tanned. Wes had a rugged, outdoorsy look. “Looks like you’re in thesameboat.”

I nodded. “I regret all the times I skipped French class. So, you’re fromCalifornia?”

“Yup, born and bred. But I travel a lot for my job, so I can pretty much live anywhere. I’ve been staying in Montréal between projects, otherwise Soph and I would hardly get a chance to see eachother.”

“What is it thatyoudo?”

“I install monitoring systems on yachts.” At my completely blank look, he continued, “If you’re going on an extended cruise, you don’t want to get stuck in the middle of the ocean without the part that needs replacing. I go through the boat from stem to stern and record every piece of equipment, then input it into a database to calculate maintenance and replacement. That way the yacht owners can stay on top of their maintenance schedule. And now we’re beginning to install monitoring systems that actually inspect parts for unusual wear and tear. It’s like having a whole boat crew ofyourown!”

Wes was very enthusiastic about yachting, a subject I knew zero about, but it was a chance to get to know him. It was puzzling that Sophie had once married someone as intelligent and intense as Leo, and now was moving on to someone as relaxed and ZenasWes.

In the short time I’d seen Leo and his ex together, it was clear to me that splitting up was her idea. Knowing how much he doted on his daughter, it was hard to believe that he would do anything to jeopardize their relationship. Not that there was anything wrong with Wes, he was the ultimate California dude: good-looking, laid-back, and super friendly. Maybe that was better. From what I’d seen, both Sophie and Leo were stubborn and strong-willed. A marriage of two strong-willed people could bebrutal.

“So, tell me about your honeymoon,”Isaid.

“Well, we’re flying to Hawaii first. Soph’s got some hotel thing lined up there, and we’ll stay a few days. Then a buddy of mine wants to sail his forty-footer from Maui to San Diego, so we’re joining him and his crew. It’ll take a month, but it’s going to beincredible.”

“Wow, that will be a huge adventure. Is Sophie an experiencedsailor?”

We both looked over at her. In her chic, accessorized outfit, she hardly looked like someone who could swab the deck or whatever it was that you did onaboat.

“No, the only boat she’s been on is the cruise ship where we met. But my girl’s a good sport. She’s willing to tryanything.”

“Cheri, are you talking about me?” Sophie reached over and squeezed Wes’s hand. She was so beautiful, and against all my best instincts, I felt a flutter of jealousy. I really needed to work on myhigherself.

“Always,” he replied. Then they exchanged a look so sugary that I gained two hundred calories just being in thecrossfire.

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