Page 78 of Spark
“That’s why I called,” Sven said, with a deep chuckle. “But you don’t need to drive all the way out here today. I’m planning to head out shortly to run some errands. Maybe we can meet up somewhere halfway?”
“That sounds great,” Sophie said.
Any excuse to get away from the ranch today sounded like a very good idea, because she suspected that Matt or Chris or both of them were going to try to corner her soon and attempt to convince her to change her mind.
Sophie met her Mom’s inquiring gaze and gave her a thumbs-up.
Work,she mouthed. Mom nodded and returned to her computer.
“How about meeting at the Wolf Rock picnic ground in a half-hour?” Sven asked. “Do you know where that is?”
“Yes,” Sophie said.
Matt had taken her there last week, because there was river access and a concrete boat ramp. They’d spent the afternoon floating down the Salmon River on an inflatable kayak before catching a ride back to the ranch with Matt’s Uncle Evan, who had been on his way home from one of his wildlife research projects in the Bitterroot National Forest north of Bearpaw Ridge.
“So, it’s a date?” Sven joked.
She glanced at the time, and realized that she could make it if she left in the next five minutes…just enough time to brush her hair and put on some deodorant. “Absolutely. I’ll see you there.”
* * *
Grizzly Creek Ranch
Monday, June 25
10:00 a.m.
When Chris finally emerged from his bedroom, Matt had been up for hours, helping his dad with morning chores…and getting an earful of advice about yesterday's dinnertime disaster.
He hadn’t slept a wink last night, his bear frantic at the news that Sophie had not only rejected their suit, but that she was going to leave them again.
He couldn’t let that happen. Especially not after he’d discovered just how much he’d been missing by denying himself all these years. Sophie was his! Heneededher.
He sure as hell didn’t want to live without her. Especially because he had the sinking feeling that if she left the ranch again, she might not return this time.
But how could he fix things after they’d gone so spectacularly wrong last night? He and Chris hadn’t meant to hurt or embarrass Sophie, but they’d done so anyway.
The memory of her, utterly miserable and crying because of them, felt like acid eating away at his heart.
Matt heard Chris’s door open upstairs, then the shower turning on.
He grimly set to work preparing them breakfast. He’d been so pissed off at his housemate last night, and Chris had felt the same about him, that they hadn’t really talked after leaving Sophie last night.
As they walked away from Damaris and Mitya’s house, both of them reeling from her announcement that she was ending their courtship attempts and returning to South America, Chris had said only, “Well, we royally fuckedthatup.”
The dark cloud of simmering resentment that hung between the two of them had upset Matt almost as much as the sight of Sophie’s tears had.
It had felt wrong to go to his room without at least trying to talk to Chris about what had happened, but Chris clearly hadn’t been ready.
Matt hoped that Chris would see breakfast and coffee as the peace offering he intended.
As he was pouring a ladle of batter over the waffle iron, he heard Chris coming down the stairs. His friend’s footsteps slowed, then stopped. Matt guessed that he wasn’t sure whether to come into the kitchen.
“I’m making waffles, if you want one,” he offered, hoping desperately that Chris was ready to face him now. “And there’s plenty of coffee.”
“Thanks.” Chris appeared in the kitchen’s wide doorway and surveyed the collection of skillets on the stovetop, the waffle maker on the counter, and the stack of mixing bowls and utensils.
Matt held his breath.
