Page 73 of Spark
Sophie wanted to die.Great.Everyone knows I’ve been doing it withbothof the guys now. How am I ever going to look any of the Swansons in the eye again?
“You’ll be sorry when she picksmefor her mate,” Matt retorted.
To Sophie’s horror, Matt immediately dropped to one knee on Elle’s antique Persian carpet. “Sophie, you know how I feel about you. And this past week has shown me how good we are together. Be my mate. Marry me.”
Shock drove all the words out of Sophie’s head. Her heart was pounding so hard that she thought she was going to pass out.
She could only stare at Matt, who was looking up at her, his expression both determined and hopeful.
The living room was dead silent now. Everyone was focused on the drama playing out right in front of them.
Chris snarled. “You asshole, no fair putting her on the spot like that! How do you know she doesn’t wantmeas her mate?”
Matt’s jaw set in that stubborn Swanson line that Sophie had grown familiar with over the years. “She wasmyfriend first,” he growled. “And I asked her first.”
“Oh, c’mon, dude. You didn’t even have the balls to ask her out untilIdid!” Chris shot back. He continued in a mocking tone, “Before that it was all, ‘Oh, I can’t destroy her dreams of going to South America,’ and ‘I don’t want to pressure her in any way.’”
Matt shot to his feet, his hazel eyes glittering with shifter gold. Chris stepped away from her and returned his friend's glare.
Sophie saw their eyes turned gold as their beasts rose up inside them. She realized that they were about five seconds away from getting into a real fight.
She wondered,Can this day get any worse?
She already wanted to sink through the floor and disappear.
Mom marched up and slipped her arm through Sophie’s, steadying her. “How are you doing, Ms. Kiddo?” she asked in a low voice.
“Horrible. This is all my fault,” Sophie whispered back.
“The hell it is,” her mother retorted. “You’re not responsible for those two behaving like idiots.” Her gaze landed on Athena, and her mouth tightened. “And what on earth were youthinkingjust now, Theenie? That wasn’t your news to share…or to gossip about. Not when it could hurt someone.”
Athena shrugged and looked away. Wrong move.
“Consider yourself grounded for the next two weeks. And no social media, streaming video, or TV.” Mom’s tone was steely. She held out her manicured hand, the light glittering off her wedding ring set and her diamond tennis bracelet. “Your phone. Hand it over.”
“But Mom, I didn’tmean—” Athena began to whine.
“Now.” Mom cut her off. “And I expect you to apologize to your sister for your behavior here tonight. In writing.”
Pouting, Athena slapped her phone into her mother's palm.
“Damaris is right,” Dane said, coming up on Sophie's other side. “None of this bad behavior is your fault, Sophie.”
He was a big, soft-spoken man, with short dark hair going silver at the temples. He and the other fire department volunteers had returned yesterday from California, and he still looked tired from the long days and nights spent battling the huge wildfire.
In addition to running the ranch, he was the Swanson clan enforcer, the oldest and most experienced bear shifter who was responsible for the clan’s protection, but Sophie had only rarely seen that side of him.
Now, he suddenly seemed extremely intimidating.
“You two—knock it off,” he ordered Matt and Chris. “Or I’m going to send you both home without your dinners.”
Both of Sophie’s boyfriends turned to face Dane. Their body language changed from jealous anger to embarrassment, and just like that, their confrontation was over.
Dane’s stern hazel eyes landed on his son. In a soft voice that was far more cutting than if he'd yelled, he said, “Matt, I’m disappointed in you. I thought you were more mature than that.”
“Sorry, Dad,” Matt said, staring at his father’s boots. Under his tan, his face flushed dark red. “I’m sorry, Sophie. But I meant what I said about wanting you as my mate,” he added.
Dane didn’t look pleased at this.
