Page 30 of Combust
“I was just thinking about Sophie and Thanksgiving,” she lied as she reached for a second egg. “And about how badly Theenie and I messed up last year by spilling the beans about Sophie dating both Matt and Chris.”
She closed her eyes briefly at the painful memory. The disaster hadn’t beenallher fault, but she’d kicked it into motion by sticking her nose into where it didn’t belong.
Back then, she’d prided herself on knowing everything that was going on in town, and being able to fix everyone’s problems, especially their dating problems. Maggie had only wanted to help her brother’s courtship along.
She’d learned her lesson, but not before seeing Sophie hurt and humiliated in front of the entire clan.
They’d all been at Grandma Elle’s for Sunday dinner. Maggie had been thrilled to hear that her older brother was courting Sophie, and had been trying to feel out how Sophie felt about mating Matt.
Then Sophie’s little sister Athena had injected herself into the conversation and revealed to all and sundry that Matt’s best friend Chris Langlais was also courting Sophie for his mate.
This had sparked a vehement argument between Matt and Chris over which of them was more serious about Sophie. They’d almost come to blows in Grandma Elle’s living room. It was a miracle that their friendship hadn’t ended on the spot, but it was clear during dinner that Sophie had been devastated by the revelation and the whole ugly scene that followed. She’d fled before dessert was served.
Yeah, Maggie had screwed up big-time. Even after a year and a half, recalling the look of horror on Sophie’s face as Matt and Chris fought over her made Maggie feel queasy.
“I wasn’t aware that she was holding it against you,” Mom said, sounding surprised. “It’s been a pretty long time, and I thought you two had cleared things up fairly quickly after that whole mess.” She shook her head, her expression serious. “And I didn’t handle the situation very well, either. Did Sophie tell you that your great-aunt Margaret and I ended up cornering her after dinner?”
“No, she didn’t mention anything about that,” Maggie said, shocked at the revelation.Poor Sophie! It was even more of a nightmare than I suspected.
“I wasn’t thinking straight—I knew that Matt had been in love with her for years, and I tried to convince her…well, the details don’t matter now. And Margaret was there to plead Chris’s case. But it all turned out all right in the end, didn’t it?”
Maggie said, “When I apologized, Sophie said she blamed Theenie more than me. She told me she knew I didn’t mean to hurt her, and that she didn’t have any hard feelings.”
“Then what’s the problem?” Mom asked.
“She’s ghosted me since moving to LA,” Maggie confessed. She’d begun this conversation as a way to avoid talking about Cade, but there was relief at finally telling her mom about her hidden pain. “She hasn’t answered any of my texts or emails. I’ve kind of given up.” She looked up and met Mom’s concerned gaze. “What if Sophie, Matt, and Chris decide to boycott Thanksgiving, and it’s all because ofme?”
Mom, still holding an egg, reached out and gave Maggie a hug. She inhaled her mother’s familiar, comforting scent and hugged her back.
“I think you’re reading too much into it. Sophie’s probably just overwhelmed with her first year of marriage and medical school,” Mom said. “I mean,Iwas overwhelmed by my first year in Bearpaw Ridge, and I only hadonemate to contend with.” She gave Maggie an encouraging smile. “You should try contacting her again.”
“I won’t be acting like a stalker?”
“Now you’re just making excuses,” Mom chided her. “Give it one more try. Or find a way to talk to her privately over the Thanksgiving long weekend.”
“Ifthey come home,” Maggie said, darkly.
Mom gave her a Look, and Maggie sighed. “Okay, I’ll try texting her when I finish my shift here.”
Maybe Mom’s right, and medical school really is eating up all of Sophie’s time. Not to mention dealing with two mates.
On the one hand, what Maggie and Theenie had done to Sophie last year was pretty unforgivable.
On the other hand, Sophie hadn’t been active on social media at all since posting a couple of photos of their arrival in LA and their new apartment.
“What could it hurt?” Mom urged. “Let her know that you’re looking forward to seeing her at Thanksgiving. I’m sure she’ll respond this time.”
The bakery phone rang.
Relieved at the interruption, Maggie went to answer the wall-mounted phone. She saw her grandmother’s Caller ID displayed. “Hi, Grandma! This is Maggie. How may I help you today?”
“Good morning, Maggie-dear,” said Grandma Elle’s smooth, low voice. “I’d like to put in an order for your strawberry-chocolate cake. Please make it big enough to give everyone a slice at this week’s dinner.”
The Strawberry Chocolate Celebration cake was the bakery’s most popular special-order item. It was a devil’s food cake filled with house-made strawberry preserves and dark chocolate ganache, frosted with more ganache, then topped with an assortment of fresh strawberries hand-dipped in dark, milk, and white chocolate.
“Sure,” Maggie replied. “What’s the occasion?”
She couldn’t think of anyone in the clan celebrating an anniversary. Nor had she heard any rumors of an engagement or mating.
