Page 63 of Fortune's Control
I reviewed it all. “New window program, a museum rebuild, an old schoolhouse, a church, a rail yard, and a historic storefront. Is that all?”
Sophie swallowed. Her typical expression wavered between annoyance and amusement, making her hesitation obvious. “There is one more.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Can you keep a secret?”
She meant Shane. “Unless it puts you in physical danger.”
Her shoulders shook. “No, nothing like that. It’s me.”
“What’s wrong?” I wanted to ask if Jack was the cause, but kept silent.
“I work for a big corporation, with hotels and resorts and private getaways all over the world. Don’t get me wrong. It’s a great job, but it’s not hospitality. When I started my career, I pictured something more personal.” She tilted her head to the side. “Unique.”
“You’re looking for that here.”
Her expression confirmed it. “Dreams don’t come true, at least not mine, but maybe I’ll move home again. This entire effort needs a manager, doesn’t it?”
Sophie’s straightforward comment confused me. She mentioned several times that she doesn’t want to move home again, and now wavered. She almost confessed a secret, too; the one that mattered. I’d bet money on it. Either speaking it out loud was more than she was ready for, or she didn’t trust me with Shane.
Or maybe she thinks I’m a mess, too. I married her brother and then stayed rent-free in her home. Sophie interrupted my conversation with Shane, which meant she may have overheard my mother as easily as he did.
Telling myself that was impossible, I shook my head, chasing every depressing thought away. Today was sunshine and grant proposals.
“Would you enjoy that?” I asked.
“A project manager role? No, not even a little.”
Jack appeared down the street, nodded towards us, and went in the opposite direction. “I know people talk about us,” she said as he disappeared.
Her admission surprised me. “You and Jack?”
“I imagined my life moving in one direction, and he disagreed. Sometimes, there’s a deep mystery, and other times, life is ordinary. Jack and I are the latter, so people can keep wondering.”
“Considering I’m here in Fortune’s Creek, I know what the first part is like.” We crossed the street towards Pete’s gallery. “Also, you can deny it all you like, but I won’t believe ordinary, not with you.”
Sophie twisted her fingers over her lips, mimicking a key locking her secrets away. “Focusing on the future. That’s us.”
“I suppose it is. Shall we go in? This shouldn’t take long.”
Shane asked me to double-check Pete’s order request. Ostensibly, it saved him a trip when really he didn’t want to socialize.
*****
I licked the last of the lemon sorbet off my spoon. “We’re due at City Hall.”
“Sam will wait. Did you know he suggested Shane take over the mayor’s job?”
“Shane refused.”
“He did then.” Sophie leaned in so our imagined audience couldn’t hear. “That wasbefore you.”
My jaw dropped. “You want me to convince him?” The sudden request confused me. Granted, I knew little about the job or its requirements, but Shane enjoyed his quiet evenings. “Maybe.”
“Think about it. My family’s history dates back a long way. Our dad was the mayor.”
Didn’t Shane mention that? He once referred to Sophie as an amateur historian. “Can I ask you a personal question?” Her eyes bulged, and I realized how it sounded. She probably believed I would ask more about Jack. “Do you know anyone around here with the last name of Mayberry? Beside me, of course.”
