Page 45 of Surrender
Sylvia and Nan rejoined the dinner just in time.
“Now, that’s a grand idea,” said Henry brightly after slurping an oyster. “That way you won’t be jealous of her like all the others, Soph.”
“Hey! I was never jealous. That’s…” She shook her head and twisted her face. “EW. I just want my brother to have the best and so far, he’s dated women, let’s say, a little on the trashy side.”
“Or who are men,” added Henry on the back of a hearty chuckle.
“Hey!” Keefe protested. “They weren’t all bad.”
“Like hell they weren’t.” Sophie selected two oysters and placed them on her plate.
Everyone around the table turned their eyes to Sophie who shrugged her shoulders and flicked her hand in the air. “What? She came into the pub and she seemed nice.”
“You actually set your brother up on a date?” asked Sondra.
“Don’t start. Besides, I needed to give him someone else to turn his eyes on so he would leave Ginny alone.”
“For the last time there’s nothing going on between me and Ginny!” He wanted to shout that he was madly in love with Ruby, had found the love of his life, and if it wouldn’t scare her away, he would propose marriage to her right now, today— yesterday even!
“So, if it’s not Ginny who’s got you smiling like an eejit then who is it?” Simon asked, now fully invested in the conversation.
“Her name is Ruby and she’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
“Yeah, and he’s only gone and fallen in love with her,” said Sophie with one foot in the drunk tank, as she cut into her steak.
Sondra cooed in approval.
Sophie waited for the family to jump on Keefe but nobody did. “Uh, hello? Did any of you hear what I said? He’s in love with Ruby.”
Crickets.
“Come on! Really? Nothing?” She looked around the table at each face. None so much as flinched.
“So what if I am? I thought you liked her.”
“I did until I found out that she lied to me.”
“What are you talking about?” Keefe asked.
“She told me she was here on vacation. You told me the other day she’s here because of her dead father.”
“Oh come on, Soph. You’re not seriously going to hold that against her? Maybe she just didn’t want to go telling her business to a complete stranger.”
Everyone around the table agreed that could certainly be logical.
“What do you even know about her? Other than she looks good naked?”
“Hey! That’s not fair!”
“Fine. She’s got pretty eyes too.” If she wasn’t so flabbergasted, Sophie would realize that Ruby had eyes like Darcie. “You’ve been shacked up together all week. Have you even seen her place? And just who is this dead father?”
“Why are you suddenly so suspicious of her?” asked Nan.
“Because she lied. I can see her not wanting to talk about a dead father but she could have said she was here on family business or something.”
“Sounds to me like you’re splitting hairs, pet,” Sylvia said.
Sophie couldn’t believe that not one face around the table looked surprised or the least bit concerned that Keefe had not just fallen in love overnight but that it was with a liar.
