When Lightning Strikes (Whiskey Creek #1)(48)
Author: Brenda Novak

Finally, the Jetta pulled into the street and the SUV took its place. “Tell me this,” he said.

“What?”

“If Sophia knows she’s not wanted, why did she show up at the coffee shop?”

“The news that we got married has been flying around.” She put a piece of gum in her mouth. “Maybe she was hoping we’d be there.”

It hadn’t felt as if she’d come to gawk at him. He’d gotten the impression that she was honestly trying to make friends, maybe even make amends, but who was he to say? He’d just met her. “Tell the truth. You were tempted to feel sorry for her because she looked so depressed when you waffled on dinner.”

“No, I wasn’t. She did a lot of other things I haven’t told you about. As far as I’m concerned, if people don’t want to have dinner with her it’s because she deserves it,” Gail said, but he could tell she was torn.

They had to stop at the next red light, too. Simon felt annoyed by the pace of life here—until he realized there was no point in hurrying. For once the world wasn’t going to fall apart if he didn’t make it to a certain place by a certain time. And he had nothing to fear about being out in the open. There were no paparazzi, no cameras, no Bella and no reporters with uncomfortable questions. He wasn’t even afraid of being recognized, because being recognized here didn’t turn into an embarrassing worship session. These people just sort of stared and murmured, then glanced at their toes if he caught them gawking.

The light turned green, so he gave the car some gas. “Okay, now tell me about Matt.”

She let her head fall against the seat. “We’re back to him?”

“Is there someone else you want to talk about first?”

“Not if it won’t distract you.”

The Jetta he’d been following turned, and he came up on a Prius that was barely creeping along, looking for a parking place—obviously more tourists out to visit the shops on Sutter Street. “He’s that big a deal to you?” Simon said. If so, why hadn’t she ever mentioned him? He would’ve expected that information to come out before they got married.

“He’s a professional football player. That makes him a big deal to everyone, at least around here.”

She’d taken the personal element out of his question, so he put it back in. “I want to know what he means to you.”

“Nothing. We went out once last summer. That’s it.”

Although she tried to shrug it off, Simon didn’t believe he’d misunderstood what he’d sensed at the coffee shop. “Then why does everyone seem so interested in your reaction to him?”

“I couldn’t tell you.”

The Prius found a car with some people who looked like they might be loading up, but they were only storing their packages. “You’re a terrible liar,” Simon said. “Has anyone ever told you that?”

“I’m not lying…exactly.”

“Then what are you hiding? Did you sleep with him?”

Her hesitation told him he’d hit somewhere not far from the truth.

“You don’t have to conceal any indiscretions from me,” he reminded her. “I’m pretty much the poster boy for sin, remember?”

“I didn’t sleep with him.”

“But…”

“We went out once and came close.”

“Aha! Here we go. So he’s your local love interest and everyone knows it.”

“No one knows anything, because nothing really happened. It was one date. So he’s not a…love interest, per se.”

At last the Prius found a spot. “You’re not head over heels,” Simon said.

“No.”

They reached the turnoff to her father’s. “Tell me where we’re going.”

“Home, to shower and get ready for the day. I want to check our media hits and see what Josh has arranged with People on our wedding pics. Then we’ll contact Kathy and see when she has time to show us whatever rentals are available.”

Still intrigued by her self-conscious reaction to his questions about Matt, he returned to the same subject. “Has he called you since the big night? Was he expecting to see you again?”

“What does it matter?”

“Maybe I want to be sure you’ll keep your end of our marriage contract, now that you’re the one facing temptation.”

She folded her arms, which made her look even more prim than usual. “Give me a break. You have nothing to worry about. It’s always been a very one-sided crush. I mean…not crush. Brief infatuation.”

“It’s is present tense,” he pointed out. “And always isn’t brief.”

Her face turned red. “Can we drop it, please?”

She was getting flustered….

He pulled into the driveway, to the far left, just in case her father or brother returned. Their vehicles were gone—thank God—which meant he was going to get a reprieve from the we-hate-Simon vibes that had bombarded him yesterday. “I just want to be sure I’m not holding you back.”

“You’re not.”

After putting the transmission in Park, he cut the engine. “You’ve got feelings for Matt. I can tell.”

“No.”

“What do you see in him?”

She opened her door. “Callie already told you—he’s a nice guy.”

He came around to meet her. “And I’m not. She made the distinction very clear. Which brings me back to Callie—what do you see in her?”

“Don’t hold the way she acted at the coffee shop against her. She’ll warm up to you. She’s just being protective.”

“She’s being judgmental. Hasn’t she ever done anything wrong?”

“Most people haven’t crashed and burned quite as publicly as you have. You have that going against you.”

“Such is the price I pay for being rich and famous.” It was a glib response, designed to cover how it felt to have his every mistake and shortcoming advertised to the public. If not for that added dimension, maybe he wouldn’t have become so determined to prove he’d do exactly as he pleased, regardless of the world’s shock and recrimination. To a certain extent, the worst of his behavior was simply his way of giving the world—and everyone who judged him—the finger.

“Are you sorry you didn’t have sex with Matt while you had the chance?”