Grey Skies - A Military Romance (Complete)

Grey Skies: Chapter 16

The warmth of the kitchen burned on Sophie's cheeks that were cold from the frosty air outside.

Mary's face lifted, and her dark pink lips turned up. "Max has agreed to drive you to the vineyard each morning."

Now Sophie's cheeks singed again, but from an internal combustion. "No, that's not necessary."

Simon circled the island. "Isn't he supposed to be here for Finn?"

Sophie didn't know Simon well, having only met him briefly before Mary announced they'd eloped a few months ago. Over meals at the lake house, trips into Washington and other little moments, he'd presented an easygoing attitude that balanced out Mary's extravagances. More outspoken than his brother, Simon had a way of making everyone feel comfortable in his presence. But not now. Now his face sat etched with hard lines, his gaze narrowing. He'd brought the frosty air in with him and glared at Max like an opposing competitor in a snowball fight he was intent on winning.

Under Simon's glare, Max's shoulders straightened, his profile hardening. "He's my top priority."

Mary popped off her stool and glued herself to her husband, her fingers tracing the line of his chin. "Maybe Max will bring Finn here. They can both help with the renovation." Mary's gaze slid to Max's and then Sophie's with a back-me-up-here expression.

The burning in her chest matched her cheeks. "Right." Not quite sure how she got there, Sophie found herself standing beside Max, her hand settled on the counter beside his. Her pinkie grazed his, warm compared to the cold tiles, but almost as rough. "They could take turns driving me." Her insides cramped at the thought of being in their debt, but the pain dissipated as the hard lines of Simon's face melted.

With what seemed like effort, Simon tore his gaze away from Mary and, after barely landing on Max, locked onto Sophie's. When he spoke, his voice was laced with hope. "Would he?"

Under the intensity of his stare, she wanted to assure him there would be no doubt Finn would come to the winery, spend time with his brother. But she'd been living at the Montgomery household for two months and had heard the whispered conversations where Finn agreed to be civil to his brother for Emily's sake, but still couldn't forgive Simon for his role in keeping them apart. Sophie swallowed past the stone in her throat. "Can't see why not."

Simon's gaze fell to the floor, and Sophie wished she'd chosen different words.

"Once, on leave, Finn and I volunteered to build a school in Zimbabwe." Max scratched at his wrist, the movement breaking the tiny bridge they'd formed with their touching fingers. "Still hasn't fallen down last time I checked."

Max's joke cracked the pressure pushing against the walls of the room, and the two men offered each other a tiny nod. Mary pulled on the lapels of Simon's jacket. "See. We'll get him here."

Simon kissed Mary's temple and let out a long breath, exhaling the remaining tension in his body. Back was the businessman who'd given her a tour of what he'd referred to as the wine laboratory, but looked more like rows and rows of barrels to her.

He held out his arm. "As you can see, we have a lot of work to do here to transform it into a functioning kitchen. There's a crew coming in tomorrow to complete the demolition of these cupboards." Letting go of his wife, he gestured for Sophie to follow him as he opened a door tucked into the back corner of the room. "I've got the plans for the new arrangement in what will be your office."

Sophie stepped into a space with just enough room for a desk, a chair, and a small couch butted up under a tiny window offering a view of row after row of dormant grape vines. A buzz of electricity surged in her gut. The office wasn't anything remarkable, nothing like Etienne's office back in La Terra. They'd spent hours on slow nights sitting around his table, making plans for new menus, new dishes, new combinations, the aroma of coffee fueling their dreams.