Page 27 of Spiritwarrior (The Colemans’ Legacy #2)

Chapter Twenty-Six

J ody took his eyes off the road to glance in Sophie’s direction. “Do you need your car? We’re going to the same place, so you can ride in with Ginny in the morning.”

Smothering a yawn with her hand, she answered, “I’m too tired to drive, anyway.”

Jody felt her eyes on him in the darkness.

“You should be just as tired. You helped me finish cleaning the apartment last night and were at the restaurant at the same time as I was.”

He kept his hands on the steering wheel despite how much he wanted to pull her close to his side and let her rest her head on his shoulder. This was the first time Sophie hadn’t covered the exhaustion she must be feeling. The woman had to be surviving on fumes from the way she worked herself.

“I’m not going to disagree. I’ll sleep well tonight.”

“You’re very talented at playing the fiddle. I didn’t know people still played them.”

“Not many do.”

“How long have you played?”

“My dad tried to teach me before he died. After he passed, I started teaching it to myself. I wish I had taken playing more seriously before he passed away, but it makes me feel better that he’d be happy if he’d known.”

“You were close to your father?”

“We all were. Dad could act like a kid as much as we were, yet you never forgot he was the parent. He didn’t tolerate bullshit, believed in treating everyone the same, regardless of how much money they carried in their wallet, and was kind unless you showed him it wasn’t reciprocated.”

“He sounds like a good man,” she said softly.

“He was,” he agreed tightly. Missing his dad was a daily battle, for all of the family.

“I’m sorry you didn’t get so fortunate with Marty.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her turn to stare out of the window.

“Me too,” she said solemnly. “My father was just incapable of being close to anyone. I asked my mom once why she had married him. She said when they were dating, he treated her like a princess. After they were married, though, his behavior began to change. He wanted to keep her isolated. That’s when she started working with him because he wouldn’t stop badgering her until she did. She said it was the same thing after I was born—he didn’t want anyone babysitting me while they were at work. That lasted until I was four.” Sophie went silent.

“What happened?” he urged gently.

“I went into the kitchen when I wasn’t supposed to, so Marty gave me one of his lessons not to do it again.” Her voice was so low he had to strain to hear her. “Mom came into the kitchen and saw him. She picked me up and left. She divorced him after that. I only had to see him every other week for a few hours with supervision until after I turned eleven.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Nothing to be sorry about. Some people just shouldn’t be parents. I think he hated me.”

“If he hated you, then why did he leave the restaurant to you?”

“I have no clue. The only reason I can think of is Marty expected me to fail. He knew I had limited funds. He had made our lives a living hell. My parents and I moved from job to job, state to state, trying to stay ahead of him. I was able to save some money, so I guess he thought I would sink what money I had into the diner and be left with nothing.”

“That’s screwed up.”

“You just summed up Marty.”

Jody turned into the driveway, to the side of Silas’ house, then turned off the engine. He felt her stiffen when he leaned toward her and gave her an amused glance as he opened the glovebox to take out a flashlight.

“I’m afraid I can’t see in the dark.”

Sophie gave an embarrassed laugh. “I can’t either.”

“Guess we’re walking home together,” he said before getting out of the truck to walk around and open her door. Jody took it as headway when she didn’t pull away from his touch on her arm as they walked.

“I can’t get over how large this property is.”

“With all of our family, sometimes it doesn’t seem large enough,” he said wryly.

“I would love a family as large as yours.”

“There’s a way to get one for yourself.”

“Oh no. I have to be perfectly content to have one or two children.”

Jody shined the flashlight on the ground to the small path, which would lead to his trailer.

“I was thinking more that you could always marry into a large family. That would make them your family, too, wouldn’t it?”

“True, if I like them.”

“Do you like mine?”

He had to tighten his clasp on her arm when she stumbled.

“Oh, thank you.”

He could feel her trembling as they neared the trailer.

“You didn’t answer my question. Do you like my family?”

“Yes, I do. Well, here we are.”

He nearly burst out laughing at the relief in her voice.

“Thank you for bringing me home. I had fun at the music festival. I’m glad you talked me into staying. Good night.”

Jody continued walking her right up to the steps of the trailer. “Would you mind if I came in and grabbed a couple of my things?”

“I don’t think that would be a great idea.” Pulling her arm away from his touch, she started up the steps.

“Why not?”

Sophie turned around on the steps. “Jody, I’m smart enough not to open the door when a wolf wants to come inside.”

He couldn’t hold back his laughter. “You don’t trust me?”

“I trust you.”

“Then it’s yourself you don’t trust?”

Her face turned angry. “What’s wrong, Jody? Shocked I’m the only woman in Treepoint who can resist you?”

“Prove it.” He took a step forward, his hands going around her waist. “I’ve wanted you under me since you walked up to my table.”

Sophie’s hand went to his shoulder as if she was about to push him away. “I’m not attracted to you,” she stated with seemingly angry certainty.

Jody didn’t allow his hurt to show. “Like I said, prove it.”

“If I do, will you accept I’m not and won’t try again?”

“I will.”

Sophie placed her other hand on his shoulder before pressing her lips to his. If he thought he would be able to remain unmoved while proving that she was attracted to him, he failed.

When her lips met his, he felt as if he had done a backflip off a diving board and didn’t know which way was up when he’d hit the water. He might have let his cock overrule him into losing judgment a time or two, but he had never felt as if he had his legs swept out from under him.

Keeping his hands on her waist, Jody kept the kiss gentle, exploratory, holding the desire he was experiencing back. Her lips trembled under his yet yielded to the soft pressure, parting to allow his tongue entrance into her mouth.

Sophie might have allowed her mouth to part, yet she stood as still as a statue, her arms remaining on his shoulders. She wasn’t into him.

Pulling his mouth away, he stared down at her.

“See? What did I tell you? Zip, zilch, nada. Friends now?” she asked him casually.

“You win, Sophie. Friends.”