Carly Phillips - Hot Item

Harlan stopped his pacing. “You can’t imagine how glad I am to hear that.”

She wondered what he would have said or done if she’d planned to spill that carefully hidden secret. She glanced into his steely-gray eyes and decided she was darn glad she wouldn’t have to find out.

“I trust Spencer feels the same way?” he asked, unapologetically probing her.

She pursed her lips. “Despite the way things looked over the years, Spencer has always had Riley’s best interest at heart and Riley has asked him to keep silent. I’m certain that’s the end of things as far as Spencer is concerned.” She hated discussing this and wanted the subject dropped.

Harlan gripped the back of a chair in a tight clench. “With all the unfortunate events at your place of business, he’s probably too busy to focus much on himself anyway.”

She leveled him with a curious glance. “How did you know?”

“Riley’s filled me in on the break-in, the camera and those men who just won’t leave you alone,” the senator explained. “I’m sure your uncle and Spencer are distraught with worry.”

Sophie narrowed her gaze. “But I thought-”

“Good morning, everyone,” Anne Nash strode into the room, her mood as bright and cheerful as her patterned silk blouse.

Sophie had been about to ask just when Riley had found time with his stepfather to provide him with all that information since, as far as she knew, he hadn’t had a moment alone with the man.

“Harlan, are you torturing Sophie with stories about Riley as a baby?” Anne asked.

Her husband chuckled and pulled out a chair for his wife to sit. “Actually, I leave those memories for you to divulge. You’re a much better storyteller than I.” He smiled indulgently at his wife.

Sophie resisted the urge to scratch her head. The senator was an enigma. A man with an agenda, but one who obviously loved his family so much it eclipsed anything else in Sophie’s mind.

Footsteps running down the stairs echoed through the house and seconds later, Lizzie joined them for breakfast, scowling when she saw Sophie. She didn’t bother to hide her dislike from her grandparents, who obviously indulged her tantrums and spoiled behavior even more than her father did.

Sophie rose and poured herself more coffee, deciding maybe the caffeine would help her deal with the demon child. Lizzie was Riley’s daughter, and Sophie was determined to win over the young girl.

The teenager chose a chair far away from Sophie, near the other end of the rectangular table. There was some chatter among her grandparents, but Lizzie remained quiet.

“Lizzie?” Sophie asked.

“Hmm.” The young girl didn’t look up from her cereal as she ate.

“Have you seen any good movies? My sisters and I get together for a girls’ night and we’re trying to pick something light and fun. Do you have any suggestions?” Sophie tried to engage the teen in conversation.

“Like you care. You’re just trying to be nice to me to suck up to my dad.”

Sophie gritted her teeth and glanced around the table. The senator had taken a phone call in the other room, which left only Riley’s mother as a buffer.

Anne gave Sophie a sympathetic glance but said nothing in the way of real support.

Sophie was on her own. As much as she wanted to tell Lizzie off and be done with her attitude, Sophie felt sorry for the child who feared losing her dad to some strange woman.

Sophie clasped her hands in her lap and leaned forward. “Lizzie, you don’t know me at all, but I’m going to tell you a little something about myself.”

“I’m not interested.”

To Sophie’s surprise, Anne sucked in a shocked breath. “You may not be interested, young lady, but you will listen to what Sophie has to say. You’re in my home and we treat guests politely here. Do you understand me?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Lizzie muttered.

Sophie smiled, grateful for Anne’s interjection. “My parents weren’t divorced like yours, but they died when I was younger than you are now.”

She watched the teen carefully for signs of reaction and was grateful when Lizzie cast her eyes down to her lap. At least Sophie knew she was listening and decided to continue.

“I was raised by my uncle who happens to be your father’s agent. So I know something about not wanting to be left out and I know even more about being afraid of losing someone you love.”

Although Lizzie remained silent, her cheeks had turned pink, making Sophie wonder if she was embarrassed by her earlier outburst.

Sophie paused and thought about what to say next. “I’m here as a guest and I’m a friend of your father’s, but I have no intention of taking him away from you and I don’t want to compete with you in any way. You come first for him. You always will.”

Lizzie didn’t respond. If Sophie had reached her, she had no way of knowing it and the silence around the table grew, until Anne tossed her linen napkin down and rose from her seat.

“Elizabeth Nash, I know your parents have taught you better manners than what you’re displaying now,” the older woman said in obvious frustration. “Sophie was nice enough to reassure you despite your behavior. Now I suggest we go on from here. She asked you a question about the movies and I think you should answer it. Nicely,” Anne added, emphasizing her point.

Sophie hadn’t expected the verbal support and she mouthed a thank-you to Anne. The other woman smiled in return and eased herself back into her chair.

“She’s not my mother and I don’t see why I have to have anything to do with her.” Lizzie’s stubbornness rivaled her father’s.

“Because your father said that you do.”

At the sound of Riley’s voice, Sophie jerked around in her seat.

He stood in the doorway of the dining room, his broad shoulders filling the space. Even though she’d just seen him last night, Sophie couldn’t take her eyes from him now.

He wore a tan-colored shirt and had rolled up the sleeves halfway, exposing his muscular forearms, which he’d folded across his chest as he eyed his daughter with a determined stare.

“But…”

“No buts.” Riley strode into the room. Pausing by Sophie, he leaned down and kissed her cheek, making a statement to everyone in the room.

Especially to Sophie. At the unexpected and blatant gesture, her heart skipped a beat and her breath caught somewhere between her chest and her throat.

As if he’d done nothing out of the ordinary, Riley headed for the credenza, poured himself some coffee and joined the rest of the stunned people at the table.

“Elizabeth?” Riley prodded his daughter. “Either you answer Sophie’s question as your grandmother suggested or you apologize for being rude. Either one works for me.”

Lizzie glanced up, tears filling her big eyes. “You never used to be so mean to me. You used to take my side. Now all of a sudden, you’re ganging up on me and I know why. It’s because you want me to spend more time with Mom so you’ll have more time alone with her.” She jerked a finger toward Sophie. “Mom said you have someone special in your life and I should respect it,” she said, a mixture of disgust and jealousy icing her tone.

“Then why don’t you?” Riley asked his daughter softly.

“Because I don’t want to lose you.” Big teardrops fell from Lizzie’s eyes and Riley held out his arms so his daughter could come for the hug she so desperately wanted.

Sophie watched the emotional scene play out and slowly eased her chair back so she could slip out of the room. Her own emotions were raw and at the surface, tears threatening to swamp her, too. She knew what it was like to lose a parent in some way and she couldn’t help but empathize with the young girl. At thirteen, Lizzie was reacting to her emotions. Thinking about other people’s feelings wasn’t within her frame of reference right now and Sophie couldn’t blame her.

Sophie made her way back to her room, grateful nobody had followed her. She needed time alone with her thoughts, which were already hammering at her hard.

Sophie had been a few years younger than Lizzie when she’d lost her parents, but Sophie finally understood the panic and fear in the teenager’s eyes and comprehended the source of her defiant attitude. Sophie was only sorry she hadn’t equated the two things on such an elemental level earlier, but now that she had, there was no way she would be the cause of that kind of pain for Riley’s daughter. There was no way she’d let Riley lose the most precious person in his life.

Sophie pulled her suitcase from the closet and began to pack for home. No need to wait for their flight later today when she was certain she could leave now.

RILEY PATTED Lizzie’s back, and she stepped away and headed back to her seat. “You okay?” he asked her.

She nodded.

He turned to Sophie, intending to make peace between the two ladies in his life, but saw an empty chair instead. His stomach plummeted and a wave of emptiness swept through him. “Where-”

“She slipped out,” his mother said.

“I’m sorry.” Lizzie glanced at him through wide, too-innocent eyes.

He doubted her sincerity, but now wasn’t the time to get into it. As much as he wanted to go after Sophie, he intended to settle some things within his immediate family first. His father had rejoined them, and if the whispering was any indication, his mother had filled him in on what had just happened.

Based on recent experience, he’d never have them all together in one room again. “I have something I want to discuss. It’s something that affects us all, and Lizzie needs to be part of the conversation.”

“What’s up?” Lizzie asked.

Riley drew a deep breath. He hadn’t slept last night and, as much as he’d like to blame his insomnia on thoughts of making love to Sophie, he’d had other things on his mind as well. Like winning Sophie back.

And cleaning house, he thought. There was no way he could try to bring Sophie into his life until he proved to himself and to her that he was a man capable of dealing with some serious issues in his life. He knew she thought of him as a guy with a girl in every city, and for a while, that hadn’t been far from the truth. The fact that he wasn’t like that anymore didn’t matter without proof that he wanted to set his life in order.

He’d caused much of his daughter’s attitude and problems by spoiling her. He’d acted with the best of intentions, but he’d screwed up and it was time he admitted it.

“You were right when you said that I never called you on your actions before Sophie came into the picture.”

“You see? I knew she was the problem!” Lizzie said triumphantly.

He shook his head. “Not the problem, but the solution.”

“I don’t get it,” Lizzie said warily.

“I don’t either, son.” Harlan held his wife’s hand and spoke for them both.

He smiled grimly. “You will once I explain. I let Lizzie get away with having an attitude, with acting like a spoiled brat-”

“Hey!” She interrupted, jumping from her seat.

“Sit down and let me talk,” he said in his sternest voice.

She sat.

“I didn’t want to be the bad guy because I was afraid of losing you, of having no relationship with you the way-”

“The way we did for a while, right?” Harlan asked quickly.

Too quickly. He had interrupted Riley in order to keep him from mentioning Spencer’s name. Riley glanced at the man who’d raised him. “It has to be said.”

His mother raised a trembling hand to cover her mouth, but she said nothing.

“What has to be said? What’s going on?” Lizzie asked.

“Nothing,” Harlan said.

“Everything,” Riley countered. “Mom, Dad? You raised me well and I love you both. But you raised me to value honesty above everything else and I can’t move forward with my life if I don’t come clean with Lizzie now.”

Harlan clenched his jaw. “She’s thirteen. I think you’re asking a lot of a thirteen-year-old to keep this kind of secret.”

Riley’s attention settled on his daughter. Her face was contorted in confusion. “I trust her,” he said, hoping to convey his love for her, as well.

Harlan rose. “Well, pardon me if I don’t sit here and watch you bury this family and my career,” he muttered and walked from the room.

“I’ll calm him down.” Anne turned to Riley. “I understand why you need to do this,” she said, granting him the one thing he needed most right now: her understanding.

“Thanks. Just one question before you go. When did you find out about Spencer? Did you know all along?”

“I found out through the papers like everyone else,” she said, and from the sad tone in her voice, Riley believed her.

“We’ll talk later,” he promised.

She nodded and followed the path her husband had taken. Riley trusted in his parents’ marriage as much as he trusted in…in Sophie, he realized. And he knew that he was sitting here now, about to divulge his entire past to his daughter, so that he could have a future with Sophie.