He stretched out his arms along the sides of the Jacuzzi and leaned his head against the rim. "On the phone last Friday you said something that made me curious."

"What was it?" she asked.

"You said Sophia told you she was taking up smoking because she couldn't drink."

Sophia clapped her hand over her mouth so they wouldn't hear her gasp. Eve was aware of her drinking problem; they'd discussed it at length the night Eve brought Alexa home and made dinner. Sophia had been so despondent she hadn't held anything back. She'd needed friendship too badly to pretend she was anything other than what she was, knew it was either grab on and trust, or sink into the quicksand of her depression.

But she didn't feel quite the same need to be transparent now, didn't want Eve to tell Ted about her addiction. Her situation was pitiful enough. She preferred to leave town without him ever having to learn.

"That's what she said," Eve told him.

"So...what stopped her from drinking?"

Eve had no reason to keep Sophia's secrets, not from Ted. Sophia was mildly surprised she hadn't already told him-and was downright stunned when Eve covered for her instead of blurting out the truth.

"She was in a vulnerable place," she said. "She probably didn't want it to mess with her mind."

Relieved-and grateful-Sophia let her breath seep out.

"You're okay that she's living here, aren't you?" Ted asked.

At least, that was what Sophia thought he said. He was almost whispering now.

"I'm trying to be," she replied. "It'd be easier if she wasn't so d.a.m.n beautiful," she added with an uncomfortable laugh.

Ted kissed her again. "You're beautiful, too," he said, and Sophia had to agree. Eve was even more beautiful on the inside.

Not long after that, Eve said she had to go; she had a big group coming to the B and B in the morning-several ladies from the Red Hat Society who were on an antiquing odyssey. Ted got out with her. Once he'd turned off the jets and they'd gone inside, Sophia had the perfect opportunity to return to the guesthouse. But she'd become so cold she couldn't stop shivering.

She waited to see if Ted would come back and put on the cover. But when the minutes lengthened and he didn't reappear, she a.s.sumed he'd forgotten, and decided to warm up before returning to bed.

After tossing her towel on a nearby chaise, she sank into the hot water all the way up to her neck. Blessed warmth! But before she could get comfortable, she heard the door open again. And this time she didn't make it out of the Jacuzzi before Ted saw her.

23.

"I thought you were asleep," he said.

Sophia froze on the steps, where she'd started to climb out. "No."

"How long have you been out here?"

"For a while," she admitted. "I'm sorry. I should've said something, but I didn't want to upset Eve, didn't want to ruin your night."

He glanced around, as he had before. "Where were you?"

She gestured at the dark area under the deck. "I tried to make it back to the guesthouse unseen, but...there didn't seem to be a good opportunity. I'm sorry," she said again.

He seemed taken aback, as if he was embarra.s.sed by what he and Eve had said-or should've been more careful when he saw the cover missing-but ultimately shrugged as if there was nothing he could do about it now.

"No worries." He waved her back into the water, turned on the jets and climbed in himself. "It's just...late. And the past few nights have been rough. Why aren't you sleeping?"

She slid around to the other side, putting as much distance between them as possible. "I napped for a little while. And then-" she shrugged "-I woke up and couldn't seem to relax. I thought this might help."

"Probably feels funny, being in a strange place, but you'll get used to it." He studied her through the steam. "How did Alexa do at school today?"

He acted like he really cared. "It seemed to go pretty well."

"No trouble with Connie?"

"Nothing more than a verbal threat."

"That girl had better not act on it." Leaning back, he gazed at the stars overhead. "How does Lex feel about moving here?"

"Seems okay with it. She knows we're lucky to have a comfortable place to live. She's grateful to you."

"She's a good kid."

Sophia smiled. In a way, it felt like she and her daughter were getting to know each other, really know each other, for the first time-and Sophia liked what she saw. "She is."

He shook his hair off his face. "I looked but I didn't see a receipt for the extra groceries and other stuff you bought today-the flowers and candles."

"That was my treat. I don't expect you to repay me."

"You wanted Eve and me to have flowers and candles?"

"I know it's not much. I just hoped to make your dinner extra nice. You've both been so generous to me."

He didn't say anything but his eyes never left her face.

"What?" she said, growing uncomfortable. Being out here alone with Ted like this, in the dark, made her have thoughts she shouldn't be having-especially after Eve's kindness in not telling Ted about her alcoholism. She wouldn't do anything that might undermine Eve's happiness, wouldn't reveal the longing she felt now, and had felt for years.

"It was nice," he said. "Eve liked it."

She cleared her throat. "I'm glad." She wondered if he'd liked it, too. He didn't say, but she got the impression that he had.

When she found herself glancing at his bare shoulders, wishing things could be different, she stood up. "I'll let you have some time to yourself."

"Sophia?"

She looked at him as she pa.s.sed.

"You seem to have changed a great deal."

"Well, it would have to be for the better, right? There was only one way to go." She laughed as if she wasn't quite serious, but she knew that he-and half of Whiskey Creek-would probably agree with that statement.

She stepped out and got her towel, but even then he didn't let her leave. "How's your mother?"

It'd been ages since anyone had asked about Elaine. Her mother had been gone from Whiskey Creek for so many years that the hole her absence had initially created in the community had filled in long ago. At least that seemed to be true for everyone else. Sophia found it ironic, considering that the town had once revolved around her parents.

"She was okay the last time I checked," she said. "I don't speak to her very often."

"Because..."

She wanted to blame Skip. He'd been so nasty whenever she planned to visit the hospital. "I don't see the point!" he'd growl, and he'd usually refuse to go with her. But she knew the real reason she avoided contact ran much deeper.

"She doesn't know me anymore," she said. She wasn't sure why she'd told him about her mother. That wasn't something she normally talked about. It had just...popped out, as if she couldn't keep something so painful inside anymore. But she regretted it the second the words left her lips and she saw the sympathy on his face. She didn't want him to think she was trying to make excuses for herself or manipulate his emotions. So she hurried to get behind closed doors where she couldn't say anything else. And where she'd no longer be tempted to tell him how much she'd always loved him.

Cheyenne and Dylan were at coffee the next morning. So were Riley, Callie, Levi, Kyle and Eve. Once again, Ted had thought about skipping the weekly ritual. He was falling so far behind on his book. He figured that provided the perfect excuse to avoid the ribbing he was going to get for helping Sophia after being so opinionated about her. But then Eve called to see if he'd pick her up, and he knew that with Sophia living in his guesthouse, he needed to do all he could to be available to Eve and help his girlfriend feel secure.

When they walked into Black Gold together, they weren't holding hands or doing anything else to announce that they were a couple-and yet Cheyenne's smile stretched so wide Ted could tell she knew. That meant Dylan did, too-and the others would inevitably find out. He wasn't ready for the added pressure. He and Eve would be the first official couple inside the group after all the years they'd been friends and that would generate more attention than he felt comfortable with. Especially now, when he had so much going on inside his head. But he couldn't expect to keep the relationship a secret for very long. They were both too close to their friends.

At least it would put any suspicions that he had plans to get back with Sophia to rest.

Noah was the first to start in. "Hey, Ted. I hear that Sophia got a job."

Everyone sitting at the table laughed and glanced at each other.

"I heard that, too." Kyle joined the fun. "Apparently she wasn't quite so mean in high school that you couldn't forgive her. So...tell me, what was all that talk about?"

"Shut up," Ted grumbled. "It's not as if any of you were stepping up to help."

"You were the one with the job," Noah said. "We're heading into the winter, which is my slowest time. I would've had to let someone go in order to hire her, and that didn't seem fair."

Ted spread his hands. "I felt sorry for her, okay? No big deal."

"What was it he said last week?" Riley asked. "'Actions have consequences'?"

Thank G.o.d no one seemed to know he'd let her move in with him, too....

Eve slipped her arm through his. "Come on, guys. Go easy. No matter what he says, Ted has a heart the size of Texas. That shouldn't come as any surprise."

Ted didn't want Eve sticking up for him. It made the change in their relationship too obvious-obvious enough that Kyle suddenly took note of the possessive way she was touching him. "What do you know about his heart?" he asked.

Eve let go of him and tried to shrug it off. "We've been friends for years."

"Are you still friends?" Riley asked, searching their faces.

Ted couldn't deny the truth. That would imply that he was embarra.s.sed about their involvement. So when Eve seemed uncertain about how to respond, he came out with it. "We're seeing each other."

Adelaide's mouth dropped open. "Seeing each other as in...dating?"

"Isn't that what seeing each other is?" he asked.

"I wasn't sure, since you've been friends for so long and see each other all the time." Addy hadn't been part of the original group, hadn't even been around after high school. Noah had included her when she returned a year ago.

"Since when?" Callie asked.

"Halloween," Cheyenne chipped in with a knowing laugh.

"Whoa, apparently some people had more fun in the hot tub than others," Riley teased.

Eve blushed. "Do you have to make it so embarra.s.sing? It's enough of a transition already."

Noah rubbed his chin. "You hired Sophia but you're dating Eve. Interesting reversal."

Ted sent him a look that told him to stuff it. "We'll skip the editorials, if you don't mind." Eager to get away from the group until the shock wore off, he turned to Eve. "Can I get you something? You want a yogurt?"

"Oh, my gosh!" Cheyenne cried. "How weird that Ted's going to be buying Eve's yogurt from now on!"

Kyle was the only one who didn't seem to think this development was funny. He hadn't said a word since the "big reveal"-and he got up and followed Ted to the line of people waiting to order at the register. "Hey, man, are you sure you know what you're doing?" He kept a smile on his face, for the sake of the others, but his eyes were serious.

Ted couldn't admit the truth, couldn't show any uncertainty. That wouldn't be fair to Eve. "Of course."

Putting his back to the group's table, Kyle tried again. "You remember how it went when Callie and I-"

"I remember," he broke in to save him from having to spell it out.

"You have to think long and hard before getting that intimate with one of these girls."

"I have thought about it."

Kyle gave him a skeptical look as they moved forward in line.

"What?" Ted snapped, irritated by the fact that Kyle was forcing him to examine his motives and decisions.

"It's just...so fast. One day you're friends, like always. And now you're lovers?"

"These things happen. You should know."

"Exactly. So...where's the heat between you two?"

"Maybe it's not that kind of relationship."

When the person ahead of them in line seemed to be listening, Kyle lowered his voice. "But it's supposed to be now, isn't it?"

"Eve and I don't base everything on s.e.xual attraction. Not everything," he repeated when he realized that made it sound as if he didn't want to make love to her.

"Listen..."

The guy ahead of them ordered, giving them more s.p.a.ce but less time than they probably needed to finish this conversation.