Bookshop by the Sea - Denise Hunter Page 0,15

her previous text. She had said “we,” hadn’t she? Now she either had to lie or tell her brother that Aiden was here.

Aiden’s flight got canceled, so he came back here.

His reply boomeranged back. You’ve got to be kidding me.

Three little dots told her he wasn’t finished, so she waited. Might as well let him get it all out of his system.

What right does he have, imposing on you after what he did? You should kick his butt to the curb.

Chill. He didn’t even know I was here. It was a surprise to both of us. She skipped the part where he’d nearly strangled her. And the hotels are full up because of the storm.

A cascade of texts followed.

You don’t have to let him stay there, Sophie.

You don’t owe him anything.

He dumped you out of nowhere.

At the worst possible time.

Seth must’ve run out of steam because there was a long pause before his next message.

He’s going to suck you right back in.

He was only stating Sophie’s deepest fear. And he hadn’t said anything she hadn’t already thought herself. But it was nice to know Seth was looking out for her, trying to protect her.

I know you’re only concerned, but give me some credit. I’ve learned a few things since then. I’ll be fine. We’ll keep to our own spaces, and he’ll be out of my hair tomorrow.

I don’t like it.

For what it’s worth, I don’t either. It was time to end the conversation. I hope you have a nice day. I’ll check in with you tomorrow.

Wait. I hate to bother you with this right now, but I have a document I wrote for work. Nobody edits like you . . . I want to make a good impression.

Sophie paused, a feeling of reservation sweeping over her. Seth wasn’t a kid anymore. He wasn’t even in college. He was a grown man with a grown-up job. And Sophie should probably start letting him fend for himself.

On the other hand she liked helping out. And she didn’t have anything better to do.

No problem. Send it over.

I need it by tomorrow. ☹

Naturally. She sighed. While she preferred to plan ahead, her twin brother liked to fly by the seat of his pants. It often ended up putting her in panic mode.

I’ll be waiting out a storm, so I won’t have anything better to do.

Maybe having something productive to work on would keep her from falling into Aiden’s arms again. Remembering how safe she’d once felt in his embrace, she shivered.

She texted Seth. Oh, so you’re actually doing me a favor?

Ha-ha. It’s a matter of perspective.

She sent the eye roll emoji.

Seriously, thanks, Sis! I owe you one.

You owe me about a thousand. But you’re welcome. Talk soon.

Sophie pocketed her phone and blow-dried her hair. When she was finished she still heard Aiden moving overhead, so she made her way to the living room where her laptop waited. If anyone should be confined to his room, it should be him.

With the storm shutters closed the living area was unnaturally dark. It was odd not being able to see outside, especially when she could hear the rain pummeling the roof and the wind whistling through the eaves.

She sat down with her laptop. Her brother’s document had arrived, but Sophie checked the weather first. Sure enough, the radar showed the eye of the storm making landfall near Myrtle Beach as the outer edges of the hurricane swept over Piper’s Cove. Still a Category 1, which could produce winds up to ninety-five miles per hour.

She lifted Pippa onto the couch, and the dog set her head on the crook of Sophie’s elbow, trembling. Sophie stroked her little head. “It’s okay, girl. It’s just a little storm. We’re safe in here.”

The dog peered at her with such trust, Sophie’s heart squeezed tight. For such a little thing, she brought Sophie so much joy and comfort. Pippa’s soft fur had caught many of her tears, especially after her mom passed.

“What would I do without you, girl? Huh?”

After one final stroke she opened her brother’s file and gave it a quick scan. He’d failed to mention the document was eighteen pages long.

Sophie sighed. So much for scouring Publishers Weekly.

Something smacked the side of the house, making Sophie jump. Pippa burrowed into her side, and Sophie slid an arm around her. “You’re okay, sweetie. It can’t hurt you.”

Sophie had made it through twelve pages of her brother’s document, fixing punctuation and clarifying points here and there. He was a decent writer, but