to tell you something important.”
I sighed, wondering what kind of fight this admission would lead to. “Okay.”
“I miss you.”
My heart skipped a beat. “Oh.”
“Now, what did you want to tell me?”
“Um, I need to warn you: Charlie invited Jamie and Tiffany, too.”
“Okay.”
“You know what that means, right?”
“Oh, yeah. Jamie had a great time fishing when I went to Charlie’s office.”
“I understand if you want to skip tonight.”
“Is that what you want?”
“I suppose that depends on how you introduce Alima.”
“Sophie, I would never come out to Lynchfield while you’re still closeted.”
I sighed with relief. “Thank you.”
Nora’s voice dropped into an almost whisper. “Look, I’m not sure where this is going with us, but you need to know that no matter what happens, I would never jeopardize your place here, your life.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. I hadn’t known that. My response was barely audible. “Thank you.” I cleared my throat. “There’s one more thing.”
“Should I be sitting down?”
“Maybe. Brenda’s here, too.”
“Good Lord. Are you trying to get me to beg off?”
“No.” I waited for a second, and decided why not? She’d opened the door a crack. “What I want is for us to sneak off. Together. Alone.”
The tenor of her voice changed. “I don’t think that’s going to work tonight.”
“Alima is right there, isn’t she?”
“Yes. She’s looking forward to eating fajitas. She’s never had them. Emmadean told her your fajitas are famous.”
“Alima’s met Emmadean?”
“Yeah. We went over to their house yesterday. To make the cake.”
“Oh, right. Yeah. Of course.” I felt a jolt of jealousy, afraid Emmadean would like Alima more than me. I immediately felt ridiculous and petty. “Well, y’all hurry on over. People are arriving.” Charlie called out to me. “I have to go. See you soon.”
I ended the call and took a deep breath.
Nothing terrible is going to happen. This is just like any other weekend, small-town cookout. Joe will drink too much and be loud. Trent won’t shut up about his business and how to make beer. Jamie and Tiffany will be side-eyeing everything I do all night. Kim will be the peacemaker. Nora will keep Alima in line, and Brenda? Well, she’ll sit on the couch, puckered face, drinking a glass of too-sweet chardonnay and making sure Nora and I don’t give ourselves away. This isn’t a disaster waiting to happen; it’s a challenge.
I’m Sophie Fucking Wyatt. Bring it on.
sixteen
sophie
All of my good intentions, the resolutions I’d made after leaving Nora’s house, vanished when Nora and Alima walked through the door. The vision of the two of them, bodies intertwined, the idea I’d been struggling to repress for two days with little success, flickered through my mind. Alima’s expression said she saw it all—the hurt, the conflict—on my face.
I knew what I had to do. Wanted to do. Risk be damned.
“You have a lovely home,” Alima said.
I followed her gaze around the great room that anchored our ranch-style house and tried to see it as an East Coaster would. Exposed dark wood beams on the two-story ceiling, Hill Country sandstone fireplace, scraped hickory hardwood floors, a gourmet kitchen with an AGA stove, comfortable furniture to encourage lingering, minimal tchotchkes on the tables, a gallery wall of framed family photos, windows looking out over the backyard pool with a creek running past beyond. I was embarrassed by how stereotypical it was, how Architectural Digest visits the Hill Country it looked, but I loved it all the same.
“Thank you.”
Nora stared at everything with an unreadable expression on her face. Was she thinking, This could have been my life? Or was she shocked it was mine? It bore no resemblance to my teenage hopes and dreams.
“Let me take that.” I reached out for the cake Nora held in her hands.
“Did you decorate?” Alima said, with a motion to the room.
“I did.” I lifted the cake, inhaled the buttery scent and smiled.
Alima appraised me and said with a sly smile, “Exquisite taste.”
I smiled thinly. “Thank you. Let me introduce you to my mother,” I said.
Charlie broke off from talking to the men and came up to us with an outstretched hand. “Charlie Wyatt.”
“Alima Koshkam.”
“Glad you could make it. Hi, Nora.” He leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. I felt every eye in the room on us, gauging our reactions. I knew that my expression of distaste would be mistaken for jealousy of Charlie and Nora. Instead, I watched Alima. When she caught my eye, my eyebrows rose, and I returned her sly smile.
Nora blushed a little.