Sierra stuffed another giant piece of cake in her mouth.
“If he doesn’t want to stay, then he’s a fool,” Sophie said vehemently. “Just remember that. And he doesn’t deserve you and you’re better off without him.”
Sierra stared at her plate. “I wish I could feel that way.”
If only Sierra was jumping to conclusions. But that last text from Mark sure hadn’t looked encouraging. And no “I love you’s,” no “I miss you’s.”
Trevor was coming their way, bearing three mugs of hot chocolate, grinning like he thought he was Santa Claus. She tried to imagine him ever pulling the stunt Mark had pulled, leaving his wife to take a dream trip without him, and couldn’t. He was simply too good-hearted.
“Here you go, ladies,” he said, setting the mugs down in front of them. “Drink up.”
Sierra took a sip of hers. “It’s delicious.”
“How’s the cake?” he asked, pointing to her half-consumed piece.
“Amazing,” she said.
“We are going to completely clog our arteries,” Sophie predicted. But sweets were her Achilles’ heel and she couldn’t resist taking a bite of hers.
“Oh, who cares?” said her sister. She stuffed more cake in her mouth, closed her eyes and chewed. Then groaned again. “Chocolate orgasm. Better than sex.”
Trevor looked shocked. “I don’t know if I’d go that far.”
“Don’t mind her,” Sophie said. “She’s...” She stopped herself. The last thing her sister needed was an open discussion of her love life. She forked off another bite of her slice. “It is good, though.”
“It is, but sex is better,” Trevor said.
Sex with Trevor March, that sure sounded like a treat. Any man who made the kind of chocolate goodies he did had to know a lot about the other one of life’s greatest pleasures. And he’d already given a pretty good indication that he did, indeed, know plenty when he’d kissed her.
Sierra finished her cake, then eyed Sophie’s. “Are you going to finish that?”
“No, I’m done,” Sophie said, and pushed it her way, then watched in amazement as her sister shoveled the remains down like a starving woman.
In a way she was. Starving for affection.
“That was fabulous,” she said when she’d finished. “Thanks, Trevor.”
“You’re welcome,” he said, looking a little dazed at how quickly a piece and a half of cake had disappeared.
“You know what? I think I’m going to go buy me a cuckoo clock,” Sierra announced. “I’m worth it.”
“You are,” Sophie agreed. “Want me to come with you?”
“No. I want you to get me another piece of cake.”
“I guess she liked it,” Trevor said as Sierra marched away.
“She’s been a little stressed,” Sophie said.
He nodded. “Stuff happens.”
Yes, it did. Sophie chewed her lip and watched her sister go. Had Sierra heard from Mark again and not wanted to tell her? If he was leaving her what kind of Christmas would Sierra have?
A darned good one, Sophie decided. She’d take her sister to see the gingerbread house display at the downtown Sheraton, drag her to lunch at the Pink Door in the Pike Place Market, organize a chick flick night with her friends. Talk about all the bad things they’d like to have happen to her rotten husband. Yes, she’d find a way to make sure Sierra got through the holidays.
Trevor’s hand over hers brought her back into the moment. “Your sister will be okay,” he said. The man was psychic.
“She’s...wait. How do you know?”
“That something’s not right? Not too hard to figure out. She’s married, got the ring on, but she’s doing this cruise with her sister instead of her husband, and for these last few days she’s looked like she’s having trouble smiling. It doesn’t take a Sherlock Holmes to figure out she’s not exactly in a happy place right now.”
“She’s not,” Sophie admitted.
“And you’re wishing you could rush in and make everything better.”
“I wish I could do...something.” Find a magic wand and wave it over her sister, beat up Mark.
“Sometimes people have to figure out their problems on their own,” Trevor said.
She supposed he was right. There were some things you went through hand in hand with people. Others you went through alone, even when other people were present. No one traveled down the birth canal with you and no one escorted you into the next life except God Himself. She supposed it was the same with the death of a relationship. In the end you had to wrestle with the pain yourself.
“It just stinks that he didn’t come on this cruise with her. It was supposed to be his Christmas present but he said