She smiled softly. ‘So true.’
‘I’ll meet you in the foyer then? Just after two?’
She nodded.
‘See you then, Sophia.’
‘Goodnight, Jack.’
His smile was slow as he leaned back into his seat, taking her number with him. ‘’Night, Sphea.’
She grinned at Lily’s name for her and shook her head, sliding out of the car and thanking his driver too.
She was still smiling as she walk
ed through the foyer, up the flights of stairs and unlocked the door to her apartment. Still smiling ten minutes later when she had a cup of hot cocoa wrapped in her hands and breathed in its rich, comforting scent. And even when she climbed into bed, her mind awash with thoughts of him, her body too alive to sleep.
She’d been worried about the past creeping back in, bringing the sadness with it, but with Jack on her mind there was no room for it.
It wasn’t a long-term fix, but she could certainly make the most of it...for now.
CHAPTER SIX
‘ARE YOU SURE she’s definitely coming, Daddy?’
Jack smiled down at his daughter and retied her tartan scarf for the umpteenth time. ‘Definitely—she’s just finishing up and then she’ll be with us.’
‘I hope so.’ She looked to the row of wellies at her feet. ‘I think we should have bought different colours and sizes. What if she doesn’t like red?’
‘How can she not like red when it’s the colour of...’ His words fell away as he glanced over his daughter’s head to see Sophia enter the hotel foyer, her smile lighting him up inside. She’d changed out of her workwear into jeans and a winter coat ready for their outing, its deep red colour setting off both her hair and her eyes. Stunning didn’t even come close. ‘Looks like you can ask her yourself, kiddo.’
Lily spun on her heel and gave a little squeal of delight as she ran straight up to her, her dark curls bouncing around her shoulders and her scarf trailing behind once again. ‘Sphea!’
Sophia dropped to her haunches, her arms outstretched ready to take the cuddle Lily was reaching out for. She squeezed his little girl to her, her eyes lifting to find him over Lily’s shoulder and he felt himself grin. She had only been in Lily’s life a couple of days but it seemed like more; he felt something shift inside of him. Something he couldn’t latch onto or understand. Then her gaze fell to the row of wellies at his feet and her amused frown tickled him into a laugh.
‘We bought you something,’ Lily said as Sophia fixed her scarf for her.
‘You did?’
Lily nodded and took Sophia’s hand as she straightened up. ‘Come see.’
She started to drag her along and Sophia looked from Lily to him and back down to the wellies again.
‘We went for a few different sizes,’ he said, ‘but hopefully one of these pairs will fit.’
‘You bought me wellies?’ Her blue eyes sparkled as she looked up at him, her glossy pink lips stretching wide. ‘I don’t think anyone has bought me wellies before, not since I was a child at any rate.’
‘Well, it’s not a blizzard out there,’ he said, recalling their conversation the night before, ‘but it’s certainly been raining cats and dogs.’
‘Cats and dogs?’ Lily frowned. ‘That makes no sense, Daddy.’
Sophia laughed. ‘You’re right, it doesn’t, but I still can’t believe you’ve bought me wellies.’
‘Well, Daddy said you like muddy puddles too.’
‘Did he now?’
He gave a shrug. ‘It may have come up in conversation.’