Shell Game

Chapter Six

Something wasn't right. Luke felt it in his bones. The minute the redhead with the Double Ds had walked in, Herbie had grown stiff and serious. He'd made every effort to shake it off, to be cordial, but Luke could smell a rat.

And he didn't have to be a guru of observation to know Mr. Double D was no banker. Not the legal kind. Totally unconcerned with the trivia game, the man only showed a hint of social skills when the chance of any conversation with Herbie had flared. From what Luke could decipher, the man seemed quite charming. Reminded Luke of the snake oil salesmen of old.

The pert brunette with the East London accent read the first correct response, and Sophia squealed with delight, marking a big X in front of the neighboring team's answer. Sophia had been the one to insist that From Here to Eternity was the movie to win Frank Sinatra the coveted Academy Award.

Luke had known the answer as well. But his information came more from a love of all trivia associated with The Godfather movies than to any interest in Frank Sinatra. Though the crooner did produce awfully good mood music.

Sophia squealed again, rubbing her hands together. Her smile was so big and bright, she could put the Cheshire cat out of business.

And Luke loved it. It had been a long time since the urge to smile had overtaken him. The last two and a half years had been deep and dark and dirty.

By now Mrs. Double D and the granddaughter were building enthusiasm as well. The two women provided a great deal of contrast. The one as plastic as a credit card, the other as natural as a summer breeze. From his encounters with Sophia, he'd expected her granddaughter to be a geeky teen who loved ice cream and studied advanced-placement biology, but a fully grown brown-eyed woman had never crossed his mind.

Mr. Double D was back to conversing with Herbie.

While the two men had their heads drawn closer together, Sophia ignored their conversation, her eyes and ears only for the crew staff.

A word here or there reached Luke. Resort. Yield. Profit. He waited for the last of the trivia answers to be shared, the corrected answer sheets to be traded back, Sophia to do a little hip jig in her seat and Sharla to do the same before sharing a hearty high-five with her grandmother. She had the same spunk as Sophia. His grin grew wider.

Drawn out of their tête-à-tête by the hand slapping and laughter, Mr. Double D, whose name Luke had yet to learn, and Herbie joined in the celebration. Though Luke suspected the snake oil salesman was more enthused about his progress with Herbie than the key chain prizes Sophia had just happily collected.

Giddy with winning, despite not having known Ed Sullivan's wife was Sylvie, Sophia hugged each of the team members. Sharla hung on extra long to her grandmother before turning to the redhead, Herbie and then...him.

For all of five seconds Sharla molded into him like a comfortable feather pillow. He'd barely gotten his arms around her waist when the redhead slid against him for her turn. An unexpected sense of loss overtook him as Sharla pulled away. Their gazes had locked a moment longer than they should have, and, for just a second, he thought she seemed equally stunned. In the brief time she'd held on to him, he'd felt he'd known her forever. Had come home. Not even the press of Mrs. Double D's bought-and-paid-for superboobs against his chest could steal his thoughts away from Sharla.

Earlier he'd automatically scanned her left hand, pleased to see it remained bare. Only slightly disappointed to now notice the understated set of wedding rings on her right hand. Once again he wondered what was this woman's story. The feel of her—now seared in his memory—spiked his curiosity. What was it about this woman that had him wanting to learn all about her? And not just the things that would make her scream his name at night. Her favorite color. Her first kiss.