Chapter Twenty-One

Sophie lay perfectly still on the grass in Auntie Barbara's back garden, gazing up at the millions of stars overhead, the only sound an occasional sheep lowing in a faraway field.

This, she mused lazily, may be the most perfect moment ever. No distractions, no interruptions, no expectations.

She stiffened moments later at the sound of soft, swishing footsteps on the grass approaching her from behind.

Well, it was a nice moment, and now I'm going to be attacked by an axe murderer and chopped into little pieces to balance it out, Sophie thought wryly.

Without moving a muscle, she swiveled her eyes over as Daniel appeared like smoke at her side. He sat gracefully down beside her, only inches away, his legs splayed out in front of him, his hands balancing him behind. She could smell his aftershave, feel the warmth radiating off his skin through his tee shirt, hear the slight hitch in his breathing.

Still not moving, she watched Daniel out of the corner of her eye. He, too, was unmoving, his eyes roaming over the fields before them in the darkness, lit only by the dim moonlight, making everything look soft and magical somehow.

Sophie bit her tongue, forbidding herself from speaking until he spoke. He obviously thought she was a silly twit who spoke too much, so for once she was going to prove him wrong.

She was going to remain silent, even if that meant freezing her ass off until three in the morning or whatever until he spoke. This was his time to speak, not hers.

Daniel opened his mouth, shut it, and then opened it again to speak. "I think I owe you an apology."

Sophie finally moved, sitting up, pulling her knees in and wrapping her arms around herself, making herself as small as possible beside his long legs and powerful presence.

"Oh?"

She ventured a small sound, noncommittal and quiet, and he turned to look at her, his eyes boring into her. Though he did not speak, she could hear his thoughts echoing loudly – yes, she could hear him say, I do.

"You owe me nothing," she said quietly after a long pause.

"I think that I do," Daniel replied, giving voice to his thoughts, his eyes still holding hers, daring her to look away. Tilting up her chin slightly, she kept her eyes trained on him. "I owe you for being a complete prat and for treating you like shit. I apologize."

Sophie sighed slightly, and then gave him the smallest smile. "I appreciate that. Accepted. Thank you."

It was Daniel's turn to sigh, a deep, heavy breath, as though he had been holding in the apology for far too long. Sophie finally looked away, out to the fields again, unable to keep her gaze trained on him.

"I sometimes still sit here and marvel that all this is mine," Daniel said, his deep voice quiet, intimate somehow, as though he were confiding a great secret.

Sophie tilted her head to indicate she was listening, but said nothing.

"It was never meant to be all mine, you see. At least, not solely mine."

Sophie imagined he was referring to the dreaded ex, the failed girlfriend who was to join him on this farm.

But he wasn't.

"All this belonged to my parents," Daniel said, his voice wistful, quiet. "They started with practically nothing, and ended up with all this," he said, gesturing at the fields around them. "And I'm adding that bit, just there…" He pointed to the north, though Sophie couldn't see exactly what he was really referring to. "I think they would be proud of me for acquiring that, for keeping this going."

Sophie kept her mouth shut, suddenly realizing that Daniel was talking as much for himself as for her benefit. She could hear the emotion he was keeping at bay, the thoughts he'd probably not allowed himself to think for a long time – if ever.

"My dad left, you see. I was eleven, and one day he was just… gone. Never saw him again."

Sophie wanted so badly to reach out and take his hand, but didn't dare to, didn't dare to interrupt his confession.

"He worked hard, and he loved us deep down, I think, but he had demons… drinking, gambling, who knows what else. He nearly lost everything, so instead of doing that, he walked away from us. I'm not sure which is worse."

Sophie bit her lip, listening.

"My mum, she took over. She hired staff, she marshaled the troops – she was the strongest lady in Hay without ever lifting a finger, I always thought. Oh, she'd lend a hand when it was needed, but she left most of the manual labour to her competent field staff. I learned everything about farming from them."

Daniel swallowed thickly, and Sophie sensed that he was choking up a bit.

"Your mum must have been an amazing person," she ventured quietly, sensing that she, too, was no longer part of Daniel's life.

Daniel nodded. "She was. She… she died. Cancer. Less than a year ago. At least it was quick – a diagnosis one day, and then practically gone the next."

Sophie did reach out then, brushing his hand with hers for a moment, practically sending an electric shock through both of them, making them both jump slightly at the contact. "I'm so sorry, Daniel."

"Me too," he said, swallowing again. "Not long after she died, I found out that her main 'right hand man', Everett, was embezzling funds, robbing her blind. If I hadn't taken over the books from him, I don't think she would have ever known. I fired him, of course, and that left… well, me."

Sophie thought again of the girlfriend, but said nothing.

"I had…" As though reading her thoughts, Daniel continued. "I had a girlfriend, but she left as well. She thought we were going to move to London, start a life together there, that I was going to be her 'sugar daddy' or something, but when Mum died and I took over… I realized I couldn't leave. So she did. Left me here."

Sophie watched him as he kept his eyes trained on the fields, refusing to meet her gaze. Sophie sensed shame and embarrassment from Daniel, but no reason for it.

"Everyone leaves, you see."

"Not everyone," Sophie whispered. "That can't be true."

"Practically," he said, no trace of bitterness or anger in his voice. "Friends, parents, employees, lovers. They all leave. I'm quite certain it's easier to just remain isolated forever than to live through that kind of pain again. So, I suppose what I'm saying is that I'm not… I'm not very good with people. And you…" Daniel finally looked over at her. "I just wasn't ready for the likes of you."

Sophie chose to take that as a compliment, rather than a criticism.

"I'd say you are harboring some serious trust issues," Sophie said, her voice soft and even.

Daniel slanted a glance at her, one eyebrow raised.

"Hey, I took psychology in college, and occasionally I went to class. These are classic trust issues," Sophie said evenly, not looking at him but out the fields instead.

"I suppose you're right," Daniel grudgingly agreed. "Hate hearing it out loud, though."

"I'm sure you could come up with some ringers for all my psychoses," Sophie said with a joking tone. Daniel gave her the briefest smile, and she smiled in return. "But everyone doesn’t leave. You've just had… well, a catastrophically bad run of luck."

Daniel nodded. "So it would seem."

"So you're making a go of this farm all by yourself?" Sophie asked, steering away from her psychological observations before he began cataloging all of hers.

"Trying," Daniel said with a sigh. "It's been a long bloody year, but I feel like I'm finally getting the hang of things, and I have a quite good crew working for me at the moment…"

"I can't imagine how much work and commitment that takes," Sophie mused. "I'd never be able to do it."

"But you are," Daniel shot back. "You moved 'round the world to take over a business. You're in charge of employees, revenue, the books, stock… it's the same principle. And from what I understand, Belletristic is doing very well since you've been here. Barbara would be so proud of you."

Sophie's eyes prickled with tears at the thought of making her favorite auntie proud. "Different scales, though, you have to admit. You have a zillion acres to tend, and I have…"

"A zillion books," Daniel interrupted. "Different scale, same principle."

"Thank you for saying that," Sophie smiled at him, and he gave her a small, shy smile in return. "I'm just sorry to hear everything you've had to endure for the last year… no wonder you were Captain No Fun."

"What?" Daniel asked, his voice surprised, on the edge of laughter.

"Captain No Fun," Sophie said evenly. "Explains, sort of, why you were mean, scowly, argument man, rather than friendly, neighborly, happy man. You know, Captain No Fun."

The corners of Daniel's mouth quirked up towards a smile, but he tried to contain it. "Captain No Fun," he repeated seriously, and Sophie giggled. "I suppose I was… a bit."

"Let's say a lot," Sophie shot back. "Don't get me wrong, I'm sad and sympathetic to everything you just told me, but you know I'm going to give you a hard time for being so mean to me."

"I wasn't exactly MEAN to you," Daniel tried to argue, but Sophie put up a hand, silencing him.

"Okay, wait. You weren't EXACTLY mean to me?" Sophie fired back at him. "You called me an irresponsible twit, a stupid American, a silly girl… these are all mean things to say to someone you don't know, especially when she was perfectly nice and friendly, albeit vaguely helpless. And we hadn't even met yet – you're supposed to be nice to strangers. See, I was perfectly nice to you."

"Perfectly insane, the first few times I encountered you," Daniel said with a small, teasing grin. "Catastrophic loo failure? Bon Jovi at full blast? Wal-Mart? Killer mouse? Do these things ring a bell?"

Sophie giggled again. "That mouse was scary. And so was that spider. Didn't anyone teach you it's not nice to prey on the fears of others?"

Daniel looked over at her, her eyes sparkling in the moonlight, her auburn hair tumbling down her back, a smile on her face, and he remembered with a shock the night before as she dared the storm to scare her, and stared it down until it was over. She may have silly fears, but she was no silly woman.

She was stronger than he ever gave her credit for.

"Fine," he said, his voice soothing. "No more cracks about that enormous mouse that could have attacked you. It might have gotten ugly, had that happened. I'm not sure you could have taken him."

"No more cracks. Thank you," Sophie said seriously, but with a smile. "Can I ask you something?" Sophie asked after a pause.

"Of course," Daniel replied easily, finally shifting his hands so that he could lay flat on the grass beside her, folding his hands easily across his flat stomach. She copied his movements, laying down as well beside him.

"Were you asking Kat about me yeterday?" Sophie asked. "Checking up on me?"

"Just seeing if you have a police record," Daniel said after a moment's hesitation. "Before I came over to apologize, I wanted to make sure you weren't a serial killer or anything. Trying to minimize any risk to myself, you see."

"Oh," Sophie said quietly, and Daniel glanced over at her questioningly.

"Why?"

Sophie shrugged. "Oh, I was just… curious. No, I don't have a police record. And I was only institutionalized that one time…"

Daniel smiled in the darkness. He'd pumped Kat for as much information as she would give him – who Sophie Roberts was, what she was like. He wanted to know as much as about her as he could so that he wouldn't be quite so nervous talking to her, apologizing to her. Kat had given him a glowing report of Sophie – her kindness, her sweetness, her smartness, her generosity.

But, he mused, he somehow knew all those things already, but it was nice to hear it from someone else.

He wished he could have learned more, but it was up to him now… up to him to find out everything there was to know about Sophie Roberts.

"Institutionalized for all those psychoses?" Daniel ventures, and Sophie socked him playfully on the arm.

"Of course not, silly. There are power mind altering substances for that…"

Daniel laughed then, a deep, sexy sound that was music to Sophie's ears. She made it her goal in life, then and there, to make that man laugh as much as possible in the future.

Not such a bad assignment, she thought, looking over at his strong features, his dark hair pooled on the grass. He was even better looking when he let his guard down a bit, when he was relaxed, rather than blazing mad at her. Not so bad at all…

"I have a suggestion," Daniel said after a comfortable silence.

"A suggestion?" Sophie echoed.

"Yes, a small, tiny way for me to begin making up to you what an awful berk I've been around you since you moved her," Daniel continued, and Sophie rolled onto her hip so she was facing him fully, her head propped in her hand. He copied her movements, until they were only inches apart, looking at each other straight in the eye. Sophie's breath hitched, and for a moment, she could swear Daniel's did the same, though they made no move towards each other.

"Let's hear it," Sophie said. "Does it involve me calling you minion? Or a whip of some sort?"

Daniel laughed again, and Sophie's insides melted again with the husky sound. "No, but now that you mention it…"

Sophie was incredibly grateful for the darkness, as it hid the blush that instantly flooded her cheeks at his teasing tone, his sexy look at her. She giggled and motioned for him to continue.

"I was going to suggest…" Daniel continued, slowly. "That I take you to a nearby grocer that I like – let you stock up on a few foodstuffs. It's no Wal-Mart, but…"

"But is it all locally grown produce and slaughtered meat, thus allowing me to avoid subsidizing farmers, and supporting my anonymous, characterless grocery centers?" Sophie asked, and Daniel winced as he heard his very words thrown back at him, admittedly with a teasing tone.

"Listen, I'm sorry about that…" Daniel struggled to find the right words. "I'd just had a wretched meeting with a supplier, and I was just… I took it out on you. I'm sorry."

Sophie shook her head. "It's okay. Most Americans are like that – I've never really seen where my veggies are grown, nor do I see my meat before it's wrapped in sterile plastic in the cooling case. What you said was fair…"

"Fair to most Americans, but flat out mean to you. I apologize – again."

Sophie nodded, silently accepting his apology, and he continued.

"No, I was going to suggest that you could get some groceries, and then I can teach you how to use the Aga."

"The what?" Sophie asked, confused.

"The Aga. The stove and oven. That enormous thing sitting in the middle of the kitchen?" Daniel teased at Sophie's confused expression. Suddenly, her face cleared as realization dawned.

"Is THAT what that thing is called? An Aga?"

Daniel nodded. "Yes. It's the stove and oven, and everyone around here has one. I was going to teach you how to use it, because if I have to watch you eat one more microwave meal, I'm going to scream."

Sophie laughed out loud, her voice echoing in the dark. "It's a deal – definitely! That thing scares the crap out of me!"

Daniel smiled in return, and then shot Sophie a questioning look as she stared at him, her mouth slightly open.

"Wait… how do you know I've been microwaving everything?" She asked, confused.

Daniel swallowed thickly, realizing he'd been caught. "I've… I've been keeping an eye on you."

Sophie looked at him, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"Not in a stalker, Fatal Attraction way or anything. Just… I know you're a single woman, living alone in the middle of nowhere, so I just watch to make sure you're home safely every night. I'd want someone to do that for my mum or my sister or my daughter. And I can see you most clearly in the kitchen, and usually when you're making dinner, so I've noticed that you microwave a lot… you know what, I'm making a pig's ear of this apology. Just trust that it wasn't anything sinister."

"You watched me?" Sophie asked, her voice tiny.

"I told you, just in a purely neighborly, lookout kind of…"

"Thank you…" Sophie breathed. "That actually makes me feel better. It's nice to know someone is looking out for you. Especially someone who had expressed in no uncertain terms that they hated your guts."

"I never said that!" Daniel protested. "I just… like I said… I just… I wasn't ready for you to blow into Hay, into Fairfields."

"And now?" Sophie held her breath as the question slipped out before she could stop it.

"Now, I'm a little more keen on the idea," Daniel said with a small, sexy smile. "Just a bit more keen."

Sophie smiled then, a sweet, warm smile that melted his icy heart as he lay back down on the grass with a smile of his own.

She lay back down as well, her eyes returning to the stars above, her stomach dancing with a million butterflies as Daniel inched a millimeter or two closer, the silence between them comfortable, companionable… and full of promise.

Looks like Captain No Fun has left the building, Sophie thought with another private smile. And not a moment too soon…

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