Tags:
Fiction,
General,
Romance,
Contemporary,
Adult,
California,
Arranged marriage,
loss,
Custody of children,
Mayors,
Social workers
rude. She sulked down inher chair. But when the plane raced down the runway, she slammed her eyes closed and prayed. Five minutes later, she finally felt safe enough to pry her eyes open. By then they were coasting smoothly through the clouds. âWellâ¦okay. This isnât so bad.â She exhaled and tried to relax. âI can do this.â
Ram just sighed.
âWhat? Are you going to threaten to kick me out now?â
âDonât tempt me.â
Sofia pulled in a long breath while she stared at his strong profile. She tried to hold on to the years of anger that sheâd felt for the Jordans. In her head, she could still hear her father yelling and accusing Emmett Jordan of being a backstabber. From that day on, she grouped father and son together. But was that really fair?
She jerked at the rogue question and then squirmed in her seat because she didnât really want her subconscious to answer it.
Ram snuck another glance to his right and noticed how stiff Sofia looked in her seat. âUnbelievable,â he mumbled under his breath.
âWhat?â
âNothing,â he lied with a shrug.
âThat was not nothing,â Sofia challenged. âWhat is it? Spit it out.â
After a couple of more shrugs, he decided to come clean. âI was just noting howâ¦uptight you are.â He looked over at her again and shook his head. âYouâve changed so much.â
She raised her chin indignantly. âI have not.â
âPuh-lease. Iâm willing to bet that this is the longest youâve gone without talking on the phone.â
âNo itâs not.â
âIâm not counting when youâre asleep, though Iâm willing to bet that you donât do that for very long, either.â
âThatâs not true.â Even as she challenged his assessment, Sofia reached for her cell phone to check her Caller ID.
Ram laughed. âLook at you.â
âWhat?â
âIf you donât know then Iâm not going to tell you.â
Suddenly self aware, Sofia shoved her phone back into her purse. âWhatever.â
âAll I know is that the Sofia that I grew up with knew how to have fun,â he said with a note of sadness. âShe used to let her hair down. Run. Laugh. Play in a field of wild daisiesâ¦and even sneak kisses beneath the big oak tree in her backyard.â
Sofiaâs heart skipped a beat. The picture of that long lost girl sprung vividly into her mind and there was a twinge of longing that came swiftly and overwhelmed her. She pulled her face away and stared out at what seemed like an endless sky of white clouds.
âItâs like weâre floating in a dream,â she whispered.
Ram smiled. âThatâs why I like flying. When youâre up here, the world and all its problems just fade away.â
Sofia sucked in a deep breath and listened to just the steady hum of the planeâs engine and single propeller. It did sort of have a calming effect and there was nodenying the beauty surrounding her. âI see what you mean.â
He chanced another look at her and was pleased to see the tension in her face had disappeared and her posture had relaxed. Sofia turned her head, met Ramâs gaze and fluttered a smile before she remembered that she was supposed to be keeping her distance. Jerking her head away, she then looked at the time.
Twenty minutes.
âI should have known that that wasnât going to last long,â Ram commented. âWhat?â
âYou keeping your guard down.â He let a wave of silence drift over them. âDo you really hate me that much?â
Sofiaâs mouth sprang open, but then her words got caught up in her throat.
âI see.â Ram trained his eyes back onto the sky in front of him and pretended that he didnât feel the slight pinch in his throat.
âI donât hate you,â Sofia whispered and cleared her throat.
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