Hot Item (Hot Zone 3)

. I’ve missed you,” she said, sounding just like Sophie always imagined a mother should sound.

An unexpected swell of emotion rose in Sophie’s throat, emotion she should have been way beyond feeling. She was used to seeing little children and their mothers all over Manhattan and she’d passed the point where the sight would arouse feelings of loss and longing. She’d never watched two adults embrace and been hit with all she was still missing out on in her life. Until now.

Which said something about her connection to Riley, Sophie thought and shivered despite the sticky heat.

“You must be Sophia.” The elegant woman held out her hand and welcomed Sophie with a warm smile.

“My friends call me Sophie.”

“I’m Anne.”

Sophie inclined her head. “Thank you for having me for the weekend.”

“It’s not like you gave anyone a choice.” Lizzie stood behind her grandmother, leaning against the wooden front door, glaring at Sophie.

Sophie stiffened. She waited for someone, Riley’s mother or Riley himself, to react.

“Lizzie, go inside and let Marabel give you some milk and cookies.” Once the girl had turned and stomped inside, the older woman turned back to Sophie. “Maybe she’s tired from the trip.”

“Maybe she just has a smart mouth and I’ve had enough.” Riley walked around Sophie and up the steps to the front door. “It’s high time I had a talk with her.”

Sophie exhaled in relief.

“Riley, wait. Just give her some time to calm down. You can talk to her later,” Anne pleaded with her son.

Sophie had little doubt he’d give in, leaving her odd woman out around this family. A place she ought to remain, if she was smart.

Riley gritted his teeth at his mother’s unreasonable request. Until today, he hadn’t seen how badly behaved his daughter could actually be. Or maybe he hadn’t wanted to see. Until Lizzie had turned her anger on Sophie, Riley had been content to let her mouth off, telling himself he deserved her frustration because he no longer lived with her mother. And of course, because he was afraid of having no relationship with her, as he didn’t with Spencer Atkins.

He finally understood Sophie’s frustration with him in Florida and Lisa’s constant angst over his handling of their child. However, his mother saw Lizzie infrequently, and keeping the peace for a little while longer was a small price to pay for her happiness. Especially now, with the Spencer situation hanging over her.

He nodded, indulging his mother, but only for now. “I’ll show Sophie to her room. While she’s getting settled in, you and I can talk.”

Although he’d made peace with not finding out information about Spencer from the man himself, Riley had a lot of questions for his mother. Questions he’d waited to ask in person, so he could see her face and judge her reactions for himself.

“Anne, why don’t you show our guest to her room?” Senator Harlan Nash joined them on the front porch. “Riley and I can retire to the study and catch up.”

The senator posed his words as a suggestion, but Riley knew that tone and it indicated pure expectation. The man, in his navy power suit, white shirt and conservative red tie, was the epitome of a Washington power broker. Without a doubt, Senator Nash was on his way up in politics. Heaven help anyone who stood in his way, Riley thought.

“Still issuing commands, I see.” Riley laughed as he shook the man’s hand, then pulled him into a brief hug. “Some things never change.”

“Any reason they should?” the senator asked easily.

Riley grinned. “Not a one.” He glanced over, wondering how Sophie was handling all this family at once.

In her expression, he saw interest and understanding. He was glad. She was seeing the Nash family as they really were, and clearly she approved.

If only she felt the same about his daughter—and vice versa, he thought, frustrated. He’d just have to find the right time to bring the two women in his life together somehow.

“Aren’t you going to introduce me to this lovely lady?” the senator asked.

Now there was a pleasurable task. “Senator Harlan Nash, meet Sophie Jordan.” Riley turned to Sophie. “Sophie, this is my father.”

The two shook hands and the next thing Riley knew, the senator had directed his mother and Sophie upstairs, while he closed Riley in the study with him. Unfortunately, Harlan received a phone call that took up an entire hour.

By the time Riley had finished reading the paper and decided his father being off the phone “in a minute” wasn’t happening, his mother had left the house with Sophie for a tour of the city. No sooner had Harlan exited his office than Lizzie had pleaded to be taken for ice cream, and Harlan had immediately agreed.

Riley begged off. Left alone, he hit the home gym in the basement. So much for conversation with his mother or Lizzie. So much for reconciliation between Sophie and Lizzie. If Riley didn’t know better, he’d think the senator had orchestrated the entire thing, isolating Riley and precluding a conversation of any kind.