Hot Item (Hot Zone 3)

“Beautiful dress,” Sophie said, admiring the lilac gown the teenager wore.

Lizzie’s smile grew wider. “Isn’t it cool? My mom took me to buy it.”

Where was the hostility? Sophie wondered. The sullenness? The anger? And then she realized the cause for the young girl’s friendly attitude: Sophie was no longer dating her father.

Sophie had achieved Lizzie’s good favor at the expense of Riley’s. Pushing that thought aside, she refocused on the teen. “Well, you can tell your mother for me you both have great taste. Of course, I bet anything you put on would look stunning on you.”

Perhaps Lizzie was encouraged by their civil tone, because she slowly edged closer to the mirror where Sophie stood.

“Can I talk to you about something?” Lizzie asked.

Sophie nodded. “Of course.”

The girl bit down on her lower lip, her nerves showing. “I…um…I wanted to say I’m sorry for…you know, being such a brat back in Mississippi.”

Another shock, Sophie thought. “You already apologized at the airport. You don’t need to do it again,” she said softly. “But I appreciate it.”

“I hope so, because I mean it this time.”

Sophie tried not to laugh and failed. She wanted to explain that she wasn’t laughing at Lizzie but the teenager spoke first.

“I know why you’re not seeing my dad anymore.”

Sophie blinked, stunned into utter silence. Lizzie claimed to know what Sophie couldn’t even explain to herself. “You do?” she asked, buying herself time to come up with another, more appropriate response.

Lizzie nodded. “It’s because of me. Because you think I’d be miserable if he was still with you and because you think I’m too horrible for words.”

This time Sophie managed not to laugh at the teen’s over-dramatic words. “You’re wrong,” she assured the young girl. “You have nothing to do with it.”

“But—”

Sophie held up a hand, forestalling an argument. “I’m willing to bet that whatever you believe I think of you is one-hundred-percent wrong.” Sophie drew a deep breath. “Because I happen to think you’re a teenager going through normal teenage stuff,” she said. “Added to that, you have parents who love you but are divorced, so you have to share your mom with her husband, but you’ve never had to share your dad. Right?”

Lizzie nodded, still not looking up.

“So you copped an attitude with me. Big deal. I’m an adult, I can handle it. Especially since you apologized.”

“You mean it? Because I told my shrink that it’s my fault that you left and my dad’s been a major grump ever since.”

Lizzie waited for her to respond, finally meeting Sophie’s gaze with wide, hopeful eyes.

“I mean it,” she assured Lizzie. Though Sophie wasn’t sure what shocked her more. That Lizzie was seeing a therapist or that Riley had been miserable ever since they’d been apart.

But she had to focus on his daughter now. “I have two sisters, one older and one younger, so I know girls,” Sophie told Lizzie. “I also deal with star athletes and, trust me, many of them throw bigger tantrums than a teenager with attitude.” She grinned, liking her analogy a lot. “Do you believe me?”

“Yeah.” Lizzie nodded. “You know what?”

Sophie tipped her head to one side. “What?”

“You’re not so bad.”

Sophie had to laugh at that. “But would you say that if your father and I were together?”

“You know what? I know that I would.” Lizzie’s eyes shone bright with approval.

Sophie didn’t kid herself that if she and Riley were a couple, there wouldn’t be rough patches with this kid, but for now, she had Lizzie’s seal of approval. But what was she going to do with that acceptance?

“You’re not so bad yourself.” Sophie smiled at the teenager and winked.