Looking for Trouble (Jackson: Girls' Night Out 1)

She patted the royal-blue skirt of her shirtwaist dress. She looked like Mrs. Cleaver in this dress. Like a woman who should be home cooking a nutritious meal for her loving family. But the truth was that all she wanted to do in the kitchen was be shoved over a counter and taken hard, her pretty little dress bunched around her waist. And she knew just who should be doing the taking.

She still couldn’t believe he hadn’t been angry. She’d lied to him, or at least withheld the truth, and he hadn’t seemed the least bit affected.

Then again, maybe he had been affected. Maybe when he’d realized who she was, the wrongness of it had turned him on. Because it was wrong. Their parents had been lovers. Cheaters. Liars. They’d run away together.

Sophie’s heel scuffed the sidewalk and interrupted her stride. She kept walking, but she’d lost her smile.

That was the truth she’d lived with her whole life. That her mother had run off with Wyatt Bishop. That they’d both abandoned their children for lust and illicit love and disappeared together forever. The shame of it had clung to Sophie her whole life, and to her father and brother, too. It had felt like a stain on her skin. A marking that everyone could see. Your mother didn’t love you. Your mother was a slut. Your mother left her children.

Sophie was only just starting to get used to the fact that it wasn’t true.

A year ago, Alex’s brother, Shane, had accidentally solved the twenty-five-year-old mystery. While exploring Bishop property near the Providence ghost town, he’d found a washed-out camp road and then, far below it, hidden in a ravine, he’d found their father’s truck and camper.

The news about Alex’s father had been immediate. But the confirmation that the second set of skeletal remains had been Sophie’s mother...that had taken weeks.

Dorothy Heyer hadn’t left her family. She may have cheated, but she hadn’t left Sophie motherless. Not on purpose. There’d been an accident, and she’d died.

Sophie took a deep breath and tried to ignore the shaking of her heart. She’d grieved for her mother too many years ago. She couldn’t do it again. The knowledge of her death didn’t change anything. Not really.

A horn honked behind her and Sophie jumped. By the time Manny pulled up next to her, Sophie had caught her breath and turned toward the street.

“Hey again, Miss Sophie!” he called.

“Manny, you scared me.”

“Sorry! I’m on my way to pick up a fare at the airport. Need a ride somewhere?”

She pointed at the library. “Just headed to work. But thank you.” She started to wave, but he didn’t pull away.

“All right. But I just thought I’d warn you that Mrs. Bishop is looking for you.”

“What?” Again?

“She just came by your house, all bothered about something. I told her you were long gone.”

“Thanks, Manny. I appreciate it.”

Crap. Had she somehow found out about Alex’s visit yesterday? Maybe she had a camera set up to point down the street. But it didn’t matter. Sophie couldn’t worry about it. Alex would be leaving soon enough.

“Hello, Sophie,” one of the firefighters called from the doorway of the station. He was with two of the other guys, all of them young and built for playing hero.

“Hi, guys,” she called with a wave.

They all smiled at her, and Sophie blushed, feeling more than a little scandalous after what she’d done yesterday. They thought she was shy, of course. One of them called out, “That’s a pretty dress, Sophie!”

She laughed and let them have their fun. She liked that they thought she was a bashful, conservative girl who was fun to tease but definitely wouldn’t be much fun to take home. It contrasted perfectly with the fact that she was so close to naked in very important ways.

If she ever actually needed rescuing by the fire squad, they’d all be in for a serious shock, especially if it involved hauling her down a ladder.

She was still giggling when she stepped into the library. Compared to her mood the last time she’d worked, today was going to be like a party. She hadn’t made plans to see Alex tonight, but she had a feeling he might text her. This time, he’d had as good a time as she had.

She was smiling at the thought when she spotted Lauren behind the circulation desk and waved. But instead of responding in kind, the smile Lauren had been wearing fell away. She took the books that a young boy was handing her, and she shot a pointed look toward the director’s office. When she looked back to Sophie, Lauren widened her eyes and shook her head. She was obviously trying to convey some sort of alarm, but Sophie couldn’t imagine what. She hadn’t even worked yesterday. What could she possibly have screwed up?

Lauren jerked her head toward the small office they shared behind the circulation desk, so Sophie headed that way to hide out until she could get the scoop. But she hadn’t moved quickly enough. She’d hesitated out of confusion and before she could make it past the director’s office, the door opened and Jean-Marie stepped out.

“Sophie,” she said coolly. “Could I speak with you a moment?”

“Of course!” she answered cheerfully, but she shot Lauren a look of horror over her shoulder. Lauren winced but couldn’t offer any clue. She had to turn back to her patron. Oh, well. Sophie was about to find out what she’d done to inspire a Serious Talk. Her day had suddenly lost its background music of singing birds and tinkling piano notes.