Kathleen Long - Without a Doubt

They’d never found any bones that had been identified as Robin’s. They’d blamed it on her young age and the intense heat of the fire that had burned out of control for over forty-five minutes.

“Soph? You okay?”

The old nickname jerked Sophie’s stare away from Ally Alexander and back to Gary.

A frown had replaced his grin.

Sophie gave a quick shake of her head. “I’m fine. I was just thinking what a lovely family they make.”

Gary reached out and wrapped his fingers around her elbow. Heat seared from the point of contact through the thick weave of her suit. “I was sorry to hear about your sister and your niece. I should have called.”

Sophie swallowed and shook her head, taking a backward step to free her arm from his touch. “It’s okay. Listen, I need to get going.” She nodded to where Cookie stood waiting for her at the exit door. “It was good to see you.”

“You, too.” Gary held out a hand and she shook it, extracting her fingers from his as quickly as she could.

“See you around.”

Sophie beat a path across the room and past Cookie, holding her breath until she exited into the cool October air.

“You look like you just saw a ghost,” Cookie said as he loaded his equipment into the station’s van.

Sophie reached for the passenger door and shot a glance back at the banquet room door. “Call me crazy, Cook, but I think I just saw two.”

SOPHIE MARKHAM.

Gary’s gut did a sideways roll as he watched the dark-haired beauty walk away. Seven years. Seven years and she still had the same effect on him she’d had when he’d first spotted her on the University of Delaware campus.

His thoughts quickly shifted from the first time he’d seen Sophie to the last. The day she’d walked out of his life with no explanation other than the fact she didn’t need a man.

Didn’t want a man.

Didn’t want him.

The warmth that had spread inside his chest as they’d spoken wavered, cooling to an icy chill.

He’d known their paths would cross at some point. How could they not? He wrote for the largest paper in Philadelphia and Sophie reported for the most popular station. Matter of fact, it was a miracle they hadn’t bumped into each other before.

“Uncle Gary!”

The shrill little voice cut through his thoughts and he turned to find his niece, Ally, racing toward him, her patent-leather shoes slapping against the ballroom floor.

He dropped to one knee and braced himself for impact. Ally did not disappoint, launching herself at him as her uninhibited giggle filled the air.

Gary caught her under the arms, giving her a quick squeeze then lifting her up off the floor. He planted a kiss against her rosy cheek. “What’s up, kiddo?”

All thoughts of Sophie Markham faded as he took in Ally’s toothy grin and the sprinkle of freckles that spread across her pert nose.

“Mommy’s giving a party.” She nodded, excitement pouring off her small frame. “And did you see the TV camera? Mommy’s famous.”

“Yes, she is.”

Gary surveyed the room. How his sister had managed to turn the banquet hall into what appeared to be a mini-carnival, he had no idea. Maggie always had been a genius at whatever she put her mind to, and once she’d devoted herself to raising money and awareness for SIDS research, she’d never looked back.

“There she is.” Ally pointed to where her mother stood, mixing and mingling like a pro. “Mommy!”

Ally’s voice rang out across the room and Maggie’s face instantly lit from within as her gaze settled on her daughter. As Maggie closed the gap between them, Gary realized, not for the first time, that he’d do anything to preserve the look of pure joy that painted his sister’s features whenever she looked at her daughter.

To say adopting Ally had saved Maggie’s life would be an understatement—at least as far as Gary was concerned. He’d feared for his sister during the terrible time after she’d found her son, Adam, dead in his crib. When sudden infant death syndrome had taken his nephew, it had also taken a very big piece of his sister and her husband, Robert.

Their unsuccessful attempts at pregnancy—including financially and physically exhausting fertility treatments—had wrung the couple emotionally dry.

Ally wiggled in Gary’s arms as her mother neared, and he lowered her to the floor. She took off like a shot, straight for Maggie.

Gary’s gaze fell to the small birthmark that couldn’t be a more perfect symbol of what Ally meant to all of them. A butterfly. A tiny, perfect, life-affirming butterfly.

The day she’d floated into their lives, Ally had saved each of them. She’d reawakened the light in his sister’s beautiful eyes—the eyes that measured him now.

“Saw you talking to Sophie Markham.” Maggie waggled her brows teasingly, her smooth blond hair swinging against her jawline as she tipped her chin. “She’s very pretty. And smart. Not sure you’re man enough for her.”

That, he already knew.

Gary forced a weak smile. “Been there. Done that.”

Maggie’s brows snapped together and she frowned. “When?”

“College.”

“How long?”

He shrugged. “A few months.”

Her pale gaze widened. “Serious?”

He shook his head. “Apparently not as far as she was concerned.”

They’d grown adept at the art of concise conversations ever since Ally had become a parrot, repeating the last words of most every sentence she heard.

“Serious?” she mimicked her mother now, who gave her a quick squeeze.

Silence beat between Gary and his sister for a moment, then Maggie smiled.

“Well, I thought the woman had it all going on, but she’s obviously an idiot.”

“Idiot,” Ally repeated.

Maggie cringed.

“Thanks, sis.” Gary stepped close to his sister and dropped a kiss to her cheek. “Trust me, it’s ancient history. Are you going to feed me or what?”

She shifted Ally to one hip and linked her arm through Gary’s. “Right this way, handsome.”

As they crossed to the spread of appetizers and desserts, Gary fought to center his attention on the two women who loved him—the one at his side and the mini-woman she cradled in her arms.

If he took the Los Angeles job, these two would be what he’d miss most. Any time he seriously considered the position, it was the thought of leaving his family that made him hesitate.

Sophie Markham, on the other hand, would be someone he’d gladly leave behind. Her image flickered across his mind’s eye, and his tightening gut belied his tough thoughts.

Sophie Markham—the one woman who had made it quite clear years before that she did not love him, nor would she ever.

He worked to shove her image away, but his efforts were futile.

Seeing Sophie tonight had done nothing but sharpen the image that had never been far from Gary’s mind since he’d seen her last.

Ancient history?

Not so far as his heart—and pride—were concerned.

But there was no need for anyone but him to ever know the truth.

SOPHIE RUFFLED THE LAYERS of her short hair and braced herself, flipping open the cover of the folder she’d filed away five years ago.

Immediately after Becca and Robin’s deaths, she’d pored over every news article that mentioned the fire. She’d hounded the local police and fire departments. She’d been a woman obsessed, dumbstruck by grief and emotional loss.

She drew in a deep breath and held it, unsure whether she was ready to open the door to that pain again.

Careless Smoking Claims Life of Mother and Infant Daughter.

The words cut through her cleaner than any knife ever could. Sophie squeezed her eyes shut, then forced them open, willing herself to revisit that horrible night. Willing herself to reread every single word. Every note she’d made from her interviews of those at the scene.