The girls made idle chatter for a few minutes until Jacob returned, immediately helping himself to more wine. He desperately wanted a cigarette, but thought that would only make their mutual absence more obvious to Sophie, who was too clever and probably already knew what they'd been doing. The surprise visit from his friend and former lover didn't seem to bother Christie at all. The two sat talking and finishing their ice cream while they sipped their wine, flitting from topic to topic as if they'd known each other for years.

A soft smile in her dancing gray eyes told Jacob Christie hadn't forgotten why she had originally come over....