Читать книгу Rich, Rugged Ranchers - Kathie DeNosky - Страница 10

Morning sunlight beamed in through the daisy-print curtains in a cheerful greeting Sophia wasn’t quite ready for. Waking up in her mother’s old room, her hazy disorientation didn’t last long as her eyes focused and she remembered where she was and that today was the start of her new life. The sun’s warmth soaked into her bones and helped soothe away her anger at Logan Slade. Thanks to him, she’d had a hard time falling asleep last night. He’d made sure her homecoming wasn’t a thing of dreams. Wouldn’t he love to know that Sophia had had her own doubts about moving back here. That she feared that her old surroundings would cause her pain. That maybe she couldn’t handle this big a job as well as her mother had. If determination had anything to do with success, then Sophia wouldn’t have a worry, because above all else, she would see this through. But doubts still had a way of creeping in after all the mental pep talks faded away.

Six weeks ago, she wouldn’t have pictured herself back on Slade land, living at the cottage where she’d grown up and being part owner of glorious Sunset Lodge. The elder Slade and her mother had left this earth just a few months apart and somewhere in the back of her mind, she believed that Louisa and Randall were together now, bonded by love and reunited in spirit. That thought comforted Sophia as she lifted her arms through the sleeves of her flowery silk robe and padded from the soft bedside carpeting onto the stone floor that led to the kitchen.

Sophia had always loved the open-air feel to the kitchen, the large picture window, wood-beam ceilings and textured archways that separated the room from the parlor. The countertops were not built of modern stone, but made with small tiles in varying soft shades of tans and creams. The cabinets were buttercup yellow and the appliances were pristine with analog controls that suited Sophia just fine. She knew every drawer, every cabinet. Everything had been preserved as it once was.

It was too easy to slip back into a time when she’d been happy, when her mother was alive, and when she’d felt free of danger.

A shudder tingled along her spine and thoughts popped into her head of her showgirl days in Las Vegas when she had reason not to feel safe. Just then, she glanced out the window and saw a black-and-white Border collie racing by the cottage. The dog clenched a wooden spatula dripping with something she hoped was lemon batter in his mouth. A dark-haired boy chased him, calling out, “Blackie, come back!”

Sophia chuckled at the scene straight out of a Saturday-morning cartoon. She went to the front door and stepped onto her porch. She spotted the back end of Blackie as he raced around the cottage, tail wagging, seeming to enjoy the sport. The little boy, on the other hand, red-faced from exertion and slowing down, looked ready for the game to end.

Sophia went down the steps and hid behind the front wall, listening for the patter of four paws hitting the ground. Just as the dog turned the corner, Sophia crouched down, surprising the animal. But Blackie was too quick for her. As she lunged, he did a last-second side shuffle and maneuvered away, trotting past her. “Blackie, you stop right now!”

The dog immediately froze, the lemon batter dripping from his mouth, his big brown eyes—dark and innocent—watching her with a curious stare. His little game was over.

The boy rounded the corner next and came to a halt several feet away. His chest heaved up and down rapidly. He had an I’m-not-supposed-to-speak-to-strangers look on his face.

“It’s okay,” she said softly. “I’m Sophia Montrose. I live here now. I’ll be working at Sunset Lodge.”

The boy nodded, then shot the dog a quick glance. Blackie had decided to sit his bottom down ten feet away to watch them, with the spatula still clenched between his teeth. Every so often, his tongue would come out to lap up some batter.

“What’s your name?” she asked the boy.

He paused for a split second. When he spoke, Sophia knew from the innocence in his voice, he was younger than he appeared. “Edward.”

“Hi, Edward. How old are you?”

“T-ten,” he said. “H-how—how old are you?”

The boy stuttered, and Sophia hoped it wasn’t because she had frightened him in any way. “I’m almost twenty-eight. Looks as if little Blackie has something of yours that you want back.”

“Y-yes, ma’am. Only, the s-spatula’s not mine. B-Blackie s-stole it from Nana’s kitchen at the lodge. And she’s gonna be m-mad. He’s not s-supposed to go in the k-kitchen.”

“I see. Well, I bet that if we talk for a minute and ignore him, Blackie will wander over here, and then we’ll get it back.”

The boy shifted his gaze to the dog, sunken down to the ground on all fours holding the spatula between his front paws, happily licking away. Edward faced her again with a dubious expression.

“Do you live around here?” she asked.

Shaggy brown hair fell into his eyes when he nodded. “I live with my nana at the l-lodge. She’s the c-cook.”

Sophia was sure now that she wasn’t the cause of the boy’s stutter. He seemed comfortable with the fact that the words weren’t coming out smoothly, as though his manner of speech was something he’d gotten used to. “Well, then I’m sure I’ll be meeting her soon. I’ll be starting work at the lodge today.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Is Blackie your dog?”

The boy shook his head. “He belongs to Mr. S-Slade. I feed him and walk him and stuff. It’s my j-job.”

“I see. Does Blackie belong to Luke or Logan?”

The boy had to think about that a second. “Logan Slade.” His dark eyes blinked several times as if a light just dawned inside his head. “You w-won’t tell h-him, will you?”

“That Blackie got into the kitchen?”

He nodded.

“No, I won’t tell him,” she assured him with a smile. “But maybe you should tell your grandmother what happened.”

“I l-left the back door open and B-Blackie snuck inside to have b-breakfast with me.”

“He did, did he?”

“Nana wasn’t there at f-first, but when she came back, she y-yelled at Blackie and that’s when he grabbed her s-spatula right outta the b-bowl and took off.”

The culprit dog stealing right under Nana’s nose made Sophia smile. “I think Blackie likes lemon batter. I can’t blame him. I used to sneak a lick or two from the bowl when my mama made lemon chiffon cake.”

“Nana lets me l-lick the bowl s-sometimes, too.”

The dog finally left the spatula on the ground and trotted over to Edward. “There, you see,” Sophia said. “He came to you.”

Edward fluffed the top of the collie’s head several times and then lifted his dark-eyed gaze to Sophia. “He’s a good dog, u-usually.”

“Oh, I can see that he is.” Sophia bent down to stroke his rumpled coat and the dog gave her a long grateful look, tongue hanging out. She was no longer the enemy trying to take his treat, but an admirer willing to pet him.

“He’s quite a mess,” she noted. “I’ll get something to wash him down. Wait here.”

She walked inside the cottage and seconds later came out with a cloth soaked with hot water. “Go ahead and remove the evidence.”

She handed Edward the washcloth, and then strode to where the dog had abandoned the spatula. Bending down, she lifted the dirt-smeared utensil gingerly with two fingers dangling it by the wooden end that was the less filthy. “Your nana might want to retire this one.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Edward’s face crumpled. “She w-won’t be h-happy about that.”

“I wouldn’t think so. Maybe you could make it up to her.”

“H-how?”

“There sure are a lot of gorgeous purple wildflowers growing this time of year. Does your nana like flowers?”

He shrugged. “Don’t know.”

“Most women love flowers. I bet your nana does. A handful of those purple wildflowers and a promise that Blackie won’t steal from the kitchen again might make her happy.”

The boy pondered that idea with a nod. She set the spatula in his hand and his gaze lingered on her.

“Maybe I’ll see you at the lodge later, Edward.”

“Okay.”

The youngster walked away with the dog at his heels. Just as Sophia was about to enter the house, he turned around one last time, giving her a long thoughtful stare.

She waved and walked inside.

Sophia showered and picked her clothes carefully for her first day on the job. She’d learned from her mother that the lodge guests wanted the flavor of the Old West, along with their luxuries. Dress professionally, but always keep in mind that this is a ranch establishment. A coral silk dress, cinched at the waist with a wide suede belt, along with a lightweight jacket rolled up at the sleeves and a pair of tan leather boots, gave just the right impression of professional and Western. After dressing, Sophia gobbled up a bowlful of cereal and slurped down coffee, ready and eager to start her day.

She had something to prove.

To Logan Slade.

But mostly to herself.

Half an hour later, Sophia walked into Sunset Lodge. She banked her feelings of nostalgia and disbelief that half of this glorious establishment was actually hers now and crossed the beautifully appointed lobby. Walking past a massive stone fireplace, cozy seating areas and cedar pillars, she turned to the left and headed straight toward the manager’s office. She found it in the exact location she’d remembered. The door was open, and she paused for a second at the threshold, her hand fisted and ready for a courtesy knock when Ruth Polanski’s voice stopped her in midmotion.

“Welcome, Sophia. Come in, please.” Ruth rose from her desk and came forward with a smile. Instead of putting out her hand in greeting, the older woman wrapped both arms around Sophia’s shoulders, brought her close and gave her a warm, loving hug. Sophia’s heart rang out. She hadn’t been held or embraced like this since her mother had passed and now this kindhearted woman—whom she wouldn’t have to fire—welcomed her with genuine affection. Sensations of loss enveloped her, making her miss her mother even more.

“Good morning,” she said, holding back her emotions.

“I’m glad you’re here,” Ruth said. “How was your first night back on Sunset Ranch?”

Sophia opted to fib. Ruth didn’t need to know how Logan had ruined her sleep last night. “Fine. The cottage is just as I remembered it. I did well.”

“Good, my dear. Well, we can get started in here soon enough, but at the moment, I think it’s important to show you around the lodge and introduce you to our staff. You may even remember a few of our employees.”

“I just might,” Sophia said.

“Shall we?”

“That sounds wonderful.”

Sophia loved touring the grounds and seeing familiar faces. Many of the employees remembered her as a child and offered condolences regarding her mother. It was a trip down memory lane, but Sophia also focused on what was new, and what might need changing. She’d taken a clipboard with her to jot down notes and when she arrived back in Ruth’s office—her office now—she went over the notes with Ruth to get her take on them.

Learning the lodge’s new computer system was a breeze. Ruth showed her the basics, and Sophia picked up on it from there. She’d worked alongside her mother at inns and motels for years. There wasn’t a program she couldn’t figure out. Often her mother had relied on her to navigate new technology.

Poor Ruth. Sophia sensed the woman’s eagerness to retire in every anxious glance the lady gave her. When Sophia grasped a new concept easily, the worry lines around the older woman’s mouth eased into a small smile. Sophia was all about making a smooth transition and, now that she’d gotten to know Ruth a little better, she was glad that she couldn’t foresee any obstacles that would hinder her taking over the reins.

You’re not the hired help anymore, Sophia. You own half of the lodge now.

Sophia had a hard time wrapping her mind around that. She’d never owned anything of value in her life. So the transition from employee to owner might just be the hardest of all for her to grasp.

By the end of the day, Ruth bid her goodbye. “These are yours now.” She placed a set of keys in Sophia’s hand. “You can lock up the office whenever you’d like.”

When Sophia blinked her surprise, Ruth shook her head. “I’m not abandoning you, so don’t you worry. I’ll be here until the end of next week to conclude some business I need to tend to. If you need me to stay on longer, I surely will, but I’m impressed at how quickly you’ve caught on.”

“Thank you,” Sophia said. “You’ve made my first day enjoyable.”

“I worked you hard,” Ruth said honestly, before her lips lifted gently. “I almost feel guilty about it, but I think you’re capable and I’ll be sure to tell Logan that.”

“You mean, Luke, right? I was told I’ll be dealing with Luke from now on.”

“Oh, yes, that’s right. Though neither one of those boys would ever steer you wrong.”

Sophia could argue, but kept her lips buttoned tight.

She walked home in a daze, thinking of what she’d accomplished today, what she was expected to do and how it would all work. Within minutes, she found herself inside the cottage, her boots off, her jacket tossed across the parlor sofa, holding a glass of passion-fruit iced tea in her hand. She plopped onto the sofa, closed her eyes and sipped her tea. When her stomach complained, she remembered she hadn’t eaten much today. Excitement mixed with uncertainty had killed her appetite.

She sat in silence and enjoyed the peace but for another growl coming up from the depth of her belly. Then, a few seconds later, she heard a car pull up in front of the cottage. The engine shut off and a door slammed. She rose from her seat so quickly tea splattered onto her dress over her right breast. Wonderful. There was no time to wipe it dry. Her Las Vegas showgirl friends would always tease that she had a natural stop for spillage, and while Sophia had laughed along with them, she’d never really found it too amusing.

She heard footsteps approaching the porch and when the knock came, Sophia was ready, setting her hand on the knob and twisting. She pulled the door open and stared into the incredibly handsome face of a mature Luke Slade.

“Hey, there,” he said. “I thought you could use a friend about now.”

“So how are you really doing, Soph?” Luke asked ten minutes later, after they’d exchanged condolences for the parents they’d lost.

Soph?

He was back to calling her that. Sophia had forgotten how Luke liked to shorten her name. The familiar ring and the slight twang in Luke’s voice brought back good memories of the times they’d shared. Any awkwardness Sophia thought that they might encounter in their first meeting never developed. Luke was still Luke. It was a big relief to her to find that the pal she could always rely on hadn’t changed too much except to become a confident, gorgeous hunk of a man. She was happy to spend this time with him and Sophia let down her guard to converse with him easily.

Now he sat on the far end of the parlor sofa at an angle facing her, with the heel of one boot resting across his knee, sipping iced tea. He wore faded Wrangler jeans and a blue chambray shirt that was equally faded. His smile and the warmth in his eyes were still the same, though clearly Luke had grown out of his gangly, awkward stage.

“I miss Mama so much, Luke. For so many years it was us against the world. And now that she’s gone, I’m a little lost.”

“Consider yourself found, honey. Sunset Ranch is your home now.”

Luke leaned forward and as his work-hardened hands covered hers, she glanced down at their entwined fingers, thankful for his friendship. Luke had always understood her. He’d always had her back. He’d been a good friend, even when they were younger and it wasn’t considered cool to have a girl as a friend. Luke had held his own. And as Sophia gave his hand a deliberate squeeze, returning the solace, she waited for a spark to ignite between them. She waited for her palms to sweat. She waited for a tingle.

Seconds ticked by.

Nothing. Not a twinge. No fire.

She’d always wondered whether she’d feel differently about Luke if she were to return to Sunset Ranch. She’d wondered if there would be something more.

She released his hand and lifted her lashes slowly to meet his gaze. Luke had a grin plastered on his face. Clearly he had read her thoughts and had been wondering the same thing. Even though warmth crept up her neck, there was no tension between them. And that was the problem.

“You are a knockout, Sophia, that’s for sure.”

“You’re cowboy eye candy, Luke.”

Dubious, he gave a shake of his head, and then each of them threw their heads back and laughed.

Just like when they were kids.

They were friends, period. That much was reestablished and Sophia was glad of that. There was no reason to complicate her life right now anyway. She’d been put through the wringer these past few years, marrying an older man who’d offered to help provide for her mother’s medical treatments and praying for a miracle to save her mother’s life. She hadn’t come out of it unscathed, either. She’d paid a dear price for her high hopes and naïveté.

“Thank you, Luke. You always know how to make me feel better.”

He gave her a wink. “Glad to oblige. So what’s your game plan?”

“Well,” she said, leaning back against the sofa. The chintz material gave underneath her, the cushions fitting her bottom as she curled her legs under her dress and got comfortable. “I hope to make a smooth transition with Ruth Polanski and take over the reins soon. Ruth thinks I’ll be ready by the end of next week. I have my doubts.” She tilted her head to one side, keeping accusation out of her tone. “And thanks for the heads-up, by the way, buster. You didn’t mention that I’d be replacing her as manager.”

Luke’s beautiful blue eyes rounded innocently. “I didn’t think it would be a problem. She’s been itching to retire.”

“Yes, I found that out the hard way. Your brother led me to believe I’d have to fire Ruth in order to take my position at the lodge.”

Luke stared at her for a full five seconds, then rubbed the back of his neck. “Ah, hell.”

Sophia let go a heavy sigh.

“Logan was messing with you,” Luke said.

“But it wasn’t done in jest.”

Luke leaned forward to put his glass of tea down on the stone cocktail table. “Don’t let him get to you, Sophia. He’s got a burr up his butt about what happened in the past. He’ll come around soon enough.”

“Do you really believe that?” Sophia heard the hope in her own voice. All she wanted to do was live peacefully at Sunset Ranch. She didn’t expect Logan to welcome her with open arms, but if he would simply not stand in her way, or better yet, just ignore her, she’d consider it a victory.

Small lines around Luke’s eyes crinkled as he winced. “Honestly? Not really. At least not anytime soon. He’s more stubborn than I am.”

She remembered the arguments she’d had with Luke when they were growing up. He rarely backed down from anything if he thought he had right on his side. “That’s saying something,” Sophia muttered.

“Hey!”

She smiled. “Just speaking from memory. I’m sure you’re more reasonable now.”

“Damn straight I am. I mean, I wasn’t stubborn so much as I was right and I’ve always been reasonable.”

Sophia nodded, not to belabor the point. It felt good bantering with Luke again.

“So what else did you and my brother talk about yesterday?”

“He tried to …” she began, but then thought better of it.

“Go on.” Luke nodded his encouragement. “What did he try to do?”

Sophia didn’t want to get between Luke and his brother. There had been enough of that when they were kids. Logan would be rude to her or worse yet, pretend she didn’t exist, and Luke would come to her rescue. As a result, the two brothers had been at odds with each other, at least when it had come to her. She didn’t want to rekindle that bad blood. “Nothing.”

“He did something, Soph. If you don’t tell me, I’ll go straight to the source. I’ll find out.”

“Don’t bully me, Luke.”

“I’m not bullying you, for heaven’s sake. But you need to tell me.”

Sophia sat silently.

Luke rose slowly from the sofa, battling his reluctance to leave. “All right, I’ll go ask my brother if you—”

“Okay, fine. I’ll tell you.”

He took his seat again.

“You have to promise not to interfere. I don’t want to come between the two of you.”

Luke’s lips tightened and twisted back and forth for so long, Sophia thought he wouldn’t agree. “Fine, you have my word.”

Sophia took a swallow, sorry now that she’d brought the subject up. “Well, not only did Logan lead me to believe that I’d have to relieve Ruth of her duties, but he tried to buy me out of the inheritance. He said he’d have his lawyer find a way around the stipulation that I stay on for a year to run the place. He offered me a huge sum of money.”

“Aw, crap.” Luke took to rubbing the back of his neck again. “That guy beats a dead horse, doesn’t he?”

Sophia drew back and gasped.

“Sorry. Bad choice of words.”

Yes, it was, considering that Sunset Ranch was all about raising and nurturing the finest horses in the country. “He doesn’t want me here. Logan’s got piss for brains sometimes. He knows damn well he can’t buy you out.”

“Exactly, but he sure drove his point home about wanting to be rid of me.”

“I’m sorrier than you can imagine that I wasn’t here to greet you yesterday.”

“It’s not your fault, Luke. I’ll admit that ever since you called me, I’ve been dying to see you again, but you can’t reschedule your life around my comings and goings. I’m a big girl now, and Logan doesn’t scare me.”

“He may not scare you, Sophia, but he hurt you. And that’s just plain wrong if you ask me.”

Sophia didn’t want the reminder of how Logan had made her feel yesterday. It seemed that for the majority of her life, she’d been on the outside looking in. She’d never gotten over that feeling. That’s why coming back to Sunset Ranch, the one place she’d ever felt as though she’d belonged, was so important to her.

“You know what,” she said, with a wave of the hand, “let’s change the subject. Tell me about yourself, Luke. You mentioned you were in the rodeo for a while. What was that like?”

Sophia settled back and listened to her friend tell her about his life after she’d left Sunset Ranch. And when he offered to take her to dinner for the spiciest chili in the West, her stomach grumbled quietly at the mention of food.

“Yes. I’d love to have dinner with you.”

The only thing louder than The Kickin’ Kitchen’s piped in honky-tonk music was the Red Savina habaneros they put in the chili. The hot stuff made Logan’s insides sing like a hillbilly band and required a generous dowsing of cold beer to wash away the flames. After a morning of schmoozing with prospective clients and an afternoon of pencil pushing in his office, he couldn’t think of anything better to do tonight than eating a bowlful of chili with a friend.

“You want another go round?” Ward Halliday asked, after slurping up the last spoonful of chili on his plate. Ward had a stomach of iron, which served him well on all-you-can-suffer chili night at Kickin’.

Logan glanced at the empty bowl sitting in front of him. “Nope. I haven’t put out the last blaze catching fire in my stomach yet. But you go ahead.” He caught the new waitress’s eye and crooked his finger.

She sauntered over, giving him a big smile as she approached. “Hi, boys, you ready for more?”

“My friend here will tempt fate once again. You can bring him some,” Logan said. “You don’t sell antacids for dessert, do you, darlin’?”

She acted as if she hadn’t heard that question a thousand times before. As a matter of fact, maybe she hadn’t. From what he could recall, being a semiregular and all, the young blonde hadn’t worked at Kickin’ all that long. Her name tag said she was Shelby from California.

“Hey, not a bad idea. I could start a side business and retire before I’m thirty.”

“And what would you do if you retired?” Logan asked, noting how attractive she was in a cute-as-a-button sort of way.

She stared off into the distance for a few beats, before focusing on him with an honest-to-goodness look. “I could tell you what I wouldn’t do. I wouldn’t be working two jobs and struggling to take care of my grandfather in his tiny house by the interstate. Poor man would have a nice place to live and a real good nurse to care for him in his last days.”

“Sorry to hear your grandpa’s not well,” Logan said.

“I appreciate that. He’s a dear man and I’m doing my best.” She shrugged a shoulder. “I’m afraid I’m all he’s got right now.”

Logan eyed the pretty woman with admiration. It was refreshing to hear how loyalty and devotion still meant something to some folks. “Well, then I think he’s got a hell of a lot.”

The girl’s smile returned, beaming on Logan like shining stadium lights. “Thanks, I needed to hear that today. What else can I get for you?”

“You’re welcome. And if you could bring us another round of beers, too, I would appreciate it.”

“You got it,” she said, and turned to take an order from the next table.

Ward shook his head when the waitress was out of earshot. “Man, oh, man.”

“What?” Logan didn’t wait for Ward to answer before he tipped his head back and guzzled down the remaining drops of his beer.

“You sure know how to sweet-talk a woman.”

“That’s all it is, is talk, Halliday. Besides, she was real nice.” Logan leaned way back in his chair, tipping it on end, stretching out his legs. He hadn’t had a date with a woman in a long while. And Shelby from California had piqued his interest enough for him to consider breaking his three-month-long streak of being dateless. But Shelby seemed to have enough on her plate, without dating a man who had no interest in permanence. He chose his women wisely and when he did, it was a just-for-laughs, without-any-strings-attached kind of thing. Whether it lasted one week or a few months, he made sure the women he dated weren’t the home-and-hearth kind.

“Well, if Molly could’ve seen you flirting with that blonde, she would’ve pestered you until you asked the girl out.”

Logan leaned back in his seat. “Your wife’s been itching to marry me off.”

“Don’t I know it? She’s forever going on and on about you three Slade boys not getting hitched. I can only imagine the pestering she’ll give my boy when Hunter gets of age.”

“Hunter doesn’t have a girl?”

“No, sir. Right about now, he’s focused on attending college in the fall. Saving his money, too.”

“That’s always a good thing,” Logan said. He’d known Hunter since birth, but the big strapping boy wasn’t much of a talker. Logan knew he loved horses, though. He’d taken after his father that way. Ward had taught Hunter the value in treating an animal with respect.

A few minutes later, Shelby came by with Ward’s second bowl of chili and two more beers. She set everything down on the table. “Here you go, boys.”

“Thanks, miss,” Ward said, lifting his spoon, ready to dive in.

“You’re very welcome,” she said, giving Ward her attention before sending Logan another big smile. “If you need anything else, just let me know.”

When she turned to help another customer, Logan watched the gentle sway of her hips in her short navy blue waitress uniform.

“Truth is, I haven’t had a date in a long while,” he muttered.

Ward didn’t seem to hear him. He was too busy looking straight past him and waving his hand with a come-here gesture. Logan craned his head toward Kickin’s front door and a vile curse slipped from his lips.

“Well now, would you look at who’s just come in,” Ward was saying. “It’s Luke and Ms. Sophia. They’re heading this way.”

“Damn it, Ward. Put your hand down, and stop waving them over.”

Baffled by Logan’s tone, the older man drew his brows together. “Why, oh … Oh, right.” He shrugged his shoulders in sheepish apology.

Ward’s lightbulb moment was too little too late. The Slades had always tried to keep their private lives just that—private. But back in the day, news of Louisa Montrose’s illicit affair with his father had leaked out faster than a sledgehammer to a water pipe, and Logan figured pretty much everyone at Sunset Ranch knew that he wasn’t keen on any of the Montrose women. Especially now. Especially since Randall Slade had decided to give away half ownership of the lodge to his mistress’s daughter.

Logan hadn’t been discreet in his disdain. When he first heard the news of her inheritance, he slammed his fist into the barn wall. His damn hand had been bruised for days and, even though it had healed, every so often the pain would come back just enough to annoy him.

Very much like Sophia.