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Sofia grinned, finally relaxing. "That wasn't the speech I thought I was going to get."
"Probably not, but it was the one you needed." Alice stood up. "My bones have seen a lot of decades. They're wise and smart and they know that each moment is a gift. Every damn one. So drop those shields and just let this unfold however it was meant to. Because you deserve to have a little bit of fun, my dear. Take it."
Sofia felt the rest of the tension easing from her body, making her aware of how tightly she'd been holding herself. She smiled. "Thank you. I did need that speech."
"I told you I was wise." Alice headed toward the door, then paused. "One more thing."
"What's that?"
"If you open your heart and discover that it wants Keegan to fill it up, trust your instincts. He's a good man, and he looks at you with the expression that I've been hoping to see on his face since the day I met him ten years ago and realized what a good person he was."
Sudden hope hammered in Sofia's chest. "What expression is that?"
"Like he never stopped loving you."
"He doesn't—"
"I know him, and I know what I see. And you look at him the same way."
Sofia's mouth dropped open. "I don't even know him."
"You can spend your whole life with someone, and you still won't know every secret," Alice said. "But there's a point at which you learn enough to know that they're the right one to fill the spaces in your soul that have been waiting for that special someone. When you know, you know. Trust it."
Then, with a wink, she disappeared out the door, shouting at Bella not to double stack the pies.
Stunned, Sofia sank down on the stack of newspapers, hugging Millie to her chest while she processed Alice's words.
She hadn't even thought of trying to rekindle anything with Keegan again.
Yes, she still found him attractive, but there was too much distance between them. And what they'd had wasn't even real. It had been a moment. And now he was a famous celebrity who women would lie, cheat, and steal to have a moment with.
There was no chance. No purpose. No reason. It didn't make sense.
But she couldn't get Alice's words out of her head. Was Alice right? Live a little. Have some fun. Trust the journey.
Millie licked her nose, and Sofia smiled at the puppy. "I've been very serious for a very long time, Millie. I have responsibilities, you know."
Millie waggled her little body and showered her face with puppy kisses that made Sofia start to laugh. "You think I should lighten up and have fun? Let go? Surrender? Trust? I like to be in control. It's not really my nature to let go."
Except it once had been. That time she'd met Keegan, she'd let go. Surrendered. And she'd had the best week of her life, until she'd torn it apart—
"Sascha?" Keegan poked his head in. "You okay?"
Sofia looked at him. Really looked at him. At his blue eyes. At his smile. At the laugh lines around his eyes and mouth. "You look older now."
His brows went up, and he stepped inside and shut the door. "I am older."
"Wisdom looks good on you."
He folded his arms and leaned against the wall, watching her with those eyes that seemed to see everything. "Life looks good on you."
Her belly tightened at the genuineness in his eyes. He thought she looked good. "Thank you."
He nodded. "Alice sent me back here to check on you."
"Not surprising. She has some ideas."
He didn't move, but he stiffened ever so slightly. "What kind of ideas?"
