Sophia didn’t expect Mrs. Sterling to be there. As she stepped into the room, she called out, “Eli…”

But then she noticed Mrs. Sterling and gave her a polite nod in greeting.

Mrs. Sterling gave Sophia a once-over, her gaze cool but measured. With her daughter present, she kept her tone civil, replying with a chilly “Mm-hmm.”

Still, her eyes didn’t leave Sophia.

Truth be told, the woman wasn’t bad-looking. In fact, she was ...