Читать книгу Rich, Rugged Ranchers - Kathie DeNosky - Страница 17

Sophia had never slept with a man on a first date, and with wry amusement she decided that waking up in Logan’s bed this morning after an incredible bout of lovemaking was worth the distinction. Making love in the tack room the other night didn’t count. At least in her sleep-groggy mind it didn’t. She rationalized that that had been an impulse born of desire and lust with no promise of the future. She’d been seduced by something far greater than her own willpower. But ever since Logan had sent her flowers and written a note claiming he was going to try, asking her out on a genuine, pull-out-all-stops kind of date, Sophia had come to conclusions that meant lowering her guard and taking a risk.

The evening had been magical for her. And when Logan actually gave her a chaste good-night kiss, attempting to keep his promise of best first-date behavior, Sophia had put a halt to the charade. She’d taken Logan’s hand and together they walked into his bedroom with no words spoken.

Now, Sophia lay sprawled out on his bed, a soft cotton sheet covering her naked body and a smile on her lips.

Logan walked into the room and whipped off her covers. “Wake up, sleepyhead.”

“Mmm,” she said, grabbing for the covers. “I’m being lazy before I have to go into work.”

“What? And leave all this?” Logan shook his head. “You’re not going into work today, honey,” he announced. “I have it all arranged.”

“I wish you weren’t kidding.”

“I’m not.” He winked and spoke with smug satisfaction. “Your meetings are postponed and Lois Benson will cover for you today. She’s in line for assistant manager and she’s eager to prove herself. Besides, I have the day planned for us.”

Sophia was beside herself with joy. She didn’t have anything pressing on her schedule today and the idea of spending the entire day with Logan was beyond appealing. “Does it involve more sleeping in this big comfy bed?”

Logan bent to land a solid kiss on her mouth. “It does involve this bed, sweetheart, I will damn well guarantee you that.”

Sophia chuckled and laid back on the mattress. But her rest was short-lived before Logan whisked her up into his arms. “First I think you need to try out my shower.”

“Are you joining me?” she asked, intrigued with the notion, kicking her legs playfully as he carried her toward the bathroom.

“Sure am. I have to show you what buttons and knobs to turn on.”

Sophia giggled and just minutes later they were soapy and steamy and covered with moisture. Logan loved her with his mouth until she was adequately tortured and fully spent. Sophia coaxed a similar response from him when she put her lips around the silky skin sheathing his manhood. The intense sound of three showerheads raining down couldn’t drown out Logan’s groans of completion. He held her tight in his arms as the water continued to cleanse them.

“You’re an amazing man,” Sophia said, her heart bursting. She’d almost told him how much she loved him then but at the last moment she held back, too unsure of his reaction.

“We are good together, Sophia,” he murmured, sprinkling kisses over her throat, her chin and her lips. She closed her eyes and held on for dear life, her emotions threatening to overwhelm her.

The rest of the day was spent riding mares along a stream that ran through the backwoods of Slade property, stopping for a picnic lunch near the trickling waters and making lazy, crazy love in the middle of nowhere on a blanket by the stream’s bank. It was the perfect day and later that evening when they’d returned to Sunset Ranch, they got comfortable in Logan’s bed and watched old classic Westerns. Sophia fell asleep in Logan’s arms never feeling more content.

The next week was blissful heaven. Sophia shared her mornings and nights with Logan Slade. She’d wake to kisses drizzled on her cheek from a man who was seriously dangerous to her equilibrium. They’d shower and dress, and then eat a light breakfast together before going their separate ways. Sophia poured her concentration into Sunset Lodge, working as hard as she could to prove to herself and Logan that she was capable and deserved the inheritance Randall Slade had bestowed upon her. She beamed inside and that spark kept a smile on her face through every task, every duty she took on.

Logan seemed happy, too, for the most part. But every once in a while she’d catch him in a moment when his expression would falter, as if something cold and foreboding had wrestled itself into his mind. When that happened, dreadful shivers crept up her spine.

If there was any buzz about her relationship with Logan at the ranch or Sunset Lodge, it hadn’t reached Sophia’s ears. There wasn’t much she could do about it if there was. She wasn’t going to let gossip stand in the way of what she wanted.

She never had.

On Thursday afternoon, Sophia sat at her office desk and typed in a text message to Luke. How is my friend doing today?

A couple of days ago, Sophia had decided the best way to avoid a conversation she didn’t want to have with Logan’s brother was to text him. She could use a minimum of words to ask how he was doing and those brand-new audio texting applications allowed him to answer. For a man with a broken arm and healing ribs, voice-activated texting couldn’t be beat.

She received an immediate message back. I’m healing. Feeling better every day. Miss you and the ranch.

I miss you, too, but all is well here. She punched in three smiley faces and decided that was over the top. She erased two of them, and then hit Send. Conversation over.

She was a coward. She admitted it. Logan wouldn’t tell Luke what was going on between them. It landed on Sophia’s shoulders, but it was an awkward situation to say the least. So she’d avoided the subject altogether. She was concerned for Luke, but yet her lack of courage kept her from having a real conversation with him.

The sound of Blackie’s sharp barks took her out of her deep thoughts. She got up from her desk and walked out of her office in search of the dog. She exited through the lobby doors and walked along the path toward the side of the lodge. She chuckled when she spotted Blackie jumping off the ground, all four legs in midair at once as Edward teased him with a rib bone. The dog nearly toppled the boy over trying to get to the bone.

Edward cackled with laughter and Sophia’s mood lightened. She walked up to them, and both boy and dog stopped playing.

“Hello, Edward. I see you have something Blackie wants.”

Edward looked at her shyly. She hadn’t seen the boy around for a while. “Y-yes, ma’am.”

“And hello to you, too, Blackie.”

The dog forgot about the bone, and with tail wagging, came over to her. She bent down to stroke his coat and Blackie’s head tilted to one side, his tongue hanging out in a true doggie smile. “Are you behaving yourself?”

His tail wagged faster.

“He is. He h-hasn’t come into N-Nana’s kitchen a-again ever.” Edward, always ready to come to Blackie’s defense, stuck the bone into his back pocket, out of sight of the dog for now.

“That’s good.” Sophia gave Blackie a last pat and, rising, turned her attention to the boy. “How have you been, Edward?”

He looked at her and then glanced down. “F-fine.”

“I haven’t seen you too much lately.”

“I d-don’t have any h-homework today.”

“Oh, that’s explains it, you’ve been busy studying. I used to love those days best when the teacher gave us a day off. Do you still like to hike, Edward?”

He nodded. “I go with Mr. S-Slade some-t-times.”

“I would love to hike with you, too, when school is out. Would that be all right?”

His face turned crimson and a small smile emerged. He was a sweet boy. Sophia tried her best to put him at ease and let him know she was his friend. He darted a glance toward the cottage, his eyes wide with curiosity and an unspoken question on his lips. He had to be curious why she wasn’t living there anymore. It wasn’t an easy thing to explain to a ten-year-old boy. “We’ll make plans for that hike as soon as summer starts, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Well, you and Blackie have a nice day. I just wanted to say hello to both of you. I’ll see you again soon.”

The rib bone reappeared and Edward gave it a toss. Sophia put her hand over her brows, shadowing her eyes from the blazing sunlight as she watched Blackie digging in, outrunning Edward in a race for his treat.

Seeing the boy was a nice diversion, a break in the long day she’d needed. She had two hours left of work before she would see Logan again and she would count the minutes.

As she made her way along the flowery path to the lodge’s entrance she stopped short when a black stretch limousine caught her eye. It pulled to stop under the portico and a chauffeur dressed in a tan uniform got out.

A gasp escaped her as memories rushed through her mind. She recognized that limo with the famous script G emblazoned on the side doors. The driver opened the passenger door and two men exited. One was the deadly handsome cowboy she loved and the other was her older, distinguished, wealthy ex-husband, Gordon Gregory. He was medium height, blue-eyed and not bad-looking for an older man, wrinkles and all. He dressed impeccably and had a full head of silver hair.

Seeing the two men together made her heart pound. One man might be her future—the other was her past. She took a big swallow and stood there immobilized, looking to Logan first. His expression was unreadable. Gordon, on the other hand, smiled.

Darn, this was the last thing she needed. She and Logan were working things out and becoming closer. How would he react seeing her ex-husband and being reminded of the worst thing he’d thought about her?

“Hello, my beautiful Sophia.” Gordon’s possessive tone made her uneasy.

Logan slid him a disapproving look.

“Hello, Gordon. What are you doing here?”

“He came to buy a stallion,” Logan said through tight lips. “We’ve just had a good talk.”

Sophia’s face flamed and she cringed inside. Had they been talking about her? When she’d married Gordon it had been out of desperate need. He’d been wonderful and kind in the beginning and so grateful about his granddaughter that she’d thought she was doing the right thing for her mother when she’d married him. She’d fooled herself into thinking she could come to love him in time. He’d promised her a marriage with no strings attached. Maybe she’d been a little naive to actually believe that, but at the time, Sophia hadn’t been looking to the future. She’d been focused on the present and the best way to help her mother. Shortly after her mother passed away, Gordon’s expectations had changed and so had his attitude. He’d come on strong in the guise of helping her grieve for Louisa. And one night he’d blurted that his debt to her had been paid in full. They were on even ground now and it was time for Sophia to start acting like a wife to him. He’d boxed her into a corner and there was only one way out that she could see. She’d ended the marriage.

“I couldn’t stop by Sunset Ranch and not come by for a visit,” he went on. “Logan here was kind enough to show me to the lodge. I’d like a private word with you, my dear. Now would be a good time.”

She felt Logan’s eyes on her as he spoke firmly to Gordon. “Only if it’s a good time for Sophia. Is it?”

The older man’s brows flew up and he chuckled. “I see. She’s got you under her spell already. I can’t really blame you. She’s quite a woman. You should have seen her on that chorus line. She was a standout, destined to become a headliner.”

Sophia’s stomach began to ache. Gordon’s appearance here threatened to undermine the reputation she’d tried to live down with Logan. “I have a few minutes, Gordon.”

“Fine, fine.” When Gordon reached for Sophia’s arm, Logan stepped between them and faced her, turning his back on the older man. “Are you sure you have time for this guy?” he asked her. “I could care less about the sale of the stallion.”

Sophia wanted to kiss him for intervening, for making sure Gordon didn’t lay a hand on her. Especially since, for all Logan knew, Sophia had been intimate with the older man. “I’m sure.”

Logan nodded, and for a second she noted a hint of accusation in his eyes. “I’ll see you later.”

“I’ll be there,” she whispered softly before turning to Gordon. “We can talk in my office.”

She led the way, keeping one step ahead of him. Once she climbed the steps to the entrance, she opened the door and turned. Logan stood grounded to the spot, his gaze keen and sharp, missing nothing.

There’s nothing to see, Logan. No great conspiracy. No gold-digging.

Sophia walked with her chin high and her mind reeling. Why on earth was Gordon here? She entered her office and settled behind her desk, pointing to a chair. “Please have a seat.”

The elderly man lowered himself with regal authority. “You’ve moved on, Sophia. I take it you’ve snagged that rich cowboy and convinced him to let you run this place.”

“Actually, you and I both know I inherited half ownership of Sunset Lodge. I’m sure you’ve done your homework, Gordon. And I doubt a man like Logan Slade would allow anyone to snag him,” she added.

“Ah, but if a woman could do it, it would be you,” he said.

That just showed how little Gordon really knew about the situation. Logan had tried to bribe her to get her to leave the ranch just weeks ago.

“How is Amanda?”

He seemed pleased that she’d asked. “My granddaughter is doing very well. She lost a year of high school during that crazy time, but she’s on the right road now. She’ll be starting college in the fall.”

Sophia’s heart warmed. Amanda had been a mixed-up kid who’d needed guidance in her life and some professional counseling. Sophia was glad to have helped her see that her life was worth salvaging. “I’m glad to hear it. Please give her my best.”

“I will.”

“What can I help you with?” She tilted her head, still curious why he’d shown up here. She knew darn well buying a horse wasn’t the only reason. That had been the excuse.

He smiled again, his eyes crinkling heavily at the corners. “I came to buy a stallion and I have, but I’m also here to honor a promise I made to Louisa.”

At the mention of her mother’s name, Sophia’s shoulders slumped and she was struck with immediate sadness. All of the brassiness she’d summoned to deal with Gordon disappeared. “Wh-what promise?”

“To make sure you were all right. To make sure you were safe. You see, your mother may have pretended not to know how sick she was, but she knew. We would have candid talks about it. Louisa and I had actually become very close in the end. She never wanted you to worry. She knew you had enough to deal with. You marrying me gave your mother peace of mind.”

She’d hoped so. With her whole heart, she had truly hoped so. Sophia closed her eyes, momentarily absorbing the truth of his words. Her mother always pretended to feel better than she actually felt to ease Sophia’s mind. She’d been a trouper about her treatments and always tried to put a smile on her face even when her health had begun to decline. Sophia wished she could be as strong and capable and caring a woman as her mother had been.

“I think she would’ve liked you to stay married to me,” Gordon said.

“I might have, if you hadn’t pressured me.”

“I was very patient with you, Sophia. I was good to you.”

“Yes, I can’t deny that. You were very good to my mother and me.”

“So can you blame me for wanting a real wife? Your mother was gone, God rest her soul, and you were safe, away from a stalker’s threats. I figured—”

“I’d owe you?”

“No, Sophia. I had hoped you’d have real affection for me.”

“I appreciate everything you did for me, but contrary to what some might believe, I can’t be bought. You put pressure on me shortly after my mother died and made me very uncomfortable. Gordon, you’re not a man who takes no lightly. You pressed me until I had no choice but to walk away.”

Gordon actually looked contrite. “I’m sorry. It was a mistake on my part to pressure you. I’m a bit spoiled. I usually get what I want and, beautiful Sophia, you were my wife.”

Sophia had walked away without a dime of Gordon’s great wealth. She’d insisted on a prenup that said exactly that. She’d never wanted his money. She’d never wanted to be beholden to Gordon. “I know,” she whispered, “but I couldn’t give you what you wanted.”

Gordon put his head down. He steepled his fingers and spoke quietly. “You may think me a silly old man for saying so, but I fell in love with you, Sophia.”

Sophia was touched and she believed him, but Gordon Gregory fell in love a lot. He’d been married and divorced five times in his seventy-one years. “And you deserve a woman in your life who will give you love back.”

“I see that now.” A shrug rolled off his shoulder. “Well … I’ve done my part, Sophia. I’ve checked on you for Louisa’s sake. I see you’ve made a life for yourself here. Are you happy?”

Sophia didn’t have to think twice. “Yes.”

He nodded and gave her a thoughtful look. “Then I’d venture to guess Logan Slade is a very lucky man.”

After Sophia bid farewell to Gordon, she sat in her office staring at the paperwork on her desk. The numbers on the account sheets made no sense. She wouldn’t even try to turn on her computer. She couldn’t concentrate. She couldn’t seem to think of much else but Gordon Gregory’s appearance here today. She’d never expected him to seek her out. That part of her life, a trying, difficult part of her life, was over. Seeing Logan drive up in the limo with Gordon had really rattled her.

While she’d silently grieved for her mother all these months, speaking with Gordon today and hashing over their lives had brought fresh pain to her heart. From her grave, her mother was still trying to look out for her—still trying to protect her. It served to make Sophia miss her mother even more.

She’d married a man for what he could give her, yes. But it wasn’t a selfish money-grubbing move. It had been for her mother’s sake. Gordon had provided safe haven in his mansion for both the Montrose women and hopefully now that she’d grown closer to Logan, he would believe her.

With that resolved in her mind, Sophia managed to struggle through her work. Apprehension gripped her stomach tight. Logan had been a wonderful lover and they’d shared so much with each other, but the one thing that Sophia needed from him now was his willingness to see her in a different light. It mattered now. So much. She wanted his trust. She wanted him to believe in her.

The brim on his hat cocked low, Hunter Halliday gave a light rap at her opened office door. “It’s that time,” he said, stepping one foot into the office.

For the past week, Hunter had come in the late afternoon to alert her it was time to feed the horses. Aside from her time spent with Logan, hand-feeding the horses with Hunter was the best part of her day. “Thank goodness. I am so ready to call it a day.”

Hunter waited for her to straighten her desk and lock up the office. They walked out the side door that led toward the lodge stables, making pleasant small talk. Several of the lodge guests were about, the scent of horse dung and straw giving them the full ranch-type experience. She waved to them and walked farther down to where Hunter kept a jumbo-sized bag of carrots.

At the corral, five horses trotted over and nudged each other out of the way trying to get their fair share of food. Sophia let each horse take a carrot out of her palm and then patted their foreheads, one right after the other. Hunter took a few carrots over to an elderly couple who stood watching from several feet away. He gave them each a turn feeding the horses.

Sophia walked over to them. “They love getting extra treats.”

The woman smiled. “Well, then we’ll have to come by tomorrow at this time, too.”

Hunter agreed and started up a conversation with the two of them while Sophia bid them farewell. Her mood lighter, she felt a little better about talking to Logan tonight.

“Ms. Montrose?” Hunter called as she approached her car. “You heading over to the main house?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Will you say hello to Luke for me?”

Confused, Sophia gave Hunter a shake of the head. “Luke?”

“Yes, ma’am. I saw him going into the house an hour ago. Luke’s back.”