Rich, Rugged Ranchers. Kathie DeNosky

closed her eyes. She had her answer and her heart ached with the brutal truth. Last night hadn’t been about fondness, caring or love. It had been about lust and sex. Logan didn’t have to say the words, but she knew now that she’d been a fool to think he’d change his mind so easily. He still thought her mother was a calculating home wrecker. He’d probably thought worse of Sophia. He still took exception to her inheritance. She couldn’t forget that he’d tried to buy out her share of Sunset Lodge when she’d first arrived just to get rid of her.

      Yet her love for him didn’t diminish. It didn’t fade, not even a tiny bit, knowing what he thought about her. Sophia loved him from the bottom of her heart. And unfortunately, it would take a lot more heartache before she stopped loving him. But she wouldn’t give any more of herself until he could make her believe there was some hope.

      She tilted her chin, thinking haughtiness worked better with clothes on, but a towel and wet hair would have to do in this circumstance. “Then we have nothing to talk about.”

      Boldly, she searched his eyes, daring him to say something. To plead his case or try to convince her otherwise. But Logan didn’t say a word.

      Instead, he reached out and slowly unwrapped the towel from around her body. The material dropped to the floor in a lush heap. She stood bared to him, her skin freshly cleaned and perfumed.

      He raked his gaze over her naked form and then inhaled a sharp clipped breath. His mouth moved and she listened to words that would stay with her until the end of time. “This isn’t over, Sophia. You’ll see that soon enough.”

      Eight

      Sophia sat in the office she no longer shared with Ruth Polanski, her desk the only one in the room now. She’d turned it around to face the window and the verdant grounds of the lodge with the regal Sierra Nevada Mountains in the background. She could be happy here. No, she amended that. She would be happy here. Living a peaceful life at Sunset Ranch was what she truly wanted now.

      All of the managerial duties at Sunset Lodge were on her shoulders. She relished the challenge, and dove into her work. This morning she had to make phone calls to vendors and deal with a stable boy who’d been rude to one of the guests. In the afternoon, she had a luncheon planned with a local landscaper. Sophia had a few changes in mind that would enhance the overall property. And she had to go over Logan’s budget for the year.

      She heard footsteps approaching, and turned to find Hunter Halliday standing behind her half-closed door. In his arms, he held an exquisite arrangement of lilies. “Ms. Montrose?”

      Technically, she was Mrs. Gregory, but she’d never used her legal name. She wondered what prompted her to think about that now. “Come in, Hunter.”

      The strapping boy sauntered into the room and stood in front of her desk, looking uncomfortable with the feminine flowers in his hands. Sophia stared at the stargazers tinted with a touch of pink on the petals. “They are lovely,” she said when Hunter didn’t volunteer any information.

      He’d been staring at her.

      “Oh, um … Mr. Slade sent me over with these.”

      “They’re from Mr. Slade?” Sophia’s mouth dropped open. For an instant, when she’d seen Hunter bringing them in, she’d thought the flowers had come from Hanson Landscapers. It wasn’t unusual for vendors to send managers perks, thank-yous or deal sweeteners to butter them up.

      “Yes, ma’am. And he said to read the note in private.”

      She felt her face turning three shades of pink. “Okay.”

      A small white envelope appeared in her line of vision as Hunter set the flowers down on the only cleared-off space on her desk. “All right to put these here?”

      “Uh, yes. That’s fine.” The arrival of these amazingly beautiful flowers put a major roadblock in thinking that she could ignore what had happened between her and Logan last night.

      This isn’t over.

      Those three words Logan had spoken echoed in her heart. She didn’t want it to be over between her and Logan, either. Heavens, it had barely just begun. But Sophia’s pride wasn’t a small thing. She couldn’t face herself in the mirror every morning, knowing that Logan hadn’t changed his mind about her. How could she possibly give herself to him, love or no love, without expecting him to make some concessions, without him willing to hear her explanations and tell her side of the story?

      He still thought of her mother as a wicked woman, and thought of her as a gold-digger.

      She sighed aloud and Hunter’s eyes snapped to hers. “Oh, uh, thanks for delivering the flowers, Hunter.”

      “You’re welcome.”

      Hunter didn’t budge an inch. He hovered by her desk, watching her.

      She smiled.

      He sent her a troubled look. There seemed to be something on the boy’s mind.

      “Is there anything else?” she asked.

      “Yep. But I don’t know if it’s appropriate for me to say.”

      Sophia wanted to reassure the boy. His unease was practically tangible. “If something’s bothering you, you can tell me what it is. Why don’t you sit down?”

      “Okay.” He took a seat across the desk and didn’t look any more comfortable in it than he did while he was standing. He rubbed his hands back and forth and Sophia waited for him to speak.

      “It’s about Gabriel Strongbow.”

      Sophia’s brow rose at the name. He was the stable boy Sophia had received a complaint about. “What about him?”

      “I guess you could say we’re friends. I’d like to put in a good word for him, ma’am. If I might.”

      “I haven’t spoken to him yet. But I’ll listen to what he has to say.”

      “He thinks he’s gonna be fired, and he really can’t afford it. He’s helping his mother out by working this job and trying to stay in school. And I just want to say that he wasn’t rude to the guest.”

      “So, you’re vouching for him?”

      “Well, I wasn’t there actually. But I’ve seen Gabe with Rebecca Wagner and he’s been nice and polite to her. Rebecca has been flirting with him all week. They like each other is all. Rebecca handed him her phone number yesterday and Mrs. Wagner found out about it and accused him of all sorts of things. Gabe hasn’t done anything wrong.”

      Sophia knew of the Wagner family. Rebecca was a pretty sixteen-year-old girl. Ruth had told her the three Wagners were regulars at the lodge. They’d been coming twice a year for over a decade. “Sounds like Mrs. Wagner is overprotective of her daughter. But you know that we have strict rules about employees and guests. It’s not a line but a wall that we’ve constructed at Sunset Lodge and it isn’t to be breached.”

      “Yes, I know.” Hunter took a deep breath. “Just had to say my piece.”

      “And I’ve heard you.” Sophia sent him a smile. “You’re a good friend to Gabe.”

      “Just want what’s fair.”

      “I’ll be fair with him,” she said.

      Hunter relaxed somewhat, his eyes filled with appreciation. “Thanks.”

      Sophia braced her arms on the desk and leaned forward. “Tell me about Gabriel Strongbow.”

      Hunter shrugged and contemplated briefly before he began. “He’s a senior in high school. Working at the stables part-time. He’s got a little sister. His dad passed about three years ago and now they’re struggling to hang on to their house.”

      “I see.” Sophia could relate to living from paycheck to paycheck, trying to keep from drowning in a sea of debt and hoping