“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 that her fate wasn’t solely based on the whim of an employer. “Well, Gabe’s been with us for over a year and up until this point,” she said, fanning through the boy’s file, “he’s been a good employee. That’s all I can tell you, Hunter. I really shouldn’t have discussed this with you at all, so please keep this conversation to yourself.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Hunter rose, gave her one last parting look and then took his leave.
Sophia got up and walked to the door, closing it while deep in thought. Sometimes a manager had to be judge and jury. She had to determine what was best for the establishment without infringing on the employee’s rights. It was a balancing act, but in this case unless the complaints proved true and there was a blatant miscarriage of rules, she was pretty sure Gabriel Strongbow’s job wouldn’t be in jeopardy.
Sophia had never fired anyone in her life.
Putting those thoughts aside, she walked over to the lily arrangement and stared at the flowers a moment. They were truly perfect. Logan couldn’t have picked anything she would have liked more. It was uncanny how sometimes the two of them were on the same wavelength. Then there were the other times when they butted heads and saw things very differently.
Sophia braced herself. She didn’t know what to expect from Logan Slade anymore but she was dying of curiosity to see what Logan had to say that was to be read in private. She lifted the white envelope from its plastic holder and slipped the small piece of paper out. Unfolding it, she read the handwritten note silently.
Sophia,
Can’t get the image of how I left you this morning out of my head.
Have dinner with me tonight. 8:00 p.m.
It’ll be our first date.
Change my mind.
Logan
Sophia’s hand shook so much, the words she’d just read and then reread became fuzzy. She moved on wobbly legs to her chair and lowered down slowly, her fingers gripping the edges for balance. The world seemed to tilt off-kilter at the moment. She couldn’t believe what Logan had written. He told her in those few sentences that he was willing to try.
Could it be possible?
Change my mind.
Moisture stung her eyes and one sole tear rolled down her cheek. Emotions welled up and a soft cautious beam of hope began to glow inside her. Was the indomitable man finally softening to her? Would he be willing to listen and really hear what she had to say?
Maybe one day soon. Sophia wouldn’t press her luck tonight, but she would meet with him. They would go on their first date, and she would see where that would take them.
There was hope now, that her love would not be wasted.
* * *
Logan hadn’t been to the cemetery since his father’s funeral. But today he found himself standing over his parents’ graves with a bouquet of roses in his hands. He stared at the headstones, wondering about his father and mother’s relationship. To a boy who only saw what was right in front of him, Logan had thought his parents loved each other. He had thought that their family was as strong and as sturdy as the Ponderosa pines. He had thought his father was the fairest, most honest man in the world.
It was all a facade to conceal the truth. His father had lied and had conspired to destroy the family by abandoning his mother and bringing Louisa Montrose into the picture.
New anger rose up now as he gazed at their graves. The only crime his mother had committed in all of this was to love Randall Slade and expect his loyalty in return. After his mother found out about the affair, she’d protected her family by firing Louisa Montrose and banishing her and Sophia from the ranch. Ivy had forged on, raising her sons and loving a man who didn’t love her in return. In Logan’s mind, Ivy Slade was a hero—a woman who’d born great injury living in a house with a man who had betrayed and humiliated her.
“I’m sorry, Mom,” he said, his voice nearly breaking. He bent on one knee to brush away dried blades of grass and fallen leaves from her headstone. And then he laid the dozen buttercup roses down—her favorite—keeping the flat of his hand on the headstone. This was his time with his mother. Every couple of months, he spent just a few minutes here where he could feel a connection to her.
It was the second time today Logan had offered up flowers. He’d sent Sophia flowers this morning, and she’d sent him a message that she would be ready tonight at eight o’clock for their first date.
Logan wondered if he was a hypocrite to lay tremendous blame on his father, when Logan himself had been lured in by a Montrose. Yet he understood a man’s weakness when mind and body were involved. Sophia had gotten under his skin. She was like an addiction. He had to have her, but he’d taken his father’s failures to heart. He’d learned a valuable lesson and he’d vowed to never let himself become vulnerable to Sophia.
He could make the distinction, between lust and love.
With that notion in mind, Logan pivoted on his heels and got into his truck. As he drove out of the cemetery, he turned on the radio. Brad Paisley’s voice carried over the airwaves with lyrics that touted the joys of fishing. Logan sang along with him, his mood lighter and anticipation stirring in his gut. Tonight, he had a date with a beautiful woman.
* * *
Four hours later, Logan rapped on Sophia’s bedroom door, hat in hand. He hadn’t seen her since this morning. A classic oil-painting image of her had stayed in his head all day—Sophia standing nude, one hip elevated, the curve of her feminine body inviting and the look in her eyes enticing. It had taken every ounce of his willpower to walk away from her. But he couldn’t lie to her. He couldn’t tell her the things she wanted to hear, so he’d done what he had to do.
She opened the door and gave him a small smile. “Hi.” One large gold hoop dangled from her ear. “Come in,” she said, turning and walking toward her dressing mirror.
Logan followed behind her.
“Sorry, I’m running late,” she said, putting on the other earring as she faced the mirror.
“No problem.” Logan stood beside her. Watching Sophia put the finishing touches on her outfit wasn’t a hardship.
“We had a last-minute emergency at the lodge. The sprinkler system went off right in the middle of our barbecue dinner. Everyone went scrambling and we—”
Logan cut her off with a brief kiss. “Let’s not talk about work tonight,” he said.
He took a step back as the delicious taste of her mouth got his juices flowing. He couldn’t imagine concentrating on irritated guests or broken sprinkler systems with the way Sophia looked tonight. Her hair was up in some sort of pretty curly twist at the top of her head. Her short gold dress glimmered and draped in soft folds over her chest. It was cinched at her slender waist, accentuating her female curves and hugging her thighs. Jeweled sandals encased her feet.
“O-okay,” she said, touching the back of her hair nervously. “No business tonight then.”
“You look amazing, Sophia.”
Her scent perfumed the air. It was the same tempting fragrance she’d worn last night when they’d been dueling between the sheets. It wasn’t a smell he would soon forget.
“Thank you. I wasn’t sure how to dress. Your note didn’t say where we were going.”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, well...I wasn’t sure you’d accept my invitation.”
Her tawny eyes lifted to study his face. “You sent lovely flowers, but it was what you wrote that made me agree.”
Logan winced inwardly. He shouldn’t have written what he had. He wasn’t sure he would ever follow through and change his mind. But this morning after the hot erotic night they’d shared, he’d been thinking with a brain located south of his belt buckle.
He’d made no promises to Sophia though. And he clung to that reasoning as he put his hand to the luscious curve of her back, leading her from the bedroom and out of the house.
“You’re not working tomorrow,” he said after he helped her slip into the passenger’s side of his car.
“I don’t have to go in until the afternoon. But, Logan,” she said, with a warning in her voice.
“We’re taking a drive and we’ll be out late. That’s all I meant, little Ms. Suspicious.”
Sophia chuckled and the sweet sound filled his head.
“I want to show you something.”
“Is it a secret?” she asked.
“Sorta.”
Sophia’s voice got higher. “Really?”
Logan nodded. He wasn’t quite sure why he’d decided to bring Sophia to the spot he had in mind except that it was important that he impress her. “It’s a special place.”
“For all of your first dates?”
Sophia was fishing for clues, but he didn’t mind answering her truthfully. “You’re the first woman I’m taking there.”
Sophia opened her mouth to say something, but then those full lips clamped down and she shot him a skeptical look.
He shrugged. “You don’t have to believe me. But it’s true.”
“Does this place have a name?”
He gave her a nod. “The Hideaway.”
Her brows gathered. “I’ve never heard of it.”
“Exactly my point, darlin’. Now sit back and relax. It’s an hour’s drive from here.”
* * *
Carved out of a mountainside, The Hideaway was a chateau overlooking a vast sea of sugar pine trees with bulky trunks and branches lifting skyward like regal green giants. Beyond the forest, the still waters of Lake Tahoe glistened in the distance under starry moonlight. Lights wrapped around garden posts twinkled near where Sophia stood on the terrace outside the restaurant. She leaned against a square column, looking out. Peace and contentment filled her.
Logan walked up and handed her a glass of sparkling water.
“Thank you,” she said, gazing out. She took a sip of her drink. The cool lime-flavored liquid bubbled and popped on the way down her throat.
“I thought you might like it here.” He held a glass in his hand. She was pretty sure it was scotch.
“You own The Hideaway, don’t you?” she asked.
Logan had driven up a narrow mountain road to get here and when they’d arrived, Sophia had been surprised by what she’d found—a restaurant designed with a European rustic flare nestled in the woods. Porcelain tile work lay beneath her feet and textured walls surrounded her. The dining room had private seating areas with tufted embroidered sofas and love seats. Atop a travertine fireplace mantel half a dozen pillar candles burned, casting soft shadows on the walls.
“You catch on fast.” His teasing smile was so genuine and rare that Sophia found herself staring at his mouth. He looked handsome in a three-piece Western suit with a brocade vest, but when he flashed his pearly whites her heart raced.
“The empty restaurant and the little tour you gave introducing me to the chef and his staff were dead giveaways.”
He grinned. “I can’t fool you. The food’s pretty good. The place is quiet. And the view is...”
“Magnificent,” she whispered in awe. Her gaze wandered over the trees to the shimmering silver lake as she took in the natural splendor.
“Yeah, it is.” His tone made her turn away from the sugar pines to face him.
He stared at her a long moment, his eyes piercing her soul. He took a sip of his scotch and shook his head as if trying to clear out his thoughts.
“What is it?” she asked softly.
He drew a deep breath. “Nothing.”
But it was something. He’d looked tormented for a second. The amused gleam in his eyes evaporated—he’d gone to some distant place—and regret marred his handsome expression.
“We can eat anytime you want,” he said, transforming his expression to produce a charming smile. “The chef has prepared something special for us.”
Sophia wouldn’t question Logan further. She refused to let her mind go to a dark place of doubt and uncertainty. Maybe she’d only imagined the tortured look on his face. “I would love to try the chef’s specialty.”
Logan showed her to a table that was in the prettiest corner of the room. She was well aware that he had closed down the restaurant for a private meal with her. She couldn’t say she wasn’t impressed and flattered. “Do you go to such trouble for all your first dates?”
“I can honestly tell you, no, I don’t.”
His declaration made Sophia extremely happy. “More like a Kickin’ Kitchen kind of thing then?”
“Don’t disparage Kickin’. The food’s great when you know your limits.”
Sophia raised her brows but she let Logan get away with that jibe. She was glad to see his mood lighten. “So how long have you owned this place?”
“Six months.”
“I think it’s a wonderful chateau but I’m a little surprised.”
“Because I’m a rancher and this isn’t really in my wheelhouse?”
Sophia didn’t want to pry but she was curious, so she gave him a slight nod.
“My friend owned the place, but he couldn’t make it work. His managerial skills were not up to snuff. He was losing business, about to go into foreclosure.” Logan shrugged as if buying a business was an everyday occurrence for him. “I don’t like to see beautiful things fall to ruin, and in this case, I could do something about it. I saved my friend’s ass and bought it at a fair price.”
Sophia glanced around the entire restaurant. It was cozy and warm and elegant. “Your friend is very lucky.”
“It was business.”
“Maybe,” Sophia said. “Or maybe you’re more softhearted than you think.”
“Definitely...not.”
&n
bsp; Logan finished off the last ounce of his scotch. He could be a hard-ass at times, but Sophia knew there was a softer side to Logan Slade, whether or not he wanted to admit it. When his guard was down, Sophia figured him to be a pretty decent man. Then a thought struck. “Isn’t Luke staying somewhere close by?”
Logan studied her for a few long moments. “He’s on the other side of the lake, some twenty miles of winding road from here.” In a clipped voice, he asked, “Why? You want to stop by for a visit?”
She heard masked resentment in his tone. Logan and Luke were at odds lately and it was best for her not to interfere. Though she missed Luke and hoped he was doing well, she didn’t know how he would take the news about her being in love with Logan. She’d avoided calling him and felt like a heel about it, but she didn’t know how to broach the subject about her and Logan. Everything was up in the air anyway. Sophia had no clue what the future held for them. What could she say to Luke?
I’ve moved into your house and slept with your brother.
“What I want is to be right here with you,” she said honestly.
Logan seemed satisfied with her reply. He gave a quick nod. “My brother’s doing okay.”
“I’m happy to hear that.”
The subject was dropped and dinner was served. It was the most exquisite melt-in-your-mouth meal Sophia had ever eaten—a dish with tender herb-infused sirloin strips and shitake mushrooms along with delicately grilled then lightly fried vegetables. Summoning her bravado, she broached a question that had been on her mind. “What was your relationship like with your father after my mother and I left Sunset Ranch?”
Logan’s lips tightened and he moved his empty plate away a little more forcefully than necessary. “Why do you want to know?”
Sophia toyed with her hair, curling a loose strand around her finger. “I always wondered what happened after we left.”
Logan rubbed the underside of his chin, contemplating for a second, then gave a sigh before responding. “I hated him.”
His admission wasn’t a surprise. She’d come to understand a boy’s disillusionment over a man he’d once idolized. She could sympathize with Logan now, and feel the pain he must have endured. Her situation hadn’t been all that different in terms of the pain she’d felt over her father, although Sophia hadn’t known him. She’d been too young, but his betrayal had affected her life regardless. He’d hurt her mother and had abandoned his family. Growing up fatherless, Sophia had lived with the hurt and hatred inside for many years. “I’m sorry.”
Sunset Surrender Page 14
