Playing For Keeps (Emerald Lake Billionaires 2)

by Leeanna Morgan

  Ryan glanced at Sophie. “Dorothy suggested downsizing the concert and making it into an invitation-only event. That way we’ll know exactly who will be there. Can your company provide the security services we’ll need?”

  “Are you sure that’s what you want to do? There’s still a chance that someone will find Sophie.”

  Sophie closed her notebook. “When we’ve got security guards in place, I won’t be alone. I’ll be extra careful and won’t do anything silly.”

  “Okay,” John said reluctantly. “If that’s what you want to do, I’ll put a plan together. My secretary will make an appointment to see you in two days’ time. We’ll look at all of the options then. In the meantime, I’ll send a security guard home with you. Tomorrow morning I’ll try to find out who Sophie’s professor has been talking to. I imagine there’s only a small group of funders available for the type of research he wanted to do. If there are any grants that you know about, send me an email and I’ll have a look at them. I’ll also look into the business dealings of the companies you’ve mentioned. What about your mom and sister, Sophie? Do they know what’s going on?”

  Sophie glanced at Ryan. He knew what she was thinking. The cost of what they were asking John to do would be high. She didn’t like asking for help from anyone and this meeting was pushing her out of her comfort zone. Before she could tell John that her mom and sister would be okay, Ryan answered John’s question. “They need someone to look after them.”

  “When do you want a guard in place?”

  Sophie leaned forward. “Hayley and mom are okay at the new dementia unit. My sister’s calling me tonight. I’ll ask her if she wants a security guard.”

  John sent Ryan a quick look then turned to Sophie. She wasn’t giving in easily. “I’d suggest sending one of my team to look after them as soon as possible. Where did they move to?”

  “They’re living in Fort Wayne, Indiana.”

  “They didn’t travel far from Chicago.” Ryan watched Sophie closely. She was having a hard time telling John about her family. He couldn’t really blame her. They were everything she had. If anything happened to them, she’d never forgive herself.

  “It’s difficult taking mom anywhere, especially when you don’t want people knowing you’re not coming back. Hayley told the staff at her previous nursing home that they were going on vacation.”

  John added some more information to the document on his computer. “Is there anything else? Boyfriends, ex-husbands, criminal convictions, financial troubles?”

  Sophie shook her head.

  “In that case, I’d say we’re finished. I do have one thing I want to ask Ryan, but after today, I’m not sure it’s something you’d want to do.”

  Ryan looked at John. “You might as well ask. Adding something else into the mix isn’t going to make much difference.”

  “Tess is on the organizing committee of a junior talent show. She wants to know if you’ll be a guest judge. The competition is in three weeks’ time.”

  Ryan pulled his iPhone out of his pocket and checked his calendar. “As long as the judging happens over one day and not all weekend, it should be okay. The winner could perform at my concert.”

  For the first time since they’d arrived, John smiled. “Thanks. I’ll let Tess know. If there’s anything else you remember or want to tell me, just call me. You’ll have a security guard on your property in an hour. I’ll give you a call once I know who it’s going to be.”

  Ryan stood up and shook John’s hand. “Thanks for everything you’re doing for us.”

  “That’s what we do. Try to keep close to home.” John shook Sophie’s hand. “We’ll see each other in two days’ time. If someone follows you while you’re in town today, head straight to the police station. Call me when you get there and I’ll be there as soon as possible.”

  Sophie picked up her bag and slipped her notebook inside. “Thank you. I hope we don’t need your help, but it’s good knowing you’re there.”

  Ryan held the door open and Sophie walked into the reception area. Halfway through the meeting with John, he’d realized that Sophie’s formula could be the biggest medical news of the year. If he was looking for a story to divert attention away from his ex-wife’s photos, then this was it. All he needed to do was make sure that Dorothy didn’t find out.

  If she uncovered the story behind Sophie’s sudden appearance, no one would be safe.

  ***

  Sophie turned her cell phone off and leaned against the window in her bedroom. So much had happened today that she was having a hard time putting it into perspective. John had sent a security guard across to Ryan’s property. Jason, the security guard, had sat down with them and organized a plan for quickly leaving the property if they needed to. They had his cell phone number on speed dial and he had their appointment schedules for the next week. Tomorrow morning he would be replaced by another guard who would stay with them until eight o’clock each night. That person would do a security assessment of the property and give Ryan a list of things that needed to change.

  Jason and the other guard would provide day and night protection for them until they weren’t needed anymore.

  Everything was happening so fast that Sophie felt as though her life was turning into an out-of-control roller coaster. From the moment she’d decided to continue researching the medicinal plants, she’d set herself on a path she had no control over. Instead of thinking through what would happen if the supplement did what she thought it would, she’d blindly followed her heart. That decision had changed not only her life but her sister’s and her mom’s, as well.

  They’d turned into fugitives. But even though their entire lives had changed, she wouldn’t have done anything differently. Her mom meant the world to her and she’d do anything she could to make her well.

  Sophie looked at the stars and wondered what her sister and mom were doing. Hayley was one of the most resourceful people Sophie knew. In some ways, her sister was the complete opposite of her.

  Hayley made plans, but they weren’t set in stone. She wasn’t scared of making mistakes or refocusing her energy on something she’d never considered. She had a way of making the best out of any situation. Beyond all of these things, Hayley was patient and kind, and the best sister Sophie could ever have.

  She wiped her eyes. There was no point getting upset. She had to believe that what was happening would work out for the best. Otherwise, the risk to everyone’s life wouldn’t be worth the danger they were in.

  She opened the window to let some fresh air into the room.

  Ryan was playing his guitar. It was soft and soothing, and made the view from her window seem almost magical.

  After dinner most evenings, he sat outside on an old wooden chair and worked on his music. He strung together different chords, creating beautiful melodies. Every now and again he’d stop and make an adjustment to the sheet of music. He’d try the same song again, changing the chords or the timing, adding something different to make the melody better.

  Tonight he was singing a song she hadn’t heard before. The words sounded okay, even beautiful in places, but something wasn’t right.

  Without thinking about what she was doing, she leaned out of the window. “I think the last chord needs to be different.”

  Ryan looked up. “Higher or lower?”

  “Higher. The last verse should end in a question, not a statement.”

  He looked down at his guitar and replayed the same verse but with a higher chord at the end. He played it once more before adding the lyrics. “You’re right. Do you want to come down and give me some more advice? I’m stuck on the last verse.”

  “As long as you don’t tell anyone that I helped with the words. I’ve got a reputation to protect.”

  “You think writing a song with me would make people think you’re less of a scientist?”

  Sophie shook her head. “It’s more the naked body thing that I’m worried about. They might think I’m working with you be
cause I’ve seen the photos.”

  Ryan’s grin made her breath catch in her throat. “So, it’s my body you’re after?”

  “Not in this lifetime.” Sophie smiled when his grin grew wider. “I’ll be there in a minute.” She moved away from the window and headed downstairs. The good thing about Ryan’s home was that it might look huge from the outside, but the interior layout was easy to follow. All of the upstairs bedrooms opened onto a circular landing. Once you were downstairs, the living areas opened onto a stone patio area. If she’d been talking to a realtor, Sophie was sure they would have told her that Ryan’s home had great indoor-outdoor flow.

  By tomorrow morning, the floor in the entranceway would be ready to walk on. While the varnish was drying, Jamie had installed a metal frame that connected the living room to the stairs. It looked like a gangplank leading to a ship, but it worked.

  Sophie held onto the railing, still not sure how safe it actually was. When she walked outside, Ryan was making notes on a sheet of paper. “I liked the song you were singing last night. The lyrics were lovely.”

  “That’s because it’s ready for the studio. When I’ve finished this song, it’s going to be a number one hit.”

  Sophie sat in a chair beside him. She’d listened to some of his music the other day and had been impressed. If Ryan thought a song was good enough to hit number one on the music charts, then it had a good chance of happening. “You sing from your heart.”

  Ryan shrugged. “I don’t know any other way. If I don’t believe in what I’m singing, no one else will either.”

  Sophie looked across the lake. The setting sun sat above the mountains. Its reflection looked like a ball of gold in the rippling water. It was the kind of view that someone with a romantic soul could get used to. “Have you always written your own songs?”

  “When I started performing I’d sing anything as long as someone paid me. I lived from day to day. I didn’t have a plan and I didn’t know where I’d end up each night.” He looked down at his guitar. “It’s a hard life being on the road. After a couple of years, I got tired of singing the same songs, so I wrote my own. Some of them were so bad that I’ve never sung them in public, but others were good. The more songs I wrote, the easier it got.”

  “What’s your favorite song?”

  Ryan smiled. “The next one that I’m going to write. There’s something exciting about creating a song out of nothing. How about I play this song from the beginning and you can tell me what you think?”

  Sophie turned toward him and nodded. “I’m ready.”

  He bent his head over his guitar. His fingers moved along the strings as he sang the song she’d heard from her bedroom. She closed her eyes and listened to the clever melody. Ryan’s voice was deep and sure. There was an edge to the way he sung that made the simple lyrics real and meaningful. By the time he was halfway through the second chorus, Sophie was humming along with him. After another verse, she could see where he was going with the lyrics.

  Ryan stopped playing. “That’s as far as I’ve gotten. I’m not sure the lyrics work.” He turned the sheet of music toward her and pointed at the second verse. “It works well until here. What do you think about the rest of the song?”

  Sophie read the words from the beginning. “Tell me what the song is about.”

  “You don’t know?”

  “I want to know if what you think you’re saying matches what I think. It will make a difference to the words we use.”

  “You had me worried. For a moment, I didn’t think you understood what any of the lyrics meant.”

  Sophie couldn’t imagine anyone not knowing what he was singing about. It was such a beautiful song. It pulled at her heart and left a little hole of sadness where the memories of her mom hid.

  “It’s about losing someone that you thought would always be there,” Ryan said slowly. “I was worried that it would be too sad, but there’s a strong element of hope tied into the chorus.”

  “What do you want people to feel after they’ve listened to your song?”

  Ryan thought about his answer. “I want them to know that the time they spend with someone is worth more than the sadness of living without them.”

  Sophie looked down at the lyrics and focused on the words. “You’ve done that,” she said softly.

  “Are you okay?”

  Sophie took a deep breath. “It’s been a hard day. Hayley called from mom’s new nursing home.”

  “Is everything all right?”

  “Mom’s not settling into her new routine very well. I’m worried that not being in familiar surroundings is upsetting her.”

  Ryan rested his guitar on his knees. “What does your sister think?”

  “Hayley’s worried that she might start wandering again. Mom’s able to walk short distances with a walking frame.”

  “Has anyone left the facility when they weren’t supposed to?”

  Sophie shook her head. “Not that we know of. The staff at the unit are great, but I’m concerned about her.”

  “Is she still taking the supplement?”

  “Three times a day. It’s not easy for either of them at the moment.”

  “Maybe your mom’s dementia will get a little better and she won’t be so upset about being somewhere new?”

  “I hope so. She’s still making good progress, but we don’t know how long it’s going to last. If she stops getting better, it could be worse than when she was constantly living in her own world. I’m scared that I might have made things worse.”

  Ryan held her hand. “Sometimes you’ve got to take the risk.”

  “It wasn’t my risk to take,” Sophie said with a heavy heart.

  “What would your mom have done if it had been you or your sister in the dementia unit?”

  Sophie wiped her eyes. “She would have given us the supplement twenty times a day and fought off anyone who tried to stop her. Before her dementia got too bad, she told us to make every day count. She knew we’d make the best decisions we could about her care.”

  “There’s plenty of room here for your mom and sister. They could live here until we find out what’s going on.”

  “I can’t do that. This is your home.”

  “Your mom might be more settled here than in a nursing home.”

  “We’ll be okay. The dementia unit is set up for people with Alzheimer’s. At the moment, it’s the best place for her.”

  Ryan didn’t look convinced that she was right. “The offer still stands. If you change your mind, it won’t take long to get them here.”

  Sophie leaned forward and kissed Ryan’s cheek. “Thank you. It means a lot to know you care. But I didn’t come down here to tell you my troubles. Show me your lyrics.”

  Ryan smiled. “If I didn’t know you better, I’d be blushing about now.”

  She let go of his hand and took the sheets of music he handed her. “I don’t believe you. Anyone who runs naked down Main Street hasn’t got a blushing gene in his body.”

  “You’d be surprised,” Ryan mumbled. He picked up his guitar and strummed the chords to the song she was looking at. “I’m good at pretending to be an extrovert.”

  It was Sophie’s turn to smile. “Are you telling me you’re shy?”

  “Could be.”

  She looked up from the lyrics. “How do you perform in front of thousands of people if you’re shy?”

  “I pretend that only a few people are listening.”

  “But there isn’t.”

  Ryan started playing the chorus. “I know. Sometimes I’m sick before I go on stage. Other times I’m so nervous that I have to force myself to walk into the spotlights. My mom and dad wanted me to be an accountant.”

  Her mouth dropped open. “Why?”

  “My dad works construction and mom is a teacher. They wanted me to have a job that gave me a good income and wasn’t going to disappear with a downturn in the economy. They’re big on financial security.”

  “What did they say
when you told them you wanted to be a musician?”

  “They told me every reason they could think of why it wasn’t a good idea. Dad blamed my music teacher. He said Mr. Francis was filling my head with nonsense.”

  Ryan’s bittersweet smile told Sophie that whatever else they’d said hadn’t been good. “What did your music teacher say?”

  “Not much. But after dad refused to pay for my lessons, Mr. Francis met me during my lunch break. We used to practice three times a week.”

  “How did you become so famous?”

  Ryan smiled. “Famous enough that you didn’t recognize me?”

  “I’m different. My head is usually buried in textbooks and research theories. Country music wasn’t on my list of preferred pastimes. You must have had a plan to help your career?”

  Ryan looked across the lake. “After I made the top of the charts with Sad Time Coming, I employed Dorothy. It was the best decision I’ve made.”

  “What do your parents think about your music career now?”

  “Mom and dad are still worried about me. They think that one day it’s all going to be over and I won’t have a good education to fall back on.”

  “But you’re a billionaire,” Sophie whispered. “You don’t need anything to fall back on.”

  “I know that and you know that, but my parents are stubborn.”

  She looked down at the music sheets. “You need a little loving.”

  “I do?”

  Sophie looked at Ryan and grinned. He was definitely blushing now. “Here.” She pointed to the lyrics. “If you add, ‘you need a little loving’ to the last verse, it changes the tone of the song.”

  He strummed the chords of the song and added the new lyrics. “You’re amazing.”

  “I try to be.”

  Ryan smiled as he ran his hands along the guitar strings. “What did your mom and dad want you to be?”

  “I don’t think they minded as long as I was happy. Although dad did raise his eyebrows when I told him I wanted to own a pet store.”