He gave her a quick nod.
Sophia turned away from him then, feeling mixed up inside. She closed her eyes to the sound of Logan’s footsteps fading away. There was no fond farewell from him. No “I hope you feel better,” and no “Call me if you need my help again.” It was a chilling reminder for her not to let down her guard with Logan. He would fool her time and time again, if she allowed it.
The front door opened and closed, and then he was gone.
Only then did Sophia realize that Logan Slade had his own key to the cottage.
He could barge in on her anytime he wanted.
Four
Constance Branford offered Sophia a lemon poppy seed muffin with strawberry filling. She’d briefly met the lodge’s head cook yesterday on her tour with Ruth, and now Sophia sat beside her at a long country oak table, the only piece of furniture in the lodge’s spotless stainless-steel kitchen that wasn’t updated and brand-new. “Oh, no thanks, Constance. I couldn’t possibly.”
Edward’s nana withdrew the basket. To avoid insulting the chef, Sophia quickly explained, “I had my first encounter with Kickin’s chili last night. My stomach is still touchy.”
Constance made a tsking sound. “That’s not food,” she said with a shake of her head. “I don’t know why the men go there. Edward’s been hounding me to let him eat there, but it’s not for a young one’s stomach. He’ll just have to wait.”
Sophia smiled. The head chef certainly had her ideas about what constituted a good meal. “Apparently, it’s not for my stomach, either. I should stick to the lodge’s food.” She took in the broad range of pastries, biscuits and muffins set out and ready to be served. Behind them, two sous chefs were busy chopping up vegetables and preparing batters. She thought about how Blackie had made off with the spatula right under Constance’s nose and how Edward had offered her his apology. The boy had taken Sophia’s advice. Right in the middle of the table in a clear mason jar sat a small bouquet of wildflowers, picked straight from the fields outside the lodge.
“Your grandson is a nice boy,” Sophia said.
“He’s mischievous, like any ten-year-old, but yes, a good boy. He’s had a rough time without his parents.” Constance, whose eyes brightened when speaking of Edward, didn’t fit the mold of a white-haired, rocking-chair nana at all. The astute, intelligent woman who ran the lodge’s kitchen was quite capable, but there was an underlying current of sadness in her expression, too.
“I know something about losing a parent. It’s never easy, but with a child …”
Constance shook her head. “Edward’s parents aren’t dead.”
Sophia blinked.
“My son and his wife have drug addictions. It got really bad and the first seven years of Edward’s life were tumultuous. They left Edward with me, and I have legal custody.”
“Oh. I’m sorry to hear that.” Sophia had experience with her father’s addiction but poor Edward had to live through that turmoil with both of his parents. At least for Sophia, she’d been blessed with a loving mother to raise her, but the boy hadn’t been so lucky. Perhaps the resulting trauma was responsible for his speech problems.
“The best thing those two ever did was to hand over his custody to me without putting up a fight. They knew Edward would be better off with me. I’m doing the best I can to give him a stable home.”
“Sunset Ranch is the best place for that. I grew up on the ranch and loved living here as a child.”
“I agree. And Logan has been kind to Edward, giving him responsibilities on the ranch to make my grandson feel needed. Letting him take care of Blackie was a very good idea.”
Logan again? Why did everyone think the man a saint? But in this case, Sophia couldn’t begrudge his kindness to the boy. “Boys and dogs go hand in hand.”
Constance glanced at her watch. “He should be back from walking the dog soon. He gets up early on school days to feed and walk Blackie.”
“Shall we go over this month’s menus now, before he gets here?”
“Certainly. Can you handle coffee?”
“It smells delicious.” She stroked her tender stomach that was begging for something warm and comforting. “I would love some.”
Constance poured them both a cup and they got down to business. Sophia had some ideas for a summery theme for next month’s menu. But she had to be delicate about making suggestions. Stepping into Ruth’s shoes, and trying to make changes this early on, could ruffle feathers. Even so, Sophia was determined to have a hand in everything going on at Sunset Ranch. She remembered her mother’s prowess and how involved she’d been with every aspect of the lodge.
Ten minutes later after a productive conversation with Constance, Edward walked through the kitchen doors, wearing a backpack and a shy smile. Sophia waved at him as he shuffled his way over to his nana.
“Edward,” Constance said, “have you fed and walked Blackie already?”
He nodded and slipped Sophia a guilty glance. She reassured him with a friendly smile that said their little secret was safe, not that she’d ever tattle on the boy to Logan about their encounter yesterday, or anything for that matter. “Hello, Edward. Good to see you again.”
“Hi.”
“Is your lunch in your backpack?” Constance asked.
Again, he nodded.
“Okay then, off you go. You don’t want to be late for the bus.” Constance took his hand and walked him to the door. He reached up to give his nana a big hug, Constance squeezing him tight and kissing his forehead before letting him go. “Have a good day at school, sweetie.”
Right before he strode out the door, he turned to Sophia and gave her a wide smile. “G-goodbye.”
Touched by the boy’s consideration, she tipped her head. “Bye, Edward.”
Sophia finished her coffee and concluded her business with Constance, bidding her farewell and walking away from the kitchen’s savory scents. In the well-designed lobby, her heels clicked on the stone floors as she headed toward her office. She still had difficulty believing that she owned any part of these elegantly rustic surroundings, yet each morning before she got out of bed, she reminded herself that half of the lodge belonged to her.
Luke appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, and walked alongside her. “Mornin’. Hey, can I speak with you a sec?”
“Good morning, Luke. I was going to call you this morning. How did your horse do last night?”
“She’s gonna be okay. It was a tough delivery, but she managed. Her foal is real fine. You have to come see her.”
“I will. You must be relieved.”
“Surely am, but I think the mare might’ve struggled less than you did last night. I heard you had it rough after I left Kickin’.”
“Oh,”
