before bidding her farewell from her doorstep. “Sleep tight, Sophia.”
“Good night, Luke.”
It’s hard not to love Sophia.
Gordon Gregory’s parting shot had stuck in Logan’s mind days after he’d sold Storm to the old geezer. Logan’s response to the man’s declaration had been an unintelligible grunt. He wasn’t going to discuss Sophia with him. He’d believed that Gregory had come to the ranch to stir up trouble, and when he’d left that day Logan had done an internet search regarding his marriage to Sophia. He found that at one point, Revealed magazine had splashed Sophia’s name across the front cover with a picture of her in full titillating Fantasy Follies costume. Logan had ground his teeth seeing her decked out in sequins barely covering her body with the old codger groping her waist.
Now as he stared at that cover shot on his office computer, he saw something he hadn’t noticed before. When he’d looked at the picture, his focus had been on her body, shrink-wrapped into a showgirl’s costume. Hell, any man would go there. She was perfect in all ways that mattered to men and it was natural to look at her full breasts, small waist and slender, smooth legs. But what he hadn’t noticed before was the look in her eyes.
He studied those amber eyes now. They gave her away. There wasn’t joy or contentment or even satisfaction on nabbing a rich man in those tawny depths. The photo revealed something entirely different. And for the first time since Sophia had come to Sunset Ranch, a shiver of cold dread worked its way down Logan’s spine.
Logan had once made Sophia’s eyes beam with joy. He’d made her eyes glow with contentment. He’d seen a look of sheer satisfaction spread across her beautiful face.
Marrying Gregory hadn’t done any of those things for her.
Instead, the look in her eyes spoke of desperation and regret.
The phone rang, interrupting his thoughts. He picked it up and growled, “What?”
“Mr. Slade? It’s Peggy Coswell from Human Resources at the lodge. I was wondering if … well, if you knew where Ms. Montrose is? She’s late for our eight-o’clock meeting.”
Logan glanced at the computer clock at the corner of his screen. “That was forty-five minutes ago.”
“Yes, sir. She hasn’t come into her office today.”
Logan’s heart beat faster. “Where else have you checked?”
“No one has seen her on the hotel grounds this morning. She’s not answering her phone.”
Fear gripped Logan’s gut and twisted it like a pretzel. His mind turned to Luke. He’d had dinner with her last night. If he’d spent the night with Sophia … Logan’s mind wouldn’t go there. She wouldn’t do that. Sophia just wouldn’t sleep with his brother. And in that instant he knew two things. Sophia wasn’t the kind of woman he’d made her out to be. She wasn’t a gold-digging opportunist bent on getting rich any way she could. She wasn’t out to take over Sunset Ranch or make a mockery of the Slade family. The other thing he knew would have to wait. He could deal with only one thing right now: finding Sophia. Making sure she was safe.
“Call security and have them comb the area for her. Call me back on my cell if you hear anything.”
Logan rose from his desk, his breathing rapid and his strides long and efficient. He made it to Luke’s room on the other side of the house in seconds. Pushing open the door, he found Luke still in bed. Alone. Relief registered that he hadn’t been wrong about his brother’s relationship with Sophia. He wouldn’t have to beat the stuffing out of him.
“Logan, man … don’t you believe in knocking?”
“Sophia missed a meeting with the staff today. No one’s seen her all morning. She’s not answering her cell phone. When’s the last time you saw her?”
Luke came out of his haze. Since his accident, he’d been sleeping longer than usual in the mornings, making up for uncomfortable nights. “Uh, about nine last night. I checked out her place after dinner and then came home.”
“Stay here and make some calls. See what you can find out. I’m going to the cottage.”
Still hazy, Luke sat up straighter in the bed, running a hand through his hair. “Will do. Find her, Logan.”
“Planning on it.”
Logan fired up the truck’s engine and sped down the road. Half a mile never seemed so long a drive. He arrived at the cottage and saw that Sophia’s car was parked outside. Hope pulled through his fear and he bounded out of the truck, not bothering to knock on the door. He inserted the key he’d kept with him and pushed through the door. “Sophia? Sophia?”
Clearly, she wasn’t in the parlor or kitchen. With stealthy steps, Logan moved down the short hallway, wishing he’d taken his gun on the way out. He’d never had cause to use it on the ranch except once when a snake spooked his horse while on a perimeter ride along the property. He’d been thrown within three feet of the irritated rattler. Damn thing had been ready to attack and Logan took aim and shot him dead with that Glock.
Logan didn’t know what to make of Sophia’s disappearance. She wasn’t in the house, but her clothes were still hanging in the closet and her car was parked outside. When he put a hand to the coffeepot, it was lukewarm. She’d used it this morning.
After scanning the kitchen area he searched the parlor. Something caught his eye. He’d almost missed it because the sole thin-stemmed purple wildflower blended in so well with the floral cushions of the sofa. He didn’t think much of it. Sophia liked flowers, but as he picked it up and moved pillows around searching for clues, he found something tucked under one square pillow that made his breath catch in his throat.
A note.
Typed on plain paper and folded neatly.
You are very beautiful.
“Son of a bitch!” Logan’s mind raced. He’d hoped to high heaven that Sophia’s disappearance had been something innocent, a miscommunication that could be cleared up and explained easily enough. He’d hoped she would come waltzing through that front door and find him standing there, worried sick over her.
He took his hat off and stared at the tan leather band, plaguing his mind for a clue. For guidance. The sheriff should be alerted, although the law wouldn’t put much credence in a report of a missing woman who’d been gone only an hour. Still, he’d make the call. He’d do anything to make sure Sophia was safe.
Before he could punch the buttons, his cell phone buzzed. He answered his brother’s call before it rang again. “Did you find her?”
“Not exactly,” Luke said. “Constance said Edward is missing, too. He took Blackie for a walk an hour ago and hasn’t returned. He missed his school bus.”
“Okay, could be a coincidence. The boy could have lost track of time. Constance have any idea where he might have gone?”
“He likes to walk the dog up by the stream over by the old feed shed. She’s mighty worried, Logan.”
“I’m on it. I’ll check it out and call you—”
Logan
