worked you hard,” Ruth said honestly, before her lips lifted gently. “I almost feel guilty about it, but I think you’re capable and I’ll be sure to tell Logan that.”
“You mean, Luke, right? I was told I’ll be dealing with Luke from now on.”
“Oh, yes, that’s right. Though neither one of those boys would ever steer you wrong.”
Sophia could argue, but kept her lips buttoned tight.
She walked home in a daze, thinking of what she’d accomplished today, what she was expected to do and how it would all work. Within minutes, she found herself inside the cottage, her boots off, her jacket tossed across the parlor sofa, holding a glass of passion-fruit iced tea in her hand. She plopped onto the sofa, closed her eyes and sipped her tea. When her stomach complained, she remembered she hadn’t eaten much today. Excitement mixed with uncertainty had killed her appetite.
She sat in silence and enjoyed the peace but for another growl coming up from the depth of her belly. Then, a few seconds later, she heard a car pull up in front of the cottage. The engine shut off and a door slammed. She rose from her seat so quickly tea splattered onto her dress over her right breast. Wonderful. There was no time to wipe it dry. Her Las Vegas showgirl friends would always tease that she had a natural stop for spillage, and while Sophia had laughed along with them, she’d never really found it too amusing.
She heard footsteps approaching the porch and when the knock came, Sophia was ready, setting her hand on the knob and twisting. She pulled the door open and stared into the incredibly handsome face of a mature Luke Slade.
“Hey, there,” he said. “I thought you could use a friend about now.”
“So how are you really doing, Soph?” Luke asked ten minutes later, after they’d exchanged condolences for the parents they’d lost.
Soph?
He was back to calling her that. Sophia had forgotten how Luke liked to shorten her name. The familiar ring and the slight twang in Luke’s voice brought back good memories of the times they’d shared. Any awkwardness Sophia thought that they might encounter in their first meeting never developed. Luke was still Luke. It was a big relief to her to find that the pal she could always rely on hadn’t changed too much except to become a confident, gorgeous hunk of a man. She was happy to spend this time with him and Sophia let down her guard to converse with him easily.
Now he sat on the far end of the parlor sofa at an angle facing her, with the heel of one boot resting across his knee, sipping iced tea. He wore faded Wrangler jeans and a blue chambray shirt that was equally faded. His smile and the warmth in his eyes were still the same, though clearly Luke had grown out of his gangly, awkward stage.
“I miss Mama so much, Luke. For so many years it was us against the world. And now that she’s gone, I’m a little lost.”
“Consider yourself found, honey. Sunset Ranch is your home now.”
Luke leaned forward and as his work-hardened hands covered hers, she glanced down at their entwined fingers, thankful for his friendship. Luke had always understood her. He’d always had her back. He’d been a good friend, even when they were younger and it wasn’t considered cool to have a girl as a friend. Luke had held his own. And as Sophia gave his hand a deliberate squeeze, returning the solace, she waited for a spark to ignite between them. She waited for her palms to sweat. She waited for a tingle.
Seconds ticked by.
Nothing. Not a twinge. No fire.
She’d always wondered whether she’d feel differently about Luke if she were to return to Sunset Ranch. She’d wondered if there would be something more.
She released his hand and lifted her lashes slowly to meet his gaze. Luke had a grin plastered on his face. Clearly he had read her thoughts and had been wondering the same thing. Even though warmth crept up her neck, there was no tension between them. And that was the problem.
“You are a knockout, Sophia, that’s for sure.”
“You’re cowboy eye candy, Luke.”
Dubious, he gave a shake of his head, and then each of them threw their heads back and laughed.
Just like when they were kids.
They were friends, period. That much was reestablished and Sophia was glad of that. There was no reason to complicate her life right now anyway. She’d been put through the wringer these past few years, marrying an older man who’d offered to help provide for her mother’s medical treatments and praying for a miracle to save her mother’s life. She hadn’t come out of it unscathed, either. She’d paid a dear price for her high hopes and naïveté.
“Thank you, Luke. You always know how to make me feel better.”
He gave her a wink. “Glad to oblige. So what’s your game plan?”
“Well,” she said, leaning back against the sofa. The chintz material gave underneath her, the cushions fitting her bottom as she curled her legs under her dress and got comfortable. “I hope to make a smooth transition with Ruth Polanski and take over the reins soon. Ruth thinks I’ll be ready by the end of next week. I have my doubts.” She tilted her head to one side, keeping accusation out of her tone. “And thanks for the heads-up, by the way, buster. You didn’t mention that I’d be replacing her as manager.”
Luke’s beautiful blue eyes rounded innocently. “I didn’t think it would be a problem. She’s been itching to retire.”
“Yes, I found that out the hard way. Your brother led me to believe I’d have to fire Ruth in order to take my position at the lodge.”
Luke stared at her for a full five seconds, then rubbed the back of his neck. “Ah, hell.”
Sophia let go a heavy sigh.
“Logan was messing with you,” Luke said.
“But it wasn’t done in jest.”
Luke leaned forward to put his glass of tea down on the stone cocktail table. “Don’t let him get to you, Sophia. He’s got a burr up his butt about what happened in the past. He’ll come around soon enough.”
“Do you really believe that?” Sophia heard the hope in her own voice. All she wanted to do was live peacefully at Sunset Ranch. She didn’t expect Logan to welcome her with open arms, but if he would simply not stand in her way, or better yet, just ignore her, she’d consider it a victory.
Small lines around Luke’s eyes crinkled as he winced. “Honestly? Not really. At least not anytime soon. He’s more stubborn than I am.”
She remembered the arguments she’d had with Luke when they were growing up. He rarely backed down from anything if he thought he had right on his side. “That’s saying something,” Sophia muttered.
“Hey!”
She smiled. “Just speaking from memory. I’m sure you’re more reasonable now.”
“Damn straight I am. I mean, I wasn’t stubborn so much as I was right and I’ve always been reasonable.”
Sophia
