Sunset Surrender (18 page)

When he spotted the shed, Logan shut down the engine and parked. He opened the door and the dog scurried over his lap and bounded from the cab racing toward the stream. Logan followed him.

Sophia came into his line of vision first. She sat on a big granite boulder, her leg elevated and her right shoe off. Something squeezed tight in Logan’s heart. He shook with profound relief. He’d never been so glad to see anyone in his life. He’d never experienced the kind of fear that threatened to swallow a man up whole and spit him out in small chunks. He’d never been so sure of anything in his life now, looking at Sophia Montrose and realizing that he’d almost let her slip through his fingers.

Edward approached him, his head downcast, a guilty look on his face.

“What happened, Edward?” he asked, still moving toward the boulder where Sophia sat immobilized.

“Ms. Sophia t-twisted her foot. She c-can’t walk.”

Logan made eye contact with Sophia. Her hair was a mess, her blouse was hanging loose around her skirt and her ankle was twice the size it should be. Raw deep emotion lodged in his throat.

“Why are you out here?” he asked the boy.

Edward shoved his head down again.

“It’s okay, Edward. Tell Logan about the notes,” Sophia said.

Logan blinked and his voice came out gruff and demanding. “Yeah, tell me about the notes.”

Edward stared at the ground. “I t-typed them t-to Ms. Sophia.”

Logan’s deep voice rose from his throat like a big boom.
“You did what?”

Edward’s body visibly shook.

“It’s okay, Logan,” Sophia rushed out, putting silent warning in her tone. “Edward explained it to me. He wasn’t trying to scare me. Just the opposite. He was feeling a little shy about wanting to be my friend. We’ve had a long talk this morning. I put two and two together today when I found another note along with the same purple wildflowers that he’d given his grandmother once. I decided to follow Edward out here so we could talk. But I didn’t expect to step into a gopher hole and twist my foot along the way.”

“Your grandmother is worried sick.” Logan tamped down his fury at the boy. It was clear that Sophia wanted to go easy on Edward. Her expression called for mercy and Logan would take heed. Even youngsters like Edward were smitten with Sophia. The rich old coot had it right.

It was hard not to love Sophia.

He was about to call Luke when his brother’s Chevy Silverado pulled up next to his truck. Luke and Constance got out and Constance ran over to Edward. The boy was nearly squeezed to death with a big grandmotherly hug. Edward gave her his explanation of what had happened and how he’d sent Blackie for help because he didn’t want to leave Sophia alone.

“Luke, take the boy and Constance back to the ranch, will you?” Logan said after all the apologies were made. Sophia made sure Edward’s actions were painted in a better light than he deserved, in Logan’s opinion. And Constance was happy enough to have her grandson back safely. She promised to make sure Edward understood the consequences of what he’d done. Logan thought the boy skated, but his concern now was for Sophia. “And call off the search.”

“Will do.” Luke glanced at Sophia’s injured foot and took a step toward her.

“Luke.” Logan gave his brother a firm warning. “I’ve got this.”

Luke’s gaze darted to Sophia. She sat regally on that boulder, doing a good job of concealing her physical pain with her arms crossed over her body and displeasure curling her mouth. “Sure thing, bro. You just let me know how that works out for you.”

Logan waited for Luke’s engine to roar to life, and the three of them were well on the road before he walked over to Sophia. She eyed him suspiciously and flinched a little when he leaned close to inspect her injured leg. He took it as a good sign that he still made her nervous and at this point; he’d take any crumb she offered.

He pushed his hat back on his head and lifted her ankle gently.

“Ow!”

“Did you hear a snap when you stepped in that gopher hole?” he asked.

“No.”

“Probably just sprained, then.”

She looked away. “Great.”

Logan finished his inspection of her leg and set it down with care.

“You were too easy on the boy.”

“It wasn’t his fault. He honestly had no idea that I’d be frightened by the notes he sent. He’s a shy boy who’s had a rough life and I think he wanted us to be friends.”

“The boy is smitten with you.” He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. “I get that. You have that effect on most men.”

“That’s not true.”

She was being argumentative, and considering that he was her ride back to the ranch, Logan had to give her credit for her feisty attitude. “Let’s say that you’re right and I’m wrong.”

“I am right,” she said with a curt nod as if the subject was closed.

Logan sat his butt down next to her on the boulder. He stretched out his long legs, his boots digging into the earth. The soft purr of the lazy stream flowing by and a few birds flitting from tree to tree filled the silence. “Okay, then it’s just me who thinks you’re a beautiful, smart, kindhearted, hardworking woman with a body that makes me want to cry, and those big—”

“Logan!”

Logan chuckled and the movement knocked his shoulder against hers. “Eyes, Sophia. I was going to say big eyes.”

Sophia didn’t crack a smile. Her face crumpled with confusion. “You’re not making any sense. You don’t think those things about me. You’ve let me know exactly what you think of me, and it doesn’t bear repeating.”

“I know I was scared half out of my mind when I thought you were missing. Horrible thoughts entered my head of a stalker getting to you. I was going a little crazy until I pulled up and saw you on this boulder. I know I wouldn’t have survived if anything had happened to you. I was wrong about you, Sophia.”

“You were cruel to me. Those things you said.”

“I didn’t know you were listening. I said those things to Luke, because...I’ve always been a little jealous of your friendship. And I knew then what I was afraid to admit to myself up until today. I love you, Sophia. I love you so much, it scares me silly.”

Sophia’s ankle throbbed and she thought for certain the pain had gone to her head. She was sure she was hearing things. “You
love
me?”

“I’ve never said those words to a woman before. I’ve never wanted to. I’ve never believed in true love. Until now.”

“So you don’t believe all those awful things about me?”

“If you explain it to me, I’m ready to listen. I’ll believe you, no matter what.”

Sophia didn’t hesitate. She’d wanted to clear the air for a long time. She’d wanted Logan to hear the truth and really have him hear her. “I didn’t marry Gordon for his money, you have to know that. He was a friend and I needed his help.”

Sophia spent the next few minutes explaining about Gordon Gregory and his granddaughter Amanda. She told Logan about the friendship that had developed afterward and how Gordon had offered to help both Louisa and Sophia when they’d had nowhere else to turn.

“I didn’t ask for anything else from Gordon. And I never slept with him, Logan. I never did. That’s why we divorced. After my mother passed, he put pressure on me. He claims he fell in love with me, but I didn’t love him. I never felt that way about him.” She repeated, “I never slept with him.”

“But you slept with me.”

Sophia closed her eyes briefly, taking a leap of faith again because there was nothing left for her to lose. Because everything she wanted was right here in front of her. She placed her faith and trust in Logan one last time. “Yes, I slept with you. I fell in love. Don’t ask me why, Logan. I have no idea why I love you. By all rights I should have fallen in love with Luke. But I don’t feel that way about your brother. He and I are friends. Period.”

Logan turned his body to fully face Sophia. She saw a look in his eyes, the same look Randall Slade had for her mother. The same look that every woman deserved to see in the eyes of the man she loved. “You love me?”

She nodded.

His lips rose in a quick smile and he took her hand, applying sweet pressure. He spoke in a voice steeped with determination. “I don’t want our love to go to waste, Sophia. Not the way our parents’ did. I can’t deny what I feel for you anymore. Ever since that kiss in high school, I think I’ve always known there was something special between us. Something undeniable.”

“I felt it, too,” she whispered. “And I don’t want our love to go to waste, either.”

“Forgive me for being hard on you. I was a fool.”

Hearing Logan admit his past mistakes and ask for her forgiveness was an intoxicating gift from the man she loved. “I think I can forgive you.”

Logan’s arms came around her. Gently he lifted her from the rock and cradled her, taking care with her swollen ankle. He brought his mouth ever so close. “Kiss me, Sophia.”

She smiled. “You won’t think I’m easy?”

“Nothing about you and me is easy, sweetheart.”

She brought her mouth close and brushed her lips over his softly. Tension released from his body, his stance no longer rigidly defensive. The walls of mistrust and suspicion he’d built to protect himself came tumbling down around her until what remained was the rightness of their love.

It was Logan’s ultimate surrender.

The battle was over. The kiss they shared was their beacon, a bright glow of light guiding their way out of the darkness. He loved her and she loved him. It had been complicated between them for most of their lives. But now it was just...simple.

“I love you, Logan Slade.”

He kissed her tenderly and when he spoke his voice was husky and rich with reverence. “Marry me, Sophia. Live with me on Sunset Ranch. Be my partner, my friend, my wife.”

Sophia set her palm on the sharp handsome plane of his cheekbone and gazed deeply into his eyes. “I was never any of those things before, but I want to be everything to you now. Yes, Logan. I’ll marry you.”

Logan smiled, love shining in his eyes. “I’m a lucky man.”

“And I’m a happy woman.”

He took off his Stetson and in one smooth move, placed it on her head, giving it a tug to secure the fit. “I can’t wait to make you a Slade. My father always said you were a woman who’d make a fine wife.”

They were words Sophia never thought she’d hear from Logan.

“Do you think your father set this up?”

Logan contemplated for a moment. “From his grave?”

“No, but maybe before he died? I could never figure out why he was so generous with me in his will. Do you think he wanted me to find love on Sunset Ranch?”

Logan gave the notion some thought. “It’s possible. My dad loved you like a daughter and, Lord above, everyone knew how much he loved the ranch.”

Sophia’s eyes misted with tears. “And his boys. He loved his sons, Logan. Don’t forget that.”

Logan nodded and clear understanding filled his eyes. “Maybe it was his secret wish that you marry a Slade, sweetheart.”

“It would be nice to think so. Can you ever forgive your father, Logan?”

“If he brought you to me I can surely forgive him.”

Sophia smiled and he wiped a tear from her cheek. “Then let’s just believe it as truth.”

“I can do that.”

Something good and long-lasting would come from Randall’s love for Louisa.

And perhaps their love hadn’t been wasted after all.

Sophia clung to that notion as hard and as tight as she held on to her cowboy.

With Logan’s love surrounding her, she could finally call Sunset Ranch...home.

* * * * *

Keep reading for an excerpt from
One Winter’s Night
by Brenda Jackson

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One

A blistering cold day in early November

I
t had snowed overnight and a thick white blanket seemed to cover the land as far as the eye could see. The Denver weather report said the temperature would drop to ten below by midday and would stay that way through most of the night. It was the kind of cold you could feel deep in your bones, the kind where your breath practically froze upon exhale.

He loved it.

Riley Westmoreland opened the door to his truck and, before getting inside, paused to take in the land he owned.
Riley's Station
was the name he'd given his one-hundred-acre spread seven years ago, on his twenty-fifth birthday. He had designed the ranch house himself and had helped in the building of it, proudly hammering the first nail into the lumber. He was mighty pleased with the massive two-story structure that sat smack in the center of his snow-covered land.

He was probably the only one in his family who welcomed the snowstorms each year. He thought the snow was what made Denver the perfect place to be in the winter and why his home had fireplaces in all five of the bedrooms, as well as in the living room and family room. There was nothing like curling up before a roaring fire or looking out the window to see the snowflakes fall from the sky, something he'd been fascinated with even as a child. He could recall being out in the thick snow with his brothers and cousins building snowmen. These days he enjoyed moving around the mountains on his snowmobile or going skiing in Aspen.

Riley got into the truck and after settling his body on the leather seat he snapped the seat belt in place. There really was no need for him to go into the office since he could work from home. But he had wanted to get out, breathe in the cold, fresh air and feel the chill in his bones. Besides, he did have an important appointment at noon.

Since his oldest brother, Dillon, had slowed down now that his wife, Pam, was close to her delivery date, a lot of the projects on Dillon's plate at their family-owned business, Blue Ridge Land Management, fell on Riley's shoulders since he was the next man in charge of the Fortune 500 company. The next thing on the agenda was the planning of the employees' holiday party next month.

The event planner that had handled their social functions for the past ten years had retired and before Riley had taken over the project, Dillon had hired Imagine, a local event planning company that opened in town less than a year ago. The owner of Imagine, a woman by the name of Alpha Blake, had put together a charity event that Dillon's wife, Pam, had attended over the summer. Pam had been so impressed with all the detailed work Imagine had done that she passed the woman's name to Dillon. As far as Riley was concerned, you couldn't come any more highly recommended than that. Dillon trusted his wife's judgment in all things.

Riley was about to start the ignition when his cell phone buzzed. He pulled the phone off his side belt. “Yes?”

“Mr. Westmoreland?”

He lifted a brow, not recognizing the ultrarich, feminine voice but definitely liking how it sounded. He figured this had to be a business call since none of the women he dated would refer to him as “Mr. Westmoreland.”

“Yes, this is Riley Westmoreland. How can I help you?”

“This is Alpha Blake. We have a noon appointment at your office, but I have a flat tire and had to pull off to the side of the road. Unfortunately, I'm going to be late.”

He nodded. “Have you called for road service?”

“Yes, and they said they should be here in less than thirty minutes.”

Don't count on it,
he thought, knowing how slow road service could be this time of the year. “Where's your location, Ms. Blake?”

“I'm on Winterberry Road, about a mile from the Edgewater intersection. There's a market not far away, but it didn't appear to be open when I drove past earlier.”

“And chances are it won't be open today. Fred Martin owns that market and never opens the day after a bad snowstorm,” he said.

He knew her exact location now. “Look, you're not far from where I am. I'll call my personal road service company to change your tire. In the meantime, I'll pick you up and we can do a lunch meeting at McKay's instead of meeting at my office, since McKay's is closer. And afterward, I can take you back to your car. The tire will be changed by then.”

“I—I don't want to put you to any trouble.”

“You won't. I know you and Dillon have gone over some ideas for the party, but since I'll be handling things from here on out, I need to be briefed on what's going on. Usually my administrative assistant handles such matters, but she's out on maternity leave and this party is too important to hand off to anyone else.”

And what he didn't bother to say because he was certain Dillon had done so already was that this would be the fortieth anniversary of the company his father and uncle had founded. This was not just a special event for the employees, but was important to everyone in the Westmoreland family.

“All right, if you're sure it won't be an inconvenience,” she said, breaking into his thoughts.

“It won't be, and I'm on my way.”

* * *

Alpha Blake tightened her coat around her, feeling totally frustrated. What did a person who had been born in sunny Florida know about the blistering cold of Denver, especially when it had snowed all night and the roads and everything else were covered with white?

But she was so determined to keep her noon appointment with Riley Westmoreland that she'd made a mess of things. Not only would she be late for their appointment, but because of her flat tire they would have to change the location of the meeting and Mr. Westmoreland would be the one driving her there. This was totally embarrassing when she had been trying to make a good impression. Granted, she'd already been hired by Dillon Westmoreland, but when his secretary called last week to say that she would be working with the next man in charge at Blue Ridge, namely Dillon's brother, Riley, she had felt the need to make a good impression on him, as well.

She turned up the heat in her car. Even with a steady stream of hot air coming in through the car vents, she still felt cold, too cold, and wondered if she would ever get used to the Denver weather. Of course it was too late to think about that now. It was her first winter here, and she didn't have any choice but to grin and bear it. When she'd moved, she'd felt that getting as far away from Daytona Beach as she could was essential to her peace of mind, although her friends thought she needed to have her head examined. Who in her right mind would prefer blistering cold Denver to sunny Daytona Beach? Only a person wanting to start a new life and put a painful past behind her.

Her attention was snagged when an SUV pulled off the road to park in front of her. The door swung open and long, denim-clad, boot-wearing legs appeared before a man stepped out of the truck and glanced her way. She met his gaze through the windshield and couldn't help the heart-piercing moment when she literally forgot to breathe. Walking toward her car was a man who was so dangerously masculine, so heart-stoppingly virile, that her brain went momentarily numb.

He was tall, and the Stetson on his head made him appear taller. But his height was secondary to the sharp handsomeness of the features beneath the brim of his hat. There was the coffee-and-cream color of his skin, his piercing dark brown eyes, a perfectly shaped nose, his full lips and a sculpted chin.

And she couldn't bypass his shoulders, massive and powerful-looking. It was hard to believe, with the temperature being what it was, that he seemed comfortable braving the harsh elements with a cowhide jacket instead of a heavy coat. It was in the low teens, and he was walking around like it was in the high sixties.

Her gaze slid all over him as he moved his long limbs toward her vehicle in a walk that was so agile and self-assured, she almost envied the confidence he exuded with every step. Her breasts suddenly peaked, and she could actually feel blood rushing through her veins. She didn't have to guess about what was happening to her, but still, she was surprised. This was the first time she'd reacted to a man since her breakup with Eddie.

The man made it to her car and tapped on the window. She all but held her breath as she pressed the button to roll it down. “Riley Westmoreland?” She really didn't have to ask since he favored his brother, Dillon.

“Yes. Alpha Blake?” he responded, offering her his hand through the open window while looking at her with what she thought was cool and assessing interest.

“Yes.” She took his hand and even through her leather gloves, she thought it felt warm. “Glad to meet you, Mr. Westmoreland.”

“Riley,” he corrected, smiling, and she felt her insides melt. He had a gorgeous pair of eyes. Dark and alluring. “The pleasure is all mine,” he added. “I've only heard exceptional things about you and your work. Both Dillon and Pam speak highly of you, Alpha. I hope it's okay for me to call you Alpha.”

“Thank you, and yes, that's fine.”

“I've made all the arrangements with my road service. Keep your emergency lights on and leave your car keys under your seat,” he said, taking a step back so she could get out of the vehicle.

She nervously gnawed her bottom lip. “Will it be safe to do that?”

He chuckled. “Yes, days like this keep thieves inside.” He opened the car door for her. “Ready to get inside my truck?”

“Yes.” She placed her key under the seat and then grabbed her purse and messenger bag. Tightening her coat around her, she walked quickly to the side of his truck. He was there to open the door and she appreciated finding the inside warm and cozy. It smelled like him, a scent that was masculine and sexy. She blushed, wondering why she was thinking such things, especially about a man she would be working for.

He closed the door just seconds before his cell phone rang, and she looked at the outside mirror as he spoke on the phone while moving around the front of the truck to get in the driver's side.

Opening the door, he climbed inside and proceeded to adjust the seat to accommodate his long legs before snapping his seat belt in place. The call had ended. He put his phone away and glanced over at her with a smile. She thought she would melt right then and there. “Warm?” he asked in a voice that was throatier than anything she'd ever heard.

If only you knew,
she fought back saying. Instead her response was a simple “Yes. Thanks for asking.”

“No problem.” He then glanced into the rearview mirror before easing the truck onto the road.

* * *

The ensuing silence gave Riley the impression the woman was shy. And with her wrapped in a bulky coat and standing no more than five foot three, he figured she was probably short and stocky. He preferred tall, slender and curvy, but she had a pretty face that was eye-catching. She was definitely a looker. That had been the first thing he'd noticed. He was a sucker for a pretty face each and every time.

Deciding he didn't like the silence, he reached out and switched on the CD player. Immediately the soulful sound of Jill Scott filled the air. After a few moments, he concluded the music was not enough. To get a dialogue started, he asked conversationally, “I understand you're from Florida. What brought you to Denver?”

She tilted her head to look at him, and the first thing he noticed was her eyes. They were a chocolate brown and oval in shape. Then he was drawn to her hair, a beautiful shade of brown. The thick strands touched her shoulders and curled at the end. The coloring, whether natural or from a bottle, was perfect for her smooth, cocoa-colored complexion. And then there was that cute dimple in her chin, which was there even when she bore a serious expression.

“I've never been the adventurous type, but when my godmother passed away and left me enough funds that I could make a career change without going broke, I took advantage of it.”

He nodded. “So what were you doing before you became an event planner?”

“I was a veterinarian.”

“Wow. That was some career change.”

She smiled. “Yes, it was.”

He looked ahead, thinking that if she thought she would not have to explain why someone would stop being a veterinarian to become an event planner, she could think again. “How does a person go from being a vet to becoming a party planner?”

She pushed a lock of hair from her face and said, “Becoming a vet was my parents' idea, and I went along with it.”

“Why?” He couldn't imagine going to college for anything other than what he wanted to do in life. He did, however, know how a person could get their dream career waylaid, as in the case of his cousin, Ramsey.

Ramsey had always wanted to be a sheep rancher, and he'd gone to school to study agricultural economics. The only reason Ramsey had taken a CEO position at Blue Ridge Management after school, instead of going into farming, was to work alongside Dillon to keep the company afloat when their parents had died in a plane crash. But once Ramsey and Dillon had made it into a million-dollar company, Ramsey had turned full management of Blue Ridge over to Dillon to become the sheep rancher he'd always wanted to be.

Riley's truck came to a stop at the traffic light, which gave him the opportunity to glance back over at Alpha just in time to see her gnawing her lips again and fidgeting with a sterling silver Tiffany bracelet on her wrist.
Umm, it seems “why” was another uncomfortable question,
he thought.

“I became a vet mainly to satisfy my parents. They own a veterinary clinic and figured I would join them and make it a family affair. I did so for a year, but discovered my heart just wasn't in it. They knew it, but still, they weren't happy when I decided to switch careers. However, they accepted that being an event planner was my calling when I put together their thirtieth wedding anniversary celebration.”

“Did a good job of it, huh?” he asked.