Kathie DeNosky - Rich, Rugged Ranchers

Logan tiptoed out of the house to keep from waking his parents. His father would not approve of an unsupervised visit to a horse new to the farm. Stallions were known for erratic behavior, especially in new environments. So Logan was careful not to make a peep as he walked toward the barn and the special stall designated for Champion .

He’d gotten ten feet into the huge barn when he’d heard whispers in the dark .

How he’d wished he’d turned around and run home .

But instead, he’d hidden outside of the tack room and listened .

“I need you in my life, Louisa. You’re the only woman I’ve ever loved.”

It was his father’s voice .

Panicked now, Logan couldn’t move. Curiosity and disbelief kept him glued in place .

His father was talking to Louisa Montrose, the manager of Sunset Lodge .

“I love you, too , mi amor,” Lousia whispered. “I want you with me always.”

Logan’s ears burned as he heard their soft sighs and passionate moans. It wasn’t so dark that Logan couldn’t peer through the slits in the wood and see his father sprawled over Louisa on the tack room cot, kissing her, making little sounds of pleasure whisper from her lips .

“You know why I married her, Louisa. It was a merger of our families’ land,” he said. “And she was pregnant with Logan.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Louisa said on a breath. “It doesn’t matter.”

Logan snapped his eyes opened. Reliving that memory never brought him any peace. Why would it? That night, Logan had been shocked and felt a keen overwhelming sense of loss. Everything he’d believed about his life was a lie. His father had been a scoundrel. He’d married for business reasons. He’d married because he’d gotten a woman pregnant. With that notion came great heartache. Logan’s birth had been an accident. They hadn’t wanted him. But even more than that, the man Logan had come to love, admire and idolize wasn’t who he thought him to be.

Logan had caught his father in the act of adultery fifty yards from where his mother slept.

Not a pretty sight for a boy on the threshold of manhood.

That memory put him on edge. Why in hell did Ward have to mention his father tonight? Logan rose from his seat and roamed aimlessly around the house. His restlessness unnerved him as the images of his father and Louisa Montrose played over and over in his mind.

He spotted Sophia’s black-sequined wrap lying across the entryway table. She’d left the party without it. On impulse, he picked it up and brought it to his nose, taking in the exotic scent that was uniquely hers. Logan closed his eyes for a moment, savoring the fragrance. Then, without hesitation and with her wrap clutched in his hand, he strode out the front door.

Tonight, not even Logan’s sharpest sense of warning could stop him from seeking Sophia out.

Sophia parked her car in the driveway and breathed a big sigh of relief. She was finally home. She’d had a long, tiring day and she was glad it was over. The party had gone as planned. Ruth’s husband had driven the grandkids home and Sophia had offered to drop Ruth back off at her house. On the way, Ruth had gushed again at how much she’d appreciated the party and how grateful she was to Sophia for all the work she’d put into it.

Sophia appreciated being appreciated and she was also glad to have made a dear friend in Ruth. After this weekend, Sophia would be managing Sunset Lodge by herself. Luckily, as her friend had reminded her, Ruth was only a phone call away if she needed advice.

With her body dragging, Sophia exited her car. She was ready for a hot shower and a good night’s sleep. She’d earned it this week.

Stepping from the pavement onto the flowery path toward her front door, she heard a noise. Footsteps crunching on spring leaves. She whipped around. Knotted in fear, she focused her attention on the source of the sound. It was coming from behind a row of pink azalea bushes on the side of the cottage. Straining her eyes to see beyond the porch lamp’s circle of light, she couldn’t make out anything in the dark. Her heart beat wildly. Crazy thoughts entered her head. She imagined someone darting out from the bushes to attack her. A madman was after her. He’d followed her from Las Vegas. He knew her every move.

Sophia couldn’t get inside the house fast enough. She fumbled with the key. It fell from her shaky hands and pinged onto the brick porch. “Oh, no.”

She scrambled to pick it up and out of the corner of her eye she saw another movement, a tall shadow that crossed into the lamplit path from the opposite direction of the azalea bushes. Fear immobilized her as she struggled to make sense of it. Fleeting questions rushed through her mind. Were they coming at her from two different directions? Steeling her nerves, she vowed she wouldn’t be a helpless victim. She whirled around, ready to take a swing, ready to defend herself, ready to scream. She opened her mouth, her arm raised for a fight.

“Sophia?” Logan’s questioning voice broke through her panic. She saw his Stetson first, as he approached from out of the shadows and into the light.

A dire gasp of relief escaped her throat. “Logan?” Slowly, she slumped against the front door, her legs shaking so badly she could barely stand. The door did a good job of keeping her upright. “Thank God, it’s you.”

“You look white as a sheet,” he said softly, as if she were a child. “What’s got you so scared?”

Tears welled in her eyes. She put her hand to her mouth and shook her head.

“Did someone hurt you?”

She continued to shake her head. “I’m f-fine. I, uh … What are you doing here?”

He held out the sequined wrap she’d worn to the party. “You left this.”

“I didn’t hear your car pull up.”

“I walked over.”

Sophia didn’t respond.

“You’re shaking like a leaf.” He took the key she was gripping for dear life out of her hand and inserted it into the lock. “Let’s get you inside the house.”

Sophia managed to step out of his way, and once he opened the door he put his hand to her back and guided her to the parlor sofa. “Have a seat.”

Sophia obeyed him automatically. She was still trembling as she sank into the cushions. She closed her eyes and inhaled a quiet breath to calm down. She was safe. Logan was here. The cushions gave way when he took a seat on the opposite end of the sofa.

“What happened out there?”

Sophia snapped her eyes open at his serious tone. All softness was gone from his voice. Leaning forward with elbows braced on his knees, he turned his head to face her.

“I want the truth.”

Despite her distracted mind, the insult registered. He believed that she was accustomed to lying to him and this time he demanded she speak with honesty. But she couldn’t do battle with him tonight over his remark. She was comforted to have him here. “The truth is, I thought someone was out there. I heard a noise by the azaleas.”

“Go on.”

Sophia looked away from him.

“There’s got to be more than that. You’ve lived on this ranch before. You know there’s dozens of species of animals that could make noises in the bushes before scurrying away. When I arrived, you said, ‘Thank God, it’s you.’ Has someone been bothering you?”

“Besides you?” She smiled sweetly but his frown said he didn’t find any humor in her statement. “Sorry. I was actually relieved that you showed up when you did.”

“Now I know something’s wrong. You’re never glad to see me. Tell me.”

Sophia sighed. She didn’t want to get into this with Logan, but her fear was very real tonight and judging by the look on his face, he wasn’t going anywhere without an explanation. “I’ve received three notes on my doorstep,” she began, and then recounted the incidents that had happened since she’d moved to the cottage. When Logan questioned her further, Sophia had no choice but to explain about the similar incidents in Las Vegas.