Read Online Sunset Surrender by Charlene Sands - Free Book Online Page B

only imagined his concern?
    “You should go now.”
    He looked at her sprawled out on the sofa and inhaled sharply, as if the idea of bathing with her hadn’t been a joke. “Yeah, I was thinking that same thing.”
    “Th-thank you for driving me home,” she said through tight lips that didn’t want to form the words. “And for...for helping me tonight.”
    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
    C onstance 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