Page 134 of Her Boss, Her Rancher: Sunrise On The Ranch

“Sorry to interrupt, Bella. I have something to tell you. I hope it doesn’t ruin your sleep.”

“What sleep? I don’t usually indulge. So what’s up?”

“Today the car valet at my condo building said some guy approached him with a picture of you. I got Travis his job at the parking garage, so out of loyalty he didn’t say a word, even though the guy offered him a hefty bribe for any information regarding your whereabouts.”

“Oh, no.” Bella’s heart pounded hard.

“Yeah, I know. Crazy, isn’t it? Travis is going to get a nice bonus from me, that’s for sure. But there’s more. Your father has been personally calling my office. He’s left a few messages today and I finally had the receptionist tell him I’m out of town. I don’t know how long I can get away with that. But even if he finds me, I’ll play dumb. He has no idea that we’ve been in touch. But I’ll say one thing—it’s a blessing that you’re way out there on the ranch, Bella. It’s probably the last place your father would ever look for you.”

“I hope so.” But she wasn’t entirely convinced. Her father didn’t give up on something when he wanted it badly enough. And now she felt the walls closing in on her. She didn’t know if she should leave town or stay put for a while to see if things died down.

She bit her lip hard to keep tears from falling. Except for baby Sienna and her best friend Amy, she didn’t trust a soul in the world, and that was a very lonely place to be. “Thanks for letting me know.”

“Oh, Bella. You’re upset. I’m sorry, honey.”

“No, I’m glad you told me. I’ll have to be very careful from now on.”

“Honestly, I think it’s going to be okay. There’s no way he can trace you to Stone Ridge Ranch. And I’m certainly not going to tell him what I know. But just to be extra careful, I don’t think I should visit you. We probably shouldn’t see each other for a while.”

“No, probably not.” Her heart plummeted. She’d been looking forward to seeing her best friend soon, but Sienna had to come first. Bella had to be beyond cautious now. “I’m bummed about that.”

“Me, too.”

“Amy, thanks for everything. I don’t know what I would do without you. You’re the best friend a girl could have.”

“Ditto to you, Bella. We’ll talk soon. Now, try to get some sleep, okay?”

“Okay.”

“’Bye for now.”

Three hours later Bella was downstairs in the kitchen. She’d fallen into an exhausted sleep and now she was wide-awake and jittery, Amy’s call a few hours ago having thrown her into a tizzy. The best way to remedy her anxiety was to dive right into work. When she was cooking and planning out new recipes, she’d get caught up in the moment and forget her troubles.

From the refrigerator, she grabbed a big loaf of sourdough bread, two cheeses, a slab of bacon, a slice of thick ham and a carton of eggs. She was grateful Marie had stocked up on the groceries she’d requested the other day. She had plenty to work with now.

She buttered a casserole dish and then, wielding her new chef’s knife, began cutting off the crust on six slices of bread. At the sound of footsteps approaching, she lifted her head, and her stomach did a little flip as Jared walked into the kitchen. He was rubbing his head, making chunks of his blond hair stick up at odd angles. His mussed, drowsy-eyed look did a number on her already raw nerves.

“Hey,” he said quietly. “Didn’t think you’d be up tonight. You seemed pretty tired after dinner last night.”

After she’d served dessert and said goodbye to Cooper and Lauren, she’d dashed upstairs with Sienna. That kiss, though chaste, combined with Jared’s compliments, had ignited something in her that could spell trouble. And she had more than enough trouble right now.

“I was. But my body clock said it was time to get up and so here I am. How about you?”

“Same old. Can’t seem to get comfortable in bed.” He glanced at her workstation. “What are you making tonight?”

“Your breakfast.”

“Really? What is it?”

“Kind of a cheesy egg soufflé. It’s really rich, but I’m trying to cut down on the fat content.”

“With bacon and ham? Sounds like my kind of dish.”

“Hold on, buster, I’m not puttingallof this into the dish. Bacon and ham will be added for flavor. And I’m going to cut the eggs down to three whites and three whole eggs.”

“Okay, so burst my bubble. Want some milk?” he asked, heading to the refrigerator.

She shook her head. “No, but please leave it out. I need some for the recipe.”