A Miracle for the Confident Cowboy (Love in Sweet Bloom)

Chapter 13

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

It wasn’t that Sophie didn’t have a good time when she went out with Duke. She did. The night had nearly been perfect.

Nearly.

She stood by what she’d said. Duke was pretty much perfect. It wasn’t until he’d snapped at her fan that Sophie had noticed he harbored a little bit of jealousy. In small doses, jealousy could be a good thing—if it could be controlled.

To be fair, Duke had put up with a lot of her fans coming out of the woodwork all evening. He’d had to stand back as she spoke to them, took pictures with them, and allowed them to blur the lines between professionalism and being too flirtatious. Sophie couldn’t blame Duke for getting frustrated. That was why she was choosing to ignore what had happened.

Their relationship was too new. Anything could happen from this point forward. Heck, if her deal with those international restaurants went through, she’d be leaving the country for who knew how long.

Her stomach dropped as she sat at her computer and considered what would happen to her growing relationship with Duke. He hadn’t been shy about his opinions about long distance relationships. If a family’s relationship couldn’t remain strong, then how could she expect him to try to maintain a romantic relationship with someone up until a few weeks ago he couldn’t stand to be around?

No, that wasn’t correct. According to Duke, he’d fallen for her fast and hard. She shook her head, placing her head in her hands as she waited for the email her manager said she’d be sending this morning. It was still so hard to believe—to converge the man she thought she’d known with the man he claimed to be.

An alert popped up on her screen along with the little whistle that came with it. Sophie pushed aside the concerns. She didn’t need to worry about Duke. He was still every bit the man she knew. Sophie clicked on the notification, opening her email. And as far as she was concerned, she wasn’t going anywhere any time soon. It was more than a reach for her to believe that Michelin restaurants would be interested in her blog—laughable really. What did she have to offer them? Her blog was more about shedding light on what happens behind the scenes. Most restaurants didn’t like sharing their recipes, either.

Her whole body froze as her eyes traced over the words she’d read a second time and then a third.

Sophie, you’re never going to believe it! I’m sorry I couldn’t call to get you this information and hear your reaction, I’m currently in a meeting. I shouldn’t even be emailing you right now, so don’t tell anyone at my firm. There are ten restaurants in Europe that want to be showcased on your blog. I don’t know how you did, it sis, but you did! TEN! Can you believe it? That’s going to give you a good two and a half months of travel per your preferences of visiting one location a week. And don’t cap it at that. I’m still getting responses trickling in. So far, only five have turned us down.

Sophie sucked in a breath, her lungs aching from holding her breath. This couldn’t be real. The rest of the email had a list of the restaurants that had agreed and her manager would begin putting together a schedule.

She settled back in her seat. Two and a half months with the list growing. She’d told her manager to reach out to everyone who might be interested in working with her, but she would have never imagined that so many would respond.

The ache in her chest shifted to something different. It wasn’t anxiety. It wasn’t worry or concern. But it felt too erratic to be exhilaration. Maybe it was a combination of it all. She sucked in another breath then let out a laugh as she jumped up from her seat and did a little dance around the room. She was going to Europe! The food, the sights, the sounds, all of the experiences she was going to have would only add to the following she had already developed. She’d have so much to share with her readers! This was a dream come true. She had to tell Duke.

All at once her excitement drained from her body and her legs crumbled beneath her. Thankfully, she was close enough to a chair that she caught herself before hitting the floor.

Duke.

What would he say when he found out she’d be leaving for three months? She’d told Rob and Pippa that if she got this gig, she’d want to go sightseeing, too. This was the opportunity of a lifetime.

But now the deliciousness of happiness was completely devoured by a deep-seeded ache of the unknown. Her legs trembled. This wasn’t the reaction she’d been expecting from a relationship that was still so new. Maybe that was the problem. What she had with Duke had so much potential—limitless, really. If she walked away now, there was no telling what she’d be missing out on.

The more she thought about it, the more she really knew. Duke wouldn’t wait for her. He wouldn’t try to make something long distance work. He’d told her his opinion of her career and despite being told that was what ticked her off in the first place, he’d never verbally taken it back. An opinion like that wasn’t going to change just like that—not even with an opportunity like this one.

She nibbled on her lower lip, letting all her dismal thoughts pull her under, making it hard to breathe again. Duke was going to think it was selfish—or at least he was going to tell her it wasn’t worth risking what they’d found.

That chemistry.

Her blood heated at the thought of that kiss they’d shared.

Sophie moved to her desk and picked up her phone. Rather than emailing her manager, she shot off a single text.

Sophie: How long do I have to think about it?

She stared at the message for what felt like an eternity before she sent it off. The response was almost immediate.

Bernadette: What’s there to think about?

Sophie winced. She should have known better than to send this message via text. A call would have been better. But she also knew that projects like this had timelines that needed to be etched in stone far sooner than later.

Sophie: So I can talk to my family about it before I make a decision.

The wait was longer this time. Sophie stared at the screen, waiting for her manager to start typing. She had said she was in a meeting, but clearly it wasn’t as important as she’d made it sound. The next message was just as short and Sophie could imagine the clipped tone in her manager’s voice.

Bernadette: The end of the month.

It felt like the air had been sucked out of the room. That was barely a couple weeks. Of course they wanted to know as soon as possible. Sophie tossed her phone aside as she struggled with what she needed to do. Any normal person would tell Duke that this was a career changing event and they were going to chase their dreams.

But what if Sophie’s dreams included a certain cowboy?

She groaned. One week wasn’t nearly enough time to figure this out and she certainly couldn’t make the decision on her own. She needed to talk to Duke.

Her heart hammered with trepidation. They’d grown so close so quickly and she didn’t want either one of them hurt. But she wasn’t about to keep this from him. He needed to know.

She heaved a sigh then picked up her phone again.

Sophie: Can I see you today?

Duke: My place or yours?

She smiled and a sense of peace seemed to flood her insides. She was making this out to be more than it really was. He’d understand. He had to. If he cared about her as much as he’d insisted, then he’d give her some advice and they’d work it out.

Sophie: Yours.

Pippa would be livid if she didn’t get a call about this news the second Sophie had heard, so that was the next person she called. Sophie dialed the number with glee. She wouldn’t tell Pippa that she hadn’t decided yet. For now, all Pippa had to know was that something was in the works.

Sophie waited beside her car, the nervous energy in her body flowing like an electrical current. There was no use trying to hide the nervous smile she wore on her face. The first person she’d thought of sharing her news with would be coming out to see her any second and she’d be able to celebrate. All she wanted to do was crow her news out loud.

Until she saw him coming toward her, face etched with worry.

Her stomach dropped. The only reason why Duke would look upset right now was because he heard the news. Pippa would tell Rob. That was a given. Sophie’s brother never picked up the phone when Sophie called during the day, but she was sure he would for his wife. Sophie didn’t mind—or she wouldn’t have if he hadn’t said anything to Duke.

Unease and frustration spilled over her excitement, diffusing it until it fizzled into the dirt at her feet completely. She moved toward him. This would be okay. She would make sure it was okay.

“Duke, I?—”

“Gus is missing.”

Her apology for not telling him about her job offer died in her throat. The desperation in his eyes said it all. “Oh no. What happened?”

He shrugged and glanced over his shoulder at the building most of the wranglers were housed. “He was inside this morning when I went out for the day. But he wasn’t there when I got back.”

“He stays in most of the time. How would he get out?” she asked already moving toward the building. “Most cats know their way around a ranch?—”

Duke’s hand caught hers. “He’s wandered before, but he’s always been back by the time dinner rolls around. He never misses a meal.”

Sophie’s heart lurched. She didn’t know what she would do if Daisy had ever gotten out or went missing. Daisy was her whole world—or she had been until Sophie had opened her heart to Duke. She swallowed hard, not knowing what to say. “Where have you looked?” She’d never seen him this upset. It looked like his heart had been ripped from his chest and thrown on the ground.

“Just around here.”

“You don’t think he would have wandered into the bushes and fallen asleep, do you? Maybe he went out hunting for mice in the fields.”

“I hope not,” Duke muttered, raking a hand through his hair. When she gave him a startled look, he explained. “There have been some coyote sightings. Gus might have an attitude, but he wouldn’t know what to do with himself if he came up against a wild coyote.”

She squeezed his hand. “Let’s get some horses saddled and head out on the trails. Bring some of his favorite food and we’ll call out for him. I’m sure he couldn’t have gone far.”

He nodded and they made a beeline for the barn, her news dragging on her. Duke was devastated. He didn’t have the mental capacity to hear her out and help her make a decision. He’d lost a member of his family and all he needed from Sophie was some support.

Besides, there was plenty of time to tell him—sort of. She could tell him after they tracked down Gus and they were reunited. Sophie caught Duke’s eye and offered a reassuring smile. “Cats are resilient.”

“Gus is an old man,” Duke murmured, not an ounce of hope in his voice.

“Even old men can fend for themselves. We’ll find him. I promise.”