Chapter Two

Fly Creek Hospital at three thirty in the morning was everything Sofie imagined and dreaded. Small, a tad bit on the antiquated side, and practically a ghost town. She shifted in the hard plastic chair and told herself everything was fine. The initial rush of panic had subsided, and with every little resurgence, she—or more often her sidekick—had managed to squash it enough that she could breathe. A heady feat, given that breathing was a challenge on a good day in her condition.

A bottle of water appeared in her line of vision, and she looked at her would-be rescuer. “Thank you.”

He’d spent the whole ten-minute ride reassuring her and talking her down from any number of scenarios cycling through her mind. It wasn’t until they were pulling into the small parking lot in front of the rather squat brick building that it dawned on her those reassurances had been as much for him as they’d been for her.

“I’m sorry, in all this excitement I never asked your name.”

He spun the tan hat in his hands. “Dan. Dan Rigby.”

“Thank you, Mr. Rigby.” She swallowed the rest of her statement. If she’d learned anything about herself, it was that occasionally she needed to exercise restraint. Reminding the nice cowboy that had he seen fit to move the cows rather than snoozing, then perhaps she might not have fallen wouldn’t help the situation. Nope. Lips zipped.

He settled his long, lean frame into the chair beside her, and Sofie pursed her zipped lips. There were any number of empty seats in the small, ten by ten room. Really, was it too much to give the beached whale some room?

“Sofie Pennington?”

Sofie couldn’t contain her sigh of relief as she attempted to push up from the chair. Strong, warm hands gripped her elbow and gave the added boost she needed. She noticed the nurse eyed her rescuer with a little more of a gleam than a nurse-patient relationship called for. She couldn’t blame her—as much as Sofie had tried not to notice, it was impossible to miss how attractive he was.

“Dan. Surprised to see you here. Would have thought you’d be bunked down for the night.”

The cowboy beside her tensed up, his grip on her elbow, while not harmful, definitely tighter than it had been two seconds before. Clearly, he wanted nothing to do with whatever Nurse Pretty was peddling. Deeming it only fair, Sofie arched her back and shuffled forward, breaking the stare-off.

The nurse quickly shifted her gaze to Sofie’s looming frame and smiled. “This way.”

As she reached the doorway, she glanced over her shoulder at her cowboy rescuer to find his shoulders slumping. He took a deep breath and smiled at her. To her surprise, she smiled back and dipped her head before moving on into the hallway.

An hour and several emphatic reassurances from the young doctor later, Sofie signed her final form and maneuvered her way back to the waiting room. She figured she would call Emily and have her come pick her up. Not exactly the surprise arrival she’d planned for her sister, but damn near close enough.

Rounding the sterile wall, she stopped short, gripping the doorway, as her distended stomach hadn’t got the memo to halt quite so fast. “What are you still doing here?”

Shifting his tall frame, Dan stood and smiled. “I figured since you’re new here, and your car was left with a bunch of cows, that you would need a ride.”

Sofie crossed her arms, not missing the drop in his gaze. She ignored her breathlessness—after all, being eight months pregnant didn’t exactly scream “sexy,” or “take me now, cowboy.”

“What makes you think I’m new?”

“Seriously?” He laughed and fitted his hat to his head.

She narrowed her gaze, stopping short of stomping her foot like a three-year-old. She’d managed to convince herself that she’d handled things perfectly well this evening. She’d even braved a group of smelly cows and lived to tell the tale.

“Where to begin?” Dan ticked off his fingers. “First, this is Fly Creek. We know everyone—who they know, who they’ve kissed, who’s coming to town and why. Second, your clothes scream “This is what I think I should be wearing in the cold” but really do nothing but allow every ounce of the Wyoming winter to filter through. Third, you thought I could move a herd of cows. Fourth—”

“Okay, okay, I get it. Fine. A ride to my car would be nice,” she said. Lord, she would never live this down. Dan’s lips twitched, but he managed to contain his smirk. Still, those twitchy lips sent awareness shooting through her, and she gripped the doorjamb to keep from swooning.

The sooner she got to her car, the better. The last thing she needed in her life was a cocky cowboy with a savior complex.

Dan didn’t know what to make of the woman—Sofie, he now knew—next to him, humming to herself while rubbing her stomach. She was so far out of her element it was comical, and yet, she exuded a serene confidence. Like she was determined to handle anything and damn anyone who got in her way.

And she had made it through the cattle.

“So, what brings you to Wyoming?” The “at three in the morning,” he left unspoken.

It was not quite dawn, when the sun would crease the horizon, but there was just enough predawn light for him to see the calculation in the hazel eyes trained on him.

“My sister,” she finally answered, before turning back to the window and the scenery flying by.

She’d said her last name was Pennington when they met, but he didn’t know any Penningtons in Fly Creek. Of course, she was probably married. But a quick glance at her hand, now absent of gloves, showed slender fingers devoid of any jewelry.

“And your sister’s expecting you?” Another oddity, since, as he told her, visitors to Fly Creek were spread far and wide. Sure, the tourists were mostly unknown, but when family was coming, the residents talked about it.

She shook her head. “I wanted to surprise her for the holidays.”

Dan didn’t doubt that was the truth, but something in her tone and inflection led him to believe that there was a little more than surprise attached to this woman hauling her very pregnant body out in a Wyoming winter.

“So where’s home?”

She shifted in her seat and gripped the pair of gloves in her lap. “Nowhere at the moment, but it used to be Pennsylvania.”

A surge of empathy breached the bench seat of his truck. He knew all about not having a home, of the reason behind the slight quaver in her voice when she confessed to not having one. Was she running from someone? Was she in trouble? And who was her sister?

“Pennsylvania. Hear it’s nice back there, but…” Dan hit his brakes and narrowed his gaze at the brown-haired angel beside him. How had he missed the similarities?

“What’s your problem, Cowboy?”

“Is your sister Emily? Emily Conley?”

She sighed and shifted in her seat. “Yes, why?”

He shook his head. “You should have said so.”

Worried eyes darted to his face. “Why? Is something wrong with her?”

“No. No. It’s just she’s a good friend, and well liked around Fly Creek. I would have taken you straight to her.”

“It was three in the morning. I didn’t plan on waking her. I was going to grab a room at the ranch she talks about all the time and then surprise her in the morning.”

His heartbeat ratcheted up as he realized where she’d been heading. “Sky Lake?”

Sofie rolled her eyes. “Why is everything a shock to you?”

“It isn’t. We just don’t get too many visitors, let alone east-coasters, this time of year.”

“We?”

“I help run Sky Lake.”

“Oh.” She dropped her gaze and fiddled with the edge of her coat.

“Let’s get you settled in a room. I’ll have Gunther bring your car to the ranch instead.”

She shook her head vehemently. “No. No, you’ve done enough already. I’ll take care of it. I’m fine, thank you.”

Dan snorted. She might be as beautiful as an angel, but she was as stubborn as a horse. “Emily would have my hat on a spit if I didn’t take care of her sister.”

“I don’t need anyone to take care of me,” she snapped. Fire sparked from the depths of her pupils, her fists clenched around bunches of her coat.

“Whoa, settle the fur. I’m sure you have everything under control. Only you’re not in Kansas anymore, sweetheart. Let me get you to the ranch, and then you can go on your way however you want.”

He started them moving again, ignoring the muttering going on next to him. At one point, “I’ll show him what I can do with a spit” had him barking out in laughter. Emily’s sister was nothing like her on the outside, but the same backbone of steel he’d seen in his friend flashed loud and clear in his passenger.

They pulled through the stone and iron arch announcing their arrival to Sky Lake. Sofie twisted in her seat to stare. What was she thinking? He took for granted the beauty and majesty of not only Wyoming but the ranch itself. He’d spent his whole life in the area, and yet he’d never felt complete or like he belonged, despite hoping and praying he did. He had a job, friends, and family. What more could he have asked for?

Home. Acceptance. The One.

“Oh,” escaped Sofie’s mouth on a breath. “It’s beautiful.”

The main lodge twinkled before them, the lights little pinpricks reflecting off the small amount of snow they’d received so far. No doubt winter would make up for it soon.

Garlands and wreaths decorated and showcased the stone pillars and large windows. White lights welcomed visitors with an inviting hug. No corner had been left untouched by the Christmas spirit.

Dan circled up to the main entrance, unsurprised when no one came running. Dawn was just about here. Soon, its light and streaks of purple and crimson would spread throughout the trees and ranch, highlighting its elegance and grandeur.

He hopped out and walked around, only to dodge Sofie’s door flying open. Narrowing his gaze, he stepped into the opening and grabbed her hand, easing her down. The warmth of her body next to his spread awareness, even as her scent of oranges and jasmine punched him in the face. Guilt followed on its heels.

Lord, she was pregnant, more than likely married, and she was Emily’s sister. There was nothing conducive to being attracted to a feisty angel. Especially when he was leaving, and he bet a dozen of Laney Bowler’s tarts that she was here to stay. You didn’t run from one end of the country to another, unprepared and heavily pregnant, if it was just a quick visit.

“Thank you,” she gritted through her teeth and tugged her hand. He didn’t let go.

One corner of his mouth turned up. “It’s slippery, and those boots are a fall waiting to happen. We just got you cleared. I’m not letting go until you’re inside.”

Again with the muttering, but she allowed him to steer her up the wide staircase and onto the porch, even if her muscles remained tight and ready to fight. She glanced at the little, potted evergreens interspaced with the homemade rocking chairs.

“Adam made those.”

Sofie stopped. “Emily mentioned he was handy.”

“You’ve never met him?”

“No. I mean, they’ve only been together for a year and a half, and I wasn’t able to get out here until now.” She moved toward one of the chairs and ran her fingers along the twisted edge. “Funny how something so twisted can be beautiful.”

And in that moment, on the wind of the confession, Dan knew Sofie Pennington was running from something.