Midnight in Montana - Chapter 7

Emilio Two days later, Emilio had a late afternoon meeting with Levi and Quinton Kingsley, the two named heirs in Duke Kingsley’s will. The meetings had become routine for him while he was filling in as foreman at Kingsland Ranch. But today, nothing felt routine about being on the grounds where Cassandra Lindgren was staying. Or where she was hiding? Emilio still hadn’t yet learned why she’d left her home to stay at Kingsland Ranch, but he couldn’t forget that Lauryn had intimated Cass’s safety could be at risk. He’d made a point of staying at the foreman’s house on the Kingsland property the last few nights since it was closer to Cass. He’d taken to nocturnal horseback rides too, circling the main house closely enough to ensure there were no strange cars parked nearby. Nothing was amiss. Now, as Emilio took a chair across from Levi Kingsley in the spacious home office still furnished with Duke’s odd Gothic-meets-Western decorating, he could look out the back window and see the pool house along with Cass’s well-worn minivan. He’d thought about her nonstop since he’d confessed what had really happened the night he left their shared foster home. Would she forgive him for leaving? Or had she effectively put him from her mind long ago? “Emilio?” Levi asked, and something about the man’s demeanor made Emilio suspect he’d asked him a question while he’d been distracted with thoughts of Cass. “Sorry about that.” He forced his focus back on the task at hand. “Lost in thought for a second.” Quinton halted near the built-in bookshelves decorated with so many antlers Emilio wondered how they retrieved books without scratching their hands. “You’re not thinking about leaving Kingsland Ranch anytime soon, are you?” Emilio shook his head. “Definitely not. My place is still undergoing renovation, and even when the house is finished next week, I’ll still have a lot to do to set up operations. What gave you the idea I’d be leaving?” The other man’s shoulders eased as he continued to prowl the length of the office. “When I saw you looking out the window at Cassandra Lindgren’s vehicle, it reminded me that Lauryn thought the two of you might— That is, she had the impression you were a couple at one time.” Emilio should have guessed that Lauryn would be aware of that fact, although he would be surprised if Cass had mentioned it. Levi cleared his throat. “You don’t need to comment. We’re just glad you’re planning to remain in the foreman position since we’re scrambling to maintain the Kingsley holdings in the wake of the inheritance nightmare.” “I’m committed.” Emilio had saved every cent of his rodeo earnings in order to purchase Wild Horses Ranch, and the added income from the temporary foreman position would fund the renovations on his house. “And although we aren’t a couple, I care about Cass’s safety.” He was tempted to ask his friends if they knew what had driven her from St. Paul, but also didn’t want to do anything Cassandra might view as a betrayal of trust. It would be better to ask her directly. So the moment the meeting came to an end, Emilio left the Kingsland Ranch main house with one destination in mind.