“Whoa, there, little sis.Thanks for texting me that you’re here.But don’t hurt me.I’m not getting much sleep.I’m delicate now.”
She guffawed.He was the same age as Ben, thirty-eight, and just as strong.In the prime of his life, he exuded health and humor.“Delicate, my butt,” she said.“How are you?How’s Becca?And the babies?I can’t wait to see them.”
“We’re all fine,” he said.“However, I really do need sleep.Those little buggers do a lot of wailing.The important thing is how areyou?”
Her smile remained.“I’m good.Ben’s watching over me.”
Ben and Rio bumped knuckles and gave each other a shoulder slap.
Rio addressed her.“Big Jim told me about the dustups in town with that woman getting attacked—and then the truck accident.”
“I couldn’t take time to phone,” Ben said.“Needed to get Sarah here fast.So, I asked Jim to fill you in.”
“No worries.On the way over here, I went to the stop-and-rob quickie mart for a soda,” Rio said, “and spotted this little gem at the checkout register.”Tossing his newspaper onto Ben’s desk, Rio waited expectantly.
Ben saw that it was a tabloid.
The papers hit the countertop with a snap.
The headline shouted,We Found Super Sarah!It showed a photo of Ben standing in front of her truck, hands on hips, looking pissed, and a grainy shot of her, sitting in the cab behind him.Sarah grabbed the paper and read the copy aloud.
Hiding in plain sight, long-lost Supermodel Sarah Lang has been discovered at her childhood Montana home—a quaint and rustic cattle ranch!How much longer fashion’s super star will remain a hermit is anybody’s guess, but this man seemed to think it his responsibility to warn our investigative journalist off her.Just who is the sexy mystery hunk?Is he the reason she’s left us all behind?Stay tuned!
“Argh!”Sarah crumpled the paper in her hands and let out a little scream.
Chapter Twenty
“They’re vultures,”Sarah cried out.“I hate the paparazzi!”
Ben frowned, taking the paper from her.“They let it out that you’re living in Montana.But it was sort of an open secret, anyway.And the stalker already knew that, so probably no harm done.”
Sarah grabbed it back and proceeded to rip the tabloid into strips.It felt good.“Take that,” she said, rending the paper.“And that!”
“They published my picture,” Ben said.“Damn.In my line of work, I need to remain anonymous.”
Rio picked up a strip and studied the photo.“Your hat shades most of your face.You’re virtually anonymous.Nobody could identify you by this picture.”
