Playing For Keeps (Emerald Lake Billionaires 2) (17 page)

“You sound like Dorothy.”

Sophie glanced at Ryan. “Is that a compliment or not?”

“I admire Dorothy’s determination. There’s not much she can’t do when she puts her mind to it. You have the same drive inside you.”

Sophie thought about what Ryan had said. “I guess I had the right motivation. I don’t know what the future holds for mom, but I can help other people. Alzheimer’s is a horrible disease. I’ve found a low-cost alternative therapy. It needs to be widely available, but I can’t do that on my own.”

Ryan sat forward. “Based on the information John was able to find, he’s made a recommendation about which manufacturer you could use. I’ve got the report in my office if you’d like to see it?”

For the first time in months, Sophie felt excited. “I’d love to see the report.” She followed Ryan inside. “When did John send it to you?”

“It must have arrived this afternoon while I was in the recording studio.” Ryan opened his office door and sat behind his desk. He tapped the space bar on his keyboard and scrolled through his emails. “I’ll print a copy for you. John wanted me to remind you that it’s only a recommendation. You need to read all of the information he sent through before deciding what to do.”

Sophie turned the printer on. “Did he mention what it would cost to manufacture the supplement commercially?”

“I imagine that’s something you’d need to discuss with the company you choose.” Ryan tapped a few more keys before Sophie heard the printer starting to work.

When she had the report in her hand, she sat in one of the office chairs and started reading. She didn’t know how much John knew about alternative medicines or supplements, but his work was meticulous. He’d reviewed each of the pharmaceutical company’s business practices and provided a list of supplements they’d produced over the last eighteen months.

One of the companies stood out more than the other. At first glance, John’s recommendation seemed like the sensible way to go. But Sophie wanted time to think about it, to take a more in-depth look at what they could offer. She didn’t want a company that would manufacture the supplement at a low cost, then add a huge markup to the end users. That had never been her intention.

She looked at her watch. “I’ll call John and thank him for what he’s done. This work is much better than I could have done on my own. If I’d started looking into these two companies, someone would have realized what I was trying to find out. If that had happened, we might have had unexpected visitors turning up at our door.

“I’d sooner see them here than at the airport,” Ryan said dryly. “Taking you to the talent show was a mistake. I didn’t think about the publicity it would generate. Dorothy got what she wanted, but I’m not sure we did.”

Sophie put the report down. “It doesn’t matter what the media are saying. No one recognized me and that’s the most important thing. Tess was really happy with the number of people who registered for the show. They doubled the income they thought they’d get. By the time the winner is announced, Pastor Steven’s programs will have enough funding for the next twelve months.”

Sophie’s cell phone rang. She pulled it from her pocket and frowned. “It’s my sister. She wasn’t supposed to call me tonight.”

“Hi, Hayley. Is mom okay?”

“She’s fine. Someone followed us this afternoon. I think we should leave Fort Wayne.”

“But you only got there a short while ago.”

Ryan stood and went to sit beside Sophie. “Put the call on speaker phone.”

Sophie pushed the speaker phone button and held the phone closer to Ryan.

“Hayley, this is Ryan Evans. Tell me what happened.”

Sophie heard her sister take a deep breath. “I took mom for a visit to the local library. On the way back to the nursing home, someone followed us. I tried to get their license plate number, but they kept moving behind other vehicles. A few hours later, a man came into the nursing home looking for mom. I don’t know how he found us or what he wanted, but it was enough to make me worried about our safety. I don’t know what to do next.”

Ryan glanced at Sophie. “Stay where you are. I’ll make sure you’ve got a security guard with you as soon as possible. Whatever you do, don’t leave your mom’s unit. The guard will assess the situation and possibly take you somewhere safer. I’ll let you know who’s coming as soon as I can.”

Sophie moved closer to the phone. “How’s mom?”

“Blissfully unaware of what’s happening.”

Sophie looked at Ryan. She’d never felt this helpless. Hayley needed as much support as they could give her, but it was hard when she was fifteen hundred miles away. “It will be okay, Hayley. You’re doing a great job of looking after mom. Apart from a security guard, is there anything else you need?”

“I think I’ve got everything. I’ve already packed our suitcases. Just make sure your security person has lots of muscles and a few street smarts. We might need them before the week’s out.”

“I’ll do my best,” Ryan said. “Keep your cell phone on. We’ll call you as soon as we can.”

Hayley said goodbye and ended the call.

Ryan pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. “I’ll get in touch with John. One of his security guards can bring your mom and sister back here. They’re safer with us than anywhere else.”

Sophie listened as he spoke to John. Within minutes, everything had been organized.

“Hayley and your mom will have someone with them in the next couple of hours.”

“Thank you.” She studied him for a moment. “Why are you doing this?”

“My granddad had dementia. It’s too late for him, but if your supplement is as good as you think it is, it might be able to help someone else. I want to make a difference, too.”

Sophie nodded slowly. Ryan had as much to gain as she did from the supplement. She just hoped they all stayed safe for long enough to get the formula into production.

CHAPTER SEVEN

“I’m not happy.” Ryan looked at his computer.

Dorothy’s face smiled back at him. Sometimes he wondered if modern technology was all it was cracked up to be. Skype had changed the way they worked and it wasn’t all good news.

“There’s nothing wrong with a little publicity.” Dorothy was determined to go through with their original plan.

Ryan gaze flicked to Sophie. So far, she hadn’t said much. “What’s happened can’t be called a ‘little publicity’. There was a story about us on the local television station. A reporter called me. He’s going to run a story about Sophie tomorrow.”

Dorothy rolled her eyes. “I hardly think a story in the Bozeman Chronicle is going to make world headlines.”

“That’s not the point,” Ryan insisted. “Your publicity campaign was supposed to focus on me, not Sophie. She doesn’t want her name or face plastered across the media.”

“You should have thought of that before you took her to the talent show. You don’t get to pick and choose what events are going to create the most interest. They’re calling Sophie the billionaire’s Cinderella. It’s a publicist’s dream. You need to make the most of it before the media move on to someone else.”

Ryan ran his hands through his hair. “I don’t want to make the most of it. The talent show was supposed to create some positive publicity. It’s become my worst nightmare.”

“You’re exaggerating.”

“We had to put another two security guards on my front gate. Reporters have been trying to get close to my property. It’s been like a circus around here for the last two days.” It didn’t matter what he said, Dorothy didn’t understand how important it was to keep Sophie’s life separate from his.

“I’d like to say something.” Sophie moved her chair so that she was in front of the computer’s camera. “I think what you’ve done for Ryan is amazing. All of the stories you’ve written have been positive. But I can’t be part of your publicity campaign.”

Dorothy’s eyes narrowed. “You’re the media darling of the moment. Half the women in America want to know the name of the woman who’s captured a billionaire’s heart. You’re a beautiful woman. Why on earth wouldn’t you make the most of the publicity and enjoy it?”

“I haven’t captured anyone’s heart.” Sophie’s cheeks blushed beet red. “The story the media have come up with is based on a fairy tale. It’s not real and it never will be. There are other things happening in my life. I can’t be part of any Cinderella story.”

“You’re not running from the police, are you?”

If Dorothy knew how close she was to Sophie’s problem, she’d be a little more concerned about the monster she’d created.

“I’m not running from anyone. I’m hiding.”

Ryan couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Had Sophie just told Dorothy she was hiding?

Dorothy, to give her credit, blinked a few times before saying anything. “Would you care to repeat that?”

“I’m hiding from someone. They’re trying to stop me from making a dietary supplement that could help millions of people.”

Dorothy leaned forward. Her face filled the screen. “What does it do?”

Sophie glanced at Ryan. “It improves your memory. My mom has Alzheimer’s disease and the supplement is helping her symptoms.”

Dorothy’s mouth dropped open. “Will it cure Alzheimer’s?”

“I don’t know. All I know is that traditional medicine doesn’t work for everyone. The side effects can be as bad as the disease. I need to find a company that will trial the supplement before it’s manufactured on a commercial scale.”

Dorothy sat back in her chair. She looked at Ryan. “You’ve known about this all along? Why didn’t you tell me when I first met Sophie?”

“I didn’t know about Sophie’s past when you met her. Now do you understand why she can’t be part of our plans?” Ryan could see Dorothy’s mind working overtime.

Dorothy’s gaze locked on Sophie. “Do you know how many publicists get to be part of an opportunity like this? If your supplement works, it could be one of the major medical breakthroughs of the decade.”

Sophie shrugged. “I don’t know about that, but I do know it’s important. Having my photo in the newspapers and on the Internet will only make things worse.”

Dorothy moved back from her computer. She stared past the camera, clearly thinking about what she was going to say next. “Someone will identify you from one of the photos. If you’re not prepared for what’s going to happen, you could end up buried under a pile of lies. They’ll discredit you first, then pull apart everything you’ve ever worked on. You need to go on the offensive, beat them at their own game.”

Dorothy glanced at Ryan. “There are certain advantages in being associated with a billionaire. We just have to make sure everyone knows you’ve got a brilliant mind behind your pretty face.”

Sophie’s hands gripped the edge of her chair. “I don’t want anyone knowing where I am. My sister and mom are in danger. If the Cinderella story gets any bigger someone could get hurt.”

Ryan took one look at the stubborn expression on Dorothy’s face and knew they were in trouble. “You can’t win this one, Dorothy. Sophie needs to keep a low profile and what you’re doing isn’t helping. I’m pulling out of judging the talent show and canceling my concert. If my ex-wife wants to take me to court, let her. Keeping Sophie safe is more important than what Cindy is doing.”

Dorothy tilted her head to the side. “You’re missing the point. Hiding isn’t going to solve Sophie’s problems. She needs to tell everyone about her supplement. If we do this the right way, she’ll have the support of millions of people worldwide. They’ll want to see her product succeed and they’ll want to buy it. You’re making it too easy for the people who are looking for her. If no one knows who she is or what she’s trying to do, no one will notice if she’s not here anymore.”

Ryan’s eyes narrowed. Dorothy had really outdone herself this time. She might be one of the best publicists in America, but she was making absolutely no sense.

Dorothy frowned. “I know that look, Ryan Evans. I’m not the cold-hearted woman you think I am. I’m trying to explain how the media works. Sophie needs to take the Cinderella story and make it real. Think of the supplement as the glass slipper. If she wants to help people, she needs to take control of the situation and get used to high heels.”

Ryan glanced at Sophie. She was studying her sneakers. He hoped she wasn’t imagining a pair of glass slippers on her feet. “We’ll call you later, Dorothy. In the meantime, don’t push the Cinderella story any more than you already have.”

Dorothy looked at Sophie. “Think about what I’ve said. Making yourself everyone’s darling is the most logical response you could have. Hiding won’t achieve anything.”

Ryan held his hand above the escape key. “We’ll call you back in the next couple of hours.” He hung up and waited for Sophie’s reaction.

She was still looking at her sneakers.

“Dorothy gets carried away sometimes. By the time we call her back, she will have forgotten all about your feet.”

Sophie lifted her gaze to his. “She’s right. I’ve been running for months and I haven’t achieved anything. All I’ve done is given whoever’s looking for me more time to replicate my formula.”

“Don’t be too quick to agree with Dorothy. She doesn’t know the entire story.”