by K. C. Crowne
And they were kissing.
Logan
“What the hell, Nicki?”
I shoved her away. She stumbled backward but managed to remain on her feet. I didn’t mean to push her so hard, but I reacted without thinking. One second I was stepping out of the gate, looking for Emily. The next, her lips were plastered against mine.
“I wanted to congratulate you, gorgeous,” she cooed, batting her fake lashes at me.
“I don’t need your fucking congratulations,” I muttered, pushing past her.
“Stop being a baby, Logan. We both know we’re meant to be together. We always were.”
“Go find yourself another sugar daddy,” I growled, flipping around to face her. “That’s the only reason you want me back, ain’t it? ‘Cause I got money now?”
“Go to hell,” she spat. Tears filled her eyes. If she thought that would make me feel bad for her, well, she was in for a surprise.
“Already been there and back while dating you.” I needed to find Emily.
I turned around and walked too fast for Nicki to catch up in her heels. What the hell was she doing, wearing a fucking tiara and acting like she was still some teen beauty queen? She was delusional as all hell, but she was also not my problem anymore.
“Hey, man,” Silas grabbed my arm. “Good job out there.”
“Thanks. You haven’t seen Emily by any chance, have you?”
“Nah, not since you finished,” Silas said, looking around.
“Alright, thanks, man. I gotta find her.”
I would have to tell him everything later, but at the time, all I wanted was to celebrate with my girl. I wanted a kiss from the woman who really mattered to me, not some washed up ex.
I came across Wyatt next. Same question. “Have you seen Emily?”
“Not recently,” Wyatt said, scratching his beard. “Maybe she’s at the stage. They’re gettin’ ready to announce the winners. Congrats, Logan, we all know you kill—”
I didn’t wait for him to finish. I rushed toward the stage. Chance and Travis were already there, setting up. No sign of Emily.
They seemed to be looking for her too, scanning the crowd. Nicki stepped up to the microphone and spoke into it. I didn’t listen to a word as she announced all the finalists, reading them from a little card.
“Where’s Emily?” I asked anyone I knew.
No one had an answer.
I was heading back toward her cabin when Silas grabbed my arm.
“Where do you think you’re goin’?” His eyes were serious and bored into me.
Did he know about Em and me? Did he suspect it?
“Silas, I can explain—”
“Explain what?” He cocked his head to the side. “Never mind. We ain’t got time. They just announced your name on stage. Get up there, man. I’ll find Em.”
“Logan Childs? You out there?” Nicki’s voice chimed.
I clenched my jaw and tried to keep walking away from the stage toward Emily’s house. The last thing I wanted was to be up there with Nicki. I had a real bad feeling that something was wrong and I needed to find Emily. That’s all that mattered.
Silas gripped my arm. “Right here!” he called out, and he began pulling me toward the stage.
“Ahh, don’t be shy, Logan,” Nicki cooed. “Come on up here and accept your trophy. You deserve it, handsome.”
I didn’t do it for the glory or the trophies.
I did it for the Walker family. I had participated to help a good cause.
I had done it for Emily.
But Silas had a death grip on my arm, and before I knew it, I was on stage. Nicki sidled up to me and placed her lips against my cheek. I backed away from her, feeling gross for even being that close to her. She frowned and handed me my trophy.
From the stage, I looked at every single face I could.
I searched the crowd for any sign of Emily, any sign at all. She had to be somewhere. This was her event. She couldn’t just leave.
I didn’t care about the hordes of people chanting my name.
The one person in the world that I wanted to celebrate with was nowhere to be found.
Emily
My entire body shook as I threw some clothes into an overnight bag. Tears ran down my cheeks, and I felt like I couldn’t breathe. After what I’d witnessed, I couldn’t stay there another second. My work for event was done and my brothers were in charge of the afterparty so I wouldn’t be missed for a while. I knew I had to get out of there, and fast. I didn’t even stick around to thank people for coming, and normally, I would have felt terrible for skipping out.
But I’d had no choice. I would have spent the entire speech on stage in tears, looking like a fool. I’d have to look at Nicki’s smug face, knowing that she’d won. No, I wasn’t a beauty queen, and I had nothing on her. She’d made that clear in more ways than one.
How could I have been so delusional? Logan had convinced me that he was happy being with me, that I was special. If that were true, why would he kiss Nicki the day after we’d had sex?
None of it made any sense to me.
I had known Logan since I’d been a young teen and I had seen the wild streak in him, the refusal to settle down. And still, I had been naive enough to think that I could be the one to change that, and I felt like an idiot. I was smarter than that.
There was a knock on the door, and I froze. I tried to stay quiet, hoping that if it was Logan, he wouldn’t know I was there. The doorknob turned. It was locked, and Logan didn’t have a key to my place. I glanced down at the nightstand where his key still sat.
Why would he have given me that if he didn’t want to be with me?
No, stop it, Emily. It was a trick. It was a ruse to make you think you were special.
Whoever was on the other side of the door unlocked it, and the front door opened.
“Emily?” Silas called out.
I let out a breath and thought about not answering him. I didn’t want him to see me like this. I didn’t want to have to explain what had happened between Logan and me. But it would only take him a minute to search my place and find me in my bedroom anyway.
“In here,” I called out, my voice cracking as I spoke.
“Where’d you go?” Silas asked, stepping into the room. “Why didn’t you stay to see the end and give out the trophies?”
I threw the last of my clothes in a bag. I had to leave before I ran into Logan again. I couldn’t face him yet.
Silas stepped up beside me. “Where ya goin’?”
“I need to get away for a while. This event took a lot outta me.” I shoved the rest of what I wanted to take into the bag and zipped it. “I’m goin’ to granddaddy’s cabin for a few days.”
“Did somethin’ happen?” he asked, eyes narrowing.
“No,” I lied.
“Come on, Em. Logan’s lookin’ everywhere for you, worried sick. You didn’t even stay to see the end of the huge event you planned, and I find you packin’ your things in tears.” He stared at me a minute, but I looked at everything buy him. “Did somethin’ happen between you two?”
I stared at the key on the nightstand for a moment before reaching for it. I held it in my hand, against my palm, before turning to my brother.
“Nothin’s going on between us,” I said, steadying my voice. “But can you please give this back to him? I won’t be needin’ it.”
Silas took the key from me, watching me closely. “Emily, why do you have his key? What the fuck is goin’ on?”
“Nothing, Silas. I just need some time away.” I hoisted my overnight bag up over my shoulder, but Silas reached for it instead.
“Let me help you.”
Always the doting, caring big brother. Honestly, if he knew what Logan had done to me, he would probably kick his ass. As much as the thought might entice some people, I didn’t like it one bit. Logan had been part of our family for many years while I was growing up. The last thing I wanted to do was cause a rift in his relationship wi
th my brother.
Which was why I needed to get away. I’d clear my head and hopefully come back strong enough to face him without bursting into tears or screaming. I didn’t want to ruin what he had with my brothers. This was my mistake to bear - I knew what I was doing when I let him into my bed. I was a big girl and had to deal with the consequences of my actions.
And I would.
From afar, at a secluded cabin by a lake all by myself.
“Are you sure it’s a good idea to take off like this?” he asked, frowning with concern. “All by your lonesome?”
“I’ll be fine, Silas,” I said with a sigh. “I just need some peace and quiet.”
“Em, I swear on Dad’s grave, if he did somethin’ to you…”
I cut him off. “Silas, stop. I just need to get out of here for a bit. I’m fine, I promise.”
He helped load the bag into my car while I kept an eye out. My hands were shaking as I opened the door to get in my car, scanning the area for any sign of Logan.
I think part of me was hoping he’d come running back to explain how it had all been a mistake. But there was no sign of him. And why would he come running back to me? He had Nicki on his arm now.
I waved to Silas and tried my best to smile, pretending to be alright. He waved at me, his brows furrowed in concern. Of all my brothers, Silas and I were probably the closest, even though we were the furthest apart in age. He was almost fifteen years older than me, but after our dad died, he was the closest thing I had to a father-figure.
How could I have slept with his best friend?
I drove out the back entrance of the property, the private entrance for family only. I didn’t dare go near the competition, even though it was over. The awards would be handed out, and I had no doubt Logan had won the grand prize.
A lump formed in my throat as I imagined him up on that stage, accepting his trophy from Nicki. He deserved it; he deserved all the success he’d had and more.
But one thing was for certain - he didn’t deserve me.
Logan
“Oh, don’t leave so fast, cowboy,” Nicki said with a laugh, holding tightly to my arm. “Talk to your adoring fans. I’m sure they’d love to hear from ya.”
Even though I saw the contempt in her eyes, she managed to act cheery and happy for the crowd. Always a performer. Always looking out for number one. No wonder we didn’t last.
I pulled my arm free from her grasp. I’d already been up there too long, and with no sign of Emily, I was really getting worried. Silas had said he would look for her, but I didn’t see him either. I needed to find them. I needed to know if she was okay.
“I want to thank y’all for comin’ out and supportin’ this worthwhile event today. It’s great to be back in my hometown and see so many friendly faces. I hope y’all have a good night, It’s been fun,” I said, speaking into the microphone before handing it back to Nicki.
I hopped down from the stage, and the crowd parted like the red sea for me. People reached out to touch me, some called out my name. A woman even shoved something into my hands. When I looked down, I realized it was her panties. I dropped them in disgust and continued walking toward Emily’s cabin in the distance.
The Walker ranch was huge, with several cabins and the main house. If she wasn’t in her cabin, I wasn’t sure where else to look.
I saw Silas walking back toward the crowd. As soon as our eyes met, I noticed the look in his eyes.
Anger.
He walked toward me and grabbed my shoulders, slamming me up against a nearby tree. He shoved something into my hand.
My key.
“What the fuck were you doin’ with my sister?”
I put my hands up in the air. “Silas, I can explain.”
“You better.”
“It’s not what you think.”
For a split second, I thought Silas might clock me, but he released me. He glared at me, his eyes narrowed and vicious.
I continued before he changed his mind about knocking my lights out. “Silas. I’m not just playing her. I care about her, a lot.”
“Oh yeah? Then why the fuck is she in tears and runnin’ away from her own event? What did you do to her, Logan?”
“I didn’t do anything,” I stammered. “I mean it, Silas. That’s why I was looking for her – I wanted to celebrate with her. She’s the only one I want.”
Silas looked me up and down and shook his head. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because it all happened so fast. I came back into town, and we just— I dunno, we connected. I can’t explain it, but I promise you, this wasn’t just a casual hook up. I think she’s the one, Silas.”
“You think you love her? Already?”
“I dunno, maybe? But let me tell you, if what I feel for her isn’t love, then I don’t know what is.”
Silas’ face and posture relaxed a bit. He shoved his hands in his pockets, but he continued to stare at me.
“Where is she, Silas?”
“She left, said she needed some time to herself.”
“But where? If she was cryin’, I need to talk to her. I need to find out what happened and make this right.”
Silas let out a deep sigh and ran a hand over his face. “My sister asked me not to tell anybody, especially not you.”
“Please, Silas. I need to talk to her. You know I would never do anythin’ to hurt her, and I swear, I can make this right.”
Silas hesitated, but finally answered, “You better make this right. Whatever you did, you made my baby sister cry and I’d kill most men for less than that.”
“I know you would, and don’t you think I would to?”
Silas nodded. “I know you’re a good man. An honest one. You’ve never led anyone astray, always been open about what you wanted. I trust you, and you know that shit doesn’t come easy when it comes to Emily.”
“I know it doesn’t.”
“She’s at our grandparent’s cabin, up near Houston. I’ll text ya directions, head on out, alright?”
“Thank you, Silas,” I said, pushing away from the tree and heading to my truck. I made one quick call to my agent as I climbed into my vehicle.
“Hey, Henry, I need to cancel the promotional thing tonight.” I didn’t even give him a chance to respond or to argue. I hung up and put my phone away as soon as I entered the address to the cabin into my GPS.
Nothing else mattered in that moment.
I had to get to Emily.
I had to make it right.
Emily
When I got to the cabin, I didn’t even take my bag inside. I got out of the car and inhaled the clean air, imagining it filling my lungs. As I exhaled, I pictured all the negativity escaping my body. I did this a few times as I began walking.
My grandparents had originally lived there, and my father grew up there as well. Whenever I needed to get away, I went there to feel closer to my dad. I would walk the trail around the small lake, imagining what it was like for him, as a child, to grow up there. There was even a treehouse built for him, and while it was likely not safe to climb up into now, it brought me peace simply by being there.
I so badly needed my daddy in that moment, so that’s where I went.
I had shut off my phone for the drive, and I knew I wouldn’t have service now even if I wanted to turn it back on.
Part of me wanted to check and see if Logan had called me, but I knew that was a bad idea. It was pathetic of me to hold onto the idea of us being together.
I shut out the rest of the world and all negative thoughts the best I could. I focused on the scenery around me. The warm air. The rushing of the water from the nearby stream that led to the lake. Birds chirping. Leaves rustling in the trees from the wind.
I surrounded myself in Mother Nature, letting it wrap around me like a security blanket. The smell of wildflowers delighted my senses, and for a moment, I forgot about all my troubles.
I found the tree house and sat down at the base of another nearby tree
, staring up at it. I pulled up a dandelion and blew the willowy white strands into the air. My father had likely done the same countless times in this very place.
I knew if he were still with us, he’d tell me to be strong - that I deserved better. That one day some man would come along and love me as much as he loved our mother. I wouldn’t have to share him or be jealous. I’d be able to trust him fully.
Trust was important to me. I’d always wanted what my parents had. I’d wanted a happy marriage, one not marred with infidelities and misdeeds. I’d let myself believe, for a moment, that I could have that with Logan. Letting Nicki participate in the event, I thought I had gotten past my insecurities and trusted him.
And I had.
Only I had been wrong to do so.
The sun was beginning to set in the distance. The trail wasn’t as clear as it used to be, as weeds were growing over the path. I need to come out here more often, I thought. Maybe clean up the trail, make sure it remained intact for future generations of the Walker family.
I walked back to the cabin, hugging my arms against me as the sunset brought a chill to the air. While it was nice being alone out here, sometimes it felt a little lonely too. There wasn’t another cabin for miles around, and when the sun went down, it was easy to wander off the beaten path and get lost.
The cabin came into view, and I froze in place. Someone was sitting on the front porch. My eyes darted to my car in the driveway, and it was no longer alone. Logan’s truck was parked behind it.
I pursed my lips and contemplated disappearing back into the woods, but it was getting darker by the moment and I didn’t want to get lost out there at night.
As I walked closer, Logan’s outline became clearer to me. And just like the day he walked in on the meeting, only days before, I found myself getting weak in the knees.
He still had his cowboy hat and gear on from earlier. He was covered in mud and likely hadn’t bathed since the event. Yet, he was still the sexiest man I’d ever laid eyes on.
Sadness filled my heart but was quickly replaced by anger.
