by K. C. Crowne
I had every right to be angry.
He had played me. He’d done me dirty, and I wasn’t going to let him see me cry.
He stood up as I got closer, walking toward me. “Emily—”
I held up a hand, stopping him from getting any closer. I couldn’t handle being close to him again. He made me weak, and I needed to be strong.
“Logan, I don’t know how you found me, but I think it’s best if you leave.”
“Emily, I don’t understand. What did I do?”
“What did you do?” I stammered, my eyes wide. “Are you serious right now?”
“I am. I went looking for you after the event, and I—”
“Oh, sure. You were looking for me,” I said, rolling my eyes. “Cut the bullshit, Logan. I saw you with Nicki.”
“What?” He blinked at me, looking truly confused for a moment. Then a knowing look washed over his face. “Shit, you saw that?”
“Yes, I saw that,” I spat. I pushed past him, not wanting him to see the tears forming in my eyes. I wanted to get inside the cabin and lock the door, shutting him outside. He could stay out here all night as far as I was concerned; I didn’t want to hear another word of his lies.
But Logan moved quickly, running in front of me and blocking the stairs. “Emily, I promise you, it’s not what it looked like.”
“So you weren’t kissing your ex?” I asked, crossing my arms in front of my chest and giving him the best death glare I could muster.
“No, I mean yes, but I didn’t kiss her. She kissed me, and I pushed her away. I guess you only saw the split second when she kissed me, when I was surprised and didn’t have a chance to react yet.”
The look on his face was so sincere, I wanted to believe him. I had rushed off very quickly, but what were the chances that I saw something that literally lasted a second? I was still dubious.
“I’m not the same man I used to be, darlin’. I’m older now, wiser. I want nothing to do with Nicki or anyone like her.”
I narrowed my gaze. “And how am I supposed to believe that, huh? That you want me over her? I mean, look at her!” I threw my hands in the air as I spoke.
“Have you ever looked at yourself? Probably not the way I do,” he said. “Because if you did, you’d realize you’re more beautiful than she ever was - even in her heyday. Darlin’, you’re beautiful both inside and out. Brains, beauty, and a heart of gold. Any man would be lucky to have you.”
My hands began shaking first, then the rest of me joined in until I was trembling. Logan wrapped his arms around me, and I let him. I felt safe in his arms.
I trusted him.
I believed him.
“Nicki looked pretty ridiculous, didn’t she?” I chirped.
He chuckled. “More than just a little ridiculous. She’s washed up and miserable, and as fake as her eyelashes.”
I laughed with him, turning my face to look up at him. Seeing the way he stared down at me, I knew he cared for me. I knew I was special to him.
I knew he was mine.
“Who’d have thought the woman for me was right in front of my eyes all this time,” he said, kissing my forehead.
Logan
“My dad grew up out here, you know,” she whispered, speaking almost too softly for me to hear.
Her head was nestled against my chest. We were cozy in bed, wrapped around each other and underneath the covers. Part of me wasn’t sure I ever wanted to leave this little sanctuary.
“I didn’t know that. But truth be told, I didn’t know your father very much,” I confessed. “He was gone before I started comin’ around.”
She turned her head to look up at me, and her beautiful blue eyes glistened as she smiled. “He would have liked you.”
“Oh, I’m pretty sure he had some choice words for me when I first came around,” I chuckled.
“Yeah, sure, maybe he didn’t like the immature, childish boy you once were, but the man you’ve grown into? Well, he would have liked you a lot.”
“I sure hope so,” I said, brushing a strand of her hair away from her face. “Because I would have wanted him to approve of me courtin’ his daughter.”
“I think he would have approved.”
She rested her head against my bare chest, and her breathing was relaxed and steady. I would have thought she was asleep except for her fingers moving along my chest, seeming to draw invisible pictures onto my flesh.
That was the beautiful thing with Emily - we didn’t have to say anything at all to be content. We never felt the need to fill the silence out of awkwardness, we could just be.
And I’d never experienced that with anyone before.
“What’cha think about settlin’ down here one day?” I asked her.
She was quiet, and I wondered if maybe I had said something wrong. But then she turned her beautiful face to mine, resting her chin against my chest. Her smile went all the way to her eyes.
“I think I’d like that, actually,” she said. “I mean, it’s not too far from the ranch. I could still organize events and set up the advertising. I already travel a lot. No reason my home base couldn’t be here. Why do you ask?”
“I dunno. I just like the quiet. It’s peaceful here.”
“Patterson is peaceful too, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, but not like this. Or maybe I just have too much history there, too many people know my name,” he said.
“I think anywhere you go, people are going to recognize you,” she said with a giggle.
“Yeah, maybe less so out here though. Everyone in Crawford knows who I am because I grew up there.”
“You’d really like to move all the way up here?”
I shrugged. “I mean, it’s your family’s home. I can’t just move myself in. —But maybe one day--”
“Maybe one day what?”
I answered her with a wink and a smile.
She punched me playfully in the chest. “Come on, what were you going to say?”
I continued smiling. Her smile told me all I needed to know - she knew what I was going to say. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons I was falling in love with her.
I knew in my heart that things were going to go well for us. She was the woman for me, I had no doubt. I was always meant to be part of the Walker family.
It was simply my destiny.
“I bet Silas has been tryin’ to reach us for days,” I commented. “We should probably head back soon.”
Emily relaxed into me with a deep sigh. “You’re probably right, but could we please stay like this for a bit longer?”
“Of course, darlin’.” I stroked her head, running my hands through her silky, wavy hair.
Emily
We didn’t even try to conceal our relationship when we returned to the ranch. We walked into the main house, hand in hand. Of course the first person we ran into would be Silas. He cocked an eyebrow and stared at our hands.
“I see you kept your promise,” he said to Logan.
“What promise?” I asked. They shared a chuckle, but neither would answer me. I punched Logan in the chest playfully. “What’s goin’ on?”
Logan pulled me into a hug, wrapping his arm over my shoulder and kissing the top of my head. “Nothin’, darlin’. I just made a promise to your big brother that I’d take care of you, and I fully intend on keepin’ that promise too.”
“I’ll be watchin’ you,” Silas teased, winking at me with a grin.
Knowing that my big brother approved of my relationship with his best friend meant a lot. He was the one person I worried about the most. My mother, was, of course, up there as well.
“Where’s Mom?” I asked.
“Think, Emily. What time is it?”
I looked at the grandfather clock against the wall and frowned. “It’s almost dinner time.”
“So where is Mom?”
“In the kitchen,” Logan and I said together.
My mother loved to cook, and she made sure all of us had enough to eat. The d
inner bell would be ringing shortly. I glanced at Logan. “So you wanna stay for dinner?”
“I’ll never turn down Ginny’s home cookin’,” he said, rubbing his belly.
“We should probably talk to her before dinner instead of springin’ it on her in front of everyone else.” I nibbled my lip, wondering if my mom might freak out over the age difference. Then again, I was a grown woman, not a child. “Come on.” I took Logan’s hand and guided him through the hallways toward the kitchen.
The main house was huge, built for my mother by my father. My daddy sure knew how to spoil the woman he loved, and I sure as hell wished I’d had him longer. One thing was certain, however, is that he would approve of Logan spoiling me.
We stepped into the kitchen, and my mother was humming away, in her own little world. I cleared my throat so I didn’t startle her, and she turned around with a massive smile on her face.
“Emily! I’m so glad you’re back. Hi, Logan! Are you stayin’ for supper?” Her gaze fell to where my hand was joined with Logan’s, and she raised her eyebrows questionably. “Is there somethin’ y’all need to tell me?”
I couldn’t contain it a second longer, so I blurted it out. “Logan and I have decided to start dating.” I sucked in a deep breath and held it, waiting for my mother’s response.
“Oh my word,” she said, her eyes widening. Her smile widened as well. “That’s wonderful news!”
“It is? I was afraid you might—” I stopped; I didn’t want to give her any ideas.
“Afraid I might what? Not approve?”
“Maybe,” I said, biting my lip.
“And why? Because of the age difference?” she scoffed. She waved the thought off with a flick of her wrist. “Please. Age is nothing but a number. I just want to make sure you’re treated with respect, and if there’s one thing I know, it’s that Logan Childs is a good man.”
Relief washed over me. Now that my brother and mother knew about us and approved, I could relax a bit. My other brothers would be easy.
“Thank you, Mrs. Walker,” Logan said.
“Please,” she said with a rolled of her eyes. “You’ve always called me Ginny. Don’t stop now. And honestly, you’re already part of the family - might as well make it official.” She gave Logan a knowing glance.
My cheeks began to flush. “I think it’s a bit too soon to be—”
“Come on, let’s go out there and announce to your brothers,” Mom said, ushering us into the dining room.
“Announce what?”
She left without answering, and Logan and I followed her out. My entire family surrounded us as she called, “Logan and Emily have something they’d like to share with us.”
Logan slipped his key ring, with the key he’d given me around my finger. I stared down at my hand. It wasn’t a real ring, but the thoughts were already swirling in my head. Did Logan want to marry me? My heart raced at the thought.
He turned to me. “Emily, would you do me the honor of movin’ in with me? If I had it my way, you’d be in a white dress and veil tomorrow, but I know you need some time. But as far as I’m concerned, there’s no question in my mind. I’m completely yours.”
I knew the answer before he even finished what he was saying. “Yes,” I said. “Of course, yes! I’m yours too, Logan. All yours.”
He swept me up into his arms and lifted me off the ground. We kissed as my brothers and mother crowded around. I couldn’t make out much of what anyone was saying except for “Congratulations” and “You two are perfect for each other.”
That last one came from Silas, who knew the two of us better than anyone.
And he was right.
We were perfect for one another.
Epilogue
Emily
Eight Months Later
* * *
Every little girl dreams of her wedding day. And for many years, I’d dreamt of my husband too. I’d dreamt of Logan being at the end of the aisle, waiting for me. I never thought it would actually happen, but here we were.
My dad couldn’t walk me down the aisle, so Silas took his place. Our venue was the cabin my dad had grown up in, so he was there with us in spirit. I walked down the very same trail my father had as a child, with the lake in front of us and the sounds of birds and rushing stream all around us.
It was everything I had ever wanted, and more.
I gripped Silas’ arm tightly as we walked toward my future husband.
Logan was wearing a suit and tie, a rarity for him, and damn he looked good. I still preferred him in a tight pair of jeans, but he could clean up well when he had to.
His blue gaze sparkled when he saw me, and I swear I saw some tears in his eyes. His smile could light up even the darkest of nights, and when our eyes met, everyone around us disappeared.
It was just him and me, promising to spend the rest of our lives together.
Silas handed me over to Logan, the two of them exchanging playful banter. But I couldn’t hear anything. My focus was on Logan and the way he looked at me. There was so much love in his eyes that I couldn’t contain the tears any longer.
The ceremony itself was a blur until the moment the officiate announced us as husband and wife. My heart nearly exploded from joy at those words, and then Logan swept me off my feet, pressing his lips to mine.
This was it - I was his wife. He was my husband. And I had no doubt that this was the beginning of the rest of our lives together. We had already decided to move into the cabin after the honeymoon. He promised to fix up my father’s old tree house for our future children.
My heart couldn’t be fuller than it was at that moment.
But there was more good news to share with my family. It just had to wait a bit.
Our reception was small, as was our wedding. Only family and a few friends. We set up in the cabin, with a feast of our favourite foods. My youngest brother, Chance, broke out the champagne almost immediately. He headed to our end of the table first.
I placed a hand over my glass and shook my head. “No thanks,” I whispered, trying to speak softly enough that only he would hear me.
Chance gave me an odd look, and of course, everyone else had been watching.
My cover had been blown.
I cleared my throat and stood up, smoothing the ruffles of my dress as I clinked a fork against the empty glass. “I’d planned to save this announcement for my toast, but I think some of you may already have an idea about what’s goin’ on, since what bride would turn down champagne at her own weddin’, right?”
I turned to Logan, who sat up straighter in his chair. His eyes were glued to me, a hopeful look on his face. Logan so badly wanted to be a father, and I was about to give him the best news in the world.
“Are you…”
I nodded, choking up when it mattered the most. Thankfully, I didn’t need to finish the sentence. He leapt from his chair and lifted me into the air, letting out a hoot of celebration. My family cheered around us, all of them realizing what I was trying to say.
Finally, I managed to get the words out. “You’re gonna be a daddy.”
“We’re gonna have a baby!” Logan shouted. He repeated the phrase several times, as if he couldn’t believe it.
We were going to have a family.
“I better get to work on the tree house,” he said, kissing the tip of my nose as he sat me down. “Jesus, there’s so much we need to do.”
I couldn’t contain the giggles. “We got time, sweetheart. Don’t you worry. I don’t think the baby will use the tree house for a few years.”
“But the nursery,” he gushed. “And time flies, they grow up so fast. I just want everything to be ready.”
“It will be. I have no doubt that everything will work out.”
“You’re right, you’re right,” he said. “I’m gonna be a dad.”
His smile was bigger and brighter than any I’d seen before. Mine was too.
I had no doubt that we’d have many, many more happy days
to come.
* * *
Keep reading for a sneak peek into the next book in the Rainbow Canyon Cowboys series! This one is about Emily’s older brother, Silas and its titled Taboo Cowboy.
Taboo Cowboy (Preview)
Molly
“We haven’t passed a Starbucks in half an hour. Where is this place?” I teased, punching Christopher in the arm playfully.
He chuckled, but it was half-hearted.
Christopher was normally the most talkative and dramatic man I’d ever met and could make any boring topic fascinating. It was truly an art and one of the reasons we’d bonded so well in college.
Of course, his dark eyes and chiselled features had nothing to do with it, at least it hadn’t after I picked up on his attraction to the same sex. Having a hot gay friend made it easy to be in close proximity to a good looking guy and not have to feel awkward or shy about being an inexperienced virgin. Plus I got to live through him vicariously. The man was a party animal with wild stories to tell.
As sad as it was, I looked forward to his stories every time he came home.
Christopher ran a hand through his thick, impeccably styled hair as he stared straight ahead, paying more attention to the lonely road than was necessary.
College orientation marked the first day we’d met and it was a drag, until he came out of the blue and commented on my sweater, then proceeded to tell me all about the wool and how it was sheared and the ethical implications of it. While normally that topic would bore me to death, Christopher filled it with snarky commentary that had me laughing out loud. From then on, we’d been practically inseparable.
“What are you thinking?”
His pursed lips drooped into a frown. I knew it wasn’t directed at me, rather the thoughts in his head.
“I don’t think you realize how big of a deal this is, Molly,” Christopher commented. “It’s been years since I’ve seen my father and bringing you home…well…”
