A Bride for Logan

by Barbara Goss

He winked. “You’re welcome.”

  “I see you’re wearing your riding outfit. May I join you?” he asked.

  Emma was pleasantly surprised. “I’d love for you to join me.”

  “If you have anything to take to the cottage, we could ride that way.”

  “Yes! I've crocheted curtains for the kitchen. You can help me hang them.”

  “I’ll meet you in the stables in ten minutes.”

  Logan put her doilies and curtains in her saddlebag. When they'd reached the cottage, he removed them and carried them in.

  He handed them to her. “I like the colors.”

  Emma placed the doilies on the end tables and laid the afghan on the back of the settee. “Oh, Logan! It’s starting to feel like home.”

  “Well done, Emma. It looks great. I’ll hang the curtains.”

  Logan stood on one of the kitchen chairs and hung the curtains over the small sink. When he’d finished he said, “I’ll give you a hand cleaning the stove.”

  They scrubbed the old stove until it shined.

  Logan opened the shutters, and the sunlight flooded in. “Isn’t that better?”

  “Much better,” she answered.

  He sat on the settee and patted the seat beside him. “Sit down a minute. I have papers for you to sign.”

  “Now?”

  “I thought signing them here was appropriate.” Logan removed the papers from his pocket, unfolded them, and handed them to Emma. “I’ve marked where you sign with an ‘X’.”

  Emma scanned the papers and the feeling of doom returned. She couldn't figure out why, seeing how this had been the plan all along.

  She signed the papers and handed them to Logan. “Did you tell the lawyer about the will and what you did to get your inheritance?”

  “Yes. He’s writing a letter to Prudence.” Logan sobered. “She’ll be disappointed—she was fond of you.”

  “It would have happened anyway, right?”

  “Yes, it would have.” Logan put the papers in his pocket. “Snyder said this could take a month or two, but we can proceed as if it were final, if you’d like.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You can move in here whenever you’re ready.”

  “I see.” Again, that feeling of doom hung over her.

  “I want you to be happy, Emma. If there is anything I can do, you only have to ask.”

  “Thank you. Where should I put the sewing machine?”

  “I think in the bedroom, don’t you?”

  “Yes, I suppose that would be best.”

  Emma walked through her little house, touching things as she went. “I can’t believe I own something this nice.”

  Logan smiled. He seemed pleased to see her happy. What had the minister said that day in their session? When you’re in love, you think more about the others’ happiness over your own, or something like that. He really did love Emma.

  Emma turned to him and blurted, “Would you allow your friend to give you a hug to say thank you?”

  To answer, he held out his arms, and she moved into them. He held her gently, but firmly. She felt good in his arms, and she was reluctant to leave them. What had come over her? Was it something more than simple gratitude?

  He was first to break the embrace. “If you’re ready to go, I’ll close the shutters.”

  “I’ll help. I have to learn how.”

  Outside of the cottage, Logan pointed to a copse of trees blocking the ranch from their view. “I could clear those so you could see the ranch from your cottage.”

  Emma studied the trees and noticed woods surrounded the cottage. “Yes, I think I’d like to see something other than trees.”

  “I’ll have a crew start right on it.” He pointed to the woods across from her cottage. “My cottage will be on the other side of those trees. It will give you privacy, but I’ll be able to hear should you yell for me.”

  She smiled up at him. “That’ll make me feel secure.” She gazed back at the cottage. “There’s just one thing missing.”

  “What’s that?”

  “The cottage doesn’t have a porch. I’d love to sit out in the morning and evening.”

  “I’ll put that on my list. When the men come to build my house, I’ll have them add a porch to yours.”

  Emma felt like crying. He was being so good to her. She’d felt so comfortable in his arms, she liked his company, and she'd miss him if she didn’t see him every day. She doubted that would happen once she'd moved into the cottage.

  As they rode back to the ranch, Emma wondered what might become of their friendship after the annulment.

  Chapter Eighteen

  It was no surprise when Prudence stopped her buggy in front of the house one morning. Emma went out to greet her. She supposed she had come to take the ranch over, and it would be a sad day for Emma, for she had come to love the ranch and house.

  When Prudence jumped down from the buggy, she was pulling a small boy along behind her.

  “This must be Billy,” Emma said.

  Prudence hugged Emma. “I’m glad to see you’re still in residence. I can’t tell you how shocked and disappointed I was to hear your marriage hadn't worked.”

  Emma shrugged. “You heard how we came to marry?” When Prudence nodded, she said, “It wasn’t a marriage based on love.”

  “Is my brother around? I have business with him.”

  “He’s probably in the stables.”

  “Would you keep Billy company while I talk to him?”

  Emma smiled and held her hand out to the boy. “I’d love to.”

  The boy went with Emma without a fuss, much to Emma’s relief.

  “How old are you, Billy?”

  He held up four fingers.

  “I think we have chocolate cake in the house. Would you like some?”

  He nodded.

  “Let’s go get a fat slice,” Emma said.

  Dinner that evening was congenial. Prudence and Logan spent time laughing about old times. There seemed to be no hard feelings about the takeover of the ranch. Prudence had put Billy to bed before dinner, so it was just the three of them at the table.

  “What will you do now, Emma?” Prudence asked.

  “I’ll live in the hunting cottage back in the woods.”

  “Oh, splendid.”

  Logan added, “She hasn’t a family, so it was the least I could do for her. We’re still friends, though.”

  Prudence waved her fork in the air as she spoke. “You know, I’ve always believed a couple should be friends before marriage. Hugh and I were friends in the schoolroom and then it turned to love.”

  “How’s your marriage now?” Logan asked.

  “It’s fine. There never was a problem. It was just the excuse I used to spy on you and Emma on my last visit.”

  “Good to hear,” Logan said.

  “I’ll be leaving in the morning. I have so much to do before fall.”

  “It’s only July, Pru.”

  “You know how time flies. In two weeks it will be August. I had hoped to get Billy into school, but the schoolmaster said he wasn’t ready. Billy’s bright, but he doesn’t like to talk much.”

  Logan pushed his plate away and stood. “I promised Emma I’d take a walk with her after dinner. Will you join us, Pru?”

  “No, I’ll check on Billy and then get a good night’s sleep in preparation for another two days of traveling.”

  Emma and Logan embraced her and wished her a good night.

  Once outside, Logan led Emma down the lane toward the main road. “I wanted a chance to tell you my news alone. Prudence stopped at the lawyers before coming here today. She signed everything back to me. She’s refusing the inheritance.”

  “Really?” Emma could hardly believe it. “The money, too?”

  “Yes…well, she sold the ranch back to me for a dollar. She had to do that to make it legal. She left the money in our account. We haven’t lost anything—except that dollar.”

  “I nev
er expected her to do that, did you?”

  “No. I was ready to move out. The builders have already started my cottage, but I could offer it to Owen. He’s a widower, and it would not only give him a home close to his job, but he’d be close by, should you need him.”

  “I haven’t seen Alan lately. Is he all right?”

  “Yes, he’s helping his father build a barn.”

  “I haven’t seen him since we returned from Tim and Rachel’s.”

  “I met him one day for lunch. He’s fine. I told him what I planned to do with the inheritance and about our annulment, and he said he’d keep busy and give us some space. He thinks we need it to work things out.”

  Emma felt she should comment, but she didn’t know what to say. Was there a way to work things out if she didn’t know her feelings?

  That night after reading her Bible, Emma said her prayers. She asked God to help her realize her feelings before it was too late.

  The cottage was ready for her to move in, but she procrastinated and pretended to still be sewing things for the house though she had enough doilies for three cottages. She didn’t know why, but she didn’t want to move out. She loved the house, and she spent a lot of time in the stables with the horses. She was reluctant to give it up to live alone in the woods. It was pleasant to have her meals prepared by Irma and to share them with Logan. Emma would be all alone once she'd moved out.

  One warm morning at the beginning of August, she knew it was time to move. Logan came home from a trip to town and set some paperwork down on the table in front of her.

  “It’s final. Our marriage is annulled.”

  Emma felt a lump in her throat. Wasn’t that what she’d wanted? She looked up at Logan to see he wasn’t smiling either. His blue eyes looked dark as he stared into hers. She blinked to end the contact, took the papers, and scanned them. It was legal.

  “It has my name listed here as Emmaline Jamison. I’m not Emma Sinclair anymore.” She sighed. “I guess it would be improper for me to continue living here. I’ll pack my things.” She started to stand, but Logan’s hand on her shoulder held her gently in her seat.

  He spoke softly. “There’s no one here to care about propriety, and there’s no hurry.”

  “I knew I’d have to move eventually…I even stocked the cottage with food the other day. I’m just…just a bit sad to leave. I love this house.”

  “You’re welcome here anytime, you know that, don’t you? Friends do visit each other.”

  Logan rubbed her shoulder. She yearned for a hug to give her the courage she needed to move to the cottage. She wished she could ask for one. She needed the comforting. She'd felt slightly insecure but she didn't know why.

  “I’ll help you move whenever you’re ready.”

  His voice was consoling, and it brought tears to her eyes. She tried blinking them away, but not before Logan had seen them.

  He held out his arms. “Come here, Emma.”

  She flew into his arms and rested her head on his strong chest.

  His arms tightened, and she felt him kiss the top of her head. He loved her, and she couldn’t decide if she loved him or not. At that moment, she felt like she did love him.

  “You don’t have to go if you don’t want to,” he whispered.

  “I…I don’t know if what I feel is love, gratitude, or guilt, but I don’t want to leave you.” Emma threw her arms around his neck. “Just hold me.”

  Logan squeezed her tighter. “If you ever decide that you love me, I’ll be here waiting for you.”

  Emma felt the urge to tell him she loved him. The words were on the tip of her tongue, but she hesitated. What if she was wrong? It would hurt him terribly if she told him and then changed her mind. She had to be sure before committing herself.

  She pulled out of his embrace, took a handkerchief from her pocket, and dabbed at her eyes. “I’m sorry. I’m acting like a child who doesn’t want to leave her mother.”

  “I brought you a present while I was in town. It might help. Shall I bring it in?”

  Emma nodded. Logan was always doing kind things for her. She felt gratitude for all he’d done for her though she still felt guilty for the trouble she’d brought him. He’d had the builders add a beautiful front porch to her cottage and a small barn built for Lady. He had done all of these things without her even asking, and now he’d brought her a gift. She felt overwhelmed.

  Logan returned, carrying a small box which he set on the table. Before Emma could peer inside, the gift jumped out.

  “Oh, Logan! A puppy!” She picked it up and hugged it.

  “It’s a male, and you can name him. He’s yours. You won’t be alone out there in the woods now.”

  The puppy was reddish-brown. Emma didn’t know what breed he was, but he was adorable. He licked Emma’s face all over, and she wondered if he tasted her tears. “His name will be Rusty.”

  Emma told Logan she was ready to move the very next day. She’d packed her things, and he pulled the wagon around in front of the house. He put the sewing machine in the back of the wagon along with the rest of her things.

  Logan helped her up onto the wagon seat, and he handed Rusty up to her. “Hold on. We’re traveling through fields, and it could get bumpy.”

  When they'd reached the cottage, Logan helped her down before carrying the sewing machine into the house and placing it in the bedroom.

  He stood in the middle of the sitting room and gazed around. “You’ve made this place a real home. It looks warm and inviting.”

  Emma set Rusty down on the floor. “Will you visit me from time to time?”

  “I certainly will. We’ve made a habit of going to church together. I'd like that to continue that, if it's all right.”

  “Yes, I’d like that.” Emma began to feel better about the move. She would still see Logan, and now she had Rusty for company. She still felt emotional and tears streamed down her face.

  Logan always knew what to do. He held out his arms and she went into them like she’d been doing it for years.

  “I’ll miss you, too,” he whispered.

  Emma stood on the porch and watched Logan ride away before she burst into tears again. She went inside the cottage and hugged Rusty. “You’ll have to do from now on, Rusty.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Logan sat at the dinner table alone, thinking about how much he missed Emma. He loved her so much, and she made it extremely difficult for him, asking for hugs. It was so hard to control his emotions when he loved her so much. He wanted to kiss her and make her his in every way. He knew she needed comforting; he was glad she needed him for something.

  One thing he didn't understand was how Emma didn't know if she was in love with him. He’d recognized his love for her after she was kidnapped. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind, but he’d lost all hope of ever winning Emma’s heart. If she didn’t know her heart, it probably meant she didn’t love him, and he’d have to learn to live with loving someone who didn’t love him in return.

  God had been speaking to him about Rachel, too. Logan felt God prodding him to forgive her, though he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He knew that God had forgiven him, but the wounds from his mother’s abandonment ran deep, and the scars had yet to heal.

  After only two days away from her, Logan felt the need to see how Emma was doing. He almost rode out to the cottage but something told him to wait. Maybe his absence would help to make her realize her feelings. He’d wait until he picked her up for church on Sunday. It was only two days longer to wait.

  The congregation that met in the barn had raised enough money to build a church, and they'd elected Joshua Price to be the minister. Josh had quit his job as a circuit rider to lead the congregation each Sunday. They'd start building the church in the spring. Joshua met with people who needed counseling at Carl’s café. That’s where Joshua had counseled Logan and led him to God. He met with him each week so he could learn more about his commitment. He’d given Joshua a horse and now his wi
fe, Cynthia needed one, too. He’d invited her to the ranch to pick one out as well.

  Cynthia Price was a pretty woman of about thirty. She and Joshua had a nine-month-old baby, and they were happy to have their own church at last. It meant Joshua wouldn't have to travel anymore, and he could be home with his family.

  When Cynthia arrived, Logan took her on a tour of the stables and introduced her to several horses he thought might suit her. She chose a reddish-colored mare, and Logan tied it to the back of her rented buggy.

  He was sorry to see her drive off because for the hour she’d stayed, he hadn’t thought of Emma once.

  ~~~**~~~

  Isolation was difficult for Emma. She was glad to have Rusty for company, but he wasn’t housebroken, and she spent most of her time cleaning up his messes. Her house didn’t need cleaning yet, and cooking for one wasn’t time consuming, so she often put Rusty on a rope and took him for walks. She missed Logan, but she wasn’t sure if it was him she missed or if she was just lonely. For their walk that day, she decided to visit Logan with Rusty.

  Rusty got lost in the field grass as he romped through it, having fun. She approached the stables and stopped dead in her tracks—Logan had a pretty woman with him. They stood outside the stables talking, and she wondered who the woman could be. She watched as Logan led her into the stables. Emma didn’t know what to do—should she join them or scurry back to her cottage? She chose the latter.

  She trudged through the fields, wondering how he could have replaced her so soon. He’d said he loved her, but he was already courting someone else? Who could she be? She’d met nearly everyone in town at some point, especially at the barn services. The only single women were MaryJane Cross and Priscilla Manning, and they were old maids. She’d waited too long, and he’d met someone new.

  Emma didn’t know if she felt heartbroken, angry, or jealous. The thought of him holding someone in his arms as he’d held her gave her a strange feeling in her chest. How could this have happened? Oddly enough, she finally recognized her feelings—she loved Logan.