Burn for Me

by Lea Coll

  To my surprise, they both listened. “Nice. Have you been training Bailey?”

  “Yes, and he’s been very receptive to it. He’ll make a nice pet.”

  “Oh yeah?” I asked as I followed him around to the back. He could be a good fit for me.

  “I took him to work a few times to test him with people. He’s great with kids too.”

  “That’s great.” I petted Bailey as he trotted next to me. “Are you a good boy, buddy?” I leaned down to talk to him and he took advantage, licking my face. “Hey!”

  “I’m a good boy. Do I get that treatment?” Logan asked, his voice low and husky.

  I looked up in surprise at the sound of his voice. “What are you doing here?” I stood up, finding myself within inches of him. He smelled freshly showered and wore low slung faded jeans and a Henley that stretched tight across his chest and biceps. I resisted the urge to place my hand on his chest to feel the muscles there.

  “Ran into Luke at the gym and wanted to see Bailey before he’s adopted.”

  I deflated, taking a step back from Logan. I knew I could find another dog to adopt when I was ready, but I’d already bonded to this one. “Someone wants to adopt him?”

  “Hey girl,” Emma said, hugging me. “A couple came to see him this past weekend, but the rescue needs to do a home inspection first.”

  We sat down next to each other on the steps to the back porch while the guys threw balls for the dogs.

  “You guys should adopt Bailey. He loves it here,” I said, gesturing at their property.

  My gaze traveled over the fencing, the vacant horse barn, and the flat expanse of land. “You should get some animals—goats, chickens.”

  I couldn’t help but be a little envious of Emma living here on the farm. I’d never thought about where I’d want to live long term, whether in town or somewhere with more land. It was nice and peaceful here, but I enjoyed living within walking distance to everything.

  “What are you going to do?” Luke’s voice carried as they watched Hunter retrieve the tennis ball.

  “I don’t want to work for him. It’s a lot of pressure,” Logan said.

  “What are they talking about?” I asked Emma softly.

  “Logan’s upset because his dad wants him to work at his firm,” Emma said. “He’s been pressing the issue lately.”

  “And why doesn’t he?” I knew he’d mentioned a few times he didn’t want to and maybe that it was a bad idea. But I’d never gotten an explanation.

  She shrugged. “There’s some bad blood between them—that’s all I know.”

  I fell silent so I could hear their conversation.

  “He’s relentless. I don’t know what his problem is,” Logan said.

  “He just wants his son to carry on the firm that he worked so hard to build.” Luke gestured at the land. “When my parents asked if I wanted the family farm, it wasn’t even a question. I couldn’t let it go to someone else. To keep it in the family, I needed to step up whether I was ready for the responsibility or not.”

  Logan considered his words then his face shuttered. “I don’t want the responsibility and I wish he’d let it go.” He threw the tennis ball for the dogs to chase.

  “But why? What happened between you? I thought when you left for law school that you planned to come back here and work for you dad,” Luke said.

  “That was my plan. Then things change—you grow up,” Logan said. I could see the stiff set of his shoulders through his shirt.

  “I can’t say I’ve ever experienced parental pressure, but Samantha did. She did her own thing for years, cutting ties until her parents finally came around. Don’t you guys hate working at Gunner, though?” Luke looked back and forth between us.

  “That’s a fair assessment,” I said laughing.

  “I don’t hate it, but it’s the alternative that’s the issue. Working for my dad would be worse, so it puts things into perspective,” Logan said.

  “You like working at Gunner?” I felt a little betrayed because we’d done nothing but complain about working there.

  “Can’t you guys be friends?” Emma asked as Bailey trotted up, nudging her hand with his head. “Take this little guy. If you adopted him, you wouldn’t be able to snipe at each other. He’d mellow you out.”

  I laughed. “That’s probably true.”

  Emma smiled. “See? I’m a genius. Adopt the dog. Be happy. Kiss each other already.”

  “And then you took a turn into crazy town,” I said, rolling my eyes. The idea that a dog could solve the tension between Logan and I was ridiculous.

  “We should,” Logan said.

  “We should what?” I asked, my voice rising. Kiss? My heart started galloping at the idea.

  “Adopt the dog. Give him a good home,” Logan said.

  Was he serious about adopting the dog together? A vision of us walking the dog together through town came to mind. “We’ve been through this. We have no time with work, training for the race, and mentoring high school students,” I said. I wanted to adopt him, but I just didn’t see how it would work.

  Bailey lived with Luke and Emma already, so they knew he was housetrained, he wasn’t aggressive, and Luke had taught him some basic training, so he was a good first dog for me. He was a better option than adopting a dog from a shelter, where I wouldn’t know its history. Or a puppy that would require more time and attention than I could give it.

  “You guys, he’s going to be adopted as soon as the home inspection on this couple is done,” Emma pleaded. “I’d rather he go to friends. I can help too. I can take him out one time during the day, depending on my trial schedule.”

  I wanted more in my life than work, and here it was. I could finally have a dog and friends who helped me out with him.

  Luke stood in front of us, stance wide, and arms crossed over his chest. “Please adopt him. If you don’t, she will. She doesn’t want to hand him over to the perfectly nice couple who placed an application.”

  “He’s right. I don’t think I can give him up, and if you take him—problem solved. I still get to see Bailey. You get the dog you’ve always wanted.”

  Luke and Emma continued to tease each other while Logan shifted closer to me, placing a hand on my knee. I couldn’t take my eyes from my leg, where the heat of his hand seared through my thin leggings like a brand. “Do you think you can’t handle it?”

  “Handle what? Adopting a dog?” At his nod, I continued, “Of course I can. Don’t be ridiculous.”

  I couldn’t back down from the challenge I saw in his eyes. I pursed my lips, I’d never been able to ignore a challenge from Logan and he knew it. I thought back to the times I’d begged my mom for a dog and she’d said no. When was the last time I made a decision based purely on something I wanted, that wasn’t in clear furtherance of my goal to succeed? Never, that’s when.

  “What do you think, Bailey? You want us for parents?” I asked. His tail thumped my leg as he stared up at me.

  Emma clapped her hands. “Yay! Let me get the paperwork together. I have to approve your home, which I will. You guys are going to make awesome dog parents.”

  Luke covered his mouth, trying not to laugh.

  “I have a list of supplies to get. I’ll bring Bailey to your apartment tomorrow and we can go shopping together,” Emma said.

  I sank to my knees with Bailey licking my face. The thought of having someone to come home to was appealing. I could picture him greeting me, barking, and wagging his tail in excitement, but what had I gotten myself into? Would Bailey be happy living with me instead of on this farm? Did I have anything to offer him? Was I enough for him? Logan looked pleased with himself and I couldn’t help thinking I’d done exactly what he wanted.

  A FEW DAYS LATER, I woke up in my bed to Bailey’s cold nose sniffing my face. Then nausea and chills hit me and my limbs felt heavy. I was due in court this morning but there was no way I would be able to run. I texted Logan to cancel before I slowly made my way to the front
door, sliding my feet into the flip-flops by the door, taking Bailey’s leash from the hook by the door before snapping it onto his collar. He jumped around, excited to go out.

  I was outside only long enough for Bailey to sniff the small patch of grass next to the sidewalk and do his business. I used a bag to clean up his poop, dropping it into the garbage cans at the bottom of the steps to my apartment. I trudged back up the stairs feeling worse than when I woke up. I washed my hands, climbed back into bed, and set the alarm on my phone for thirty minutes, hoping I’d feel well enough to go to court when I woke up.

  I must have drifted off because I awoke to pounding on my door and Bailey’s feet running down the hallway, followed by excited barks. I checked my phone to find several messages by Logan asking where I was and if everything was okay. The last one said he was coming over if I didn’t respond. “Ashley! I know you’re in there, open up,” Logan called.

  The act of getting up made me dizzy and I didn’t know how I was going to argue in court. I slowly made my way to the door and opened it. “How did you know where I lived?” I asked hoping my hair wasn’t too crazy and thankful I’d worn a matching pajama set to bed.

  “I walked you home from The Pub that one night remember? And Emma told me your apartment number this morning. I was concerned about you.” He grimaced. “You don’t look good.” He brushed past me into the apartment, patting Bailey absentmindedly. “Cute pajamas, though.”

  I closed the door after him. “Good morning to you too. Feel free to come in.” I could feel his eyes on me as I made my way to the couch. He followed and laid the blanket from the couch gently over me.

  “What is your calendar like this morning?”

  “I have a trial, of course. It’s just a little district court personal injury case, but still. I don’t know how I’m going to do it without passing out.” I wasn’t sure how I’d have the energy to shower. If what Logan said was true—a shower was a necessity.

  “You have the file? I’ll do it.”

  “Really?” Could I let him handle my case for me? Normally, I would go to court and ask for a postponement because I was sick. I wouldn’t rely on another attorney to handle it for me.

  “You can’t do it. Point me to the file.”

  I finally gestured at my briefcase, resting on the bench by the door.

  He pulled the file out and flipped through it. “I can do it. If your client doesn’t like it, I’ll try and postpone it.” Then he put the file down. “Now, let’s get you back in bed.”

  “You don’t think the partners will have a problem with you trying my case?” I asked.

  “No. We handle district court cases for the partners when they’re on vacation. What’s the difference?”

  “Are you sure you don’t mind?” I chewed my bottom lip, wondering if it was a good idea. The idea of crawling back into bed was more and more enticing.

  “Cook, stop worrying. You’re in no shape to go to work. Let’s get you to bed.” He held out his hand to help me up. I took it because I felt even weaker than when I woke up. He tugged me into his side and I closed my eyes at the feel of his muscular back under my arm. I let his warmth seep into my bones. I was so cold. He lifted the sheets so I could slide into bed. “I’ll take Bailey for a quick walk and set you up before I leave.”

  I wasn’t used to accepting help from others and I couldn’t believe Logan had taken the extra effort to check on me, take care of me, and handle my case. When he came back in with a glass of water, two Advil, and plain toast, I said, “You don’t have to do this.”

  “I’ll stop by after court. Text me if you need anything else and I’ll stop at the store.”

  I waved him off even though I wanted him to come back to keep me company. “That’s not necessary.”

  He repeated quietly. “I’ll be back to check on you.”

  I didn’t bother arguing with him, because he was so stubborn. He turned to leave. “Logan? Thank you. No one’s ever taken care of me like this before.”

  “No problem. Call or text me if you need me.” He hesitated for a second and I almost hoped he’d come back into the room and kiss my forehead.

  I was still worried about what the office would think of me not coming in. Maybe if I felt better later, I’d have him drop some files off for me. I took medicine and closed my eyes. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d slept in. As miserable as I was, it was still nice.

  Logan checked in on me after court and again after work. He surprised me by bringing me soup and staying to watch TV. When he sat next to me on the couch, his weight forced me to lean in his direction and I fought the urge to curl into his side.

  He lifted his arm to the back of the couch and sent me his dimpled smile, “Come on. You know you want to cuddle with me.”

  I smiled despite myself. I did want to get closer to him and being sick was a good excuse. I carefully shifted closer, pulling my knees under me, laying my head on his shoulder, and a hand on his chest. I fought myself to keep my hand still. I wanted to stroke his chest to feel the hard muscles underneath. I figured I must be feeling better if thoughts of touching Logan were foremost on my mind again. After a few minutes, his arm dropped from the couch to curl around my shoulders, and I snuggled closer to his chest, closing my eyes. Between taking care of me and cuddling on the couch watching a movie, I could picture how it would be to date him. It was nice to have someone to lean on for once.

  I woke with a start, the credits to the movie rolling on the screen. My arm was wrapped tightly around Logan’s body, so I loosened my hold, and sat up to find him watching me. His lips were so close to mine, I wanted to breach the distance to see if his lips were as soft as they looked.

  “I’d better go.”

  “Oh, yeah. Of course.” I scrambled off of him, feeling embarrassed I’d been draped over him. He was a co-worker. He wasn’t my boyfriend. “Thanks for helping me out today.” I crossed my arms over my chest, moving closer to the door.

  “Don’t worry about it. I want to make sure my competition is in fighting shape at all

  times.”

  “Is that it?” I asked, my lips twitching as I tightened my arms over my chest. He’d done more than I expected.

  His eyes drifted down to the cleavage I must have pushed up with my stance. I immediately dropped my arms. When he spoke, his voice was rough, “Get some rest. Don’t come in tomorrow unless you’re feeling better.”

  “If you keep this act up, I’ll think you’re starting to care for me.” Which wasn’t true. I was positive he cared for me and I wanted to know what it meant.

  He winked and smiled. “Maybe that’s all part of my plan.”

  Was he teasing? Somewhere along the way, we’d become friends instead of enemies. He’d been supportive at work. He took care of me today. Looking down at my pajamas, it struck me that he was here when I was at my worst. He didn’t need to check on me. He could have asked Emma or Stella to stop by after work, but he’d done it himself. He’d watched a movie with me, cuddled with me. The fact that he did was crushing every assumption I ever made about him. I suddenly, desperately wanted more of everything with him.

  “I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU LET this happen. How, exactly, is this going to work?” Stella asked later that week at The Pub.

  “Um,” Emma said. “It seemed like a good idea at the time. Bailey needed a home, Luke wouldn’t let me adopt him, Logan and Ashley wanted a dog, and now they have a dog.”

  “I can see Ashley adopting a dog and Logan adopting a dog—and let me be clear I’m talking about different dogs, not the same dog. They don’t live together, date, or like each other. I do not understand,” Stella gestured at us, “the whole situation.”

  Annoyed by the way they were talking about me as if I wasn’t present, I said, “We do get along. We work together, run together, and mentor together.” I was thinking of how he’d held me on my couch the other night, how his lips were so close to mine. The thought of fighting now was ludicrous. He smoothed things
over at work telling them I had the flu and he’d insisted I stay home.

  “Sorry, I didn’t realize things had changed and I didn’t mean anything by it,” Stella said.

  And I knew she didn’t. She gave everyone a hard time all in the guise of joking around. Usually, I was fine with it, but I was getting a little tired of them assuming we couldn’t be in the same room together because it wasn’t true.

  Logan leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “Ashley wanted a dog, so he’ll live primarily with her, but I offered to help out. I own a single-family home with a fenced-in yard.”

  Shifting my thoughts to Bailey, I didn’t see what Logan got out of our arrangement. Did he want an excuse to be closer to me?

  “What happens if you start dating someone and they want to know why you share custody of your dog?” Stella asked, tilting her head. “Sharing custody with someone you’ve never dated. It’s all kinds of suspicious.”

  “I’m not going to start dating someone,” Logan said.

  Was it because he was interested in me? Was Bailey an excuse to be around me more? “How do you know that? You’re young, attractive—”

  His dimples popped and his eyes lit up. “You think I’m attractive?”

  “You know you are,” I said.

  “Bailey is your dog. Your name is the only one on the application. I said I would help you take care of him, but he’s yours,” Logan said.

  I let his words settle over me—Bailey was mine. I had someone to call my own, something permanent.

  “We can babysit if you need to stay overnight somewhere. Hunter would love the company,” Emma said.

  “Why would Bailey need to stay overnight somewhere?” Logan asked, taking the words out of my mouth.

  Samantha laughed into her hand. “Really subtle, Emma.”

  “You know, when Ashley goes out on a date.” Emma smiled while she watched the emotions cross Logan’s face.

  “Why would—who?” Logan ran his fingers through his hair. “Never mind.” He got up abruptly and went to the restroom.