Keeping Score

by Shannon Stults

  “You really think this is the best I’ve got?”

  “Afraid so. But I’m looking forward to seeing you try to prove me wrong.” He winked before jogging over to the Bronco. When he looked back, she was still grinning.

  Chapter Four

  Logan woke to the sensation of a jackhammer pounding away at her skull. With her eyes scrunched in the sunlight, she tried to remember the last time she’d felt so horrendously hungover and came up short.

  When they finally adjusted to the light, Logan pried her eyes open. She was in a bed, but it took only a second’s investigation to realize it wasn’t hers. And it wasn’t just any bed either. This she distinctly remembered as Cole Tucker’s bed.

  Not again, she almost cried. Logan smacked a hand to her forehead and instantly regretted it. She swore she could feel every inch of her brain throbbing. She slowly sat up and assessed the situation. The one good sign was that she was still fully clothed.

  Logan grabbed her favorite pointed-toe cowgirl boots from the floor. She held them in her hands as she carefully opened the door before tiptoeing her way down the hall. She spotted the front door on the other side of the cozy living room, her only means of escape. She took one step.

  “Good morning, sunshine!” Cole hollered from the kitchen where Logan hadn’t seen him. She turned around on the spot, cringing at the boom of his voice. “I was wondering when you’d finally get up.”

  “Keep it down or I swear I will shove the toes of these boots right into your eye sockets,” she snapped.

  “Geez,” he said more quietly. “I forgot how cranky you are when you’re hungover.”

  Logan glared at him, daring him to joke again. He chuckled.

  “Here”—he pointed to a stool at the breakfast bar—“take a seat, and I’ll get you some aspirin.”

  She crossed the room and set her boots on the floor before moving slowly into the raised chair. Cole set a glass of water and two white pills in front of her, which she hastily shoved into her mouth along with a gulp of water. “What happened last night? We didn’t do anything…did we?”

  He shook his head, and a great flood of relief washed over her. “I slept on the couch after graciously letting you take the bed.”

  “How did we get here?”

  “Somewhere between you passing out and me puking my guts up, Lilly called Cowboy and had him come take you and me back to our place.”

  “So, it’s still just you two here?” she asked, looking around. “Doesn’t look like any women have taken over the place yet.”

  “That’s right. Still just us.”

  “That’s too bad.” Logan took another sip of water.

  “How ya figure?”

  She shrugged. “I made a bet with Carly a long time ago that Cowboy would be the first of all of us to get hitched. I guess I was hoping he’d found some girl to finally make an honest man out of him.”

  “Ha!” Cole’s laugh was loud and hard, magnifying the ache in her head and making her wince. “Cowboy would have to be capable of having a real conversation with a woman first.”

  “What about you? Found that special girl who makes your heart pitter-patter yet?” she teased.

  He crossed his arms in front of his chest and leaned back against the counter. “What would it matter to you if I did?”

  “Just curious if I need to send some poor girl my condolences,” she said. He hadn’t actually answered the question.

  Cole’s grin turned cocky. “If I didn’t know you better, I’d think you sound a little jealous.”

  This time it was her turn to laugh. “Good thing you know me better. Though I guess it would be somewhat of a relief. Otherwise, I might feel obligated to find her and try to talk some sense into her. And I just don’t have the time or motivation today.”

  “Whatever you have to tell yourself to be happy.”

  “Who’s happy?” a deep voice asked from down the hall. Russell Hart, or Cowboy as he’d been known to everybody since sixth grade, stepped into the living room. He’d been a shrimpy kid back then, the nickname given by a group of bullies who made fun of him for wearing an oversized cowboy hat to school every day that year.

  Now, at six-two and with at least two hundred pounds of bulky muscle, he was one of the biggest, buffest guys Logan knew and a high school football legend. The name Cowboy evoked a sense of pride and respect from the entire town. He also had a tendency to be a bit of a manwhore, but he had one of those easy personalities no one could hate even if they wanted to.

  He was also Cole Tucker’s best friend and therefore should have been one of Logan’s least favorite people. But despite the animosity between her and Cole, Cowboy had always been a good friend to her growing up, like a brother even.

  His hair was shorter underneath the old UGA cap and a few shades lighter than the last time she saw him. Judging from that and the suntan, she guessed he’d been spending a lot of time outside these days.

  “Logan’s happy,” Cole answered as he refilled his glass of water. “Ecstatic, really. She was worried I was seeing someone and she’d lost her chance forever.”

  Cowboy frowned, his hand scratching the hair at the nape of his neck. “And here I was hoping she’d finally realized her secret love for me. Bummer.”

  “Ha-ha,” Logan said humorlessly. “No wonder you guys are still single. You’re not near as funny as you think you are.”

  Cowboy raised his hand to hide his mouth. “I forgot how crabby she is when she’s hungover,” he whispered. Logan punched him in the arm. “Ow! Seriously? That’s the kind of thanks I get for carrying your unconscious ass from my truck last night?”

  Logan arched an eyebrow. “You carried me in here?”

  “After you passed out at the bar.” Logan frowned. That would explain why she didn’t remember much beyond her own shot glass last night. “You’re lucky it was me, too. If Cole had his way, you would have ended up on the couch all night.”

  “So instead you put her in my bed,” Cole interrupted. “How chivalrous of you.”

  Cowboy turned and glared. “That was for hurling on my favorite work boots.”

  “Oh, right,” Cole said as he leaned back against the kitchen counter. “Sorry about that. I’ll buy you some new ones.”

  “Great.” Cowboy took the stool next to Logan. “Now just throw in that firefighter chick’s number, and we’ll call it even.”

  “I already told you she’s not interested.”

  “Every girl is interested,” he said, shaking his head.

  Logan snorted. “You really haven’t changed much.”

  “Look who’s talking. Your first night back and you’re already getting plastered with Cole.”

  “Trust me,” she said, trying to fight the memory and nausea that accompanied it. “That won’t be happening again.”

  He and Cole both laughed. “Sure it won’t. Next time just remember to invite me. After four years, I expect more than a call for a ride from you.”

  She sighed. “It wasn’t exactly a planned get-together. I would have invited you if it had been, but the whole thing just sort of happened.”

  “Ah, don’t feel bad,” Cole said. “Cowboy’s just mad he’s too busy to party and go wild like he used to.”

  “Right, like I ever got to go wild with you two around. Between football and your drinking bets, I was the sober one driving your asses home every night.”

  “Cowboy too busy?” Logan asked skeptically. “Doing what?”

  “You try running a business and see how much partying you manage to get done.”

  “Doesn’t seem to stop you from sleeping over at some random woman’s place every other night,” Cole said.

  Logan’s jaw dropped. “Hold on, you have a business? Since when?”

  Cowboy looked at her. “About two years ago. I’d been working with a landscaping crew over in Macon for a year. Then when Cam finished up his degree in business, we decided to start up our own right here in town. We’re actually doing really w
ell.”

  “That’s awesome, Cowboy,” Logan said. “How did I not know about this?”

  “Well, maybe ’cause you never thought to call or visit your lowly friends back home. Seriously, how do you not come back to town once in four years?”

  Logan scowled. It wasn’t that she never thought of coming back home, but she’d known that the best way to start over would be to completely cut herself off from the old life she was leaving behind. Especially after that last night.

  “Phones go both ways, Cowboy. But you’re right. Sorry I didn’t keep in touch.”

  “That’s all right. I reckon a hug’ll make up for it.”

  Cowboy opened his arms and wrapped them gently around her. “So, you are absolutely sure you’re not secretly in love with me?”

  Logan pulled out of his hug and smacked him on the shoulder.

  “Oh well, can’t blame a guy for trying. And now that you’ve officially apologized, you can have this back.” He dug into his jeans pocket, pulling out something small and dropping it on the counter with a metallic clatter. “Quite a rock you’ve got there.”

  Logan’s eyes darted between the empty spot on her left ring finger and the engagement ring she hadn’t realized was missing there. “How did you get that?”

  “You threw it at me,” he chuckled. “Told me to hold on to it ’cause you didn’t want to lose it. That was right before you passed out in the truck and started drooling on my shirt.”

  Logan stared at the ring as she slid it back onto her finger, trying to digest the feeling of heavy cement settling in her stomach.

  “Some fancy doctor, right?” Cowboy asked when she didn’t respond.

  Logan rolled her eyes. “My dad has a big mouth.”

  “More like Lilly,” he said. “The town gossips haven’t had near as much to talk about since you left, so they’re just making up for lost time. So, when’s the big day?”

  “We haven’t really—”

  “While you two ladies sit here chatting, I’m going to head over to Wade’s,” Cole interrupted. “Make sure my bill is covered from last night, maybe get something to eat. Unless you two would rather take this girl talk over there.”

  “Wish I could, man, but I’ve got all these invoices and payments I have to get straight from last week. Next time, though.”

  Cole looked at Logan next. “I don’t even want to think about food right now, but I could use a ride to my truck.” She slipped on her boots before giving Cowboy a hard pat on the back.

  “See you later, Cowboy. Let me know when you’re free, and I’ll make sure we get together and catch up.”

  He nodded, and Cole grabbed his keys from the counter before leading the way to the front door. “See ya,” Cowboy called as Logan followed Cole out the door.

  Chapter Five

  “I can’t believe you still have this thing,” Logan muttered as she and Cole climbed into the old, black Bronco. Aside from some extra wear and tear and the police scanner he’d installed, everything looked, smelled, and felt exactly the same as it had the last time she’d sat in it. “Surely by now you can afford something better than this pile of crap.”

  He shrugged, starting the thing and quickly backing it out of the driveway. “Still runs fine. Don’t see why I need another one just yet. Besides,” he said, “I’m working on saving up right now.”

  “For what?”

  He turned onto Willow Creek’s main street, the one that would take them through the middle of town and to the bar on the other side. “Big house.”

  “Why do you need a big house?”

  “For the wife and kids,” he said casually, keeping his eyes on the road.

  “So, there is a girl?”

  He looked at her, a tiny grin creeping onto his face. “No girl…at least not yet. But one day. And it’s not like I can keep living with Cowboy forever. That’s why I’m saving up now so that when the time comes, I’ll be ready to start my family.”

  Logan shook her head. “I can’t believe you’re already thinking about that stuff. The wife, the kids, the big house…”

  “The white picket fence, the loyal family dog.”

  She smiled, remembering the one and only dog she’d ever had. “You know you can get a dog whenever you want. You’re a grown man.”

  “A grown man with a rental agreement. No animals allowed while Cowboy and I are at this place.”

  “Oh. Still, we’re too young to be thinking that seriously about the future.”

  “Says the one getting married.”

  She hesitated. “That doesn’t mean I’m already stressing about kids and all that stuff.” She tried to picture her and Jacob in front of the perfect house with the perfect kids, but the image just wouldn’t come to her. Proof that, while she knew she loved Jacob and wanted to marry him, she wasn’t ready to think about anything beyond that. “I’m just taking it one step at a time right now.”

  Cole opened his mouth like he was about to say something then closed it again before any sound could come out.

  The rest of the short ride was silent with him looking thoughtful in the driver’s seat, which left Logan trying not to think about the way her stomach felt like it could turn against her any second. Luckily, years of practice meant she had better control over her hungover tummy than most.

  They finally pulled up to the bar, and Logan relaxed when she saw her truck safe and sound. There were a few other cars and trucks, some of the nonchurchgoers who’d come in for an early lunch—and probably at least one who’d never left last night.

  “Well, thanks for the ride,” she told Cole as she undid her seat belt. “I guess I’ll see you around.”

  “Oh, we’re not done yet.”

  “What the hell do you mean, we’re not done yet? I’m going home. I’m hungover and tired.” Not to mention in desperate need of a shower.

  “Soon,” he said. Without another word, he was out of the Bronco and making his way across the parking lot to the door. He stopped at the top of the porch steps, looking back for a split second before going inside.

  Logan rolled her eyes, grumbling as she climbed out of the Bronco and marched toward the bar’s entrance. The blinds were open, allowing sunlight to brighten up the place tremendously. Logan scanned the bar’s few inhabitants, soon finding Cole sitting in a booth on the far left wall.

  He was scrutinizing a lunch menu in his hand and appeared to be in deep thought. She crossed the bar and stood by the booth.

  “What are we doing here?”

  He said nothing, nodding to the seat opposite him. Logan grunted as she gave in and sat across from him. He put the menu down. “Clearly, we are getting lunch.”

  She slumped back in her seat. “Didn’t you hear me say I couldn’t even think about food right now, or do you just not care?”

  The corner of his mouth tilted up. “I did hear you, and it gave me a great idea for our second challenge.”

  “Second challenge?” she cried. “When did we even have a first challenge?”

  “Maybe you should quit drinking. You have a horrible memory when you do.” Cole pointed to the wall-sized chalkboard behind the bar. Like always, it was covered with the prices for various alcoholic drinks, but the section on the end where the specials usually were had been wiped clean. Now in its place was a T-grid with Cole written on one side and Logan on the other in Lilly’s flowy script.

  “What is that?”

  “Scoreboard,” he said, sitting up taller. “For our game of H-O-R-S-E.”

  She groaned. She vaguely remembered a drunken conversation from last night involving a series of challenges. And worse, she remembered agreeing to it.

  Worse still, she remembered the terms.

  “We take turns picking the challenges, and the first one to a full H-O-R-S-E loses,” Cole went on.

  “And you’ve got Lilly keeping score.” Why hadn’t she just stayed home last night like she’d originally planned? “Why does your name already have an H?”

 
“That would be from the drinking last night.”

  “Cowboy said I passed out.”

  Lilly appeared at their table as if out of nowhere. “You did, but not before this one got sick all over my floor,” she said with a pointed look at him. “The way you two left last night, I thought for sure you’d be ready to dig your own graves by now.”

  “Don’t you ever sleep?” Logan asked.

  “Oh, honey, I’ll sleep when I’m dead. Besides, what else have I got to do all day? I’d much rather be here where the action is. Not to mention the men.” She winked at Cole.

  Logan frowned. She loved Lilly to death, but sometimes she was just too much.

  “So what are you two doing back here already?”

  “You mean aside from admiring you, Lilly?” Cole asked, much to her amusement. “We are here to eat.”

  “All right, doll. What can I get you?”

  He looked back down at the menu in his hands. “I’m thinking a bacon cheeseburger with all the works, onion rings, French fries, and a milkshake. And the same for Lo here.”

  “You expect me to be able to eat all that?”

  “I expect you to try,” he corrected. “First one to finish without getting sick wins. Unless you want to go ahead and forfeit the challenge.”

  “That’s the challenge? Eating a bunch of junk? But I’m hungover,” she whined.

  Cole laughed. “The whole point of a challenge is that it’s supposed to be difficult. Unless you don’t think you can handle it, which is fine with me since it just gets me closer to winning the whole thing.” He glanced at her tattooed wrist. “Have you decided how you’re going to tell him that everything he knows about you is a lie?”

  “Fine,” she growled. “But when I win, you get to cover the bill.”

  He laughed. “Hell, if you win, I’ll cover lunch and our entire bar tab from last night.”

  “Deal.”

  Ten minutes later, Logan sat with a smug smile as she forced down the last sip of her chocolate shake.

  Cole stared like he’d just struck out two batters only to have the third step up and hit a grand slam. “I thought you said you couldn’t eat all that,” he said once he swallowed.