Keeping Score

by Shannon Stults

“Maybe because you told me that it didn’t mean anything.” The words came out harsher than she’d intended.

  “That’s because you called it a mistake. I was sure that what we did that night was the worst possible thing you could imagine.” He sounded defensive, his voice rising.

  “Well, if you had been honest with me, we could have talked it out!”

  “Maybe we would have if you hadn’t run away! And sure, I lied about how I felt. But that excuse only works for the first time. What about all the other times? What were you so scared of then?”

  “Of you. Of getting hurt. What if we do this, put ourselves all in, and one of us backs out? How do we know if this is really going to work?”

  “We can’t know that. No one knows for sure if it’s going to last.”

  “And that doesn’t terrify you?”

  “Honestly, no. Not near as much as a life without you in it. Nothing I’ve ever faced scares me as much as that. I can’t make you promises that everything will be easy and perfect. But I will tell you that I’ve wanted this since the sixth grade. And I can promise that I’m going to hold on to you with everything I’ve got because I love you! And there is nothing you could ever say that’s going to change that.”

  Her breath caught, heart hammering in her chest as her lips curled. I love you. Those three words fluttered under her skin. “I love you, too.”

  Every muscle in his face and shoulders relaxed, his anger washed away like pollen after a heavy storm. His breath hitched. “What did you say?” he asked, his dark eyes unnaturally bright.

  “I said, I love y—” Cole closed the distance between them, gripping her arms and pulling her closer until his lips found hers. They were firm and unyielding before the kiss gave way to several quick ones. She returned them with her own passionate fervor, rejoicing in the feel of his lips but still needing more.

  He pushed forward, guiding her backward blindly until her back hit the wall. Her legs felt shaky beneath her, and she wasn’t sure if she was currently managing to hold herself up or if he was doing it for her.

  His hands cradled her jaw delicately, but then took on a life of their own, tangling into her hair and sending deliciously intoxicating electric currents from the top of her head to the soles of her feet and back up again. She welcomed his tongue caressing hers desperately, and her body began to fill with a growing need she hadn’t felt this strongly in an excruciatingly long time.

  Her hands moved slowly over his shoulders and back, taking the time to feel every muscle beneath his blue dress shirt. Once they reached the curve of his lower back, they traced their way around to his abdomen and gradually snaked up over the buttons of his shirt. They slipped between two of the middle buttons and gripped the sides before she yanked the dress shirt open and exposed the white cotton T-shirt underneath.

  She squealed as some of the buttons went flying. Then they were both laughing.

  “I’ve always wanted to do that,” she whispered between gasping breaths.

  She worked to untuck the dress shirt, then Cole helped by removing the whole thing and tossing it to the floor. When he’d finished, she took his face in her hands and pulled his lips back down to her starving ones.

  His hands worked their way under her T-shirt. Logan pulled her mouth from his. “I wasn’t supposed to be wearing this when we talked, you know. Not that I knew this was going to happen, but still. I was not supposed to look this tragic.”

  “You look incredible.”

  She laughed. “Smart answer.”

  “I’m serious. You have no idea how amazing you look in my shirt. It took everything I had not to kiss you during that paintball game.”

  “Good thing you got a second chance.”

  “Where are your parents?” His hands were under her long shirt, teasing the sensitive skin on her belly and hips. God, she didn’t think anyone’s touch had ever felt so good.

  “Out. Won’t be back for hours.”

  He leaned into her harder, his body putting just the right amount of pressure in all the good places, simultaneously pulling a low, primal moan from somewhere deep inside her. “Not nearly long enough for what all I want to do to you right now.”

  “We should get started then,” she said. She could feel his lips curve against hers. “I’ll show you the way to my room.”

  “I think I can find it.” Without another word, he lifted her into his arms.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  “Holy shit.” Cole fell onto the bed beside her, his chest rising and falling in rhythm with hers. “I don’t mean to be crass, but that was even better than I remembered.”

  “Definitely.” Logan couldn’t remember a time that came close. But then again, she was having trouble remembering anything before the last half hour.

  “No, seriously. You have a gift or something, ’cause that was…wow.”

  She attempted to move the hair sticking to her damp neck and chest. “Thank you,” she said proudly, glancing across the bed at him. She loved the euphoric grin on his face and the fact that she was responsible for it even more. “For the compliment, and especially for…you know.”

  Cole leaned over her, one eyebrow raised. “Which time?”

  “Don’t even,” she said through her laughter. To make it worse, he started tickling her side under the green sheets.

  “No, really. I think I lost count somewhere in there.”

  “Shut up!” Logan shoved his chest to push him off her, and he fell back while managing to pull her with him. He kissed her lips once, then twice, before he let her settle on top of his chest.

  Logan relished the feel of his body beneath hers, solid and alive, and all hers, at least for this moment. She found the elegant black scrawl of initials on his rib cage and traced them with a tender touch while her other hand rested over his calming heart. She kissed the black letters once.

  “I need to tell you something,” she said, placing another kiss on the smooth, tan skin of his chest.

  With a gentle smile, he ran his fingers through her hair and then settled his palm on her cheek, where she leaned into it. “Okay.”

  “I love you, Cole Tucker. I think I have for a long time.”

  His face lit up with an incandescent grin, and her heart was going to burst. “God, I love it when you say that.” He pulled her face to his one more time, placing a soft, lingering kiss on her lips.

  “So, what now?” he asked once he let her go.

  She took his hand in hers, interlocking their fingers. “Well, I believe you and I still have a bet to settle.”

  “Seriously? I thought I told you the bet was off. I forfeited, remember?”

  “Oh, I remember. But after over ten years, I’ve decided I have the right not to accept it. Which means we’re in desperate need of a tiebreaker.”

  Cole laughed. “Fine. Any suggestions?”

  “Just one,” she said. “I say we try this thing. You and me. We go out on dates, do the boyfriend and girlfriend thing. Get in fights, have great makeup sex, the whole relationship package.”

  “I like where this is going,” he said, kissing her again.

  “The first one to call it quits, to give up and pull out because things get a little difficult, loses.” Logan had to admit, this was easily her best idea yet.

  “I’m game if you are.”

  “Great, then let’s talk about stakes. Jacob already figured out about the tattoo—and he wasn’t thrilled, I should add.”

  “We can come up with something. I just want you to be sure this is what you want. If we’re going to do this, you have to really be in it with me. There will be days when I make you want to rip your hair out and you make me want to stuff that beautiful mouth of yours with a towel just to shut you up. It’ll probably be the hardest challenge we’ve ever faced.”

  Logan squeezed his hand in hers, the paralyzing fear nowhere to be found. “Well,” she said smiling, “it’s a good thing I love a challenge.”

  Epilogue

  Two Years
Later

  Logan was in the back room of the gallery sorting through receipts when the bells on the front door rang through the room. She checked the clock on the wall; it was only ten minutes until closing.

  “Logan, could you come help me for a minute?” Louise called from the main room. “There’s a customer here in need of your keen eye.”

  Logan cursed under her breath. She was going to lose her place and have to start all over again. She set the receipts down on the counter and made her way slowly out to the open gallery.

  Standing by the door in jeans and a T-shirt was a beaming Cole. But his attention wasn’t on Logan—it was focused on the adorable one-year-old he was carrying. The toddler was grinning up a storm beneath his reddish-blond hair, mesmerized as Cole made silly faces for him.

  “If it isn’t two of my favorite boys.” Logan raced across the room to kiss the bundle of childish giggles on the cheek, immediately followed by kissing Cole’s lips. “What are you guys doing here? I thought I was meeting you at the house.”

  “Well, Carter was getting a little cranky at home, so we decided to get out for some fresh air.”

  The toddler reached out for Logan. She scooped him up in her arms, more than willing to snuggle this sweet, dimpled boy she loved so much. “You just wanted some time with me, didn’t you?” She planted quick, sneak-attack kisses all over his cheeks and neck, at which Carter giggled profusely.

  She laughed, too, hitching him on her hip and tickling him while she adjusted his bunched-up shirt. She stopped.

  “What is this?” she asked, pointing to the one-year-old’s green “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy” shirt.

  Cole shrugged. “What’s what?”

  “Carly’s going to kill you. You know how she feels about you putting her son in suggestive shirts like this.”

  “Well, at least it’s not the matching ‘Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy’ shirts Cowboy bought them last weekend,” he said defensively. “And besides, if Carly’s got a problem with how I dress him, she can stop asking me to babysit every day I have off.”

  “You volunteer.” Logan was still amazed at how quickly he’d taken to Carly and Darren’s first, and so far only, child. He absolutely lived for the days he got to keep baby Carter while they were at work. It was the same love he felt for each of his brothers’ kids.

  Logan shook her head. “Just know that, when we have kids, you will not be the one dressing them.”

  Cole watched her as she bounced the baby on her hip, then surprised her by pulling her into a deep kiss. “What was that for?” she asked breathlessly when he let her go.

  “For reminding me what a lucky man I am. I love you, Mrs. Tucker.”

  “I love you, too.” She leaned forward, placing a shorter but just as sweet kiss on his lips. It was still strange to hear him call her his wife or refer to her as Mrs. Tucker, but it was the good kind of strange that made her skin tingle. They had officially tied the knot almost a month ago and had only just gotten back from their honeymoon in Aruba earlier in the week.

  “Somebody missed Aunt Lo and Uncle Cole, didn’t he?” she said to the toddler on her hip.

  The bell jingled as the front door flew open.

  The next thing Logan knew, Carter was being pulled out of her arms. “Cowboy! What are you doing? I was giving him some much-needed Aunt Lo love.”

  “You can do that later,” he said in a rush. He was already pulling the diaper bag from Cole’s shoulder. “I’m a man on a mission.”

  “A mission that involves kidnapping a one-year-old against his will?” Cole laughed.

  “Carter here is my bro, my wingman. And wingmen have each other’s backs no matter what.”

  Logan cringed. “So, who’s the unlucky victim of your charms today?”

  “Lisa VanCamp, over at the ice cream shop,” he said proudly. “She loves when I bring Carter in with me. Not to mention she gives us a free scoop whenever we want.”

  “Do you have any shame?” she asked. Lisa had only just barely graduated high school last year, and what she lacked in smarts she more than made up for with tight clothes and unabashed flirting.

  Cowboy thought for a minute. “Nope. Not when it comes to women and certainly not when it comes to free ice cream. Don’t worry. I’ll bring him over to Carly when we’re done. Wish me luck!”

  “Good luck,” Cole called out to Cowboy’s back as he raced out the door and down the sidewalk, tickling and talking to Carter as he went. Despite the way he used him, Cowboy’s attachment to the child was just as strong as Cole’s. If nothing else, Carter Whitehead was easily one of the most loved babies in all of Willow Creek.

  “Hey, what are you doing right now?” Cole asked quietly, pulling Logan into him.

  “Finishing up the books, closing down the shop. Why?”

  “I’ve got something I want to show you. A surprise.”

  “Ooh, I love surprises,” she said, feeding off his excitement. “Give me just a few minutes, and then I’m all yours.”

  “I’ve got it under control,” Louise called from the back room. Logan didn’t know when she’d gone back there, but she’d clearly heard every word. “You two kids get out of here.”

  “Are you sure?”

  Louise came out of the back room, papers and receipts in hand. “Of course I’m sure. Now go before I have to kick you out myself.”

  Logan absolutely adored this woman. “Thanks, Louise. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “You’re the best!” Cole shouted while Logan grabbed her bag from behind the register.

  “Have fun, you two,” she called just as Cole was pulling Logan out the door.

  He led her to the Bronco a short distance down the sidewalk, then instructed her to get in without so much as a hint as to where they were going.

  Logan might have tried to ask where he was taking her, but she’d learned long ago that, when it came to surprises, Cole’s lips were tighter than Lisa VanCamp’s skinny jeans. They drove for several minutes in complete silence. But after a few miles and familiar turns, Logan started to get an idea of where they were going. They were off the beaten path and a good mile from the nearest house when Cole finally pulled off on the side of the gravel road.

  “You know where we are?” he asked after he turned the Bronco off.

  “Of course I do.” Did he even feel the need to ask? “This is where we used to meet for the bonfires. But why are we here?”

  “Come on.” Cole opened the driver’s-side door and stepped out. He rounded the truck, took her hand, and leaned back against the warm metal, pulling her against his chest and wrapping his arms around her.

  He sighed. “You have no idea how happy you make me.”

  “And yet it’s nothing to how I feel when I’m with you.” Logan kissed him, placing her hand on his rib cage.

  “Ow,” Cole hissed through his teeth, pulling back.

  Logan instinctively lifted her hand. “Sorry, I keep forgetting.”

  “It’s not that bad really. Just surprised me more than anything. See…” Cole lifted his T-shirt, exposing the slightly red skin over his rib. “It’s already starting to heal.”

  Logan examined the three black letters first, exactly as she’d memorized them. Then she paid extra special attention to the fourth one. Cole had insisted on adding the T on the end the second they’d gotten back from their honeymoon. That one was already her favorite.

  She kissed the skin next to the healing tattoo ever so gently before allowing Cole to pull his shirt back down.

  “So,” she said, turning around in his arms to face the field in front of them, “why are we here?”

  “I haven’t told you this yet, but a little over a month ago, I got a visit from Old Man Carithers.”

  “Really? What about?”

  “He asked how you were and what my plans were. Then he mentioned how old he was getting, that he couldn’t really keep up with all his property like he used to. Said he’s looking to sell some of it, maybe look i
nto retiring.”

  “Wow.” Logan never thought she’d see the day Carithers was ready to sell his land and retire. When you put all his properties together, the man owned at least half of Willow Creek. “So why was he telling you?”

  “He said that, despite all the trouble I’d been in over the years, he knew I was a good kid and a hard worker. Said he liked me, and he wanted to see me do right by my family. Then he told me to take my pick of any of his properties, and he’d sell it to me for a good price. A wedding present from him to us.”

  Logan turned to face Cole head-on. “You’re kidding.” He shook his head. “What did you say?”

  “I told him it was a generous offer, but I’d need some time to look into land quality and pricing and talk to the bank. Not to mention discussing it with my wife. And Carithers told me to take my time.

  “Well, you can probably guess why this was the first place I thought of. I had Keith come out and check on the lot size, the quality, and Carithers’s suggested price. I talked to the bank, and they cleared us for the loan in case we want to move forward. So now all that’s left is you.”

  “Me?”

  He nodded. “You say the word and I’ll do it. I’ll tell Carithers we have a deal and start getting all the paperwork squared away. Or, if you decide you don’t want it, we’ll start looking at some of the other lots he’s offering. It’s completely up to you.”

  Cole placed his hands on her shoulders, turning her back around to look out over the several acres of land that stretched before them. It was hard to believe that this was where it all started. If it hadn’t been for this field, for the events of the farewell bonfire, nothing in Logan’s life would have been the same. She owed every ounce of happiness she had to this field.

  “So, what do you think?”

  Logan pushed away the memory of a cool summer night and a roaring fire, of a life-changing bet and the smell of smoke on Cole’s skin. Instead, she thought of the house with the picket fence and the barn next to acres of horse pastures, standing on the porch while little kids ran screaming with joy in the front yard.