"Nitro! You never told me about the nitro pills."
"Of course I did, Logan. Even the doctor told you I was taking medication. What kind of medication did you think I was taking?" Ruth looked at Logan’s bewildered expression and chuckled. She started to pull a silver chain from around her neck. "See what Kelli gave me for Christmas." Instead of a charm, a tiny vial was linked through the chain. "It’s a nitro holder. This way I’ll always have my medicine with me and I won’t have to dig through my purse to find it."
Visions of his beloved aunt clutching her chest while searching through a crammed handbag for her life-saving medicine sent shivers down his spine. "Not only is Kelli beautiful, she’s smart."
"Yes, she is. As I was resting on the bench Edwin started to rant and rave about being inconvenienced. Henry told him I needed the rest but Edwin wouldn’t listen. There was a terrible scene. Edwin was shouting, Henry was begging, and all I could do was cry. That’s how Kelli found us.
"The sight of Kelli emerging from the woods like some avenging angel had me reaching for the nitro bottle again. She was dressed in one of her fairy outfits with wings and silver glitter in her hair. I thought I had died and gone to heaven."
"What happened?"
"She took in the scene with a glance. Henry explained to her that our house had burned down and we were staying with Edwin until we located you. She said she had a spare bedroom and we were welcome to stay with her. End of story."
"Just like that?"
Ruth chuckled. "Logan, at my age I’ve become a pretty good judge of character. Who would you pick to live with, Kelli or Edwin?"
Logan started to peel another potato. "Okay, so we both are experts in judging character. Now you can tell me whatever is on your mind."
"Obvious, was I?" Seriously, she said, "You do know that we love you like a son?"
Logan’s hand stopped in mid-peel. "I hate it when you start conversations with that line."
"Henry and I have also grown to love Kelli like a daughter. We don’t want to see her get hurt."
"By me?"
"I might be half-blind, but I can see the way you two look at each other. You will hurt her when you go back to Afghanistan."
"What if I don’t go back to Sudan?"
Ruth laid down a half-finished potato and stared at Logan’s sincere expression. "You remind me of your father when you look at me like that. Frank always wore that expression whenever he was about to make a sacrifice for the good of the family."
"Dad? What did he sacrifice?"
"His dream. When he was a little boy, he wanted to be a pilot. By the time he was old enough to decide on his future, World War II had broken out. Uncle Sam didn’t care about a young man’s dream; Frank looked like infantry material. After the war when our father died, Frank became the main support of the family, working in the steel mill. Then he met and married your mother, and within a year you were born."
"And he never flew."
"No. He was in an airplane a few times, but I don’t think it was the same. When I had the heart attack we didn’t tell you because I was afraid you’d come home and give up your dream. Henry and I kept my health problems from you because we love you."
Logan saw the tears in his aunt’s eyes and reached for her hand. "Thank you, but it wasn’t necessary. Being a geologist is my dream, not working in Sudan. I can be a geologist in the States."
"You said you work with oil."
"Yes, but I can work in other areas."
"In case you haven’t noticed, this isn’t Texas where there are oil wells every hundred feet."
"I noticed." He gently squeezed her trembling hand. "I said I could be a geologist in the States, not necessarily Pennsylvania. It could mean a move."
"Would this move involve Henry and me?"
"I can’t force you to come with me. I would like you to come." Noticing her frown, he said, "Nothing is settled yet. I’m still in the resume stage, seeing what’s available out there and where. All I ask is that you think about it."
Ruth nodded her gray head. "What about Kelli?"
As if on cue, Kelli swung open the kitchen door and entered the room in time to hear the last question. "What about me?"Logan couldn’t meet her eyes. "Ruth was just asking if you hurt yourself when you jumped from the tractor."
Her heart sank. He didn’t want her to know what he was doing. The man she loved had lied to her. With a grimace she glanced down at her finest red silk blouse and newest jeans. Her hair was freshly washed and streaming down her back. Delicate gold studs dotted her ears, the barest traces of makeup darkened her eyes, and a light flower scent followed her. Who was she trying to impress? Surely not the man sitting in front of her with the guilty look on his face. "No, Ruth, I didn’t get hurt. Shower’s free, Logan."
He knew he was caught in the small lie, but this wasn’t the time or the place to go into his career plans. Tonight after Ruth and Henry retired, he’d have a talk with Kelli. If I can keep my hands off her for that long. She did look gorgeous with that touch of fire in her eyes. With a small shake of his head, he rose and walked toward the door. "Thanks, Kelli, I hope you saved me some hot water."
#
Kelli tapped her foot as she glared at Logan. He was busily making up a tray with coffee and oatmeal cookies. She followed him into the living room and purposely sat in the chair farthest away from him.
He hid his smile. "Thank you for graciously listening to me." By the time his aunt and uncle left the kitchen, Kelli had built up a head of steam that was ready to explode. "Would you like a cup of coffee?"
"Yes, please." She might need something to throw at him, she reasoned. Kelli noticed that he fixed the coffee exactly as she liked it, but didn’t comment on it.
He cautiously handed her the cup and sat back down on the sofa. "I lied to you earlier." She raised an eyebrow. "When you walked into the kitchen Ruth and I weren’t talking about you jumping off the tractor."
"No? What were you talking about?"
"Dreams."
"Whose?"
"My father’s mostly." In a nervous gesture, Logan picked up and then quickly replaced his cup. "Can I start at the beginning and get back to the dreams?"
Intrigued by his nervousness she took a sip of her coffee and nodded her head.
"I want to start by thanking you for everything you’ve done for my aunt and uncle. Aunt Ruth finally told me what happened the day they came to Fairyland. I’m ashamed to admit that Edwin is a blood relation, twice removed."
"You’re not responsible for your relatives, any more than I am for mine."
Surprised, he asked, "You have a family?"
"Yes, Ruth and Henry are my family. My relatives abandoned me at the hospital when I was a baby."
Logan could have kicked himself for bringing up families. "I’m sorry." A sadness dulled her eyes as she reached for a cookie. "I know you’ve been helping them pay their bills."
"The agreement was, when their insurance money came in from the fire, they’d reimburse me."
"Is there fire insurance?" Kelli drank the remainder of her coffee. "I’m a worse liar than you are. No, there’s no insurance. They finally contacted me this week. Ruth hadn’t kept up with the premiums. Their policy was canceled over a year ago."
"That means you won’t be reimbursed."
"I didn’t do it to be reimbursed. They’re my family now, and I take care of my family."
"No, Kelli, they’re still my family. You love them, and they love you, but they are my responsibility."
Sadly, she shook her head.
"I paid the balance due Dr. Young, Sanderson’s Pharmacy, and their dentist. Was there anyplace else they owed?"
Pride kept Kelli’s lips sealed. There was no way she would tell him about the optometrist.
Logan knew she was holding something back and sighed. "Look, Kelli, I’m not going to force any revelations from you. And I won’t force them to move. I’m not sure about my future, so there’s nothing to offer them
, right now. Later, they will have the chance to make up their own minds. They’re two caring, loving individuals, whom I love very much."
Hurt swept through her as she stood up and faced Logan. "If you love them so much, where were you when they needed you?"
Logan allowed the pain to wash over him. She was right. He had ignored his responsibilities. He had come home like some crusading hero and had expected everything to fall into place the way he wanted it to. Now, his family was being torn apart and he had fallen in love with the person he was hurting the most.
Kelli regretted the accusation as soon as she made it. "I’m sorry, Logan, I have no right to judge."
"Yes you do. You’re right, I didn’t handle things well. I should have known something was wrong when I didn’t receive any mail from them. I figured they were becoming forgetful, and I’d be coming home soon anyway. I didn’t live up to my responsibilities." He reached for a folder lying half under the tray of coffee. "I spent some time figuring what it has been costing you to keep them here." Logan opened the folder and pulled out a check. "Please accept this with my sincere thanks."
Kelli looked down at the check Logan had placed in her hand. He was trying to pay her off! He was putting a price on the love she shared with his aunt and uncle.
He watched as the color drained from her face and realized he had just made the biggest mistake in his life. "Kelli?"
Slowly and carefully Kelli tore the check in half, then in half again. She let the pieces flow through her fingers, to the floor. "You are to have your bags packed and be out of my house by tomorrow morning." Then she slowly made her way upstairs to the sanctuary of her room.
Chapter Eight
Kelli pulled the pillow over her head and groaned. What in the world was all this ruckus about? It sounded like someone was playing demolition derby in the living room. She half opened one eye, nudged the pillow, and glanced at the illuminating red digits on her clock. It was three o’clock in the morning and her house was being trashed. Great, what else could possibly go wrong with her life?
With a colorful oath she tiptoed to the closed door. An exasperated sigh escaped her lips as she stepped over Tinkerbell, who growled in her sleep and shifted into a more comfortable position. Obviously, she wasn’t going to join her. So much for the cavalry, she thought. As silently as possible she opened the door and slipped out onto the landing.
Amusement lightened her expression as she sat on the top step and watched the bizarre scene below. Logan, dressed in a pair of jeans, was trying to coax Moth down from the top shelf of a bookcase. "Come on, boy, be a good kitty and come down." With an arrogant tilt of his head, Moth pushed a thick volume containing the history of American art off the shelf.
Kelli silently admired Logan’s fancy footwork as he caught it in midair. He turned to place the heavy book on the couch when Moth deep-sixed the Renaissance period. "Dammit," he whispered furiously. "Cut that out, you stupid cat. You’re going to wake Kelli, and then there will be hell to pay." Logan bent over to pick up the fallen book as Moth sent a small book on Leonardo da Vinci toppling over the edge.
Kelli clamped a hand over her mouth as she watched the book harmlessly bounce off Logan’s bare back. What had gotten into Moth?
Logan held the book in his hands carefully watching for Moth’s next move. The sound of shattering glass had Logan dashing over to the coffee table trying to save what was left of the tray of coffee they had used earlier. He gingerly stepped over the shattered mug and lifted the tray out of Mustardseed’s way. "What in the hell is with you guys tonight? Did you get into catnip or something? If Kelli comes down, she’ll think I did all this. I’m in enough trouble with her, without your help."
Mustardseed sat on the arm of the sofa attentively listening to Logan’s every word. "Please tell your buddies here to knock it off," Logan said to the cat. "I don’t relish the job of telling Kelli her cats are schizo, she’s mad enough as it is." He watched Mustardseed cock his head as if patiently waiting for him to continue. "All I wanted to do was make things easier for her. She works so hard for so little. Did you know that Mr. Wheedle said the whole town was betting against her and Fairyland when she first started it?"
Logan shook his head. Why was he talking to a bunch of cats? Moth laid on the shelf, watching his every move, Mustardseed was listening attentively, and Cobweb had jumped down from the top of the china closet.
As long as he kept talking, the cats seemed calmer. He wondered if this is how the Pied Piper felt. With a cautious step closer to the front door he lowered his voice. "The drama club swears she’s part fairy and Dan Teeterman is half in love with her." Logan watched as Moth jumped from the shelf and sat on a chair closer to him. "Josh says that Kelli could stretch a nickel further than anyone he ever knew. He also says she’s proud and stubborn and won’t accept help from anyone." Logan took another step toward the door and smiled as Mustardseed moved closer. "The way I figure it, guys, is, if Fairyland is running in the black, Kelli SantaFe is part fairy." He stepped closer to the door and held the knob in his free hand. "Ruth and Henry love her like a daughter. I can’t blame them, she inspires that in people." He opened the door and chuckled as all three cats sashayed forward. "I didn’t mean to insult her with the check. I wanted to be fair. I wanted her to know that I will take financial responsibility for my aunt and uncle."
One giant step had Logan standing outside while the three cats were sitting on the doorsill. With an imploring gesture for understanding Logan said, "I’m not what’s known as a good catch. I don’t have a job, I come complete with an elderly aunt and uncle, Lord, I don’t even have a place to live." He took another step backward. "When you get serious about a woman, you want to show some endearing characteristics." With a self-mocking chuckle, he said, "I guess I blew that one."
Kelli gripped the banister harder and swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. She had followed Logan’s progress across the living room listening to every word. By the time she reached the bottom step he was out the door encouraging the cats to follow. Two tears ran down her cheeks as she stepped from behind the door. "No, you didn’t blow it," she said.
"Kelli!"
"Shouldn’t you be saying all this stuff to me, not to a bunch of schizo cats?"
Logan glanced down sheepishly. "Don’t you guys have mice to catch?" He watched in surprise as the cats raised their tails and strutted off into the nearby woods. His gaze turned serious as he walked toward Kelli. "There’s a lot I should be saying to you, but every time I open my mouth, I seem to choke on my foot."
Kelli backed up into the room and allowed Logan to shut the door behind him. She swiped at her eyes and mustered a small smile. He was the sweetest man alive. The whole time he had been pouring his heart out to a bunch of furry felines she had come to understand him better. Love was all-consuming, all-forgiving. "If you start to choke, I’ll give you mouth-to-mouth."
He placed the tray down on the coffee table and glanced around the room. Books and broken pottery were scattered across the floor, throw pillows were dragged from the couch, and Ruth’s weeping fig plant was tilted at a peculiar angle. Curtains were pulled from their tiebacks and a table lamp was lying on its side. With a frown he righted the lamp. "I didn’t do this."
"I know."
He bent to pick up a pillow. "How long were you listening?"
Her breath caught in her throat as she eyed the play of muscles across his tanned back. When he straightened, her gaze was drawn to the fine dusting of hair that covered his chest. Saints preserve her, but what that man did for skin ought to be illegal. "I came in about the time Moth was trying to beat some art into your head."
Logan looked at her lovingly, finally noticing her outfit. "This is the first time I’ve ever seen you when you aren’t wearing red or pink."
Kelli glanced down at the huge fluorescent green T-shirt with "A Midsummer Night’s Dream beats Freddy’s Nightmare" written across it in bold black letters. The nightshirt came to mid-thigh and
covered everything vital, but a blush still stained her cheeks. "The drama club sells the shirts during the presentation of the plays to help raise money for costumes and scenery."
Logan’s mouth went dry as his gaze dropped from her shirt to glide down long silky legs. His voice was husky. "You look good in green." "Thank you." When the silence stretched she asked, "Did you mean what you were saying to the cats?"
"Yes. I was going to explain again in the morning when you cooled down a little." He took a hesitant step closer. "The check wasn’t intended as you thought."
A womanly smile curved her mouth. "So I found out. Are you going to rewrite it?"
He thanked his guardian angel for this second chance. He vowed not to mess it up again. "No, we’ll leave the past where it belongs. However, as long as I’m living here, I would like to pay for any of our expenses."
"I can live with that."
"Thanks, but can you live with the fact you have three deranged cats?"
She chuckled. "I guess I’ll have to, they’ve lived here longer than me. I don’t know what got into them tonight, they’ve never done anything like that before."
Desire burned in his eyes. "Can you live in the same house with a man who wants you constantly? I wake up in the morning aching for you. I spend my days planning ways to bump into you." He ran a trembling hand through his hair. "I spend my nights praying for the strength to keep from opening your door and joining you in bed."
Kelli stared at him. "Why?"
He took a step closer, lifted his finger, and tenderly brushed at a spot of moisture left by her tears. "I’ve never felt like this before. I’m afraid once I make love to you, I won’t be able to leave your bed."
A wondrous smile curved her lips as Logan softly cupped her cheek. A warm tingling sensation radiated from his touch as he slowly threaded his hand into her hair. "Would that be so bad?" she asked weakly.
"I can’t offer you any promises."
Kelli heard the honesty in his voice and understood. Here was a man who would give her the truth. How could he offer promises when his own life was at a crossroad? She could be safe and walk away from him now, or she could risk it all . . .
Satin Sheets and Strawberries Page 10
