by Lex Martin
Poor baby. I want to ask him a million questions, like why it took him so long to get the meds and if Bev is really okay. I worried he had car trouble or couldn’t get the prescription, but right now I’m just glad he’s home and wrapped around me.
In the morning, there’s a note on my pillow to call him when I’m up, and he’ll try to join me for lunch. I forgot to tell him Tori was picking me up today so I can test out a hairstyle for the wedding, so I send him a text that I’m headed his way.
The house is filled with people when I get there—Tori’s parents, her cousins, Bev, and the kids, who perch on their dad’s lap in the kitchen. This might be Ethan’s second marriage, but I never saw him this happy with Allison. His smile is wide and relaxed even though Mila and Cody hang off him like he’s their personal jungle gym.
Although the wedding is a few days away, you’d think it was this afternoon from the smiles on everyone’s faces.
When the kids spot me, they bound over and tackle me for a hug. “Hey, guys.” I smooch their little heads. “I just saw you last night, you know.”
Mila grabs my hand. “Yeah, but Uncle Logan says we hafta convince you to stay in Texas.” She leans up to me like she wants to tell me a secret and whisper-yells, “He says he’ll die if you leave. So don’t leave, okay? Plus, Cody and I love you.”
Oh, my heart. Dang. He’s good.
I kneel in front of Mila and talk to her as honestly as possible. “I haven’t figured out how to stay yet, but I’m working on it, okay?”
She nods solemnly, and I hug her tightly.
I’ve been putting off that conversation with my cousin. Dawn let me stay with her when I was flat broke and helped me get on my feet. Her family was there for me when Gran passed. It would be so crappy to bow out on her. I made a commitment. My dad and brother might bail at the drop of a hat, but I don’t. Never mind that my money is wrapped up in her salon. Honestly, though, nothing pains me as much as the idea of letting down someone who’s stood by my side.
The back door slams, and Logan strolls in, flushed from the heat and sweaty, and looking so edible, I want to gobble him up.
A thick knot rises in my throat at the thought of going back to Florida. How can I give up Logan? After being in love with him for so long and we finally get a chance…
Now that we’re back from the coast and the reality of leaving after the wedding starts to sink in, my heart feels like it might disintegrate.
Two fingers lift my chin, and I look up until I’m staring into Logan’s baby blues.
“Whatcha thinking so hard about, Bitsy?” He kisses my forehead, and tears well in my eyes.
“Just… How I’m supposed to leave next week.”
His brows pull tight, and then he’s tugging me against his chest. He smells like leather, clean sweat, and sweet hay. I don’t even care that his skin’s damp and now mine is too. I wrap my arms around him.
His voice rumbles in my ear. “Don’t want you to go. There’s still time to figure out something, Jojo.”
I nod against him and blink back the heat in my eyes.
That’s when I notice the kitchen has gotten quiet.
Turning slowly, I laugh nervously when I see everyone staring at us.
Tori’s mom motions between me and Logan. “Are you two dating?” She glances at Tori. “I thought they were, what did you say, BFFs?”
Tori winks at me and whispers something to her mother, who nods and points at us again. “This is new, yes?”
I chuckle. “Yes, ma’am.”
Logan tucks me under his arm. “Only ’cause I was too stupid to get a clue sooner.”
Everyone laughs, and my heart swells ten times bigger. I’m so gone for this guy, it’s ridiculous.
My eyes meet Bev’s. She’s grinning from ear to ear, and I blush. I’ve never told her how I feel about Logan, but she’s a smart lady. I’m sure I must’ve looked like a sad puppy following her son all over town when we were young.
One of the kids burps, and suddenly everyone’s attention is off of us, thank goodness.
Logan’s fingers thread through mine. “When you’re done doing wedding stuff with Tori, wanna go for a ride? I thought you might like to take Cinnamon Pie for a spin. Maybe this evening when it’s not so hot. We could have a picnic down by the creek.”
Emotion rises in my chest again, and I swallow. “I’d love that.”
In this moment, it starts to sink in how differently he views me from the other women he’s been with. A picnic down by the creek? Call me crazy, but that sounds like a date, which I’ve never known Logan to do.
My stomach flutters when I think about having a legit relationship with Logan and what that could mean. It’s a familiar daydream. Him working on the ranch and me meeting him for lunch after I take a couple of clients. Long nights watching Netflix and making love and laughing. Hanging out at the Carter farm and taking turns with Tori to watch all of our kids.
Our kids.
They’d have Logan’s eyes and his determined attitude. Maybe with light blond hair when they were little that would get darker as they got older. They’d love the farm and the horses and running wild in the fields.
I sigh deeply, wishing my emotions didn’t always get the best of me. I’m pretty sure these aren’t the things a girl’s supposed to be dreaming about five seconds into a relationship.
Logan studies my face like he’s trying to commit little details about me to memory. “We’ll figure it out, Jo,” he whispers, wrapping me in his strong arms again, “but let’s have fun this week. Let’s make some new memories. We’ll get back to real life after the wedding.”
That’s the best idea I’ve heard all day, and the smile that sweeps across my face is genuine. Nothing sounds better than making more memories with Logan.
I tilt my head up to look at him, and he grins down at me before he tucks his sweaty face into the crook of my neck and licks me. I squeal and push him away, but I don’t get far before he starts to tickle me, not caring that his entire family is a few feet away.
I love playful Logan. The expression on his face reminds me so much of when we were kids, and he and my brother ran around like cyclones, always getting in trouble.
And if my emotions are any indication, I’m in so much trouble when it comes to Logan Carter, and I don’t even care.
27
Logan
“Have fun on your picnic!” Tori waves at us as Ethan smirks.
“Yeah. Have fun on your ‘picnic.’” My brother uses air quotes, and I give him the finger behind Joey’s back.
Jo and I ride our horses out of the barn and down a path that leads behind the property. The horses amble along side by side as dusk settles over the horizon. Butterflies meander lazily in the breeze that smells of cedar and earth, and I take a deep breath, maybe for the first time all day.
Joey does that for me. Settles me somehow.
My phone buzzes in my back pocket, and just like that, my calm disappears when I see Sam’s name flash on my screen.
After I scan the message to make sure Zach’s okay, I turn it off and tuck it away. I’m tired of Sam sucking up my time and mental energy, and I vow to myself to keep tonight fun for Joey. She deserves that much. Hell, I do too.
Thankfully, Jo doesn’t sense my preoccupation. She sports a megawatt smile as though riding our old mare is the best thing to happen to her. It’s so easy to please her. Ever since she was little, she’s always been grateful for anything people do for her. Always appreciative and kind.
I don’t remember the last time she rode Cinnamon Pie, though Joey always stopped by to give her treats and brush out her mane. It bothers me that I can’t remember, that before now, I never made it a priority to do something for her I knew she loved.
“Bitsy, why didn’t you ever ask me to take you riding? You know, before.” I don’t say the rest. Before you left for Florida. I don’t want to remind her of the decision she has to make next week, but I’m sure as hell hoping it involv
es staying here.
She shrugs, but doesn’t give me an answer.
“You love riding. I’m sorry I didn’t offer to take you more often. I’m just curious why you never asked,” I say gently.
Another shrug. “It seemed selfish to ask when you spent such long days with the horses.” Her eyes meet mine, and the devotion there nearly knocks me off my saddle. “I know how hard you work. Guess I didn’t want to add to that.”
Fuck. This girl kills me in the best ways.
We ride silently the rest of the way. I’m lost in my thoughts, lost in her shy smiles and calm spirit. A part of me wishes we could run away and not ever have to deal with real life.
When we get to the creek, I secure the horses and toss a thick quilt under an old oak tree.
Her eyes widen when she sees the spread—dinner, dessert, and wine. “When did you have time to do this?”
“I have to confess that my mom and Tori helped.” This morning I mentioned wanting to take Joey on a picnic, and Tori and my mother sprang into action.
Jo laughs, and that sound makes everything better. “This is amazing. Thank you.” Going up on her toes, she kisses me, and I take a moment to breathe her in. She smells sweet and familiar. Like home. I close my eyes and rest my forehead on hers.
I don’t know when this went from giving the relationship thing a shot to being all in, but I’m fully invested now. And it’s scary as hell. Because if I don’t work out my shit, I might lose the best thing that’s ever happened to me.
“Are you okay?” she asks hesitantly.
“Yeah. Just a lot on my mind, but I’m glad we’re getting a chance to go riding.” I kiss her again and speak from the heart. “We’ll do this more often, Jo. You’re important to me, and I know I’ve taken you for granted for a long time now. I won’t anymore. I want you to know you’re my priority.”
She tears up, and it guts me. I think back to that horrible argument with my father and wonder if things would be different today if he’d encouraged me to wait for Joey instead of telling me I was the last thing she needed.
Children aren’t supposed to hate their parents, but I’ve always hated my father for the things he said to me that day. The fact that those were the last words he spoke to me before he died makes it worse. Then there’s the guilt, the guilt that maybe I made him so upset when we argued he suffered a fatal heart attack.
The concern in Joey’s beautiful gray eyes does me in, and I give in. “After the wedding, I have some things I need to share with you.”
She stills and stares up at me. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I mean, it’s not the end of the world. Just some things I need to share with you and the family. Some things I’ve been meaning to for a while, but with the wedding…” I shake my head, already having said too much.
Two small lines form between her eyebrows. “Why after the wedding? Why can’t we discuss it now?”
I shift uncomfortably. “I, uh, I need to talk to Ethan and my mom about this, and… I don’t want anything to fuck up my brother’s big day.” After marrying that shrew Allison and enduring a contentious divorce, Ethan deserves to be happy this week.
And my news will not achieve that goal.
Joey’s eyes fill with concern. “Is it about the business? You and Ethan have been working your little hearts out these past few years, and I know you’ve been worried about it.”
“It affects the business, yeah. But like I said, no one’s dying or anything.” Yet. Ethan might strangle me. And my mom? Fuck, I can’t even think about how she’ll react.
Joey gives me a reassuring smile. She strokes my jaw, and I lean into her palm. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out. You always do. Who dug me out of that well when I was eight and all of your friends panicked?”
I shake my head. “Like I was gonna leave you down there?”
“Silas did. His buddies did. But you didn’t. You came for me.”
The memory is seared in my brain like a hot cattle prod. That was one of the most terrifying moments of my life.
We’d been playing cops and robbers near an abandoned property when Joey fell through the decaying boards that covered a well. I’ll never forget Jo’s scream or seeing her muddy and wet at the bottom of the dark well, crying and shivering in the waist-high water.
“We were too far from the farm to get your parents,” Jo recalls, “so you cut the rope from the old tire swing by the pond and tied that to a tree trunk.” She shakes her head. “But I wasn’t strong enough to pull myself out, so you scaled down and got me.”
“Damn right, I got you.”
“And then you carried me home.”
“Your ankle was swollen twice its size. There’s no way you could walk.”
I don’t remind her of the rest. Of how she was afraid to tell her parents what happened because they’d be pissed at her. She told them she twisted her ankle when she tripped and fell into the pond. Because she knew, like we all did, that her father would find fault with her somehow. And since Silas was scared shitless Bill would beat the crap out of him if he figured out Silas was the one who suggested we play there, we somehow managed to keep Joey’s accident a secret.
She stares up at me like I have all the answers. I don’t, but I like that she sees me as more than I am. I want to become that man, the man she needs. I want to deserve her, and right now I don’t. I’m a long way from the kid who crawled down into a well. Unfortunately, I’m probably closer to being the fuck-up my dad thought I was.
I swallow thickly. “Let’s eat.”
We settle on the blanket and unpack the roast beef. I open the chilled wine and fill our Dixie cups.
I’ll admit I’m not getting any points for style. I should think through this better next time. At least I took a shower at Ethan’s before we left.
Everything’s delicious. I make a mental note to bring Tori and my mom some flowers.
I glance over at Joey, who’s nibbling on a strawberry. Her hair blows in the gentle wind, and I’m overwhelmed by how good it feels to be by her side. The sun has almost set, and she’s silhouetted against the darkness, but as my eyes adjust, I can see her smile.
Once we’re done eating, I lie back on the blanket and draw her to my chest. She comes willingly, tucking herself against me. Around us, the trees rustle in the wind and crickets chirp.
Joey’s wearing a babydoll top and jeans that accentuate her perfect curves. I stroke her back and draw her leg over my thigh.
I don’t know who kisses who first, but it doesn’t take me long to want more. Since no one comes back here, I’m not worried about anyone interrupting.
Knowing Jo had a bad first time, I’ve kept the physical stuff to third base. I’ll wait as long as she needs to be comfortable. But I can’t deny the dance we’re doing around the main event is hot as hell.
Slowly, I unbutton her jeans and slide them down her toned legs. She helps me kick them off, and then I pull her over me so that she straddles my lap.
The moon is brighter in the sky now, so I can see her pouty lips and flushed cheeks. I drag a finger over her neck and catch the fabric of her top and tug it over her shoulder.
“Mm. Wanna bite you right here.”
Her eyes heat, and she swipes her long hair over her shoulder and leans down, presenting her tilted jaw to me. “Maybe you should.”
Fuck. I really like this side of Jo. I lick her bare shoulder slowly before I sink my teeth into her just a little. I’ve never bitten a woman before Joey, but for some reason, I really like biting her.
She moans and grinds down on me. My cock responds, angrily pushing against my zipper.
My hands slide to her ass, and I work her over me while we kiss. I can feel her heat through her thin panties, and it’s driving me out of my mind. I want to tell her I’m dying to fuck her, dying to feel her tight pussy clench around me.
When I can’t take it another second, I flip us around, making sure to cradle her head so I can lay her gently beneath me.
I yank off my T-shirt and slide down her body. Her legs open for me, and I smile, loving how she’s grown comfortable with me seeing her like this. I slip my fingers beneath the hem of her top that barely covers her mound.
Dragging my nose over her, I rub her through the fabric of her panties. Her hands yank at my hair while her hips wiggle beneath me.
“That’s right, baby. Make yourself feel good.” Her other hand reaches into her top, and I hate that I can’t see what her fingers are doing. “Pull your top down so I can see your beautiful tits.”
When they’re bare before me, I reach up and gently push two fingers into her mouth. She sucks me, licks me, makes me so hard I wanna fuck her until she can’t remember her name.
My cock kicks in my jeans, but I ignore it. When I’m good and wet, I drag those fingers over her pink tips and watch her nipples tighten. Perfection.
I lick her through her panties until she moans loudly.
“Logan, please,” she gasps.
“Please what, baby?” I love teasing her. She pushes down her underwear, and I smirk up at her from between her legs. “Oh, you want me to lick your pretty pussy?”
“Yes. Lick it. And…” I wait for her to finish. I’m torturing both of us right now, but I don’t care. The longer we hold off, the more amazing this will be when she comes. After a moment, she whispers, “And use your fingers.”
“Want me to fuck you with my fingers?”
“Yes.” She’s panting, trying to catch her breath. “Hard. Do it hard.”
Fuck, yes.
I slip two fingers into her tight channel while I take a long lick up one side of her and then the other. Mesmerized, I watch my fingers slide in and out of her. “You’re so wet, baby.” Her chest juts out as her knees pull up and lock around my shoulders. She’s a vision under the moonlight. Beautiful full breasts and that tiny waist. Her gorgeous lean legs. Her thick blonde hair that cascades behind her. “Jojo, you’re so fucking sexy.”
I love that she’s comfortable enough now to tell me what she wants. That she trusts me to do this.
