by Kristi Gold
Too bad. He wasn’t going anywhere without Jenna. “Look, Avery, it’s only for two days.”
“Why are you doing this, Logan?”
He’d asked himself that same question several times. The most important answer—he was on a mission to prove Helena wrong. And he’d been where Jenna was now—isolated from meaningful social interaction—only his isolation had been self-imposed. “Your daughter needs to do something other than sit around, waiting to hear from her kid.”
“You don’t have a clue what my daughter needs.” He pointed at him and scowled. “And if you think I’m going to stand by and let you discard her as you’ve done countless women, you’re sorely mistaken.”
Logan should’ve known better than to frequent the same social events as Avery, a different escort in tow every time. “I don’t intend to do that. We’re only friends.” Something he’d vowed to keep in mind this weekend. Granted, he wouldn’t mind knowing her better in every sense, but he’d made the decision to adopt a hands-off policy, even if it might kill him in the process.
“If you truly have her best interests at heart,” Avery said, “I see no reason why you can’t take her to dinner in Houston instead of carting her thousands of miles away for some camping trip.”
For the sake of civility and future business dealings, Logan kept a tight rein on his temper. “We’re going to Arkansas, Avery, not Tahiti.”
“I vote for Tahiti.”
Both Logan and Avery turned at the same time to discover Jenna standing in the doorway, a black nylon bag slung over one shoulder, a cane that resembled a walking stick in her grip and a large black backpack resting at her feet.
“I hear Tahiti’s crowded this time of year,” Logan said, and then realized it sounded as if he wanted to get her alone—most likely the reason behind Avery’s glare. Logan’s lengthy appraisal of Jenna’s midthigh khaki shorts, white sleeveless blouse and hiking boots probably hadn’t helped. But the lethal combination of bare arms and bare legs—toned bare arms and legs for a woman of such small stature—meant only one thing. Big trouble. And if he didn’t keep his eyes to himself, it could lead to his own demise—delivered at the hands of her father.
Avery moved to Jenna’s side and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “It’s not too late to reconsider, sweetheart.”
“I’m going, Dad. End of discussion.”
Avery sported a serious frown. “I can’t talk you out of this?” She kissed his cheek. “You tried that last night, and nothing’s changed.” He looked resigned. “Then, did you pack your allergy medication?”
“Yes, and my eyedrops, my toothbrush, clean underwear and bear repellant.” She snapped her fingers. “Darn, I’m all out of bear repellant.”
When Avery looked alarmed, Logan added, “We won’t have to worry about that where we’re going.”
“Speaking of going,” Jenna said, “shouldn’t we be heading out before the traffic gets heavy?”
“Yeah, we should.” Logan crossed the room and took her bags. “I’ll meet you at the SUV as soon as I give Avery the contact information.”
She smiled. “Sure. I’ll expect you as soon as you reassure Mr. Fordyce that we’re not running off to Vegas for a quickie wedding, or Tahiti. See you Sunday, Dad.”
Cane in hand, she strode out of the room, leaving Logan alone with Avery, who nailed him with another hard glare. “I need to know where you’ll be at all times.”
With his free hand, Logan fished through his jeans’ pocket, withdrew a piece of paper and handed it to Avery. “Here’s the number of the campground and my cell phone, which you already have. Feel free to call in case of an emergency.”
“Or in case we receive the call that corneas have become available,” Avery said. “She’ll have a limited window of time to return to Houston.”
Logan hadn’t stopped to consider the possibility of Jenna being unavailable for the transplant, and he was surprised she hadn’t mentioned it. “If you get the call, I’ll put her on a plane if I have to.”
Avery forked a hand through his silver hair. “You have a lot to learn about Jenna, Logan. If you knew her, at all, you’d know that she hates to fly, particularly alone.”
“I’ll make note of that.” And he would accompany her back to Texas in a chartered plane if necessary. “Speaking of planes, I met with the aviation company in Wichita on Monday. I can take delivery on the jets after the first of the year, if you’re still willing to partner with me.”
Avery rubbed a hand over his stubbled chin. “That depends. If you bring my daughter home unscathed, I’d be willing to back you financially. As long as you walk away from her afterward.”
Logan knew the entrepreneur could be cutthroat, but he didn’t realize he’d go to the extreme of using his daughter as a pawn. “We’ll discuss it further next week.”
“We’ll definitely discuss it next week.”
He didn’t care for Avery’s tone, or his suspicions. “You’ve always trusted me in business, Avery. You can trust me with Jenna.”
He refused Logan’s offer of a handshake. “My daughter is a very special woman. Remember that.”
Avery Fordyce wasn’t telling Logan anything he didn’t already know.
Shortly after a fast-food lunch, Jenna drifted off to the drone of highway traffic, and had awakened a few moments before to the sound of crunching gravel. She stretched her legs and straightened in the seat. “Where are we?”
“In the Ozark National Forest.”
Surely, she hadn’t been asleep that long. “What time is it?”
“Almost four. We made it an hour earlier than I’d expected.”
She laid her head back against the seat. “That’s because we barely stopped since we grabbed the burgers.”
“Did you know your lip trembles when you’re asleep?”
Undoubtedly he’d been watching her. “I suppose you’re going to tell me that I snore or, worse, drool.”
“None of the above. But you did look like you were having a good dream.”
Jenna didn’t remember any dreams, although she did recall thinking about J.D. before she’d fallen asleep. She wondered where he was right now, if he was having a good time on the ship—without her. Of course, that would be her wish, even if she did experience some regret.
She had other things to think about to keep her mind occupied, and a question she’d been meaning to ask Logan. “Out of curiosity, exactly what did my father say to you before we left?”
“Not much, other than I’m supposed to deliver you safe and sound and unharmed on Sunday. In the meantime, I’ve been ordered to treat you with respect.”
“He thinks you want to have sex with me.”
Logan cleared his throat. “I’m here to be your friend.”
“If I had to judge by the way you kissed me the other evening, and some of our conversation on Wednesday, I’d say you’ve thought about it.”
“Okay, I won’t deny that. But I’ve decided sex can complicate things, Jenna.”
“That all depends on your mind-set.”
“I guess so, if sex is all both parties want going into the relationship.”
Spoken like the consummate player. Oddly, she hadn’t viewed him that way since she’d known him, in spite of what her father had said. “If sex is only the primary goal, then it seems you’re dealing with two callous people who don’t give a damn about each other. And if that’s the case, why would they want to have sex in the first place?”
“You just proved my point. You can’t have sex with a friend without screwing up the friendship.”
“You’re saying that, in order for us to remain friends, we should avoid sex.”
“Probably so.”
Funny, he didn’t sound that convinced. “I suppose you could be right.” Or not. “ Your father would be glad to hear you say that.”
“My father has nothing to do with my decisions, although, he’s tried to intervene more than a few times in my life.”
“That b
ad, huh?”
“You have no idea.” She tilted her head back and sighed. “You’ve heard that old expression about running with scissors. He wouldn’t let me run with a marshmallow. In fact, he didn’t want me to run, at all.”
“He only wants to protect you, Jenna.”
“I know.” She rested her hands loosely on her abdomen. “But he can’t protect me from everything. Although, I understand why he’s so bent on doing that.”
“Like you’ve said, you’re all he has.”
“And it took my parents several years of trying to get pregnant before they finally adopted me.”
“I didn’t realize you were adopted.”
Obviously, Logan and her father hadn’t shared much when it came to their personal lives. “The adoption was final when I was six months old. Aside from that, I know nothing about my biological parents. It was a private adoption and the records are sealed.”
“Have you asked your dad about them?”
“I did, not long after my mom died.” That proved to be a disaster in the making. “I think he believed I was looking for a replacement for her. He was so upset, I didn’t ask again until I was pregnant with John David. And once more, he was so distressed, I dropped it and haven’t mentioned it since.”
“But you wanted to know from a health care standpoint.”
Another correct assumption. “At first, I wondered if she gave me up because she had the same disease I have. Later, I wanted to know what J.D.’s chances were of contracting it. He’ll eventually be tested, but I’d like to be prepared.”
“And if he does have it?”
She’d prayed night after night that wouldn’t be the case. “Hopefully by the time he’s my age, they’ll have a cure.”
They both fell silent for a few moments before Jenna added, “If my mother did give me up because she couldn’t see, I wouldn’t blame her at all. I’m sure she felt that it was the most unselfish thing to do.”
“But you never considered that when you had your son.”
“Not at all.” She shifted to face him, wishing she could see enough to gauge his reaction. “I didn’t worry about my future problems since John David has a father to help out. And even if I’d been on my own, I’m not sure I could have given him up. Maybe that makes me selfish, but it’s hard enough knowing that another woman is practically raising him right now.”
“I’m sure that is tough, but he still has you.”
If only Jenna could believe she hadn’t been replaced. If she could just be with him soon, touch him, hug him, tell him a bedtime story in person, not over the phone.
The conversation suspended for the time being, until Logan announced, “We’re here,” as he turned the SUV sharply to the right, braked hard and cut off the engine. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
Jenna didn’t particularly like being left behind. “Where are you going?”
“To see what sites are available. The visitor center looks fairly crowded.”
In other words, she might get lost among the masses. “Mind rolling down the window so I don’t suffocate?”
“Sure.”
Before Jenna could issue a protest, the door slammed, indicating Logan had left. She turned her face toward the open window and drew in the scents of pine, relished the warm summer sun and immediately fired off several sneezes.
She felt for the bag at her feet and withdrew her decongestants, along with the eyedrops. As much as she hated relying on medication, she hated runny noses and dry eyes even more.
After downing the pills with a sip of bottled water and applying the drops, she replaced the medicine and groped for the radio’s controls. Nothing but static filtered through the speakers, which led her to believe they were far away from civilization, and that suited her fine.
The opening door indicated Logan’s return. Or, at least, she hoped it was him and not some stranger. He confirmed his identity when he said, “The place is packed, so we have two options.”
Jenna hoped that turning around and going home wasn’t one of them. “I’m listening.”
“We can take the only spot left, but it’s in the middle of the Falstaff reunion.”
“I don’t believe I know the Falstaffs.”
“I met Billy Joe Falstaff while I was waiting in line. A nice guy. He offered me a beer and a date with his little sister, Liza.”
For a second she wondered if Logan might take Billy Joe up on his offer after dealing with her deficits. Pushing the insecurity back where it belonged, she said, “How generous of him. What’s the other option?”
“We can take the hiking trail that circles the valley. It’s about fourteen miles all the way around, but there’s several remote camping spots along the way.”
She could live with remote. She preferred remote to a reunion of strangers. “That sounds like a good plan.”
“The trail’s pretty rough in places. Do you think you can handle it?”
“With your help, I can handle anything.”
Chapter Seven
Is this tether thing tying us together really necessary, Logan?”
As far as he was concerned, yes. “I didn’t want you making a misstep when we reached the top of the bluff.”
“Please tell me we’re at the top of the bluff.”
“We are.”
“Good, because I feel like a dog and you’re my handler.”
If she only knew how much he wanted to handle her, she’d probably turn around and head back to Texas.
He regarded Jenna over one shoulder to see her hair falling out of the band she’d secured at her crown, her cheeks dotted with dirt and a leaf hanging from her ponytail. She looked so damn cute, he wanted to kiss her. But he wasn’t going to do it, otherwise he’d be breaking a promise, both to her and himself.
When he pulled up short, Jenna kept going and rammed into his back, face first. He turned and caught her by the shoulders to make sure she remained upright. “Whoa there.”
She braced one hand on her hip. “Whoa? Now I’ve been relegated to pack mule.”
Logan couldn’t halt the laugh, which earned him a frown. “Stop complaining. I’m carrying a cooler, the tent and a backpack full of supplies.”
“I’m not complaining, but I could use a drink and a break.”
In reality, so could he. “Fine. We can rest for a few minutes, but we need to get down the hill before dark.”
After he unhooked the tether from her belt loop, Jenna dropped her cane to the ground, pulled the backpack from her shoulders and set her other bag down before sitting beside them. She draped her arms on bent knees. “For a minute I thought we were going to walk all night.”
He removed his gear, set it aside in a pile and stood above her. “I don’t care what you say, you’re definitely a princess, princess.”
“I am not.”
“Oh, yeah? Anyone who considers a foot massager their most prized possession is a princess.”
She pulled a bottle of water from the side of the tote and took a swig. “Look who’s talking. You’re the one who can’t live without access to twenty sports stations.”
“That makes me a guy.”
She picked up a twig and tossed it at his feet. “Shut up, Logan, or I’ll short sheet your bed tonight.”
“No beds available, just a blanket and the ground.” Although he wouldn’t mind a bed—with her in it. Naked.
Damn, he was a lost cause. But not yet. Thinking about it wasn’t the same thing as acting on it.
After he heard a rustle in the nearby trees, Logan turned toward the sound. And when Jenna began to speak, he told her, “Be quiet and be still.”
“If you say there’s snake nearby, I’m going to—”
“Not a snake. A whitetail deer.”
She came to her feet and brushed off her bottom. “Where is it?”
“In a clearing to your left, about fifty yards or so. It’s heading this way.”
She knelt, carefully opened the backpack and withdrew a digi
tal camera. “I want a picture.”
A photographer he was not. “I’ll try, but I make no guarantees on quality.”
“I’m going to help you,” she said in a whisper. “Come here and stand behind me. You point and I’ll shoot.”
He saw no reason to protest. In fact, he’d damn sure enjoy standing behind her. With that in mind, he positioned himself at her back and turned her in the direction of the wildlife. “What do I do now?”
“First of all, describe the deer.”
“You’ve never seen one before?”
“Of course I’ve seen one. I just want to know what this one looks like.”
Logan studied the animal foraging in the grass while inching closer, oblivious to their presence. “It’s brown, with a white tail.” He saw another flash of tan in the distance. “It’s a doe. She has a fawn with her.”
“Baby animals make great subjects,” she said. “Let’s hurry and get a picture before they run away.”
Logan moved flush against her and ran his palms down her arms before lifting the camera to his eyes. “It’s focused.” And he was quickly in danger of forgetting his friendship goal. But he couldn’t very well help her with the picture if he didn’t touch her.
“Now, keep looking through the lens,” she said. “And keep the camera steady. I’ll do the rest.” He wasn’t sure he could trust himself to keep the camera steady with her so close. “Are you ready?” she asked. Oh, yeah. Real ready, but not necessarily in a photography sense. “Shoot.”
She set off the shutter in rapid-fire succession right before the deer bolted and took off in the opposite direction.
“They’re out of here,” Logan said as he gave the camera back to Jenna with one hand while keeping his other resting loosely at her waist. He should back away from her immediately, but his feet didn’t want to move, and his hand had developed a will of its own.
“Feel free to let go of me now,” she said.
Apparently she could read his mind, and letting her go was the last thing he wanted to do, but he did. Reluctantly.
While he returned to the nylon cooler and crouched to retrieve a sports drink, Jenna wandered to the opposite side of the trail.
