Pain sliced through her strangled heart. She wasn’t sure what hurt worse. The fact she’d caused all that to happen to Logan, or the fact he thought she was playing him like those women. They both pretty much sucked.
Her throat was tight and eyes were burning as if she was going to cry, which was crazy. She hadn’t cried in years. “I’m sorry he went through that.” She slid to her feet, wrapped her arms around her middle, and began to pace. “It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t followed Reggie into the treehouse.”
“Reggie?”
“The cat my father gave me and my sister just before he died.”
“Jesus.” He blew out a breath and straightened from the counter. “Your dad died in the flood?”
“No. In Afghanistan three months prior.”
He cursed under his breath and stepped in front of her pacing path to clamp two strong hands on her shoulders. “I’m sorry, Chloe. I would’ve gone after the cat, too.”
She swallowed and nodded, which sent a tear down her face. Dammit. With a grumble, she swiped it away.
Linc ducked down to catch her gaze. “It’s okay to cry, you know.”
“No. It’s not. Tears are useless, and solve nothing.” She patted his shoulder as she broke free from his grasp. “Besides, there’s never been anyone around to wipe them.”
“If it’s not too late, I’d like to apply for that position,” Logan said quietly from behind.
She twisted around to find him standing by the front door.
When did he come in?
“And that’s my cue to leave,” Linc said, slipping out the back door.
She barely noticed his departure. She was too busy setting a hand over her chest to keep her rocking heart inside. “Logan. I didn’t see you. How long have you been standing there?”
“Long enough to know I’ve been an ass,” he replied, striding right to her, pulling her in close, wrapping those wonderful arms around her tight.
The sound of his thudding heart against her ear reassured her she wasn’t dreaming. He was real, and there, holding her like she was his lifeline. He was hers.
“God, I’m so sorry, Chloe. For walking out without letting you explain, and for everything you’ve gone through in your past.”
“I’m not a gold-digger, Logan. I don’t care about your money. Just you.” She drew back to meet his gaze. “Only you.”
His eyes closed momentarily and he nodded. “Thank God I came back for my phone.” His eyes reopened and he cupped her upper arms. “I’m sorry I doubted you, but there have been so many attempts to toy with my heart to get my money, I guess it left a toll.”
She patted his chest. “I understand. And I’m sorry, too. Sorry about all that you lost because of me.”
His head reeled back and he frowned. “Whoa, hold on. I didn’t lose anything because of you. You weren’t to blame for the flood. That was Mother Nature.”
“But I was the one who climbed into the treehouse that day, and my sister followed.”
“Yeah, to get your cat.”
She blinked. “You heard that part?”
“Yes. I heard that part.”
“And you’re not mad at me for ruining your baseball career?” she asked the question she dreaded all these years, then held her breath, waiting for his answer.
“Chloe.” He frowned, gently running a finger over her temple to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “Of course not. You didn’t take anything away. A tree branch did when it sliced through my muscle.”
“I tried to deflect it.” If she closed her eyes, she could still see the clump of debris barreling down on them too fast for her to warn him.
His body stiffened. “The scar on your hip,” he stated, as if the pieces she kept from him started to fit. When she nodded, he pulled her in tight and buried his face in her neck. “You tried to stop it from hitting me. Jesus, Chloe, you could’ve been killed.”
What hit her now, was the force of his feelings for her. He shook with them. She shook too. “Nah. I had a sister and a kitten to take care of. And a container of chicken wings to share with a certain, sexy guardsman in my future.”
His chuckle rumbled through her as he tightened his hold. “I’m so lucky to have you in my life. And you’ve been part of it for so long, longer than I’d realized. My past, present, and future.” He drew back and tipped her face. “Don’t you see? You’re the best damn part of me.”
“I am?” She could hardly believe he was holding her, saying these things, gazing at her with the fierce emotions blazing in his eyes, just like her fantasies.
But it was real.
He ran his hands up her neck to cup her face, still staring into her eyes. “Between sports and deployment I’ve played hard and lived hard, and for years, I was just fine with that…until you, Chloe. Now, I want to love hard. I want to love you. Let me love you, Chloe.”
Then his mouth brushed hers, slow and sweet, starting at one corner, then the other, then full on, tasting and worshiping, showing her he meant what he said. She tasted his feelings…and her tears.
Shoot. Of all times to cry.
He slowly pulled back. “Seems you’re not the only one with a warning label.”
“Oh?” She clutched his shoulders as her knees buckled. “What’s yours?”
“Warning, will brush away all of Chloe’s tears.” Then he did just that.
And more fell. Then still more. But that was all she allowed, because there were better things they could do with their time. So she ran her hands up around his neck and leaned into him.
“I’m glad you realize I’m not after your money. Your body, definitely. And your heart?” She slid her palm down to cover the spot she’d marked with wing sauce the day they’d collided in Kerrville. “Yeah. Hell, yeah.”
Epilogue
“To Logan and Chloe.” AJ McCall lifted his glass for a private toast with Ellen, Alex and Leanne, their little celebration in the corner going unnoticed amongst the other guests who spilled out onto the patio at his son’s ranch.
It was a beautiful October night, Sweetest Day, and the festivities were in full swing with family and friends gathered to celebrate the couple’s engagement. There were two tables full of food and desserts, with Avery’s killer wings right in the middle.
He’d heard all about the way Logan and Chloe had met at Hardbodies and shared a batch…with their shirts. Seemed only fitting the tasty entree take up the place of honor.
“Well, AJ,” Alex said, cupping his shoulder. “It seems like you only had a minor hiccup with this one.”
Satisfaction tugged his mouth into a full grin. “Yes. Now I understand why you bothered with your boys.”
The matchmaking thing wasn’t too tough. Logan, apparently, only had a small misunderstanding. But Chloe claimed it was a good thing, because when his son had taken off from the ranch he’d fixed a flat tire for a woman broken down on the interstate with her sick father in the car. AJ couldn’t help but feel fate had put Logan there for a reason. By stopping, Logan had also realized his phone was at the ranch and had turned around to fetch it, which had him walking in a conversation he’d needed to hear.
“We got lucky sometimes.” Alex withdrew his hand, his gaze straying to his sons Cole and Connor, who stood talking to some of the McCoys they apparently knew from college. “Other times, we needed a Plan C, D, and E. But, at least it all worked out.”
Leanne slid her arm around Alex. “Yes, that one was touch and go. But so worth it. I hated to see my son in pain and push everyone away.”
AJ remembered many discussions during those dark times. Logan and Linc had even tried to get their cousin to join them at rodeos and ballgames, activities they used to all enjoy while growing up, but Cole had refused and sunk further into a dark, brooding shell of himself.
He studied his nephew now, noting how the man’s gaze was open and full of affection for his wife walking toward him with the same fierce adoration on her face. “I’d say that matchmaking was definitely
a huge success.”
“True,” Alex said. “I just don’t want you to think they’re all going to go as smoothly.
“Yeah, don’t forget Logan and Chloe were destined,” Leanne reminded. “That helps.”
Ellen slid her arm around his waist and squeezed. “I still can’t believe Chloe was one of those poor teenagers he’d helped save from the flood all those years ago.”
“I know.” Leanne rubbed at her arms. “Gives me chills. That was destiny right there, no doubt about it.”
“Definitely made our job easier.” His brother raised a brow. “Any chance her sister is destined to be with Linc?”
AJ turned to watch his son interact with his future daughter-in-law’s sister, who had moved to Texas back in late August. They were joking and smiling, with an easy-going vibe, but their body language screamed just friends. “No. I don’t think so.”
“Me, either,” his wife said. “There’s no spark or tension, which is too bad. I like Stefanie.”
“So do I,” Leanne nodded, glancing around while she sipped her champagne. “No one here seems to spark Linc’s interest.”
“No one has in years. It’s always just fun with him. For once, I’d like to see him take a relationship serious. You know?”
Alex and Leanne exchanged a knowing look. “Yeah, we know,” his brother said. “Sounds like a Kevin.”
“Oh, dear.”
“But don’t fret.” Leanne patted Ellen’s shoulder. “Kevin is happily married with two sweet little girls. Believe me, if we can get that Casanova cowboy to give up triplets and settle down and raise a family, we can certainly help you with Lincoln.”
“I hope so,” Ellen said. “I just don’t like how unhappy he is. Oh, he’s always smiling, but never with his eyes. I’m not even sure he knows how to anymore.”
AJ nodded. Twice now, Linc had come home from the Middle East different than the man who’d deployed. He wasn’t sure there would be anything left of him if they didn’t do something to reach him soon.
“He’s turning into the good-time guy.” Ellen sighed. “You know, the one who takes nothing serious, other than work. He shies away from relationships and commitment, but embraces a fun, fast, risk-taking lifestyle. It’s almost like Logan all over again.”
Linc still hung out with friends and family, but the once-monogamist relationship guy didn’t commit, didn’t date past two nights. It was as if he was living like it was his last day on earth. Every day.
AJ watched his son make his way to the makeshift bar across the patio, stopping to talk and joke with several guests along the way, but never for long. Unhappiness settled in his gut. He didn’t want this for his son.
“He does seem to be holding himself back,” Leanne observed, brow furrowed while she sipped her drink and watched Linc.
Alex scratched his jaw with his thumb. “Sooner or later, something has to give.”
“Yeah,” he said. “Preferably fate smiling down on Linc, helping him to find peace and a good woman.” Lord knew a good woman made a hell of a lot of difference. AJ tightened his hold on his wife. “I’m afraid it’s going to take a big infusion of help from fate to push Linc toward a good woman.”
A second later, he watched as his son stopped by Logan and Chloe, who stood chatting with Joseph and Cady near the pool, when all of a sudden their little girl Angel darted out, startling one of the guests. The pretty woman jumped back, out of the way, but right into Linc, the momentum knocking them both into the water fully clothed.
Alex chuckled. “Now there’s a sign from fate if ever I saw one.”
“Yeah,” Leanne grinned. “Your twins seem to have a thing for meeting women in water.”
Excitement lit his Ellen’s gaze. “And by bumping into them too, apparently.”
He watched Linc try to help the drenched woman to the edge of the pool, and noted his son visibly stiffened. They exchanged a few words, and apparently Linc disregarded whatever she had said, because he lifted her by the waist and handed the unhappy woman to Logan and Connor, who hoisted her the rest of the way out of the pool.
“Well I’ll be damned.” This time he grinned. There was certainly tension happening between those two.
“Do you know who she is?” Leanne asked.
“I think that’s the ranch manager, Hick’s, niece,” his wife replied. “She’s a widow, staying in one of the cottages.”
Alex lifted his nearly empty glass in the air. “Looks like fate supplied Linc’s good woman.”
AJ lifted his in response. “Now, we just need to get him to realize it.”
***
If you enjoyed HER HELL YEAH COWBOY, please consider leaving a review. Thank you.
The fun began in Cole’s story Her Fated Cowboy,
and continues in Connor’s story, Her Unbridled Cowboy, Kade’s story, Her Uniform Cowboy, Kevin’s, Her Forever Cowboy, Brock and Jen’s story in the prequel, Harland County Christmas, then back to the present with Jace’s, Her Healing Cowboy, Tanner’s, Her Volunteer Cowboy, Jesse’s, Her Indulgent Cowboy, Logan in, Her Hell Yeah Cowboy, and coming in November, the most anticipated story yet, Keiffer, in the Citizen Soldier/Harland County Crossover, Her Troubled Cowboy! Keep an eye on the
Harland County Cowboys!
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ALSO BY DONNA MICHAELS
Amazon.com/author.donna-michaels
~Citizen Soldier Novels~
(Harland County Spinoff Series)
Wyne and Dine (#1) (Award Winning)
Wyne and Chocolate (#2)
Wyne and Song (#3)
Wine and Her New Year Cowboy (#4)
Whine and Rescue (#5) (Paige Tyler’s Dallas Fire & Rescue Crossover Novella rel. 10/2016)
~Harland County Series~
Harland County Christmas (Prequel)
Her Fated Cowboy (#1)
Her Unbridled Cowboy (#2)
Her Uniform Cowboy (#3) (Award Winning)
Her Forever Cowboy (#4) (Award Winning)
Her Healing Cowboy (#5)
Her Volunteer Cowboy (#6)
Her Indulgent Cowboy (#7)
Her Hell Yeah Cowboy (#8) (Sable Hunter’s Hell Yeah! KW Crossover Novella)
Her Indulgent Cowboy (#9) (Citizen Soldier Crossover rel. 11/2016)
~Dangerous Curves Series~
Knight’s SEAL –KW (#1)
Locke and Load (#2)
A DAYE with a SEAL—KW (#3)
Cowboy LAWE (#4)
A SEAL for Paige (#5) tba
~Time-shift Heroes Series~
Captive Hero (#1)
Future Cowboy Hero (#2) (tba)
~Related~
Cowboy-Fiancé (formerly Cowboy-Sexy) (Hand drawn Japanese Translation now avail!)
Cowboy Payback (sequel)
~Do-Over Series~
Valentine’s Day Do-Over (#1)
Valentine’s Day Do-Over Part II: The Siblings (#2)
~Novels~
She Does Know Jack
Royally Unleashed
The Spy Who Fanged Me
~Novellas~
Thanks for Giving
Ten Things I’d Do for a Cowboy
Vampire Kristmas
DonnaMichaelsAuthor.com
About the Author
Donna Michaels is an award winning, New York Times & USA Today bestselling author of Romaginative fiction. Her hot, humorous, and heartwarming stories include cowboys, men in uniform, and some sexy, primal alphas. With a husband in the military fulltime, and a household of nine, she never runs out of material. From short to epic, her books entertain readers across a variety of sub-genres, and one has even been hand drawn into a Japanese Translation.
To learn more about Donna Michaels and her books, or to join her mailing list, visit www.DonnaMichealsAuthor.com
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~Donna
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