Shane kicked at a tall patch of grass. “Only when she feels like it. That woman is hot as a volcano one minute, and cold as an arctic chill the next. I’m starting to lose my mind.”
Logan shrugged. “I guess you could call her single,” he said. “She never married Kenny’s father. Has been dating the same guy back in Colorado for years. But from what I understand, they’re having trouble right now.”
“I could have told you that,” Gavin grumbled under his breath.
Logan shot a glance his way. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, I could tell that she wasn’t tied to anyone. Not anyone she was real interested in, anyway. But it looks to me like she’s got her sights set on you.”
Logan squirmed away from the words, wishing Gavin hadn’t confirmed the fear in his mind. “Honestly,” he said, “I’ve been worrying about that same thing.” Logan opened up to his cousins then, told them about the window incident, along with some of the inappropriate things she’d said and done. “I don’t know,” he explained, lowering his voice as they neared the home. The entire state of Montana was crammed into Lilly and Earl’s back yard, huddled in groups around tables, chairs, and games of horseshoes. “I’ll just be glad when she leaves.”
“And that’ll be tomorrow?” Blake asked, genuine concern in his brow.
“Yep.” Logan recalled the way Candice had kept her distance in bed the night before, a bit of worry seeping into his mind. “Just one last day. Then Candice and I will be left to ourselves.” He caught himself in that thought, thinking of the baby they’d soon welcome into their home. “Well,” he added with a grin, “for a couple of weeks, anyway.”
CHAPTER THIRTY
A strange clanking sound woke Logan from his sleep, had him climbing out of bed before even gaining his senses. Who was there? Had someone broken in?
He stumbled into the hallway, snapping into awareness in time to take in the scene at the end of it. The family room was lit by a dim glow of light above the sink. The kitchen was empty, as well as the front room, but there, sitting at the table in the dining area, was Lana.
Oh, great. His first instinct was to pretend he hadn’t seen her there, which went to show just how dazed he really was. The idea was ludicrous.
“Good morning,” Lana said in a soft, low tone.
Logan rubbed his eyes. “What time is it?”
“Three a.m.,” she replied, clutching a steaming mug. “My coffee was too hot so I had to sneak an ice cube. A few tumbled to the ground, which is probably what woke you. Sorry about that.”
He gave her a shrug. “No problem. But why are you up so early? The two of you have a long drive ahead of you. I figured you’d want all the Z’s you could catch tonight.” After all the work and excitement from the branding party, Logan was dead on his feet.
“It’s too hot to sleep,” Lana said, pulling out the chair next to her. “Can I ask you something?”
It took everything in him not to groan in annoyance. No, he wanted to say. It’s the middle of the night, I feel like crap, and you scare the living daylights out of me, woman. He strode over to the table, folded his arms across his chest, and motioned for her to continue.
“Don’t you want to sit for a minute?”
He shook his head. “I should really get back to Candice.”
Lana released a heavy sigh, her face pinching into the pout she wore so often. “I’ve been trying to work up the nerve to tell you something since I got here. And I can’t say it in front of Candice and that’s made it all the more difficult.” Her gaze drifted from her mug in small, gradual steps, until it was set on him.
“Look,” Logan said, “if it’s something you can’t say around Candice than perhaps you shouldn’t say it at all.”
“I want you to know that I’m interested in you,” she blurted. “I know you’re going to think I’m awful because I’m Candice’s friend but she’s never appreciated you. Things aren’t going well with me and Brad, and I’ve always felt like there could be something between me and you if we gave it a shot. I came out here thinking you and Candice were pretty much over so…”
Logan gritted his teeth. “But you know now that things aren’t over. We’re working it out.”
“But that doesn’t mean it’s too late.” Lana stood up, moved to place a hand on his shoulder but Logan stepped back.
“That’s exactly what it means.” He took the cup from her hand, walked over to the sink, and dumped it out with a splat. “You need to go back to bed. You’ve got a long drive ahead of you tomorrow and you don’t want to go falling asleep at the wheel.”
“I wish Bradley would worry over me like that,” she said, adjusting the straps of her robe. A short, silky little number he hadn’t noticed until then. She spun to look over her shoulder at him. “You won’t tell Candice…”
“No,” Logan assured. “She won’t want to know.”
With that, Lana folded her arms, tiptoed across the family room, and disappeared into the darkness.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Logan kept his eyes on Candice as she packed her suitcase. Every few seconds she’d abandon the thing, march purposefully to the large, walk-in closet, and return with more things. Clothes. Belts. Shoes. All the while Logan lounged on the bed, enjoying the view. His own task of packing for the trip had ended minutes after he’d started. Of course that didn’t include helping Candice get the baby items packed earlier. Bottles and formula. Diapers and wipes. Blankets and snug, little jammies.
Candice strode back to her suitcase, looking more settled than she had a moment ago. Logan propped himself onto one elbow. “So is this finally starting to feel real?”
Candice crammed one last item into the case, closed it up, and leaned her weight onto it by practically lying over the thing. “Yes,” she said with a grunt, reaching blindly for the small clasp. “What about you?”
Logan scooted to the edge of the bed, guided her hand to the clasp with his own, and helped her zip up the heaping case. “It’s starting to feel real for me too.”
“I keep picturing what it will be like to bring him home,” she said.
Home. The word was as sweet as a lullaby. It was almost enough to erase Logan’s fears entirely, but not quite. A part of him worried that something would happen. That they’d somehow lose their shot at adopting the baby. And if that happened, he worried that Candice would check out completely.
Logan gripped the handle of her suitcase as Candice straightened up. “Is this the last of it?”
“Yes,” she said, spinning full-circle to survey the bedroom. “All done. Besides the last minute things. Makeup. Toothbrush. I’ve got a separate bag for those so I’ll pack all that up in the morning.”
With a nod, Logan hefted the heavy case toward the hall.
“We’ve got the baby carrier, right?”
“In the car and ready to go,” he confirmed. Candice had convinced Logan that her car would be better suited for the trip. The small hatchback got good mileage so he hadn’t argued. “I’m going to go toss this in the car,” he hollered over his shoulder. “Then we should be good to just unwind a bit before bed.”
If the word home had warmed his insides, the word bed caused full-on flames to roar in his belly. Candice had been suffering from migraines since Lana and Kenny left. After a failed attempt to renew her old prescription, Candice finally managed to get a refill just in time for the trip. She hadn’t said it aloud, but Logan knew that Candice selected medication based on what might harm a baby if she – by some miracle – became pregnant after all this time. And while Logan appreciated that, it had taken a tremendous amount of patience (not to mention cold showers) to wait out the storm.
Of course a growing part of him wondered if it was really the headaches that had kept Candice from being intimate with him. After all, she hadn’t been up for that type of activity while Lana was visiting either. She’d used some excuse about it seeming too strange with the visitors in the house, as new as their reconnection
was. He couldn’t help but worry that she was keeping him at bay, unwilling to further commit herself in case things went sour. Whatever the reason, Logan was determined to get to the bottom of it.
After hurling the over-stuffed suitcase into the trunk, Logan eyed the baby carrier in the seat and smiled. Candice didn’t want to discuss names just yet, but he had one in mind. One he was certain Candice would love as well.
Logan’s thoughts were sidetracked as his phone shot out a short, powerful buzz. After stepping inside, he glanced down to see he’d received a text. It was from a number he didn’t recognize, but the first part – the only part he could see – told him just who it was:
Logan, this is Brad, Lana’s boyfriend. I just wanted to give you a head’s up…
A low and irritated groan crawled up the back of Logan’s throat. He couldn’t worry about crazy Lana and the “head’s up” her boyfriend wanted to give. She’d gotten home safely; she’d confirmed that much with Candice the very next day.
“I cannot even wait to finish that baby room,” Candice said as she nearly skipped down the hall.
Logan stuffed his phone into his back pocket. “What do you mean finish? It’s done.” Hell, he’d spent the last four days painting and piecing together furniture. Cribs and changing stations. Bassinets and swings.
“The decorating part,” Candice said. “Allie and I have this whole western theme in mind. We’re going to mount a couple of lassos onto the wall. An old one of my father’s, and Alex’s favorite lasso, too. Allie said he called it his lucky lasso.”
“No kidding.” A trace of warmth settled over his skin. He liked the idea of Alex’s lucky lasso hanging in his boy’s room. And Candice’s father’s too. “Kind of like two guardian angels watching over him,” Logan said.
Candice nodded, wiping at the moisture gathering in her eyes. “We’ll have horseshoe frames to hold photos of them too – using real horseshoes from the ranch. Oh, and I saw this thing online where we can put my grandfather’s old pocket watch in a shadowbox – keep it on a small shelf with some tiny cowboy boots…” She died off there, but seemed to keep going in her mind, eyes fixed on some distant vision in her head.
“I like the sound of that,” he said, voice hoarse with emotion. “You’re finally embracing this whole cowboy thing, huh?” Logan puffed out his chest while adjusting the large, brass buckle at his belt – a prize from his bull riding days.
Candice stepped closer, put her hands on his chest, and brought her mouth a mere inch from his. “It’s hard not to when you make it look so good.” Her voice was sweet intoxication. Logan’s heart thumped fast and heavy in his chest. Now they were getting somewhere.
“’I’m just about to hop in the shower,” he said, barely able to get the words out. “You want to join me?”
“No, thank you,” she answered, like she’d simply refused a glass of water. “But I do have one request.”
He lifted a brow. Eased into a crooked smile. “Okay.”
“If something goes wrong with the adoption, we get a monkey.”
Logan felt his eyes double in size. “A monkey?” He wasn’t expecting that.
“Yes,” she said plainly.
“Some people get dogs, you know?”
Candice took a step back, letting her arms drop. She walked toward the rocking chair in the corner of the room and lowered herself into the wooden seat. “There’s this certain kind of monkey you can get, and it’s a lot like having a baby. I just thought, if we weren’t able to get a child…. We’ve already got the room, the clothes, the diapers.”
“Wait. These things wear diapers?”
“Don’t look so disgusted,” Candice said with a laugh. It was a nervous laugh though. Not a I’m-totally-kidding-and-you-know-it sound. More of a I’m-worried-that-I’m-going-to-break-if-things-fall-through-so-I’ve-come-up-with-a-backup-plan laugh. Tight in tenor and high in pitch. Her face fell flat then, her head tilting to one side as she looked at him. “I just need you to promise me that if things fall through, you’ll let me get a monkey, and you’ll help me raise it.”
The fear he saw in her eyes triggered Logan’s concerns once more. Had him wondering if Candice would take flight if things went wrong. No, he assured himself. She had come up with a backup plan. One that included staying with him. Sure they might end up raising zoo-type creatures, but if that’s what it took to keep her happy, he would oblige.
With his gaze set on hers, Logan strode toward her where she sat on the chair. He got down on his knees before her and rested his hands on her shoulders. “Candice,” he said. “If things fall through, I promise to help you raise the cutest, happiest, best-behaved monkey in town.”
Her perfect lips turned up at the corners, framing a smile so beautiful, he’d do anything to keep it there. “Thank you,” she said with a contented sigh.
Logan slid his hands up the back of her neck, silk against the rough tips of his fingers. He brought his mouth to her forehead. “Anything,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to her there. “Anything you want, and it’s yours.” He stood then, made his way to the large, master bathroom and turned the shower knob to get the hot water going. He unsnapped his shirt while moving toward the walk-in closet, and kicked off his boots and socks there. By the time he made it back to the bathroom, a thick, white steam filled the air. He closed the door behind him, wondering if Candice would be asleep by the time he got out. Thoughts of seducing her in her sleepy state offered a flash of amusement, but it frustrated him too. When would Candice just give in to it all? Why was she trying to keep one foot out of the pool?
“Hello,” her soft voice came from somewhere beyond the white plumes. Logan’s shoulders rose in surprise as she emerged from the hidden corner of the shower. “You said I could join you.”
~+~
Candice had often admired the romantic beauty of that particular shower. Earthy tones of rustic granite covered the surface, creating a warm, soothing appeal. The spacious design allowed couples to share the space with ease. They hadn’t done so yet, but as Logan stood before her, wearing nothing but his jeans, a euphoric thrill pulsed through her, assuring her they’d be doing this time and time again. Curls of steam licked the walls, coating every crevice with damp heat. It clung to his skin as well, the dim light reflecting off every toned contour.
Logan held her gaze with such intensity, she thought her heart might erupt. The solid lines of his prominent jaw were chiseled perfection. But it was the candy-like allure of his full and inviting lips that had her pulse racing. His dark brows always told Candice of his mood. Right now they were tense, adding to the passion she saw in his warm, brown eyes.
Slowly, she let her gaze drift to take in even more. Appreciating – as she did any work of art – each tiny detail. Logan’s broad chest was a beauty all its own. From the impressive breadth of his shoulders, to the hypnotic rise and fall as he breathed. Candice’s breaths were shallow and shaky. Pushed by the rapid pace of her heart. She gulped, stepped closer, and wrapped her hands around his upper arms.
His gaze lingered over her as well, making Candice suddenly aware of what the moisture had done to the tank top she wore. Wordlessly then, she closed the small gap between them and pressed kisses over the perfect canvas of his chest. She followed the trail across his collarbone from one side to the next, and felt his biceps flex beneath her palms as he tightened his hold on her hips. A husky breath passed through his lips, the hypnotic heat of it caressing her throat.
She hadn’t expressed it in words yet – having barely recognized the truth of it bits at a time – but Candice had pulled away from him since they made love just two weeks ago. Sure they’d had Lana and Kenny there at first, and she hadn’t been lying about the migraines, but Candice wondered if she’d have found a different reason to hold back if the headaches hadn’t come up. She had a habit of doubting herself after letting go. Especially when the stakes were high. But in that moment, Candice knew she didn’t need to doubt when it came to Logan. He would l
ove her. Protect her. And fight whatever threatened her happiness.
Candice met his gaze once more, her love for him deepening as she cradled his masculine face. “Thank you for being patient with me,” she said, bringing her mouth to his at last. She smoothed her bottom lip over the slight part in his, anxious to taste his kiss once again. “I am so in love with you.”
Logan responded with the heated press of his full lips on hers, the silent action speaking louder than her declaration. He broke off for a breath, murmured her name, and then came in with more force than before. The slick heat of his mouth. The smooth stroke of his tongue. Mmm. So good she groaned beneath the pleasure of it.
Logan repeated the action, kissing her in succession while her hands slipped down to his waist. It had been years since she’d unlatched his belt. The act made her feel young again, and more desperate for him than she’d ever been. She could tell Logan felt the same. Could feel it in every motion. His lips were longing and desire. His firm body, all want and need. And his touch – the lingering caresses against her waist, thighs, and the hollow of her throat – were tenderness and love.
Love.
Candice sunk into the moment with that word beating strong and vibrant in her heart. She loved Logan Emerson deeply. Passionately. Thoroughly. And from this moment on, whatever their future held, Candice knew she always would.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
If Logan had woken with a grin on his face, he hadn’t yet – after three solid hours of ranch work – learned to wipe it off. He smoothed a hand over Annabelle’s belly as he finished grooming her. “Paige and Jillian will be coming to make sure you two don’t get lonely,” he assured. Crow, who’d already had his rubdown, acknowledged the comment with a nod. “And when we get back, we’ll introduce you to our new little addition.”
He would be a father soon. And Candice would finally be a mother. The thought had him wanting to swing a lasso over the highest chimney, climb onto the rooftop, and shout it to the world. He had a good feeling about this one. This time things would go as planned. They just had to.
Mending Hearts: Logan's Story Page 22
