by Lexi Post
She obviously needed to do a little research on English Bulldogs because she hadn’t expected that at all. She may know a lot about the medical side of the species, but it appeared she was lacking in the psychology and habits of it.
Not wanting to disturb the dog, she left him as he was and headed out of the barn. The sound of a truck pulling into the yard had her picking up her pace. It had to be Logan. As she rounded the side, she was just in time to see him helping Kylie out of the truck.
Two emotions hit hard. One, concern, as Logan’s left arm was in a sling. Did he hurt his arm as well as his ribs in yesterday’s crash? The other emotion was pure green jealousy. It raced through her, stopping her breath and freezing her to the spot.
The two spoke for a few minutes before Kylie placed her hand on Logan’s good arm and leaned up and kissed him on the cheek.
Oh no, she wasn’t having any of that! She strode forward, being sure to make as much noise with her boots on the dirt as she could. “Good thing you came back when you did. Your Gram won’t tolerate you being late to dinner.”
Logan spun, obviously not expecting her. Was that guilt on his face? “Phoenix traffic was backed up thanks to an accident on the 101.”
Kylie faced her. “Hi, Dr. Jenna.” She linked her arm in Logan’s. “We just went for a little errand run.”
“We had our DNA tested.” Logan was quick to explain.
She frowned. “We?”
Kylie looked up at Logan with adoration. “He wanted to prove to me that he’s Charlotte’s daddy. Isn’t that sweet?”
Jenna gritted her teeth, pasted on a fake smile and nodded. What was Logan doing? If he wanted a relationship with his daughter’s mother, why did he tell her he wanted one with her? If he thought he could have both, he was in for a rude awakening.
Logan disengaged his arm from Kylie and opened it toward her car. “I will call you when I receive the results.”
She waved that comment away. “No need, I can come back tomorrow and we can start working on our family.”
“I won’t be on the ranch tomorrow. I have to move some horses. I’ll have to call you.”
Kylie put her hand to her chest. “Oh, you mean like a cattle drive?”
“Something like that.”
Jenna dropped her smile as Logan walked the woman to her car. She’d bet a herd of Holsteins Logan was lying about moving horses. Did she really know him that well, or was it wishful thinking? What did Kylie mean “working on our family”? Had Logan caved to Kylie machinations?
Once Kylie was safely on her way down the dirt road, Logan faced Jenna.
“What was that about a family?” She strode toward him.
He headed for her as well, but he didn’t answer her question. As soon as he was within feet of her, she opened her mouth to ask it again, but his own swept down on hers as he pulled her toward him with his good arm and kissed her.
Off guard, she melted into the heat of his kiss, but there was a desperation about it that triggered her rational thought. Pushing away, she found herself abruptly released and Logan holding his side.
Darn it. She’d hurt him. Worry, guilt and jealousy collided inside her and she lashed out. “What was that about? What family is she talking about?”
Logan took a few more shallow breaths before answering. “I hope to God Charlotte doesn’t inherit any of that woman’s brains because she is loco. She came here today with her intentions written on a piece of paper like I asked.”
Jenna stepped back, her heart constricting. “Let me guess. She wants you three to be one big happy family.”
He nodded. “I didn’t tell her no.”
Bile crept up her throat. She was an idiot.
He stepped closer, but she backed up. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that I got a hold of Trace while I was at the lab and told him to contact his lawyer from the divorce. His attorney specializes in family law, custody being one of his strong points. I don’t want Kylie to suspect that I will be ready to battle her for Charlotte.”
“Oh, fudge.” Her knees went weak with relief, so she grabbed his good arm to steady herself. “I’m sorry I hurt you. From what I saw…”
Logan’s lips twitched. “Does that mean you might actually care about me?”
“What do you think?” She looked at him in complete disbelief that he could be so unsure.
He gave her an actual smile that reminded her of their day at the fair. “I think you do, which makes me a whole lot happier.” He wiggled his arm out from under her grasp and took her hand. “Let’s go in to dinner.”
They entered the kitchen to find Trace and Annette already seated with Charlotte in a high chair next to Annette. Logan guided her to a seat then he sat between her and his daughter.
As they ate Annette’s hearty pork chops, mashed sweet potatoes with brown sugar, green beans with almonds, biscuits and chocolate cream pie, she learned that Annette’s husband was on a hunting trip in Montana, Whisper was nursing a wounded owl, Cole was on shift at the fire station and Lacey was entertaining Cole’s friends at home.
“Wasn’t Cole going to build a small stable near his new house?” Jenna addressed the question to Annette, but Logan answered.
“Yes. He wanted to be able to house a few horses there. He’s already ordered the lumber. It should arrive any day. I think he should just go ahead and build another large stable. At the rate we’re taking in horses that can’t leave, we’ll need a place just for the permanent residents.”
He had to be referring to horses like Angel, Sampson, Tiny Dancer, Black Jack and Cyclone. At the thought of the Clydesdale, an idea formed that might just help the big horse with his problem. “What if you had the lumber dropped off here in the yard and used Cyclone to haul it down the valley to Cole’s place. It might take longer, but it would make him feel useful.”
Logan stared at her in surprise for a moment before he smiled. There was a new look in his eyes as he gazed at her, almost as if he was proud of his woman. She had to be mistaken. He was as shy of commitment as a cottontail was of a rattler.
“That’s perfect!” Trace’s shout broke the moment. “At least that will give us time to think of other things instead of mending fences.”
She forced herself to look at Logan’s brother and gave him a polite smile. “It would also be good for him to get some exercise. He obviously hasn’t been employed in work and he was built for it.”
Annette wiped Charlotte’s mouth which was covered in chocolate. “Is he ready for a harness? I saw him out there earlier today. Those burn scars look painful.”
Jenna turned toward Logan. “He’s healed well on the outside, but he will never grow hair. I think you would need some kind of pad on his back that covers his sides where a harness would lie, and I’d start with a small amount of weight.”
Logan pushed away his now empty pie plate. “We have some sheepskin in the tack room that would work, but we don’t own a large enough harness. I think the Sanders might have one we could borrow to try it out. I don’t want to invest in a harness of that kind until we see how Cyclone feels about the whole idea.”
She’d known he cared about horses, but when she’d tried to help them, he’d always argued with her, so she’d assumed he didn’t see them as individuals with different personalities. Then again, he’d definitely stepped up when Black Jack needed an outdoor shelter.
Maybe she needed to stop expecting the Logan from the fair or the Logan from when she came to help the horses here. Maybe she needed to simply discover who Logan Williams was now.
He rose then walked behind her. “Someone is ready for bed.” Grabbing up the ever-present cowboy teddy bear and stuffing it into his sling, he then lifted his daughter out of her high chair with his good arm, her eyes closing despite her efforts otherwise. That he’d thought to take the teddy bear for his daughter had her heart melting.
“Would you like to help me put her to bed?” Logan’s look was guarded as if he wasn’t s
ure how she would react.
She smiled softly. “I would.”
As the tension in his jaw eased, she was glad she’d agreed. If there was one thing about Logan she knew without a doubt, it was that he would protect his daughter at all costs. Did that mean he’d marry Kylie to keep Charlotte?
She pushed the thought away as she stood. He didn’t think Kylie a good influence on his daughter, so that would be the last thing he’d do. Besides, Trace had already called his lawyer and left a message about Logan.
Jenna followed Logan out of the room, not unaware of Trace’s smile or Annette’s raised eyebrows. Their reactions made it perfectly clear how special his request was. When they reached the top of the stairs, they turned left to his and Charlotte’s room.
The room was plenty big enough with two twin beds, a crib, a changing table and dressers. Logan laid Charlotte down on the changing table and began to undress her. “Can you pull out a clean diaper from the bottom drawer here?”
She nodded before crouching down to retrieve the diaper. “Do you need this powder too?” She looked at him from her crouch.
“No, she’s pretty clean tonight. Just the diaper.”
As she closed the drawer, she smiled as she caught sight of Logan’s scuffed up cowboy boots before she rose to give the cowboy his daughter’s diaper.
He took it and gave her the dirty one. “That goes over there.”
She quickly disposed of it, not because she minded the smell, but because she enjoyed watching Logan’s calloused fingers gently maneuvering Charlotte’s dress off. His hands were so large but so gentle.
“Her pajamas are in the second drawer of that dresser.”
Jenna moved to it and opened the drawer filled with pink and purple sleepwear. Did he buy these or did Annette? At the image of Logan in a baby store picking out just the right color jammies for Charlotte, Jenna’s eyes misted and she quickly picked out a purple ensemble.
With a confidence born of repetition, Logan soon had his sleeping daughter ready for bed. He picked her up and brought her to the crib. “Do you want to give her a kiss goodnight? It’s the only time you can kiss her and not the bear.” His smile was crooked and a bit uncertain.
She walked over to him, put one arm around his waist, her other hand behind Charlotte’s head, and kissed the sweet-smelling child on the cheek. “Sleep well, little one.” Hearing her mom’s words spill from her own mouth both surprised and saddened her. She looked at Logan to find him staring at her with enigmatic eyes.
Charlotte murmured in her sleep. “Kissie.”
Jenna smiled. “You heard her.” Raising herself onto her toes, she kissed Logan on the cheek. The action broke his reverie, and he gently laid his daughter in the crib. He kissed her on the forehead, placed the teddy against her hand and she immediately grasped it.
For a moment, they stood there watching Charlotte sleep, her breathing regular, her face relaxed and innocent. Logan finally moved, and taking her hand, led her out of the room.
She expected him to go downstairs, but instead he continued to the other side of the stairs where another bedroom was situated. She only had a moment to notice it had a large bed in it before Logan turned her toward him and cupped her face.
“You are beautiful, inside and out.”
She smirked. “You’re not so bad yourself.”
His face remained serious as he shook his head. “I’ve been pretty ugly inside. My father’s stroke put me in a tailspin, but I’m straightening out. That little girl in there has a lot to do with that.” He gestured with his head. “She makes me want to be a better person. She also shows me what an ass I’ve been. I’m sorry I never called you back.”
She started to shake her head, but he held it still.
“No, hear me out. I’m sorry because it was inconsiderate and hurtful, but I’m also sorry because we could have had so much more time together that I’ve missed out on.”
Her heart raced at his words. Was he going to tell her he loved her? Oh damn, what would she say? Did she love him? Really love him?
“I don’t want to miss one more moment with you. Will you stay with me tonight?”
Relief and disappointment whirled through her for a moment before she could steady her thoughts. “What about Charlotte?”
His thumb stroked her cheek gently. “We can sleep in here.”
What was she afraid of? Dumb question. She was afraid he’d break her heart again. “I don’t—”
Logan stopped her words with a kiss. This one was gentle, loving, persuasive.
Instead of answering him, she wrapped her hands around his neck and enjoyed his mouth on hers. Outside, the sound of a truck approaching the ranch filtered through her pleasure.
At a loud crash right outside the house, she broke away. Logan looked at her with worry before they both turned and ran downstairs. Trace and Annette were already on the front porch.
She stopped in shock. A sleek black pick-up truck had t-boned her little car.
Chapter Nine
Logan strode off the porch ready to deck the drunk that had found his way onto their property. The guy better have insurance because he’d totaled Jenna’s little car.
When the driver finally exited, Logan stared in shock.
Dillon Hatcher, Cole’s brother, stood there looking like a country singer, complete with rhinestones down his red shirt. He rubbed one hand over his face and strode toward him. “Shit. I don’t know what that was.”
He frowned. “What what was? Are you drunk, Dillon?”
His cousin stopped and scowled at him. “No, I’m not drunk. I’m fucking pissed, but I’m not drunk.”
Logan gestured toward Jenna’s car, every protective instinct in him wanting to deck his younger cousin. “Explain. And do it fast.”
“I didn’t do that on purpose. There was some kind of small boulder in the middle of the driveway and as I approached, it suddenly started to move. It had to be one of those desert tortoises, so I swerved to avoid it.” Dillon looked directly at the smashed-in car. “I didn’t mean to do that.”
“You avoided a tortoise?” Jenna’s voice behind Logan had him turning toward her, but then he saw the so called “tortoise” and his anger disappeared. He pointed to the opposite side of the yard from the accident. “Is that your tortoise?”
Dillon turned toward Butterball, who sat near the corral looking at them all and shaking.
“Holy shit. Is that a dog?”
“Butterball!” Jenna ran over and crouched down to soothe the poor thing.
When he turned back to look at Dillon, the man’s face was white.
“Hey, no harm done. The dog’s okay and the car can be replaced. You do have insurance right?”
Dillon nodded absently. “I can’t believe she made me so angry I totaled someone’s car and almost killed that woman’s pet.”
Ah, Dillon had been speeding out here. “Who got you so pissed?”
Dillon finally looked at him. “My mom.”
Knowing his Aunt Bev, Dillon was probably in the right, though it didn’t excuse the mess he’d made. “Why don’t you go inside with Gram and Trace? You’re probably going to be sore tomorrow after your sudden stop.”
Dillon nodded and headed for the waiting arms of their grandmother. She may be hard as nails sometimes, but she knew when to just be Gram.
Logan strode over to Jenna. “Is he alright?”
She looked up at him with watery eyes. “Yes, he is. I checked him all over. He’s just shaken from his near miss. He must have fallen asleep out here. I should have looked for him after dinner. I didn’t even give him anything to eat yet.”
He crouched down next to her. “If he was really hungry, he would have barked. Don’t blame yourself. This is Dillon’s fault, not yours.”
“It’s just that—I was going to—I mean I posted—Darn it. I was trying to give him away. But now I know I can’t. He’s already grown on me.” Her voice was filled with hurt, as if her own heart betrayed her b
y loving Butterball.
He grinned. “Of course, you did. Who could resist that face?” He opened his palm toward the dog’s pushed-in, long-jowled face and stifled a laugh.
Luckily, his ploy worked, and Jenna smiled. “I see your point.” She gave Butterball a hug then stood. “How am I going to get home now? I have Whisper’s truck at my house, but I need to call this in to my insurance company. From the look of it, there’s no way I can get my insurance card out of my glove compartment.”
He opened his mouth to invite her to stay, but had the sinking feeling that Dillon wouldn’t be leaving before morning and he couldn’t go to his brother’s since Lacey and Cole already had guests. As much as Logan wanted it, he couldn’t suggest it. “I can take you two home.”
“Thank you.” She bent over and patted Butterball again, as if reassuring herself he was still alive. “I’ll see if my bag of tricks is still in one piece. That would not only be expensive to replace, but would take a couple days.”
He followed her to the car but kept her away from it. If anything shifted, he didn’t want it to shift on her. Opening the back door on the driver’s side carefully, he pulled out her bag.
Butterball tried to get in, proving he was more than ready to go home. Luckily, Jenna held him back.
“Is that it?”
“No, my purse was on the front seat.”
He opened the driver side door. With only the porch light from the house, he couldn’t see much, so he felt round with his hand. He stepped away and closed the door. “I’m afraid that’s not coming out tonight.
“Great. If I drive without a license and get stopped, I’ll be fined.”
“Tell you what. I’ll come get you tomorrow and bring you where you need to go.”
Her eyes widened, then turned mischievous. “I thought you had a cattle drive or something.”
He chuckled. “Anything that needs to get done in the morning, Trace and Dillon can handle. I’m one-handed lately, so not as much help anyway.”
She looked at her car one more time and sighed. “Okay. Let’s go.”
