From Single Mom to Secret Heiress

by Kristi Gold

  “All right, Logan. I’ll stay.”

  Eight

  “Logan Whittaker, what brings you all the way out here in the middle of the week and the middle of the day?”

  A quest for information he sensed Marlene held. He’d revealed his sorry secrets to Hannah several days ago, and now he wanted Marlene to do the same. “I’m taking a late lunch. Guess I should have called first.”

  “Don’t be silly,” she said as she held open the door. “You’re practically family.”

  After he stepped through the door, Marlene pointed to the doors leading to the outdoor entertainment area. “Since it’s such a lovely day, let’s talk outside,” she said as she showed Logan onto the flagstone deck adjacent to the massive great room. He settled on a rattan chair while she took the one to his left.

  The 30,000 acres comprising the Big Blue ranch spread out before them as far as the eye could see. The original homestead where J.D. and Ellie Lassiter had raised their family, now occupied by Marlene’s son, Chance, sat in the distance beneath the blue sky that inspired the ranch’s name. He’d learned the history early on, but it had never impacted him like it did today. “I’d like to build a house on a place like this in the future. Far away from everything with no signs whatsoever of the city.” No suburban streets where playing kids could get hurt, or worse, and that unexpected thought gave him pause. He didn’t intend to have any more kids. Not now. Not ever.

  “It is peaceful,” Marlene said. “All the Lassiter children enjoyed living here.”

  Speaking of Lassiter children...

  Logan glanced back and peered inside through the uncovered floor-to-ceiling windows, looking for signs of other life—namely J.D.’s only daughter. “Is Angelica staying here right now?” Not only did he not want a repeat of their last conversation, but he also didn’t want to risk her accidentally overhearing that her own father had taken a mistress, and produced a child. That would categorically send her over the edge. Of course, that would only happen if Marlene came clean.

  “Angelica is back in L.A. for a couple of days,” she said. “And quite honestly, that’s a good thing. That girl has been in a constant tizzy lately. She needs a break. I need a break.”

  “I totally understand. J.D.’s decisions on who inherits his millions have created a lot of questions.” Especially for Hannah.

  Marlene reached over and patted his arm. “Now why are you here, honey?”

  A perfect lead-in to the reason for his impromptu visit. “It’s actually about those aforementioned questions. I’m pretty sure you have information about Hannah Armstrong’s parentage, namely her connection to J.D. And if you do know anything about that, tell me now because she has a right to know.”

  She began to wring her hands like an old-time washer. “It’s probably past time Hannah learns the truth, and I do know the details. But I wouldn’t feel right discussing those particulars with you before I speak with her.”

  His suspicions had been upheld, and the answers were within Hannah’s grasp. A good thing for Hannah because she would know the truth. A bad thing for him because she’d have no reason not to return to Boulder immediately. But delaying the revelation would be selfish on his part. “If I bring her by, will you tell her the whole truth?”

  Marlene raised a brow. “She’s still here?”

  “Yeah. I asked her to stay another week.” An unforgettable week of lovemaking and conversation and making a connection with a woman who’d become very special to him. A week that had passed way too fast. But since he had so little to offer her, he would be forced to let her go eventually.

  “What makes this one so different from the rest, Logan?” Marlene asked, cutting into his thoughts.

  He could recite every one of Hannah’s attributes, but that would take hours, so he chose to list only a few. “She’s funny and kind but also damn tough. Not many people could handle losing a husband, raising a child on their own, caring for an ill parent and finishing college in the process. Without even trying, she also has the means to make a person want to tell their life story.” Much like the woman sitting next to him.

  She raised a brow. “Did you tell her yours?”

  He streaked a palm over his neck. “Yeah. She knows about Grace.” And it had almost killed him to tell her.

  Marlene smiled a mother’s smile. “I am so glad, Logan. And since she’s still sticking around, I assume that she holds the opinion you’re not to blame, like I do. Am I right?”

  “Yeah, you are.” Even if he still didn’t agree with that lack of blame assumption. “But she’s also compassionate.”

  “She’s a woman who understands loss,” Marlene said. “I do as well. We’re all unwitting members of a club drawn together by that loss, and sadly that also includes you, too. Hannah intimately understands your pain, and you’re very lucky to have found her.”

  “Don’t read too much into this relationship. On Saturday, she’s going back to her life and I’ll go back to mine.”

  “Your currently lonely life?” She topped off the question with a frown. “You’d be a fool to let her go, Logan, when she could be a part of your future.”

  Here we go again. “We had this conversation last week.”

  “And we’ll continue to have it until you listen to reason.”

  If that’s the way she wanted to play it, he’d reiterate all the reasons why a permanent relationship wouldn’t work with anyone, especially Hannah. “Marlene, my job doesn’t allow for a personal life, and I don’t intend to quit for another twenty years, if then.”

  “Work isn’t everything,” she said. “Family is.”

  His profession had indirectly destroyed one family. He wasn’t going to risk that possibility again. “Look, I enjoy being with Hannah, but I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to make a serious commitment again. I’ve already been through one divorce and I don’t want a repeat. And most important, Hannah’s a single mom. She’s going to have expectations I might not be able to meet.”

  Marlene narrowed her eyes and studied him for a few moments. “Part of your reluctance has to do with her daughter, doesn’t it?”

  Only someone as astute as Marlene would figure that out. “Could you blame me for being concerned? What if I became close with Cassie and my relationship with Hannah doesn’t work out? That would be like—”

  “Losing Grace all over again?”

  She’d hit that nail on the head. “It wouldn’t be fair to either one of them.”

  Marlene leaned forward, keeping her gaze on his. “Honey, life is about balance and a certain amount of chance-taking when it comes to matters of the heart. But life without the possibility of love isn’t really living at all. We aren’t meant to be alone. Just keep that in mind before you dismiss Hannah due to your fears.”

  “I’m only afraid of hurting her, Marlene.” Afraid he might fail Hannah the way he’d failed his former wife and daughter.

  “Maybe you should let her decide if she wants to take a chance on you.”

  Needing a quick escape, Logan checked his watch and stood. “I have an appointment in less than an hour, so I better get back to the office. When do you want to have that talk with Hannah?”

  Marlene came to her feet. “Bring her over for lunch on Saturday. I’ll take her aside after that and speak with her privately. Better still, why don’t you bring her daughter, Cassie, too? You could surprise her as a Mother’s Day gesture, and give yourself some extra time with her as well.”

  He’d totally forgotten about the holiday. Marlene’s suggestion would buy him more time with Hannah, and he knew she would appreciate the gesture. “I’d have to figure out how I could manage that without her knowing.”

  Marlene patted his cheek. “You’re a smart man, Logan. You’ll come up with a plan.”

  And that plan suddenly began to formul
ate in his mind. Marlene’s suggestion just might work after all. But could he deal with being around a little girl so close in age to Grace when he’d lost her? He wouldn’t know unless he tried, and this time he needed to consider Hannah, not himself.

  Logan gave Marlene a quick hug. “Thanks for doing this for Hannah. She really needs to know how she came to be.”

  “You’re welcome, honey. And once she learns the whole truth, she’s going to need you to lean on.”

  Being there for her, like she had been there for him, was pretty much a no-brainer. “She’s already figured out J.D. was her father. You’ll only ease her mind if you confirm it.”

  Marlene sighed. “On second thought, maybe it’s better I provide you with some information first so you’ll be prepared. As long as you promise not to say anything to her before I do.”

  He just wished she would make up her mind. “Fine, as long as you tell me everything, down to the last detail.”

  “J.D. didn’t father Hannah.”

  Apparently they’d been traveling straight down the wrong-information path. “Then who was it?”

  “My husband, Charles.”

  * * *

  She’d spent the day doing laundry and packing her clothes—her final day in Cheyenne.

  When Logan sent her a text saying he’d be home by 3:00 p.m., Hannah waited for him on the great-room sofa, wearing only his white tailored button-down shirt. She felt somewhat foolish, but what better way to greet him on their last night together? Even after days of nonstop searching, tomorrow she would return home with no answers about her father and no idea if she would ever see Logan again.

  He’d seemed somewhat distant the past two days, or at the very least distracted. She couldn’t help but believe he’d been planning his goodbye, and she should be preparing for it now. As soon as she implemented her current and somewhat questionable plan, she would. In the meantime, she refused to think about the impending heartache brought on because she’d been naive enough to fall in love with a man who might never love her back.

  Ten minutes later, when she heard the front door open, Hannah stretched out on the cushions on her side and struck what she hoped would be deemed a sexy pose. Logan strode into the room, tossed his briefcase aside and stopped dead in his tracks when he caught sight of her. “Howdy, ma’am.”

  She brushed her hair back with one hand and smiled. “Howdy yourself.”

  He walked up to the couch and hovered above her. “I have never said this to a woman before, but you’re going to have to get dressed.”

  She pretended to pout. “You don’t like what I’m wearing?”

  “Oh, yeah,” he said. “But I have a surprise for you and it requires that you put on some clothes.”

  She straightened and lowered her feet to the floor. “I have a surprise for you, too. I’m not wearing any panties.”

  He hesitated a moment, his eyes growing dark with that familiar desire. “We don’t have a whole lot of time, and I need to take a shower.”

  Hannah slipped two buttons on the shirt, giving him a bird’s-eye view of her breasts. “Imagine that. So do I. We could go green and do it together.”

  His resistance dissolved right before her eyes, and he proved he was no match for their chemistry when he clasped her hands and tugged her off the sofa. “Then let’s go conserve some water.”

  They rushed through the house, pausing to kiss on the way to Logan’s bedroom. Once there, they began to shed their clothes article by article, until they reached the bathroom, completely naked and needy.

  He pressed a series of buttons on the nearby chrome panel, sending several showerheads set into the stone walls into watery motion.

  While the digital thermostat adjusted the temperature, Hannah stood behind Logan, her arms wrapped around his bare waist. “If I use your soap and shampoo, I’m going to smell like a guy.”

  He turned her into his arms and grinned. “Better than me smelling like a girl. Of course, you could go get your stuff, but that would take time we don’t have.” He punctuated the comment by placing a palm on her bottom and nudging her against his erection.

  What a man. A sexy, incredible man. “I get the point. Now don’t just stand there, take me in the shower.”

  “That’s precisely what I plan to do.”

  All talk ceased as they took turns washing each other with soap and shampoo that smelled like Logan—clean, not cologne-like. For all intents and purposes, Hannah didn’t care if she carried the trace scent of him on her flesh all night, or back home with her tomorrow for that matter. She rejected all thoughts of leaving, and fortunately for her, Logan aided in that cause with his gentle caresses and persuasive kisses that he feathered down her body. He kneeled before her and brought her to the brink of climax with his mouth, then suddenly straightened and pressed the control that cut off the sprays.

  His rapid breathing echoed in the large stone shower before he groaned the single word, “Condom.”

  Hannah did a mental calculation and realized it would be the worst time to take a chance. “We absolutely have to have one before we go any further.”

  “I know. Getting you pregnant is the last thing I need.”

  She couldn’t deny that his firm tone stung a little, but she also acknowledged he had his reasons for being so resolute—he wanted no more children, period. “Should we take this to the bedroom?”

  “Good idea.”

  They had barely dried off before Logan gathered her up in his arms, carried her to the bedroom and didn’t even bother to turn down the covers. He simply deposited her on the navy comforter and put the condom in place in record time, then faced her on the mattress, one arm draped over her hip.

  “I want to really see you when we make love,” he said, followed by a brief yet stimulating kiss.

  With the room bathed in sunlight, Hannah didn’t view that as an issue. “It’s still daytime.”

  “I want you to be in charge.”

  She gave him an intentionally furtive grin. “You want me on top.”

  “You got it.”

  Not a problem, she thought, as she rose up and straddled his thighs. Quite an extraordinary fit, she realized after he lifted her up and guided himself inside her. From that moment on, instinct took over as Hannah took the lead. She suddenly felt as if she’d become someone else—a truly sensual being with the capacity to be completely in control. Yet that control began to wane as Logan touched her again and again, and didn’t let up until the last pulse of her orgasm subsided. Only then did she realize he was fairly close to losing it, and she took supreme advantage, using the movement of her hips to send him over the edge. She watched in wonder as the climax began to take hold. His respiration increased, his jaw locked tight and he hissed out a long breath as his body tensed beneath her, yet he never took his gaze from hers.

  Feeling physically drained, Hannah collapsed against Logan’s chest and rested her head against his pounding heart. He gently rubbed her back with one hand and stroked her hair with the other, lulling her into a total sense of peace.

  After a time, he rolled her over onto her back, remained above her and touched her face with a reverence that almost brought tears to her eyes. “You’re phenomenal, sweetheart.”

  But not phenomenal enough to figure into his future. “You’re not so bad yourself, sexy guy.”

  She took his ensuing smile to memory to bring back out on a rainy day. “I wish...” His words trailed off, along with his gaze.

  “You wish what?”

  “I wish I’d met you years ago, back when we were both young and unattached.”

  Before his life had taken a terrible turn, she assumed. “Well, since you’re eight years older, and I married at the ripe old age of twenty, that would have made me jailbait if you’d dated me before I met Danny.”

 
“I guess you’re right about that, and from what I gather, you loved your husband very much.”

  “I did,” she said without hesitation. “But I also know he’d want me to be happy and go on with my life.”

  He turned onto his back and draped an arm over his forehead. “You deserve to be happy, Hannah. And someday you’re going to find someone who will do that for you.”

  Clearly he believed he didn’t qualify, when in truth he did. Not exactly goodbye, but pretty darn close.

  She sat up and scooted to the edge of the bed so he wouldn’t see the tears starting to form in her eyes.

  “Hannah, are you okay?”

  No, she wasn’t. Not in the least. But she would be because she was a survivor. “I’m fine. I just thought I’d get dressed since I do believe you mentioned we have some place to be.”

  When she started to stand, Logan caught her wrist before she could come to her feet. “Believe me, if things were different, if I were the right man for you—”

  She pivoted around to face him and faked a smile. “It’s all right, Logan. I told you before this thing started between us I had no expectations where we’re concerned.” And, boy, had she lied without even realizing it.

  “You’re one in a million, Hannah, and never forget that.”

  One thing she knew to be true, she would never forget him.

  * * *

  An hour later, Hannah climbed into Logan’s Mercedes and they set out for who knew where. She dozed off for a bit and awoke to find they were close to Fort Collins in Colorado, heading in the direction of Boulder.

  She hid a yawn behind her hand before shooting a glance at Logan. “If you wanted me to go home, all you had to do was ask.”

  He gave her a quick grin before concentrating on the road. “That’s not where we’re going.”

  “Do you mind telling me were we are we going?”

  “You’ll see real soon.”

  Five minutes later, he exited the interstate and pulled into a rest stop, leading Hannah to believe Logan needed a break. He shut off the ignition, slid out of the sedan without saying a word, rounded the hood and then opened her door. “Time to get out and take a walk.”