by Carrie Elks
“How was your day?” she asked, as he walked up the steps to the porch. He sat down on the swing next to her, kissing her cheek and touching George’s head.
“Long. Boring. And I missed you two. How was yours?”
She smiled. “Pretty much the same. Did you get everything done you needed to?”
“Yes. All signed.” He’d left for Boston early that morning, telling her he couldn’t do an overnight stay again. He missed her and George too much. “The money’s been transferred, which means we can officially buy the farm tomorrow.”
Mary and Ellis would stay in the farmhouse until the harvest was over and the quiet season had begun. Then they were moving into their new home in Maple Cross, and Courtney and Logan would begin to update the large home. They hadn’t decided if they’d move in yet, or rent it out, but either way it would be a good investment.
They’d even talked about turning it into a bed and breakfast. Logan saw so many opportunities in the land, and it made her excited. Their future was looking bright.
“Did you manage to see Cam?”
“For about five minutes. He had to head to the stadium for the game.”
“How are his headaches?” Courtney asked, her brows dipping. She knew Logan was worried about his twin. Though he was still suffering from headaches, both Cam and his doctor insisted he was fit to start the new football season. Logan worried about him a lot – Courtney knew that. And that made her worry about them both.
“He says they’re fine. He got the all clear to play tonight.” Logan shrugged.
“Hopefully the doctors know best.” She gave him a small smile.
“Yeah, I hope so.”
George shuffled in her arms, his head lolling back as his lips curled into a milk-drunk smile. “I’ll take him,” Logan said, lifting George from her arms.
“You’ll need this,” Courtney said, passing him the burp cloth she used to wipe up George’s mouth. “Maybe take off your jacket. He’ll ruin it if he spits up.”
“I don’t think I’ll be needing this again,” Logan said, though he took the jacket off anyway. He slung the cloth over his shoulder, then gently held George’s head against it, rubbing his back until their baby let out an impressive burp.
“That’s my boy,” Logan murmured. “Does he need a bath?”
“Just did it.”
“Then I’ll take him to bed. You stay there. I’ll put dinner on and bring you out a drink.”
Courtney smiled at him. “That sounds good.”
He winked at her, and damn if it didn’t make her skin heat up, sending her heart into a crazy spin. Maybe when George was in bed tonight, she’d show him just how much she’d missed him today. It might have only been half a day since he’d pressed his lips against her brow and told her he’d see her that evening, but every moment without him felt like days.
“Logan?” she called out, as he turned to walk into the house, George snuggling against his chest.
“Yeah?”
“Keep the shirt and pants on. I have plans.”
He lifted an eyebrow, his eyes dancing as he looked at her. “What kind of plans?”
“The sort that I can’t tell you about in front of our son.”
He laughed. “I like the sound of those plans.”
Yeah, and so did she. Very much. “Then let’s eat quickly,” she suggested. “I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to go to bed.”
He could never get enough of her. As she lay in his arms, her soft curls brushing his biceps as her face rested against his chest, he felt as though life couldn’t get any better than this. He could remember her asking him if the need they felt for each other would ever go away. And the answer was no. He knew that for a fact.
He’d loved her like crazy before George was born. But seeing her as a mother deepened that love, made it feel almost spiritual. Everything she did was sexy. From the way she could lift a bale of hay with those slim, tan arms, to the way she fed their son with her body.
She blinked open an eye, smiling as she caught him staring at her. “Hi,” she said. “Did I fall asleep?”
“Only for ten minutes. You looked like you needed it.”
She pressed her lips to his bare chest. “That’s because you wore me out.”
They’d barely finished eating the pasta marinara he’d cooked before she’d straddled him on the chair, running her hands up the smooth cotton of his shirt. He’d been hard as soon as she’d looked at him over her fork, her eyes dark with desire, her lips parted. And when she’d touched him, the need inside them both had exploded.
They’d headed to the bedroom, stripping their clothes off as they ran, both knowing their alone time was limited nowadays.
“You’re the one who did the wearing out,” he murmured, tracing circles along her back with his finger. “Especially when you made me do the thing.”
“You love the thing.” The corner of her lip lifted. “You know you do.”
Yeah, he loved the thing. The one that made her gasp and shiver and then come apart all over him. He loved everything they did together.
A loud cry drowned out their heavy breathing. Courtney lifted her head. “That’s my cue to get out of here,” she said, grinning at him. “Wham, bam, thank you, Logan.”
“You’re welcome. I’m available for weddings, christenings, and bar mitzvahs.”
She grabbed her robe and wrapped it around, fastening it with the belt. “Speaking of weddings, Ellie and Dan have penciled us in for the last weekend in November. They say we can fit thirty people at a push in the house, or we can arrange for a tent. I said we’d come over to discuss.”
“Let’s do the tent. I want everybody to be there.” Wanted everybody to see her officially become his wife. Not that it would make much difference – he already felt like her husband. But if he was being honest – and admittedly being a caveman – he wanted her to have his surname the same way George did.
It felt like it was the final step in their new life together.
“Sure. Sounds good. And Reverend Maitland wants us to come and see him to discuss the ceremony.”
“Great,” Logan said that with less enthusiasm. But if you wanted to have a wedding, you had to have the ceremony. If they didn’t ask Reverend Maitland to do it, he’d be upset.
George cried out again. As Courtney went to calm him in the nursery, Logan pulled on his jeans and went to the kitchen to tidy up from dinner. Switching the television on to catch the end of Cam’s football game, he began to pile up the dirty dishes and load them into the dishwasher.
“It’s not looking good,” the commentator said. “They’re carrying him off on a stretcher.”
Logan glanced up from where he was squatting in front of the dishwasher, his brows pulled together as he glanced at the screen. And then his muscles froze, because he knew exactly who was on that stretcher, wearing the Boston Bobcats uniform.
It was like watching himself be carried off the field. He slowly stood, his fingers clutching the counter as he stared at the television.
“Is that the game?” Courtney asked, walking into the kitchen. “Are they winning?”
Logan said nothing. She frowned, looking from him to the television, her eyes widening as she saw the stretcher.
“Is that?”
“Yeah.” His voice was gritty. “It’s him.”
“What happened?” she asked, her voice a whisper. She slid her arms around Logan, her embrace comforting even though his heart was pounding.
“I don’t know.” He shook his head. “I just turned it on.”
Gently cradling his jaw in her hands, she pressed her lips to his cheek. “It’s okay,” she told him. “Cam’s moving. See?”
Sure enough, he could see Cam’s arms waving in front of him, like he was saying something to the medics. They stopped, and he climbed off of the stretcher, shaking his head at them like he was pissed as hell. There was no sign of injury, no broken limbs, no blood pouring from a wound. There was only the p
recautionary neck brace, that Logan knew Cam already wanted off.
One of the trainers came up to him and pointed at the stretcher. Cam shook his head and put his hands on his hips, still looking irritated.
Logan couldn’t help but laugh with relief. “Damn, he’s giving them hell.”
“He always does.” Courtney kissed him again, deeper this time, and he felt the need for her pulse through him. “He’s just like his twin brother.”
His lips curled against hers. “I don’t know whether that’s criticism or a compliment.”
“Both.”
They laughed.
“I’ll call him in a little bit,” Logan said, when they finally parted. “Hopefully he’ll be answering his phone by then.”
“You sure you’re okay?” she asked.
“Yeah.” He nodded, pulling her back into his arms, because he could never get enough of her. Everything would always be okay because she was here. And with Courtney by his side, he could deal with anything.
His brother being pissed about being carried off was one of them. They’d both call him and rib him out, then they’d go to bed and curl up with each other until George woke sometime in the overnight hours.
Life really didn’t get much better than that.
“Good. Because I love you, Mr. Hartson,” Courtney murmured, resting her head on his shoulder.
Joy exploded inside him. “I love you, too,” he said, brushing his lips against her cheek. “So much I don’t know what to do with it.”
She looked up at him. “I have an idea what you can do with it,” she said, her eyes twinkling.
“Again?” he asked.
“After you’ve made that phone call.” She nodded.
He kissed her hard and hot, then pulled away. “It’s a deal. Hold that thought.”
Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed Logan and Courtney’s story. The next book in the Heartbreak Brothers series is SOMEBODY LIKE YOU. Find out what happens when Cam returns to Hartson’s Creek following a football injury, and falls for a beautiful single mom with two tearaway sons.
CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDER NOW!
And if you enjoyed A Better Man, why not check out my gorgeous Angel Sands series, set in a small beach town in southern California. The first book, LET ME BURN, is available to read right now!
Dear Reader
Thank you so much for reading Logan and Courtney’s story. If you enjoyed it and you get a chance, I’d be so grateful if you can leave a review. And don’t forget to keep an eye out for SOMEBODY LIKE YOU, the fourth book in the series, coming out in March 2021.
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I can’t wait to share more stories with you.
Yours,
Carrie xx
About the Author
Carrie Elks writes contemporary romance with a sizzling edge. Her first book, Fix You, has been translated into eight languages and made a surprise appearance on Big Brother in Brazil. Luckily for her, it wasn’t voted out.
Carrie lives with her husband, two lovely children and a larger-than-life black pug called Plato. When she isn’t writing or reading, she can be found baking, drinking an occasional (!) glass of wine, or chatting on social media.
You can find Carrie in all these places
www.carrieelks.com
[email protected]
Also by Carrie Elks
THE HEARTBREAK BROTHERS SERIES
A gorgeous small town series about four brothers and the women who capture their hearts.
Take Me Home
Still The One
A Better Man
Somebody Like You (Coming Spring 2021)
ANGEL SANDS SERIES
A heartwarming small town beach series, full of best friends, hot guys and happily-ever-afters.
Let Me Burn
She’s Like the Wind
Sweet Little Lies
Just A Kiss
Baby I’m Yours
Pieces Of Us
Chasing The Sun (Coming January 2021)
THE SHAKESPEARE SISTERS SERIES
An epic series about four strong yet vulnerable sisters, and the alpha men who steal their hearts.
Summer’s Lease
A Winter’s Tale
Absent in the Spring
By Virtue Fall
THE LOVE IN LONDON SERIES
Three books about strong and sassy women finding love in the big city.
Coming Down
Broken Chords
Canada Square
STANDALONE
Fix You
An epic romance that spans the decades. Breathtaking and angsty and all the things in between.
If you’d like to get an email when I release a new book, please sign up here:
CARRIE ELKS’ NEWSLETTER
Acknowledgments
Firstly, thanks to you, dear Reader. I couldn’t do this without you. I’m so grateful you’ve read this book.
To my husband, Ash, thank you for all your support and your patience, I appreciate it every day. To my children, Ella and Olly, I’m so proud of you guys. Watching you fly the next is the most exciting and yet heartbreaking thing I’ll ever do. You make my life better. Thank you!
So many thanks and much love to Meire Dias and Flavia Viotti at the Bookcase Agency. Working with you is always a joy. Your support and friendship means a lot.
My editor Rose David and my proofreader, Mich, always work tirelessly to make my words shine. Thank you for all you do. And for making me smile even when things feel like a hard slog.
Kirsty-Anne Still is a kick-ass designer, and she hit this cover out of the park. I love working with you!
Finally, to my lovely facebook group members (The Water Cooler - if you want to join!), thank you! We have so much fun – you make Facebook a great place to be. You help with ideas, inspiration and most of all you put a smile on my face. Thanks for being so amazing.