She picked up assorted brushes and dropped them into an old Flintstone jelly glass filled with soapy water. She pulled the two top sweatshirts over her head and dropped them over the chair. Yanking off the gloves, she called to Tinkerbell. "Come on, girl. Din-din time. I’ve suddenly developed a raging appetite."
Logan stood in the middle of the shed and chuckled as the door slammed behind her and the dog. So the Fairy Queen had a temper—one to match the passion he’d tasted. With a wistful sigh for things that could never be, he turned the lantern and heater down and slowly followed Kelli back to the house.
He found Ruth and Henry quietly playing a game of checkers in the living room while Kelli fed logs into the wood stove. Her face was flushed with heat as she turned from the stove and looked at him. "I’ll go warm up our dinner."
"Thanks. I’ll go get another pile of wood for later." With a smile he left the room and headed back outside.
Ruth and Henry smiled at each other as Kelli turned toward the kitchen. Without saying a word they picked up the checkers and board and headed for their coats. As they passed through the kitchen, Ruth said, "We’re heading home now. There’s some rice pudding in the refrigerator for dessert."
Kelli slid two full plates into the warm oven. "Thanks for the dinner Ruth. I’m sorry I didn’t come in before."
"Nonsense, child. You can eat anytime you want."
She smiled at the older couple. "Henry, I saw all those trees you marked today. That should keep Josh busy tomorrow afternoon. Thanks."
"Josh is going to have a hard time taking that chain saw away from Logan. He was cutting down trees and limbs like a lumberjack today, and seemed to be enjoying himself."
"I’m sure that he’ll be bored by it soon. They probably don’t have an abundance of trees in the Sudan."
Henry’s smile faded as he studied the young woman in front of him. "You could be right, but I’ve never known Logan to become bored with anything." He quietly pulled on his coat, reached for Ruth’s hand, and the two of them headed out the door. "Good night," they called.
Kelli placed silverware and drinks for two on the small kitchen table. Henry was right; Logan didn’t seem to be the kind of man who became bored easily. So how long would he stay here? There was nothing here for him except Ruth and Henry. When was he scheduled to go back to Sudan and the oil fields? Logan returned and dumped a pile of logs by the hearth in the living room. She carefully took the hot plates from the oven as he hung up his windbreaker and washed up.
He had barely sat down when Kelli asked, "When are you returning to Sudan?"
He swallowed a mouthful of mashed potatoes. "I’m not sure."
Kelli’s fingers trembled as she cut into her pork chop. "Why not?"
"I’ve got a lot of things to clear up here first."
"Meaning Ruth and Henry?"
Compassion shone in his eyes as he carefully set his fork down on his plate. "I’m sorry, Kelli, but when I leave here they will be going with me. It’s the right thing for all of us."
With a sudden movement she stood up and faced her rival. "Possession is nine tenths of the law, and since they live here, they’re mine. You can’t have them."
In frustrated silence Logan watched as Kelli grabbed her coat and slammed out the door. What could he possibly say that would make her understand? They were his family, and he needed them too.
Chapter Four
After Kelli had stormed out, Logan spent a quiet evening alone with only troubled thoughts for company. He knew she was, in a sense, correct. What right did he have to claim his aunt and uncle, when he was never around when they needed him? How could he possibly take care of them when he was on the other side of the world? He could hire someone to stay with them, but they didn’t need a babysitter. They needed someone to be there when things became too much for them. They needed someone like Kelli.
He lay awake staring at the ceiling mentally listing his options. He could return to Sudan and leave his aunt and uncle living peacefully with Kelli. But that would be shirking his responsibilities. How could he allow a complete stranger to carry his load? Especially a stranger that was so petite, gorgeous, kissable, and so desirable. Even if she were slightly unhinged. With a groan he remembered how potent she had tasted, one hundred-fifty proof. The taste of her went straight to his head. He muttered a colorful curse, kicked the extra cover off his bed, and silently commanded all fairies to leave his head.
His second option was to move them into another house and pay someone to keep an eye on them. He grimaced in disgust. Not only would that be disrespectful, but downright insulting. After the years of unselfish love they had given him, how could he contemplate being so callous?
The third, and most intriguing alternative, was not to return to Sudan. There was plenty of work for a geologist in the United States. He could get a job, buy a house, and live with Ruth and Henry, or at least have them nearby. When sleep finally claimed him, visions of Texan oil fields and oil shale deposits in Colorado filled his mind.
#
Kelli stumbled into the kitchen by eight the next morning. But Logan was already gone. Ruth said he had to run into town, so she had given him the shopping list. With a painful smile, Kelli thanked her for her thoughtfulness and prayed Logan wasn’t a big spender. The coffers at Fairyland were running alarmingly low, and it was still weeks before they opened and started pulling in some money.
After a quick breakfast she headed out into the unusually warm March morning. She found Henry and a group of high school students at the outdoor theater discussing which split-log benches would need work. "Good morning, Henry. Morning, gang."
A chorus of "Hi, Kelli"’s filled the air.
"I know most of you have already met Henry, but for those who didn’t"—she grabbed hold of his wrist and pulled him into the circle of youths— "this is Henry Morrison. He’s in charge of all the grounds work. He’ll be the one handing out orders."
Kelli ignored Henry’s look of astonishment.
During the morning, with diplomacy and skill she passed out orders that seemed to come from Henry, conferred with him on four separate occasions, and generally started the ball rolling. By eleven-thirty she was tired, hungry, and immensely proud of the way Henry’s chest was puffed out and how his eyes sparkled whenever one of the kids called him Pop. She was headed home for lunch when she spotted Logan’s car parked out front. Quickly, she changed directions and headed toward the pond and the new mamma. She silently lectured herself for being a coward. After staying up half the night to paint fairies, and trying to think of a solution concerning Henry and Ruth, she was still confused. One thing was resolved; she was determined to keep her distance from Logan. Not only was he a threat to her newly found family, he was hell on her hormones. Every time she closed her eyes she relived the kiss they had shared. Never before had a kiss left such an emotional impression. She had shared some kisses with men in the past, but they had been tame, undemanding, and safe. With Logan she felt anything but safe. There was something primitive in his kiss. Something that called to a special part of her and demanded a response. One that she wasn’t sure she was ready to give. Especially to a man who was only here temporarily, a known enemy, and one who freely admitted he thought she was unbalanced.
When she spotted Angus gracefully gliding across the pond, a gentle smile touched her lips. She began to hum a lullaby and slowly made her way to Caer and her nest. By the time she reached the lean-to, Caer had left her eggs and was noisily greeting Kelli. With loving hands she praised the new mother, sat down, and softly sang another song.
Fifteen minutes later her entire rendition was completed and Caer was back to her eggs. As she carefully and slowly made her way to the other side of the pond, Kelli spotted a pair of mallard ducks who undoubtedly would be increasing their population later this spring.
With a tired sigh Kelli sat down on a dry bed of grass. The back of her neck ached and tension flowed from her cramped muscles. She turned her face toward the
warm sun. It felt wonderful after a long winter. Without a thought to the crinkling grass and anything it might contain, Kelli locked her hands and behind her head and lay back. She closed her eyes and promised herself just five more minutes of peaceful solitude.
Half an hour later, Logan found her asleep in the grass. With a cautious glance at the swans swimming on the other side of the pond, he placed the wicker picnic basket down and carefully spread out an old blanket. As he unzipped his jacket, he wondered what her reaction to his peace offering would be. He had spent the morning in town picking up various magazines and journals on geology. They didn’t hold all the answers he needed, but they contained names and addresses of people who did. Tonight when Kelli disappeared into her workshop, he would start writing letters.
He had spent over an hour in the grocery store piling all his favorite foods into the cart. An eighteen-pound turkey caused his mouth to water for Ruth’s stuffing. Thick porterhouse steaks, fresh broccoli, and the ingredients for a chocolate cake were added to the overflowing cart. He had picked up double of everything on Ruth’s order and jammed the stuffed bags into the trunk of his rental car. When he reached home his trunk was overflowing.
When he saw the expression on Ruth’s face as she looked at her two new huge houseplants he knew the trip was a success. For as long as he could remember, her home had been crammed with plants. But there wasn’t one single plant in their cottage. Why? When he hinted for an explanation, she skillfully skirted the issue.
As Ruth alternated between tisking over the amount of food he’d bought, and planning the next week’s meals, Logan had packed a wicker basket full of food. When Ruth learned he planned to share the picnic with Kelli, she beamed and fetched an old plaid blanket she had seen in the hall closet. Armed with a basketful of good intentions, he went to find Kelli. As he stepped outside into the sunshine he knew instinctively where she was. With the swans at the pond. Now, he silently placed the basket in the middle of the blanket and stared at the sleeping woman. Streaks of mud coated her boots and worn jeans hugged her legs. A large baggy red sweater covered her from her neck to the tops of her thighs. Her small firm breasts were amplified by her hands being laced behind her head. Arousal raced through Logan’s body. He forced his gaze higher. Her lips were softly parted as if waiting for a lover’s kiss, and her golden lashes lay against her pink cheeks. A Sleeping Beauty struck by a fairy’s spell.
She was beautiful. How could a woman be so seductive without even trying? he wondered. With a visible shake of his head, he reminded himself he was there to thank her for all she had done. And because he’d disregarded his responsibilities, Kelli was now going to be hurt. The kiss they shared last night had been a mistake. It couldn’t be repeated. They might come to some kind of mutual agreement on his aunt and uncle, but never on the desire that burned between them.
With a heavy sigh he sat down and reached into the basket for a bottle of soda. He drank half the bottle before coming up for air. With a frown he stared across the pond at the pair of graceful swans and wondered how he had known exactly where to find Kelli . . .
Kelli woke slowly with the terrifying knowledge she wasn’t alone. Cautiously peeking out from behind her lashes, she breathed a sigh of relief when she spotted Logan. The blond highlights in his brown hair gleamed in the afternoon sun and a frown marred his brow as he stared out across the pond.
A blush of embarrassment swept up her cheeks. She hated being caught sleeping. In a hurried movement she rose to a sitting position and yanked at her baggy sweater.
"Good morning, sleepyhead."
"I think that should be ‘Good afternoon.’"
He watched her try to hide a yawn behind her hand. "I hope you’re hungry."
"Hungry?"
With a lofty wave toward the basket, he announced, "Your lunch is served."
Bewilderment shone in her eyes as she glanced from Logan to the picnic basket. What was he up to now?
Logan read the confusion in her sleep-filled gray eyes and smiled his friendliest smile. "It’s a peace offering. No matter what my opinion is, you are part of the family now. I think we should at least get to know each other, and possibly become friends." With a little-boy smile tilting up the corners of his mouth, he said, "Come on. I even packed it myself."
Kelli hesitantly stood up, brushed off her backside, and tried to run her fingers through her tangled mane. "What’s in it?"
A twinkle of mischief shone in his eyes. "It’s a smorgasbord of American food."
She looked down at her muddy boots with disgust. She undid the zippers and pulled them off before sitting down on the blanket. "Didn’t they have American food in Sudan?"
"Sure, but by the time Mahmud finished cooking it, it didn’t taste American." Logan flipped up the lid of the hamper and pulled out a soda. "I didn’t know what foods you liked, so you are getting all of my favorites. If you don’t like something, you don’t have to eat it."
Kelli took the cold bottle of soda and read the label. "Your favorite soda is sarsaparilla?"
"Do you know how hard it is to find sarsaparilla in Khartoum?"
A sympathetic smile curved her lips. "I could imagine."
Logan returned her smile as he watched her relax and drink her soda. He leaned over and with a flourish produced two hoagies from the depths of the basket. "Your main course, madam."
Kelli’s taste buds stood up and cheered. Here was a man who knew the way to a woman’s heart. Logan watched as she slowly unwrapped her American hoagie, with the works, as if the answers to the universe were held inside the paper. He laughed as a full-blown grin lit up Kelli’s face. "What’s so funny?"
Kelli smiled at Logan and wondered how to answer. For a horrible moment she thought he was trying to seduce her with food. When she unwrapped the hoagie and spotted the mound of onions nestled between the meat, cheese, lettuce, and tomato, she knew her fears were unfounded. No man brought onions to a woman he was planning to seduce. She picked up the sandwich. "Nothing’s funny, I just love hoagies." Then she took a large bite. Satisfied with her answer, he picked up his sandwich and got down to the serious business of lunch.
Kelli wiped juice from the tomato from her chin and groaned. Logan had finished first, but she had put up a good fight. "I concede. When it comes to hoagies, you’re a bigger pig than I."
He had watched a small drop of juice roll down her chin and groaned. It would have been so easy to reach over and gently capture the moistness with his mouth. When she wiped the juice away with a paper napkin, frustration ravaged his body. He placed a friendly smile on his face and said, "Sorry. I didn’t mean for it to turn into a race."
Kelli finished off the rest of her soda, leaned back on her elbows, and watched Caer waddle toward her nest. "No need to apologize. I never can resist a challenge."
Logan leaned back and faced the pond. The silence that surrounded them was broken only by an occasional honk from the swans, or a gentle chirping from nearby birds. After a few restful minutes he said, "Tell me about Ben."
She sighed wistfully. "He was brilliant. He could fix or build anything. Do you know he built the house all by himself?"
"Is he the one who installed the doorbell that plays ‘We’re Off to See the Wizard’?"
"He made me that chime for my seventeenth birthday."
"Impressive. I suppose he also was the inventor of Killer, your attack dog."
She softly chuckled, and said, "Afraid so."
"You miss him, don’t you?"
She had to clear the lump that had caught in her throat before she could answer. "Every day."
Logan forced himself to remain seated and not to gather her in his arms and promise her everything would work out. "Did you love him?"
"Like a father. When I first moved in with him there was some serious speculation in town."
"About what?"
"A sixteen-year-old hoodlum and a fifty-year-old man. Youth Services did more than their share of checking up on him. It’s really funn
y, the one person who everyone thought would be bad for me turned out to be the best. People in town didn’t understand Ben. He was a loner. He never went into town, unless he had to. The only friend he had was Josh’s grandfather. They were fishing buddies."
"That’s how you met Josh."
"Yes. When the whispers in town started, Ben and Emmett, Josh’s grandfather, had this idea to pair us up. Since Josh didn’t have a steady girlfriend, we went along with it."
He studied her profile. "Nothing serious came of it?"
"No, much to Ben’s and Emmett’s disappointment."
"Why? Josh seems like the all-American dream date." Kelli laughed merrily. "If you’d seen Josh eight years ago, you wouldn’t have said that. Every father in town forbade his daughters from even talking to him."
"Josh?"
"Yep. He rode the biggest Harley-Davidson in the county and wore a gold crucifix in his right ear. His idea of dressing up was clean jeans and polishing his sunglasses."
"And Ben allowed you to date him?"
"We made a perfect pair. I was rebelling against the town for gossiping about me and he was furious at the daughters for listening to their fathers. Wherever we went, people knew we were there."
"But he’s a policeman."
"Now he is; then he was just a frustrated young man. We both made the honor roll, and every time we aced a test they yanked us to the office and accused us of cheating." After a thoughtful moment, she asked, "Do you know something, Logan?"
"What?"
"People do judge a book by its cover."
Logan was angry for her sake. Poor Kelli. A frightened teenager thrown to a pack of wolves, only to be torn apart at every change. Being forced to listen to vicious talk about Ben, the one man who loved her enough to pull her off the streets. "I’m sorry."
Kelli heard the disgust in his voice and smiled. "Thanks, but it’s been over for six years. I turned respectable the year I started college and Josh left for the police academy. Now boys who use to proposition me with some very interesting ideas bring their kids and wives here to see the fairies."
Satin Sheets and Strawberries Page 5