Warrior Girl: A Cowboy Romance (Wild Men Texas Book 2)

by Melissa Belle

  “Oh, my gosh,” I say to Daddy. “Let it end already.”

  “It will, darlin’.” He pats my shoulder. “It will.”

  Gigi tosses the wrapped box to one of her sisters in the front row, but Miranda’s not ready for it, and it hits her in the arm. Logan jumps off the stage and with his apologies to Miranda, picks the box up from the ground and jumps back up on the platform, opening it as he goes.

  Gigi lets him go and beams at the crowd.

  Logan’s opened the gift now. His face turns red immediately. He holds the quilt close to his chest and walks back and forth on the stage, looking out into the crowd.

  I step behind Daddy.

  Gigi walks closer to Logan. “You love it?”

  Logan nods and continues to look out. Daddy shifts to say something to Mama, and that’s when Logan spots me. I look away immediately, right into the questioning eyes of my mother.

  “You made that for him, didn’t you?” she says in her best attempt ever to speak in a whisper.

  I don’t answer her.

  “Macey!” She reaches past Daddy with her hand, but I pull back, and she misses me. “Why would you just give the quilt away to Gigi like that? That was your work, baby, not hers!”

  Daddy puts his arm around her and whispers something in her ear, and she shuts up.

  By the time all the presents have been opened, I’m leaning against a large oak tree for support.

  “Party’s over, darlin’.” Daddy looks over at me from where he’s standing with Mama beside a neighboring tree. “You okay?”

  “I’m doing fine.”

  I glance across the way at Logan and Gigi as they chat with her parents on stage. Presents and wrapping paper cover the ground around them. “Ben?” I say.

  He steps closer, joining me underneath the oak. “Yeah?”

  I jerk my thumb in the direction of Logan and Gigi. “What did you mean when you said something’s off with them?” I ask him in a whisper.

  Ben turns and looks with me. Logan’s leaning back from Gigi’s arms as she reaches for him, almost like he’s…

  “He’s not into her.” Ben’s voice is so certain I flinch.

  “He’s going to marry her,” I say stubbornly. “Of course he’s into her.”

  “You think so? Watch this.”

  Before I can ask him what he’s talking about, he whistles loudly.

  Logan turns his head at the noise, and Ben nods at him.

  Logan’s gaze shifts immediately from Ben to me.

  His eyes hold on mine. He keeps the eye contact for so long that I’m squirming. I grit my teeth and squeeze my thighs together, and I don’t stop staring at him the entire time.

  When he finally drags his gaze away, I’m on fire.

  And Ben’s bending over in laughter.

  “Shut up,” I say to him quietly. “You’re making a scene.”

  “Right. ‘Cause you and Logan aren’t doing that all on your own.” He puts his hand to my forehead. “Just as I thought. Burning up.”

  I let out a deep breath and pivot away. “Come around this side of the tree so I can’t see him. Please.”

  “Fine, but…”

  “No buts,” I say quickly. “Logan Wild is off-limits. And what does that mean for me? It means little staredowns like we just had can’t happen anymore.”

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Logan

  Thank God, the party is over. But I still can’t get off this damn stage because Gigi’s family has me surrounded.

  When I turn at Ben’s whistle, his sister is all I see.

  Macey shines in the crowd like a beacon of light. I lock eyes with her. She looks back at me, looking half-pissed and half-turned on. And I’m right there with her. After waking up with her in my arms this morning, I’ve had a hell of a time getting her out of my mind.

  “Is everything all right, dear?” Gigi’s mom asks me as she stops cooing over the presents with Gigi. “You’re looking into the crowd very intensely.”

  I wrest my focus away from Macey and force a grin. “Sure, I’m great.”

  “Good.” Her expression changes as she glances at Gigi. “My daughter is head over heels for you, you know.”

  “Yes. Our feelings for one another are mutual, I assure you,” I say.

  Gigi nods and tries to intercede, but her mother has involved Gigi’s father now.

  “Do you think Gigi and Logan are rushing things with this wedding?” she says abruptly, nearly taking the air out of me. “Maybe we should have insisted on a longer time for them to get to know one another.”

  “Mom!” Gigi stomps her foot, and I fight the urge to smile. “Logan is the only man I would marry. Leave it, please!”

  “It’s just…” Her mother glances out into the crowd again. “His background is so different than yours. Maybe you both need time to adjust to all the changes.”

  “No, we don’t,” Gigi says immediately. “Do we, Logan?”

  I shake my head. “The quicker we get married, the better,” I say with complete genuineness.

  Gigi’s mother smiles. “Well, that I can believe. You nearly shook with sincerity when you said that, Logan. I think it’s darling how anxious you are to tie the knot with my daughter. And I heard about how you two are waiting to share a bed.”

  “Right,” I say.

  “It’s very upstanding to insist on marriage nowadays.”

  All I can do is nod in agreement.

  When this whole thing started back in West Texas, Gigi’s father was stunned when she asked him if she could go out on a date with the painter guy. He grilled her seven ways from Sunday, but Gigi pulled out all the stops. She played it perfectly—from the way she looked at me to the descriptive manner in which she told him of her attraction to my artistic side—and her father agreed they could stay in the park for another week so she and I could get to know each other.

  During that time, he pressed me from every angle on if I was interested in his daughter just for her money. And this was my chance to play my role—convincing him I didn’t want her money was the easiest part of this whole charade. I sounded genuine and truthful because I was. And he believed me.

  Still, he thought our relationship was an infatuation that would blow over. But six days later, Gigi took him aside and said I’d be coming with them to New York.

  And four days after that, we went to him and said we were engaged. He wanted proof. A ring. I had nothing.

  I was sure it was over.

  But turned out that Mr. Phillips came from nothing too, and he felt for me. He handed us his credit card and told Gigi to pick out the engagement ring of her dreams. Her mother and sisters fell for the whole “love at first sight” storyline, and everything was set.

  Gigi’s last step was to wait for her father to bring up two things. One was that I couldn’t have any access to her funds while we were married. He would delegate a generous separate account for me, but I couldn’t touch the rest.

  Fine by me.

  Satisfied, he then broached the prenup. His first demand was that I agree not to fight Gigi for any of her money if we divorce. This was the part she knew was coming.

  But I didn’t want her money, and she trusted me to go through with the divorce.

  “Sir, I’ll gladly sign that prenup,” I promised him.

  Before her father could continue, Gigi interrupted to say she had a stipulation of her own.

  She pulled out the document her lawyer had helped us draw up.

  “What the hell is this?” Mr. Phillips growled as he read over the paper.

  Gigi explained to her father about the Henwoods and how much pain they’ve been through.

  “They’re like family to the Wilds, Daddy. So when Logan becomes part of our family, I’d like for you to agree to stop going after Mr. Henwood.”

  Mr. Phillips looked at the two of us, and his gaze held on Gigi. “You want me to give up on taking away the man’s bar and to let go of everything I’ve unearthed that would put th
is philandering, drunken fool in jail for the rest of his life?”

  “Daddy, yes, I would like you to drop it,” Gigi said. “And I can’t believe we have to keep all this from Mom, by the way. I don’t know that she’d approve.”

  Her father shushed her with a wave of his hand and a, “Your mother’s been through enough with that mistake she made. You agreed not to share the details of our West Texas trip with her.”

  Gigi grumbled but went quiet as her father thought for a moment.

  “You’re asking me to add to this prenup and sign off on the grounds that I won’t go after Benjamin Henwood or his family as a favor to my future son-in-law?”

  I swallowed hard as Gigi nodded.

  “Yes,” she said. “It would mean so much to me if you did that.”

  When Mr. Phillips stuck out his hand to me, I took it.

  And I only have to pull this off for a few more months.

  Then, I can finally tell Macey the truth.

  But right now, I need to talk to her about a certain engagement present. I almost lost it when I opened Gigi’s present and saw a red raindrop staring up at me. I’m lucky I was able to rein in my emotions fast enough.

  That can’t happen again.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Macey

  From my spot underneath the leaves of the oak tree, I wipe my brow and squint up at the sky. The sun is shining brighter than ever, but it can’t brighten my dark mood.

  “Mace?” Ben leans closer. “Are you all right?”

  I straighten up and give a firm nod. “I can’t believe I’m so emotional. I really thought I’d handle today better than I am. I’m sorry.”

  “Hey.” Ben squeezes my shoulder. “Don’t be. I just hate seeing you hurting like this. You know, your ‘arrangement’ that you and Logan had—maybe it wasn’t meant to last.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean ‘friends with benefits’ isn’t exactly a recipe for forever, is it?”

  “No,” I say slowly. “That’s why I thought it worked so well. I can’t do long-term, Ben. You know that.”

  “No, I don’t,” he says in a quiet tone. “Only you think you’re unlovable for the long haul, Mace.”

  I turn my head so I can meet his steady gaze.

  “Just think about it, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  “Looks like the party’s finally over. I’ll see you later.”

  I wave goodbye, but before I can leave, Gigi rushes me. “Guess what, Macey? After we marry here and become saviors to that poor made-up ghost, Logan and I are going to get married again in Orlando at the castle, and you and your family are all invited!”

  I stare at her.

  “Daddy’s going to pay for anyone who can’t afford their own way,” she says in a tone that I know is meant to be thoughtful.

  I clench my jaw and swallow hard. “That’s very kind of him.”

  “Let’s talk about this later,” Logan says as he appears behind Gigi.

  She pouts and then tells him she’s going for a drive with her parents. He gives her a short nod and she hugs him goodbye. As Mama and Daddy watch their exchange with interest, I pretend not to listen.

  Once Gigi’s gone, Logan thanks my parents for their gift certificate to the Backyard Restaurant.

  “Gigi needs to get into town more,” Mama says. “And understand where you come from, Logan.”

  “Mama, please,” I say.

  “Well, she does.” Mama gives me a sideways look. “She probably doesn’t understand how a small town works. You really should bring her to Queen Austen next week for opening night.”

  “We’ll be there,” Logan promises. Then, he turns to me.

  And the look in his eyes—I don’t know what he wants to say, but it looks like he’s carrying a secret the size of Texas on his shoulders. “Mace, I need to talk to you for a minute. It’s important.”

  I nod and follow him across the grass, trying to pull myself together.

  Shit.

  Logan’s engagement party hit me far harder than I’d wanted it to.

  If I’m really honest with myself, my heart is breaking.

  Into a million pieces.

  And today’s party just pointed out the obvious—Logan belongs to somebody else now.

  And any secret dreams I had of him being mine?

  Those are forever dead.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  As soon as we get away from the edge of the crowd, Logan starts walking faster. I follow him all the way to the parking lot and into his truck. He turns on the engine and rolls up the windows when we get inside.

  “Hot,” I say.

  He puts on the A/C.

  “I didn’t know this truck had A/C,” I joke.

  “Privacy.” He puts the truck in reverse and peels out of the parking lot.

  “Where are we going?”

  “I need to talk to you. This will only take a few minutes.” His jaw ticks.

  He drives down Main Street and across town until he hits the open road we’ve driven down hundreds of times before. The same road we got stuck on last year, except then we were both very single.

  He pulls off by a private stretch of land that borders the river running through this section of Hill Country. The water’s calm and almost level with the bank.

  Logan keeps the A/C on and puts the truck into park before he leans back against his window and faces me. “So. Where’d you get it?”

  “I got the salt and pepper shaker set at the mall.”

  “I meant the quilt.”

  I bite my lip.

  “It looks hand-made,” he presses me. “Was it?”

  I stare down at my hands, which I’ve crossed daintily over my skirt. I certainly appear calmer and less sweaty than I feel on the inside.

  “Mace. Did you knit it yourself?” Logan asks me.

  I look up at him now. Yep. He’s definitely pissed.

  “Why are you mad?” I ask him. “It wasn’t like a planned thing. It was…”

  “You know how bad that looked? How suspicious? I knew it was from you, and I felt…” He cuts off and starts in another place. “You shouldn’t have done that, Mace.”

  My face goes hot and I swallow. “No one even gets it.” Remembering Mama’s reaction, I add, “Well, certainly not Gigi. Only you would know the meaning.”

  Logan goes quiet.

  “What’s this really about?” I ask him. “Seriously.”

  “Nothing.”

  “I don’t believe you.”

  He flushes. “I just need you to trust me.”

  “Well, I don’t get it. Orlando?” I throw up my hands. “The castle? That’s not you.”

  “Gigi’s gotten swept up in the whole wedding thing,” he mutters.

  I cross my arms over my chest.

  “You know Princess is her middle name. So I guess she wants a castle.” Logan undoes the top two buttons of his shirt and rotates his neck like he’s just released a choker.

  Oh, she’s a mother fucking princess, all right. And I’m the Cinderella who can’t make it to the ball.

  And what’s driving me absolutely crazy? I want Logan so badly right now I can barely keep my hands off him. I haven’t been able to stop wanting him since I left his cottage this morning, and my body is wired.

  “I’m sorry.” His tone is raw, and I blink in surprise. “I love the present, and I love that you made it. I just wish you hadn’t given it to Gigi.”

  I take a second look at his face. His eyes aren’t dull right now. They’re absolutely on fire as they pin me in place, and I have to clench my hands into fists to avoid pulling him against me.

  He wants to kiss me.

  I know it as clearly as I’ve known it every single time before. He has the same look in his eye, he’s breathing the same rhythm, and it’s just quiet enough that I can hear his heart beat.

  He blinks, and the moment breaks.

  “I don’t get you right now.” I stare at him. “Somet
hing’s weird.”

  He closes down and the dullness returns to his beautiful whiskey eyes. “Nothing’s weird.”

  I take a deep breath and the words just pop out. “I’m happy for you Logan.”

  I open the passenger door and step out.

  “Macey!”

  I slam the door shut.

  “Macey, wait!” Logan rolls down the window and calls after me as I walk away.

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  I know where I need to go, and I don’t stop walking until I reach her door.

  I knock boldly and then tap my right foot over and over until Dr. Liza Spellman opens the door and peeks out at me.

  “Dr. Spellman?” I say. “We met before, through my mother? I’m Macey Henwood. It’s an emergency.”

  She invites me inside. Without her asking, I lie my ass down on the lavender couch.

  “What’s your pale face about, Macey?”

  I lean my head back against the white lace pillows and look up at Liza’s spectacled face looking over at me from her chair.

  “I just came from Logan and Gigi’s engagement party. It was harder than I thought it would be.”

  “Harder how?”

  “She’s his life now. And I’m…not.”

  I hear her shuffling those cards again, and I look over my shoulder. Seven cards lie face up, and Liza purses her lips.

  “Your heart is breaking.” She stares at the cards. “And the deeper you wade into that wedding, the worse it hurts.”

  “Logan’s wedding?”

  Liza nods.

  I twist my purse strap in my hands. “He makes me so mad sometimes. And he got super pissed off at me because I let his fiancée give him a quilt that I knitted especially for him. It’s a quilt that has a special meaning for both of us sewn into it. I’m worried he might think I’m trying to sabotage his relationship.”

  “He’s not right, though, is he?” Liza’s melodic voice cuts through my guilt. “You didn’t want to sabotage exactly. But you don’t want to look at them together.”

  “So what?” I say. “So what if I don’t think they’re a good match?”