“I didn’t say it with words. I said it in bed,” Logan seethed. He’d never understand women if he lived to be a hundred. Actions meant more than words to Logan. He’d shown her last night. Words hadn’t been necessary. People lied with words all the time.
Her eyes went wide and her mouth formed a perfect “O”. “You mean with sex?”
He shrugged and shook his head. “We didn’t have sex and you know it. We made love. I showed you with my body.”
“I didn’t know. I don’t know the difference.” Her voice was a whisper. “How was I to know?”
Logan’s anger seeped out of him like air inside of a balloon. Ava was truly puzzled and distressed. Of course she wouldn’t know how it was different for him. But she should have known it was different for her.
“Are you like that with every man you go to bed with?” he challenged, trying to make her see that what he did was more important than what he said.
“No.” She shook her head. “I haven’t been with that many men. But no. That’s why I was so upset. You have to understand. It had never been like that for me before. I felt so—”
“Exposed.” Logan finished the sentence for her. She nodded in agreement. “I felt the same way, honey. But I didn’t run out the door the minute it was over.”
Tears started to slide down her cheeks and Logan’s heart felt like it was being ripped out of his chest. He never wanted to see her cry. “Aw, honey. No tears. I’m not worth crying over.”
In two strides he was across the room wiping her cheeks with the hankie his mother had taught him to carry in his pocket. She sniffled and batted at his hands.
“Wait. Logan, what are we going to do about this? What does this mean?”
“Hell if I know,” Logan answered, handing her the white square of linen. “You’re the smart one. But we need to figure this out together, not apart. That much I know.”
She swiped at her eyes and her little chin lifted as if ready for battle. “I won’t share you with other women. If you’re with me, well, then I’m the only one. I won’t let you hurt me.”
“I sure as fuck don’t want you with another guy,” Logan snarled. The thought of Ava doing the things they’d done together with anyone else made his head hurt. To his utter surprise a smile bloomed on her face.
“Really? Would you be jealous?” she asked, hope written in her expression.
“Yes,” he answered with finality. He didn’t want to discuss it, for fuck’s sake.
“So…we’re a couple?” The innocent question set off a cacophony of warning bells in his head but he ignored every one of them. He couldn’t do his usual disappearing trick with this woman. If he tried he knew he’d be back eventually apologizing and asking for another chance.
“A couple of fucking idiots,” he groused. “We need to talk more about this but I have to get to work.” He grabbed his hat and jammed it on his head. “I’ll take you to dinner tonight and then we’ll continue working on the case.”
“We still have to talk more.” Ava sighed and tugged at the belt on her robe.
“We do,” Logan agreed. “But we can do that tonight. Just know that last night wasn’t a one night stand.”
“I’ve never had one of those in my life.”
“You still haven’t.” He nodded and pulled open the front door. They did have more talking to do but the important point had been made this morning. She wasn’t like everyone else. “I’ll pick you up at seven, good girl.”
Swinging up into his truck he headed for the station. He was halfway there when the reality of everything he had on his plate hit him. He had a murder investigation, a new-found family, and now a relationship. A real one.
What the fuck was he supposed to do with that? He’d screw it up for sure.
* * * *
Logan was finally sitting down for lunch after a morning of chaos. As soon as he’d walked in the office this morning he’d received a call from a local rancher about possible cattle rustling. He’d spent the last four hours getting statements and collecting evidence. From what Logan could see it appeared to be more of a prank than anything. Sometimes the young people drank too much beer and played hide and seek with cows, trucks, and even lawn ornaments.
He sat heavily down in his chair and opened up the styrofoam container that contained his lunch. He’d ordered whatever the special was today at the diner and it looked like he was in luck. The smell of pot roast, potatoes, and carrots in a rich gravy wafted up from the tray. There was a side of their sour cream mashed potatoes and one of their homemade dinner rolls.
Score.
He wolfed down the meal in record time washing it down with a soda from the small refrigerator in his office. Jillie stuck her head in the door, back from her own lunch.
“You had a couple of calls while you were out. Wade Bryson and Griffin Sawyer.”
“Thanks. I’ll call them back.”
Logan would call Griffin right away but Wade would have to wait. He’d already dodged several calls from Wade, Lyle, and Aaron. Logan knew he would have to talk to them eventually but that didn’t mean he had to do it today. Tomorrow or the next day would be soon enough.
Jillie closed the door as he knew she would when he told her he was returning a phone call. She might not be the greatest secretary in the world but she understood him. Or at least she understood the way he worked. She didn’t try and tell him what to do and she wasn’t nosy about ongoing investigations.
He punched in Griffin’s number and pressed the speaker button. The phone rang a few times before his friend picked up.
“Sawyer.”
“Hey, heard you called this morning.” Logan stuffed his lunch into the trash can and snagged another soda.
“I did. I have some information for you. Hold on. Let me get into my office where we can talk.”
Logan heard some voices and then the click of a door closing. “Are you at the sheriff station?”
“I am and it’s a madhouse here. Shit, now I know why I only do deputy training once a year.”
Logan laughed as he pictured the usually calm and quiet Griffin tearing his hair out over a couple of rookies. “How many do you have?”
“One, and it’s more than enough. He’s a nice enough guy but he can’t remember anything from one day to the next. Of course that might have something to do with the fact that he’s staring at his phone ten hours a fucking day. He appears incapable of speaking with his voice. Yesterday he texted me a question. He was sitting next to me in the truck. I don’t think he’s going to make it.”
“Has he been through the academy?” Logan asked.
“Are you kidding me? He wouldn’t have lasted a day there.”
Logan shook his head and grinned. “How many days has he lasted with you?”
“Ten. Ten long fucking days. Shit, I’m tense just thinking about him. Let’s change the subject.”
Everyone knew Griffin liked his town quiet and uneventful. His preference was to go fishing when things were boring.
“So tell me what you found out.”
“Interesting stuff. When I asked my government friend about Bill Bryson he knew exactly who I was talking about. It appears that Bryson wasn’t above using dirty tricks and bribery to get what he wanted. My friend said that Bryson was known for getting zoning changed on a whim and putting competitors out of business. Apparently they’d have a run of extremely bad luck.”
Griffin’s words went straight to the pit of Logan’s stomach. How had this gone on for so many years and not a whiff of trouble in Corville? He really needed to look at those old files in the attic.
“What about George Bryson? Did your guy say anything about him?”
“Funny you should mention that. I asked about him and my friend knew nothing. It was like George Bryson didn’t exist within Bryson Development. So I looked up the articles of incorporation. George Bryson isn’t on them. Anywhere. He doesn’t have any piece of the family business.”
Now they were getti
ng somewhere. Logan had assumed George hadn’t inherited because he had a fortune of his own. It now looked like he’d been kept out of the business, maybe deliberately.
“I don’t suppose you did any research on George?” Logan asked.
Griffin chuckled. “Actually I farmed that out to Reed but he called me this morning. Good old Uncle George doesn’t have a pot to piss in. He has his own business which was set up with an injection of cash from brother Bill. According to Reed’s sources George loves women, booze, and the ponies. Not necessarily in that order. He spends it as fast as he makes it.”
“Expensive hobbies,” Logan replied. “If he thought he would inherit, it might be a motive for murder.”
“If he thought he would inherit,” Griffin agreed. “Did he have any reason to believe that?”
Logan didn’t know but he intended to find out.
“I’ll bring him in for questioning. This is the first lead I’ve had. Thanks for helping me out. I’ve been combing through financial statements for days. Sometimes police work is boring as hell.”
“Glad I could help. It’s nice to work on something other than cattle rustling and petty vandalism. I’ll email you all the details so you can read through it. Let me know if there’s anything else I can do.”
Logan tapped the desk, indecision warring inside of him. He sighed and gave in, knowing he was going to regret this. “Actually there is one more thing.”
“Name it, man.”
Son of a fucking bitch, he hated this shit. “I need some advice. About a woman.”
Laughter erupted on the other end of the phone and Logan had to take it off speaker, picking up the receiver.
“Women? I thought you had every woman for five hundred miles panting after you. Since when do you need advice?”
“Stop fucking laughing, asshole. I’m serious about this. I don’t need advice about women. I need advice about a woman. And about relationships. Shit, I’ve never been in one. I like this woman and I don’t want to fuck it up.”
Griffin choked and coughed a few times. “A relationship, huh? That’s some serious shit. I’m not sure I can help you. I’ve never been in love. I have dated a few women seriously.”
“I didn’t say I was in love.” Annoyed, Logan almost slammed down the phone. “I said I liked her.”
“Oh. Maybe you should call Tanner. Or Seth. They might know what to do. But it can’t be all that difficult. Millions of men are in them and they seem to do okay. From what I’ve experienced women don’t expect very much. Just don’t stick your dick where it doesn’t belong and buy her flowers. You’ll be fine. Don’t over think it.”
“You have a point. If Seth and Tanner can do it then it can’t be all that tough.” Logan was sure both of his friends had screwed up a time or two.
“Be sure to tell her she looks nice. Women like that. Even if she looks like she’s been dragged through a hedge, be sure to say it,” Griffin offered.
“I can do that. You’re right. I just need to relax.”
“If things start to go south, just fall back on what you know. That’s what I’d do.”
What Logan knew? He knew how to make her scream when she came. It would certainly stop any talk about feelings and the future, that was for sure. Griffin was onto something here.
“Thanks. I’ll let you go. I need to set up an interview with George Bryson.”
“Keep us in the loop, man. See you.” Griffin rung off and Logan set the receiver back in the cradle.
He should have known better than to ask his friend for advice but a desperate man did desperate things. He needed to show Ava he could be faithful without making her think about forever. Logan was in no way ready for that kind of commitment.
He would make sure Ava understood. He wanted her, wanted to be with her. He simply couldn’t make any promises about the future.
Logan wasn’t the husband and kids type.
Chapter Fifteen
“He came after me,” Ava told Kaylee. They were talking on the phone while Ava waited for Logan to pick her up for dinner.
“That’s so romantic,” breathed Kaylee. “Like at the end of An Officer and a Gentleman.”
“He didn’t sweep me off my feet or anything. But I was shocked when he showed up. I thought he’d be happy I gave him a way out.”
Ava had been an emotional wreck when she’d walked out of Logan’s house. Their lovemaking had been a revelation and she’d been overwhelmed as she thought about him being like that with another woman. To hear him say it had been different for him too had come as a relief. The fact that he’d said he had feelings for her was overwhelming.
“Tell me again what he said,” Kaylee begged. “Do you think he wanted to tell you he loves you?”
“Ah no,” Ava laughed. “Besides, it wasn’t what he said that was important. It was the way he said it. He was…sincere. His body language wasn’t deceptive. I mean, he came after me.”
She was still in awe that he had. After she’d gotten over the shock of seeing him standing in her kitchen, she’d been filled with opposing thoughts. Anger that he expected any different behavior, and joy that he had cared enough to make the effort to come to her.
“I still think it’s romantic. Was it good?” Kaylee giggled on the other end of the phone. For a writer of erotic romance she could be surprisingly girlish when discussing the more intimate details of their lives.
Ava rolled her eyes. “It was beyond good. They haven’t invented adjectives that would correctly describe last night. Writers would be crying in their cappuccinos with the frustration of trying to capture just how hot Logan is in the sack.”
“Why can’t I find a man like that?” Kaylee wailed. “Are there more men like that in Montana? I can be there in less than twelve hours.”
“I think I can safely say Logan Wright is one of a kind. I’m not sure this is even going to work between us.”
“You just need to set some ground rules. Don’t let him start any of that bad boy behavior. Nip it in the bud before it takes root,” Kaylee declared.
Ava chewed on her lower lip. Kaylee had a point. It might be easier to set expectations at the beginning than later. Heaven knew Ava was going to have to lay down the law more than once with a man like Logan.
“You may be right,” Ava conceded. “I just don’t know what rules. What would you do?”
“If he’s as hot as you say he is then I’d set a rule he has to give me two orgasms to his one.” Kaylee was laughing so hard Ava had to pull the phone away from her ear.
“That doesn’t sound very fair.” Although it was tempting.
“Fair, shmair. Just set the rules so he has to treat you with respect. That’s what you really want.”
Logan’s truck pulled up in the driveway. “I think I can do that. It might help us both. I don’t know much more about being in a relationship than he does. He’s here so I gotta go. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“You better! I want all the dirty details. Remember you’re having sex for both of us.” Kaylee exclaimed before hanging up.
Ava grabbed her sweater and purse and hurried out the front door. Her father was in the back yard and she wanted to be gone before he realized someone was here. She rushed to the passenger side of the truck but not before Logan got out on his side and came around to open the door for her. It was a sweet, old fashioned gesture that made her blush and she murmured her thanks as she slid inside. He’d turned on the radio and a Jason Aldean song was playing softly in the background. A single pink rose was on the seat between them.
“Is this for me?” She picked it up and breathed in its heady fragrance as he backed out of the driveway.
Glancing over briefly, he nodded his head but kept his concentration on the road. “It is. I didn’t know if you liked flowers or not. I got pink because red seemed too ordinary.”
Did that mean he didn’t think she was ordinary or that he didn’t think he was a man who did ordinary things?
The latter was cer
tainly true and she could only hope about the former. “I like pink. It was thoughtful of you. Thank you.”
His profile was outlined in the dim light of the truck cab. “You’re welcome. It was a friend’s idea.”
“You asked a friend?” It was kind of endearing to think he had. She already liked him but this made him seem as vulnerable as she was about all this.
“I was talking to him about the case anyway.”
“Oh.” So he hadn’t called a friend just for help. That was kind of disappointing. Logan turned into the parking lot of one of the better restaurants in town. Parking the truck, he finally turned toward her.
“I hope you like steak.”
“I do.” Ava nodded, feeling suddenly nervous and shy now that she had his full attention. “I haven’t been here in years.”
Logan’s rich and throaty laugh made her warm all over. “It hasn’t changed, good girl. Not much around here does.”
By the time they’d been shown to a table and ordered their drinks and meal, Ava was starting to break out into a cold sweat. She didn’t know what to expect and Logan’s expression was frustratingly inscrutable. He was like one of those faces on Mount Rushmore. No emotion whatsoever. She wanted to kick him in the shin just to see him wince.
“So I talked to my buddy Griffin about the case today.” Logan sat back in his chair and lifted the beer glass to his lips. “He told me some very interesting things about Bill Bryson.”
Her discomfort was forgotten the minute he brought up the case. Talking about this wouldn’t be awkward in the least. “Are you going to share?”
His mouth quirked up. “It seems Bill Bryson was known to bribe a government official or two to get zoning changed for his benefit. He was also known to play dirty tricks on his competition driving them out of business.”
Ava tapped her chin. “Motives for murder.”
“Possibly. Seems extreme though. Griffin wasn’t able to get specifics so it’s hard to tell just how evil Bill was. He may simply have been about as bad as everyone else in business.”
“True. But with the wrong person even a seemingly mild provocation can become deadly. You hear about people being shot and killed over stupid things every day. Someone cut them off in traffic or they talked too loud on their cell phone. Bang. They’re dead.”
Cowboy Truth: Cowboy Justice Association #3 Page 14