Logan took a couple more steps into the room. “I don’t want to crowd you, but I want to get to know you better.”
Skyler’s skin warmed at the look in his eyes, as if he might be standing there saying the same thing even if there were no baby. She mentally shook her head, telling herself she couldn’t get too attached. Logan was a good-time type of guy, not the settle-down-and-raise-babies kind. She couldn’t even fault him for that, because he’d never claimed to be anything other than he was.
But what about what he’d said the night before?
You don’t know me anywhere near as well as you think you do.
That was just one of those things people said when someone was making assumptions about them, right?
“Handyman work would be a little tame for your tastes, wouldn’t it?”
He smiled that mischievous smile that had drawn her to his bed. “Even skydiving cowboys have to take a break now and then.”
Not trusting her willpower, she frantically searched for a reason to decline his offer but came up empty. Maybe this, like telling him the truth about the baby, was a leap of faith she needed to take.
“Come on, how can you pass up free labor? And I dare you to find a handyman who’s more charming than I am.”
She shook her head. “Does your mama know what a piece of work she raised?”
His smile dimmed, enough that she wished she could take back her words. Just when she thought she had him totally pegged, he showed her some emotion that she didn’t expect. First his concern when she’d fallen the night before, then the fact that he hadn’t run as soon as he’d heard the word baby. Now here was a hint that there was something not so great regarding his mother. Had he lost her? She swallowed past a sudden lump in her throat. Would her baby have no grandparents at all?
Logan had said he wanted to get to know her better, and now she found herself feeling the same way about him. But could she do that and still guard her emotions for when he inevitably left?
“Fine, you can stay at the house. Let me go get the key.”
When she came out of the apartment with the key, he was waiting for her in the hallway.
“Remember the last time we stood out here?”
Her entire body flushed with the memory. That kiss, she could still feel it as if it had happened only moments ago. Instead of answering him, she extended the key.
He gave her a knowing smile, then took the key, deliberately brushing her fingers with his. “So what all would you like done?”
“Whatever you can do to spruce up the curb appeal. It’s been on the market for quite a while, and I’d like to be rid of it.”
“Property taxes killing you?”
“Yeah.” And the memories every time she went out there.
Logan tossed the key up in the air a little, then caught it. “Well, I better get to work.” He tapped the edge of his hat, gave her a little bow. “Ma’am.” And then he turned and walked down the hall.
She had to admit she liked the old, flirty Logan better than the freaked-out version she’d seen the night before. It made her remember their one night together. Despite everything, it had been one of the best nights of her life. Even if Logan disappeared, she doubted her memories of that night or how she’d felt in his arms ever would.
She caught herself watching how very nicely those jeans encased his legs and butt as he walked away. And then remembering what those legs had felt like sliding along hers. Thank goodness he didn’t turn around and catch her ogling.
She swallowed against the dryness in her throat and walked slowly back into her office. She sank into her chair and thought about Logan walking across the land where she’d played as a child. He would eat in the kitchen where her mother had made her breakfast and dinner every day no matter how tired she was. He would mend the fences she’d helped her father mend whenever he was home. And he might even sleep in her bed, staring up at the ceiling she’d looked at while she imagined what life would be like if her father would just come home and stay.
But all too soon, she feared, Logan would walk out the front door and drive away just as her father had time and time again. Only Skyler was determined she would not mourn as her mother had.
No matter how many times she told herself that, it never felt like the truth.
Chapter Eleven
Logan sank onto the porch swing, a cold beer in hand, wiped out from everything he’d done that day. He’d been at work on the ranch for a week, and he was surprised how much he’d actually enjoyed it. He was normally a social guy, always up for a party, but something about the solitude for the past few days had seemed to be exactly what he needed.
As he worked, he’d run countless scenarios in his head of how the next few months of his life might unfold. He wondered if he could stay in Blue Falls until Skyler had the baby, maybe find work to help offer support while he wasn’t riding. But would he be able to go for good after seeing the baby, leaving Skyler during the difficult first months with a newborn?
He made decent money riding the circuit. Maybe he could stick with it but not ride as often, requiring less travel. Or would he be helping more by riding and offering Skyler monetary support? He feared she might be right about him and his inability to settle down. Though he’d enjoyed his time here on the ranch, was he willing to commit to this type of life long term, or would he start going stir-crazy?
He ran his hand over his face, pushing thoughts of the distant future away. Best to take things as they came, dealing with only what was right in front of him. For now at least, he was staying and helping as he should.
That’s not the only reason you’re staying.
No, it wasn’t. He’d found himself daydreaming about Skyler the woman just as often, more even, than Skyler the mother of his child.
He’d imagined a dozen different places around the ranch where he could steal kisses or make love to her, including the bed where he’d been sleeping. He knew it had been hers as a girl because of the light purple paint on the walls and a couple of teen-idol posters she’d left behind.
It was hard to imagine her as a little girl on this ranch, even more difficult to imagine her fitting in here now. She was always so well put together with perfect clothes, not a hair out of place. Well, he’d seen her once when her hair was wild and crazy, and he wouldn’t mind seeing it that way again. If she came out to the ranch and they managed to make it to her bed, she could scream her pleasure and no one would hear but him.
Logan squirmed as his body reacted to his memories of Skyler beneath him. What was it about this one woman that tugged at him so much? He’d given her several days to get used to him being in town, hoping she’d come out to the ranch. And not just to talk about the baby. He wanted to see her beautiful face, hear her voice, maybe even kiss those delectable lips again. Could he convince her that they were good together and that she shouldn’t fight their mutual attraction so hard? Only one way to find out.
He cleaned up, changed and headed into town. Not wanting to show up empty-handed, he stopped by a florist on the way and picked out a bouquet of pink and purple flowers. He couldn’t name a single one of them, but that didn’t matter. If they melted her resistance to him even a little, they would have done their job.
He stopped by Gino’s Pizza to pick up the second phase of his hastily put-together plan, made one more stop, then headed toward one of the new picnic shelters at the park. When he got everything set out on the table, he called Skyler. He’d begun to think his plan had been for naught when she finally answered.
“Hello?”
“Hey, it’s Logan.”
“Oh, hi. Is something wrong?”
“No, but I’d like to talk to you about the ranch repairs. Can you meet me down at the park?”
“We can just discuss it on the phone.”
“But I�
��m at the park now with a pizza that’s way too big for me to eat by myself.”
In the silence that followed, he thought he heard her sigh.
“Logan, I don’t think—”
“It’s a pizza, Skyler. You’ve got to eat sometime.”
Another sigh. “Fine. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
“Pizza’s better when it’s hot.”
She hung up, and he had to smile when she walked out the front door of the inn less than a minute later. He watched her during her entire walk down the hill. Damn, the woman was beautiful, like a flame-haired goddess. If he were a smarter man, he’d know he wasn’t worthy of her. He wondered if their baby would be a redhead like Skyler. If it was a girl, he’d have to stick around to beat the boys off with a very large stick.
When she reached the picnic shelter, she eyed the table. “I thought you said it was just pizza.”
“Oh, did I forget to mention flowers and chocolate cupcakes? Silly me.”
With a gentle shake of her head, she took a seat on the bench opposite him. “Well, I’d hate for food to go to waste.”
He smiled, glad she seemed to have relaxed somewhat and was willing to spend time with him. “I knew you were a practical woman.”
She pulled a slice of pizza from the box. “So, how are the repairs coming?”
“Good. You should come out and take a look.”
“No, thanks. I trust you.”
“Well, that doesn’t seem wise. I could have painted the house pink with giant green polka dots.”
She smiled, and it gave him a funny buzzy feeling in his chest.
“I think I would have heard about that,” she said before taking a bite of her pizza.
After a short lull, he asked, “How are you feeling?”
“Okay, more tired than I like. But at least the nausea has eased.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
Skyler met his gaze and for a moment looked as if she were trying to figure out the mysteries of the universe. Finally, she appeared to come to some sort of conclusion. “You’re already doing it, helping with the ranch. Getting rid of it will be a big help.”
When you’re gone and I’m alone.
She didn’t say the words, but he heard them all the same. The overwhelming urge to prove her wrong, to tell her that he wasn’t going to bail on her welled up in his chest, surprising him.
As they sat and talked about their day, Logan realized he couldn’t remember the last time he’d just sat and talked to a woman like this without every word he said working toward getting her into bed. Would he love to sleep with Skyler again? Hell, yes. But just talking about the mundane aspects of day-to-day life gave him an odd sense of happiness.
“I’m surprised you haven’t gotten bored out of your mind out there yet,” she said.
“Honestly, I’m surprised, too. I grew up on a ranch, in North Dakota, and I couldn’t wait to leave. It was so deadly dull that I thought I might go bonkers before I graduated high school.”
When Skyler didn’t say anything, he realized he’d just given her more evidence to fuel her belief that he would be gone the next time the wind changed directions. Maybe the best thing was to be honest, admit that he probably would go back to the circuit at some point. But he also had to make her believe he wasn’t going to totally disappear.
“But I’ve liked staying out at your ranch,” he continued. “It’s a nice break from the road.”
“Do you ever think you’ll stop traveling all the time?”
“Honestly, I don’t know. I think I have a few good riding years left. Bull riding is one of those things you’ve got to do when you’re young, when you can still bounce back from injuries.”
“Don’t you feel like you’re just rolling the dice every time you ride? I mean, it’s literally life-and-death.”
“Once you start, it’s hard to give it up. It’s like nothing else in the world. Man versus beast.”
“I guess I find real life exciting enough.”
“That is my real life. At least part of it. That doesn’t mean I’m not going to do right by you and the baby.”
The expression on Skyler’s face tugged at his heart. She looked as though she wanted to believe him but was afraid to.
“Don’t make any promises. Then you won’t break them.”
Part of him wanted to be angry. But he didn’t let it show. No matter what he said, she wasn’t going to fully believe it until he proved it with actions.
Skyler stayed a few more minutes, making small talk, but he could tell she wanted to leave.
“I need to get back to work,” she said.
“You haven’t had your dessert yet.”
She eyed the cupcake. He thought for a moment she would refuse to take it, but then she grabbed the one nearest her. “I’ll eat it later.”
He picked up the bouquet and extended it to her. “Don’t forget your flowers.”
She accepted them. “Thank you. Purple is my favorite color.” She sounded touched, as if it had been a long time since someone had given her flowers or done something as simple as guess her favorite color. He didn’t know whether that made him sad or angry. As he watched her walk away with the flowers held up to her nose, he thought maybe it was both.
* * *
SKYLER LEANED BACK from her computer and rubbed her neck. A morning of doing payroll and accounting had her wishing she could go for a massage. Her gaze drifted over to the bouquet of mixed flowers at the edge of her desk. She touched one of the soft petals and smiled. Gestures like the bouquet, the cupcakes and the pizza picnic were threatening to make her believe that Logan was a different sort of man than he was. But by his own admission, he loved the road and the excitement bull riding provided. And the way he’d talked about his early years on a ranch was yet another reason why she had to guard her heart against wishing for something that couldn’t be.
The sound of a siren drew her attention to the window. A fire engine raced up the road past the inn. The local fire fighters had been kept busy ever since the dry spell had become a full-fledged drought. Brush fires popped up all over the county, caused by everything from lightning to idiots who threw their cigarettes out their windows as they drove down the road.
Her phone rang, drawing her attention away from the window.
“Skyler Harrington.”
“Skyler, it’s Pete. The fire department has been called out to your ranch.”
Her chest felt tight as she thought of Logan out there by himself. “What happened?”
“Brush fire, but it’s close to the house.”
“Okay.” She hung up the phone and grabbed her purse. She raced to her car and drove the road she’d driven more times than she could count.
She saw the smoke a couple of miles before she reached the ranch. As she turned into the driveway, she spotted the firemen hosing down a line of flames a few yards from the house. Even though the danger was nearly past, her heart hammered against her ribs. As she hurried from the car, she searched for Logan and found him sitting at the back of the ambulance with an oxygen mask over his nose and mouth.
“Oh, my God,” she said as she crossed to him. “Are you okay?”
His eyes widened when he saw her. When he pulled the mask away, the paramedic gave him an exasperated look.
“I’m fine,” Logan said. He fixed his gaze on Skyler. When he glanced at her stomach with concern, her heart swelled. Here he was hooked up to oxygen and his thoughts were for their child. When his eyes met hers again, she couldn’t help wanting to believe that his concern was for her, as well.
“He inhaled a good bit of smoke,” the paramedic said.
Even though Logan sat right in front of Skyler, fear leaped inside her. “What happened?”
He shoo
k his head. “Not sure. I came back from town and it was already racing toward the house. Called 911, then beat it back the best I could. I’m afraid the little shed at the edge of the yard is toast.”
“Don’t worry about the shed. It was probably nothing more than a home for critters, anyway.” How could he think that a shed would matter when he could have been seriously injured or worse? A lump formed in her throat.
“Wasn’t for you, the house would have been a goner,” said Andrew Canton, one of the firemen.
Skyler kept her gaze on Logan as he watched the firemen put out the last of the blaze and start rolling up the hose on the pumper truck. Logan was drenched in sweat and covered in soot and dirt. She fought the urge to pull him into her arms and kiss him, both for what he’d done and the fact that he was safe.
“Is he okay?” she asked the paramedic, a middle-aged woman she didn’t know. “Does he need to go to the hospital?”
Logan shifted his gaze to Skyler and smiled, his teeth bright against the black soot coating his face. “Be careful. You’re going to make me think you care.”
“He’s fine,” the paramedic said. “Stubborn, but fine.”
Logan stepped away from the ambulance to allow the paramedic to stow her gear.
“What were you thinking?” Skyler asked.
“That I was saving your house.”
“No house is worth you getting killed.”
“No, but I didn’t get killed. You heard the lady. I’m fine.”
Then why was she shaking?
“Though I’m not so sure about you,” Logan said, turning serious again. “You look like you need to sit down.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and guided her to the edge of the porch. He didn’t let go until she was sitting with her feet dangling over what had once been her mother’s flowerbeds.
“You don’t need to get upset like this,” he said, his voice so gentle she almost leaned into him.
“Then don’t scare me.” Skyler looked up and met Logan’s eyes. “I’m glad you’re okay.”
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