A hush had fallen over the crowd, as if everyone in attendance was holding their breath. The pause, the frightening not knowing, went on forever before Skyler spotted movement. Did she really see his hand move? Had he lifted it on his own?
In the next moment, a couple of cowboys helped Logan to his feet. Skyler was about to cry in relief when she noticed an ambulance backing up to the end of the arena. And Logan looked mighty unsteady as he was helped into the vehicle.
“Oh, God, something’s wrong.”
Liam hurried up to the end of the bleachers. “They’re taking him to the hospital to run some tests.”
“But he’ll be okay.” Skyler didn’t want to think of the alternative. She’d never considered the reason her child might grow up with an absent father might be because Logan had died. Her heart seized up at the thought, and not just for her child’s sake.
Liam gave her a serious look. “He was out cold for a good bit, and he’s still addled. Hopefully it’s just a concussion, but they want to make sure.”
“I...”
Elissa stood. “We’ll take you.”
India stood, too, and didn’t let go of Skyler’s hands until she passed Skyler off to Liam, who helped her down the bleachers to the ground. Her legs shook as if she’d just run a marathon, but her friends were there to steady her.
Skyler’s gaze shot to the ambulance as it left the fairgrounds.
Please, God, let him be okay. I promise not to be so mean to him anymore.
By the time Elissa pulled in at the hospital, Logan was already being rolled inside on a stretcher. Skyler hurried into the E.R., Elissa and India close on her heels, but Logan had already been taken to an examining room. Skyler wanted to march back through the doors that separated the waiting area from where they treated patients, but she knew the hospital staff wouldn’t allow it. Instead, she continued to stand where she’d stopped, staring at those doors, praying that this was all a precaution and Logan would be fine.
India placed her hand on Skyler’s shoulder. “Let’s sit down. We probably won’t know anything for a bit.”
Skyler shook her head. “I can’t sit down.”
“Can I help you ladies with something?” The nurse on duty at the desk was someone Skyler didn’t know, a feat in a town as small as Blue Falls.
Skyler pointed toward the double doors to the right of the desk. “The guy they just brought in, is he okay?”
“Are you family?”
Skyler swallowed. “No.” When the nurse looked as if she was going to say something about not being able to tell Skyler anything because of privacy laws, Skyler placed her hand on her stomach. “But we’re going to have a baby.”
The nurse’s expression softened a bit. “They’re checking him out. That’s all I can say.”
Skyler felt like pacing, but she was afraid to move from where she’d stationed herself. As the minutes ticked by, her nerves stretched to a point where she’d swear she could feel them beginning to fray.
Elissa came to stand next to her. “When did you start falling in love with him?”
Skyler’s instinct was to deny it, but she had the sudden fear that if she did, he wouldn’t make it. It didn’t matter that she’d seen him awake and walking before he’d been brought here. Those doors in front of her felt like the gateway to doom. Not so long ago Skyler had been beyond them, worried about her baby. But that wasn’t the memory that haunted her now. Her mother had been taken through those doors, and Skyler hadn’t been here to will her to live. She wasn’t going to make that mistake again.
“I don’t know. I’m not even sure if that’s what I feel. All I know is that right now the only thing I want is for him to be okay.” And she needed to see the proof of it with her own eyes.
She felt near collapse when she finally saw movement beyond the doors. She was halfway to them when Chloe stepped through.
“I heard you were out here,” Chloe said as she put her hands in the pockets of her white lab coat.
“Is Logan okay?”
“He knocked his head pretty good, and he’s still woozy. But we did tests, and there doesn’t appear to be any permanent damage.”
“Can I see him?” The words were out of Skyler’s mouth before she realized she was speaking.
Chloe glanced at the nurse, who was busy on the phone. “Come on.”
Skyler’s heart beat faster with each step. She had to remind herself to breathe, that Chloe had said he was fine.
“I’m okay,” Logan said before they reached the room he was in.
“Sir, you shouldn’t drive or be alone tonight.”
Skyler reached the opening in a curtain that revealed Logan sitting on the side of an examination table. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, and her breath caught involuntarily at the sight of all that wonderful flesh. She remembered what it had felt like under her hands, and the desire to touch it again washed over her.
“I’ve been hurt worse than this before. I don’t need—”
“Stop arguing,” Skyler said, drawing his attention. She shifted her gaze toward the nurse who’d been going toe-to-toe with Logan. “I’ll make sure he does what he’s supposed to.”
The nurse nodded and left the examination area. With a gentle squeeze on Skyler’s shoulder, Chloe slipped away, too, leaving Skyler alone with Logan.
“Couldn’t stand to stay away from me while I was half-dressed, huh?” Logan gave her a mischievous grin.
Skyler walked forward, grabbed his shirt and shoved it against his chest. “Get dressed.”
Logan didn’t argue, but he took his sweet time buttoning his shirt. She took a step back to give him some room, though what she really wanted to do was watch his every movement.
“Why are you here?” he finally asked.
“I came to make sure you hadn’t knocked your brain loose. After hearing your conversation with the nurse, I’m not sure you didn’t. Maybe they should keep you in the hospital overnight.”
“I’m okay. I don’t know why everyone is making such a big deal out of it.” He stood and immediately had to grab the edge of the bed to steady himself.
Skyler crossed the space to him and placed her hand against his chest, as if she could keep him from toppling forward. Even through his shirt, the warmth of him soaked into her hand and spilled through the rest of her body. “That’s why.”
His gaze caught hers, and an electricity passed between them. She half expected Logan to lower his lips to hers, and she knew she wouldn’t push him away.
“So are you going to make me stand here all night?” he asked.
It took her a moment longer to finally force her feet to take a step back. “No, we’ll go back to the inn.”
“To your apartment.”
It wasn’t a question, but she nodded, anyway. She took his hand and placed it on her shoulder as she turned to walk out of the exam room. Logan remained remarkably quiet until they reached her apartment.
“You going to be okay?” Elissa asked Skyler as they watched Logan sink onto the couch.
“Yeah.”
Elissa gave her a knowing smile, but Skyler chose to ignore it. Logan was here so she could make sure he was okay and didn’t hurt himself further, not because she was planning to seduce him. As soon as she had the thought, her entire body heated with the idea of doing exactly that. Instead, she waved Elissa off and shut the door.
When she turned back toward her living room and saw Logan watching her, she wondered what she’d gotten herself into.
“Why did you come to the hospital?” he asked.
“I told you.”
“Would you have done the same if one of the other riders had been tossed?”
“No, I don’t know them.” She took a breath. “And none of them is the father of my child.”
&nbs
p; “Is that the only reason?”
“What do you want me to say, Logan?”
“The truth.”
She threw her hands up and walked toward him. “What, you want me to say that you scared me half to death? That the longer you lay there in the dirt, the more I prayed that you’d be okay?”
Logan’s eyes widened in surprise. He obviously hadn’t expected the truth he’d asked for.
Her exhaustion finally caught up with her, and she sank onto the couch beside him. “All I could think was how horrible I’d been to you and how if you died, I wouldn’t get the chance to apologize.”
Logan took her hand in his, and she didn’t have the strength to pull away. She didn’t want to, because she liked the feel of his ever-present warmth, his rough, manly hand encircling hers. “It wasn’t the first time I’ve been thrown, and it most likely won’t be the last.”
She looked up into his eyes. “When you were lying there, not moving, you looked dead. I don’t think I’ve ever been so scared in my life.”
“Why? You don’t even like me.”
“That’s not true.” Afraid she’d revealed more than she was ready to admit, she broke eye contact.
Logan didn’t let her get away with it, though. He lifted her chin so that she faced him again. “Have you changed your mind about me?”
“I don’t know. Maybe.”
He smiled, and she felt that smile sizzling in every nerve ending in her body. Some part of her mind that automatically shifted into self-protection mode urged her to pull away, reminding her that she was exposing herself to potential hurt. She ignored it and lifted her hand to his cheek.
Logan’s smile melted away to be replaced with a hungry look that made her heart skip a beat, maybe two. She was too busy looking into his eyes to count. It was different from how he’d looked at her the night they’d spent together. And as impossible as it ought to be, she wanted him now more than she had that hormone-driven night.
She rubbed her thumb along his lips and heard the catch in his breath.
“I want to kiss you,” he said, his voice rough and deep.
Once again she stood at the edge of a cliff, unable to even see what lay below. For the first time in her life, she wanted to jump.
“I’m not stopping you,” she said.
Logan pulled her to him and captured her lips in a kiss so gentle and yet so thorough that Skyler’s heart opened its door and invited Logan in.
Chapter Fifteen
Logan wrapped his arms around Skyler and pulled her closer. When her hands ran up his back, he deepened the kiss. The feel of her curves, the fruity scent of her assaulted his senses. He could take her here on this couch, wanted to, but she deserved better than that. Better than what he’d given her that night in the hotel. So he broke the kiss.
“Is something wrong?” The worry in Skyler’s voice made his heart feel funny, as if it wasn’t sure whether to stop beating or pick up the pace.
“No,” he said as he caressed her cheek. “Everything’s fine.”
Doubt passed over her face, and he could feel her pulling away. He cupped the back of her head and planted a soft kiss on her lips. “I don’t want to take advantage of you.”
“You’re the one who’s hurt. Maybe I’m the one taking advantage of you.”
He leaned back. “Hmm, I might like that.”
Her cheeks pinkened, and she lowered her gaze as if she couldn’t believe what she’d said. Deciding to give her an out, he said, “I need to get a glass of water. I feel like I swallowed half the arena.” He started to stand, but she placed her hand on his leg.
“I’ll get it.”
He knew she was tired and he wanted to spare her any extra effort, but he got the sense she needed the space. He let her go but couldn’t take his eyes off her.
The moment Skyler had touched his face, something had shifted deep inside Logan. It was a simple gesture and yet it was intimate, more so than anything he’d ever experienced. He’d always hated feeling trapped or confined for too long, but at the moment he wanted nothing more than to stay in this apartment with her until they were both so physically sated that it would take a week to recover.
But it wasn’t just physical. He cared about her, and the look of worry on her face at the hospital had stunned him more than his contact with the ground after being thrown from the bull.
When she returned with the water, she also brought a bowl of pretzels and another of strawberries. “Would you like a sandwich? Or I could cook something.”
“No.” He extended his hand. “I want you to sit down and rest.”
She hesitated for a moment before taking his hand and allowing him to guide her to his side. He took a long drink of water before leaning back and wrapping his arm around her shoulders. She stiffened for a moment before relaxing. She grabbed the TV remote from the couch cushion beside her and turned on the television.
It didn’t take long for her to start yawning. Without saying anything, he tucked her against his side. Skyler didn’t say anything either, but it was enough that she was allowing his touch. That she hadn’t protested as she would have not so long ago. He didn’t know what was happening with him and his feelings, but for tonight he wasn’t going to examine any of it too closely.
He took the remote from her relaxed fingers a moment after she fell asleep. Not wanting to wake her, he gradually lowered the volume on the TV before clicking it off. Free from thoughts of all the reasons why she shouldn’t, Skyler snuggled closer to him. He ran his hand over her soft hair. He itched to gather her in his arms and carry her to bed, but he didn’t want to disturb her.
But the longer he sat, the more his back began to ache. He thought about his rides for the past couple of months. Fear shot through him that he was losing his touch, that his days of riding were slipping away. What the hell was he going to do after that? He looked at the woman nestled next to him and wondered what part she would play in his life in the months and years ahead. He let himself imagine settling down, getting a job like most normal people. Anxiety knotted his muscles, and he had to force himself not to get up to pace it away.
But the idea of leaving Skyler and their baby behind didn’t sit well either. He had to find some sort of compromise, but the more he tried to figure one out, the more his head began to throb. He rested his head against the back of the couch. Gradually his racing thoughts started to slow, eventually to the point where they were hard to form and felt as if they were swimming through molasses. Some new thought tried to take shape but drifted off into nothing as he ceased to think.
“Logan!”
Pain shot through his head as he came awake. He lifted his palm to his forehead as he tried to remember where he was and why his head hurt so damn much. Had he gotten drunk?
“Logan, are you okay?”
He blinked a couple of times and attempted to identify who was talking to him. It clicked as Skyler’s face came into focus.
“Say something,” she said.
“Why did you wake me up?”
“Because...” She looked at a loss for words. “Aren’t you supposed to stay awake?”
He lifted his hand to her face. “Stop worrying. I promise, I’m fine. Nothing worse than a headache.”
“You’re not just saying that?”
He smiled. “What, and miss the opportunity to have you cater to my every whim?”
She sighed in exasperation. “Are you ever serious?”
One of his typical smartass comments was on his lips, but he didn’t let the words form. “When the situation calls for it.”
The look on her face told him she didn’t believe him. She pulled away and stood. “I’ll be right back.”
When she returned a couple of minutes later, she held a quilt, sheet and pillow in her arms. He stood and
took them from her, then tossed them on the couch.
“I need to make up the couch so you can actually lie down to sleep,” she said.
“I don’t want to sleep on the couch.”
“Oh, okay. I guess it does make more sense for you to sleep in the bed. You’re taller, and the couch probably wouldn’t be comfortable.”
“I don’t want you to sleep on the couch either.”
Her eyes met his, and her mouth fell open a little. Before she could think of a reason to say no, he closed the space between them and captured her mouth with his. Need consumed him as he pulled her close. She felt so good, so right pressed next to his body, her softness contrasting with his hardness. He broke the kiss and looked down at her.
“If you don’t want this, I’ll stop. I’ll sleep on the couch, or I’ll go back to the ranch.”
Skyler gripped the front of his shirt. “You’re not leaving.” She looked up at him, and it was almost as if he could see a storm roiling in her eyes. Her hand slid down his chest, then captured his hand. With a look of yearning that mirrored how he felt, she led him toward her bedroom.
She stopped beside the bed and looked up at him. “I’m scared.”
He didn’t have to ask why. “I won’t hurt you.”
Even in the dim light he could see the battle inside her, one side telling her not to trust his words and the other wanting to believe.
She reached up and started unbuttoning his shirt. “Elissa, India and I once had a conversation about which parts of the male body attracted us most. Care to guess what my answer was.”
“Smile.” As if to illustrate, he smiled at her.
“You do have a nice smile.” She finished unbuttoning his shirt and spread it wide, pushing it halfway down his arms. Then she ran her hands up his chest and across his biceps. “But show me a great chest and arms, and I’m a goner.”
“Do I measure up?”
This time she smiled. “Oh, yeah.”
He sucked in a breath when she lowered her mouth to one of his nipples. He tangled his fingers in her hair and brought her mouth to his.
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