“I bet Miranda would love that you’re taking part in the nativity.”
She hadn’t whispered, yet Logan felt the words were meant only for him. His face warming under her approval, he ducked his head and reached for his water glass. Thankfully, the pizzas arrived and he was given a reprieve as space was cleared for the food and the blessing spoken.
“You ever thought about opening up your farm to visitors?” Betty asked, reaching for a slice of pepperoni.
He shrugged and slid two slices of deep dish onto his plate. “To be honest, I never really gave it much thought. Miranda and I never planned for the place to be a petting zoo.”
“Sure would be a shame to waste the opportunity. There are plenty of kids in the area who would benefit from the experience of seeing the animals up close.”
“Betty is a retired schoolteacher,” Kate said from her seat farther down the table. “She’s always looking for the educational value of things.”
“Retired or not, I still think children should spend more time learning about things firsthand rather than reading about them on the Internet,” Betty protested.
“I can vouch for that.” John’s eyes lit with mischief as he lowered his glass and directed a questioning look at Betty. “Don’t you still have my calculator?”
“No, I do not,” Betty said above the hum of laughter following John’s remark. “Though if I had taken your calculator, you certainly wouldn’t get it back now, young man.”
She glowered, but her eyes twinkled merrily, and Logan laughed along with the rest. From there, the talk shifted to reminisces of school days and past fiascos involving the nativity, all of which helped make Logan feel at home among the close-knit group. Even Leesa had to wipe tears from her eyes from laughing so hard.
Snagging a clean napkin, he handed it to her and then watched as she used the corner to dab the moisture from her eyes. No black streaks from too much makeup. No red imprint on the rim of her glass or powdery blotches on her nose. She was a natural beauty. Witty and smart. Perfect.
He balked at the last idea, but even when he looked for reasons to withdraw the adjective, he was hard-pressed to find one. Did he even want to? Giving in to the urge, he studied her from the tips of her long, capable fingers—which currently twisted the paper from her straw round and round—upward to the curve of her chin. And her mouth.
His stomach muscles tightened. Enough biology. He’d do better to concentrate on her words.
“I knew I wanted to work with animals, but it was the town, the people, that made me want to settle in Bethlehem.”
“Well, we’re certainly glad you did,” a good-looking man near the end of the table said. He flashed a smile that caused Leesa to blush and drop her gaze.
Logan wracked his brain for a name. Brian. He’d heard it spoken more than once over dinner by the single women of the group. His fingers closed tightly around his glass as Brian’s gaze slid appreciatively over Leesa.
It wasn’t a predatory glance. Not openly flirtatious or rude. Why then did Logan feel the urge to smash something?
Pushing away his plate, he gathered up his keys and coat, and rose. “Well, it’s been a lot of fun. Kate, Pastor Mike, thank you so much for the pizza. I look forward to working with you both.”
They nodded, and after a round of good-byes, Logan returned his gaze to Leesa. She watched him with an almost disappointed gleam. He cleared his throat and motioned toward the door. “Would…uh…you like me to walk you to your car?”
“I’d be happy to do it if you’re not ready to go,” Brian offered, his face brightening hopefully.
To Logan’s relief, Leesa shook her head and stood. “Actually, I should probably be going, too. I’ve got an early day tomorrow. Thank you, though. Goodnight, everybody.”
More farewells followed, and then Logan was escorting her out, his hand placed protectively on her back. And it was protective, he realized as he stepped forward to open the door. It was as though she were a wild, undiscovered land and he was staking a claim.
The walk to her car was over far too quickly. The alarm chirped as she pressed the button on her key fob. She peered up at him, her face illuminated by the glow of her headlamps.
“Thanks for walking me out.”
“No problem.”
The keys jingled as she wiggled them between her fingers. “I had a lot of fun tonight.”
“Me, too.” He should let her go, but he didn’t want to. She looked cute snuggled inside her coat. He leaned one arm on top of the car. “So? Did you mean what you said in there about having an early day tomorrow?”
She smiled, crinkling her eyes at the corners, and shrugged. “No earlier than normal.”
“Then you’re not tired?”
She shook her head.
“Good.”
Grabbing her hand, Logan led her through the parking lot to his pickup, parked a few rows away. She almost bounced on the seat as he climbed in next to her and started the engine.
“Where are we going?”
He grinned. “You’ll see.”
The drive up the coast passed quickly with Leesa beside him. They stopped only once for coffee before winding to a broad park overlooking the ocean. When they arrived, Logan cut the lights but left the engine running so the cabin stayed warm, and tuned the radio to his favorite jazz station. He bumped the volume down a little then sat back to admire the moonlight glittering on the waves.
“Nice place.”
He took a sip from his cup. “Ever been here before?”
She nodded. “A couple of times, but never at night. It’s really gorgeous.”
Miranda had thought so, too, but for the first time, Logan didn’t want to dwell on his memories of her. He glanced sidelong at Leesa. “Mind if I ask you something?”
Something in his tone must have betrayed his intent. She nodded warily.
He flicked the plastic tab on his cup. “Why’d you leave Bangor? I get the feeling it wasn’t entirely by choice.”
Her gaze flitted toward the passenger window, but not before he once again witnessed the spark of anger and sadness that tinged her blue eyes. For several moments, she said nothing, her teeth working her bottom lip and her fingers worrying the rim on her cup.
Resisting the temptation to soothe her fidgeting fingers, he slid his coffee into the cup holder on the dashboard then used both hands to grasp the steering wheel. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.”
She shook her head. “I had a boyfriend in Bangor. A boy I met in college. We were both studying to be vets, so I thought we had a lot in common.”
“You thought?”
She gave a one-shouldered shrug she tried to make casual, but which only stirred the protective feelings inside him.
He sat up straighter. “What happened?”
“It didn’t work out.”
But she obviously wasn’t over him. Logan clenched his jaw. “How long did the two of you date?”
“Two years.”
“Long time.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Long enough for you to think the relationship was going somewhere?”
Her slender throat worked as she swallowed. “Yeah.”
Hurt for her squeezed his heart. He turned to face her. “Why’d he break it off?” Surely, that was what had happened for her to still be hung up on the guy.
“I broke up with him.”
Surprise rippled through him. “Why?”
She looked at him, and all trace of sorrow disappeared from her eyes. “He found someone else.”
“Someone you knew?” He was pressing, but he couldn’t help it. He leaned toward her while he waited for the answer.
“Yeah, it was someone I knew.”
She drew a sharp breath, and with the sound, Logan felt his stomach tense, saw his hand reach out as though to brace her.
“Her name is Emily, and she was…is…she’s my sister.”
Chapter 8
The drive to Logan’s farm took longer t
han usual, or so it seemed. The clock on Leesa’s dash testified otherwise. When at last she reached the winding road leading up to the stately manor, she hesitated, the clicking of her blinker the only sound cutting the frosty morning air.
Last night…
Her fingers tightened on the steering wheel. What propelled her to tell Logan about Rafe and Emily? Would things be awkward between them now that she’d bared her soul? Gratitude calmed the roiling in her stomach as she recalled the look that filled his eyes. Not pity—empathy. For the first time, she’d not been embarrassed confessing the details of her sad, sordid breakup. He even seemed to understand why she’d left Bangor and why she hadn’t been back since, despite her mother’s pleas.
A horn honked. Startled, Leesa checked her rearview and then turned up Logan’s driveway. Awkward or not, she didn’t regret telling him the truth. Maybe now that the reason for her coming was no longer hidden, Bethlehem would finally feel like home.
No activity ruffled the snowflakes falling gently over the barn and corral. Leesa gave a puzzled frown as she pulled up to the house and parked. Normally, Logan had the chores half done by the time she arrived. Today, it didn’t even look as though a trail had been broken through the fresh snow.
The front door swung open as she climbed from her car. Her breath caught. Devastatingly handsome in a pair of worn blue jeans and flannel shirt, Logan waited barefoot on the covered porch, a steaming cup of coffee in each hand.
“Morning!”
She hurried up the wide steps to him. “What are you doing out here without any shoes? And good morning.”
“I saw you coming up the drive.” He extended one of the cups. “Coffee?”
“Yes!” She peeled off her gloves, shoved them under her arm, and accepted the mug thankfully. Taking a sip, she savored the warm, hearty brew.
“Hope you like cream and sugar.”
“It’s perfect.” She grinned and shot a glance at his bare toes. “Playing hooky, or did you just forget to put on your boots?”
He ran his hand through his already tousled hair. “I overslept. I haven’t done that for”—he paused, and a frown clouded his eyes—“actually, I can’t remember the last time I overslept.”
He shoved open the door and moved aside for her to enter. The house was bigger than Leesa had imagined. A broad hall emptied off the foyer, and two rooms split off both sides. Logan led her past a formal dining room and parlor to an expansive kitchen adorned with custom black cabinets and granite countertops.
She admired the stonework. “Nice.”
Logan reached for the coffeepot and refilled his cup. “Miranda picked it out.” He motioned toward two stools at the counter and took one, Leesa the other. “The house was in pretty rough shape when we moved in, but she loved the location, and the barn was in good condition, which was the important thing.”
Leesa smiled. “Priorities, huh?”
He grinned back. “It was always about work with Miranda. One of the things I admired about her. You and she are a lot alike that way.”
He fumbled to a halt, and her gaze drifted to his thumb, which he ran absently over the rim of his cup.
Clearing her throat, she tore her eyes away and took another sip. “What about you? What did you do before you moved here?”
The tender look on his face soured. “Corporate law. I made a good living at it, enough to retire early if I wanted, but I didn’t love it. I never realized how miserable I was until I met Miranda. She had a passion for her job I found irresistible.”
He studied the contents of his cup. “This farm isn’t just about hanging onto her memory.” His gaze cut to Leesa and back. “I mean, it was at first…just a reason to get up every morning. Now, I really do love the work. The animals keep me in touch with myself, you know?”
She did know. Instinctively, she reached out to cover his hand. “What about what Betty said last night? You think you’d ever consider opening up your place to visitors? Not a tourist attraction,” she clarified quickly, “but an outdoor classroom-type thing might be nice. I bet Miranda would approve, considering she was a zoology professor.”
Logan’s brows dipped as he pondered the idea. “I never thought about it like that.”
She shrugged and removed her hand from his. “So? What’s the plan for today? More mucking?”
She faked a pained grimace and rubbed her lower back. Mucking the stalls had taken all day last time.
“Not today. Today, we’re loading the livestock and driving them into town, not that I think you’d mind another eight hours of mucking manure.” He laughed and shook his head then swiveled on the stool and stood. The move brought them mere inches from each other. She couldn’t help it. She absorbed the scent of his spicy aftershave in one long draught.
Delicious.
Stop. It.
She jerked her head forward, not looking at him as he rounded the counter and dragged the coffee carafe from the warmer.
“Help yourself. I’ll be back in a minute. Just gotta grab my shoes.”
“Thanks.”
Please…grab your shoes.
Something about the man in bare feet made her want to…she trimmed the thought before it could take root.
Despite the heat fanning her face, she reached for the carafe, filled her cup, and savored the coffee, black. With any luck, its stout flavor would bolster her flagging defenses.
Odd choice of words. Her cup clicked against the granite counter. She was cautious when it came to men. After what’d happened with Rafe and Emily, it was only wise. Yet she’d never thought herself defensive. When had that happened? And when, exactly, had Logan broken through?
“Ready?”
His deep voice, so vibrant and warm, sent a shiver down her back. Goodness, everything about the man elicited the same response—a mixture of instinct and anticipation that robbed her breath.
Arranging her features to be pleasant but not overly eager, she slipped off the stool and joined him by the door. “Ready. Thanks for the coffee.”
“I have travel mugs if you’d like more.”
He motioned toward the cupboard, but she shook her head before he could fetch one. “I’m good. Besides, I don’t have a lot of time. Got a dog coming into the clinic this afternoon for his shots.” She glanced at her watch for good measure.
Logan followed her gaze then seemed to shake himself alert. “Right. Sorry. I didn’t even think to ask.”
He grabbed his coat from the back of a chair and moved to the door, where he waited, his hand resting on the knob. On the floor next to him leaned a large—probably fifty pounds or more—bag of dog food. She lifted an eyebrow.
“It’s for the wolf. When he does show up, he can really eat. Shall we go?”
Once again, Leesa thought about warning Logan against the danger of allowing the wolf to become too comfortable. People in Maine worried about danger from wolves and also from hybrids, since they tended to look no different from their full-blooded counterparts. But was it really her place to question without first knowing the facts? Besides, she and Logan had only just moved away from icy indifference, and polite was much easier to take. Shrugging, she followed him outside.
Once the animals were loaded on the trailer, she got into her car and followed Logan as he drove into town. She still had over an hour before her appointment arrived, so she parked next to the church and hopped out to help him back the trailer into the temporary corral.
“Thanks.” He climbed from the truck, the door clanging shut behind him. Pulling a pair of leather work gloves from his pocket, he wrestled them on and motioned toward the trailer. “I can manage from here.”
The wind nipped at her cheeks, and she burrowed deeper into her coat. “Okay. I’ll see you tonight, then. At practice,” she clarified softly.
He nodded, took one step toward the trailer, paused, and turned to look at her. “Listen…I was thinking, about what you said.”
“What I said?” She shivered—from the cold. Not the ea
rnest look in his eyes.
“About the farm. I think you’re right. Miranda would approve of turning it into a classroom.”
His gloved hand drifted to rest on the gate, and though his posture remained casual, she sensed he needed the support. Her heart melted and instinct took over. Crossing to him, she wrapped him in a hug then rose up on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his cheek.
“You can always change your mind,” she whispered. “If it doesn’t feel right or…if you decide you’re not ready. People will understand.”
He sucked in a breath, and she felt him tense. “Thanks.”
Embarrassed, Leesa dropped her arms from his waist and retreated a step. “Okay. So…”
She lowered her gaze, heat fanning her cheeks. “See you tonight.”
“Leesa—”
Whirling, she escaped to her car and quickly drove away. What Logan would make of her impulse, she didn’t dare contemplate. She only knew what effect it had on her.
Anxiety birthed trembling in her limbs. Rafe’s betrayal had hurt her, but Logan? Somehow, she sensed he could completely destroy her heart.
Chapter 9
The next few days passed in a blur. Despite Leesa’s apprehension, no awkwardness lingered with Logan. In fact, he insisted she stop by the farm to help with the tours he’d arranged. She smiled with satisfaction as another group of children filtered through the barn.
Logan seemed pleased by the children’s excited squeals as they raced from pen to pen to burrow their fingers in the sheeps’ wooly coats. He stood with shoulders drawn back proudly as he explained each breed and the differences in their fur. When he finished, a man and his wife paused by the door to pump his hand.
“Can’t thank you enough for this,” the man said, a broad smile on his face.
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