Amelia stood and came to the counter to sit. “Logan?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you.”
He frowned. “For?”
“Being here.”
Setting the butter down, he came around and kissed her. He wanted to tell her he loved her, but he didn’t think now was the time. She was too emotionally drained, and he didn’t want to add to her burden.
“Where else would I be?” he asked.
She closed her eyes and turned her cheek to nuzzle his hand. “I don’t know, but I’m glad you’re here.”
“Me, too.”
Chapter Forty-Six
Logan eased out of bed Saturday morning, taking pains to not disturb Amelia. She’d finally settled into a deep sleep after spending most of the night either tossing and turning or having nightmares. He covered her up and quietly made his way into the bathroom.
After a long hot shower, he dressed and went to the kitchen. He’d just finished his first cup of coffee when a light knock sounded on the door. When he opened it to find John and Ben, he wasn’t surprised. Noah’s presence, however, was unexpected.
“Come in. She’s still asleep,” he told them in a low voice as he stood back. “You can put your coats on the barstool here.”
“How is she?” Ben asked.
Logan shook his head. “Quiet. Hurting. Want some coffee?”
The men accepted cups, and Noah took some juice. They sat down at the small kitchen table, their silence awkward. John broke it.
“Noah was worried. He needed to come see her. I hope that’s okay.”
Logan raised an eyebrow, knowing very well that whether it was okay or not, her brothers would have shown up. But to Noah, he said, “That’s fine. I hear you had an unpleasant experience yesterday. I’m sorry.”
The gaze the young boy leveled on him was older than it should be, and Logan understood Sarah’s concern a little better. “You know about that?”
“I do. Your grandmother mentioned it.”
Noah dropped his eyes to his juice, which he’d barely touched. “She worries.”
“Women do,” Ben said. “It’s our job to reassure them.” He winked at his nephew, and a tiny smile appeared on the boy’s face.
“Men worry, too,” Noah countered. The smile faded as he looked toward the closed bedroom door. “I need to make sure he isn’t still here, isn’t still around her. Moira said that could happen. I’m praying the son of a bitch got sucked straight down to hell. It’s what he deserves.”
Logan saw John’s mouth tighten, and he laid his hand on his son’s neck. “Noah, language.”
Noah turned to his father. “It’s the truth, Dad. You know it is. You said as much last night.”
“Yeah, but I’m not ten years old. Wait until you’re at least sixteen before you start swearing. And for goodness’ sake, don’t do it in front of your mother.” John tousled his hair and pulled him into a headlock.
“Yes, sir.” Noah rolled his eyes, but he didn’t try to pull away.
A soft click sounded and Logan turned to see Amelia coming out of the bedroom. “Hey.” She was still pale, but she looked a little less haunted than she had the night before. She had gotten dressed in her jeans and one of his T-shirts.
“Hey, yourself.” She held her arms open for Noah, who met her halfway across the room. Though he was almost as tall as she was, he rested his head on her shoulder and let her cradle him close. “Thank you for sending Daddy down yesterday. Are you okay?” She kissed his forehead and moved him back so that she could see his face.
He nodded. “Are you?”
She brushed his hair back, her smile sad. “I will be, eventually.”
Logan stood and let her take his chair. He got a fresh mug down and filled it, then added just the right amount of cream. She nodded at him as she accepted it.
“So what brings the three of you here so early?”
“Noah was worried,” John told her. He held his hand out, and she took it without hesitation. “So were we. I don’t even know where to begin, Pip. I’m just glad you’re safe.”
“Ditto,” Ben added. “What the hell happened?”
“She might not want to talk about it,” John scolded. “Ignore him if you don’t.”
“I don’t. Not right this minute, while the best listener in the family besides Daddy is in the room.” She looked pointedly at Noah, whose ears flushed. “Do you have any questions though, sweetie?”
He shook his head. “Not really. I just needed to see you.” From the relief on the boy’s face, Logan assumed he’d seen no sign of Roger.
“What are you planning to do today?” Ben asked.
She glanced over her shoulder at Logan. “I have to go to the farm. What do you have planned?”
He set his mug down and crossed his arms. “Guess.”
“I don’t want to be a bother, Logan.”
If the way her cheeks flushed was any indication, his scowl was as dark as he thought it was. “I could just… Is she always like this?” he asked Ben and John, who were struggling to hide their smiles.
“More than she’s not,” Ben told him. He stood up. “We’re third wheels right now. We’ll go pick up the womenfolk and young ’uns and meet you at the farm.”
“What in the world did you just say, Benjamin Wayne?” Amelia slapped at his leg as he went past. “Wait until I tell Ainsley and Zanny. ‘Womenfolk,’ my big toe.” Her words were light, but her face still had a drawn, pinched look, and Logan could see she was struggling.
He gave her a hug when she got up. “I love you, kiddo.”
She gave him a tiny smile. “I love you, too, Trouble. We’ll be along shortly.”
Once they were gone, Logan pulled her into his arms. “What am I doing today… really? I figured I’d do laundry, maybe get a haircut. Then I thought I’d hit the bars, go bowling, watch a movie. What am I going to do with you?” he teased, half-exasperated.
Amelia remained solemn. “I’m starting to think I’m more bother to you than I’m worth.”
Logan stared at her, dumbfounded. His arms dropped, and she took a couple of steps away. “How can you say that?”
She shrugged and crossed her arms over her chest. “Maybe you would have been better off with Rachel.”
He couldn’t believe it. She was serious.
“I don’t even know where to… Amelia, I am with the sister I want to be with. Rachel’s a nice enough person, don’t get me wrong, but she isn’t you. Please tell me this isn’t about those stupid words you heard back in October. I thought we’d moved past that.”
“We have. I don’t know. It’s just that, well, I know this is more than what you bargained for.”
Logan closed the distance between them and put his hands on her shoulders. “I love you, damn it. Yeah, this is all more than what I bargained for. I didn’t expect to fall in love when I moved here. I never expected that, not for the rest of my life. But that doesn’t mean I’m not happy. The rest of it? It’s just a run of lousy bad luck.”
She was speechless. Logan watched as she tilted her head, and a tear rolled slowly down her cheek. “You love me?” she whispered.
“Yeah, I do.”
“Logan…”
He kissed her, stopping her words. The kiss was soft, careful, and loving. “I love you,” he told her again as he lifted his head. “I wasn’t going to tell you until you’d had a chance to regroup, but I’ll be damned if I let you think you’re bothering me.”
“When did you—how long have you known?”
“Since yesterday. I knew something was wrong when you didn’t show up. And as my mind went through all the things that could have happened, I realized I might never see you again. I couldn’t stand that idea, and that’s when I knew. I love you.”
/> She let out a shuddering breath. “I don’t know what to say. I never expected you to feel like that.”
Remembering Emma’s negative reaction to Archer’s first declaration of love, Logan gave an internal grimace. He hoped it wasn’t a family trait. “At least tell me the news isn’t unwelcome.”
“Oh, no. It’s most definitely welcome news.” Her smile was tremulous as she reached up to touch his cheeks. “You stubborn, ornery man. I can’t believe you love me.”
“I’ll just have to keep telling you, then.”
“Please do.” She kissed him. “I love you back, you know. God help you.”
Chapter Forty-Seven
After they’d shared their feelings, Amelia led Logan into the bedroom where they’d made love. As a result, they were late getting to the farmhouse.
When they pulled up in the driveway, Amelia wasn’t surprised to see the line of vehicles—John and Zanny, Emma and Archer, Ben and Ainsley… even Jack and Gilly, Michelle, and Rick. The entire immediate family seemed to be present, at least if their cars were any indication.
She clasped Logan’s hand tightly as they went up the walk. “I feel a bit like I’m going to a funeral.”
“I can understand that. Do you need a few minutes?”
The kids’ happy yells came from the direction of the barn, and she glanced toward the large structure across the meadow. She was tempted to join them, but she resisted. “No. Let’s get this over with.”
Emma met them at the door with a hug. “Finally. What took you so long?”
“We aren’t that late,” Amelia said, her cheeks heating.
“Are you blushing? Oh, for heaven’s sake,” Emma said, rolling her eyes. “You’re worse than Archer and me, and we’re newlyweds.” Her smile faded. “How are you, really?”
“I’m okay,” Amelia answered as she shrugged out of her coat. “Is everyone here?”
“Yes. Nonny and Eli are driving up, too. Should be here shortly. Is that all right?”
“It will have to be.”
Rachel and Owen came down the hall then, and Rachel ran to embrace her.
“Oh, my God, Pip, I’m so happy to see you. I was so worried.”
The tears that were choking her sister’s voice astonished Amelia. Of all her siblings, Rachel was the calmest, the least emotionally volatile. “Rach, I’m okay. I promise.”
“I don’t believe you. God, Pip, I should have been there. One of us should have been there.”
“For heaven’s sake, that’s ridiculous.” Amelia pulled Rachel’s arms down from around her neck. “Did you know he had a gun? He probably figured he’d use the bat on me first, then the gun. But if anyone else had been there, he would have used the gun first. I know that. I thank God none of you were there. There’s no way I could have drawn first.”
Rachel stared at her, her eyes wet with unshed tears. When she blinked, they fell, and Amelia used her thumbs to wipe the wetness away. “I couldn’t have lived with myself if he had hurt one of you all. I kept waking up last night with nightmares about just that very thing.”
Rachel looked over her shoulder at Logan. “You think she’s right?”
He nodded. “He wouldn’t have been able to subdue more than one person with just the bat. And I doubt he was there to inflict the least amount of harm possible, so yeah. I think if anyone had been with her, he would have shot first.”
Amelia saw that everyone else had gathered around the dining room door. Rick chimed in, seconding Logan’s opinion.
“From what we’ve been able to put together, he was at a bar before he showed up at Pip’s. He was running his mouth off pretty good, and he wasn’t subtle about what he’d planned. No one believed he’d actually do it, though. They thought he was just blowing smoke.”
“I just hate that you had to be the one to wipe him off the planet, Pip.” Rachel hugged her again, then stepped back and drew her composure around her like an invisible cloak.
Since the kids were out of the house, Amelia spoke freely. “Look, I took a man’s life. That’s not an action I ever thought I’d have to take. I hate that it happened, and I didn’t do it lightly. But while we were talking last night, Logan said something to me that resonated. He asked me how I would feel about Roger’s death if Lori had been the one to pull the trigger, if she’d taken his life to protect her own.” She had to stop and clear her throat. “And the simple answer is that I’d be proud of her for finally standing up to the bastard.” She looked at Logan, who squeezed her hand.
He kept his eyes on hers as he finished the tale. “And I asked her why her life was less important than Lori’s. That’s when the lightbulb went off. Amelia had every right to defend herself, just the same as anyone who was being threatened. No matter what happens, she did what she had to do. And yeah, it’s a damned shame she had to kill him. But at the same time, he’s gone. He’ll never bother her again, he’ll never hurt another person again. And it is over.”
“As long as law enforcement agrees, it is,” she concurred. “And I guess we’ll find out soon enough if that’s the case.”
They went in then and sat down since breakfast was ready. Amelia didn’t have much of an appetite, but she made an effort. As she looked around the table, she could see the determination on her family’s faces. Yes, they were upset, but more than that, they were rallying together. That they were so strongly united behind her touched her deep inside. It wasn’t that she had expected anything less than their full support, but knowing she had it and seeing it in action were two different things.
“What are you thinking?” Logan murmured from beside her.
“That despite what happened last night, I’m blessed in so many ways I can’t begin to count them.”
Chapter Forty-Eight
By the time the Tuesday before Logan’s birthday came around, the family was optimistic that no charges would be filed against Amelia. The last two and a half weeks hadn’t been easy, and Logan and Amelia had hit some rough spots. They’d even had their first fight, but they’d quickly resolved the minor issue, and Logan felt they were stronger for having had it.
He and Amelia had met a few times with Sawyer Evans to go over the case. They were meeting again today at the state-police post, and Sawyer told them to expect a determination from the prosecutor any day.
“But you don’t think he’ll press charges?” Logan asked, needing the reassurance.
“I can’t promise he won’t, but that’s the direction he’s leaning. The only thing holding him back is Lori’s involvement. Until one of us talks to her, he can’t really close things out.”
“Yeah, well, maybe she’ll take time away from her fucking honeymoon to talk about her husband’s death so she can clear her best friend,” Logan ground out. “Though I’d hate to interfere with her bliss.”
The state police had finally tracked Lori down two days after the shooting. She’d gone to Florida with Trace, and from what she’d told her parents, she had no desire to or intention of returning to Kentucky. Inclement weather had set in with two back-to-back systems dropping mountains of snow on the region, and so far, the investigators had been kept too busy with local concerns to go after Lori to get her statement.
Even pleas from her parents had no effect on her resolution to stay away from Kentucky, and word had made it back to Hazard three days ago that she and Trace had gotten married. Her parents had been as shocked as anyone.
“Logan…” Amelia chided.
“What? It’s the truth. She didn’t waste any time. I’m starting to think your mom and Emma were on to something. And I don’t care if it does get her in trouble. I can understand the prosecutor’s hesitancy. I know you weren’t involved,” he hurried to clarify when she scowled at him. “But Lori? You have to admit this worked out just a little too well for her.”
She
sighed. “I guess. Though if you knew Lori, it would make more sense. I don’t think she has the ability to be on her own.”
“So you think she’s just the kind of woman who can’t live without a man?” Sawyer asked, his tone not derisive, but serious. “Whose entire self-worth is wrapped up in what he thinks of her?”
“Exactly. I don’t think it’s anything more nefarious than that. And maybe she really has blamed me for Jimmy’s death all these years, and she sees this delay as a way of paying me back. I don’t know. I’m sick of thinking about it, sick of dealing with it. I’m all thought out, to be honest.”
“Well, as long as this next storm coming in is just rain like they’re predicting, I’ll be on a plane headed south. You aren’t the only one who wants this settled. If she did manipulate the situation to favor herself, she’ll answer for that if the law has anything to say about it.” Sawyer straightened away from the table. “For what it’s worth, I’m convinced you acted solely out of self-defense, and I’ll fight to make sure things go the way they should.”
“Thank you. I hope you’re right,” Amelia told him with a smile.
Logan wasn’t too jealous as Sawyer smiled back when they shook hands, as she’d told him she thought the man might just be a match for Rachel. If that turned out to be the case, it would be an interesting pairing, as the few times Sawyer had interacted with Rachel, the woman had snubbed up cold to him. When Amelia had asked her about it, she’d rolled her eyes.
“He could arrest you and throw you in jail. Besides, have you seen how serious he is all the time? He makes Logan look lively in comparison. No offense, Logan.”
“None taken,” Logan had assured her as he’d tried to disguise his amusement.
Now, as they headed for the bakery beside Emma’s shop to have lunch, he clasped Amelia’s hand with his. “Better?”
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