Say You'll Marry Me (Welcome to Redemption #10)

by Stacey Joy Netzel

  He rubbed his hands over his face again, then sat forward to focus on the barn, and the reduced size herd of cattle in the field beyond. Oh, he’d be lying if he said Joy’s idea wasn’t tempting—especially considering she hadn’t so much as blinked when he said the dollar amount it would take to save the farm. But taking charity money from her was not something he was willing to do even with the sheriff’s sale looming just under two weeks away.

  Hell, even Al had offered to buy the farm last spring and lease it back to Logan at a rock-bottom price, but his pride viewed that as charity, too. Especially after finding out that the Dolinski’s had loaned his father thousands of dollars over the years, and he’d never paid back a cent.

  A picture of his father in the hospital bed flashed in Logan’s mind, but he ruthlessly shoved it away. Even the most sacred of deathbed promises weren’t worth that price.

  Besides, if he took the cash and kept the farm, word would get out around town. The juiciest gossip always did in Redemption. Only, it wouldn’t take long for the ‘telephone’ game to change the story from the truth, to him using Joy so he could get his hands on her money. There were a few select people in town who loved to disparage his family.

  No way in hell he’d go down that road. He’d work the land as long as possible under the Walsh name, and after the bank took over, he was outta here, just like his brother. Getting too close to Joy would be dangerous after they’d practically combusted with one kiss.

  One damn hot—

  No. He couldn’t jeopardize his chance to make a clean break when the time came to leave. Staying in town after losing the farm wasn’t a choice he would consider after all the years of struggle ended in the ultimate failure.

  As he stared out toward the barn, words began to string together in his head. He reached blindly for his guitar as the song poured out of him as if written ages ago. He played the melody once all the way through, then scribbled everything down before he lost any of the words.

  With the final sentence, he stared at the dark lead etched into the yellow paper, heart thudding hard in his chest.

  His fingers clenched into a fist, crushing the top pages on the pad into a tight ball. He shot to his feet, and stashed everything inside the house before ghosts of the past chased his ass back outside to work.

  *

  Saturday night at Rowdy’s looked like it was…well, rowdy. Crowded parking lot meant crowded bar.

  Good.

  He didn’t drink often, but after the day he’d had, he’d gladly responded to Charlie Russell’s last minute let’s-have-a-night-out text. He didn’t dwell on his surprise at being included in the invite, just showered, dressed, and headed out. Anything to get his mind off a certain redhead and that frickin’ hot mess in the barn. Because unloading and stacking nearly three hundred bales of hay by himself hadn’t done shit.

  Logan pushed inside and instantly spotted the usual crowd near the darts. Wes Carter and Charlie—brothers-in-law since spring—looked to be teamed up against Nate Cooper and Drew Porter. Nearby, a couple tables were pulled together with the rest of the guys; Caleb, Chase, Grant, Rick, and Matt.

  Mike Donovan was missing; probably working. Not that they were friends now, but they used to hang out in grade school until life got in the way. By chance, they’d caught up over a beer together a couple weeks back, and the guy was all right. He’d have chatted with Mike tonight.

  Wes happened to notice Logan’s arrival and motioned him over. He detoured to the bar for a pitcher first. Carter hadn’t grown up in Redemption like most of them, but he fit right in since meeting and marrying Tara. He’d heard the guy was a financial whiz. Too bad Logan didn’t have any spare cash lying around to have him play with.

  There was a chorus of greetings when he arrived with the full pitcher, and he topped off a few glasses before pouring one for himself.

  Drew glanced over from where he was waiting his turn at darts. “Wow, Walsh. It’s been a while.”

  “Been busy.” He shrugged, skimming his gaze around the busy bar as he took a drink. “So what’s the deal?”

  “The women all went to some jewelry party, so Charlie rounded everyone up for beer and darts.”

  “Ah, got it. How have you been?”

  “Good. Lindy’s been a little hormonal lately, but only a couple more months to go, thank God.”

  Logan grinned. “When’s the baby due?”

  “November fourth. Some days it feels like it’ll never get here, and others I don’t know where the time’s gone.”

  “I know the feeling.”

  The whole town knew about the looming foreclosure, and Drew gave him a look of commiseration as Charlie hollered, “Dude, it’s your turn.”

  “Where’s Donovan?” he asked as Porter moved into position to throw his darts.

  The first dart went wide, and Charlie laughed while Nate hollered at his teammate. Charlie thumped Logan on the back. “Good job—distract him again.”

  Apparently, Drew still harbored resentment for the kiss Mike had laid on Lindy at the Valentine’s Day party to make Bernie Mitchell jealous.

  “Mike’s doing the family thing tonight,” Chase chimed in. “Bernie invited him and Maddie up to Sturgeon Bay for the weekend.”

  Donovan had told him about his little girl, and mentioned the trouble he’d had convincing his former high school flame to give him a second chance. Looked like he’d finally succeeded.

  The guys finished up their game, which Drew and Nate managed to win by a point, so Charlie and Wes had to buy the next round. On their way back to the tables with a couple more pitchers, the door opened, and all the ladies filed in from their jewelry party.

  Everyone paired up with their significant others, and Logan tensed when he spotted Joy standing off to his right with Tara and Wes. Great. He hadn’t been able to keep his mind off her all day; now, he couldn’t take his eyes off her, either.

  Her hair hung loose to her shoulders, curly instead of straight, and the gloss on her lips beckoned him to head on over for another taste. On top of that, she looked absolutely stunning in the multi-toned, gray sweater dress paired with calf-high, black suede boots. The expanse of bare thigh between the hem of her dress and the top of her boots shot the sexy waaay past ten.

  She had yet to look his way, so Logan wasn’t sure if she even realized he was part of the group. No more than he considered slipping away before she noticed, her gaze swept around the cluster of tables, and he mentally braced for when those hazel eyes met his.

  Except they didn’t. She skipped right over him and offered a bright smile to Nate Cooper, as if Logan was some schmuck not worth even a second of her time. The cold shoulder reception was nothing new considering how the summer had been between them, but after that kiss in the barn, his fingers clenched at his side to keep from going over to punch the answering grin off Coop’s face.

  “Listen up,” Tara called above the noise. “Everyone grab a glass.” She waited until they all did as instructed, then turned the floor over to Grant.

  “Since we’re all here…” He laid an arm around Jenny’s shoulders to hug her close to his side. “Last night, I asked Jenny to marry me and…”

  “And I said yes.” She pulled her left hand out from under the table to show off the diamond sparkling on her ring finger.

  Squeals from the women eclipsed all the other noise, drawing the attention of the bar patrons around them. Logan’s gaze shifted to Joy despite his best efforts to not look at her with that reminder of their conversation in the barn.

  She smiled at the happy couple, but sadness shadowed her expression. Does she miss her ex? he wondered. The cheating bastard who apparently looked so similar her grandma kept thinking Logan was him?

  As the congratulations of hugs and back slaps wound down, Charlie stepped up into the middle of the group, glass held high. “Raise ’em up to the future Mr. and Mrs. Walker.”

  Amidst the toasts, Grant drew Jenny close for a heated kiss that had Charlie and
Drew letting out wolf whistles. Color infused the brunette’s face, but she wrapped her arm around her fiancé’s neck and pulled him in for another round.

  Logan sat back with a smirk. Didn’t that just drive home his earlier point.

  This time, he purposely sought out Joy’s gaze, but she was nowhere to be seen. Disappointment eclipsed satisfaction, and he realized his entire reason for getting out of the house had been a total bust. Time to get the hell out of there.

  To avoid explaining why he was leaving so early, he muttered to Rick Wilde about taking a leak, and headed for the door. On his way past the hall for the bathrooms, he caught a flash of movement the second before a body slammed into his side. Height and perfume told him it was a woman, and he reached out to steady her stumble.

  In the middle of his “Whoa, sorry,” he recognized Joy.

  Her bright hazel gaze jerked up to meet his a second before she wrenched free and continued for the door. Logan registered the tears in her eyes and let out a frustrated sigh.

  Damn it all anyway, should’ve just stayed home.

  He hurried after her and caught up outside the entrance. “Hey, wait up. Are you okay?”

  “Fine.” With her ankle clearly recovered from the other day, she continued her march through the parking lot, hips swaying with every stride she took in those sexy, high-heeled boots.

  “Did I hurt you back there?”

  She gave a short laugh as she pulled keys from her purse. “No, Logan, you did not hurt me back there.”

  Obviously she was okay. He should just let her go. Continuing to follow her was not the way to get her off his mind, yet he found himself doing just that when he guessed the problem. At her convertible, he darted in front of her to block the door.

  “You’re upset about earlier today, aren’t you?”

  She shifted back on one heel, arms crossed over her chest in a defensive gesture. Her eyes were definitely full of moisture, and she made no attempt to hide the tears as she jutted out her chin in defiance.

  “Don’t flatter yourself that these are because of you.”

  “They’re not?”

  “Of course not,” she exclaimed as if he was an idiot. “Today was about my grandma. I mean, it’s not like I want to marry you or be engaged to you, pretend or otherwise. Because you were right about one thing—I don’t even like you.”

  The confirmation stung. Even more so because at the moment, God help him, all he could remember was the feel of her in his arms, and he wanted her there again.

  He cocked an eyebrow and let his gaze drop to her lips as he leaned closer. “You sure liked my kiss.”

  He’d never seen anyone blush so fast.

  “I just wanted you to say yes,” she snapped. “Believe me, I’m glad you didn’t.”

  Ouch. That was more than a sting.

  She uncrossed her arms and shoved him away from her door. “Go home, Logan, and leave me alone.”

  Chapter 5

  ‡

  Sunday afternoon, Joy made sure her grandma, Mrs. Langhart, and the rest of the book club members had everything they needed in the living room before she grabbed the pitcher of lemonade and carried it out to the porch. After pouring a glass for Tara and Jenny, she dropped down into a chair in the September sunshine and voiced the question that had kept her tossing and turning most of the night.

  “So…hypothetically, which is better? For a guy to think you’re so turned on by him that you probably would’ve slept with him after one kiss, or to have him think you were willing to use sex to get what you wanted?”

  Tara choked on her drink after the first part of the question. Jenny’s auburn eyebrows nearly flew off the top of her forehead with the second part.

  “Um…neither.” Tara thunked her glass down and jerked upright, her long, dark hair slipping forward over her shoulders. “What did you do?”

  “Who did you do?” Jenny added.

  Heat climbed into Joy’s face. “I said hy-po-thetically.”

  “That is so not a hypothetical question.” Tara paused and glanced at Jenny. “Though to be fair, she also said, ‘probably would’ve slept with him,’ so it doesn’t sound like she did him yet.” Her gaze bounced back to Joy. “Did you?”

  “Nobody did anybody,” she exclaimed as she slouched back in her chair. “You know what, forget I asked. Jenny, didn’t you say you had something to talk to us about?”

  Her two friends exchanged glances and then turned to stare at her, silently demanding answers. Though opposites in both their looks and personalities, they were now united in a common goal.

  “Nope.” She shook her head for emphasis. “Subject’s closed. Nothing more to talk about.”

  She mimed zipping her lips, locking them, and tossing away the key. Then she sipped her lemonade and hummed as she gazed out across the field. Clouds were rolling in, in advance of the thunderstorms forecasted for the afternoon. Wouldn’t be long.

  Just on the other side of the far tree line was the jerk’s farm. The smokin’ hot jerk who’d made her body hum with anticipation with a single, sizzling kiss. Last night she’d told him he was right about her not liking him. That was a lie, but he had been right about another thing in the barn. She definitely hadn’t figured in the explosive physical attraction when she’d proposed their pretend engagement.

  Do not think about him—or that oh-my-God-take-me-now kiss.

  After a full minute, Jenny gave up with a rueful shake of her head. “All right, fine, I’ll go.” She sat forward to set her glass on the table, then straightened her spine all formal-like while tucking her shoulder-length auburn hair behind her ears. “Seeing as you two are my best friends, I wanted to ask you to be my maids of honor.”

  Thankful for the reprieve, Joy grinned. “Both of us? Really?”

  “Yes.” She glanced from one to the other as uncertainty filled her blue eyes. “I can do that, can’t I?”

  “You can do whatever you want, and my answer is definitely yes.”

  “Mine, too,” Tara added. “Now, tell us how the whole proposal went down—and don’t be a tease like someone else we won’t mention.”

  Joy rolled her eyes, then smiled at the delight in Jenny’s face while she told how Grant planned a romantic picnic dinner down by the river and asked her to marry him beneath the stars. Her friend deserved every happiness after what her abusive ex-husband put her through. Joy didn’t begrudge her that one bit, but she also acknowledged feeling a little sorry for herself.

  Her first fiancé had cheated her and cheated on her, and now she couldn’t even buy herself a second fake one. How pathetic was that?

  Her gaze strayed toward the barn yet again. Thankfully, Logan had both Saturdays and Sundays off, so she had one more day before she had to worry about avoiding him, and keeping Grandma away, too. Humiliation still burned whenever she heard his voice echoing in her mind, telling her to “Go home.”

  It was almost as bad as his smug, “You liked my kiss.”

  “Time’s going to fly by,” Tara warned about Jenny’s wedding plans to come. “If you’re looking for help, Vanessa Martin is amazing and affordable. She was worth every penny Wes and I spent. I can send you her number if you’d like.”

  “Yes, please. I was going to call her this week for a quote. I want to do a lot of it myself, but my calendar is already booked up to Christmas, if you can believe it.”

  “Oh, we can,” Joy assured her. “You’re a great photographer.”

  “Thanks guys. You know what, though? I do miss working at Coffee to Chai For. Carrie and Matt were great bosses, and entertaining as all get out. And…I probably shouldn’t admit this,” she added, lowering her voice, “but I kinda miss the gossip, too. I used to know everything that was going on around town.”

  “You want the gossip, join the book club,” Joy advised with a wry grin. “Mrs. Langhart gives Motormouth Marv a run for his money.”

  “She sure does,” Jenny confirmed. “Hey, speaking of the book club, did any of you
get Lindy’s newest release?”

  Joy hadn’t had the time to read it yet, but the other two had, and according to them, it was one of Lindy’s alter-ego’s sexiest novels yet.

  “Do you think Drew is her inspiration these days?” Tara teased.

  “I ain’t answering that,” Jenny said. “Being newly engaged, the only man I think about that way is Grant.”

  “Being newly married, I guess I have to say the same about Wes?”

  “You asking us or telling us?”

  “I wouldn’t trade one single thing about my sexy man, but come on, we all look.” Tara shrugged with a sassy grin as she turned to Joy. “As the only single one here, what do you think of Drew as romance novel material?”

  “Oh, Drew fits the bill all right. So does Wes, and Grant, and Matt.” The three of them shared a smile-sigh over the former librarian. “Actually, when you think of it, we’re pretty lucky that a lot of guys in Redemption do. And your guys are all nice, too.”

  “Very true,” Jenny agreed.

  “Speaking of romance novel material, has that one gotten any friendlier? He fits the bill in the looks department, but he sure didn’t stick around long after us girls arrived last night.”

  Joy followed Tara’s gaze to see Logan’s old truck turning into the drive. Crap. What the heck was he doing here on his day off?

  Speculation-filled brown eyes swung back to her. “Come to think of it, didn’t you leave about the same—”

  She jumped to her feet and reached for the lemonade pitcher. “I better go check on the ladies inside. Make sure they don’t need anything.”

  Ignoring their sputters of protest, she hurried into the kitchen where she could sneak a peek past the curtains to see what Logan was doing. He stopped at the barn and started unloading sacks of grain. Okay, that was a little odd for a Sunday since the feed mill wasn’t open, but not a big deal. He’d probably finish that and head home.