She cast Tara a quick glance, then shrugged with forced nonchalance. “There’s nothing to tell.”
“I don’t believe you. You’ve been way too quiet all night. I mean, you barely even heckled Charlie up there on stage.”
“I’ve got a lot on my mind with Gram.”
Tara brushed her long, black hair back over her shoulder and dropped her gaze to Joy’s joined hands on the table. “Did something happen with her that you guys decided to stop pretending? Is that why you’re not wearing the ring anymore?”
She realized she’d been rubbing her bare left ring finger with her right thumb. Drawing her hands down into her lap, she scrambled to think of something to say.
Say, “Yes.”
Tell her you gave up the ruse so she doesn’t realize that Logan didn’t want you any more than Luke did.
The strumming of a guitar was a welcome relief, despite the sharp ache the sound created inside her chest. At least with the band starting, she wouldn’t have to answer any more questions.
Charlie broke into a chuckle across from her as he set his beer back on the table. “There’s something I never expected to see.”
The rest of the group all followed his gaze. The surprise in each of their expressions made Joy turn her head as well.
She froze at the sight of Logan up on the stage, his head bowed as his fingers worked the strings of the guitar. Without conscious thought, she swiveled her entire body around to face him.
“Logan sings?” Jenny asked.
“He’s just trying to show me up,” Charlie joked.
“As if that’s hard to do,” Wes retorted.
The resulting laughter from their table brought Logan’s head up. Bright color infused his cheeks, but the moment his gaze met Joy’s, it went no farther. Barely able to breathe, she watched him lean in close to the microphone.
“This song…”
He’d gotten too close and his lips bumped the mic. Plus, his voice cracked, revealing the nerves she knew had to be eating him up inside. Her heart went out to him as he backed off, cleared his throat, and started over.
“This is for the woman who taught me that the only one that matters is the person who loves you for who you are and who you can be—even if you couldn’t see it yourself.”
Joy’s eyes widened at the words. Oh, God, did he really just say that in front of everyone?
She didn’t dare risk a glance at their friends as he began to sing his own song from the other night, the one that had choked him up until he couldn’t finish. His husky tone came through the sound system low and shaky, and simple though the music was, the guitar overpowered him.
Oh, Logan, why that one? This crowd is going to eat you alive.
After the first few lines, he closed his eyes. Joy missed the direct connection even as she noticed his voice grow stronger. The tempo was a bit faster than he’d played the other night. Nerves, she knew, but really, the faster pace still fit with the lyrics, and allowed him to get through the whole song with the powerful emotion still intact without overwhelming his performance.
When he finished to a round of applause and cheers, Tara’s awed voice came from behind her. “Holy shit, Logan can sing.”
Without even looking at her friend, Joy nodded, her heart bursting with pride.
Up on the stage, he gave the crowd a shaky smile and lifted his hand to quiet them before turning his attention back to her. “I called Kevin back. He made me an amazing offer, and I took it.”
She nodded again as moisture filled her eyes. Good for him.
“You were right about everything. My pride, the music…but most of all, that I didn’t see what I had right in front of me. Hopefully, what I have in front of me.”
A cold wave splashed over her as a murmur went through the crowd. Oh, God. What was he doing, here in front of the whole town?
Tara’s hand landed on her shoulder and squeezed. To her left, Jenny grinned.
Logan’s brown gaze held hers from up on the stage. “I told you, for you, I’d play. I’m up here because I don’t care what anyone says. I don’t care what anyone thinks, and I don’t want to pretend anything anymore at all.”
Excitement and fear warred within her.
“I knew it.” Tara’s little shove rocked her in her chair. “Go up there.”
Fear swelled. She shook her head, and Logan’s eyebrows drew together.
“I’m sorry, Joy. Please give me a second chance.”
The plea boomed through the mic. This time her friend’s shove propelled her to her feet. The entire bar seemed to wait with baited breath, and still, she couldn’t force herself to move forward. Her heart pounded so hard, and her chest was so tight, she feared she’d pass out. She’d accused him of worrying too much about everyone else, and now she was the one afraid to reach out and grab what she wanted.
Logan’s shoulders slumped a second before he lifted the guitar up over his head and turned away. She wanted to cry out to stop him, but before she could do anything, he handed off the instrument, then turned back to grab the microphone and jump off the stage. Dragging the cord behind him, he made his way past the front tables to stand in front of her.
“You once said none of this is real between us, but it’s been real from that first kiss.” He reached out and took her hand. Heat spread through her body as he placed her palm over his pounding heart. “This is real. The way I want you is real. Something this real can’t be faked.”
A ray of hope began to shine through the fear. Each word he spoke came through the sound system loud and clear for everyone to hear. No hesitation or waver. He really didn’t care about anyone judging him at this point.
“It’s been a hell of a week,” he said with the slightest hint of a smile.
She nodded, turning her hand to twine her fingers with his. His grip tightened for a moment, then relaxed.
“Let’s do this again. You and me, for real, one hundred percent.”
Murmurs rose up again. She cast a quick glance around their table to find all their friends grinning at the two of them. When she turned back to Logan, his gaze searched hers for the answer. He dropped his attention to the microphone, switched it off, then blindly handed it off to the side while returning his brown gaze to hers.
Dana grabbed the mic from his hand, and he tugged Joy closer with their joined hands.
“I’m not going anywhere, Joy. I’m keeping my job at the ranch and staying here in Redemption.” His hard swallow reached her ears as he leaned even closer. “I still want to do this for June, but more so because I love you. I’m pretty sure I fell in love with you that first morning up in my hayloft.”
The three words had been spoken to her before, but she realized she’d always been the one to say them first. In every relationship. This felt different, and not only because of those three little words that meant so much. From the very beginning, everything between them had resonated to the very depths of her soul.
Real, not pretend.
Finally, hope overrode her fear and chased away her lingering doubt. With Logan, she knew she’d finally found the one who would truly love her for herself, and nothing else. Until this moment, she hadn’t realized how important that certainty was.
She smiled up into his nervous eyes, then slid her arms up around his neck and pulled his head down. With his lips a hairsbreadth from hers, she whispered, “I love you, too. Let’s do it.”
Epilogue
‡
Joy stumbled as Logan guided her over an uneven patch of ground.
“Easy.” Strong hands caught both her arms to steady her balance. “Got ya.”
“You’d better have me since it’s your fault I can’t see.”
He’d blindfolded her at her grandparent’s ranch after dinner, taken her to his truck, and driven…somewhere. After several turns and fifteen long, anticipation-building minutes, she’d been completely disorientated when he’d helped her from the truck.
A deep inhale confirmed clean country
air, but other than a noise she assumed was the low rustle of leaves in the trees, no other sound clued her in to their location. No animal noises, no crickets or birds, no cars, near or far.
He refused to reveal their destination no matter what she threatened to do to him later. When she’d gotten inventive, he’d laughed and told her to keep making promises. Self-assurance rang in his voice, and put butterflies in her stomach. It was as if something inside him had clicked…as if he’d settled in and was finally comfortable with who he was, and damn. She’d been crazy attracted to him before, but his new level of confidence was a powerful aphrodisiac.
“Did I tell you I won the lottery twice this week?”
She halted, turning her head toward the sound of his voice. “You bought lottery tickets?”
“You sound surprised.”
“Well, yeah. It’s a gamble. You’re not a gambler.”
“It’s a little gamble. Thanks to you, I’m learning the payoff to some gambles are more than worth the risk. And, I actually won two-hundred-fifty bucks on the quick pick Friday morning.”
“How much on the other one?”
“That win was a little more exciting, but no ticket involved. Selling a song to Jack Tucker was a one in a million chance. Maybe even more.”
“I disagree. The guy’s obviously smart enough to recognize talent when he hears it.”
“He only heard it because of you.”
“True.” His hand brushed the hair away from her neck, and Joy tilted her head as his warm lips caressed her skin. “And I’ll take credit for that part, but the rest was all you. Speaking of which, you blew everyone away last night at Rowdy’s. It was amazing.”
He chuckled while urging her forward again. “Yeah—amazing I didn’t throw up.”
She smiled that he’d freely admit to being that nervous.
As they made their way through the chilly September air, she still couldn’t figure out where they’d ended up. Her boots scuffed the ground, and the sound became a bit of an echo for a few steps before Logan pulled her to a stop. The familiar scent of fresh hay tickled her senses.
“I want to ask you two things,” he said. “Though I’ve decided to switch the order because I need you to understand one is not contingent upon the other, okay?”
She frowned, eyebrows pinching together beneath the blindfold. “O-kay.”
He removed the folded bandana, and she smoothed her hair as she looked around. Recognition sparked immediately at the sight of the ladder off to his right. They were in his barn—former barn. She swung back to face him.
“What are we doing here?” Joy peeked around his shoulder. “Did you check to make sure Edna isn’t lurking around with a shotgun to guard her property?”
He laughed. “Brian Thomas called me earlier. Apparently, he heard about last night, and thought he’d make sure I was aware that even after the Sheriff’s sale, I still have two weeks to come up with the money to pay off the mortgage. So, that’s what I want to do.”
Her heart skipped a beat at the news, and the note of excitement in his voice. “How?”
“Exactly the way you suggested.”
“Your music?”
“Hopefully. Eventually.”
She frowned in confusion. “Eventually sounds longer than two weeks.”
He nodded, his gaze lowering from hers as he shifted his weight. “It will take longer than two weeks for the money to come in, and even then, it won’t cover the full amount of the debt. So…in the meantime, if your offer still stands for a loan—with interest—I’d like to take you up on it.”
Joy could barely believe her ears. She dipped her head to catch his gaze. “Did Logan Walsh just ask me for help?”
“I did.” His expression and voice were solemn. “And I hated it.”
Which was exactly what made him stand head and shoulders above her ex and others in her past. She trusted his request was out of necessity, not him taking advantage.
“However,” he continued, “I can now admit I hate the thought of losing this place more than I dislike asking for help. There’s a lot of memories here. Of my family.” He leaned in to press a quick kiss to her lips. “You.”
“I’m particularly fond of the hayloft,” she teased. “And the ladder. And your bedroom in the house. And the—”
“Stop distracting me.”
The brusque order was softened by the heat in his brown eyes that told her he was reliving those moments just as vividly. But she behaved and kept quiet so he could finish.
“If I can sell more songs, I hope to pay you back every penny over the next couple years. In the meantime, I’ll keep working for your grandpa and make regular payments on the loan. That is non-negotiable.”
She nodded, loving that he was finally able to set his pride aside just enough to let her help. “We can go to the bank tomorrow.”
“Thank you.”
He lifted one hand to thread his fingers through her hair, then pulled her in close for another kiss. Longer. Deeper. She would never get tired of the feel of his lips on hers. Heat built as his tongue lovingly caressed hers.
“Let’s go upstairs,” he murmured.
Her smile curved against his mouth as she pressed her body closer. “Not up for the ladder again?”
A low growl vibrated from deep in his chest. “Oh, I’m up for it, just not tonight.” He turned her around and swatted her bottom. “Now up you go.”
“Hey—you’re going to pay for that.”
“I’m counting on it,” he retorted as he clambered up the rungs after her.
“It’s not fair that my threats don’t scare you even a little bit.”
“Stop making them sound fun.”
She shook her head and laughed as he caught her close in his arms, her back to his chest. He reached out with one hand to flick on the lights, but instead of the harsh utility bulbs flaring to life, hundreds of little white lights lit up the loft with a soft glow. She sucked in an awed breath as her gaze drank in the transformation of the old barn.
In the middle of the hay-covered floor lay an arrangement of blankets and pillows. The magical radiance from the twinkle lights illuminated red and white rose petals strewn across the dark bedspread. A breakfast-in-bed tray sat at the edge of the bedding with a covered plate, a bottle of wine, and two glasses.
Joy squeezed his arms where they crossed over her stomach. “Logan, this is beautiful.”
“Not as beautiful as you.”
“What’s under the plate cover?”
“Pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting.”
Who knew Logan Walsh could be so romantic?
She smiled as he walked her across to the makeshift bed, then released her to bend down and set his phone on the tray. From one breath to the next, the electrifying sound of rain and thunder filled the air. Her heart leapt up into her throat as she twisted around to face him when he straightened.
His face was flushed, and as his fingers closed around hers, she swore she felt them tremble. “I had you pegged wrong from the start. You are so much more than I ever gave you credit for, but that will never happen again. Being with you, because of you, I’m becoming the man you saw I could be.”
She smiled. “I like that man. A lot.”
He smiled back. “Yesterday, when I still thought this place was lost to me, I stood in the yard and looked around. It only took a moment to realize the farm didn’t matter even half as much as the thought of losing you.”
Emotion tightened her chest. “I was afraid I’d screwed everything up.”
“No, that was all me. I—”
She shook her head. “I was scared. You were right that I didn’t want to tell our friends because I didn’t know how this would all turn out.”
“I understand that. But from here on out, you don’t need to wonder. I meant every word I said last night.”
“Me, too.”
Logan reached into his pocket before dropping down onto one knee. The diamonds and emeralds set in t
he silver ring between his fingers sparkled in the lights from above.
“Here,” he said with a smartass grin. “Don’t lose it.”
Joy laughed past the happy tears clogging her throat.
His expression sobered. “Seriously, though, say you’ll marry me, Joy Dolinksi, and let’s have June plan the wedding for real so she can enjoy every minute of it.”
The love in his brown eyes said twice as much as the words ever could. That, and the fact he was still taking her grandma into consideration. How lucky was she to have found the love of her life right here in Redemption?
Still, she wrestled her smile into solemn submission. “I have one condition.”
“Anything.”
No hesitation. Good man. “You’re paying me back for the loan, but I get to remodel the house. Right away. With my money.”
He hesitated, a bit of a frown darkening his expression. “Do I get a say in any of the remodeling choices?”
“Of course.”
After one more moment of consideration, he nodded. “I can live with that.”
Joy extended her left hand and let her smile reign free again. “Then yes, I’ll marry you. I even have the perfect dress.”
He chuckled, but his hand shook as he slid the ring on her finger, revealing his nerves. She moved forward to cup his face, her misty gaze locked on his as she bent to kiss him. “I love you.”
Logan tumbled her back onto the soft bed of hay beneath the blankets and held her willing captive with his hard, hot body. “I could tell you how much I love you, too, but I’d rather show you for the next couple hours.”
Joy skimmed her hands up along his arms, testing the muscles of his biceps while pretending to consider his words as he had done to hers a moment ago. As the sound of the thunderstorm increased in intensity, she smiled into his eyes and pulled his head down to hers.
“Yeah, I can live with that.”
* The End *
Thank you for reading!
Reviews are always greatly appreciated, and a huge bonus to us authors. They are what keeps us going so we can keep writing the stories you love.
You can review Say You’ll Marry Me HERE
Say You'll Marry Me (Welcome to Redemption #10) Page 18