by Abby Knox
Reluctantly, for she did not want to face what could be wrong with her feet, she shone the flashlight down at her toes. She poked one big toe up out of the water and she saw exactly what was wrong.
Horrified, she saw that her big toenail was all white. Dead as a doornail. And the water was pushing it loose.
She felt like throwing up, but there was nothing in her tummy to throw up.
“Okay, Ever. Just breathe. It’s fine. You’re fine. You can do this. This is not a big deal.”
She breathed and refused to pass out. She clicked off the flashlight, and the freak show at her feet disappeared.
She would just sit here in the dark and wait for the throbbing to calm down. Then she would sneak back to the ranger station and find the first-aid supplies and bandage her feet up before Logan even woke up. She’d have her feet covered up with socks in the morning so there was no reason for him to even know anything was wrong.
Yep. That was her plan. And it was solid. Solid as a cliff-side boulder about to give way underneath the weight of a curvy girl, said the most logical part of her brain.
“Shut up,” she hissed aloud.
Chapter 14
Logan
“Ever, what the fuck?”
Logan had woken up with Ever not in his bed. This was unacceptable.
Also unacceptable was finding her in the bathroom, in the dark, with a mess of bandages around her on the floor, her foot propped up on the sink.
She looked up. “Shit. I mean, hi. I’m fine. Go back to bed.”
“Sun’s about to come up anyway. What are you doing? What’s wrong? Are your punctures bleeding? Shit, did I hurt you last night?”
He opened the bathroom curtain and it let in enough dim light to see what was going on.
“Ever, why are you wrapping your toes? And doing a piss-poor job of it, I might add.”
She looked up at him and tried to play it off. “Oh, it’s nothing. Just some blisters. I didn’t want to trouble you with it. I can take care of it.”
Logan shook his head. “For blisters you just cover it with moleskin to stop the friction. Bandaging won’t do shit. Let me see.”
She shook her head. “No, really, it’s fine. You know, I think they were just sore and now they’re fine. Ready for breakfast? I’m starving.”
But Logan was ignoring her excuses and knelt down next to her in the bathroom. She continued to protest, but he moved the bandages away to see what was what. And he saw right away there was a very real problem and it was not blisters or soreness.
“You have canyon toe.”
Ever sat up straight and looked at him like he’d just kicked her puppy. “I do not have canyon toe! That sounds disgusting and I definitely do not have that! What is canyon toe?”
Logan looked at her sternly. “It means you’re going to lose this big toenail,” he said, examining both her feet. “…And this little one…and, wait, yep…this one, too.”
Ever shrieked. “What? No, not my baby toenail! It’s the cutest one!”
Logan rubbed his eyes. “It’ll grow back, woman.”
“But it won’t be the same.”
Logan shook his head and once again got out the disinfectant. He once again cleaned her up and bandaged her up.
“Bad news, babe. You ain’t walking out of the canyon today. You’re going to rest up and we’ll head out tomorrow.”
She protested. “I can’t do that. I have a backcountry pass for one night in the hollow and one night at the spring halfway up the trail to the other rim.”
He looked at her as if she had lost her mind. “I have the authority to grant you another night to rest up in the hollow. I don’t give a shit if the park service fires me, you aren’t leaving here today. I’ll send your pack up with the mule train, and your boots, too. You can’t hike out in those things. What were you thinking, hiking down here in boots that aren’t broken in? And why didn’t anyone tell you to wear moisture-wicking socks? And to cut your toenails extra, extra short?”
Ever cocked her head at him. “I’m asking myself a lot of the same questions these days, Logan.”
“Remind me again when we get to Middleburg to kick your ex’s ass from one end of town to the other.”
Ever smiled. “I can’t believe you remembered the name of my town. And…hold the phone…what’s this about coming home with me?”
Logan grunted as he worked on her feet. As if she didn’t know she 100 percent belonged to him now. “I’m a gentleman. At the end of a date I always see the girl all the way to her door. Whether that door is a mile away or 500 miles away. I don’t care. I am taking you home.”
They held each other’s gaze for a brief moment.
“I like you,” she said. She reached down and petted his head. “You’re nice. Nobody’s ever offered to kick a dude’s ass for me before. I don’t like violence, but I kind of feel like that would be kinda hot.”
When he finished wrapping her toes up, he gently stroked the tops and bottoms of her feet, massaged her ankles, and gradually ended by working out the stiff muscles of her calves.
“You’re really good at that. You’re gonna make some pregnant lady really happy someday,” Ever said.
Logan’s cock started to harden at the thought of her being pregnant with his child. He moved his hand up past her knee and caressed her thigh. He growled, “After last night I’m putting my bets on that lady being you.”
She cracked back, “If I manage to make it out of this canyon alive.”
He glared. “Don’t say shit like that. You are going to make it out just fine, even if I have to carry you.”
She shook her head. “Logan, there’s no way—”
“No,” he interrupted. “Don’t say what I know you’re going to say. You’re with me now, and I won’t hear of you running yourself down. Not ever again. Promise me right now.”
She nodded, but he could see that she couldn’t say it. “Logan, we all have our issues and baggage. Just let me work mine out on my own time, and I’ll let you work yours out, too.”
He nodded and reached up to stroke her hair. “Fair enough. But just so you know, I don’t have any baggage to work out.”
She smiled. “Sure. OK. Well, we have two more days in the canyon to discuss that.”
Chapter 15
Ever
Logan was being extra bossy.
He was saving her ass left and right in this canyon, and now he was trying to tell her what to eat.
“I cannot let you eat like this.”
Ever looked at the half-melted Luna bar and then at Logan. “Why not? Like I told you, these are expensive.”
“Don’t worry about it, we can get you something at the Canyon Hollow Cafe. Besides, it’s cool inside. They have a swamp cooler and decent food. It will help you heal up to sit indoors for a while.”
Ever knew she shouldn’t argue with this man, who was becoming more and more animated with her the more they spent time together. But damn it, she had her pride. “I know I’m terrible at packing, but let me have my dignity.”
Then he snatched the energy bar from her hand and tossed it in his trash bag. “No. I’m confiscating all your bad choices and sending it up with the rest of your stuff. The mule train leaves right after breakfast.”
With her injured toes, she could scarcely run away. She had no choice but to let this man march her down to the cafe and buy her breakfast. As soon as the cool, moist air indoors hit her, her skin rejoiced. “Is this heaven?”
In moments she was digging in to a breakfast of eggs and hash browns and a biscuit. OK, so this was definitely better than a packaged bar with a picture of a lady dancing under the moon on the wrapper.
This was the point at which Ever would mark her “before” life and “after” life. Up to this point, she would have felt self-conscious eating a huge breakfast plate loaded down with carbs in front of anybody, let alone a super-hot piece of man meat such as Logan. But sitting there, being watched over by Logan and realizing she
was beginning to trust him completely, she felt nothing but content with herself. It did not hurt matters that he himself was wolfing down a platter of eggs, grits, pancakes, toast and bacon. Damn, that boy could eat.
She vowed then to never eat a “lady” energy bar again.
Ever was, for the first time in a long time, feeling totally relaxed. Sure, she was injured, but she was in an unbelievably beautiful place with a beautiful man and not at work in a dingy office, making urgent, last-minute decisions on things she could not care less about. She wasn’t answering phones. She wasn’t trying to think of headlines. She wasn’t trying to pin down a cop to give her a quote about a rash of bicycle thefts. Oh, and she’d just had the best goddamn sex of her life with a man who was totally out of her league. Scratch that, a man who before today she would have thought was out of her league. There would be no more talk such as that.
“This is going to take some work, but I think I’m actually happy with myself,” she said.
Logan reached across the table and brushed her hair out of her face. He briefly held her cheek, causing her to flush at his touch. She felt ready for him to take her back to the cabin for a thorough tussle in the sheets. No boots, this time.
“Ever, there’s something I need to say, and I feel like this is a good moment—”
Suddenly, Ever was no longer focused on Logan. Behind him, coming through the door of the cafe, was the absolute last person she ever wanted to see, or expected to see.
And her newly found self-esteem was about to go right out the window.
Chapter 16
Logan
When he touched her hair and stroked her cheek, he felt electricity spark through him like fireflies on a hot night. He wanted to carry her over his shoulder like a caveman and toss her back in bed to have his way with her. This time, slowly.
But something else weighed on his mind and it needed saying.
“I feel like this is a good moment —”
But Logan stopped as he saw her face fall. Her cheeks changed to white, her eyes widened in that fight-or-flight moment of panic. Had he said something wrong? Then he realized she was looking past him.
He heard the screen door slam. He turned to look, but all he could see was some random guy.
He looked back at Ever, and then he knew. That random guy was not random.
“It’s Brody, isn’t it?”
Ever looked even more shocked to hear the name coming out of Logan’s mouth.
“Uh…yeah. We have to go.”
Logan quickly bused their dishes and helped the shocked Ever to her feet. A moment ago she was a goddess and now she was looking like a scared kitten.
He was hoping to scramble them out of there quickly enough to avoid Brody seeing her, but it was too late. Brody had seen her. And he was with someone. A blonde-ponytailed chick with the wiry body of a personal trainer.
She whispered, “Shit, they’re coming over here.”
Logan put his arm around his woman. He could not wait to hear what this troglodyte had to say for himself.
“Ever! What are you doing here?”
She huffed and crossed her arms defensively. “I could ask you the same thing. You were the one who canceled the trip.”
The blonde ponytail was confused. “Canceled what trip?”
Brody turned and said to his friend, “Sasha, go order our breakfast and I’ll explain later.”
Ever continued, “I decided to go anyway. No reason to waste a ticket and a backcountry pass, am I right?” He looked from Ever to Logan seeking some kind of approval, but he would get none of that from either one of them.
“How nice. Well, I decided the same thing.”
Brody squinted at her. “I see that. Even after our conversation about…” And then he thought better of it before saying what he was about to say, as Logan was taking a step toward him. “About how we mutually agreed it was best to not take the trip?”
Ever scoffed. “Well, I can see now you just wanted to take the trip by yourself to meet other girls, so. Very smooth, Brody.”
He replied, “And what about you? Whoring it up with a park ranger, now?”
Logan took a step closer to Brody. “I suggest you stop talking. Right fucking now, asshole.”
Brody laughed. “That’s not very nice talk coming from a National Park Service employee. What’s your badge number?”
“What’s going on here, Brody?” The ponytail, having ordered their food, was back.
Logan nodded at her. “Nothing at all, ma’am, we’ll be going now.”
As they went to leave, Ever leaned toward Sasha and stage-whispered, “Careful with this one. He doesn’t make a good boyfriend. He’ll cut you down to size the second you put on a single pound.”
Sasha looked utterly confused now. “Excuse me? Brody and I have been together for close to six months now. I think I know him pretty well.”
Ever stopped. “What?”
Logan sighed, “Oh shit.”
Brody put up his hands, “It’s not like that…”
Logan put a hand on Ever’s shoulder. “Babe, let’s go. It’s not worth it.”
Ever shook him off. “No, let’s be clear. You were with this girl the whole time? Is this the real reason you tried to cancel my vacation?”
Logan put his hands on both of Ever’s shoulders from behind, “Love, let this piece of trash float in the wind.”
Brody ignored Logan. “Ever, you didn’t give me much choice. You worked too much. You left me alone most of the time. What was I supposed to do?”
Ever laughed. “I don’t know, I guess cheating on me and lying to me was your solution, and then taking our vacation without me, thinking you wouldn’t get caught. That about sums it all up.”
Brody gestured at Ever’s figure. “Don’t forget the part about you not being fit for the hike. That part wasn’t a lie.”
Logan gritted his teeth and stepped closer. “Little boy, if you ever point a finger at this woman again, I will crush you.”
Brody laughed, but there was rage underneath. He was realizing he was caught having cheated on Ever, and now that he saw who Ever had moved on with, he was jealous. He had every reason to be jealous, because it was undeniable that Ever was the most flawless, fearless queen any of them had ever laid eyes on.
Brody backed away. But, to his downfall, he just could not keep his stupid mouth shut as he got a look at her bandaged toes.
“Having a good hike? Look at you. I was right. You weren’t ready. I tried to warn you. But as always, you’re a mess.”
And with that, Logan was done.
It wasn’t exactly fair. It was a bit of a sucker punch. Logan was about twice the size of Brody with arms like Easter hams, and he barely had to wind up before he threw his fist at Brody’s eye. Nevertheless, it was a severely satisfying jab, and Brody stumbled backwards. Sasha screamed.
Logan quickly escorted Ever out of the cafe and swiftly back to the cabin to pack up their things.
Well, Logan thought as he packed up his gear and tidied up the ranger station, the job had been good while it lasted.
“I guess we’ll have to stay in my tent tonight, huh?”
“No,” Logan said. “We’re leaving right now.”
“But you said—”
“Never mind what I said. They’re going to fire me, and I am going to have to turn in my badge at my supervisor’s office on the rim as soon as humanly possible. That means we are leaving now.”
“Well, can I stay and meet you up there the next day?”
Logan laughed, “Ever, if you think I’m letting you out of my sight for one second—”
The door to the ranger station creaked open and in came one of Logan’s fellow rangers carrying a satellite phone.
“Dude, what happened back there?”
Logan shook his head and continued tidying up. “We’ll be out of everyone’s hair immediately.”
“I didn’t come here to fire you, I just got a call on the satellite phon
e from somebody named Phillip, wants to speak to you. I have no idea who that is or how he got through, but you better tell him this is not proper use of government property.”
Logan stood up straight, utterly gobsmacked. Then he recovered, and took the phone from his colleague. “Sorry man, I’ll be quick.”
Logan put the phone to his ear. He barely finished saying “Hello?” when the familiar, blunt boom sounded on the other end.
“Logan it’s me. You need to come home.”
Perplexed. Shocked. Confused. Those were the tip of the iceberg of what Logan was feeling. “Dad? How did you find out I punched a hiker? How did you get this number? Did someone call you?”
Now it was Phillip’s turn to be confused. “I don’t know what that’s about but I’m not surprised by your emotional outbursts and I no longer care. Nobody called me; I found out where you were and you know as well as I do that I can always find out what you’re up to. Now listen to me closely. You need to come home to see me. You see, I’m dying.”
Logan listened some more and he could hardly believe it. He hung up with an assurance to Phillip that he would come as soon as he could.
Before he handed the sat phone back to the other ranger, another call came in. This was the one he was expecting. It was his supervisor, calling from the main office.
“If you go now to the main station on the rim and turn in your badge, you won’t be investigated and arrested.”
Well, wasn’t that perfect timing. He might as well go home to see his father, as he didn’t have a job anymore.
Logan’s colleague shrugged as he took the phone back. “Sorry, buddy. I swear, I didn’t tell the office up there anything. Word travels fast.” Glancing at Ever, who was massaging her foot, he added, “… and I definitely did not say anything about your … visitor … last night.”
Logan stood up and walked over to the other ranger. “That’s my future wife, so be very careful before you say another word, man.”
Chapter 17