Counting On It (Hearts for Ransom Book 1)

by Evans, Georgia

  Paul looked at her sympathetically. “Did you ever give him any reason to believe he’d have a chance with you?”

  She slowly shook her head. Her words had been her only weapon—mean and hateful.

  “Maybe he figured it was time to cut his losses.” Paul shrugged. He began to gather the dishes of food, snapping lids back on them before placing them back into the basket he’d brought. “I’ll be honest with you, Emily.”

  What other revelations was he going to present her with?

  “I saw you with Logan…I mean, as soon as I realized what was going on, I went back into my tent. I didn’t know anything about the pictures, though. I promise you.”

  Her face warmed with humiliation. Would this never end? Would she eventually find out the entire group of men had somehow witnessed Logan and her becoming intimate on the picnic table? Maybe she should have sold tickets and offered popcorn.

  “Why did you want to date me?” she finally asked Paul.

  Paul smiled at her. “I really like you, Emily, but like Logan, I know when to cut my losses and run.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I’m not going to try to build a relationship with a woman who is in love with another man. It would be a waste of my time and yours.” He stood and picked up the basket full of leftovers. “Thank you for having dinner with me, Emily. I hope you and Logan get it figured out so you can be happy.”

  She stayed sitting, feeling miserable. Logan had used her, and now Paul was rejecting her. She was a real winner.

  She was still sitting there when he drove away.

  “Emily.” Her heart jumped into her throat.

  “Aaron, don’t ever sneak up on me like that again. I almost had a coronary!” Her heart was still racing.

  “I’m sorry, Em.” It was then that she noticed the look on his face.

  “What’s wrong? Is it Sara?” He had already been through on his afternoon run. It was nearly eight o’clock, too late for him to be there.

  He sadly shook his head, then sank to his knees in front of her. “It’s your parents, Em. The police just told me…I’m so sorry, sweetheart, but there’s been a terrible accident.”

  Emily started to stand up. “I have to get to my mom and dad. They need me. You’ll have to take care of the campground yourself. I’m going…”

  Aaron gently held her arms, keeping her down. “Emily, they didn’t make it. I’m so, so sorry.”

  Her eyes filled with tears. “What do you mean, they didn’t make it? Of course, they’re fine. Somebody has made a mistake—that’s all. I bet the Hendersons were…they’re the ones. Mom and Dad are fine. I’m going down there to them. You’ll see.”

  Aaron pulled her into his arms. “They’ve made a positive ID, Emily. All four of them were in a motorboat going from the yacht to the shore. Another boat crashed into theirs, and both boats exploded upon impact. They were all killed instantly.” Aaron was crying. “I asked the police officer, Em. I wanted to be sure before I told you. All the bodies were recovered and positively identified. Sweetheart, it happened three days ago. It’s taken this long for them to make sure who they were and notify me. I’m sorry, Emily.”

  She blindly shook her head and began chanting. “No…no…no.” She screamed, “No!” and fell against Aaron, sobbing her heart out. Her mom and dad couldn’t be dead. They had so much living left to do. What would she do without them? She was never going to stop crying.

  Aaron held her, still crying too. “Abby’s on her way. Is there anything else I can do for you, Em?”

  “I need Logan,” she choked out. “Get me Logan.”

  “Okay. I’ll call him as soon as Abby gets here to stay with you. I’m not leaving you alone.” He hugged her against him. “No matter what, Emily Irene Scott, you’ll never be alone. You’ll always have Sara and me. We love you like a daughter.”

  “I love you too, but I want my mom and dad.” She began to sob uncontrollably again. It might have been minutes, or it might have been hours before she heard a familiar voice.

  “Oh, Em, I’m sorry.” Abby had taken Aaron’s place. “Emily, it’s dark out here. Will you go inside with me?”

  Emily didn’t care. She didn’t want to move. If she stayed here, it would all go away. It would just be a bad dream.

  Abby must have seen that Emily wasn’t budging, because she sat down beside her, one arm around her, crying along with her. It seemed like Emily was never going to run out of tears.

  “I’ve got her.” Strong male arms went under her knees and back and lifted her against a firm chest.

  “Logan.” Just like that, her tears finally began to slow down. She let herself lean against him, feeling safe and secure in his arms. Logan had her. She would be all right.

  He carried her into the motor home and on into the bedroom, where he started to lay her down. Her arms tightened around his neck. “No, Logan. Don’t let go…”

  “I’m here, Em. I’m not going anywhere.” He kicked off his shoes and waited while Abby pulled Emily’s off. Then he maneuvered them around until they were both lying on the bed. She was snug against him, her face pressed against his neck. He didn’t dare let go of her. She needed him.

  Emily felt Logan’s arms around her and snuggled against him as closely as she could. She could smell—the woods after a rain—Logan. She was okay. She would be okay.

  Logan felt her relax as sleep claimed her. He still couldn’t believe it. Mike and Barb Scott were dead—killed in a boating accident. Emily had given them their vacation as an anniversary gift, and now they would never come home. He wasn’t a praying man, but he fervently prayed that this woman wouldn’t blame herself for what happened. From what Aaron had told him, it was just a tragic accident.

  He held her as close to him as he could and felt himself drifting off…Emily needed him…she needed…

  Chapter 25

  Emily awoke in a snug cocoon, pressed against a warm body with strong arms around her. Memories came flooding back. Aaron…Abby…Her mom and dad were gone—dead. She felt tears falling again. How could there be any left in her?

  “Shhhh, Em. I’ve got you.” Logan’s arms tightened even more around her. She put her arms around his neck, pulling herself closer to him. “I’ve got you,” he repeated.

  “Is she awake?” Abby softly asked from the open bedroom door.

  Logan looked over Emily’s head and saw Abby’s red, swollen eyes. Emily hadn’t been the only one to cry herself to sleep last night.

  “I’m awake.” Emily’s voice was muffled against Logan’s chest.

  Abby walked in and sat on the other side of Emily. “Em, honey, it’s after noon. Do you think you can get up and eat something?”

  Emily shook her head. “I’m not hungry.”

  “I know, but you need to eat,” Abby coaxed. “It’s not going to do you any good to get yourself sick. Come on, Em. Please come and eat. I fixed a pot of vegetable soup.”

  “Logan.” Emily pulled her head far enough back to look into his eyes. “Please don’t leave me.”

  “I’m not going anywhere, but Abby’s right. You need to eat something.” He softly kissed her forehead. “I’ll come with you. Let’s go eat lunch.”

  Never releasing Logan’s hand, Emily finally managed to stand up. She was unsteady on her feet.

  “You okay?” he asked her. “Can you walk?”

  She silently nodded. She couldn’t bring herself to not be touching Logan. He was with her, and she knew she’d be okay.

  He led her into the kitchen, where she sat on a chair. “Sit beside me,” she requested of Logan. “I need to be touching you.”

  Without a word, he slid his chair so that he was at the corner of the table. He moved his leg so that it was against hers. “Better?”

  “Thank you.” She watched as Abby set a bowl of soup in front of her, along with a sleeve of saltine crackers.

  After she had placed some in front of Logan, Abby turned back to Emily. “What can I get for you t
o drink?”

  Emily didn’t care. She was aware that Abby made the best vegetable soup of anyone she knew, but it tasted like water to her. They were both right, though. She needed her strength. “Milk.”

  In a few minutes, the three of them were sitting around the table eating soup. Emily had eaten almost half of hers when she simply couldn’t take another bite. She drank her milk, though, not missing the concerned look that passed between Logan and Abby.

  “I’ll be all right.” She closed her eyes tightly for a moment before looking at the two people she needed. “This is going to be hard, but I’ll be all right.”

  “Honey, we need to get you home,” Abby gently told her. “You’re going to have to make some decisions.”

  Emily shook her head. “I want to go home, but Mom and Dad had everything planned. All I have to do is let…let Mr. Hankins know.” She had thought her parents were being morbid when they preplanned their funerals, but now she was thankful. Instinct told her that having to make choices for a funeral right now would send her over the edge.

  “How about if I drive you home?” Logan asked, placing his hand over hers. “Mason and I will come back out here to get your car later.” He had called Mason on his way to the campground last night, putting him in charge of Taylor’s until further notice. Mason quickly agreed, asking Logan to let him know if there was anything he could do for Emily.

  “I don’t want you to leave me.” Emily’s heart started racing. She didn’t want him out of her sight.

  “Em, I won’t leave you for very long. I promise.” He slid his arm around her shoulders. “I’ll send Mason and Colton out here to get your car. The only time I’ll leave you is to go home and shower.” He smiled wryly. “I reek.”

  Her heart slowly returned to its normal rhythm. “Will you stay with me?” she asked Abby.

  “I’m yours as long as you need me,” Abby assured her. “You’re not alone here, Emily. You’ll never be alone.”

  “Thank you.” She looked at their mostly empty soup bowls. “Can I go home now?”

  “You bet.” Logan stood up. “I’ll go get our shoes.” He bent down and kissed her on the cheek. “I’ll be right back. Okay?”

  As soon as his touch was gone, Emily felt empty. It was all she could do not to follow him into the bedroom, staying in physical contact with him. She knew she was being irrational. He couldn’t touch her for every second of the day.

  As soon as he walked back into the room, she started breathing easier. “Can you stay at my house with me when we get home, Logan?”

  He exchanged a worried glance with Abby. “If you’re sure that’s what you want.”

  “I need you,” she told him. “Please.”

  “I’ll be here for as long as you want me, Emily.” He handed her the shoes Abby had pulled off her the night before. “As soon as we get to Ransom, I’ll run home and get my things. Abby will be with you. You’ll never be alone.”

  She slowly bent down to put her shoes on. Was it really just yesterday when she had sat on a blanket sharing stories about Logan with Paul? It seemed so insignificant now.

  “I’m going to clean up here a little, but I’ll be right behind you,” Abby told them as Logan was leading Emily out the door.

  Emily just knew she couldn’t let go of Logan’s hand right then. Not if her life depended on it.

  Chapter 26

  This had been the longest day in Emily’s life. After waking up in Logan’s arms, she’d managed to let him go long enough for both of them to shower and dress. Any other time he was out of her sight for more than a few minutes, she recognized the signs. She started to have a panic attack.

  He and Abby had both taken her to the store, where she woodenly tried on dresses until she found one she thought her mom and dad would have liked. It wasn’t black. It was a deep shade of green, a color her mom always told her made her hazel eyes sparkle. Abby said it fit her nicely.

  Since it was to be closed casket, she had to choose a picture of each one of them to place on top. They had gone to her parents’ house to find them, and looking through the photographs fired up Emily’s tears again. It had been Abby who finally declared their wedding picture and the one they’d had taken at their thirty-fifth wedding anniversary celebration should be placed on a table between the caskets. They had always been together, and that was how people were used to seeing them.

  It was Abby who put together the photo board which would be displayed. She chose pictures of the two of them, and some with Emily. Emily couldn’t look at it without breaking down.

  Emily’s paternal grandparents were flying in from New Jersey. They had never been a close family. Her grandmother hadn’t sounded any different when Emily told her that her son and his wife were gone. She had just asked about the arrangements and told Emily they would be there. It was a sad statement that she didn’t know her own grandparents well enough to assume they just handled their grief differently.

  Her mom’s parents were gone—Grandpa when Emily was a baby, and Grandma a year later. She had no memories of them, only pictures. Emily’s Aunt Helen, her mom’s sister, had broken down and cried so hard Emily handed the phone to Abby for her to explain the arrangements.

  Her dad’s brother was the last person Emily called. Uncle Mitch and Emily’s father were identical twins. A part of her didn’t want him to come, because she didn’t think she could bear to see a man who looked exactly like her dad walking around, but he had every right to be there. She could tell he cried when she told him.

  Now it was seven o’clock. Tomorrow at this time, the visitation would be half over. Emily dreaded the visitation more than the funeral. Her parents had considered not even having one when they made their plans, but they‘d thought one of them would be left behind and need it for closure. Emily was the only one left, and she only needed the funeral for closure. She vaguely wondered if she would have felt different if they had been able to have the caskets open.

  “Let’s go watch a movie, Em,” Logan suggested, leading her into the living room. “Just forget about everything for a couple of hours. Okay?”

  Abby had gone home for the night, needing to get her own clothes ready and a good night’s sleep before facing tomorrow. Emily needed to remember her parents had been like a second set for Abby—much like Aaron and Sara were for her.

  Logan could tell Emily was dwelling on the funeral too much. This whole thing was horrible, but she needed some normalcy, however brief it might be. He left her sitting on the couch while he dug through her movie collection. He found a silly comedy that didn’t even really have a story line. It was intended to make the audience laugh. While he didn’t expect Emily to laugh, he hoped it would distract her for a short while.

  After starting the movie, he sat beside her on the couch. She immediately moved into the position they were both getting used to, snuggled tightly against him with his arm around her. It was how they slept.

  “I love you, Logan.” For a moment, he didn’t think he’d heard her right. He looked at her, and she was looking at him, an earnest expression in her eyes.

  This was going to be the hardest thing he had ever done. “I love you, Emily, but I want you to wait until all of this is over, and you’re feeling more like yourself before you tell me that again.”

  She pulled away from him, curling into herself, tears cascading down her cheeks. He had rejected her. He didn’t want her love.

  “Emily, did you hear me?” He took her face in his hands and forced her to look at him. “I love you. I want you to love me back, but you’re going through a terrible time right now. I don’t think you’re thinking clearly enough to know your own feelings, and I don’t want you to say or do something you’ll regret later. Don’t cry.” He slowly and tenderly kissed her lips. “I’ll be here waiting for you to tell me again.”

  She kissed him back, just as softly. She knew in her heart he was right. He was telling her this because he loved her, but she couldn’t imagine her feelings for him ch
anging—no matter when it was or what happened. So she thought it to herself. I love you, Logan.

  He held her tighter, once more praying—that she still felt the same way after all of this was over. Because when he’d seen her lying on that blanket crying, everything else had faded, and he had been left with one true fact. He loved her. Maybe he always had.

  Chapter 27

  Was this nightmare called a visitation never going to end? If she had to listen to one more person tell her it was just her parents’ “time”, she was going to go ballistic and start hurling flowers and potted plants at people. It was not their time. They had been taken away from her way too soon.

  Logan saw the look in Emily’s eyes and realized she was on the cusp of losing it. He knew that look all too well since he had often been on the receiving end of it. Then he saw something that might help.

  Emily looked up at the next person in line.

  “Jesse,” she said softly as the tall, lanky man leaned down to hug her.

  “I’m sure sorry, Emily. It’s just not fair, is it?”

  “No, it’s not.” She managed a smile through her tears.

  Fourteen-year-old Austin Nichols was right behind Jesse. He solemnly shook her hand. “I’m very sorry about your parents, Miss Scott.”

  “Thank you, Austin.”

  She looked past him. It looked like all the Slammers and their “little brothers” were there. Emily was touched more than she could say. From the corner of her eye, she saw Jesse speaking to Logan, who had stayed within a few feet of her all evening.

  “You have my condolences,” Jake told her, giving her a light hug.

  Duncan, who Emily thought she remembered was thirteen, shook her hand. “I’m sorry, Miss Scott.”

  “Thank you,” she told both of them before they walked over to Logan.

  Abby, who hadn’t been far from her all evening either, stepped over to stand right beside her. Brody was in front of Emily.

  “I know this is hard for you, Emily, but we’re all here if you need us.”