by Sable Hunter
He didn’t get as far as he expected to, though. Exiting the arena, Jenna had seen him leaving. “Logan, wait!” Sliding off her horse, she handed the reins to her friend, Dixie Bell, one of the best barrel racers in the state. “I’ll be back. I have to catch Logan.”
She ran after him, praying she got to his truck before he pulled away. “Logan! Wait!” The look on his face was hard to read, but he waited.
“What’s wrong, Jenna? You did great out there, by the way.”
Coming to a stop at the side of the truck, she held on to the rim of the window he’d lowered to talk to her. “Thanks, Logan. You aren’t leaving are you?”
“Yea, I have a few things to do at the station.” The work could wait, but he needed the distance. Logan could feel his soul straining over the weight of the life he wasn't living, the burden of knowing he'd never have what he really wanted in life. Her.
“We’re having a cookout tonight and a hayride. Would you like to go with me?” She tried to give him her most enticing smile.
“I don’t think so.” Logan thought quickly, willing to do almost anything to keep from making a fool of himself. “I have a date tonight. Aren’t there some people more your own age you’d rather hang out with?”
“Oh.” He saw the light die in her eyes. “Yea, there’s a guy staying here, a soldier. His name is Butch. He asked me out. I guess I could go with him. I just thought…”
Logan swallowed his protest. The idea of her going out with anyone, much less a soldier named Butch made his stomach clench. But…this was for the best. “Yea, you have a good time. Make sure Butch is on his best behavior and I’ll see you there.” When she stepped back, looking defeated, he gave her a big smile. “You rode like a pro. I’m proud of you. Happy Birthday!”
Jenna tried to smile back, but she didn’t quite succeed. “Thanks. Hurry back, I’ll miss you.”
He lifted his hand to wave as he drove away and she watched him go. It seemed like she was always watching him go.
* * *
“I was surprised when you called me.” Terra clung to his arm, whispering into his ear as they strolled along the oak-lined path behind the rodeo pavilion. Tiny white lights were strung through the tree branches and strains of live music could be heard wafting on the breeze. The setting was very romantic, but Logan wasn't interested. He had to tighten the muscles in the arm she was holding to fight the temptation to shake her off. Asking this woman out on a date was not his finest moment. He knew Terra was reading far too much into his invitation. It was his fault, Logan knew that. Using the innocent blonde as a buffer between himself and the woman he couldn’t resist wasn't the smartest idea in the world.
“It’s a nice night to be outdoors,” he mumbled, searching for something to say that made sense. “The moon’s big and bright.” As soon as he said it, Logan realized his mistake. She took his observation of the beautiful night sky as an invitation to take the next step.
When Terra slipped her hand into Logan’s back pocket and fondled his ass he jerked. “I can’t wait to cuddle under a blanket with you, Chief Gray. I’ve heard you’re a master at putting out fires.” She reached over and nipped him on the ear. “I have a hot spot that sure could use your attention.”
“Uh…” Logan jerked away from her so fast, Terra almost lost her footing.
“What the hell?” Even the gathering shadows couldn't hide Terra's frown as she stopped in her tracks, placing a hand on her hip.
Logan was about to stammer an inane explanation when the sight ahead of him swept every other thought from his mind. “Dammit!” Some tall, gangly ass had Jenna backed up to a tree, one hand under her chin, the other a good two inches below her waist. If the jerk spread his fingers, he'd be caressing her backside. The man slowly lowered his head, he looked to be about to kiss...
“Jenna!” Logan called. “Can I talk to you?”
“Logan, what are you doing?” Terra protested, clearly disturbed by her escort's sudden outburst.
Logan was aware of the woman next to him stiffening even farther. All he offered her was a nod of his head. “Excuse me, Terra.”
Jenna said something to ‘Butch’ who threw up his hands, but stayed where he was as she moved to the side to come toward Logan. Her eyes darted between him and Terra. She didn’t look happy. “Is there something wrong?”
Beyond Jenna, the man who’d had his hands all over her crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Logan. He gave the young buck a warning stare and took Jenna by the arm. “You don’t know that man well enough to let him take those types of liberties with you.” He could feel the heat of anger rising on his face. During the years she’d been living with him and his family, Jenna had attended some parties, but if she’d ever dated anyone he hadn’t known about it. When he’d tossed out that suggestion that she hang out with others her own age, he’d been envisioning some pimply faced kid, not the randy GI who looked ready to fight for her if given a reason.
Jenna narrowed her eyes and pressed her luscious lips together. “I’m eighteen, Logan. And I’m not stupid. I wasn’t about to let him do anything.” She refused to look toward Terra, instead Jenna lowered her voice. “I asked you to be with me tonight. You chose someone else.” There was no way he missed the accusing hurt in her voice.
“What has that got to do with anything?” he growled. “I’m just looking out for you.”
“I don’t need you to look out for me,” she said, then lowered her head. “I mean, I want you to look out for me, but not like this.” She laid her hand on his arm.
Logan trembled at her touch.
“Logan.” Terra said his name, reminding him of her presence.
“We need to talk, Logan.” Jenna looked up into his face. The moonlight playing off her alluring features made it hard for Logan to breathe. “Please.”
“Jenna, I…” Logan didn’t know what he was about to say, he never got a chance to formulate the words. He was literally saved by the bell. His pager sounded, saving him from having to answer. Taking it from his pocket, he read the message. He wouldn’t say he was grateful for a fire, but the interruption was timely. “I’ve got to go,” he said loudly enough for Terra to hear, then he spoke to Jenna. “Get rid of him and we’ll talk when I get back.”
“I'll be waiting,” she answered. Logan couldn't tell much from her tone.
Heading off, he called out to Terra. “I'm sorry about this, duty calls. I’ll ask my father to take you home.” Without looking around to see her disgruntled expression, Logan loped toward the barn where his truck was parked, phoning his dad on the way.
When he told Earl what was going on, his dad just laughed. “You've got your hands full, son, and I think the fire is the least of your worries. Be safe.”
“Sure thing, Pops.” All the way to the station, Logan relived the last few minutes. He was so jealous he felt sick with it. What in the hell was he going to do? Upon arrival at the fire hall, he put his concerns about Jenna and their situation aside. It was time to do his job.
“CHAOS! CHAOS!” One of the men shouted as he came in the door. Logan ignored the familiar outburst. “What’s up?” he shouted to anyone who was listening. He could see the big engine was loaded and running.
“We’ve got a man collapsed at a produce warehouse over on Hwy. 71. They think there’s some kind of leak, possibly carbon monoxide.” Marcus, his second in command, informed him as Logan donned his helmet. “The owners are worried about an explosion.”
“Grab some extra SCBA’s. We’re not sure what we’re up against.” Logan yelled.
“How was Jenna’s birthday? Did she like the truck?” Chris asked as everyone pulled on their gear.
Logan didn’t stop what he was doing. “It was good, and yea, I think she did like it.” He answered succinctly as he flipped on the radio to listen for further updates.
“Who’s Jenna?” Ronan asked, coming up behind them. “Is that your girl, Chief?”
“Uh, no.” Logan shook his head.
Chris laughed. “The Chief is Jenna’s guardian.” He elbowed Logan. “She’s too young for him, more our age.”
Logan growled. “She’s off limits to all of you.” While Chris’ words were true, that didn’t make them any easier to hear. Letting his instincts and professional training take over, he cried out, “Let’s roll!”
As the big red fire engine roared out of the station and headed west, Logan kept his eyes focused on the horizon. When this was over he needed to have a heart to heart with Jenna, make her understand that whatever she was feeling wasn’t real…it couldn’t be.
The crack that Chris had made about Jenna being too young for him wasn’t meant to be hurtful, but it had hurt. Myra’s words from two years ago came back to haunt him. In a way, she’d been wrong. No one had made any noise about Jenna living at his place. Mainly because he’d made damn sure that no one had a reason to. But that didn’t prevent his feelings for her from growing each day. What had started out as affection when she was off-limits, a minor, had grown along with her, maturing into absolute adoration.
Logan loved Jenna.
Completely. Utterly. He wanted her so much that he laid awake at night and shook with the need to make her his. Every time he was with her, he struggled to keep his hands off of her. And today…when she kissed him.
God have mercy.
What if she really did have genuine feelings for him? The possibility was almost more than he could comprehend. Hell - if he had his way, he’d sweep her away to some deserted island where there would be no one to judge and make love with her for days. Neither one of them would be able to walk when they were through.
But that wasn’t going to happen.
Because he was responsible. It wouldn’t be the best thing for Jenna. She deserved someone her own age, someone who shared all of her interests. Not someone old enough to be her father…no matter how much he would cherish her. A warm flow of air hit him in the face as they traveled nearer to the warehouse. Logan let the breeze blow his thoughts away so he could focus on the job at hand.
* * *
Knowing where her priorities lay, Jenna had no problem sending Butch packing. “I’m sorry, I didn’t intend to lead you on.” She had walked with him back to his guest cabin, in a group, with two other couples.
The tall soldier put a hand on the wall behind her. “If you give me a chance, you might enjoy it.”
His nearness made Jenna uncomfortable, not in an excited way, his bulk seemed smothering. Nothing like the way Logan made her feel. “I don’t think so, thanks.”
“It’s that other guy, isn’t it? The cowboy?”
Jenna didn’t answer. She didn't have to; her blush gave her away.
“I didn’t realize it at first, but the way you lit up when you saw him, no one could miss that.” Butch lifted his hand and tried to stroke her cheek, but Jenna evaded the gesture. “That older fella is bit too intense, if you ask me.”
Ducking out from under his arm, Jenna began to move away. “Well, no one asked you. And Logan is the best person in the world.”
Butch held up his hands in surrender. “All right. If you change your mind, I’m here for two more days.”
His voice rang in her head as she left. Agreeing to see Butch had been a mistake, she realized that. After Logan told her he had a date and suggested she find someone of her own to spend time with, she’d followed his instructions – not out of any desire to meet anyone new. No, she’d done it in a misplaced attempt to give Logan exactly what he asked for. And she got a reaction from him, no doubt about that. The only problem was that Jenna just didn’t know what the reaction meant. Was he jealous or was he just being over-protective – again?
Hanging her head, Jenna moved through the darkness, her footsteps sounding as she crunched leaves still on the wooded path from last fall. The security lights created circles of illumination, islands of safety. As many times as she’d explored these woods, the shadows always made her nervous. The guest cabins were some distance from the main house and barn complex, where the stock was managed. They were closer in distance to the foreman’s cabin where Logan stayed.
Drawn as if by an invisible thread, she strolled to the band of trees framing the boundary between the pasture and the yard. His truck wasn’t there. She sighed. He must still be out on the call. She wished she knew where he was and if he was all right. Jenna worried each and every time he went to fight a fire or perform a rescue. Standing there, she gazed at the cabin. A porch ran the length of the front and wrapped around the two sides. It wasn’t a fancy home, white clapboard siding and a shingle roof wasn’t the norm in this part of the world. Stone houses with ceramic tile roofs were far more common. This was a more conservative type of residence. But that didn’t matter to Jenna. What drew her to this place wasn’t the style or the amenities, it was the resident. She stared at the welcoming glow from the window and imagined how it would be to live there with him, to make a home with Logan – fix his meals, keep him company – God, warm his bed.
“You may have him fooled, but I can see right through you.”
Jenna jumped at the voice behind her. Terra McMurphy, Logan’s date, had come upon her in the night. “I thought Earl gave you a ride. Do you still need one?” She tried to be polite. After all, Gray Wolf was her home. It was her place to serve as a hostess.
“I turned him down. I’ll find my own way home, in my own time.” Terra slunk up next to her, or at least that’s the way it seemed to Jenna. “Logan is too much man for you. You’ll never be able to hold his interest.”
Jenna bristled. “You don’t know anything. I understand Logan’s world.” She got right in the other woman’s face. “I live in it.”
“But you’re not in his bed. Are you?” With a laugh, she turned away and disappeared in the gloom.
“And neither are you by the looks of it,” Jenna whispered. She waited until her rival’s footsteps faded into the distance. Now the only sounds she could hear were night birds and the ripple of the water running over the rocks in the creek. The sound of the white water was almost as noisy as the thoughts in her head. Jenna's mind was whirling. All day she’d practiced what she was going to say to Logan. This was her eighteenth birthday. In her mind, it was a milestone. Before today, Jenna knew there was a barrier between her and the man she loved. He was a gentleman, a man of honor. He’d no more take advantage of her, than he would rob a bank. But that barrier was down. Gone. She’d reached the magic number. Eighteen. Now, there was nothing standing between them. And she intended to make him aware that she was ready, willing and able to take the next step.
Taking her time, she walked carefully by Logan's house toward the front of the property. She imagined that he was inside waiting for her. They were married and soon they'd cuddle in front of the TV before he carried her to bed. With a shiver of awareness, Jenna wrapped her arms around herself. Logan wanted her...or she was almost sure he did. At times it seemed as if the attraction between them was so intense, she could feel the heat on her skin. Sometimes she would catch him staring at her with a look in his eyes that spoke to her heart. As far as she was concerned, she and Logan were destined to be together. He was her soulmate, her destiny. Jenna was as sure of this as she was her own name.
When she came to the edge of the woods, Jenna sat down on a rock by the big wagon wheel that leaned on the front rail fence where she could see down the highway in the direction Logan would be coming from. Climbing up on a big rock, she settled herself down to wait. He’d said they would talk and she was going to be ready when he arrived. Every time car lights appeared, Jenna straightened up. But as the hours wore on, it became obvious that he wasn’t coming home tonight. Could he have gone to Terra's? She shook her head, mentally dispelling the thought.
“Hey, want some company?”
Jenna jumped. It was Dixie. “You scared me.” She put a hand to her heart.
“One of the hands saw you come this way. I didn’t want to leave until I talked to you.” Sco
oting over, Jenna made room for her friend to sit beside her.
“I’m glad you did.” Jenna smiled. “Your time around the barrels was great tonight. Congratulations on your win.”
“Thanks.” Dixie laid back and stared up at the stars. “What are you doing out here in the dark?”
“Waiting on Logan, but I don’t think he’s coming back tonight.”
“Oh, he’s not.” Dixie sat up quickly. “The man who told me where you were, Robert…what’s his name?”
“Robert Warrick, the ranch foreman.” Jenna was listening intently. “What did he say?”
“Yea, Warrick. He said there was some problem with one of the trailers that was carrying stock to a rodeo up north around Tyler. It broke down and Logan has driven up to make sure it gets fixed.”
“Well, dang.” Jenna whispered. “I guess there’s no use sitting here.” He didn’t even call and tell her he wasn’t coming. Heck, he didn’t even really commit to talking tonight. She'd just assumed – or hoped. “I wanted to thank him again for my birthday present.”
“What did he get you? I never got a chance to ask.”
Jenna smiled. “A brand new, snow white Ford pickup!”
“No way!” Dixie yelled. “Oh, my God! You lucky girl, you.”
“That I am,” she agreed, but it wasn’t the truck she was thanking her lucky stars for.” Seeing how tired her friend looked, she grabbed Dixie’s hand. “Why don’t you stay the night here instead of driving back into Austin?” Jenna asked, needing the company. “We could have a slumber party.”
“Really?” Dixie asked, brightening. “You don’t think the Gray’s would mind?”
“Oh, not at all. Come on.” She got up and started down the path. “I’m hungry. What time is it anyway?”
“A little after eleven, not too late.” Dixie fell in step with her as they walked toward the main house. All of the rodeo crowd was gone. No one was about but ranch hands and guests and they had retired to their respective quarters. “You’re great, you know. There’s no reason you couldn’t be performing on the circuit.”