by Joanna Sims
“You’re not out here alone.” A male voice in the dark made her jump.
Startled, Josephine let go of the screen door handle and it slammed back into place. Her heart gave one hard thud in her chest; she placed her hand over her heart.
“Sorry,” Logan said in a loud whisper. “I didn’t want to scare you.”
“Your attempt to not scare me scared me,” Josephine whispered back.
“Sorry,” he repeated.
Crossing her arms over her chest, Josephine hesitated for a second before she decided to join him. It wasn’t ideal; she wanted to be alone. But she wanted to sit outside in her favorite rocking chair more than she wanted to go back upstairs. She sat down in the rocking chair, glad that Logan wasn’t occupying it, and sighed more loudly than she had intended.
“Taking a break from your studies?” Logan asked.
Obviously, he’s going to insist on talking.
“Insomnia. Chronic.”
“It takes me a while to get comfortable in a strange bed.”
Josephine nodded silently.
“I wanted to get to bed early so I could get up early to hike. I suppose I’m going to have to plan on covering less ground tomorrow.”
For the first time since she had joined him, Josephine turned her head his way. “You like to hike?”
Logan moved over to the rocking chair next to her so he could talk to her in a quiet voice. “Hiking, mountain climbing, rock climbing, anything outdoors...if you can name it, I’m probably into it. How about you? Growing up in a place like this, you must love to hike.”
“I used to hike all over these mountains when I was a kid. No matter how old I get, I think I’ll always love these mountains the most.”
“Well...” Logan stood up. “I think I’m gonna give sleep another try. But if you want to join me, I’m thinking about heading out around seven, seven-thirty.”
“There’s so much to do around here with the wedding. But thank you, though.”
“Sure.” Logan headed down the porch stairs, using the light of the moon to light his footing. At the bottom of the steps, Logan paused to look back at her.
“If you change your mind, I wouldn’t mind the company.”
“I’ll let you know. Good night, Logan.”
“Good night.” Hands in his pockets, Logan strolled in the moonlight the short distance back to Tyler’s bachelor cabin.
She had wanted him to go; she had been relieved when he got up to leave. But now that she was alone on the porch, and alone with her thoughts, Josephine suddenly regretted that Logan had left. He had distracted her, temporarily, from her melancholy and now it was back. Instead of staying on the porch, as she intended, she crept back inside, popped some over-the-counter sleeping aids, and took a steaming hot bath. If she could just get herself to sleep, if she could just demand that her body go to sleep, things would most likely appear less crappy in the morning. Josephine got into bed with that hope. She punched her pillows, kicked at her sheets and blanket, and finally, stiffly, flopped onto her back, hugged one of her pillows to her chest, and closed her eyes. She had already made up her mind that she was going to stay right where she was until she fell asleep. Even if it took all night.
* * *
The next morning, Josephine wasn’t surprised when she awakened before the alarm went off. Even with insomnia, she had always been an early riser. Ranger had meowed at her bedroom door until she had finally relented and let him in. Why he had picked her, she couldn’t be sure, but he had curled his body around the top of her head and she had fallen asleep to the rhythmic sound of his loud purring. After she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, Josephine sat up slowly, scooped Ranger into her arms, and hugged him. He started to purr again, and she kissed him on the head before she set him gently on the bed. She could hear her family already stirring downstairs and she wanted to join them.
“Let’s go see what everyone is up to,” she said to Ranger.
Josephine got dressed quickly and headed downstairs.
“Good morning.” Josephine walked into the kitchen with Ranger trotting along beside her.
The smell of homemade biscuits, sizzling butter, sweet bacon, and eggs permeated the kitchen. Mom was at the industrial-grade stove, frying up more eggs. Her father, Hank, was in his usual seat at the head of the long rectangular table that could seat up to twenty ranch workers if necessary. The family dog, a German shepherd named Ilsa, was sitting to Hank’s left, patiently waiting for her father to sneak her a piece of bacon. Tyler was at his father’s right hand, guzzling down a large mug of coffee loaded with cream and sugar. Logan sat to Tyler’s right, quietly eating his breakfast. It was strange for her to see someone else occupying what had been Daniel’s favored seat at the table. Logan nodded his head and smiled at her; she gave him a quick smile in return.
“Good morning, sweetheart, did you sleep well?” Barbara Brand tilted her head a bit so her daughter could give her their customary kiss.
“Once I finally fell asleep, I slept like a rock.” Josephine wrapped her arms around her mom’s shoulders from behind, gave her a quick hug, and a kiss on the cheek.
No matter what time in the morning, Barbara was always put together. Her mom smelled faintly of her signature perfume; her hair, blond streaked with silver, was pulled back off her classically pretty face into a chignon, and her makeup was light and flawlessly applied. The woman never gave up. She had lived with dirty cowboys and cows for over forty years, but she had refused to let go of her sophisticated, big-city Chicago roots. Her mottos were Simplicity Is Elegance and A Woman Can Be Stylish Anywhere. And she lived those mottos on a daily basis.
“Orange juice is on the table. Scrambled or fried?” Barbara pointed to the eggs with her spatula.
“I think I’m just going to grab coffee and a banana.” Josephine put her hands lightly on her mom’s shoulders. “Can I help?”
“No, honey, I’m just doing my thing. Go spend some time with Dad before he disappears for the day.” Barbara started to flip the eggs over one by one.
Next, Josephine greeted her father with a hug and a kiss.
“Mornin’, Princess. You’re up with the rooster.” Her father squeezed her hand affectionately.
Henry “Hank” Brand had Montana ranching in his blood. His family had owned the Bent Tree Cattle Ranch for four generations. Raising cattle was what Hank loved to do; he was in his early sixties, but he was tall and lean and could still sit straight in the saddle with the youngest ranch hands. He had thick silver hair, usually hidden beneath a cowboy hat, and he had bright blue trademark Brand eyes, deeply set, that stood out in contrast to the tanned skin of his narrow face.
“Sit right here next to me.” Hank leaned over and pulled the chair out for his daughter to join him.
Josephine grabbed a cup of coffee and then headed back to the table. Before she sat down, she hugged Ilsa around the neck; the shepherd was definitely starting to show her age. Ilsa was graying around her muzzle and eyes. Josephine took the seat next to her father and reached for a large ripe banana from a bowl of fruit. Tyler stopped chewing for a second to smile at her with closed lips; he nodded to the pitcher of fresh-squeezed orange juice. She held out her glass for Tyler to fill it for her.
“So what you were saying, Logan, is that we might be able to relocate the chapel?” Hank pushed his plate forward and reached for his mug full of steaming black coffee.
“I don’t know why we’re even discussing this.” Barbara walked back over to the table, her hands resting firmly on her hips. “We aren’t changing the venue for the wedding. I’ve been killing myself for over a year with all of these arrangements. We’ve paid the deposit, the invitations have been sent out...” Everyone in the kitchen, including the dog, was focused on Barbara now. “St. Peter’s is where all of my children were baptized, St. Peter’s is
where Dan is buried, and St. Peter’s is where the wedding is going to be held!”
Hank reached for his wife’s hand. “Barb, we’re just talking about relocating the chapel. Jordan knows that the chapel is out of the question for the wedding.”
“Oh, I missed that part.” Before Barb turned back to the stove, she pointed to her son. “Tyler, how many times have I asked you to not to feed Ranger at the table?”
Josephine looked across the table at her brother; Ranger was sitting on Tyler’s lap waiting for a morsel to come his way. Tyler winked at her and smiled, but didn’t move Ranger.
“I haven’t been up to the chapel in years.” Josephine remembered playing wedding there with Jordan when they were girls. “Are you really thinking about moving the chapel, Dad? How? And where would you put it?”
Great-grandpa Brand had been a full-time rancher and a part-time preacher. He’d built a small chapel on the ranch with his own hands, and had a small congregation that would come on Sunday morning to hear him preach. It had sat abandoned, unused, for decades.
“I don’t really know.” Hank snuck Ilsa a full strip of bacon from his plate. “I haven’t been up there in years. I couldn’t tell you if it’s even still standing.”
“It’s standing,” Tyler said. “But it’s rough. Real rough.”
“I’d be willing to take a look at it for you, sir,” Logan offered. “My uncle’s a contractor. He had me framing houses before I could drive. I could take some pictures and get my uncle take a look at them.”
Hank stood up and grabbed his hat off the back of his chair. “I’d appreciate that.”
Ranger hopped down to the ground when Tyler stood up and grabbed his hat as well. “I can take him up there so he can get a look around.”
“No, I need you supervising the work on the north fence today.” Hank grabbed his plate and utensils, stacked them in the sink, and then kissed his wife.
It hit her out of the blue, but the only thing Josephine wanted to do with her morning was see the chapel. She didn’t want to spend the morning cooped up with a bunch of textbooks. She wanted to get out in the fresh air, get out into the sunlight, and get her blood pumping by hiking her way up to the ninety-year-old chapel.
“Mom? Jordan’s not going to be ready to tackle wedding stuff until after noon. If you don’t need me, I could take Logan up to see the chapel.”
“That’s fine, honey. Just make sure you take plenty of water and bug spray.” Her mother never took a break from being her mother.
Josephine looked at Logan. “If you don’t mind...I’ll take you to the chapel.”
Logan had been sitting across the table from Josephine, trying not to stare at her. There was just something about her that got his attention and held it. Would he mind spending the morning hiking in the mountains with the most beautiful woman he’d seen in a long time?
Heck, no!
Logan did his best not to look like a kid who had just been handed the keys to the candy store when he casually said to Josephine, “No, I don’t mind.”
Chapter Four
Josephine quickly changed into a pair of denim cutoff shorts and hiking boots, and layered a sweatshirt over a Berkeley Law T-shirt. She grabbed sunglasses, a baseball cap, and raced down the stairs. She deliberately left her cell phone behind. This was her time to take a break from her worries over her relationship with Brice. This was her first full day home at the ranch and it seemed sacrilegious not to at least make the attempt to enjoy it.
“Ready?” Logan was waiting for her.
“Ready.” Josephine hopped down the porch stairs to meet him.
Logan liked the way Josephine’s face was lit up with excitement. He had no doubt that the excitement was related to the hike and seeing the chapel, but he couldn’t stop himself from hoping that perhaps spending time with him factored into that equation.
“Lead the way, boss.” Logan lifted his heavy rucksack onto his shoulders.
They walked along a well-worn dirt road that would lead them up the mountain to her great-grandfather’s chapel. Before they reached the tree line at the base of the mountain, the early morning sun was heating up the bright blue, cloudless sky. By the time they reached tree line, Josephine was ready to shed her outer layer of clothing.
“This road will take us about three-quarters of the way up this mountain.” She wrapped her sweatshirt around her hips and put her hat back on. “There’s an incredible view of the continental divide once you reach the peak. You’ve got to be sure to check that out while you’re here, but you’ll have to get there on foot or on horseback. Do you ride?”
Logan nodded. “All my life.”
“Well...” Josephine slid the sunglasses back into place. “Anytime you want to ride, just let London know. She’s the intern working in the foaling barn. She’ll make sure there’s a horse saddled up for you.”
Together, side by side, they walked along the gravel and dirt road that followed a winding stream up the mountain. Although she had known him for only a very short time, it wasn’t awkward hiking alone with Logan. Out of his uniform, he wasn’t uptight. Their conversation was easy, and right when a lull was about to occur, Logan would ask her another question about the history of the ranch. She couldn’t stop herself from thinking that Brice had never shown this much interest in her family’s history. Even though she hadn’t really paid much attention to that before today. But with Logan’s genuine interest as a comparison, it was pretty hard to ignore.
“Do you mind if we take a quick break?” she asked when they reached the halfway point.
Josephine found a large boulder near the stream embankment and sat down. She closed her eyes for a minute to enjoy fully the sounds of the mountains. It seemed so quiet when they were walking and talking, but right now she could hear how loud the water flowing over the rocks in the stream sounded.
“Thirsty?” Logan, kneeling nearby, had opened his rucksack. He held out a bottle of water to her, which she accepted.
She drank the water slowly, taking some time to catch her breath. Logan downed his water, stuffed the empty bottle back into his bag, and then stripped his T-shirt off. Beneath it was a ribbed tank top that clung to his chest and stomach. For a second, Josephine found herself mindlessly staring at Logan. He wasn’t tall; she typically dated tall men. In fact, when she stood next to him in heels, she was a little taller than he was.
But on the other hand, he was built like Michelangelo’s David. His body was incredible. She’d never seen anything like it in real life. His shoulders, his biceps, his chest, were covered with thick, defined muscle. His waist was tapered and she could actually see the ripples of his abdominal muscles through the ribbed material. Logan didn’t have a six-pack—he had an eight-pack. In particular, she was fascinated by the large tattoo of a dark gray wolf that covered a large portion of his upper left arm and chest. Part of the tattoo was obscured by his tank top, and Josephine wished she could move the material over and take a closer look at the design. It looked like beautiful work. Knowing that she needed to stop staring at the man, she looked at the stream instead. But, she could still see him out of the corner of her eye as he wiped the sweat off his face, neck, and arms with his T-shirt.
After a minute, she stood up and brushed the dirt off the seat of her shorts. “I’m over here huffing and puffing and you’ve barely broken a sweat.”
Logan rolled up his T-shirt and packed it back into the rucksack. “I spend a lot of time indoor rock climbing.”
“It shows.” This was blurted out without thought. Josephine inwardly cringed as she extended her empty bottle to him.
He smiled at her as he held out his hand for her bottle. She was genuinely relieved when he didn’t latch on to her comment and run with it. He just zipped up his bag, slung it back onto his shoulders, and adjusted the straps for comfort.
�
�Ready?” he asked.
“Yep.” Now that she had caught her breath, she was eager to reach the chapel. So many years had passed by since she had laid eyes on her childhood haunt. What would it be like to see it now, through the eyes of an adult?
“There’s a fork in the road up ahead,” she told him. “If you take this road to the right, it will take you to a cave that my grandfather found.”
“A cave?”
She sidestepped a dip in the road. “It’s incredible. But it’s hard to get into. You basically have to crawl on your back along this narrow tunnel that leads to the main chamber. The main chamber is huge—completely dark. Archaeologists have studied our cave for years. There are areas all along the sides of the main area where they believe that prehistoric humans lived. And they ended up finding a lot of artifacts in the main chamber and some of the smaller chambers.”
“I’ll have to check it out.”
“I don’t like the crawling part so much... It’s a little claustrophobic. But once you get inside, you feel like you’ve been transported back in time. I haven’t been there in ages, but I can still remember how cold it was inside the cave.”
At the top of a hill, they reached the fork in the road. She stopped for a minute to catch her breath; she had put in hundreds of hours on the elliptical machine, and the climb was still tough. The change in altitude, the thinner air, impacted her mild case of asthma. Next time she came up here, she’d have to remember her inhaler.
“Up that way is the cave...” She pointed to the right.
“I suppose this isn’t the day for that?”
“I really need to get back before noon. There’s still a lot that needs to get done for the wedding. But, you can head up there after we see the chapel, if you want.”
Logan shifted his rucksack on his back to a more comfortable position. “We’ll see.”