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“Totally.” He nodded for emphasis. “Absolutely.” He nodded again.
“You’re sure about that?” Quinn offered a wry grin.
“You bet,” Logan answered before seeing the mirth on his brother’s face. “Guess I’ve gotten myself into a mess.”
“Not at all. You helped a friend. No one can fault you for that. I do have one question.”
“What’s that?”
“What are you going to do when Miguel leaves and you realize the engagement isn’t fake?”
Quinn’s question haunted Logan the rest of the day. He hadn’t called Sam, and avoided her text messages. They needed to talk in person, not over the phone.
After a shower and dinner, he drove to Whistle Rock Ranch. Expecting to find Sam in her cabin, he lifted his hand to knock, then dropped it to his side.
Their friendship had taken a bizarre turn, one he never would have foreseen. When he’d gone along with Sam’s ruse, he hadn’t figured on explaining it to his brother and ranch hands. It was certain most of the townsfolk had already heard, either from Miguel or someone from Whistle Rock Ranch. Pressure built inside his chest. He glanced up when the door drew open.
“Are you intending to stand out there all night?”
A mirthless chuckle escaped. “It occurred to me.”
“Bet it did. Come inside so we can talk.”
“Any chance you have coffee?”
“A full pot.” She held the door wide, allowing Logan to scoot past her.
Neither spoke when she pulled two mugs out of a cupboard, filling each with fresh coffee. “Milk, sugar?”
“Black is good.” When she set the cup in front of him, he touched her arm. “Thanks, Sam.”
“It’s just coffee. We’ve got more significant issues to talk about.”
“Barrel drove to the ranch this morning to congratulate me.”
She took a sip of coffee. “Yeah, he told me. I guess he told you how Virgil made the announcement at breakfast. I about lost the little I’d eaten.”
“Virgil didn’t talk to you first?”
“He did, but I didn’t expect him to announce it to everyone.”
“What did he say?”
“He showed me the note and flowers. Asked if it was true. I told him it was, but it sure never occurred to me he’d tell everyone.” She dropped her head back to stare at the ceiling.
“It’ll work out, Sam.” The calm in his voice belied the storm in his stomach.
“How? It’s already a mess.”
“That’s what we have to figure out. Do you want to hear what I think?”
“Sure.”
“It isn’t in Miguel’s nature to stay for long. He’s a man who’s always seeking the next big deal. My guess is he came here to live off your success at the ranch until ready to run again. After he leaves, we’ll wait a bit, then announce the engagement is off.”
She thought a moment before nodding. “That should work. Broken engagements happen all the time.” A wry grin crossed her face. “At least, that’s what I’ve heard.”
“Until then, we act as any other engaged couple. You’d know more about how they act than me.”
