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“Don’t write him off so quickly. I mean, what was he to do?”
“You should’ve been here, Sam. It was as if he’d become a different person. He asked questions over and over until I wanted to scream. All he wanted was to get me to break, confess to setting the fires.” Laurel grabbed a damp cloth and began to wipe down the counter. “I finally told him to leave. That shook him up enough that he stopped. He did look a little deflated when I pointed to the door. By then, I couldn’t stand looking at him. Aiden figured it out and left. Okay, enough about what happened to me. Tell me about you and Logan. I didn’t realize the two of you were serious.”
Sam wanted to tell Laurel the truth, knowing it would go against the promise she and Logan made. Every person who knew would give Miguel a better chance of learning it was all a ruse. She had to stick with their plan.
“There isn’t much to tell. It happened quickly.” She forced a smile. “Guess you never know what life will bring.”
“Thank you for calling.” A slow, resigned sigh slipped through Logan’s lips. “I’ll wait for your next call and get there as soon as I can.” He stared at the phone in his hand, trying to digest the caller’s message.
“Are you all right?”
It took him a moment to remember he and Sam were sitting in a booth at the pizza parlor. He’d been telling her a story about one of the ranch hands when his phone vibrated.
“Uh, sorry. What did you say?”
“The call, Logan. Is everything all right?”
Eyes blank, he gave a slow shake of his head. “It was…it was…” He stood, shoving the phone into a pocket before heading outside.
“Logan. Wait.” She followed after him, worried about the vacant look and sudden pallor of his face. Getting outside seconds after him, she gripped his arm. “Talk to me.”
Licking his lips, he looked away. “It was about my mother.”
“What about her?”
“She’s, uh…dead.”
Spotting a bench, she tugged him toward it. “Sit down and tell me what they said.”
Lowering himself, he leaned forward, resting his forearms on his thighs to stare at the ground. “A man from the hospital called. He said I was listed as her emergency contact.” He rubbed his palms against his eyes. After a minute, he turned his head to look at Sam. “She had a heart attack. She’s g…g…gone.” His voice broke as his eyes watered.
Sam wrapped her arms around him, rocking slowly as the tears came. They didn’t last long before he sat up, swiping the dampness away with the back of his hand.
“Can I call someone for you?”
“There’s no one. I’m it.”
“What about Quinn? He could call your father.”
“No. Wallace won’t care that she’s gone.”
Sam knew the story, how Logan had come to Brilliance to find his older half-brother. She wasn’t sure Wallace Sawyer wouldn’t care.
“You’re his son. He’ll care about you.” When he didn’t respond, she took his hand in hers. “What can I do for you? Do you want to go back to the ranch?”
“Yeah. I need to get away from here.”
“Wait for me in your truck. I’ll be right out. And please, let me drive.” True to her word, Sam slid behind the wheel five minutes later. He began talking soon after they turned onto the highway.
“The man said she didn’t suffer. She was with a friend at dinner when it happened. She was gone before the paramedics could get her to the hospital.”
“I know it doesn’t mean much, but that’s a blessing.”
Resting a hand on her jean-clad thigh, he cleared his throat. “It means a great deal, Sam.”
They didn’t speak again before she parked close to the barn at the Kelman Ranch. “Would you mind if I stay for a while?”
“I’d appreciate the company. I’m waiting for another call from the man at the hospital.”
