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“Uh…no.”
The tone of his voice had her leaning in. “Trouble between you two?” When he didn’t answer, she held up a hand. “Never mind. It’s none of my business.”
“Not a problem. It’s complicated. My relationship with Sam, I mean.”
“All relationships are complicated. It’s just a matter of degrees.”
Releasing a deep breath, he nodded. “We aren’t really engaged.”
“What?”
He nodded. “I’d appreciate it if you keep that to yourself.”
“No problem. I am curious, though. Why would you agree to a fake engagement?”
Logan told her the story, ending with Miguel leaving town. “With him gone, there’s no need to continue the deception.” Taking a sip, he shoved away the glass of warm beer.
“How do you feel about Sam?”
“She’s great. Perfect, in fact.”
“I see. Does she know you love her?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“Logan, it’s written all over your face. I’ve known for weeks, so most everyone else must’ve figured it out. Maybe even Sam.”
He gave a quick shake of his head. “Nah. She’s the type to say something.”
“If you’re certain you’re in love with her, then you can’t assume she doesn’t feel the same. That’s what you think, right?”
“Well, yeah. I mean, what do I have to offer her? My home is a tiny cabin at Jake’s ranch. Don’t misunderstand. I’m grateful for the job and cabin. It’s just not suitable for a married man.”
Her lips tipped up at the corners as she nodded. “I see. Well, my thought is she’d find your cabin more than suitable. That’s assuming she loves you.”
Letting his gaze wander to the dance floor, he pursed his lips. “She invited me to meet her for pizza tonight. I didn’t respond to her text.”
They sat for a few minutes in silence before Laurel spoke. “You know I’m a widow.”
He nodded.
“We met at a saloon not much different from Dulcy’s. A group of my friends would go there on Friday nights after work. Their drinks were priced right, the food good, and the crowd wasn’t as rowdy as some places. Plus, they offered dance lessons. Line dancing and couples. One night, he came in with friends and he asked me to dance.”
“Was he good?”
“Awful.” She laughed. “He kept coming in on Fridays and kept asking me to dance until he finally invited me to dinner. But he was in the Navy, which made it complicated.”
“Why was that?”
“His job entailed leaving the area without notice. One minute, his weekends were free, the next, he’d be on a plane. We managed to spend time together between those trips. I was all-in when he asked me to marry him.”
“What happened?”
“We were married for over a year when he didn’t return.” She quieted, staring down into her lap. “Even knowing how our marriage would end, I wouldn’t have changed anything. He was the love of my life, Logan. I was blessed with all the time we spent together. Don’t miss the best thing in your life because you assume Sam doesn’t feel the same.”
She glanced across the room to a table with two men and a woman. “In fact, I’d recommend you tell her as soon as possible. Tonight would be a good time.”
“Sam’s not coming here tonight.”
