There was so much we should have discussed last night, but I was too damn tired to do it then. Another thing I won’t be admitting to him. It was easier to get changed while he was showering and climb into the side of the bed I assumed wasn’t his. A video baby monitor and a small clock both sat on the other nightstand. So I figured my assumption was safe, and when he got into that side after his shower, I also figured my assumption was right. And maybe I faked sleep at first to avoid another confrontation, but sleep came fast enough. At least it did until I got the call about Ryker.
I guess my long day is about to get longer.
I know if I was actually Logan’s wife, I’d be expected to walk right in, but that feels...wrong.
Olivia
I just parked. Should I walk in?
Logan
The front door is locked. Remind me to give you a key.
We all just sat down outside to eat. Come around back.
Come around back? So gentlemanly.
Olivia
Okay
I look longingly at the door one more time before wishing I could just go up to bed. But if everyone is together out back, that isn’t an option. Not yet. We’ve got to sell this, so I better dig deep and act like I want to be here instead of anywhere but here.
Taking my time, I follow the stone path beside the house, listening to laughter as I move closer to a black wrought-iron fence. A gorgeous horse barn flanks one side of the property with split-rail fencing beyond that divides the luxurious-looking barn and smaller structures that seem more fit for a Pinterest board than a racehorse ranch. Sunflowers dot the horizon with a small pond and more animals than I was expecting sprinkled in.
“You going to stop staring and join us, Olive?”
I look up into Logan’s blue eyes shining down at me as he holds the gate open. “Sorry. I guess I was staring. I just didn’t expect... all of this. It’s beautiful.”
His grin is slow and sincere. It’s full of pride, and I try to ignore it and the effect it has on me. “Yeah. It really is. Come on. Bobby just got dinner together. We always eat early on Sundays. Pops’s rules.”
“Bobby?” I ask as Logan’s hand moves to the small of my back.
“Watch your step,” he warns as we walk through the grass to a paver patio where his entire family sits with the Highland cow from the pictures lying not too far away. “Bobby is the ranch’s chef. He cooks for the family and the workers.”
“How many people work here?” I ask, genuinely intrigued.
“Two horse trainers besides Pops are full-time. There are a few part-time folks as well. And a couple of ranch hands who mainly work with the cattle.”
I motion to the other side of the patio. “Like the one sleeping next to Maggie?”
“No. That’s all Waverly. She likes to rescue broken things.” His smile is soft as he looks at his sister. “Man and beast.” Something about that statement is going to stick with me long after I’m gone from here, but I’ll fixate on it later.
Logan stops a few steps away from a large table where his siblings sit with Maggie and an older gentleman with kind eyes.“Pops, I’d like to introduce you to Olivia.” His hand presses just a tiny bit harder against my back, and the heat seeps through my clothes as I step into his side. “My wife.”
The older man’s bushy white brow arches in question, but it’s followed by a grin. The same grin Logan’s given me a time or two. “You failed to mention how pretty she is, son.”
“She hasn’t spoken yet, give it time.” Jasper shakes his head with an ear of corn in his hand, and surprisingly, I don’t even care about his words. The wind shifts, and the smell of barbeque wafts my way just in time for my stomach to growl.
I don’t remember the last time I ate.
But I push that realization to the side and smile at Pops. “It’s so nice to meet you, sir. Logan has told me so much about you.”
Okay, so that’s a giant lie, but I’ve got to at least try.
“Well now, missy, I know you’re full of it because that boy never says anything nice about me. Now sit.” He stands and offers me his seat. “Logan, go get your wife a plate and a glass of iced tea.”
And when I look at Logan, the smile on his face is ridiculously handsome, right before he drops a kiss on the top of my head like it’s the most natural thing in the world. “Sit, wife. I’ll be right back.”
