 
BLAME IT ON TEXAS

By

Tori Scott

SMASHWORDS EDITION

Copyright 2011 Tori Scott

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or reproduced in any form without the express permission of the author. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work.

Disclaimer

All characters are the product of my imagination and are not based on real people. The town of Morris Springs, while set in a location that does exist, is not a real place, but a fictional town. Any resemblance to real people or places is purely coincidental.

Acknowledgments

With thanks to my wonderful family, who inspire me every day with their success both in their work and their personal lives. You give me the strength to go on. And to Blue, who inspired this story with his bravery and loyalty. Even though the UPS man had no intention of kidnapping my kids, you didn't know that when you risked your life to protect them and I love you dearly.

Author's Note: Blue passed away June 11, 2012 at the age of 13. I will love and miss him always.
BLAME IT ON TEXAS

Book One of the Lone Star Cowboys Series

by

Tori Scott

Chapter One

If someone asked Logan Tanner what hell was, he'd say living in West Texas and working on the family ranch. He hated the wide open spaces, the red dust coating every surface, the sight of pump jacks bobbing up and down, pumping out thousands of barrels of oil, never stopping. The unrelenting sun in the summer, the bone-chilling cold of winter. Every time he returned for a visit, his skin itched as though fire ants marched beneath the surface.

"Come on, Logan. I'm not asking you to move home permanently. But I need your help to take care of Dad and the ranch." Carol slid an arm around Logan's shoulder and squeezed. "He's worried about it and the animals and it's making him anxious and upset, so I told him we'd take care of things for now."

"You don't know what you're asking." He was going to be sick. He couldn't let Carol do this alone, but he couldn't endure weeks, maybe months, out here.

Carol's brown eyes clouded with worry. "It's only for a few months, while he goes through physical therapy. You can design your games as easily here as you can in Dallas, and I can use Dad's kitchen to make my soaps."

"It's more than that, Carol. I can't be this far from home. I have meetings to attend, I have an apartment. I have a life. I can't just pack up and move." Even as he protested, he knew he was stuck. His stomach churned, and sweat broke out on his brow.

"Logan, what on earth is wrong with you? You're white as a sheet." Carol took his arm and led him to the window seat beneath a stained glass picture of Jesus holding a young lamb. "Sit down before you keel over. This will be good for you. You've been working too hard, and you need some fresh air and sunshine."

He put his elbows on his knees and rested his head in his hands. He couldn't spend months listening to the wind howl. Months blistering his hands stringing fence and burning his skin under the blazing sun. Think! There has to be another way. "We can hire someone. I'll pay whatever it costs."

She shook her head. "No. You know Dad wouldn't stand for it. He's always worked the land himself. If we bring someone else in, he'd never forgive us. Like it or not, it's up to us. Or me."

Damned if he did. Damned if he didn't. "But I have to go to Baton Rouge. I have to see Katie, find out if she's all right."

"Logan, I'm sure Katie is fine with her mother. I know you're hurt and angry because Sue Ann won't let you talk to her, but a few weeks isn't going to make that much difference. And your lawyer is working on it, right?" Carol put her hands on her hips, ready to fight for what she knew was right. "There's no one else to take care of Dad, so it's up to us. I don't want to put him in a nursing home."

Logan felt trapped, suffocated as though he'd been buried alive. He'd thought he was free. That he'd never have to return to the life he'd hated since he was twelve years old. "But I have an apartment, a job."

Carol spit out a curse that would have sent Mama running for a bar of soap. "You can sublease the apartment. You can design computer games anywhere. They do have electricity and Internet service out here, you know. They even have running water."

"Very funny. And where will I find someone to sublease the apartment? I can't let a total stranger move in."

"Well, there's Megan, my friend from A & M. She graduates next week and she's looking for a place for the summer. You haven't met her, but I can vouch for her."

"Great. Just what I need, a college kid who'll have wild parties and tear up my furniture."

Carol rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "Megan is not a kid, and she's not like that. She's very responsible."

"Uh-huh." Logan wasn't convinced, but his arguments were weakening. He tried to think of another excuse that would keep him out of Lynn County.

"Are you going to help me or not?" She plopped down on the seat and looked up at him through her long, dark eyelashes. "Please?"

Damn it. She'd been doing that since she was old enough to talk. Using that pleading tone of voice that guaranteed he'd give her whatever she wanted. He could only think of one time it hadn't worked. When she'd wanted two of his condoms "just in case" the night of her senior prom. He'd decked Jake Reilly that night, just because Carol had thought of having sex with him.

"Oh, hell." He leaned back and lifted his eyes to the stained glass window. "You'd better stick close by, Lord, or we're all going to hell in a hand basket."

***

Megan Flynn wrestled her grandmother's rocker out of the elevator and into the third floor hallway. Moving was a bitch, no question. But the sublet was just what she needed for the summer and would give her a chance to find the perfect place for her home and business. And it was beautiful. Just not what she wanted as a permanent residence.

Her dream was a home on several acres, with a half-dozen Blue Heelers in various stages of competition training, and a country veterinary practice of her very own. She'd spent her entire life in high rise apartments, and this was absolutely the last time.

Gathering the last of her strength, she picked up the rocker and staggered down the hall. A burst of feminine laughter greeted her as she neared the door to the apartment she'd be sharing with her best friends, Nancy and Jean.

Grateful the door was slightly ajar, she nudged it open with her hip and maneuvered the chair inside. There! She was completely moved in. Everything she owned in the entire world fit into a two hundred and twenty-five square foot bedroom.

"Well, well. Look what the cat dragged in." Nancy said with a grin. She looked elegant and refined, as always, even in a pair of denim cutoffs and a tight, red knit shirt. Of course, she'd had two hulking football players to tote and carry for her. She hadn't had to risk a perfectly polished oval fingernail. "Megan, are you all right, honey? Your face is all red and splotchy."

"Gee, thanks Nancy. Nice of you to notice." Megan laughed and wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead. "Is there any iced tea left?"

"Of course. In the fridge."

Megan went into the kitchen and returned with a super-sized cup from her favorite fast food joint. She drained the cup, then wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Ah, that's better."

Jean walked into the living room, a towel wrapped around her head. "Bathroom's free. Who's next?"

Nancy pushed herself up from the couch but Megan ran for the hall before Nancy could take a step. "Me. I'm burning up. It must be over a hundred out there today." She tossed an apologetic grin over her shoulder. "Sorry, but I'm sure you've heard the saying 'if you don't work, you wait for the shower,' right?"

A couch pillow sailed by her head as she opened the bathroom door. "But I have a date," Nancy wailed.

"Ten minutes, tops." Megan closed the door behind her, stripped out of her clothes, and climbed into a shower stall big enough to hold six people that sported three custom shower heads. She turned on the cold water and yelped when it hit her overheated skin.

Dummy. You should have packed earlier, then Nancy's hunks could have helped you move, too. But, instead of packing, she'd roamed the campus one last time, storing away memories and dreaming about her future.

She turned the hot water up and leaned against the cool gray ceramic tile. The bathroom was masculine, as was the rest of the apartment, decorated in muted shades of gray and navy. She had a feeling Carol's brother was a diehard Dallas Cowboy's fan.

She quickly lathered her skin with vanilla soap and washed her hair. Then she stepped out of the shower and wrapped a bath sheet around her body and a smaller towel around her hair.

Refreshed and rejuvenated, she lathered her skin with moisturizer and pulled on cutoffs and a Texas A & M T-shirt. She checked her watch. Eight minutes. Even Nancy couldn't complain about that.

***

Katie Tanner was scared to death. She'd never been on a bus by herself. Every time it stopped at an out-of-the-way small town, she was afraid to get off, terrified it would leave without her. But she had to eat and use the bathroom, so she hurried as fast as she could, always making it back to the bus before the driver.

Her mother was going to kill her when she found out she'd run away. Katie hoped that would take a few days, at least. Long enough for her to find her dad. Her mom thought she'd gone camping with her friend Megan's family, and they weren't due back from their camping trip for a week, so if her luck held she had at least that long.

She picked up her book and tried to read, but a man who'd gotten on at the last stop kept staring at her and it made her nervous. She glanced around the bus at the other passengers and saw a woman struggling to entertain a small child who was getting restless.

Katie put her book back inside her backpack, zipped it, and stood. Holding on to the back of the seats, she made her way forward, aware of the man's eyes on her with every step. When she reached the woman, she forced a smile onto her face and said, "Hi. My name is Katie and I'm really good with kids. Would you mind if I sat with you? I could play with him and give you a chance to rest."

The woman smiled back and said, "Sure, hon. Have a seat."

With a sigh of relief, Katie sat down, out of sight of the man in the back. She checked her small billfold to see how much money she had left. Thirty-two dollars and sixty-seven cents. She hoped that would be enough for a taxi.

When they reached Dallas, Katie gathered up her backpack and made her way to the front of the bus, close behind the mother and child she'd sat with for the last two hundred miles.

A smiling man met the woman when she stepped off the bus, leaving Katie alone again. She glanced back to see the man who had stared at her on the bus watching her again. A shiver raced up her spine and she hurried into the terminal. She hoped a ticket agent could tell her what to do next. She'd never tried to get a taxi before.

Thankfully, she found a nice female agent who helped her not only with information, but she put a "next window" sign up and took Katie out to the taxi stand. She helped Katie into a cab with a female driver, told the lady where she wanted to go, and made sure Katie had enough money.

As the taxi pulled away from the curb, she looked up to see the man watching her from the door of the terminal. She thought of all the warnings her father had given her about strangers and was relieved when the man didn't follow her.

***

Logan listened carefully to the visiting nurse's instructions while Carol scribbled them onto a note pad. He couldn't help but worry that they'd made the wrong choice by bringing his dad home. A nursing home would be better qualified to take care of him, but when he'd mentioned that possibility, his father had panicked and grabbed his hand, begging him with his eyes not to do it.

When the nurse left and Charlie had fallen asleep, Logan went into his office and dialed his ex-wife's number. He let it ring until he was sure no one was home. Damn. He was worried about Katie. He hadn't heard from her since he took her back to Baton Rouge after the Christmas holidays, six months ago.

They'd had a great time in spite of the fact that he hated coming to the ranch, even for the holidays. Katie had kept him too busy to think about where he was. They'd played with Blue, and Katie had taught the dog a few tricks. They'd ridden his dad's old mule around the two hundred acres, watching for wildlife and identifying the different birds they saw.

He missed her. She was the one bright spot in an otherwise dreary life. When he wasn't with his daughter, he was at work, often putting in eighteen-hour days. The money was excellent, the work satisfying. Once, it had been enough, but lately he'd been feeling restless and frustrated. Not being able to talk to his daughter made it worse.

His letters were returned unopened and, when he called, Sue Ann told him Katie didn't want to talk to him. Even the dress he'd sent her for Easter was returned to the store and a credit issued to his credit card.

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. "Come in."

Carol opened the door and stepped inside. "Any luck?"

Logan sighed and shook his head. "No. There's no answer."

Carol walked over to where he sat behind his dad's desk and gave him a hug. "I'm sorry. I know you want to go to Baton Rouge and try to see her face to face. Maybe in a couple of weeks Dad will be strong enough for you to leave for a few days."

"Do you really think there's any chance of that? I don't think he's going to recover from this. You need to realize that it's a possibility. We may have to put him in a nursing home, after all."

Tears sprang to her eyes and she bit her lip. "I know. I hope that doesn't happen, but he's in worse shape than I thought. I can't understand him when he tries to talk and he's getting hard to handle. I've never seen him so ornery."

"We'll take it one day at a time and see what happens. I just wish I could talk to Katie, make sure she's okay. Then maybe I could resign myself to the fact that I have to spend the next few months stringing fence and plowing fields."

Carol put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. "I've always wondered why you hate this place so much. It's really not that bad, you know. I like being able to walk outside and see nothing but pasture for miles, and running into people I know in town."

Logan frowned and looked away. Carol was fishing for answers, but he didn't intend to give her any. She'd always looked up to him and he wasn't ready to destroy her faith in him. If she ever learned the truth....

***

Megan had just curled up on the navy and gray striped couch when the doorbell rang. Nancy was in the shower and Jean was in her room with the door closed, so she pulled herself to her feet with a weary sigh and opened the door. A pretty, raven-haired girl about twelve years old stared at her, one small hand clenched tightly around the strap of a bulging backpack.

"Where's my dad?" The girl's voice teetered on the edge of hysteria. She looked like she'd been drug through a wringer washer--backwards, at that.

"Well, I don't know honey. Who's your dad?"

"Logan Tanner. He lives here." The child made a valiant attempt to look cool and composed, but her quivering chin revealed her exhaustion and fear.

"Logan Tanner's your father? That makes you Carol's niece." Megan stuck her hand out. "I'm Megan, one of Carol's friends from college. But your Dad's not here. I'm subleasing the apartment from him."

"What do you mean, subleasing the apartment? He doesn't live here anymore?" The girl bit her bottom lip and clenched the backpack tighter with a trembling hand.

Megan could see the panic in her eyes. The poor child's face lost all color and she swayed on her feet. Not sure what else to do, she grabbed the girl's hand and pulled her inside. With an arm around her shoulder, Megan led her to the couch and gently pushed her into a sitting position. "You stay right there. I'm going to get you something to drink."

The oversized, double door refrigerator was still almost empty and she'd finished off the last of the tea, but she found a soft drink hidden behind a six-pack of beer. Nancy's, but it couldn't be helped. This was an emergency. She filled a glass with ice, then carried both back to the living room. "Now, why don't you know where your father is? Didn't he tell you he was moving away for a while?"

Fat tears welled up in the child's eyes. "I haven't heard from him in months. Mom says he's forgotten about me and that I should forget about him, too. But I want to hear him say he doesn't want me anymore." A lone tear spilled over and made a watery track down her grimy cheek. She wiped it away, leaving a streak of dirt in its wake. "Maybe Mom's right, if he didn't even tell me he was moving."

"Hush now. Fathers don't forget their children. What's your name?" Megan sat cross-legged on the oak coffee table, poured the soft drink into the glass, and handed it to the distraught child.

"Katherine Elizabeth Tanner. My dad calls me Katie. Or Katydid, when he's teasing me."

"You see? That proves it. Fathers don't give their daughters nicknames if they don't care about them."

Hers hadn't, anyway. She'd always been Megan Colleen, no matter what tone of voice her father had used. "Where do you live?"

"Baton Rouge. I live with my mom, but I need to find my dad." She looked up with pleading storm-gray eyes. Do you know where he is?"

Baton Rouge! That was more than four hundred miles away. "Where's your mom? Did she come with you?"

Katie shook her head. "I took a bus. I told Mom I was going camping with a friend's family. It'll take her a few days to figure out what happened."

Oh, good Lord. She was harboring a runaway. "Look, Katie. You need to call your mother and let her know where you are. I have your father's phone number around here somewhere. As soon as you let your mother know you're safe, we'll call your dad."

"No! I can't let her know where I am until I find my father. She'll make me go back home without seeing him. And I doubt she's home, anyway." She grabbed Megan's hand and squeezed it tightly. "Please. Will you take me to him?"

"Katie, I can't..."

"Fine. I'll find him myself." Katie flung Megan's hand aside, jumped up from the couch, and ran for the door. Megan caught her before she could get it open.

"Wait. You can't go wandering around by yourself. You could get kidnapped."

Katie snorted. "Who would want me? I'm just in everybody's way."

Megan's heart wrenched at the casual way Katie dismissed her own worth. She knew exactly how the child felt. "Honey, that's not true. I'm sure your parents love you. There has to be some reason you haven't heard from your dad."

Platitudes, but what else could she offer? "Look, you go sit back down and I'll find that number. We'll call your father and he can come get you. We'll let him work things out with your mother."

Katie's young face lit up with a brilliant smile. She threw her arms around Megan's neck and hugged her. "Thank you!" Then she skipped off to sit back on the couch, leaving Megan staring after her.

Jean's door opened just as Nancy reappeared in the living room, Chanel No. 5 preceding her in a cloud of overpowering scent. Katie wrinkled her nose and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Who's that?"

Nancy held her freshly polished nails in front of her. "Who's the kid? And what did you do to her to make her squeal like that?"

Katie drew herself up to her full five-foot height. "I don't squeal."

"Really?" Nancy made a production out of blowing on her nails. "Could've fooled me."

Megan stepped in between them. "Stop it. This is Katie, and she's looking for her dad--our landlord. Katie, this is Nancy, and that's Jean." She waved toward the bedroom doorway.

Nancy and Katie sized each other up, then Nancy grinned and said, "You need a bath, kiddo. The shower is all yours."

Katie rolled her eyes and turned back to Megan. "Could you find Dad's phone number? Please?"

Megan went to the roll-top desk in the corner and rifled through the drawers, looking for Logan's number. "Hang on. I know it's in here somewhere."

Katie walked over to the window and looked outside, then turned to Megan. "Do you have his new address?"

Megan found the elusive piece of paper and turned around, waving it in the air. "Found it. And the address is a post office box in Morris Springs."

Katie's face lit up. "Morris Springs! That's where my Grandpa lives." A crease formed between her brows as they scrunched together. "But why would my dad be there? He hates it."

Megan reached out and took Katie's hand. She hated to be the one to break the bad news. "Your grandfather's had a stroke, and your father and Carol are taking care of the farm." At Katie's stricken look, she rushed to add, "He's doing better, I think. Your dad is planning to move back here at the end of the summer."

Katie looked up with an expectant expression. "Would you drive me out there?"

CHAPTER TWO

"I can't believe I let myself be talked into this." Megan held the steering wheel with both hands, fighting the wind that threatened to push her small car off the road. "If your Aunt Carol hadn't insisted, I'd be home watching NCIS tonight."

Katie sat forward in the seat, excitement turning her face a rosy pink as she pointed out familiar landmarks. "You can watch it at Grandpa's. We're almost there."

"Thank God. I don't think I could drive another mile in this wind. My hands hurt, my head hurts, my butt's numb, and I haven't seen anything besides red dirt and tumbleweeds for miles." Megan loved every bit of the countryside, in spite of her complaints. Not a skyscraper or traffic jam in sight. Nothing but wide-open spaces and intriguing small towns.

Katie studied the map Megan had drawn from Carol's detailed instructions, then watched the passing road signs as Megan drove slowly down the main street of Morris Springs.

An old brick courthouse dominated the center of town, with carefully tended shops lining the square around it. Two old men sat on a wrought-iron bench on the courthouse lawn, a checkerboard between them. Women chatted as they walked into a two-story teahouse that doubled as a bed and breakfast.

Several pickup trucks were parked in front of the Prairie Dog Café, their tires crusted with red dirt, sacks of feed filling the beds. A gleaming white gazebo dominated one corner of the square, and children played tag as parents watched from the shaded benches. Antique stores and a library lined the opposite street.

It was one of the warmest, most inviting towns she'd ever visited. It looked like a place you could be proud to call home.

"Turn here!" Katie yelled, sitting on the edge of her seat. Megan told her to put her seat belt back on and made a right turn, away from the picturesque town.

***

Katie opened the car door and hopped out before Megan could put the car in park, then ran headlong into the arms of the tall, dark-haired man who stepped out onto the wide front porch of the ranch-style brick house. Megan sat in the car and stared.

This was Logan Tanner? Carol's brother? Carol was short and pixie-faced, cute but not a classic beauty with her medium brown hair and freckles. Megan had expected Logan to be a slightly taller version of her friend. Instead he was over six feet tall and gorgeous, with skin bronzed from the sun. His jaw was square, strong, and maybe a tad stubborn, judging by the tilt of his chin as he held his daughter at arm's length.

Megan's heart did a funny flip-flop in her chest. She'd heard a lot about Logan from Carol during their four years as undergraduates at A&M, but her friend hadn't mentioned that her brother looked so darned good.

Carol stepped outside and wrapped her arms around Katie. Logan slid an arm around her waist and the other around his daughter, then they all turned to look at Megan.

She didn't want to step into their family reunion. She'd wait in the car for a bit, then.... She sighed when Katie ran back to the car with Carol right behind her and urged Megan to get out. "Come on. I want you to meet my dad."

When Megan finally managed to peel her sweaty legs off the vinyl seat and climb out, Carol laughed and embraced her in a tight hug. "It's so good to see you. Has it really been three whole years?"

Megan hugged her back, then hissed in her ear. "Why didn't you tell me your brother is gorgeous? My clothes are all wrinkled, I'm hot and sweaty, and my makeup disappeared somewhere around Abilene. I'm so embarrassed."

Carol held her at arm's length and looked her over. "You look fine. Besides, when we were roommates, he was married." After a moment's thought, she grinned and added, "He isn't now."

Logan strode toward Megan and stuck his hand out. She wiped her sore, damp palms on her wrinkled white shorts, then placed her hand in his. She swore she felt a sizzle of heat when his hand closed around hers.

"Thank you so much for bringing Katie to us. I know it was a lot to ask of you."

He smiled and the sun seemed to get a little brighter. She nodded, then shook her head, unable to get a word past her lips. He placed a hand on her back and guided her to the house, and Carol followed behind them, holding Katie's hand.

***

Logan perched on the arm of the couch, his arm around his daughter. As he listened to her story about how she'd traveled from Louisiana to Texas by bus, his heart lodged in his throat. His baby girl, alone on a bus, then in a taxi across Dallas. It was a miracle she was alive and unharmed.

He could tell she'd left something important out of her story by the way she refused to meet his gaze. But he didn't want to start their reunion with a lecture. He'd save that for later. It was enough that she was here.

He glanced at Megan, who sat in his mother's old rocking chair, shapely legs crossed at the ankles. She was petite, slim, and looked like she'd break if caught in a strong wind. She was pretty enough with her auburn hair caught up in a plastic clip, tiny gold balls in delicate earlobes, green eyes the deep, dark color of emeralds. But he'd been around prettier women. So why couldn't he take his eyes off this one?

"Daddy! You're not listening to me." Katie tugged on his shirt and demanded his attention.

"I'm sorry sweetheart. I was thinking about how glad I am to have you with me, and how thankful I am that you're safe. But I should paddle your butt for making a trip like that by yourself."

Katie blushed and ducked her head, then looked back up at him. "Did you hear what I said?" When he shook his head, she put her hands on her hips and sighed dramatically. "I want to know if Megan can stay with us for a few days. She said she's always wanted to live in the country, so I thought she could stay with us and see what it's like."

"Well, honey, I don't think...."

"No, really, I couldn't. That would be an imposition," Megan said quickly.

"What a wonderful idea!" Carol said, raising her voice above the others. "I'd love to have you stay for a while. I've missed you. We have an extra bedroom, so you wouldn't impose at all."

Logan turned to his sister and gave her his sternest glare, but she smiled sweetly in return. Damn it! The last thing he needed was another female around to watch out for. This was dangerous, rugged country, with rattlesnakes and spiders and coyotes lying in wait for the unsuspecting and uninitiated. And Megan was definitely both.

"Thanks, Aunt Carol. You're the best!" Katie hugged Carol, then turned to Megan. "Will you stay with us for a few days?"

Megan wanted to say yes, but the scowl on Logan's face told her he wasn't at all happy with the idea. "Well, maybe I could stay for the night. I don't like the idea of driving back after dark. I might even stick around and explore the town for a couple of days, but I'll go to a motel tomorrow."

"Nonsense. We have plenty of room. You'll stay here." Carol crossed her arms as if to indicate the decision was final.

Should she take Carol up on her generous offer? She'd love to look around the town, maybe visit the local veterinary clinic. She wanted to set up a country practice, and her plan was to find an old country vet nearing retirement age, then work for him until she could buy him out. Maybe what she was looking for was right here.

She wanted to live in a small town where people knew each other. Where they gathered at church on Sunday, greeted each other on the street as they passed, and knew everyone's business. From what she'd seen of the town as she drove through, it was perfect. Exactly like the town she'd pictured in her daydreams.

Megan sighed in contentment as she looked around the living room of the fifties-style ranch house. An old-fashioned sofa, back covered with a crocheted afghan, sat against one wall. Antiques were arranged around the room, all polished to a high gloss. The rug on the floor looked hand made.

It looked like a home. Not that she'd ever had a real one to compare it to, but it reminded her of the kind she'd seen on old television shows. The ones where mothers stayed home and baked cookies. Where kids played outside until dark, had pets and friends, and never had to be afraid of coming home to an empty house.

***

As much as Logan loved his sister, he was ready to strangle her. First she'd maneuvered him into moving out here temporarily, now she'd invited Megan to stay with them--a woman who didn't belong in this godforsaken wasteland any more than he did.

He was grateful to Megan for driving three hundred and fifty miles to deliver his daughter to him. It made him sick to his stomach to think what might have happened to Katie if she hadn't found Megan when she turned up at his apartment But that didn't mean he wanted the woman underfoot.

He looked at his daughter, who sat on the floor at Megan's feet. She laughed at something Megan said, and for a moment Katie reminded him of Sue Ann, the way she'd looked as a teenager. "Katie, does your mother know where you are?"

If Sue Ann had let her make that trip by herself, he'd call his lawyer and have him add that bit of information to the custody suit. He wanted custody of Katie before Sue Ann turned his daughter into a miniature version of herself.

Katie hung her head. "Not exactly."

"Where does she think you are?"

"On a camping trip with a friend."

Logan could already hear the hysterics he'd generate when he called Sue Ann with the news. She'd most likely accuse him of kidnapping Katie. "Don't you think we should call her and let her know you're safe?"

Katie shrugged. "I guess. But I doubt she's even home. She never is."

Carol stood and gestured for Megan to follow her. Logan picked up the phone and dialed as he watched them leave the room.

***

Carol led Megan into the old-fashioned kitchen. "I hope you don't mind, but I thought we should give Logan some privacy. Talking to Sue Ann frustrates him so much, he loses his temper sometimes."

Megan leaned against the ceramic tile counter and shook her head. "No, I understand. But I don't want to intrude. Are you sure he won't mind me staying for a couple of days?"

Carol opened the refrigerator and took out a pitcher of tea. She filled two tall glasses with ice, got a box of cookies out of the pantry, and carried them to the table before she answered. "I don't think so. He may grumble a little, but he needs a distraction. He works too hard, and Dad is driving him crazy."

Megan joined her and sat down. She took a sip of tea and sighed. The cold, sweet liquid felt wonderful as it slid down her parched throat. "Where is your father? Will I get to meet him?"

"I'll introduce you when he wakes up from his nap. He's been pretty much confined to the bed. Makes him grouchy as all get out. Maybe having a pretty girl come to visit will cheer him up."

"I was so sorry to hear about his stroke. It must be hard for him, especially if he was active before that."

Carol nodded. "He was definitely that. He took care of this place by himself. We've tried to get him to hire some help, or sell the place and move in with one of us, but he's stubborn. This place has been in our family for three generations, and he hopes we'll take it over for him. It isn't likely to happen, but we let him dream."

"Neither of you wants to live out here? Why not? I'd give anything for a chance like that."

Carol chuckled and shook her head. "Out of the mouths of innocents. Logan hates it here. He's been itching to get back to Dallas since the day he arrived. I would stay, but this place is more than I can handle alone."

"I wish there was something I could do to help," Megan said.

"I appreciate the thought, but you have your own life and your own plans. It's only for a couple more months. If he isn't better by then, I'll have to sell the farm and take Dad home with me, whether he likes it or not." Carol stood and brushed cookie crumbs off her shirt. "I'll go see if he's awake and up to having company."

Megan thought Carol looked tired and discouraged. She understood how her friend felt. She'd cared for her great aunt for two years after she'd had a debilitating stroke, and it had been backbreaking, mostly thankless work. Many times she'd been tempted to give up and place Alma in a nursing home against her wishes. But the thought of the once-grand old lady left alone, drool running down her chin with no one to wipe it away, was enough to deter her.

In the end, she was glad she hadn't. In one last lucid moment, her aunt had looked up, tears in her eyes, and thanked her for letting her maintain her dignity.

The inheritance had come as a total shock. Megan had always thought her aunt survived on Social Security and a small pension. She'd certainly been an expert at pinching a penny until it bled. But, apparently, she'd also been a shrewd investor in penny stocks.

That inheritance had been enough to put her through veterinary school, with money left over to buy into a practice when the time came. She would be forever grateful to her aunt for making that possible.

***

Megan was so lost in thought she didn't hear Logan enter the kitchen. When he opened the refrigerator and pulled out a beer, her head snapped up.

"Want one?" He lifted one shaggy brow and cocked his head toward the bottle.

"No, thank you. I'm doing fine with iced tea."

He twisted the top off and wiped the rim with a clean dishtowel, then hooked a chair leg with one booted foot and pulled it away from the table. He turned the chair around and straddled the seat, one arm across the back.

Megan watched, fascinated, as he tilted his head back and drank half of the beer. His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed. She didn't think she'd ever seen anything so sexy. Or so tempting. She took a small sip of her tea to wet her suddenly dry throat. "Ah, where's Katie?"

So much for brilliant conversation.

"She's talking to her mother. I had to get out of there before I exploded." His brows drew together in a scowl, marring his perfect features.

Megan wanted to smooth the wrinkles away, but she prudently kept her hands wrapped around her cold glass. "I take it you don't get along with her mother?"

Oh, geez, Megan. Can't you think of anything intelligent to say? Of course he doesn't get along with his ex-wife. That's why they're divorced. Her dubious attempt at conversation was rewarded with a laugh and a lifting of those brooding brows.

"You could say that. She's been keeping me away from my daughter for months. Hiding or returning my letters, intercepting my phone calls. I was on my way to see Katie when my father had his stroke, and I had to come out here instead."

"That's awful! No wonder Katie thought you'd forgotten about her." She regretted her impulsive words when pain flashed in his eyes. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

He shook his head. "No, it's the truth. Katie and I need to have a long talk, then I have to call my lawyer. I want her to stay with me for the summer and Sue Ann is throwing a fit." His fist clenched around the edge of the chair as he leaned his head back and finished his drink.

"That doesn't sound like an unreasonable request to me, especially since it's been so long since you've seen her."

"No, it's not. But Sue Ann likes to make me suffer as much as possible." He looked so sad Megan wished she could think of something clever to say to lighten his mood. But her tongue seemed to be tied in knots, and had been since she first saw him step onto the porch.

Instinctively, she reached a hand out and covered his. His head came up slowly and his gaze locked with hers. She pulled her hand back, but not before a shiver worked its way up her spine.

"Daddy, come quick!"

Katie's shout was a welcome distraction from the intensity of his reaction to Megan's comforting gesture. It had been a long time since a woman had touched him like that. The warmth of her small hand had reached all the way to his soul.

Logan shook off the longing her touch created and returned to the living room. Katie's face was alight with excitement. "What's up, Katydid?"

She giggled at the use of her nickname and thrust the phone into his hand. "Mom said I can stay. But she wants to talk to you."

"All right. You go into the kitchen and keep Megan company."

He watched Katie skip away before he lifted the phone to his ear, already dreading the conversation. Sue Ann wouldn't give in this easily unless she wanted something in return. He just hoped he could afford it. But, for his daughter, he'd pay whatever price Sue Ann demanded.

***

"Isn't it great?" Katie danced around the kitchen, making Megan laugh at her antics. "I get to spend the whole summer here. This is better than camping, any day."

"I'm glad for you, Katie. I'd love to spend the summer here, too. You'll have a wonderful time."

Katie stopped by Megan's chair and rested a hand on her shoulder. "You could stay, too. I know Aunt Carol wouldn't mind. You could help her make her soaps. And Daddy probably wouldn't care as long as you didn't get in his way."

Megan smiled at the child's naiveté. "No, that would be too much to ask. I'll stay a day or two, then I'll head back to Dallas. But thank you for the thought."

Carol walked back into the kitchen. "Dad's awake and demanding to see Katie and our visitor. Think you two are up to it?"

Katie started to race out of the kitchen, but Carol stopped her. "Honey, you know he's had a stroke, right?"

Katie nodded, and Carol continued. "He's cranky and ornery, and he's almost impossible to understand. He gets mad when he tries to talk and we don't understand what he's saying. Don't take it personally, okay?"

"Sure, Aunt Carol. I get the same way when I try to talk to Mom and she doesn't listen."

Carol's gaze caught Megan's and she gave a wry smile. "Let's go, then."

***

Megan waited in the doorway while Katie went to her grandfather's bedside. The old man's eyes lit up when he saw his granddaughter, and he tried to speak. The frustration he felt was clear in the twisted mouth and scrunched eyebrows. Katie leaned over and kissed his cheek, then sat on the bed and took his hand in hers.

His face relaxed as she began to tell him about her adventures and how she'd met Megan. When he tried to speak again, Megan thought she understood what he was trying to say. "Mr. Tanner? I'm Megan Flynn. Do you want to sit up?" She stepped into the room and walked over to the bed.

When he nodded, she leaned over and deftly pulled him to a sitting position, stacking his pillows behind his back. At his grateful look, she patted his hand and said, "You're welcome."

"How did you know what he wanted?"

Logan's spoke from the doorway and Megan turned to face him. "I took care of my aunt after she had a stoke. You either learn to understand them, or you go crazy trying to figure out what they need."

She felt a tug on her sleeve and turned her attention back to Logan's father. He garbled a few more words. "He wants some socks," she said. "His feet are cold."

Carol stood off to the side, her mouth open, but she hurried to get a pair from the dresser. She handed them to Megan, who pulled back the sheet and slipped them on his feet. His sigh echoed across the room.

"You mean, all this time I thought he was being cantankerous, and he was just uncomfortable? I feel awful." Carol's lip trembled and a tear slipped down her cheek.

Megan went to Carol and put an arm around her shoulders. "It's okay. He understands."

Logan moved to sit on the edge of the bed beside Katie, who was chattering to Charlie as though he was the same robust man she remembered. Maybe they should all learn from her example. Just because his father couldn't speak didn't mean he was unable to understand what they said to him.

Charlie's eyes were bright, his gaze fixed on Katie's pixie face as she continued to tell him about life in Baton Rouge. He looked happy for the first time since the stroke. When he reached out with his good hand to stroke Katie's face, she covered it with her own, holding his callused fingers against her cheek.

Logan glanced at Megan and found her watching the scene with a soft smile on her face. With her ability to understand his father, he almost wished she could stay. But that wasn't possible. She had a life of her own, and he had work to do. Work that wasn't getting done while he sat here wasting time.

"I need to get back out to the pasture. Black Bertha's due to calve at any time, and the south fence needs to be patched. I'll be back in time for supper." Logan stood and started to step away. His father grabbed his hand.

His dad said something Logan couldn't understand, but his eyes were earnest with the desire to communicate. Logan looked at Megan. "Do you know what he said?"

She tilted her head to the side and smiled at Charlie. "I think he said thank you."

Logan look down at his dad, feeling a little guilty about the way he'd acted at the hospital when Carol had first told him he would have to help out on the farm. Now his father was thanking him for something he'd practically had to be forced to do. Embarrassed, he nodded and squeezed his father's hand, then turned and left the room.

CHAPTER THREE

"Come on. You'll love it." Katie tugged on Megan's hand as she led her out the back door.

"But I didn't bring a swim suit."

"You don't need one. You can swim in your shorts and tee shirt. That's what I always do."

Megan followed Katie down a dirt path that wound through a pasture toward a stand of trees. Above the lowing of cows in the pasture and a dog barking in the distance, she heard the gentle gurgle of a creek, a whisper of sound that enticed her closer. A sense of peace settled over her like a warm blanket on a cold winter's evening, both comforting and satisfying. After the noise and bustle of Dallas, this was pure heaven.

When she stepped into the clearing, the sight took her breath away. In contrast to the parched earth near the house, the clearing was lush with green grass and tiny red and yellow wildflowers. A pool formed by a rocky dam glistened in the sun. A creek fed into the pool from the north in a cascade of rainbow-covered mist, then continued southward to join some distant river.

Megan knew enough about West Texas to know a creek like this was a treasure for any farmer. As long as the rains came, there would be plenty of water for the cattle and to irrigate the crops. No wonder Logan's father wanted to keep the ranch in the family.

"Isn't it great?" Katie shed her shoes and socks, climbed on a rock, and, before Megan could remove her Nikes, jumped into the water. "Come on!"

"I think I'll sit up there and watch you for a while." Megan removed her shoes and climbed onto the rock shelf above the pool to watch Katie until the heat finally drove her into the pool. She splashed and played with Katie for a while, then stretched out on the rock to sunbathe.

When she heard a commotion in the water, she lifted her head to check on the child. Logan stood at the edge of the pool and a Blue Heeler swam circles around Katie, who squealed every time the dog splashed her. Megan looked up at Logan and smiled. "He's beautiful. What's his name?"

A corner of Logan's mouth tilted up. "Blue. Original, huh?"

"That's exactly what I would have named him. I've always wanted a dog named Blue."

"Daddy, come swim," Katie yelled.

Megan watched the conflicting emotions cross his face as he seemed to weigh his duty to his father against time with his daughter. Finally, he stripped off his t-shirt and boots, emptied his pockets, and jumped into the pool, drenching Megan with the resulting splash. She was so mesmerized by the image of the broad, tanned chest, lightly dusted with black curly hair, she didn't realize she was staring until a spray of water slapped her in the face.

"Come on in, Megan," Katie begged.

When Logan nodded his agreement, Megan slid off the rock into the pond. She realized her mistake when she stood to shake the water from her face and saw Logan's gaze fixed on her chest.

She wasn't wearing a bra, and the thin tee shirt left nothing to the imagination. She moved to the middle of the pool until the water covered her shoulders. A quick glance at Logan earned her a wide grin that took her breath away.

He winked and turned back to Katie. "Have you already forgotten the rules, Katydid?"

Katie blushed and shook her head. "I'm sorry. I didn't know where Blue was, and I didn't want to wait. I thought it would be okay. I am twelve, you know."

"Twelve or twenty, the dog goes in the water first. Don't ignore the rules, honey. That's just asking for trouble."

Megan looked from one solemn face to the other. "I'm sorry, Logan. I didn't know there was a rule or I would have made her wait."

He shook his head. "It isn't your fault. Katie knows better. There are a lot of snakes out here and you never know when you might jump into a nest of water moccasins. The dog goes in the water first--always. It's better to lose a dog than a your own life."

Megan opened her mouth to argue that point, but closed it again when Logan pulled Katie to him in a crushing hug and closed his eyes. She loved dogs as much as she did most people, but Logan was referring to his daughter and in that case, he was right.

Logan released Katie and kicked back in the water. The scowl on his face was replaced by a wicked grin. "Now, Katydid, what's the punishment for breaking the rules?"

Katie shrieked and dove for the bank, but Logan caught her foot and tugged her under. Blue barked and swam to Katie, grabbed her shirt, and pulled her up. The three wrestled for a while as Megan watched, wishing she'd had a dad like Logan. One who could discipline without degrading, and who could turn a problem into play. Shoot, she'd have settled for a dad who came home every night.

Logan glanced over the top of Katie's head and saw Megan standing alone in the water, a melancholy expression on her face. She looked so damned lonesome it nearly broke his heart.

He remembered what it had been like to be the kid on the outside looking in. He'd felt it every time he'd ridden the bus to school in town. He'd been the "farm boy" with dusty shoes and faded jeans.

He hadn't been the only one, just the one who'd wanted to be part of the town kids' circle, the one who wanted something he couldn't have. The other kids had been content to be who and what they were.

That feeling of being less than the best had fueled his determination to succeed in business, where he could wear custom-made suits and clean, shiny shoes. To be the top in his field so that he was the inner circle, never again to watch from the sidelines. He'd made it. So why did it feel so empty?

Maybe because it had cost him his marriage and months of not having his daughter in his life. While his business had flourished, Sue Ann resented his frequent absences until she'd sought company elsewhere. When she'd left and taken Katie with her, she'd taken the joy out of his success. He hadn't really missed Sue Ann. She'd been little more than a stranger by the time she'd left. But he'd missed Katie terribly.

On impulse, he whispered to his daughter. She nodded, her eyes sparkling with mischief. He slipped under the surface and swam silently until he saw Megan's slender legs under the water, then he wrapped his hand around her ankle and tugged.

When she came up sputtering, he lifted her up, gave her a warning to catch her breath, then tossed her back into the water. Katie laughed and joined in the melee.

They played for an hour, and he couldn't remember anything he'd enjoyed more. By the time they crawled onto the rocks, exhausted, he'd forgotten about the fence he still needed to mend and how much he hated the red dust that coated his jeans.

***

Megan was sure she was going to pop. She was used to grabbing a hamburger at the student union or a yogurt from the bookstore in between classes. Sitting down to a huge meal of fried chicken, mountains of potatoes with cream gravy, homemade rolls, and hot apple pie proved to be more temptation than she could handle.

She leaned back in her chair, one hand on her stomach, and watched as Logan loaded his plate with a second helping of everything. He took a hearty bite of fried chicken and she wondered if his other appetites were as big as the one he had for food. And if she'd ever get a chance to find out.

She thought about the way he had pulled her into the playful dunking in the pond. For a little while, she'd felt as though she belonged. But it was a temporary illusion. She was a guest in Logan's home, so naturally he'd felt the need to include her in his romp with his daughter. There was nothing more to it than that.

He'd looked so alluring with water sluicing down his chest that it had taken all of her self-control not to rub herself against him to see if he felt as good as he looked.

Megan glanced up to find Logan watching her, a speculative look on his face. She gave herself a mental shake and looked away, embarrassed at being caught in her wayward thoughts.

Needing to put some distance between herself and Logan, she looked at Carol. "Has your dad had dinner yet?"

Carol frowned and shook her head. "No. I'm almost embarrassed to admit we usually wait until after we've eaten. Feeding him is a major chore and it takes forever."

Megan remembered how hard it was to get more food in her aunt's mouth than on her clothes before she'd discovered the baby food grinder. She still thought it was the best thing ever invented, but she doubted Carol had one on hand. "Do you have a blender?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Have you tried using it to grind up his food so he can eat it more easily?"

"No. We've been feeding him baby food."

Megan shuddered. No wonder feeding him took a long time. "Have you ever tasted that stuff? It's awful."

Carol got up, went to the cabinets, and pulled out the blender. She set it on the counter and took a plate from an upper shelf. "If you can help me fix something he'll eat, we'll all be grateful. Just tell me what to do."

"You sit down and finish your dinner. I don't mind doing this." Megan reached across the table and snagged a piece of chicken. She moved to the counter, removed the meat from the bone, and dropped it into the blender. After a moment's thought, she did the same with a second piece.

When it was chopped into small pieces, she fixed a plate with the meat, some mashed potatoes and gray, and a slice of apple pie she'd smashed with a fork. She glanced over her shoulder. "Would you mind if I fed him?"

Logan was still watching her with an odd expression on his face. He didn't reply, but he nodded once and she took that for permission. With a spoon, dishtowel, and glass of tea in one hand and the plate in the other, she left the kitchen and headed down the hall.

As Megan walked away, Logan felt lower than a sow's belly. For the last few weeks, he and Carol had taken turns feeding Charlie, but neither of them liked the job. He felt selfish and petty when he realized tonight was his night for the chore, and he was relieved to not have to do it.

Carol glanced over at Katie. "If you're finished, why don't you go help Megan?"

"Sure." Katie started to stack her dishes, but Carol waved her away.

"Go on. I'll take care of those."

When Katie was out of earshot, Carol set the dishes in the sink and poured two cups of coffee. "So, what do you think of Megan?" She handed Logan a cup and sat down across from him.

He thought for a minute before he answered. Too little information would send Carol digging for more. Too much enthusiasm would have her planning his wedding. "She seems nice. Definitely a city girl. She doesn't belong out here."

Carol snorted. "The way you think, no woman belongs out here. But women have survived farm life for hundreds of years, and they'll continue to do so for hundreds more. She seemed to really enjoy her afternoon with you and Katie."

He stirred a spoonful of sugar into his coffee as he swallowed a lump of pain. Maybe some women survived, but his mother hadn't. The harsh West Texas land had sapped her energy, destroyed her as surely as it would an auburn-haired girl with more enthusiasm than sense. And what the land hadn't been able to accomplish, he had. "She's good with Katie. But I'll be glad when she goes back to Dallas. I don't need someone else to watch out for."

"Logan, give her some credit. She's very sensible. Not the type to run headlong into trouble or to act without thinking." Carol nodded toward the hall. "She's very good with Dad. I'm going to be sorry to see her go."

"Don't get any ideas. She's leaving, and I don't want you to encourage her to stay."

"Did I say I was going to try to get her to stay? I was just making an observation. Men! You jump to conclusions based on the flimsiest evidence." She stuck her tongue out at him and stood, then began to hum as she loaded dishes into a sink full of suds.

With a sigh, Logan grabbed a dishtowel and went to help. He knew Carol too well. Something was brewing in that devious brain of hers and he needed to be on his guard. The last time she'd hummed while washing dishes, she'd been plotting to hook him up with the local rodeo queen. He'd had a narrow escape, and he didn't intend to allow a repeat of that fiasco.

He wanted no part of anything that would tie him to the farm, the town, or any part of West Texas. And no part of auburn-haired city girls with living-in-the-country daydreams.

***

Megan stretched and arched her back, drawing her thin tee shirt across her breasts, and her dreams came rushing back with embarrassing clarity. She and Logan had been in the pond without their canine and teenage chaperones. And without their clothes. She knew she wouldn't be able to look at him over breakfast without blushing. Maybe she should stay in bed until he went outside to work.

No, she wasn't a coward. She didn't want to waste this opportunity lazing around in bed, either. She wanted to go into town and find the vet, check out the setup, and talk to him about his practice. Then she wanted to explore the town a bit before she came back and explored the farm. She wished she had more time to spend with Carol's family, but Logan had made it clear the invitation to stay was only for one night.

She'd love to spend the summer here. She could help take care of Charlie and Katie; she could help feed and care for the livestock. It would give her some practical experience. But she knew Logan would never give her the chance to show him what she could do.

For some reason he'd avoided her after dinner, staying outside until dark, then closing himself into the study until after she'd gone to bed. What was up with that?

She threw the covers back and climbed out of bed. The view beyond the window drew her, and she leaned on the sill as her gaze swept the nearest pasture. Blue bounded through the grass, probably in pursuit of a rabbit. A movement at the fence in the distance caught her attention and she watched as Logan stood, placed a hand at the small of his back, then bent over and lifted a roll of barbed wire.

Poor guy. He obviously wasn't used to hard labor. Mending fences wasn't easy to do alone. She'd done her share growing up, helping out on her aunt and uncle's small acreage when she stayed with them for the summer, but always with her uncle by her side.

The thought of spending the day with the local vet disappeared in favor of helping Logan. She hurried though her morning routine, dressed in the jeans she'd brought with her and the boots and long-sleeved shirt Carol had loaned her, and lathered sunscreen on her face and hands.

In the kitchen, Carol was setting out her soap-making supplies. She looked up and smiled when Megan walked in. "Good Morning. I hope you slept well."

"Perfectly. That bed is wonderful." Megan picked a biscuit off the plate on the counter, sliced it, and stuck a piece of sausage in the middle. "How's Charlie this morning?"

Carol turned the fire down on the stove and set a large kettle over the flame. "He seems better today. I used the blender like you suggested and fed him eggs and biscuits and gravy. He ate it without a fuss."

"That's good. If you don't need any help, I thought I'd go help Logan with the fence."

Carol frowned. "I don't know if he'll let you. He has pretty old-fashioned ideas about what women should and shouldn't do. But, then again, he needs an attitude adjustment and you just might be the one to help with that." She went into the mud room and came back with a broad-brimmed hat and leather gloves. "Wear these or he'll send you back to the house for sure."

Megan pulled the gloves on and settled the hat on her head with a grin. "He'll have a hard time making me leave. I've got enough Irish in me to make a mule look cooperative."

CHAPTER FOUR

Megan crossed the field at a leisurely pace, soaking up the early morning sun and watching the antics of the birds in the Juniper trees that provided a windbreak for the house. Blue joined her as she neared the fence and she bent over to scratch his ears and accept the paw he offered. "You're a real sweetheart, aren't you, boy? Someone's taken the time to teach you some manners, too."

"Katie taught him a few tricks the last time she was here."

Logan's deep voice rumbled through her, sending shivers up her spine. She tilted her head back and found him standing close behind her. "Good morning. I didn't hear you sneak up behind me."

"I don't sneak. What are you all decked out for?"

"I came out to help you with the fence."

A scowl marred his tanned brow and his fists clenched.

She lifted her chin. "Before you say no, let me tell you I've done it before and I know what to do. I'm dressed properly, I won't get in your way, and together we'll get it done in half the time."

"No." He turned and headed back toward the fence.

Megan's jaw dropped before the anger hit. How dare he turn his back on her and walk away without any kind of explanation? She stomped after him, cursing his chauvinistic soul as she went. She'd thought that breed of men had died out, but evidently there was one left. And his name was Logan Tanner.

By the time she caught up with him at the fence, her shirt was plastered to her body. Sweat trickled down her back in itchy rivulets. Without a word, she grabbed a pair of pliers and a screwdriver from his back pocket and picked up the sack of fence ties. As she deftly twisted the ties around the barbed wire and fence posts, she grumbled about men who tried to do a job without the proper tools.

Logan stretched the next piece of wire as tight as he could by hand, then used a hammer to twist the wire until it was tight. "You're the one who wanted to help. So why are you complaining?"

Megan wiped her forehead with the back of one dirty hand. "I'm not complaining. But I don't understand why you don't invest in the equipment you need to do this properly. It would save you a lot of hours in the long run."

He tied off the wire and started on the next row. "I'm just patching, not re-fencing the entire place. Anyway, Dad's got the fancy stuff in the barn. I just don't know how to use it."

"Oh." Megan didn't know what to say to that. She wiped her forehead with her sleeve, then looked around to see if Logan had any water with him. She saw the jug in the back of an old, beat-up pickup and walked over to get a drink.

"Why don't you go back to the house? It's too hot for you to be out here." Logan joined her at the truck and poured a cup of water for himself.

"I can handle it." She wasn't some hothouse flower who couldn't stand a little work. Her size seemed to make men think she needed someone to take care of her, but she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself.

"Maybe you can, but I don't have time to haul you to the hospital if you have a heat stroke." He set the cup in the bed of the truck and went back to the fence.

Megan bit down on a burst of temper and went back to work. Logan frowned and reached for the loose piece of wire to stretch it to the next post.

He bit out a curse when he caught his arm on a barb and blood seeped through the hole in his shirt.

"Oh, let me see that." Megan reached for his arm, but he jerked away.

"Don't worry about it. It's just a scratch."

"Scratches on a farm can be dangerous. Have you had a tetanus shot recently?"

"Yes. I said don't worry about it. It's nothing."

Megan backed off, not willing to push him to the point that he'd send her back to the house. She'd tend to the wound later, when she had his sister to back her up. She'd noticed that Carol seemed to be able to get him to do whatever she asked. Maybe she should ask her for pointers.

They worked in silence for another hour. Logan strung the wire and Megan followed along behind, tying it to the posts. By the time they finished, they were hot, sweaty, and covered in red dust.

"Go on back to the house and cool off." Logan wiped the sweat off his forehead with a dusty bandana and settled his hat more firmly on his head. Realizing how abrupt he sounded, he said, "Thank you for the help."

"You're welcome. What are you going to do next?"

He watched as Megan gathered up scraps of barbed wire and discarded ties. He had to admit she was a hard worker. And she looked kind of cute with red dust on the butt of her jeans. And a fine, nicely rounded butt at that.

But damn it, couldn't she just do as she was told? She needed to get out of the sun before her ivory skin blistered. Not that she'd left much of it exposed. "I need to go check on Black Bertha. She's due to drop her calf any minute."

"I'm coming with you."

"No, you're not. You need to cool off before you have a heat stroke." Women. They didn't have the sense God gave an ant.

"Logan, quit repeating yourself. I'm a vet. I may not have much field experience, but I can help if she's having problems."

Frustration warred with practicality. It was Bertha's first calf and he knew there could be trouble. Hell, he was a software architect and game designer, not a farmer. At least, not anymore. He knew next to nothing about pulling a calf if it became necessary. But his need to protect her demanded that he send her to the house.

Practicality won. "Fine. You can check her over, but if there aren't any problems I want you in the house drinking iced tea without any more arguments."

"Agreed. Let's go."

He whistled for Blue and picked up the leftover roll of wire. Heat rolled across the pasture in shimmering waves as they walked to the barn. God, what he wouldn't give for his air-conditioned office right now.

He walked behind Megan, watching the gentle sway of her hips in the form-fitting blue jeans. When she bent over to rub Blue's head, he couldn't help but think there was something to be said for the view out here. Something he didn't often see from his tenth floor office.

***

They heard Bertha before they reached the barn. The lowing cry, the sound of a hoof crashing against wood, sent Megan running, Logan and Blue close behind. She yanked the door open and ran inside without, as far as Logan could tell, a single thought for caution.

"Megan, wait. She could be dangerous. She's not dehorned and she's probably terrified."

"She's in trouble. I don't think she's in any condition to hurt me." She eased into the stall, crooning to the heifer as she moved to her side. "It's okay, baby. I'm here to help. We'll have that calf out in no time."

Black Bertha rolled her eyes and thrashed her head, the sharp horns coming dangerously close to Megan's head.

"Watch out!" Logan's heart pounded as the heifer made another swipe with her horns, almost catching Megan's arm as she reached out to stroke its neck. "Forget it, Megan. She's too dangerous to mess with. Just let it go."

Megan looked up, her glare hot enough to set his hair on fire. "If I don't help her, she'll die, or the calf will. You can either help or leave, but please just shut up."

Logan rocked back on his heels and stared at her. She stared right back, lifting her stubborn little chin as thought daring him to open his mouth. Shocked at the change from sweet, southern lady to determined, take-charge female, he did as she'd ordered.

***

Megan peeled off her rubber gloves and draped then over a bench, then took Logan's outstretched hand so he could pull her to her feet.

He turned her to face him and pushed a few straggly strands of hair behind her ear. "Thank you for helping her. I wouldn't have had a clue what to do."

"Yes, you would. You grew up on this farm. Surely you've done this before." He was close enough that she could feel his radiant heat, could smell the combination of hay and sweat that, to her, was more appealing than the most expensive cologne.

He put an arm around her shoulder and started toward the house. "Of course I've seen calves born, but whenever Dad suspected trouble, he'd deal with it alone or call the vet."

"Well, I'm glad I was here. She's a beautiful animal, and so is her baby. It would have been a shame to lose them." She looked at her blood-splattered shirt. "Now I need to find a sink and clean up before Carol sees what I did to the shirt she loaned me."

A slow smile spread across Logan's face. "I have a better idea."

***

The pond beckoned, cool and inviting. But Megan was wearing jeans and boots, and that didn't seem like the best swim suit. "Um, what am I supposed to wear in there?"

Logan gave her a wicked grin. "Whatever you want to wear, or not wear, is fine with me." He whistled for Blue, who bounded into the water. With a wink at Megan, he unbuckled his belt, shed his boots and socks, then started to unzip his jeans.

Feeling a tell-tale blush rising, Megan turned her back. When she heard a splash, she turned back around. "I'm not coming in there if you're skinny dipping."

Logan laughed. "I'm not. I'm wearing boxers. Good as any swimsuit." He ducked under the surface and came back up, shaking the moisture from his hair in sparkling droplets that danced in the sun.

The water looked so inviting, she yearned to join him.

Finally settling on wearing her shirt and underwear, she retreated to the trees to remove her jeans and boots. Self-conscious, she made her way back to the pond. Logan never looked away as she stepped into the water.

She moved to the middle of the pool, a few feet away from him, and dipped her head under the water. She came up with a contented sigh. "This is pure heaven."

"Feels good after being so hot and sweaty, but I prefer a clear, concrete swimming pool where I can see the bottom." He moved toward her, his gaze steady on hers. "But this one looks much better with you in it."

Megan felt the heat rising inside in spite of the cool water. It was just like her dream, except they were wearing too many clothes. She took a step toward him.

Blue swam between them, splashing water in her face with his wagging tail. Okay, she'd forgotten about the chaperone.

Logan shook his head and laughed. "Saved by the dog. For now."

***

Megan dressed in the shelter of the trees, thinking about Logan's words. What had she been saved from? A kiss? Another dunking? She'd prefer the kiss. But Logan hadn't made any other moves toward her. He'd played with Blue for a few minutes, then suggested they head back to the house.

The sun was high overhead and it was blazing hot. She was ready for that glass of iced tea and air-conditioned house Logan harped on so much. She pulled on her jeans, socks, and boots, then ran her fingers through her hair to untangle the wet strands. When she felt his hands in her hair, she leaned her head back and looked up.

"You have beautiful hair. Like the sunset, all reds and golds." He combed his fingers through it, sending shivers up her spine. He gathered her hair into his fist and turned her to face him. "Tell me now if you don't want me to kiss you."

Instead of answering, she lifted her mouth to his.

Logan lowered his mouth with a groan. He knew he shouldn't kiss her. He should be urging her to get in her car and go back to Dallas, but the temptation was too much. He'd spent the last half-hour watching her as she swam half-dressed, shirt molded to her body, and he realized how much he'd missed kissing a woman, holding her close.

He pulled her closer, wrapping his arms tightly around her until she relaxed against him. He brushed his mouth across hers, a gentle meeting of lips, then waited to see if she would pull back or offer more. Her lips parted on a sigh and she pressed her mouth against his, harder this time. Her small, firm breasts pressed against his chest as she snuggled closer.

He ran his tongue lightly across her bottom lip and she moaned, parting her lips farther in invitation. He delved deeper, exploring the sweetness of her mouth, the smooth surface of her teeth. His hands roamed up and down her back, over her hips, aligning her body with his.

They heard Katie's approach when Blue barked a greeting and she called out to him. They broke apart only moments before she stepped into the stand of trees and saw them.

"Hey, I thought I'd never find you guys. Lunch is ready."

Logan walked over and rubbed the top of Katie's head. "Good. We're starving. We just took a dip to clean off the dust, then we were heading up to the house." He kept up a constant stream of chatter all the way back, giving Megan time to compose herself before she had to face Carol's eagle eye.

***

When they walked into the kitchen, Carol set a platter of sandwiches on the table, along with ice-filled glasses and a bag of potato chips. "Did you get the fence patched?"

Megan nodded. "And we delivered a big, healthy bull calf."

"You did?" Carol's eyes were wide when she looked at Logan for confirmation. "Was that what happened to my shirt?" She grinned and shook her head. "It's a good thing it was an old one."

"Actually, Megan delivered the calf. I mostly just got in her way," Logan said with a wry grin.

"Good. Be sure to tell Dad. He's been upset today. I think he was worried about Bertha, afraid she'd lose the calf without him there to take care of things." After adding a jar of pickles and a bowl of strawberries and whipped cream to the table, Carol joined them.

"He's having a bad day? I'll go spend some time with him after lunch and see if there's anything I can do. Unless you need help with something else?" Megan looked at Logan.

"No. You go ahead. I'm going to do some computer work this afternoon. Thanks to you, I finished my chores a little early."

Megan grinned and turned her attention to her sandwich. "So, I turned out to be an okay helper, for a girl?"

"Yeah, for a city girl."

She figured that, coming from Logan, was high praise indeed.

***

Megan spent a couple of hours with Charlie, reassuring him that Bertha was fine and Logan was taking good care of the farm. Then she asked about the vaccination schedules and birth records for the herd. When she learned there were only three calves that needed shots, she decided she could handle the vaccinations by herself.

After Carol assured her that she wasn't needed in the house, Megan headed for the barn. She found the medications in the storeroom's refrigerator and took out the ones she needed. Then she picked up a sack of disposable needles from the shelf and headed for the pasture.

Blue appeared at her side as soon as she climbed through the barbed wire fence. "Hello, boy. Did you come to round up the calves for me?" She looked around for a good one to start with and decided to go for the smallest one, who was sleeping off by himself under a tree. As she approached, the calf stood up, bawled, and took off. Blue let out a low, menacing growl.

Megan looked up to see a bull headed her way, head lowered. "Oops." She started to back up when Logan yelled from behind her.

"Blue, head him off."

Blue took off toward the bull and nipped its nose. The bull stopped and glared at the dog, then lowered its head again. Blue moved around to its side, and when the bull turned to face him, he moved again until he had it facing the opposite direction.

"Megan, come here." Logan's voice was low, his voice tense with barely controlled fury and worry. She continued to back toward the fence, never taking her eyes off the bull. When she reached the fence, Logan separated the strands of barbed wire and held them while she climbed through.

"What in blue blazes do you think you're doing?"

Megan lifted her chin and looked him right in the eye, almost daring him to yell at her again. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm trying to vaccinate the calves." For an intelligent man, he sure was dense.

"Don't you have any sense at all? When we need to vaccinate calves, we round them up and separate them from the herd. Then we run them through the squeeze chute. I don't know how they taught you to do it at A & M, but out here we have a healthy regard for our safety." His voice rose and his imperious tone set Megan's teeth on edge.

"I know how it's supposed to be done. But Charlie said there were only three, and it seemed silly to go to all that trouble."

Logan didn't say a word, just crossed his arms across his chest and glared at her.

Megan huffed out an exasperated breath and threw up her hands in defeat. "Fine. You round them up and take them to the barn. I'll meet you there."

"Not now, Megan. It would be dinner time before I got them rounded up. We'll do it in the morning." With that, he whistled for Blue, then turned and went back to the house, his rigid posture telling her he was still furious.

She watched him go, knowing he was right, but frustrated beyond reason that he'd once again managed to make her feel like a fool. Darn it. She'd spent seven years getting her degree. She knew what she was doing. She could have gotten out of the way in plenty of time. Probably.

CHAPTER FIVE

"You'd better plan to stay another night," Logan said tightly when she stepped into the kitchen. "There's a big wreck on the highway through town. I just heard it on the scanner. It will take them a while to get it cleared." He didn't wait for a reply, just turned and went back to his office.

Megan looked at Carol and shrugged. "Fine with me, but doesn't he ever ask instead of issuing orders?"

"Nope. When he says jump, he expects everyone to ask how high. Most people do exactly that." Carol handed Megan a glass of tea and sat down at the table. "He's used to being in charge. He owns his own company and does very well. People listen to him and respect his decisions. He forgets that, out here, he isn't a hotshot entrepreneur. He's just Logan."

Megan dropped onto a chair and glared in the general direction of the study. "Well, I didn't spend the last seven years getting my degree just to have some man boss me around. If he's not careful, he may end up with a boot print on his butt."

Carol laughed out loud, her eyes twinkling. "I'd give just about anything to see that."

***

Logan disappeared into his office again as soon as the dinner dishes were cleared from the table. Katie was in Charlie's room watching television. Megan washed the table, then tossed the rag in the sink, still fuming over Logan's high-handed, bossy ways.

Carol put the last of the dishes in the dishwasher and closed the door. "Are you too tired to take a walk?"

With Logan closed up in his office, Megan had nothing else to do. She felt a little guilty about spending so little time with Carol, too, since she'd agreed to stay on the pretext of visiting with her friend. "No. I'd love to."

They stepped out into the deepening twilight and Megan stopped to watch the last of the sunset. "It's so beautiful out here."

"It is, but I miss my friends. We'd planned a trip to New York City for next week. I'd already bought my plane ticket when Dad had his stroke. I hate having to miss it." Carol frowned, then shook her head. "Oh, well. It's too late to worry about it now."

"Would you go if you had someone to help take care of Katie and your father?"

"Of course. But I'm the one who insisted Logan stay here to help me out. It wouldn't be fair to him for me to leave him to deal with a stranger."

They walked along in silence for a few minutes, but Megan's mind was racing. She didn't have anything planned for the next couple of weeks. If she stayed, Carol could go on her trip. The hardest part would be convincing Logan.

When they reached the neighboring ranch, Carol looked wistfully up the long driveway before she turned around to head back to the farm.

Curious, Megan asked, "Who lives there? That's a gorgeous house."

"Yeah, it is. It belongs to Jake Reilly. His parents passed away a couple of years ago, within a month of each other, and he inherited the ranch. I haven't seen him since their funeral."

"Is he someone special?" From the look on Carol's face, Megan thought she might have been hoping to see him tonight, but there was no one moving about the property.

"He used to be. We lost touch after I left for A & M. He was engaged the last time I saw him. He's probably married by now." She looked back one last time and sighed, then squared her shoulders and set a brisk pace down the dirt road.

***

Logan still hadn't emerged from the office by the time Carol went to bed, so Megan knocked on the door. When he barked out permission for her to enter, she pushed the door open. He sat behind an old, scarred oak desk with a laptop open in front of him. One hand rubbed absently at his temple as he read the screen.

He looked up when she stepped into the room. "Is something wrong?"

"No, everything's fine. I wondered if you had time to talk to me. If this isn't a good time, I can come back later."

He stretched, then linked his fingers behind his head and arched his back. "This is fine. Come on in and close the door." With a sigh he dropped his hands to the keyboard and made a few quick strokes. Then he closed the laptop and leaned back in his chair.

"I hope I'm not interrupting your work." All she needed was for him to be more irritated with her than he already was.

"No. I was just reading an email from my lawyer. He thinks I have a good chance of getting custody of Katie."

"That's wonderful."

"Yeah, it is. I've missed her terribly these last few months and this latest mess was the last straw. I can't believe her mother could be irresponsible enough to let her take off without even knowing where she was headed."

"Katie wasn't exactly honest with her, though."

"No, but when I found out Sue Ann's boyfriend was the one who bought Katie's ticket with her baby-sitting money, then dropped her off at the bus station without even making sure she got on the right bus, it made me even more determined to get custody. Her safety is at stake here."

Megan agreed completely. She'd been totally shocked when Katie had explained how she'd gotten on that bus.

"I'd better get off that subject before I get mad all over again. What did you want to talk to me about?" Logan leaned forward and gave her his complete attention.

Megan decided to get straight to the point while he seemed to be in a good mood. "Did you know Carol is giving up a trip to New York City with her friends to take care of you and your dad?"

He frowned and shook his head, then he winced and rubbed at his temple again. "She hasn't mentioned anything to me. When was she supposed to go?"

"Next week. She's already paid for her airline ticket, but she won't leave you here alone." Megan hoped Carol wouldn't resent her interference, but if Logan agreed, it would solve both of their problems. She'd get to stay, and Carol would get to go on her trip.

Maybe she should be asking herself why she wanted to stay so badly. Okay, she was attracted to Logan. Physically. But he was aggravating, stubborn, old-fashioned, opinionated, and he hated the very thing she wanted more than anything else.

So why did she want to get up and go rub his neck to try to relieve his headache? Why did she want to help him solve his problems? Why did she want so badly to prove herself to him? And why couldn't she get her mind off that kiss?

The questions were enough to give her a headache of her own.

Logan watched Megan's expressive face as she waited for his response. She had something on her mind beyond passing on information. And he had a feeling that something would mean more headaches for him. He suppressed a groan and the urge to bury his head in his hands. "So what do you want me to do about it?"

Megan looked up at him through her lashes, making his heart speed up. She really was pretty. Her skin had a freshly scrubbed glow, and freckles dusted the bridge of her nose.

"Well, I was thinking maybe I could stay until she got back. That way she could go and have a good time without worrying about things here."

Logan's headache intensified. That was exactly what he'd been afraid of. "No. Not a chance. I can take care of everything while she's gone. You need to get back to Dallas and do whatever it is you had planned for the summer."

"I don't have anything planned, not really. If I have my roommates send me some clothes, I can easily stay another week or two."

"No. You don't belong out here, Megan. I can handle things on my own."

Her jaw clenched and he could see the fight building in her eyes.

"You are the most stubborn man I've ever met. How are you going to take care of Katie and your father, and still do the chores? Have you thought about that? You're out in the field all day. Do you think Katie is capable of taking care of the house, the meals, and your father? She's only twelve. That's too much to ask of her."

Knowing she was right didn't make the idea any easier to swallow. At least Carol had grown up out here. He didn't have to worry about her so much. "I'll hire someone to help out." Surely he could find an older woman who could use a little extra cash in exchange for cooking and caring for his family.

"Logan, be reasonable. I'm here, I'm willing, and Katie and your dad are comfortable with me. Why bring someone else in? And I'll do it for nothing."

"I just don't think..."

"That's just it. You're not thinking. Use some common sense here. Besides, Katie needs clothes. What do you know about shopping for a twelve year old girl?"

Not a thing. She had him on that one. But could he spend the next two weeks in her company without doing something stupid? Better yet, could she spend two weeks out here without getting into trouble? He didn't know, and he didn't really want to find out. But she was right, though it irked him to admit it.

"Fine. Two weeks. That's it. After that, you go back to Dallas. Got it?"

She nodded. "Yes. And Logan?"

"What?"

"Thank you. I promise you won't regret it."

Now why did that sound like a sure invitation for trouble?

***

Megan called Nancy the next morning to ask her to ship some of her clothes and gave her the address. Then she went to break the news to Carol.

"You're kidding? Logan actually agreed?" Carol's expression conveyed her surprise. "Hey, who am I to look a gift horse in the mouth?" She enveloped Megan in a hug. "Thank you. I can't wait to call my friends and let them know I'm going after all."

Megan laughed and took over scrambling the eggs for breakfast. "Go call them. I can finish up here."

With a grateful smile, Carol headed for the living room.

A few minutes later Katie entered the kitchen, still in her pajamas. "Who's Aunt Carol talking to so early?"

Megan told her about the change in plans.

"Cool. It'll be fun."

"Well, I won't have time to play. Someone has to stay here with your grandfather. But before Carol leaves, you and I are going shopping. You need clothes and things to last you through the summer."

Katie grinned and started setting the table. "I'm glad you're going to take me. Dad has absolutely no sense of style."

"Hey, I resemble that remark."

Logan walked in, his face freshly shaved, smelling so good Megan would have been more than happy to have him for breakfast instead of eggs and sausage.

Katie giggled. "Well, it's true. Do you remember the dress you sent me?"

"Hey, what was wrong with that dress? I thought it was the perfect Easter outfit." Logan plopped into a chair and pulled Katie into his lap, sending her into fits of giggles when he tickled her.

"Maybe for a two year old." She looked up at Megan and rolled her eyes. "It was this stiff and scratchy pink stuff, all flounces and ruffles. Mom nearly died when she saw it. Said I'd wear it over her dead body."

Megan laughed. "Organza. That stuff was all the rage back in the fifties. I didn't know they even sold dresses like that now. My mom had one when she was a kid."

Logan watched the easy way his daughter talked to Megan. He couldn't remember Katie ever being that comfortable with Sue Ann. Shoot, he couldn't remember ever being as comfortable around Sue Ann as he was around Megan. When she wasn't trying to scare him half to death, that is.

At least, while Carol was gone, Megan would have to spend most of her time in the house. She couldn't get into trouble there. Could she? But he could almost feel his wallet emptying as he listened to Katie list everything she'd need for the summer.

Carol came back into the room, her face beaming with happiness. "We're all set. We leave Monday, and I can't wait. Melissa has tickets to a Broadway play for all of us, and we have reservations at '21'. This is going to be the trip of a lifetime." She kissed Logan's cheek. "Thank you."

***

Logan handed Megan his credit card as she and Katie prepared to leave for their shopping trip. "Do me a favor and keep a close eye on Katie, okay?"

"Sure. I won't let her out of my sight. Is there something I should know about?"

Logan rubbed a hand across his face. "Something her mother said has been bothering me."

"What was it?" Megan glanced toward Katie, who was just out of earshot, playing with Blue.

"It's probably nothing. She told me not to get too smug about winning this round. She was mad about Katie coming to find me and she figured I had something to do with her running away. She shut up when I told her about her boyfriend's part in it, but it still worries me."

"There's no way Sue Ann would know where we're going, but I won't let Katie out of my sight, anyway. I'll take good care of her."

"Thanks."

She looked up and waited until he met her gaze. "Thank you."

He cocked his head and lifted a brow. "What for?"

"For trusting me with your daughter."

***

Megan and Katie returned after dark, the car loaded with packages. Logan was on the porch before Megan had turned off the ignition. Katie opened her door and jumped out, then ran to her father. "Wait till you see all the stuff we got. Megan is a blast to shop with. And we didn't even burn up your credit card."

Logan pulled her in for a hug. "I'll bet you melted it just a little bit, though, didn't you?"

Katie giggled. "Well, it got a little warm from going through the machine so many times, but I think it will still work. Megan bought herself some clothes, too, but she wouldn't put it on your account like you told her to."

He looked up when Megan stepped onto the porch. "Why didn't you charge your clothes to me? I told you I'd buy them since you're staying to help us out."

"Because I didn't need that much, and because I'm staying as much for my own benefit as for yours." And because I don't want to feel obligated, she thought.

Logan shook his head in bewilderment. "Women. I don't think I'll ever get it right."

"That's okay, Daddy. That's why God made us--to help guys like you figure things out." Katie stuck her tongue out at her dad, then screeched when he rubbed his knuckles on the top of her head.

"Brat. Let's get this stuff unloaded. Aunt Carol made homemade ice cream and your grandfather is waiting for you to come share a bowl with him."

Katie raced for the back of the car. "Cool."

Logan put a hand on Megan's arm when she started down the steps. "Any trouble in town?"

Megan shook her head. "None at all. Don't worry. I don't see how Sue Ann could get to Katie. She's never alone. She'll be okay."

He nodded and let her precede him down the steps. As they reached the car, a pair of headlights swung into the driveway. "Who would be coming out here this late?" He walked past the car, putting himself between his daughter and the approaching vehicle.

Megan joined him, curious about the visitors. When the car stopped and Nancy jumped out of the passenger side, she groaned. "Oh, no."

"You know her?" Logan looked at her questioningly.

"Yeah, I'm afraid so. But how on earth did they find their way out here?"

Nancy walked up, a huge grin on her face. "Well, well. Now I know why you haven't been in any hurry to come back. Hello, Cowboy." Her voice was a low, sexy purr when she addressed Logan.

Jean climbed out of the car and joined them. "I'm sorry, Megan. I tried to talk her out of it, but she insisted on bringing your clothes to you instead of shipping them."

Nancy sidled closer to Logan and batted her lashes. "Shipping takes too long. I figured she needed them right away. Besides, I wanted to see what was keeping her out here in the middle of nowhere."

"Excuse me. Megan, do you want to introduce us?" Logan asked quietly.

"I'm sorry." In more ways than one, she thought. "Logan, this is Nancy, and that's Jean. They're your other tenants. My roommates." Turning to the pair, she said, "Y'all already know Katie. This is her father, Logan Tanner. Your landlord." She hoped Nancy caught her subtle hint, but there wasn't a subtle bone in Nancy's body.

"My, my. I knew they grew them big in Texas, but I had no idea how big," Nancy drawled.

"I take it you're not from around here." Logan took a few steps back until he was positioned behind Megan.

"No, honey. I'm from Alabama. And believe me, the male species isn't nearly as interesting back home."

Megan grabbed Nancy's arm and led her toward the house. "Come on. Leave the poor man alone. You guys can wait inside while we unload the car, then you've got some explaining to do."

CHAPTER SIX

Logan left the house at daybreak to avoid his unwanted guests. It had been too late to insist they find a motel for the night, but he wanted them gone as soon as they'd finished breakfast. He seemed to be the only one who felt that way, though. Even his father had been delighted when they went in to meet him, bowls of ice cream in hand.

He tossed a bale of hay from the back of his dad's old truck. Damn. He was outnumbered. Now he had five females to watch out for. And there was no way he could be everywhere, which almost guaranteed someone was going to get into trouble.

He hoisted another bale and pitched it over the tailgate. Sweat dripped into his eyes and he impatiently wiped it away with the back of his hand. He jumped from the bed of the truck and grabbed his water jug, drinking deeply before pouring some on his handkerchief to wipe his face and neck.

"It sure is hot out here, isn't it, Cowboy?"

Logan almost jumped out of his skin. He turned too fast and nearly knocked Nancy off her feet. "What are you doing out here? Didn't Megan tell you to stay in the house?"

"She might have," Nancy purred as she ran a finger down the buttons of his shirt, "but I don't do what Megan tells me to. I do what feels right for me."

"Look, this isn't a game. You could get hurt out here." He pointed at her blood-red toenails. "Look at those shoes. No toes, high heels. Nothing but trouble."

"Worried about me, Cowboy? How sweet. But you don't need to. I'm a big girl."

He didn't like the way she said that. Maybe he could scare her back to the house. "Do you know anything about coral snakes?"

The question clearly wasn't the response she expected. "Not really. Should I?"

"You should if you're going to walk around here in toeless shoes. They inject their poison by latching onto exposed body parts, usually toes. Then they chew until they've injected their venom. Damn near impossible to get them off once they've latched on." He watched her shiver and pull her toes as far back in her shoes as she could.

"Okay, I can take a hint. You want me to leave. But you and I aren't finished, Cowboy. Not by a long shot." She sauntered back in the direction of the house, her hips swaying and her short shorts exposing an incredible amount of leg.

Megan met her halfway across the pasture, gestured toward the house, then planted her hands on her hips. Nancy laughed at something she said, then waved at Logan and continued toward the house.

He watched Megan as she crossed the pasture, Blue bounding at her side. She wore a new pair of jeans and a blue and white checked shirt. His heart jumped at the sight of her and he willed it to settle down. He was not going to get hooked on someone who had her heart set on living in the country.

When she reached the truck, she climbed in the back and sat down on a bale of hay. "Need any help?"

It would be a big help if she could drive along while he tossed the bales out, but he still couldn't get used to her working by his side. His response was automatic. "No. I'm doing fine. You just keep that woman away from me and you'll make my life a lot easier."

Megan laughed and tossed her head, her auburn hair floating on the breeze. "Don't worry about Nancy. She's harmless."

Logan couldn't hold back a snort. "Yeah, about as harmless as a black widow spider."

Megan shook her head. "No, she's just testing you. Making sure I'm safe with you. If you'd fallen for her tricks, she'd have hustled me out of here and back to Dallas in a flash."

Well, that might have been one way to get Megan out from under his skin. But Nancy didn't tempt him at all. Her type made him go cold all over. "How long are they planning to stay?" He kept his voice as neutral as possible. If she knew how badly he wanted the pair gone, she might ask them to stay just to aggravate him.

"They're staying another night. I tried to shoo them off after breakfast, but Carol talked them into staying. She's invited a few people over for drinks tonight after dinner."

"That figures. After meeting the blonde bombshell, I'm wondering if my apartment will survive the summer. Is she into wild parties?" He wondered if he could break the lease, maybe find a nice elderly couple to take it over? No, then Megan would have no place to go home to, and Carol would invite her to stay at the farm for the rest of the summer.

"Of course not. She'll be putting in sixty hours a week at work for a while. She'll be too tired to party." Megan reached out and touched his arm. He'd noticed that she was a toucher, that she seemed to need a physical connection from time to time.

Sue Ann hadn't liked being touched casually, to have her space invaded. And somewhere along the way he seemed to have lost the ability to connect.

Megan sighed when he stepped back, and she let her hand fall to her lap. "Are you sure you don't want some help? I'm a pretty good driver." She grinned up at him and he was tempted to take her up on the offer.

Clouds were building in the west, and he needed to get the hay out before it rained. But she needed to keep an eye on her friends. "No. I can handle it. You go on back to the house. I'll be up for lunch."

"Okay." She stood and brushed at the hay stuck to her jeans.

Without thinking, he reached over the side of the truck and brushed at a few stray strands. As soon as his hand connected with her softly rounded backside, he realized his mistake. Megan's gaze shot up to his and he froze, his hand still on her bottom. He couldn't look away from the blatant desire in her eyes, and his hand didn't seem to want to move away from her derriere, either.

After a long moment, she stepped back, her cheeks pink. "Um, thanks. I'll, um, just go on back to the house." She sat on the side of the truck and swung her legs over, preparing to jump to the ground.

Before she could jump off and hurt herself, he placed his hands around her waist and lifted her off the truck. He let her slide slowly down his body, memorizing the feel of every inch of her on the way to the ground.

She looked up, her eyes questioning. "Logan?"

"Shh." One kiss, then he'd leave her alone. But he needed to see if she still tasted as sweet as he remembered. He lowered his mouth to hers for a quick sample. That's all he wanted, all he needed. But as soon as his mouth touched hers, he was lost.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him close when he would have kept some distance between them. Her mouth opened beneath his, inviting him to explore more deeply, more intensely than he'd planned. Her breasts were soft against his chest, her skin warm where it touched his.

She smelled of lavender. No doubt Carol had given her some of her special soaps. Mixed with the flowery fragrance was a scent that belonged to Megan alone. He struggled not to give in to the desire to bury himself in her sweetness. Wrong time, wrong place. Wrong woman.

He reminded himself once again that they were too different, their goals and needs and desires were too far apart for anything but heartache. He ended the kiss, but not without a twinge of regret.

When he lifted his head, she collapsed against his chest, breathing deeply. He could feel her heart pounding against his. He laid his head on top of hers, just for a moment. Just long enough to inhale the sweet scent of her shampoo. Just long enough to feel the soft strands of hair against his cheek. Just long enough to miss once again what he hadn't had for so long.

"I'd better get back. The others will wonder what we're doing out here." Megan stepped out of his embrace, but he could see the regret on her expressive face.

"Yeah. But one of these days we're going to have to finish what we start." He grinned to let her know he was teasing. Sort of.

She smiled, but didn't reply. She reached a hand up and caressed his cheek, then turned and headed for the house. Her touch was gentle, but he felt like he'd been branded. He still felt it an hour later as he drove toward the house, racing ahead of the storm churning the sky overhead.

***

Megan watched the rain sheet down the window and sighed. She was stuck in the house when she wanted to be outside. Nancy prattled on a mile a minute about Logan, making suggestive remarks about Megan's plans to stay for another couple of weeks.

Jean made herself useful, helping Carol dust the furniture in preparation for the other guests who were due to arrive any minute. Logan was hiding out in the study, safely out of Nancy's reach. At least for the moment.

"Look, that's enough of that kind of talk. I'm staying to help out while Carol's gone. That's all there is to it. When she comes back, I'll come home." Megan blew out an exasperated breath. "I'm going to go check on Charlie. Why don't you see if Carol needs any more help, okay?"

She retreated down the hall and went into Charlie's room. "How are you doing?" she asked, pulling a chair up beside the bed.

He looked much better today, alert and somewhat content. He had something on his mind, though, and Megan asked him what it was.

He wanted to know what was going on. He'd picked up on the excitement, could sense something was up. When Megan told him about the impromptu party, he looked wistful. "Do you want to go out to the living room?" she asked. "There's no reason for you to stay in this bed all the time."

Charlie nodded and his eyes lit up.

"Okay, let's get you shaved and dressed, then I'll get Logan to carry you out there." She found a razor and shaving cream in the bathroom, got a towel from the linen closet, and brought a bowl of water from the kitchen. When she'd shaved his face and combed his hair, she helped him into a clean shirt. Then she went to find Logan.

She knocked on the office door and pushed it open. Logan stood at the window, looking out at the rain. She stepped inside and walked across the room.

"Is it time for the party already?" He glanced at his watch.

"Almost. Your father wants to join us in the living room. Could you come help him into a pair of slacks, then carry him to his recliner?"

A frown crossed Logan's face. "Are you sure he's up to it?"

"Of course. Being part of the activity will be good for him. If he gets too tired, you can take him back to his room." Megan reached out and laid a hand on his arm. "If you don't give him something to look forward to, Logan, he'll lay in that bed and wither away. We need to start bringing him out every evening."

"Okay. Tell Dad I'll be right there." He turned back to the window, seemingly lost in thought.

Megan wondered what was on his mind that seemed to weigh on him so heavily. His shoulders drooped with weariness. His eyes looked so tired she wondered if he ever slept at night. She knew he was in his office until the wee hours of the morning, because she'd made more than one middle of the night trip to the kitchen when she couldn't sleep and had seen the light spilling out from under the door.

She was worried about him, but she knew he wouldn't tell her what was on his mind. He kept his troubles to himself, insisting on taking care of everyone else.

She wondered who took care of him.

***

Charlie held center stage among the group of Logan and Carol's old school friends. The women fussed over him and the men sat and talked to him about breeding methods, cattle prices, and the weather. Charlie responded with grunts and nods, but the men didn't seem to mind.

Logan watched his father from the kitchen doorway. Charlie nodded in agreement to something Jake Reilly said.

Megan sat next to Jake, interpreting for Charlie when he tried to speak. Occasionally she'd laugh at something Jake said, and she'd reach over and touch his arm, just like she did to him several times a day.

Jealousy, as irrational as it was powerful, ripped through him. He'd thought those sweet smiles and tender touches had been special, something she reserved for him alone. Evidently not. Like Sue Ann, Megan turned on the charm for the nearest attentive male.

Disgusted with himself and his thoughts, Logan returned to the kitchen for another beer.

He'd drained half the bottle when Megan walked into the kitchen. She smiled as she passed him, then opened the refrigerator and took out two wine coolers. When she closed the door, she leaned back against the refrigerator and opened one bottle. "What's wrong, Logan? You looked upset a few minutes ago."

He watched as she leaned her head back and took a drink. The long column of her throat beckoned him. He wanted to place his lips at the base, run his tongue up her neck and over her chin. Then he'd take her lips captive, remind her she was his.

He shook his head to dislodge that thought. She wasn't his. Not now, not ever.

"I was wondering what Jake Reilly was doing here."

"Carol invited him. She'd intended to ask him to bring his wife, until she found out he'd never married. I get the impression they used to be close."

"Yeah, a little too close. What were he and Dad talking about so intently?"

Megan's eyes narrowed briefly at the change of subject, then she seemed to make an effort to act as though it didn't bother her. "Jake offered to help out if you needed him. Charlie wasn't too keen on the idea at first, but Jake managed to persuade him that he knows what he's doing."

Logan wondered if his Dad knew Jake and Carol had planned to have sex the night of the Senior Prom. He might not be so impressed with Jake if he did. Then again, that was years ago. Maybe Jake had grown up. "So, what kind of help was Reilly offering?"

Megan took another sip, choked on her wine cooler, and started coughing. He immediately moved to her side and rubbed her back as she bent over and placed her hands on her knees, still wheezing. When she finally straightened, her face red and tears streaking her cheeks, he asked, "Was it something I said?"

Megan shook her head. "No, just swallowed the wrong way." Her voice was still strangled, so he moved to the cabinet and took a glass out, filled it with water, and handed it to her. She took a long drink, then averted her eyes as she answered his question.

"Jake's going to come over and give me some practical experience in artificial insemination, helping your Dad increase his herd at the same time."

"The hell he is."

When Megan's jaw dropped, he realized he'd spoken out loud. "The last thing Dad needs is to spend money increasing the size of a herd he can't manage anymore. That bunch of cows out there will eventually be sold off. You and Jake will just be wasting your time and Dad's money."

Megan put her fisted hands on her hips and, when her chin came up, he knew he was in for an argument. "In the first place, it won't be a waste of my time because it will be good practice. And I don't see how it can be wasting your dad's money when it isn't going to cost him a dime. Not to mention the fact that a pregnant cow will bring more money at the sale."

"Why wouldn't Jake charge him? That stuff doesn't come cheap. I can't believe my Dad would accept charity, either."

"It's not charity, just good business. Jake will get twenty-five percent of the new calves that are born, in payment for the insemination. Not to mention the fact that he's a nice man who seems to be very interested in your sister."

That brought his attention back to Megan. "Carol?"

"Do you have any other sisters I don't know about? Of course, Carol. What, you don't think she's attractive enough for a handsome man like Jake?"

Megan thought Jake was handsome? For some reason, that irritated him, even though she'd just said the man was interested in Carol. Not in her. "No, it's not that. They have a history, one I thought had blown over a long time ago. I've had hopes that she'd find someone in Austin, a businessman who could provide her with the finer things in life."

Megan threw up her hands in disgust. The look she shot him would have made a lesser man cringe, but he set his jaw, knowing he was right. His sister deserved better than a rancher. A West Texas rancher at that.

"You're hopeless. You have some kind of mental block against seeing how wonderful life out here can be. I hope you're happy in your glass tower when you get back to Dallas. But it's a pretty bleak life when you have nothing to show for your effort except dollars in the bank." With that, she turned her back, snatched up the wine coolers, and stormed back to the living room.

***

For the rest of the evening, Megan made an effort to ignore Logan and concentrated on keeping an eye on Charlie. When his eyelids began to droop, she enlisted Jake's help to get him back to his bed. Logan followed them to Charlie's room, then politely but stiffly told Jake he could handle getting Charlie ready for bed.

Jake shrugged and returned to the party while Logan silently got Charlie into his pajamas and settled for the night. Megan came back in and kissed Charlie's cheek, then tried to squeeze past Logan without brushing against him as she left again.

Logan turned off the light and followed her out, closing the door behind them. When Megan started to walk away, he caught her arm and turned her to face him. "I'm sorry. I've been acting like an ass tonight."

She lifted her chin, determined not to weaken over one softly spoken apology. "Yes, you have." He blinked and she had to stifle a chuckle. He obviously hadn't expected her to agree with him. "Logan, Carol is a grown woman. She's old enough to decide who she wants to be with, where she wants to live, and how she wants to live her life."

"I know, but..."

"No buts. She loves you. She's always looked up to you. Don't make her choose between you and whoever she falls in love with."

A crease appeared between his furrowed brows. "I wouldn't do that."

"You might not mean to, but if you show your disapproval every time she gets interested in a man you don't think is suitable, you're forcing her to make a choice." She started to reach out to touch him, but his stiff posture made her keep her hand at her side. "Please try not to interfere between her and Jake."

CHAPTER SEVEN

It was midnight and way past Katie's bedtime by the time the last guest left. Logan tucked his daughter in and kissed her good night, then went back to his office. He tried to work on the game he was designing, but he was too restless to settle down.

He shoved his chair back and pushed one hand through his hair. He knew Megan was right about Carol and Jake, but he didn't want his sister to settle for a life of hardship when she didn't have to. She could marry a businessman just as easily as she could a rancher. And her life would be a damned sight better if she did.

It was obvious he wasn't going to get any work done tonight. He stood up and stretched, then went into the kitchen and took a beer from the refrigerator. The house was quiet, the lights out. Everyone else had gone to bed.

He left the lights off and went out the back door without locking it, not heading anywhere in particular. Deciding he needed to work off his frustration, he headed for the barn. Blue got up to tag along, but Logan told him to stay, then went back and put him in the house so he wouldn't follow him.

The stall where Black Bertha had delivered her calf sat empty. They'd been moved outside to the large pen so Big Mac, as Katie had named him, could take a day to get his sea legs and Bertha could have time to recover before they were returned to the herd. Megan wanted to keep and eye on both of them for at least twenty-four hours. Logan shook his head. Megan had fallen hard for the calf, with his big brown eyes and a star in the middle of his forehead.

Vets couldn't afford to invest emotionally in the animals they treated. That was a sure fire way to get her heart broken. But she'd waved away his concerns and said that her love of animals was the reason for her career choice and if she quit falling in love with them, she might as well quit her profession.

Women. They let themselves get too emotionally involved in everything, and ended up hurt time after time.

Logan grabbed a pitchfork and started mucking out the stall, piling the blood stained hay in a corner until he could dispose of it. Then he used a power washer to clean the floor before putting clean hay in the stall. He hoped the physical labor would make him tired enough to finally be able to sleep.

***

Megan sat straight up in the bed, awakened from a deep sleep by a noise she couldn't identify. Then she heard it again. A deep, guttural growl. A coyote? No, they howled, didn't they? When it happened again, she shoved the covers back and slipped her shorts on under her long t-shirt, then slid her feet into her tennis shoes.

Before she reached her bedroom door, she heard ferocious barking, then the sound of glass shattering. She took off running. Charlie's room was next to hers, so she stopped to check on him first. His eyes were open wide with fear. "Katie," he said in that strange, twisted language of his.

"It'll be okay. I'm going to check on her now."

Nancy and Jean met her in the hall.

"What's going on?" they both asked at once. Jean looked scared, Nancy more curious than frightened.

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out. Would you two stay with Charlie? He's worried about Katie."

They nodded and went into his room and closed the door, so Megan went to Katie's room. Where was Logan? Surely he'd heard the ruckus?

Carol was in Katie's room, on the phone. She waved at Megan to be quiet. "Jake, please, can you come over here? We've had a break in, and I can't find Katie. I don't know where Logan is. Please hurry."

She put the phone down. "Katie's gone. She's not in here, or in the bathroom. I'm going to check the rest of the house."

As they left the room, they heard more barking, farther away this time, a yelp, and the sound of an engine starting up. They ran for the front door and saw a car pulling away at the end of the driveway. "Oh my God." Carol slumped against the doorway, one hand on her chest.

Megan looked over and saw the shattered window, blood on the glass and on the porch. "Blue must have been in the house and went through the window. He's bleeding badly. We've got to find Katie, and I've got to find Blue, too, or he'll bleed to death."

Carol looked down at her nightgown. "Let me grab something to cover up with. Jake will be here any minute. He and I will go after Katie, you can find Blue."

"Okay, but hurry. We don't have much time." Megan ran to Charlie's room and sent Nancy to find Logan and had Jean call the Sheriff. Then she grabbed a bath towel from the linen closet.

Two minutes later they met Jake in the driveway. Carol jumped into the truck and they sped down the road in the direction the car had gone. Megan got in her car to follow Blue's trail of blood.

She drove slowly, her door open so she wouldn't lose sight of the dark puddles he'd left behind. At the rate he was bleeding, he wouldn't be able to go too far.

A mile down the road she found him, collapsed by the side of the road. She stopped the car and got out, approaching him carefully. He was a working dog, and she was still somewhat of a stranger. There was a strong possibility he might see her as a threat and try to attack her. But when she knelt beside him, he looked up with pain-filled eyes, wagged his tail once, and laid his head back on the ground.

Megan turned on her flashlight and looked to see where he was hurt. Only the swelling of his right paw and the matting of blood clued her in to his injury. She quickly opened the first aid kit she kept in the car, took out a stocking she carried in case of just this kind of situation, and wrapped it around his snout to muzzle him.

"Sorry boy. I know that's not comfortable, but it's necessary." He growled when she picked up his paw but the hose held his mouth closed. She took some gauze and tape from the first aid kit and made a pad to slow the bleeding. Then she wrapped the tape around it to hold it in place, picked Blue up, and put him in the car.

"Hang on, boy. We're going to finally meet the vet."

***

Logan had just finished cleaning out the stall where Big Mac had made his entrance into the world when he heard a woman screaming his name. He dropped the hayfork and ran for the house, twisting his ankle in a gopher hole in his rush. He met Nancy halfway across the pasture. She was still screaming his name as she ran in the dark, barefoot.

She screamed again when he ran up to her. "Oh, it's you. Thank God." She collapsed against him, her chest heaving from exertion. "Katie, Megan went..."

Logan grabbed her shoulders and set her back a step. "What's happened? What about Katie?"

Nancy gulped in air and tried again. "She's gone. Kidnapped. Megan went..."

"Where? Megan went where?"

"After Blue. He's hurt."

Logan didn't wait to hear any more. He grabbed Nancy's hand and ran for the house, dragging her along behind him, afraid if he didn't hold onto her there would be one more female lost. Damn Megan. How could she go after the dog when his daughter was in danger?

"Hey, that hurts!" Nancy yanked her hand back and rubbed it.

Logan hadn't even realized he'd clenched his fists, pinching Nancy's hand in the process. He didn't slow down, just glanced over his shoulder. "Sorry. You need to keep up so you don't get lost in the dark."

"I'm trying, Cowboy, I'm trying."

Logan's heart lodged in his throat when he saw the blood and the glass scattered across the front porch. Was that Blue's blood, or Katie's? He turned to Nancy, who was pale and shaking in the light of the porch. "Where is everyone? Are Dad and Carol all right?"

"Jean's with your dad. He's okay, just very worried. Carol went with Jake to try to chase down the car they thought belonged to the kidnapper. Megan went after Blue. I haven't heard anything yet." She put a hand on his arm. "It will be okay, Logan. They'll find Katie. And Megan will take care of Blue."

Damn it. Why hadn't he been in the house, working at his computer like he always was? Why hadn't he been here to take care of his family? Thank God he'd put Blue in the house. If anyone could track her down, he could.

No, dammit, not if he was hurt. If he'd left the dog outside, Blue would have torn apart whoever took Katie before they ever got to her.

Any way he looked at it, it was all his fault.

He strode into his office and dialed 911. The dispatcher assured him they'd already been called and deputies were out looking for his daughter. He gave the woman his cell phone number, then grabbed the phone off his desk and went to Charlie's room.

Jean and Nancy sat on either side of Charlie's bed, each of them holding one of his hands. His face looked pale and drawn, his eyes were closed, his mouth slack. Logan moved closer and whispered to Jean, "Is he okay? He doesn't look good."

"I think he's fine. Just worried and a little stressed. But he's gone back to sleep, and that's probably for the best right now."

"Yeah, probably." Logan took a piece of paper and a pen out of the night stand and wrote his cell phone number on it, then handed it to Jean. "I'm going to go out and look for Katie and Megan. Call me if anything happens or you get any news, all right?"

"Of course. You go on. We'll be here until you bring Katie home.

He started to turn away, then turned back. "Thank you," he said, encompassing both of them. "I don't know what I'd do if you weren't here to watch over Dad."

They nodded and shooed him away to go find his daughter.

***

Logan broke every speed limit on the way to town. He slowed at intersections, looking both ways for taillights or anything that looked out of place. Nothing.

When he reached Morris Springs, he was stunned to see so many cars on the road, driving slowly through town, speeding away down side roads. The town normally rolled up the sidewalks at six sharp.

When he stopped at the one light in town, someone in the car next to him honked the horn. He glanced over to see Randy Marin roll his window down. He rolled his own down on the passenger side and leaned toward it. "Hey, Randy. What's going on?"

Randy held one thumb up in the air. "Don't you worry, Logan. We're gonna find that girl of yours."

"You're looking for her? How did you know?"

"Heard it on the scanner. Hell, man, half the town's out looking."

Logan's jaw dropped as he looked through the windshield at the cars passing through the small town's streets. "That's what all this is about? I had no idea."

"We take care of our own out here, Logan. Ain't nobody gonna get your little girl outta the county."

The light turned green and Randy peeled away with a squeal of his tires and a one-armed wave out the window. It took Logan a few seconds to absorb what he'd heard before he pulled away from the light. One of their own.

Randy had been the captain of the football team, one of the most popular of the town kids. Logan had been insanely jealous of him as a teenager. He was what Logan hadn't been. Someone who belonged. Yet he considered Katie one of their own?

He drove down the street, looking down alleys and into parking lots, not knowing what kind of car he was looking for or if he'd know it if he saw it. He didn't know who drove what in this town. But hopefully some of the people now searching for his daughter would recognize a car that didn't belong.

When he passed the vet's office, he saw Megan's car parked in front and pulled in beside it. Guilt, heavy as a boat anchor around his neck, weighed him down as he climbed from the Suburban.

Megan didn't need to know his first thought was that she'd left his daughter to fend for herself with a kidnapper while she chased after the dog. But he knew it. He realized now that she would have left Blue to die if there had been no one else to go after Katie. As it was, she'd done everything she could.

Much more than he had done.

He knocked on the clinic door and leaned his aching head against the frame while he waited for someone to answer.

Megan opened the door, tears pricking the back of her eyes at the sight of Logan, looking exhausted and scared, leaning on the door jamb.

He lifted his head and his gaze met hers, locked with hers for a heartbeat before he straightened. "How's Blue?"

"He'll be okay. He punctured a blood vessel in his paw and lost a lot of blood, but he's strong and tough. He'll make it. The Doc just finished stitching him up. He's been sedated, so I'm leaving him here until morning." She reached a hand up to cup his cheek. "Katie?"

"Nothing yet." His fists clenched and he willed them to relax. "The whole town is looking for her, though."

"Yeah, I know. Doc has a scanner. We've been listening. I'd just hoped..."

"Yeah, me too." Logan reached for Megan, needing the comfort of her in his arms and she came to him willingly. With her snuggled against him, he felt like he might be able to hold himself together. She held him tightly for a moment with her head pressed against his shoulder, then she released him and stepped back.

Logan ran his hand down her hair and rubbed the ends of the silky strands between his thumb and finger. "Are you through here?"

"Yes. I just need to clean up and let Doc know I'm leaving." She cupped his cheek again, then turned and went into the back of the clinic, returning a moment later with a bloody towel.

"Good Lord. He bled that much?"

Megan grimaced and said, "He bled that much after I'd put a temporary bandage on his paw. He bled a lot more than that during his mile run chasing the car. He's quite a dog. It's amazing he's still alive."

Logan held the door as she went through, sucking in a breath as she brushed against him. Hell of a time to get turned on by a woman, when his daughter was out there somewhere with a criminal.

He'd helped Megan into the Suburban and started around the front of the vehicle when a sheriff's deputy pulled up behind him. He walked over to the car and gripped the window frame. "Tommy. I didn't know you were a deputy. Have you heard anything about Katie?"

"Not yet. We have someone on every back road in and out of the county, and the highway patrol has set up a road block on the main highways. People are checking the outlying motels and rest stops. We'll find her."

Logan pushed a hand through his hair, frustrated with his inability to do anything to find his daughter. "What can I do? I can't just sit and wait for someone to find her."

"Actually, that's probably the best thing you can do. Go to the diner, have a cup of coffee, and sit tight where we can find you. Let us do our job."

Megan walked up and slid an arm around Logan's waist. "What he says makes sense, Logan. You don't even know what to look for."

"Yes, I do. My daughter." Logan rubbed a hand around his neck and cursed with frustration. "I'm going to drive around for a while, just so I can feel like I'm doing something. If I come up blank, I'll go to the diner. How's that?"

Tommy nodded once and flipped the lights on top of the car back on. "Keep in touch and let us know if you see anything. I need to get back out there."

Logan stepped back and the squad car pulled away. He looked down at Megan. "Do you want to ride with me, or go back to the house? You must be exhausted."

"I'm going with you. I couldn't sleep as long as Katie's in danger."

They climbed back into the Suburban and Logan pulled out onto Main Street. They cruised through town, stopping from time to time as people waved them down to offer their sympathies and their help. Finally, they reached the outskirts and pulled onto the highway.

"Where are we going?" Megan asked.

"I don't know. I'm trying to think where someone who wasn't familiar with the area would go."

"Why do you think it's an outsider?"

"Because I can't imagine anyone here doing something like this. But I can imagine Sue Ann doing it. Or having someone else do it for her."

"You think her mother kidnapped her? Why would she do that? She's the one who agreed to let her stay."

Logan turned to glance at Megan, his hands clenched on the steering wheel. "You remember I told you she'd said something strange? I had a feeling she was going to pull something stupid. This has Sue Ann written all over it. What scares me, though, is that she wouldn't dirty her hands doing it herself."

"Surely she cares too much about Katie to trust her safety to a someone she doesn't know?" Megan scooted around in the seat until she was facing him. "She'd hire some thug to take her own daughter?"

"When she's desperate, she doesn't think ahead. She just acts. So yeah, she'd hire some two bit con man to do her dirty work, not thinking about the danger she's put Katie in." And if she was behind this, he'd make sure the closest she got to Katie again would be supervised visits.

***

Katie cowered in the corner of the front seat, one hand on the door handle, waiting for an opportunity to escape. They'd been driving for a long time, turning down another dirt road every time a pair of headlights approached. She suspected they were lost, but Jerry wouldn't admit it.

She'd tried to talk to him, to get him to take her back home, but he'd threatened to hurt her if she didn't shut up, so she'd been quiet for the last hour. But she had to go to the bathroom and if he didn't stop the car soon she was going to have an accident.

"Jerry?"

"I thought I told you to shut up," he growled. "I don't want to hear anymore of your whining."

"But I have to go to the bathroom. You have to stop."

He glared at her, then sighed. "I can't let you out of the car. You might take off."

Katie glared right back. "If you don't stop, I'm going to make a mess out of your car."

"Damn kid. I hope your mother appreciates what I've done for her. You're more trouble than you're worth. I don't know why she wants you back so bad."

Katie's stomach felt sick and she was afraid she was going to throw up. "My mother sent you to kidnap me?"

Jerry snorted. "No. But she kicked me out when she figured out I helped you run away. I'm hoping bringing you back will get me back into her good graces." He saw another set of headlights approaching and pulled off the road into a field. He stopped behind an old barn and turned the engine off.

They'd been driving with the headlights off so other cars wouldn't see them. In the darkness of a cloudy night, Katie could barely make out the outline of the cotton gin in the distance. "We're still in Morris Springs," she murmured.

"No way. We've been driving so long I'm almost outta gas."

Katie rolled her eyes and looked out the window again. "You've been driving in circles. Some kidnapper you are."

"Okay, Miss Priss, since you know so much, how do I get out of this one horse town?"

She shrugged. She didn't want to give him any information that would help him get away. She wasn't scared anymore because she knew he wouldn't dare hurt her. Her dad would kill him if he did and her mom would never forgive him. But if she got him back on the highway, maybe her dad could find them.

She pointed toward the cotton gin. "The main road is over there. You need to get on it, because it's the only way out of here."

He cursed and started the engine again, then pulled back onto the road. "We need to find a place to lay low for a little while, at least until the cops think we're out of the area. And I need to be able to get gas somewhere before we run out."

They found the main road and Jerry turned away from Morris Springs, driving carefully, watching closely for approaching cars. By the time they reached Slaton, the gas gauge was almost to empty.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Logan and Megan drove for hours, up and down every little farm road, looking in abandoned barns and silos, checking every passing car for signs of Katie. As dawn began to break across the sky, Logan pulled into a gas station to fill the Suburban's tank.

He got out to pump the gas but a red-haired boy with a face full of freckles beat him to it. "Let me do that, Mr. Tanner. Dad said to tell you to come inside and have a cup of coffee."

Logan tried to think of where he'd seen the boy before, but he drew a blank. "Thanks, son. What's your name?"

"Alvin, sir. Alvin Jones. But most people call me Skeeter."

"You're Danny's boy, aren't you? God, I haven't seen him in years. I thought he moved away after high school."

The boy nodded and set the latch on the gas nozzle, then moved around to wash the windshield. "Yeah, he did, but we moved back a few years ago. Dad wanted us to grow up out here near the grandparents."

Logan went around to the side of the truck and helped Megan down, then followed her inside the station. Danny had cups of steaming coffee waiting for them, and he'd opened the vending machine so they could help themselves to a snack.

Danny shook hands with Megan, then slapped Logan on the back. "It's good to see you, Logan, but this is a hell of a way to get you in here for a visit."

Logan noted Danny's rumpled overalls and drooping, bloodshot eyes. "What are you doing open this time of day? Have you been here all night?"

Danny rubbed his eyes, then scrubbed a hand across his face. "Yeah, I came in and opened up when the sheriff called. I knew folks would need to gas up so they could keep looking for your little girl. Since I'm a ways out of town, I figured I should stay open for the people scouring the back roads. Jeff Owens has his station open in town, too."

Megan smiled at him over her Styrofoam cup. "That was a nice thing to do."

"It's what we do out here, ma'am. When folks need help, other folks pitch in. It's always been that way, as long as I can remember." Danny settled into a cracked vinyl chair and invited them to sit for a few minutes. "How's your dad, Logan?"

They talked about Charlie for a bit, then about Danny's parents, who were getting on in years, too. Danny told them he'd taken over a lot of the chores for his dad, with his three boys helping out.

Logan listened politely, aware of the occasional squawk of the scanner in the corner. "Have you heard any news in the last half-hour? I need to check in again."

"Not anything other than some chatter between the deputies. Don't worry, though. They'll find her. The sheriff is taking this personally, that some stranger came in and took one of our own right out from under our noses. He won't rest until she's safe."

There it was again. One of their own. All these years he'd felt like an outsider, but it seemed he'd been the only one who thought so. Maybe if he'd tried harder, or maybe if he hadn't tried so hard, he could have fit in after all.

***

Katie was squirming in her seat by the time Jerry pulled into a motel parking lot in Slaton. Her hopes went up when she thought maybe she could alert the desk clerk to her predicament, then were dashed again when Jerry ordered her to lay down and covered her with a blanket.

"You stay in this car. If you even think about trying to make a run for it, I can guarantee you'll regret it. Something bad might happen to your mother." He climbed out of the car and locked the door behind him.

Katie wanted to run, but she wasn't sure if he'd really hurt her mother. He might. There was something weird about Jerry. He was one of the reasons she'd run away. She didn't like it when he came to the house. She didn't like the looks he gave her.

He came back to the car and opened the door, then slid inside. "Stay down. I got us a room around back." We'll hide out here for a few hours until they stop looking for you."

Katie shivered in spite of the suffocating heat of the blanket. She didn't want to be alone with him in a motel room. But the room would have a phone. Maybe she could figure out how to make a call to 911.

The engine coughed before it caught with a roar. She felt the car move, felt it turn a corner and then stop. Jerry ordered her to stay put again and she heard him open the door and close it again.

He came back a minute later and opened her door. "Keep the blanket around you and walk straight in the room as fast as you can. I'll be right behind you."

Katie eased herself to a sitting position and saw Jerry walk around to the trunk. If she ran, she might make it inside in time to lock him out. She slid quietly out of the car, leaving the door open, and was poised to run when a truck came screaming towards them.

***

Logan took a drink of his coffee, then set the cup on the desk. He looked at Megan. "Are you ready to hit the road again?" She nodded.

The scanner rumbled to life with a report of a fight at the Starlight Motel in Slaton. Logan shook his head. "Some things never change, do they? I take it the Starlight still charges by the hour?"

Danny grinned. "Now why would I know about that?" He insisted on refilling their cups so they could take their coffee with them. Logan was anxious to get going, but he sat quietly while Danny took their cups to the coffee pot and refilled them. He set the cups on the desk in front of them and handed them plastic lids to put on top.

Before Logan could put the lid on his cup, the scanner squawked again and he heard the dispatcher calling for the sheriff. "They got her, boss, they got her. Do you copy?"

Logan knocked his coffee cup over when he jerked to his feet.

Megan threw herself into his arms and squeezed the breath right out of him. He was almost afraid to breathe until he heard the dispatcher answer the sheriff's gruff question about Katie's condition. "She's mad as hell, boss, but she's okay. Tommy's bringing her in. The perp's on his way to the hospital."

The hospital? Good Lord, had there been a shoot out?

Logan dialed 911 and spoke with the dispatcher, while Megan mopped up the coffee he'd spilled. He hung up and paid Danny for the gas, thanked him for the coffee, then tugged Megan out the door.

"Where are we going?"

"The police station. That's where they're taking Katie."

***

The station was a madhouse. People filled every empty space, talking, laughing, slapping each other on the back. The room fell silent for a moment as Megan and Logan stepped inside, then the group parted to make way for them to get to the counter.

"Logan, she's back here."

The portly dispatcher with bleached blonde hair looked vaguely familiar. His eyes widened when he read her name tag. "Mary Lee Sims? I almost didn't recognize you."

She laughed, seemingly unoffended. "Yeah, I've put on a few pounds since my cheerleading days. But four kids will do that to you. Come on. There's a little girl back here who wants her daddy."

They followed Mary Lee through the heavy metal door and down a long hall. She opened a door near the end and stepped back, giving Logan his first glimpse of Katie since the ordeal had begun.

"Daddy!" Katie jumped out of Carol's lap and ran headlong into Logan, wrapping her arms around his waist.

He buried his face against her hair and held her tightly. He didn't ever want to let her go again. Now that she was safe, he didn't think he could bear to let her out of his sight.

Without letting go of his daughter, he looked across the room at Jake, who sat next to Carol. Both of his fists were bloody and bruised, and a spot on his jaw was swollen and purple. "I take it you were the fight at the Starlight motel?"

Carol put a hand on Jake's shoulder. "Jake saw a car with Louisiana plates parked at the motel and went in to talk to the manager. When he came out, he drove around back and we saw a guy in front of one of the rooms with Katie. Jake nearly ran him down, then jumped out of the truck and tackled him, just like he did in the big State game our senior year. I put Katie in the truck while Jake beat the hell out of him. Took two deputies to pull Jake off the guy."

She smiled proudly at Jake and squeezed his shoulder.

Logan looked at Jake with new respect. "Thank you doesn't seem adequate. But thank you."

Jake grinned, his smile lopsided from the swelling. "You're welcome. You may have to bail me out of here, though, if that jerk decides to file assault charges."

"Consider it done." Logan turned to the Sheriff. "Who is he? Has he said why he took Katie?"

"He can't say much of anything right now. He's at the hospital being put back together. Jake didn't leave us much to interrogate. The man's a mess. But your daughter knows him."

Logan looked down at Katie. "Who was it, Katie?"

She looked down, then back up. "You're gonna be so mad..."

"Katie..."

"It was Mom's boyfriend. She was mad at him for helping me run away, so he came out here to take me back. He'd followed us to the mall in Lubbock, but Megan never let me out of her sight, so he couldn't get me then. He watched the house until he thought it was safe, then came in through my window. He might have made it, too, if it hadn't been for Blue."

She turned to Megan, her eyes pleading. "Blue's going to be okay, isn't he? He was bleeding awful bad. He chased Jerry when he carried me to the car. Then he bit his ankle. Jerry yelled and kicked Blue really hard." Tears began to roll down her cheeks. "If he hadn't already been halfway in the car when Blue caught up with us, I think Blue would have killed him."

Megan reached out and smoothed Katie's tangled hair away from her face and handed her a tissue. "Blue's going to be just fine. We can bring him home in the morning."

Katie's smile was wobbly, but she leaned her head into Megan's palm in a gesture so trusting, a lump formed in Logan's throat as he watched. He looked up at the Sheriff. "Can I take my daughter home now?"

"Sure. I'll need you to bring her in tomorrow for a statement, but this Jerry character isn't going anywhere tonight. Or any time soon. Somebody needs to take Jake to the hospital and get his hands x-rayed, though."

Carol stood and helped Jake up. "I'll do that. You get Katie home so Dad can see she's okay."

Logan watched as Carol led Jake out, one hand under his elbow and the other around his waist. When Megan gave him a warning glance, he shrugged. "I didn't say a word."

***

Logan tucked Katie into Megan's bed so she wouldn't have to sleep alone, then he and Megan went to check on his dad. As he stepped into Charlie's room, he turned to Megan with a finger on his lips. Nancy was asleep across the end of the king-sized bed, with Jean sleeping on top of the covers on the other side of his dad.

"Shouldn't we wake them up so they can go to their own room?" Megan whispered.

He shook his head and pulled her quietly from the room. "What's the point? It's already morning. Let them get whatever sleep they can."

Megan led the way to the kitchen and put a pan of milk on the stove to warm. "I hate to see them try to drive home today on so little sleep."

Logan rubbed his face with one hand. He knew he'd sound like an ass if he insisted they leave. But he really wanted to circle the wagons, with as few females inside as he could get away with. With a weary sigh, he gave in. "They can stay another day so they can rest up. But could you please make sure they go home tomorrow, before something else happens?"

Megan smiled, a slow, easy grin that lit her face in spite of her exhaustion. "It's a deal." She poured the milk into heavy mugs, added chocolate mix, and brought them to the table. She handed one to Logan, then stirred hers thoughtfully. "What are you going to do now? About the boyfriend, I mean?"

Logan's brows drew together and his jaw clenched. "I'm going to let the sheriff throw the book at him. And I'm calling my lawyer again. I'll get a restraining order against Sue Ann until I find out if she had anything to do with this. Then I'm going to push for the custody hearing to happen as soon as possible."

"Do you think Jake will get in trouble for beating him up?"

"I don't know. But if he does, I'll hire the best lawyer I can find to get him off. He saved me from killing the man."

Megan stared at him, shocked. "You think you could have killed him?"

Logan shrugged. "I don't know. If he had hurt Katie, I'm sure I could have. Since he didn't, I probably would have done exactly what Jake did if I'd gotten there first."

Megan changed the subject. "I was amazed at how many people came out to help in the middle of the night."

A warm glow spread through him as he thought about the reception they'd received at the Sheriff's office. "Yeah, that was something I didn't expect. But Morris Springs has always had a pretty good grapevine. If one person heard the call, they'd call someone else, who would call two more, and so on. In a town this size, it doesn't take long for word to get around." He grinned and shook his head. "I always hated that as a kid. You couldn't get away with anything."

Megan laughed and took a sip of her hot chocolate. "I grew up in Dallas, in a high rise apartment. Except for the summers I spent with my aunt and uncle, I could do just about anything I wanted to and no one knew or cared." Her expression sobered and her eyes reflected her sadness at the memory. "There were a lot of times I wished someone cared enough to catch me."

Logan wondered if Katie felt the same way. Maybe this trip, bus and all, had been a desperate bid for his attention, to let him know something was wrong at home. He needed to find out more about what her life had been like the last few months. Regardless, he wasn't letting her go again.

Megan drained her cup and stood. "We should try to catch a couple of hours' sleep. It's going to be a long, emotional day for all of us." She rinsed the cup and set it in the sink, then turned to go.

Logan stopped her with a hand on her arm. "Thank you, Megan."

"What for? I didn't do anything."

He stood and gripped her arms, pulling her against him. "Yes, you did. You were here." He lowered his head and took her mouth with his. He knew he should keep his distance. He should send her to bed to get some sleep. He should send her back to Dallas.

He didn't care. He reveled in the taste, in the feel of her as he deepened the kiss. She tasted of hot chocolate and a spicy tang that was hers alone. He ran his tongue along her lips, teasing them open.

His body was hard, and hurting. He needed her, needed to sink into her and release the tension that had built up over the last few days. Even with four other people in the house, he wanted to lay her back across the table and bury himself inside her, to forget the terror he'd been through over the past few hours.

Megan wrapped her arms around Logan's neck and held on for dear life. She'd never been kissed so thoroughly, with so much heat and passion. She reveled in the sensation of being devoured, possessed, entranced.

His body was rock hard against hers. She could feel his muscles flexing as he ground his pelvis against her stomach. She could feel the rigid line of his arousal firing her blood. She knew that if she and Logan ever made love, there would be no holding back. It would be hot, wild, and wonderful.

When it was over, her heart might shatter, but the rest of her would be whole.

Logan broke the kiss and stepped back long before Megan was ready. His hands dropped from her arms and he placed a chaste kiss on her forehead. "Go get some sleep, Megan. Before the others wake up." Then he left the kitchen, leaving Megan with one hand against her mouth, trying to keep the warmth of his lips from fading away.

***

"We're not taking no for an answer." Nancy stood with her hands on her hips, her expression clearly stating she would brook no argument from anyone. "Jean and I will stay with Charlie, and the rest of you will go out to eat. Megan has to cook every meal for the next week, and she should get a night out first."

Jean nodded and added her two cents. "Carol deserves a break, too. And you all need to get away from the house for a while, do something pleasant for a change."

Katie looked doubtful. "But we can't leave Blue. He's still not feeling good."

Nancy glanced over at the dog, asleep on a soft blanket near the back door. "He's still so groggy he won't even know you're gone. We'll watch him carefully until you get back. If there's a problem, we'll call your dad's cell phone. How's that?"

Katie thought for a moment, then nodded. "Okay. But if he's hungry when he wakes up, you have to feed him something soft, like scrambled eggs. The vet said not to give him dog food until he's up on his feet."

Nancy smoothed a hand over Katie's hair, then gave her a hug. "I know, sweetie. We'll take good care of him, I promise."

Megan watched Logan's expressive face and knew the instant he gave in. He moved his gaze from Carol's quick smile to Katie's wide grin. "I take it you guys want to go out. Megan?"

"I think it sounds like a great idea. But what about Jake? We should invite him, too, shouldn't we? If we're going out to celebrate, we can't leave him out."

A blush bloomed across Carol's face, but she moved quickly toward the telephone. A questioning glance at Logan earned her a quick nod and she picked up the receiver and dialed.

"Where do you want to eat?" Logan asked Katie.

"The Prairie Dog Café." She looked at Megan. "They have the biggest chicken-fried steaks you've ever seen."

Half an hour later they settled into a booth at the Prairie Dog, Megan and Logan on one side of the table, Carol and Jake on the other, and Katie in a chair at the end. While Megan studied the menu, Logan and Carol chatted with the locals who stopped by to offer congratulations on Katie's safe return. Jake joined in the conversation and introduced the people Logan and Carol didn't know.

One burly man in overalls and a plaid shirt shook Logan's hand, then clapped him on the shoulder. "It sure is good to see you back home where you belong, Logan. I know your daddy must be about to bust with happiness. He's waited years for you to take over the farm."

"But, I'm not..."

"Yes sir, it's good to see a family keep the traditions going, helping each other out. Almost all of the kids who left looking for greener pastures have come back home. There's a whole new generation growing up here, working the home places just like their parents did."

"Jim, I'm only here for a little while, until we can convince Dad to sell the farm."

The big man laughed and cuffed Logan on the arm. "Yeah, that's what they all say. Then they realize this is where they belong, where they have a home. That city stuff gets old after a while, always worrying about getting mugged or robbed, worrying how to pay those credit card bills. You'll see. Once home, always home, that's what I always say." He ruffled Katie's hair and moved away, leaving Logan with a pensive expression on his face.

When the waitress stopped to take their order, Carol looked up. "Jenny! Oh my goodness, I haven't seen you in years." The two exchanged a hug, then chatted about old times for a minute before she took their orders.

Megan felt a pang of loneliness in the pit of her stomach. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen any of her old high school friends, and couldn't think of a single one who would be so glad to see her.

Most of the mealtime conversation centered around old friends and childhood memories. Megan concentrated on her food, trying not to let on how left out she felt. She caught Jake's sympathetic glances from time to time, but she ignored him and let the conversation flow around her.

The more Logan and Carol talked about the past, the more Megan realized she had nothing in common with him. He deserved someone who shared those memories, someone who belonged in this town, who'd grown up here. He might think he belonged in Dallas, but he didn't. He was a part of this community, like it or not. Just like she wasn't.

But she really loved it here and she knew it was perfect for her. If Logan couldn't appreciate it, that didn't mean she couldn't. From the looks being exchanged between Carol and Jake, there seemed to be a distinct possibility that Carol might settle down here eventually, so Megan would have one friend, at least. And she'd get to know the others in time, to be accepted into the community.

With a sigh of contentment, she finished off the last of the chicken fried steak.

CHAPTER NINE

Logan stood on the porch with Katie and Megan, waving as Jake and Carol drove away. It had been hard to keep his mouth shut as Carol had hustled around getting ready to leave. He'd wanted to warn her about so many things. Muggers, taxi drivers, strange men, bums.

He'd opened his mouth a few times as new dangers occurred to him, then shut it again when he remembered what Megan had said about Carol being a grown woman. To him she was still his kid sister, and he couldn't help but worry.

God, it was hard to let go.

They stepped back into the house and the silence wrapped around him like a warm blanket. No Nancy to sharpen her claws on his ego. No Jean staying quietly in the background, watching his every move. No Carol raising her eyebrows and humming whenever he and Megan were in the same room.

Maybe the next week wouldn't be so bad after all. As long as he stayed outside, away from temptation.

"Hey, Katydid. You want to go with me to check on Big Mac?" There, he'd be outside, and he'd have Katie along to distract him from his thoughts.

Katie's eyes lit up and she raced for the back door. "Sure!"

Blue pulled himself to his feet and limped to Katie's side. His paw was still covered in a bandage that made it difficult for him to balance on his injured leg, but he seemed determined not to let Katie out of his sight.

Logan chuckled and grabbed her hat off the table on his way through the kitchen. "Here, put this on."

Katie rolled her eyes, but she settled the hat on her head and linked her arm through his, then reached down to pet Blue before she opened the door.

A backward glance gave Logan an enticing view of Megan's long, slender legs with just a hint of cheek peeking out from under the hem of her shorts as she bent down to check something in the oven.

Hoo-boy, this was going to be one long week.

***

The rich, heavy scent of tomato sauce and garlic reached Logan before he stepped on the back porch. He stopped, one foot on the step, and inhaled deeply. His stomach growled, reminding him he'd worked straight through lunch.

He'd sent Katie and Blue back after she'd watched the calf for a while, then he started working on the tractor. He'd only planned to do some basic maintenance, but the carburetor needed a good cleaning and adjustment, then he found other things that needed repair. A trip to town for parts had turned into a class reunion when he ran into several couples he knew in high school.

It amazed him how many people had stayed in that one-light town. He hadn't been able to get away fast enough. Still couldn't. But a number of his classmates had either never left, or had grown tired of city life and returned to raise their families.

He'd asked Jake why he had stayed, taking over his parents' farm when they passed away. His answer had been deceptively simple. "It's home," he'd said. "Where else would I want to be?"

That conversation stayed with Logan all through the night as he worked on a new game design. How long had it been since he'd had a "home?" His apartment was nothing more than a place to sleep after a long day at work. Even when he'd been married to Sue Ann, it was mostly a place to get dressed for an evening out, and a place to fight over his job and her flirting.

But that tomato sauce and garlic smelled like home to him.

Megan stood by the stove, pot holder in hand, wondering why Logan didn't come inside. She'd worked hard to fix an appetizing meal. She'd made the lasagna and garlic bread from scratch, and they were perfectly browned and piping hot. The salad was fresh and crisp. The table was set with Wedgwood-blue plates, and crisp yellow and white daisies had turned an old blue and white speckled coffee pot into a charming centerpiece.

When she heard the screen door open, she whirled around to face the stove, pulling the oven door open as Logan stepped into the kitchen. She was so nervous, she reached for the pan with her bare hand, pot holder forgotten in the other. "Owwww! Dagnabbit!" She shook her hand in the air and bounced from one foot to the other.

Logan crossed the kitchen in three strides, taking her wrist in his callused hand. He pulled her to the sink and turned on the cold water, thrusting her hand beneath the spray. "Keep it there while I get some ice."

"It's not that bad. It just hurt for a second." So much for showing him how good she was in the kitchen. She'd managed to look like a idiot once again.

He handed her a bag of frozen corn. "Hold on to this for a few minutes. At least it might keep your hand from blistering."

She took the bag without argument and turned off the water. While he moved the lasagna and bread from the oven to the table, she leaned against the counter and watched him. She didn't miss the appreciative sniff he took before he set the food on the table, and she smiled. Maybe she hadn't totally messed up.

***

Once Katie and Charlie were asleep, Megan knocked quietly on the study door. No answer. She twisted the knob and pushed the door open. Her heart melted at the sight of Logan laying halfway across the desk, his head on one outstretched arm, sound asleep.

She knew she should leave, step back and close the door, but she didn't. His face was turned toward her, and she couldn't resist the opportunity to watch him as he slept.

He looked exhausted. Tiny lines she hadn't noticed before fanned out from the corner of the one eye she could see. A muscle jumped along the edge of his clenched jaw. She wanted to go to him and rub his neck to ease the tension that seemed to radiate from him, even in sleep.

Didn't he ever relax? Sleep eight hours straight, in a bed instead of a chair? Trying to keep up with the farm and the demands of his business was wearing him down, and she was afraid he would break from the strain. Added to that was his concern for his family, his desire to keep everyone safe. Didn't he know he wouldn't be able to take care of anyone if he didn't take care of himself?

Megan wasn't sure if she should wake him and insist he go to bed, or if she should let him sleep. As uncomfortable as he looked, at least he was sleeping. She decided what she wanted to discuss could wait until morning and she took a step back.

He must have sensed her presence. His eyes opened, pinning her in place with the intensity of his gaze. She watched as wariness replaced the heat in his eyes. He sat up and stretched, wincing as he straightened. "Hi."

Feeling shy for some reason, Megan nodded but didn't reply. She flexed her fingers, wanting to--needing to--touch him.

"Did you need something?"

Now that was a loaded question. The kiss they'd shared a few nights earlier had stirred up a torrent of need. Need she should ignore, she reminded herself.

She cleared her throat, afraid her voice would give her away. "I wanted to talk to you about your father. But it can wait until tomorrow. I'm sorry I woke you up."

"No, that's okay. I'm supposed to be working, not sleeping. What about Dad?"

Megan moved to the chair across the desk from Logan and sat down, then leaned forward, clasping her hands between her knees. "Your father is getting better every day. But he hates lying in that bed, away from everyone. He's lonely and bored. He wants to feel a part of things."

Logan stretched and leaned back in his chair. A lock of hair fell over his brow and he brushed it back. "So what do you want me to do?"

"I want to get him a wheelchair and take him outside during the day. I'd like to bring him to the dinner table, maybe even take him to church. And I think we should have a physical therapist come out and show me what exercises he should be doing."

Logan looked thoughtful for a moment. "Do you really think he's up to it? He seems to have grown weaker since the night Katie disappeared."

"That's one reason I want to get him up. He needs to feel useful, to feel like he's a part of your family. But you could call and check with his doctor if you're not sure. Or ask the visiting nurse when she comes by. I talked it over with her today and she thought it was a great idea." Megan yawned as the long day began to catch up with her.

Logan pushed his chair back and stood, then walked around the desk to stand in front of her. He took her hands and pulled her to her feet. "Go ahead and call whoever you need to in the morning, and order whatever you think he should have. But right now, you should be in bed."

Megan kissed him lightly on the cheek and moved toward the door. "Thank you. And you need to go to bed, too, Logan. You can't keep up this pace without making yourself sick."

He followed her to the door and turned off the office light. "I think I will, just this once. These last few days have about done me in. But we have Katie back safe and sound, so it wasn't' all bad."

No, Megan thought, for once things seemed to be right with her world. At least the worst was behind them.

***

With Charlie in his wheelchair parked in the shade of an old oak tree, Katie and Blue at his feet, Megan was free to tackle the job she'd been dying to get her hands on. Working in the garden. Weeds and grass had choked out most of the vegetables long ago, but a few hardy squash, okra, and onions had survived.

She worked for a couple of hours, pulling the weeds around the vegetables first, then working out from there. She kept a constant watch on Charlie to be sure he didn't get too hot or tired. When he began to droop, she wheeled him inside and fixed him some iced tea and a snack.

Logan had gone to Lubbock to buy tractor parts, so she helped Charlie into his recliner instead of trying to get him back to bed. Katie settled in to watch television, and Blue lay down at Charlie's feet. When Charlie fell asleep in his chair, Megan decided to go back outside and work for a little while longer. After checking to see that the front door was locked, she went out the back, leaving the door open so she could hear if Katie needed her.

She knelt in the garden and scooped up a handful of soft dirt, letting it trickle through her fingers. Someone had loved this garden once. The dirt was rich and dark with compost and mulch. Weeds pulled out easily from the well-tilled soil.

Before she knew it, she'd cleared one full row and half of another. She'd asked Logan to run a tiller through the garden earlier, but now she was glad he hadn't had time. She would have lost the squash that was just right for picking, and the okra would have been tilled under along with the grass and weeds.

She picked some of each to cook for dinner and laid the vegetables aside. Then she continued down the row, stopping occasionally to check on Katie and Charlie. Two hours later she was hot and sweaty and covered in dirt from head to toe. And she loved every minute of it.

She didn't want to stop halfway through, so when Charlie woke up from his nap, she moved him back to his wheelchair and took him back outside to his spot under the tree. She talked to him as she worked and watched Katie and Blue as the girl settled the dog carefully on a soft patch of grass, his head in her lap.

Though Blue was getting better, he was taking full advantage of Katie's attention, exaggerating his limp when she was nearby. Megan had caught him a few times, walking almost normally, but as soon as he knew he was being watched, the pitiful look and three-legged hop returned.

Megan smiled at the way the two had bonded, then returned to clearing the last row.

Logan rounded the side of the house, whistling as he wondered what Megan had fixed for dinner. The sight of the garden, almost completely weed-free, hit him like a punch in the gut. The present seemed to meld with the past and once again he was twelve years old, coming home from playing with his friends when he was supposed to be working.

His mother had asked him to come straight home from school and weed the garden for her. She'd wanted to get the tomatoes planted, and he'd let her down. She'd gone ahead and done it herself.

As he had walked toward the garden, he'd noticed something out of place--a pile of clothes in the last row. Curious, he moved closer. It wasn't until he was by her side that he realized that the pile of clothes was his mother, and that she was dead. Dead because of him. Dead because she'd worked herself to death in that damned fool garden in a corner of hell known as Morris Springs, Texas.

Logan shook off the painful memory and saw Megan kneeling in the dirt. His reaction was instinctive and powerful. He couldn't have held it back if he'd tried. He ran straight to the garden and yanked Megan up by one arm, not caring that he was overreacting, not thinking about whether or not he was hurting her.

Megan cried out and Blue leapt to his feet, teeth bared, a threatening growl warning Logan to let go.

He did, but he never took his eyes off of Megan. Thank God he'd gotten back early. Her face was red and splotchy from the intense afternoon sun. She looked like she was on the verge of a heat stroke. "What in the hell do you think you're doing? I leave for one day, one day dammit, and you do something stupid like this!"

"What's so stupid about weeding the garden? It's time to plant pumpkins, and it's not too late for several other fall crops," Megan yelled back, her face close enough to his that he could kiss her if he leaned forward a little.

But he didn't want to kiss her. He wanted to throttle her for making his heart stop. For making him feel like that twelve year old boy he'd buried along with his mother. For risking her life over a thirty foot wide patch of worthless dirt.

"I told you I'd till it when I had time. Why didn't you wait?"

She fisted one hand on her hip, and poked a finger into his chest with the other. "Because I wanted to get my hands dirty, because I wanted to pull the weeds out myself. Because I like gardening." She called Blue and Katie, then turned and stormed into the house.

Logan hadn't noticed his father sitting under the tree, watching him. After Megan slammed the back door, his father called out to him. Logan still couldn't understand him very well, but he at least had a general idea of what his dad was saying now.

And he heard in Charlie's voice that stern tone that told him he'd royally screwed up once again.

With his shoulders sagging and his head down, he dropped to the ground under the tree. "I really blew that one, didn't I, Dad?"

Charlie reached out with his good hand and squeezed Logan's shoulder. "What was...about?" he asked in his slow, tortured speech.

Tears burned the back of Logan's eyes, but he refused to let them fall. He'd never told his father that it was his fault his mother was dead. Charlie never knew Logan had been told to weed the garden but had stopped for a game of football, instead.

Some of the town kids had started an impromptu game after school. Tommy, Randy, Edwin Summers, and several others had called to him to join the game to even out the sides. He forgot all about his mother and the garden when he saw a chance to finally belong.

The story poured out of him now, every detail of that day vivid in his mind. The heat, the stillness of the air as a storm brewed in the distance. Heat that didn't bother a twelve year old, but was too much for his mother.

He couldn't look at Charlie as he told him the secret he'd held back for years. The secret that had finally driven him away from home because he couldn't stand to look his dad in the eye, knowing what he'd done.

When he fell silent, Charlie took his chin in his callused, wrinkled hand and made him look up. The tears in his father's eyes nearly killed Logan. After all these years of silence, he'd finally broken his father's heart with the truth.

Charlie's mouth worked, trying to form the words he wanted to say, but he couldn't seem to get them out. Finally, he managed to say, "Not...fault. Not...fault."

Yeah, right. It wasn't his fault her heart had failed in the garden he was supposed to weed. If he'd been there, she would have been in the house watching her soap operas, a glass of tea at her side. He shook his head, squeezed Charlie's hand, and said, "I'm sorry, Dad."

***

Logan locked himself in the study after helping his dad back into bed. Charlie had quickly fallen into an exhausted slumber with Logan still holding his hand. Logan cursed Megan under his breath for letting his father sit outside in the late afternoon heat. He never should have let her convince him it would be good for Charlie to get outside for some fresh air.

He would yell at her about that, too, but she left the room whenever he walked in. Katie glared at him and refused to speak to him or listen to anything he had to say. Even the damned dog growled at him whenever he got close. Thank God Carol would be home in two days and Megan would go back to Dallas.

He picked up the phone and called his father's doctor to see if he would make a house call. The worry gnawed at him until the doctor declared Charlie had suffered no ill effects from his time outside, but thought Logan should bring him in the next afternoon for a checkup anyway.

***

Megan wanted to throw dishes, but they weren't hers to break. She couldn't even punch a hole in the wall because it wasn't hers, either. She didn't belong here. All she wanted now was to go home. She wished she had a home to go to.

She called Nancy and Jean and told them to look for another apartment. Hopefully they'd find one before she got back. They had a contract with Logan, but she'd just pay him the rent they owed through the end of the summer. He couldn't sue them over that. She hoped.

She was going to miss Katie and Charlie. It would break her heart to leave them, but she didn't have a choice. Logan would throw her out as soon as Carol got home if she didn't leave on her own.

Blue watched her pace the kitchen, his tail tucked firmly between his legs, his eyes sad. Katie was quiet, more quiet than a twelve year old girl should be. She tiptoed around both Megan and Logan, only speaking when Megan asked her a direct question, then answering only in monosyllables. She hadn't spoken a full sentence in more than a day.

When Megan had scrubbed the kitchen until it gleamed, she sent Katie to bed and went into her room. Because she wanted to collapse on the bed and cry, she started packing her things. As soon as Carol got home, she was out of there. She had better things to do than stay where she wasn't wanted or needed.

It seemed like she'd spent her whole life trying to be what others expected her to be. A quiet child, an excellent student, a dutiful daughter. She'd molded herself into whatever was required of her. But those days were behind her. She had a dream, she had a goal, and for once she had a life of her own. And no one was going to yell at her or berate her for doing what she loved, not ever again.

CHAPTER TEN

The telephone rang and jarred Logan out of a deep sleep. He'd dreamed about his mother in the garden, but when he'd looked down, it was Megan's face he saw under the cornflower-blue bonnet. Megan's face burned by the sun as she lay in a heap on the ground.

He snatched up the phone on the third ring. "Tanner."

"Logan, Mark Delaney here. We have a date for the custody hearing, but I have to warn you, Sue Ann isn't taking this lying down. I have a list of witnesses she plans to call to testify that you're married to your job and wouldn't give Katie a second thought once you're back in Dallas."

"Bull...hockey. I'm not making that mistake again. I can do a lot of my work at home. I've proved that while I've been out here." Logan shoved a hand through his hair, wishing he could get his hands on Sue Ann at that moment.

"Well, you may think that, but the track record is in her favor. She's prepared to testify that Katie will be left alone or with babysitters until late at night and only see you on rare occasions."

Logan bit off a foul curse and gripped the phone so hard he was afraid it would break in two. He forced himself to loosen his grip and take a deep breath to calm down. "So what can I do to prove her wrong?"

"It would help if I could tell the court you were staying in Morris Springs for good, and it would be even better if you were married to a nice, domestic, country girl."

Megan's image flashed through his mind, a picture of her bent over in front of the oven. He shook his head to clear the scene from his inner vision. He'd already blown that possibility. "Two strikes so far. Any more bright ideas?"

"No, I'm sorry. I'm not sure we have a prayer."

"Not even with the kidnapping? What kind of legal system would send Katie back to her mother after that?"

"Logan, there's no indication Sue Ann had any idea what Jerry was planning to do. He was trying to get back in her good graces by taking Katie back home, since he'd helped her leave in the first place. As far as we can tell, it was all his idea."

"Surely you don't believe that?" Damn, couldn't anything in his life go right, just once?

"No, I don't, but without any evidence to the contrary, I'm afraid the court will give her the benefit of the doubt."

Logan slammed the phone down and dropped his head back onto the desk. His one and only chance would have been Megan, and he'd ruined any possibility of that. For a minute, he wished someone would just shoot him and put him out of his misery.

***

Megan watched Logan warily as he came into the kitchen, ready to bolt if he said one word in the tone of voice he'd used in the garden. No man was going to talk to her like that and get away with it. She wasn't a worthless cur who didn't have sense enough to stay out of the hen house.

She stirred the scrambled eggs and kept her back to him as he poured a cup of coffee. When she heard the scrape of the chair as he sat at the table, she wished Katie was awake to act as a buffer. Chagrined at the thought of putting a child in that position, she determined to make the best of her last day in this house and try to get along with Logan.

She could still be mad at him, she just needed to be mature enough to hide it.

She put the eggs and toast on the table beside the bacon and grits. Then she poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down across from him without looking at him. Keeping her head lowered, she took a bite of eggs that could have been ashes, for all she cared.

Logan laid his fork on the table and she looked up. His gaze was steady on hers, his expression apologetic. "Megan, I want to apologize...."

She shook her head and scooted her chair back. "Please, don't. You said what you felt yesterday. I'm going home this afternoon, which is what you've wanted all along, so let's leave it at that, okay?"

"No, it's not okay. Katie isn't speaking to me because I yelled at you, Charlie is upset over the tension in the house, and Blue hates my guts."

"Well, I wouldn't worry about it. I'll be out of your hair before dinnertime and everything will get back to normal. In a few weeks you can stick your father in a nursing home and get back to your rich, busy life in Dallas. I'll only be a bad memory."

She stood and scraped her eggs into Blue's bowl and left the kitchen, not bothering to turn around to see Logan's reaction.

Damn, he couldn't even apologize right. And that remark about sticking Charlie in a nursing home hurt. If he did, it would be because he'd get better care there than Logan could give him. Not because he couldn't wait to get rid of him.

He'd hoped Megan would listen to him, that she'd accept his apology so they could get back to where they'd been before he'd blown it. Then he could have courted her, maybe even made her fall for him enough to marry him so he could get custody of Katie. But she wouldn't stop being mad long enough to listen, and he only had a few hours left. Hours that were ticking away as he sat in the kitchen feeling more alone than he had in years.

Determined to get the chores out of the way so he'd have time to talk to Megan again before she left, he headed for the barn. It was blazing hot already, and the sun had barely peeked over the horizon. He pulled his shirt out of his waistband and unbuttoned it, then tossed it over the fence as he walked by.

He milked the Jerseys and fed the chickens. He hurried through gathering the eggs and set the egg basket on the back porch. Then he made a quick tour of the fence line and the herd, checking for any sign of trouble. When he found a section of fence down, he bit out a curse and went back to count the cows. Two missing.

He didn't have time for this. If he didn't hurry, Megan would be gone before he got back to the house. Carol was due in before noon.

It took him an hour to round up the strays with his dad's old truck. Without Blue to help, it was harder than it should have been. He patched the fence as quickly as he could, then raced for the house, spraying dust and gravel as he swung into the driveway. Megan's car was still parked in front of the house, Jake's truck beside it.

Logan exhaled a deep sigh of relief and swung out of the vehicle. He cleared the front steps in one leap and yanked open the door. Somehow, some way, he had to convince Megan to hear him out, to listen without that damned stubborn chin in the air, until he could convince her he truly was sorry.

As soon as he stepped inside, he knew something was wrong. Megan was speaking urgently into the phone, a comforting arm around Katie's shoulder. Katie's face was streaked with tears and Blue was tight against her side, nudging her hand with his nose when she stopped rubbing his head.

Megan looked up when he moved closer, her eyes revealing pain, fear, and compassion all in one glance. "Thank you," she said to the person on the other end of the line. She hung up the phone and reached a hand out to him, laying her palm gently on his arm. "Logan, your father has had another stroke. An ambulance is on the way."

Everything he'd planned to say to her drained from his mind as he ran for Charlie's room. Carol stood beside the bed, tears rolling down her cheeks as she rubbed Charlie's limp hand in her own. Jake was beside her, his arm firmly around her waist.

"What happened?" Logan asked as he moved to stand beside Carol.

"I don't know. He was asleep when I got home, and I tried to wake him up to let him know I was back, but he won't wake up."

Logan sat on the edge of the bed and picked up Charlie's other hand. He didn't know what else to do. In silence, they waited for the ambulance to arrive. Megan and Katie joined the group around the bed, and Logan couldn't help thinking it looked like they were holding a death vigil.

Charlie would hate that.

***

Logan sat beside his father, the noise and bustle of the emergency room a muted blur in the background. Carol sat on the edge of the bed, Charlie's hand in hers as she begged him to open his eyes. The rhythmic beep of the monitors was the only indication he was still alive.

"Daddy, is Grampa going to die?" Katie whispered.

Logan dragged a hand over his face, then shook his head. "I don't know, sweetheart. I hope not." He stood up and took Katie's hand. "Let's go get a soft drink and give Aunt Carol a few minutes alone with him, okay?"

They left the room, but Logan thought it might be the hardest thing he'd ever done. He and Katie found the cafeteria and bought their drinks, then sat in silence for a while, each lost in their thoughts and fears.

When he thought Carol had had enough time alone with Charlie, they went back upstairs. Carol sat with her head bowed, tears dripping onto her pants leg. Logan placed a hand on her shoulder. "Any change?"

Carol looked up, her face bleak. "No. He hasn't moved. I need to go outside for some fresh air." At the door, she turned. "Katie, do you want to come with me?"

Katie looked at her father. When he nodded, she followed Carol from the room. Logan sat down in the chair next to the bed again and picked up his father's callused hand. There was so much he needed to say to his father, but he didn't know where to start.

"I'm sorry I left home so young and left you to take care of everything all by yourself. I couldn't stay after what happened to Mom. It was all my fault. If I'd done my chores that day like I was supposed to, she wouldn't have been out there weeding the garden in that heat. She wouldn't have died. I've never forgiven myself for that."

He watched Charlie's face, but there was no sign that his father had heard a word he said. "I blamed you, too. For bringing her out here. For letting her work so hard. I didn't know which of us was the most at fault. But I hated it here. I couldn't wait to put the farm behind me."

He felt an almost imperceptible pressure against his hand. He looked down to see Charlie's fingers curled around his own. Could his father hear him? "I want to ask you to forgive me. For not helping more when I was a kid. For letting Mom down. For letting you down. I love you, Dad."

Charlie's doctor stepped into the room and Logan moved back so he could tend to Charlie. A few minutes later the doctor led Logan from the room. "I'm moving him to ICU. The next 24 hours will give us a better idea of his chances. I've ordered some tests that will tell us how extensive the damage is. I'm sorry I can't tell you more right now."

Logan nodded and shook the doctor's hand, then joined Carol and Katie outside. Megan sat on a bench, Katie's head in her lap, while Carol paced up and down the sidewalk. She headed his way as soon as she saw him step through the door.

"Any news?"

"Not much. He's moving to ICU, and the doctor has scheduled some tests, but they don't know much right now." Logan looked at Megan, then back to Carol. "Why don't you take Katie home? Megan's probably anxious to get on the road."

Carol shook her head. "No, she's already said she'll stay until we hear something about dad. She tried to insist on going to a motel, but I wouldn't let her. I'll get her to take Katie back to the house, but I'm staying here."

Maybe that would be best. He hated the idea of Megan leaving with this strain between them. At the very least they needed to clear the air and see where they stood. "Okay. Tell her to keep Blue close to the house. She can call Jake if there's an emergency."

"I'll have Jake check on them both when he can. She'll be all right, Logan, and so will Katie. But if you don't wipe that worried look off your face, she'll think you don't trust her."

***

Megan stayed with Katie while Logan and Carol spent as much time at the hospital as they could. She and Katie fed the animals and gathered the eggs every morning, then spent the rest of the day cleaning the house and working in the garden. Twice a day they went to the hospital to visit Charlie, who remained unresponsive.

Each time Megan left the hospital, she expected to get a telephone call telling her Charlie had passed away. The tension was wearing on her, but not nearly as much as it was on Logan. His face looked haggard, his shoulders drooped with exhaustion.

Jake drove Megan and Katie to the hospital several times and she got to know a little about him and his life. The more she learned, the more she admired him and hoped someday he and Carol would end up together.

Tuesday morning, she took Katie to town to buy groceries, then stopped by the feed store and bought some vegetable plants and a few flowers. At least planting would give her something to do to keep her mind off Logan, and off Charlie's illness. She'd come to love the old man in the short time she'd known him. She refused to think about her feelings for Logan.

By early afternoon, the garden was planted, and she'd turned on the sprinkler to water the tender plants. Then she and Katie settled in play Monopoly.

She saw Jake's truck pull into the drive and checked her watch, wondering if she'd lost track of time. She saw they still had two hours until visiting hours. "I'm going out to see what Jake wants. I'll be right back."

"Okay. I'm going to get some ice cream. You want some?"

"Sure. Thanks." Katie went into the kitchen and Megan stepped onto the front porch as Jake rounded the front of his truck.

***

Logan sat on a chair beside Charlie's bed, the beeping of the monitors his only company. He'd talked to his father more in the last three days than he had in years. Only he'd waited too late. Charlie couldn't hear him, couldn't answer his questions, couldn't take away the burden of shame Logan carried over his mother's death.

As he held his father's hand, he felt the deep calluses created by years of hard work. He looked at his own hands, where newly formed calluses had begun to form over the last few weeks. Something shifted inside him, something that softened the edges of his pain and anger, and he felt closer to his father than he'd ever felt before.

Charlie's fingers tightened on his in a grip almost painful in intensity, and Logan jerked his head up to search his father's face for signs of awakening. As he watched, Charlie's features relaxed, a corner of his mouth tilted up in a slight smile and he breathed out a deep sigh. Then his hand went limp.

The beeping of the monitor changed to a continuous tone and Logan looked up as a doctor and two nurses rushed into the room, pushing a crash cart. For ten minutes they tried to bring Charlie back, but it was too late. He was gone.

Logan hung his head, the pain so intense he thought his heart would stop, too. He heard a gasp behind him, and looked up to find Carol standing in the doorway. He stood and went to her side.

"No! Dear God, no." Carol's wail echoed through the intensive care unit. Logan felt helpless as he pulled her to him and let her cry against his chest. He led her from the small room into the hall.

"He can't be dead, Logan, he just can't be." Her tears soaked his shirt and he wanted to cry, too. But he needed to be strong for his sister. "It's okay, Carol. He's with Mom, now. He's missed her all these years. I don't think he'd want us to be sad that he's finally found her again." In spite of his words, he felt empty. It was the same dead, dull feeling he'd had the day he'd lost his mother. Once again the land had won. It had sapped Charlie's vitality, taken away his ability to fight off the stroke that had led to his death.

Carol sniffed and lifted her head, a small, trembling smile on her lips. "He is with Mom, isn't he? But I'm going to miss him so much."

"We all are. I think we've always thought he'd be around forever." He reached out and wiped a tear from her cheek. "Just remember how much he loved you. You were his only daughter, and the baby too, so you were always special. And the fact that you look so much like Mom made you even more precious to him."

Carol nodded and wiped her face. "Thanks, Logan. You've always known how to make me feel better. But it's still going to hurt for a long time."

"Yeah, I'm afraid it will."

***

Jake, Katie, and Megan found Carol standing in the empty room, folding Charlie's pajamas. Katie ran headlong into Carol's arms, crying as she had since Megan had been handed the difficult job of breaking the news about her grandfather.

Carol wrapped her arms around Katie and held her tightly. Jake shifted his weight from one foot to the other, looking lost and unsure what to do. Megan went to put her arms around her friend.

"I'm so sorry," Megan said, her voice trembling. She'd lost her aunt three years ago, and the pain was still fresh. Today's events had brought it all back with stinging clarity. "Is there anything I can do?"

Carol looked over the top of Katie's head, her eyes sad and weary. "I'm sure there is, but I can't think right now. I know there are a hundred details we need to attend to. I'm so glad you're here because I don't have a clue where to start."

"I'll stay as long as you need me. Where's Logan?"

"He went down to the chapel. Dad's death hit him pretty hard, but I think he didn't want me to see how much it affected him. Could you go see if he's okay? I'm worried about him."

"Of course. I'll be back in a little while." Megan turned to go, then turned back when Carol called her name.

"I'm not sure he'll be glad to see you. He's angry with himself. He thinks he let Dad down."

"Glad or not, he needs me," Megan said. She headed down the hall to the front of the hospital, looking for signs as she went. When she saw an arrow pointing the way to the chapel, she turned down a short hall. The chapel doors were closed, the lights out.

She pushed the door open and quietly stepped inside. When her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she saw a lone figure kneeling at the altar. Logan. She walked down the aisle, her steps silent on the thick carpet.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Megan heard his sobs before she reached him and thought her heart would break. The man who valued control had lost his. The man who had made it his mission to keep his family safe hadn't been able to save his father. He wouldn't realize it wasn't his fault, that he'd done all that was humanly possible.

She knelt beside him and slid an arm around his back. She didn't speak, just squeezed his shoulder, offering what comfort she could.

Logan looked up and scrubbed a fist across his eyes. He looked so lost Megan wanted to pull all his pain inside herself and kiss his tears away. When he turned to face her, she opened her arms and wrapped them around him.

To her surprise, he didn't pull away. He laid his head against her chest and sighed. "I tried, Megan. I tried. I came home, I took over the chores. I worked myself half to death trying to make things right. He died anyway."

"I know, Logan. But you're not God. Only He can make decisions about life and death. You did all you could."

"No, I didn't. If I'd stayed instead of running off to Dallas when I got out of school, Dad wouldn't have had to work so hard. He wouldn't have had to do it all by himself. I could have made his life so much easier." He pulled himself out of her arms and straightened. "I'll never forgive myself for not doing that."

"Logan, listen to me. If you'd stayed, you would have resented it every minute. You might have been here physically, but your heart would have been somewhere else. And Charlie would have felt guilty for keeping you here."

He lowered his head and stared at his hands. "Why did it take me so long to come home? If I'd just come back a year ago, two years ago, all this might not have happened."

"You don't know that. Strokes aren't caused by hard work. They're the result of disease, or a weakness in the blood vessels. Even certain medications can cause them. It wouldn't have mattered whether you stayed or left. The result would have been the same. And you did come back."

"Yeah, and a damn lot of good it did him." He stood, anger vibrating through him. "His death is my fault. Just like my mother's was."

Before he could walk away, Megan stood and grabbed his hand, then led him to a pew. She pulled him down beside her. "What do you mean, that your mother's death was your fault? How old were you when she died?"

Logan didn't want to tell Megan how he'd failed his mother. He was afraid she'd look at him as less of a man, not worthy of respect or trust. But he poured out the whole story, anyway, unable to resist the compassion in her eyes as she begged him to tell her.

When he finished his story, he stood and walked quickly from the chapel, never looking back. He wandered the hospital corridors for an hour, silently railing against fate, against death, against his own failings. He wanted to run back to Dallas, to escape like he had at eighteen.

But he wasn't a boy, free of responsibilities. He had to stay and get his father buried, settle his affairs, and take care of his sister and his daughter. At least now he could send Megan home. That would give him one less female to worry about.

Strange, he didn't feel better when he thought about Megan leaving. He'd gotten used to her being there, underfoot every time he turned around. He'd even gotten used to her smart mouth. But it was for the best. With Charlie gone and Carol back from New York, there was no longer any reason for her to stay.

***

Megan knew Logan wanted her to leave. He avoided her at every opportunity, locking himself away in his study for long periods of time, spending hours outside mending fences that didn't need mending. But she couldn't leave. Carol was devastated and had no idea what to do to make the funeral arrangements. So she stayed, and she gave Logan the space he seemed to need.

Where Carol talked about Charlie almost non-stop, Logan never mentioned him. Of course, he wasn't speaking much at all these days except when Katie needed his attention. So Megan listened while Carol talked, and talked while Logan withdrew farther into his shell.

Carol tried to make up for Logan's long absences by including Megan in whatever she was doing. At the moment that including writing Charlie's obituary. "What do you put in one of these things?" she asked, the pen clamped between her teeth. "Just the basic facts of his life and family? Or do I put what a wonderful father he was?"

Megan picked up the piece of paper and read what Carol had written so far. "Well, you have the basics here. Did he fight in the war? Go to college? Does he have any relatives still living beside you and Logan and Katie?"

"I think he still has a few cousins, but I don't know their names."

"Then just put 'and various cousins.' I think it will be fine."

Carol laid the pen on the table and dropped her head into her hands. "I never knew it would be this hard. I was so young when Mom died that I didn't really know what was going on. I just knew I missed her. I still do."

Megan handed Carol a tissue and waited while she wiped her eyes and regained her composure. "I guess we all miss the ones we love when we lose them. I still miss my great-aunt. She was so full of life and love before her stroke. That was the hardest two years of my life, watching her decline like that."

Carol twisted the tissue around her finger and dabbed at her eyes, then looked up with red-rimmed eyes. "I know it sounds awful, but I'm almost glad Dad didn't linger for years. It would have been terrible for him."

"It doesn't sound awful at all. You loved him and you wouldn't have wanted to see him suffer. And you know that even though you're suffering now, he isn't anymore. That's a first step toward healing."

Carol smiled softly, her eyes still misty. "How did you get so wise, anyway? You've grown up a lot in the last three years."

Megan leaned back in her chair and looked out the window. She could see Logan in the distance, dragging a large, dead branch to the pile he'd made just past the garden. A pang of regret swept through her as she thought of what could have been, but would never be. "Yeah, I guess in some ways I have."

***

Maintaining his rigid self-control through the funeral was probably the hardest thing Logan had ever done. He hadn't let another tear fall since Megan had found him in the chapel, sobbing like a baby. He'd avoided her as much as possible since then, embarrassed that she'd witnessed his weakest moment.

He had to admit she'd been a big help, taking on a number of tasks that no one else thought to do. She'd handled most of the arrangements, asking them their preferences on everything from songs to flowers to what suit Charlie should wear.

He didn't know what they would have done without her. But her continued presence kept his nerves on edge at the same time. When he'd brushed against her in the hall in the middle of the night, he'd wanted to pick her up and carry her to his bed, to lose himself in the comfort of her arms. Then guilt and shame had flooded in when he realized what he was thinking. He was about to bury his father, and he was lusting after a woman before his father was even in the ground.

Mary Lee Sims sang "Amazing Grace" in a clear, strong voice that carried through the church, and there wasn't a dry eye in the sanctuary except for Logan's. Danny Jones told a funny story about the time Charlie had run out of gas a mile from the station and hitched a ride on Benny Larson's mule. Sheriff Dawson delivered the eulogy, praising Charlie for always standing up for what was right and for being the kind of man a neighbor could count on.

The pastor had asked Logan before the service if he wanted to say anything about his father, but what would he have said? He only saw Charlie once a year, talked to him on the phone once a month. Their conversations had been casual, mostly Charlie asking about his business and about Katie. When it came to the end, he found he really didn't know his father very well at all.

When the last amen had been said and the mourners began to file out of the church, Logan turned around and looked at the crowd for the first time. There were at least three hundred people, from babies to old-timers in wheelchairs. People he knew, and people he'd never seen before, all there to say good-bye to Charlie.

Even after the way the people of Morris Springs had turned out to look for Katie, he was still amazed at the caring and compassion in the town he'd spent the last twenty years hating with every breath he took.

Carol sobbed behind him and he turned to offer her whatever comfort he could, but Jake was already there, leading her out the side door with his arm firmly around her shoulder. He turned to Katie, but she was clinging tightly to Megan's hand, following Carol and Jake out the door. Logan walked out behind them, feeling completely alone in a sea of people.

***

"Thank you so much for coming," Carol said, as yet another mourner entered the house carrying a pot roast in one hand and a pecan pie in the other. The place was filled to overflowing with people and food. At least sixty of Charlie's lifelong friends sat in the living room or stood in the kitchen or wandered the front yard, all with a story to tell about Charlie Tanner.

Logan had endured as much as he could, but his mind and his heart were overloaded, on the verge of bursting with pain and guilt. He had to get away, get out of the house. It was rude, it was selfish, but he had to do it to preserve his sanity.

He waited until everyone was busy greeting new arrivals, then he slipped quietly out the back door and walked swiftly down to the creek. Blue limped slowly behind him, but Logan didn't slow down. Even the damned dog made him feel guilty.

When he reached the pond, he stopped and looked out over the water, remembering the last time he'd come out here with Megan. In her wet shirt and panties, she'd tempted him more than any other woman could. She couldn't have looked sexier if she'd been completely nude.

He went around the pond to the shelf of rocks and climbed to the top. He sat down, one arm around Blue's neck, and dropped his head to his bent knees. And then he let the tears fall.

When the dog pulled away and moved into the trees, he barely noticed.

"Shh, boy. I don't want to bother him. I just need to make sure he's all right." Megan rubbed Blue's silky head and moved to the edge of the trees to peek between the branches. She saw Logan sitting on the rocks, his pain evident in the drooping shoulders and drawn face. She forgot the promise she'd made to herself to keep her distance. Logan needed her, if only to have someone to talk to.

She waited until his shoulders stopped shaking and he rubbed a hand across his face before she stepped into the clearing, walking silently across the soft green grass. She figured the last thing he'd want was for her to see him crying again.

Logan didn't look up until she settled down by his side. "Hi," she said quietly.

He glanced at her, then looked back toward the pond. "Hi. Did the crowd get to you, too?"

"No. Watching you hurt is what got to me." She put a hand on his arm and he flinched, but she left it there. She needed the physical contact, and she figured he did too. "You need to talk, Logan. Shoving your grief inside and pretending it doesn't exist won't make it go away. That's why people talk and laugh like that after a funeral. It helps them to heal."

He sighed and rested his elbows on his knees and his chin on his fisted hands, his gaze still focused on the water. "I know. But it hurts to hear them talk about Dad. Those people knew him better than I did, and it's my own damned fault. I only came home for Christmas, and then only because Carol insisted and because Katie needed to be with her grandfather."

"You're being awfully hard on yourself, don't you think? I know Charlie never resented you making a life away from Morris Springs. He understood."

Logan's head swung around and his gaze locked with hers. "What makes you think that?"

Megan thought back to some of her conversations with Charlie. "We talked a lot. He was proud of what you'd accomplished with your business. He adored Katie and thought she was the best thing you'd ever done. He appreciated the work you were doing on the farm, but he worried that you were neglecting your career."

She put a hand on Logan's arm again and waited to see if he'd pull away. When he didn't, she said, "He told me you were a lot like your mother. That you saw your dream and went after it the same way she did."

Logan frowned and turned his head away, looking toward the far side of the pond. "What dream did my mother ever go after? She spent what little time she had right here on this farm, taking care of two kids and working in that damned garden."

"Logan, did you ever stop to think that maybe that was her dream?"

He shook his head. "No. What kind of dream is that? To work yourself into an early grave?"

Exasperated, Megan stood and turned to go. Logan grabbed her hand and she turned back to face him. Why couldn't he understand? He seemed to have a blind spot where women were concerned. He didn't see them as individuals with hopes and dreams, but as responsibilities he needed to take care of. And with that kind of thinking, he missed so much in the way of companionship, and love.

She pulled her hand from his. "I'm going to say one last thing, and I hope you'll think about it. A woman's dream is as important to her as a man's is to him. My dream is to have a few acres in the country, raise and train some champion Blue Heelers, and to be the best veterinarian I can be. Just because I don't dream of a corner office in a high-rise downtown building, that doesn't make my dream less important than yours."

She took another step backwards so she could see his face." And just because your mother's dream was to be a wife and mother, to work in her garden and cook meals for her family, that doesn't mean it was a dream without value. If that's what she wanted, and that's what she had, then at least she probably died happy. Unlike you. You're working yourself into an early grave, too, at the rate you're going, but will you die happy? Will you truly be able to say you lived your dream?"

She stepped back and turned to return to the house, to leave Logan to sort out his guilt and feelings on his own. But for a moment she'd forgotten where she was. She stepped off into empty space, her arms flailing as she fell backwards into the pond.

Logan's heart thundered as he kicked off his shoes and jumped into the pond after Megan. He didn't wait to see if she surfaced on her own. Instinct drove him as he grabbed her arm and pulled her to the surface.

He held her as she coughed and choked until she'd cleared the water from her lungs. When her breathing returned to normal and she laid her head against his chest, he pulled her closer, his arms around her waist. They stood chest deep in the water for several minutes and he was content to do nothing more than hold her.

Until she looked up, her green eyes smoldering, and he realized she could feel his erection against her stomach. What must she think of him? How could he bury his father, then be turned on only a few short hours later? But rather than acting repulsed by his body's reaction, she lifted her mouth to his. When she wrapped her arms around his neck and melted against him, he felt torn between heaven and hell.

He needed her. He wanted to feel himself inside her and forget he'd just buried his father, forget the raw pain that tore at his insides. He broke the kiss and buried his face against her neck. "Tell me I'm a callous fool to even think of making love to you right now."

She ran her hands up his back and kissed the side of his neck just below his ear. "You're not a fool, Logan. And you're not callous. You're hurting, but you're still alive. You still feel. Right now you need to feel something besides the pain."

With a groan, he kissed the hollow of her throat and ran his tongue up her neck until he claimed her mouth again. His tongue found hers and she met him thrust for thrust. His hands reached for her breasts and she moved closer as he smoothed his palm across a taut nipple, then ran his thumb across the tip.

Her hands moved down his back to grip his buttocks and pull him closer. He felt her soft stomach press against his erection and nearly lost it, then and there. "Not here, not like this." He picked her up, one hand behind her back and the other under her knees, and carried her from the water.

In the shelter of the trees, he set her on her feet. "Megan, if you're not sure this is what you want, tell me now."

Megan's only response was to pull her dress over her head and drape it over the branch of a nearby tree. Her gaze locked with his as she kicked off her shoes.

Logan didn't move, couldn't move. She was perfect, her body tight and trim, her breasts full beneath a lacy white bra. When she unhooked it and let it fall to the ground, his groin tightened painfully. Her panties followed as he stood mesmerized at his first sight of her without clothing to hide what he'd fantasized about for days.

Blue whined and lay down on the ground next to Megan's things. Logan said one word to the dog. "Stay." Then he picked her up and carried her a few feet away and laid her in the soft grass under the shade of a hundred-year-old oak.

He stripped out of his clothes and joined her on the ground. He wanted to wait, to make sure she was with him every step of the way, but his body wouldn't obey. He moved over her, and when she opened to him, he took what she offered.

Their soft sighs echoed around them, reverberating off of rocks and trees. The slip and slide of their wet bodies added to the bird song in a percussion beat. A moan--his or hers?--floated away on a quick exhalation of ragged breath.

When she shattered, he felt a sense of rightness fill his tortured soul. When he followed, he emptied himself inside her and felt some of the pain empty from his heart as well.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Afraid he'd hurt her if he let his body relax, he moved to the side and cradled her head against his chest. His heart pounded from the exertion, and from the feelings coursing through him. "Megan, I...."

"Shh. Don't say anything. Just relax. Don't think."

Logan sighed and covered his eyes with his free arm. She'd stopped him before he'd made a mistake. The feelings he'd been about to voice were better left hidden deep in his heart, where he could pretend they didn't exist.

The sun moved and cast deeper shadows on the ground, reminding him he had guests in the house and chores left to do before darkness fell. He shifted and Megan raised her head to look at him.

"I guess we'd better go back." She sat up and brushed her hair back with both hands, lifting her breasts and making him want her all over again.

He stood and offered his hand to help her up. When he pulled her to her feet, he couldn't resist one last kiss. When the ground shook and a loud clap of thunder boomed across the pasture, it took him a minute to realize it hadn't been a result of that kiss.

***

Logan stepped out from under the cover of the trees and saw a huge wall cloud moving in from the southwest. "Get dressed as fast as you can. We're going to have to run for it."

The tense timbre of his voice sent Megan scurrying for her things, one eye on the clouds. She plucked her dress off the tree limb, threw on her underclothes, then yanked the dress over her head. She shoved her feet into her shoes as Logan finished tucking in his shirt.

Blue danced in circles, barking and whining. When no one paid any attention to him, he grabbed Logan's pants leg and pulled. "I know, boy. We're going." He took Megan's hand. "Ready?"

She nodded and they took off for the house, slowed by Megan's high heels and Blue's limping gait. Before they'd made it halfway across the pasture, the skies opened up and they were drenched within seconds.

Logan had to shout over the roar of the wind to make himself heard. "At least we don't have to worry about explaining why our clothes are wet."

Megan laughed in spite of her rising fear. The storm was moving swiftly toward them, the sky boiling with dark clouds, swirling and shifting. Just as they reached the backyard, the rain stopped suddenly, the wind died down, and the sky took on a strange shade of green. She breathed a sigh of relief. "That didn't last long, thank goodness."

Logan looked at Blue, who was crouched near the ground, his ears back against the sides of his head. "It's not over." He yanked the back door open and yelled for Carol as he stepped inside.

***

Two minutes later, twenty people huddled in the darkness of the storm shelter. Logan was thankful that most of the guests had left at the first sign of the approaching storm. The shelter had been designed to hold ten people comfortably, so they all stood huddled together as they listened to the wind howl outside the shelter. Blue waited at the top of the steps, his nose quivering and ears laid back.

Megan held one of Katie's hands while he held the other. He glanced over at Carol and saw that Jake had one arm protectively around her shoulders. Several older couples talked quietly about previous storms they'd experienced, their expressions revealing their anxiety.

Katie tugged on his hand and he bent down so he could hear her. "Daddy, how long do we have to stay down here?"

"I don't know, honey. Until I'm sure it's safe to leave. And from the way Blue's acting, I don't think it's safe yet."

A few seconds later the hail started, pounding on the top of the shelter, the roar deafening and making further conversation impossible. Blue barked until Logan ordered him to stop.

They waited until the hail stopped and Blue relaxed, his tail wagging as he walked down the steps and shoved his head under Katie's hand. Logan went up the steps first, opening the door a crack to look outside.

Rain fell and the wind was still strong, but the worst seemed to be over. He pushed the door back and stepped outside to look around. Tree limbs were strewn around the yard, but the house was intact. He couldn't say as much for the garden Megan had worked so hard to plant.

At his okay, the others climbed the steps into the rain. Logan, Jake, Danny, and some of the other young men helped the older folks into the house. Carol pulled dry towels from the linen closet so they could dry off. Megan went into the kitchen and started a fresh pot of coffee and put a pan of milk on the stove to heat for hot chocolate.

When everyone had settled in with a hot drink, Danny went out to his truck to listen to his scanner and see if there had been damage anywhere else. He came back into the house a few minutes later, his face white. "The town took a direct hit from a tornado. It went right down Main Street. I have to go see about my family."

There was stunned silence for a moment, then Logan galvanized the group into action. "Carol, y'all change into jeans and boots, then grab all the linens you can carry and put them in the Suburban. Megan, see what you can find in the way of first aid supplies. Jake, Katie, strip the blankets and comforters off the beds."

The guests streamed out to their cars and headed for town to see what they could do to help. Logan called Blue and put him in the back of Jake's truck, then they followed the line of cars heading to town.

To Logan, it was too reminiscent of the funeral procession to the cemetery. Had it only been that morning?

***

They couldn't drive the vehicles into the main part of town because of downed power lines and scattered vehicles, so they parked in the First Lutheran Church parking lot and walked the rest of the way, picking their way carefully through the piles of debris. Bricks and pieces of twisted metal cluttered the road and sidewalks, overturned cars and trucks littered the courthouse lawn and completely blocked the streets along the square.

All along Main Street, people stood looking dazed as they stared at what was left of Morris Springs. Others worked frantically to move piles of wood and brick, searching for survivors trapped in the rubble. Nurses and doctors from the nearby hospital were busy setting up a triage center in the library, one of the only buildings on the square left untouched.

Tommy saw the group standing in stunned silence at the corner of Main and First and waved them over. "I hope you guys came to help. We have people trapped in the Prairie Dog, and more in the diner. We could use help both places. Most of the people in the Courthouse are okay, we think. The south side of the street got the worst of the damage."

Logan put a hand on Tommy's shoulder. "You've got it. Whatever needs to be done, just let us know. I brought my cell phone if you need it."

"Good," Tommy said. "Call dispatch if you find someone who needs help. They'll get a message to me or one of the other deputies."

They split up, half the group going to the diner, and the other half to the Prairie Dog. For hours, Megan and Logan moved bricks and glass, following Blue's barks to locate people inside. As they pulled people from the café, others carried the injured to the library.

"This is the worst mess I've ever seen," Logan said as they tossed a broken table into the growing pile in the street. "I'm so afraid I'm going to pull out the body of someone I know."

"Don't think about it. The waitress said most of the diners ran to the bathrooms when they heard the sirens, so I'm sure we'll find them safe and sound when we get to that section of the cafe. Just pray we get there soon."

"I hope you're right. I've known these people my whole life. After what they did to help find Katie...."

Megan wiped a strand of wet hair from her face and arched her back. "This is your chance to pay them back. That's how it works."

As the news spread, more people came from the surrounding towns and countryside to help. Women and children served sandwiches and hot drinks to those working in the rubble, men and teenagers joined in moving pieces of roofs and walls and helped transport more people to the library. Strangers and friends worked side by side.

The rain continued to beat down on them as they worked, chilling them to the bone. As darkness settled in, portable lights were set up, and they kept working. News crews moved into town, then the Red Cross came in and set up temporary shelters for the residents who had lost their homes.

When Katie looked ready to collapse from exhaustion, one of the older couples took her home with them to spend the night, along with some of the other children of the volunteers.

Blue began to limp worse than before, so Megan made boots for his paws out of thick gauze pads and pieces of vinyl she tore from the destroyed booth seats that had been tossed into the trash pile. She attached them to his paws with adhesive tape from the first aid kit and sent him back to the search.

Shortly after three in the morning, they pulled the last survivor from the café. New volunteers took over and the ones who had worked nonstop for nearly twelve hours were encouraged to go home and rest.

Carol and Jake walked over to where Megan and Logan stood, too exhausted to move. Carol's shirt was torn and filthy, her hair was coated in mud, her face scratched and dirty. She leaned against Jake, who seemed to be holding her upright. "I'm going home with Jake for what's left of the night."

Logan raised his eyebrows, but didn't say a word.

"Don't look at me like that, Logan. I'm old enough that I don't need your permission. But Jake has a hot tub and he's promised to let me soak in it until I can move again. Then we're going to sleep. I doubt anyone in this town has enough energy for sex tonight."

Logan shrugged and lifted his hands in mock surrender. "Did I say anything? Go on. You deserve to be pampered for tonight. Tomorrow the real work begins."

Carol groaned, gave them a weary smile, and waved as she and Jake walked away.

Logan looked at Megan, his face haggard and drawn. His attempt at a grin came across as more of a grimace. "You know what this means, don't you?"

"What?"

"You and I will be alone in the house tonight."

Megan leaned against his side as he put one arm around her shoulder and led her through the treacherous path to the Suburban. "I'm so tired, I don't think I'd notice if the Morris Springs Tiger Band was camped out in the living room practicing marching drills."

Logan chuckled and pulled her closer. "I know what you mean." He sobered and looked down at her. "You did good work back there. So far, we've been really lucky. Some serious injuries, but no fatalities that I've heard about yet."

Megan nodded as Logan opened the passenger door and helped her inside, then helped Blue into the back seat. "At least there was enough warning for most everyone to find some kind of shelter. I'd hate to think anyone was caught out in the open."

When they pulled into the driveway, the headlights highlighted the mess in the yard. Tree branches, pieces of debris that looked like it might have come from some of the buildings in town, and a white, sticky goo covered the grass. Logan picked up a piece of paper and shook his head.

"What is it?" Megan walked over and looked to see what he was holding.

"A canceled check. From Jason Hilbert to the hardware store. Weird." He put the check in his pocket and continued up the steps. He pushed the door open and turned on the light inside. "Why don't you go take a bath while I call Sue Ann? If she's heard about the tornado on the news, she's probably frantic."

A hot bath sounded wonderful. Megan was chilled to the bone, and sore. Once she was in the tub, she wished she could stay there for what was left of the night. But she knew Logan needed a bath too, so she climbed out after a half-hour and wrapped a towel around herself.

She'd been in such a hurry to get in the tub she'd forgotten to take her pajamas in the bathroom with her. When she stepped out into the hall, Logan was coming out of his office.

He looked up and their gazes locked, then he smiled. "You look a little better than you did when you went in."

"Better than someone who's been drug through the mud, then coated with insulation and sheet rock dust? Thanks, I think."

"You're welcome. Would you do me a favor?" His smile had faded, the look on his face telling her whatever he was about to ask was serious.

"Sure. What is it?"

"Would you sleep with me tonight?"

By the time Logan managed to drag his aching body out of the bathtub, Megan was asleep in his bed, but he didn't mind. He just wanted to hold her as they slept, to have the comfort and warmth of her body snuggled close to his to ease the pain and turmoil of the last few days.

Without her there, he didn't think he could sleep even though his body was exhausted. His mind was too full of images he would never forget.

Jenny McBride, the waitress at the Prairie Dog who'd served their meal just days earlier, her face bloodied from a gash across her forehead. Ben Wheeler, the burly cook who had taken refuge in the café's pantry, with a piece of wood embedded in his shoulder. Carrie Sims, Mary Lee's teenage daughter, her arm broken when the bathroom door had slammed closed before she'd gotten all the way inside. Cindy Calvin, a young mother with two small children, deathly pale and holding her children in a grip so tight they'd had to peel her hands away to see that the kids were okay.

Logan shook his head to dislodge the pictures from his mind and crawled into the bed beside Megan. She stirred but didn't awaken, so he scooted up against her, spoon fashion, and rested his arm across her waist. In seconds he was sound asleep.

***

Logan winced as the early morning sun hit his eyes through the open curtains. It seemed like only minutes since he'd climbed in the bed. He glanced at the clock and realized he was late with the milking. Then Megan stirred beside him, her soft bottom brushing against his early morning erection, and he decided the cows could wait.

He slid his hand up her leg, then waited to see how she would react. If she pulled away, he would let her go. With deep regret, to be sure, but he didn't want to do anything to jeopardize the tenuous détente they'd established.

Megan stretched and snuggled her bottom more tightly against his aching groin. He held himself still, scarcely daring to breathe. He sucked in a breath when she turned her head and her gaze met his. Her deep green eyes burned with desire. Then she turned in his arms and settled her mouth firmly on his.

Logan tightened his arms around her and pulled her flush against him. From her small, sweet breasts to her smooth, sexy thighs, she fit against him perfectly. He fisted one hand in her silky hair and held her head steady while he plundered her mouth with his tongue.

She slipped a leg between his and ran her dainty foot up his calf. He groaned and released her mouth to trace a fingertip across her bottom lip. "Are you sure?"

She only nodded and pulled his mouth back to hers.

Megan was on fire and Logan seemed intent on making her wait for release. He slid her sleep shirt over her head and tossed it to the floor. Then his mouth began a lazy exploration that nearly drove her out of her mind.

She used her hands, then her feet, to push his sweat pants down his legs. He kicked them away, then went back to torturing her with his tongue. She fisted her fingers in his hair and tried to tug him back up her body, but he shook his head, his early morning whiskers rasping against her abdomen. His palms caressed her sensitive breasts as he his mouth moved across her stomach, dropping kisses along the way. Megan squirmed as his breath tickled the top of her thighs and she ran her hands across his broad shoulders and down his back.

He slid her panties down her legs, the whisper of satin raising goose bumps on her skin. His tongue followed in their path from her thighs to her toes. "Logan, please...."

He lifted his head and a sexy, mischievous grin spread across his face. "Ah, Megan. I do love it when you beg."

***

Thoroughly sated and pleasantly exhausted, Logan fell asleep with Megan wrapped around him. What seemed like only seconds later he was awakened by the sound of Blue barking and the doorbell ringing. He thought he might have to kill whoever was at his door so early.

Then he remembered. The tornado. The frantic search for survivors. Afraid something else had happened, he threw the covers back and grabbed a pair of jeans from his dresser. Hopping from one leg to the other as he pulled them on, he hurried down the hall.

He took a calming breath before he opened the door and braced himself for whatever news waited for him on the other side. But nothing could have prepared him for what he found when he opened the door.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

"Hello, Cowboy. You don't look so good, sugar. But don't you worry. Jean and I are here to help out and you'll be feeling better in no time." Without waiting for an invitation, Nancy opened the screen and stepped into the house, brushing a kiss across his cheek as she sailed by in a choking cloud of perfume.

Logan would have cried if he'd thought it would do any good. He couldn't match Nancy's lighthearted tone when he was ready to spit fire, so he didn't try. "What the hell are you two doing here?"

Jean smiled apologetically as she followed Nancy into the living room. "We heard about the tornado on the news and we came to see if there's anything we can do. I'm a pretty good cook as well as a licensed counselor, and, though you'd never guess by the way she acts, Nancy is a registered nurse and a licensed psychologist."

Logan gritted his teeth as he pushed the door closed. Nancy smirked at him from the couch and Jean settled herself into the rocking chair. He tried to picture Nancy working in a hospital but couldn't stretch his imagination that far. "Um, I'm sure the people in town will be glad to have your help. I need to go wake Megan and take care of the animals so we can get back to work." He forced himself to walk slowly from the room when what he really wanted to do was run. Fast.

***

They parked several blocks from town next to the cotton gin. The highway was lined with news vans, rescue equipment, and police cars. An ambulance moved slowly through the maze, then accelerated as it neared them. A helicopter sat in a field across the highway from the town center, the whipping blades stirring up bits of paper and trash around it.

Logan helped Megan from the Suburban, then held the door for the others. Nancy winked at him as she stepped down. "Such a gentleman."

Megan shook her head and started down the road, leaving Logan to get Blue out of the vehicle, lock it, then hurry to catch up. When he reached her side, he caught her hand in his and Megan caught Nancy's raised eyebrow and wink from the corner of her eye.

They passed several cars they recognized before they caught sight of Jake and Carol unloading supplies from the back of his pickup. Carol waved and called out, "Oh, good. You can help carry some of this stuff."

Logan grunted as she shoved a cooler into his hands. "What's all this?"

"Jake talked to the Sheriff and found out there are at least twenty families whose homes were destroyed. They lost almost everything and don't even have the basic necessities, so Jake went through his parents' things and we packed up whatever we thought someone could use."

Logan thought for a moment. "You know, there's a lot of stuff at Dad's that you and I won't need. We could donate some, too."

Carol nodded and handed Megan, Nancy, and Jean bulging plastic garbage bags to carry. "I know. I'm going to find out what's needed, then go back to Dad's later to see what I can find."

When they'd unloaded as much as they could carry, they headed toward the center of town. Nancy's banter slowed, then stopped, as she got her first look at what had once been the heart of Morris Springs. "Oh, my God." She turned to Logan and asked, "Where are they treating the injured?"

"The library," he said. He pointed toward the building and she and Jean took off across the street without another word or a backward glance.

Logan's heart pounded as he saw the mess he hadn't been able to see clearly through the rain and haze the previous afternoon. The top floor of the courthouse had been shrouded in mist, but in the bright morning sun he could see that all that remained was one damaged wall.

The gazebo was nothing more than kindling, the park benches twisted pieces of metal thrown helter-skelter across the lawn. What was left of the lawn, that is. The only thing untouched was the American flag proudly waving in the soft breeze.

Couples stood along the sidewalk, some catching their first glimpse of the devastation. Volunteers manned tents set up in whatever clear spot was available, handing out food, drinks, and hugs to the workers. A group of Mennonite men in their classic black hats worked diligently, removing debris from the street to clear a path for the line of ambulances waiting to transport the injured from the library to the hospital.

Everywhere Logan looked, friends hugged or held hands, offering comfort and support. Entire families dug into the remains of shops, salvaging what they could, discarding what they couldn't. And in the midst of their own troubles, they took the time to offer their condolences on the death of his father.

"Logan, Jake? Can you give us a hand here?" Danny yelled and waved from the library door to get their attention.

They left the women to distribute the supplies they'd brought and went to see what Danny needed. When they stepped inside, Logan was amazed at the transformation from a quiet, sedate, somber building to a bustling, crowded infirmary. Makeshift beds were spread across the floor in neat rows, IV bottles lining the narrow spaces between patients.

"We're getting ready to start moving the ones who can be carried safely out to the highway. We need some strong backs, if you two don't mind helping out," Danny said.

Jake laid a hand on Danny's shoulder and looked across the room. "Of course we don't mind. These are our neighbors. Just tell us where to start."

Logan did a quick mental count of the patients. There were at least fifty people who had been injured seriously enough to require an overnight stay in the library. Logan looked at Danny. "Any fatalities?"

Danny scrubbed a hand over his worn and weary face. "Yeah. We lost the Tucker family. Their mobile home was totally destroyed with them inside. Old Mrs. North had a heart attack. The Carrington twins were killed when their car was picked up and tossed into a field. We may find others as the searchers spread farther out of town."

"I'm sorry. This has to be hell for you. Have you had any sleep at all?" Logan thought Danny looked a little like death warmed over himself, but he didn't voice his observation.

Danny shook his head, his expression tense. "No. I can't sleep until everyone's accounted for. I'm heading out to the northeast section of the county now to see how the rescue effort is going. If you two can take over for me here, that is."

"You've got it. Go on and do what you need to do. I'm sure someone here can tell us where to start."

With a quick salute, Danny left the library. Logan looked around for someone to report to and came face to face with Nancy. "Hey, Cowboy. Fancy meeting you here."

Her words were sassy, but the tone of her voice was much more subdued than usual. When he explained why they were there, Nancy led them across the room to the counter where the librarian should be stamping books instead of nursing staff going over patient records.

When the nurse in charge handed him the list of patients needing transport and the order in which they were to carry them out, Logan knew it was going to be another very long day.

***

Megan wiped beads of sweat from her forehead and chided herself for forgetting to bring a hat. She could already feel the heat of a sunburn flushing her skin. But the people had been so grateful for the gifts of food, clothing, and linens that it was worth whatever it cost her personally.

Now that her job was finished, she looked around for something else to do. Spotting a dog limping across the road, she tightened her hold on Blue's leash in case he decided to take off in pursuit. But Blue whimpered and pulled her forward. Curious, Megan followed.

They rounded the corner of the courthouse to find a pile of debris. Bricks and sheet rock from the top floor of the courthouse had landed against the base of a statue. Megan couldn't tell who the statue had been sculpted to represent because the top half of it was missing.

Blue tugged her to the edge of the pile, still whimpering. Then he stood still, alert, his ears pointed forward. When he barked, Megan's heart began to race. With Blue guiding her, she pulled bricks away one by one, while looking around for someone to help her. When she saw Logan and Jake emerge from the library, she yelled and they ran to her side.

The three worked frantically, tossing pieces of brick and splintered two by fours out of the way. A few minutes later, they heard a moan from beneath the pile. A slab of concrete proved too heavy for Logan and Jake to move alone, so Megan ran to the group of Mennonites and quickly related the situation. Soon there were eight men straining to lift the concrete away.

When they managed to move it to the side, a leg appeared in the midst of a mess of steel rods, wires, dust, and mud. Megan used her bare hands to dig through the debris near where she thought a head should be and soon uncovered a sticky, matted head of hair.

Nancy ran from the library, a doctor in tow, and knelt at Megan's side." Any idea who it is?"

"No. I'm just praying he's still alive. I heard him moan earlier, but nothing in the last few minutes."

When they had the man free of the debris, Logan said, "It's Randy Marin. I've known him since kindergarten. He has to be alive. Please, God, let him be alive."

***

Two days later, everyone in the city limits had been accounted for. Randy Marin was in critical condition. Fifty-seven people had been transported to area hospitals, some in serious condition, others with fairly minor injuries. Rescue workers still scoured the countryside looking for survivors as they followed the path of destruction the tornado had left in its wake.

The townspeople, and the strangers who had come from surrounding towns to help, were gathered on the courthouse lawn, holding hands as Pastor Nichols from the Lutheran church led them in a prayer of thanksgiving for lives spared and lives saved, and for comfort for those who had lost everything. Megan's heart was touched by the obvious love of the pastor for his people.

When Logan squeezed her hand, she looked up to see tears in his eyes. Hope rose within her as she realized he was as touched as she was. Did this mean he might have changed his mind about Morris Springs, that he might be willing to move back and become a part of the community?

She'd already made up her mind that this was where she wanted to live. She hadn't told Logan yet, but Doc had stopped by while she was passing out supplies to ask her if she was still interested in joining his practice. There were so many injured animals left by the destruction that it would take both of them to care for them all. So she had a job. Now all she needed was a place to live.

She felt like a part of the community after the past two days in a way she'd never felt anywhere else. Dallas had always been where she lived, but never home. These people had become her friends. Soon they would be her neighbors.

She looked across at Carol and Jake, holding hands on the far side of the large circle of people. The way they stood close together, their bodies touching from shoulder to thigh, told her there was a strong possibility that Carol, too, might move to Morris Springs permanently.

Nancy and Jean were in the middle of a group of doctors and nurses, looking like they'd lived in Morris Springs all of their lives. Nancy had matured a lot since graduation, but Megan had always known she had a heart of gold buried beneath her brash, flirtatious exterior. It took a while for others to break through her defenses to see the warm-hearted woman she was on the inside.

Jean, always quiet and reserved, keeping her thoughts and feelings to herself, had opened her heart to the people of the town and offered them hope as she counseled them during their trauma. Megan had never seen her as animated and friendly as she'd been the past two days.

The tornado may have been the worst thing to ever happen to Morris Springs, but no one would ever look at their lives in quite the same way again. Megan counted her blessings, as she was sure everyone else did when the pastor said, "Amen."

***

Logan and Megan stopped by the Marshall's house to pick up Katie, then headed back to the farm. Jake and Carol drove ahead of them with Blue in the back of the pickup, head high and ears blowing in the wind.

Logan grinned at the sight of the dog looking like a king surveying his domain. "Blue seems to know he's a hero, doesn't he?"

"He should. He got enough attention after that rescue." Megan glanced over the seat at Katie. "I'll bet you're proud of him, aren't you?"

Katie nodded with her usual twelve-year-old enthusiasm. "He's the best dog ever."

Logan glanced at his daughter in the rear-view mirror and wondered how Katie was going to feel when she learned they couldn't take Blue back to Dallas with them. Even though he was well trained, an apartment was no place for a working dog. He was used to having acres of room to run and plenty to do to keep him occupied. Cooping him up would be downright cruel.

Katie had been through so much in the last few weeks it was a miracle she wasn't completely traumatized. Leaving Blue behind was going to be hard on her, but it couldn't be helped. Maybe if he bought her a kitten or a gerbil or something, it would help ease the blow.

The last thing in the world he wanted was to hurt his daughter. But suing her mother for custody would hurt her. Taking her back to Dallas and leaving Blue behind would hurt her. Losing her grandfather had hurt her. Would he ever be able to make it up to her?

By the time he pulled into the driveway, he'd worried himself into a sour mood. When the others went into the kitchen for soft drinks and a snack, he shut himself into his office and opened his laptop. He checked his email and found several from his lawyer asking him to call.

From the increasingly urgent tone of the emails, something must be going wrong with the custody hearing. Or maybe a trial date had been set for Jerry. He hated the thought of Katie being forced to endure either trial, but it was out of his hands. With shaking hands, he picked up the phone and dialed.

The rest of the group went into the kitchen and sat around the table, drinking coffee and talking over the bizarre circumstances of the last few days. Katie settled on the floor next to Blue and fed him pieces of hamburger meat as a reward for his hard work over the last few days.

Megan was content to listen as the others talked. Her thoughts wandered to Logan, as they seemed to do with alarming regularity these days. She wished she could find some time alone with him so she could find out what his plans were now that the town was on the road to recovery. She hoped and prayed he would stay in Morris Springs.

Katie had been excited about the friends she'd made during her stay with the Marshalls. There had been three other girls her age there, and together they had helped to care for the younger children. They'd parted with hugs and promises to call and get together for a slumber party. It would be cruel to take her away now.

And Logan himself had reconnected with friends from his past. He'd been treated with respect and seemed to be accepted as part of the town. If he wasn't too stubborn to see it, he could become an important part of the community.

She knew her reasons for wanting him to stay were selfish, too. She wanted to live here, work here, buy a place somewhere close by to raise the dogs she planned to buy as soon as possible. After spending the last few weeks with Blue, she knew she'd made the right choice in the breed she wanted to train.

"Megan?" Nancy snapped her fingers in front of her face. "You there?"

Megan shook away the lingering thoughts and smiled. "I think so. What's up?"

"Jean and I are going to head back to Dallas this afternoon. We both need to get back to work. When are you coming back?"

Megan thought for a moment. Her answer really depended on Logan, but she needed to talk to him first. "I don't know." She looked at Carol who was watching her, obviously waiting for her answer. "May I use your phone? I need to talk to Doc about something."

"Of course."

Megan stood and walked into the living room. She fished Doc's card from her pocket and picked up the receiver. Instead of hearing the dial tone she expected, she heard Logan say, "So, if I can convince Megan to marry me, you think I would definitely get custody of Katie?"

Stunned, she carefully set the receiver back on the cradle and backed up to the couch, one hand over her mouth to keep from crying out. What she'd heard hurt more than she could have ever imagined. The one thing she'd always wanted, the one thing she'd determined to hold out for, was to be loved for who she was. Not for what she could do for someone, for what she could give. Someone who would love her without reservation.

Her aunt and uncle had loved her, but she wasn't their child. They'd cared for her during the summers because her parents were off doing their own thing, taking advantage of grants they'd received. She'd always been in their way when she wasn't in school and they'd never thought of taking her with them. Her aunt and uncle had been glad to have an extra hand to help out on their small acreage. They'd been kind to her, but she'd always wondered if that was because she'd worked so hard to earn their approval.

Now all Logan wanted from her was a mother for Katie, a surrogate wife to help him get custody. Once his custody was assured, then what? Would he tell her that her services were no longer needed? No, because he would never get the chance. As much as she loved Katie, as much as she thought the girl would be happier with her father, Megan wouldn't marry him for Katie's sake.

So what did she do now?

She had to get out of Logan's apartment as quickly as possible. What she did after that depended on what Logan decided. If he stayed in Morris Springs, she would find another place to live, another small town where she could put down roots. If he moved back to Dallas, then she'd come back here and find a place to live. She was sure if he left Morris Springs, he'd never return.

But first she had to get out of that apartment.

Spurred into action by that thought, she went back into the kitchen. She tapped Nancy on the shoulder and willed her face to stay composed, her voice level in spite of the unshed tears that tried to choke her, and said, "I'm ready to go home anytime you are."

Nancy cocked her head and lifted one waxed eyebrow, but she didn't say a word. Jean started to say something, then winced. She glared at Nancy but kept her mouth closed.

Carol looked confused for a moment, then said, "Are you sure you need to leave so soon? You're more than welcome to stay here as long as you like. You know that, don't you?"

"Yes, I know. And I appreciate it. But as Nancy said, she and Jean have jobs they need to get back to, and I need to find one. And we need to move out of Logan's apartment so he'll have a place to stay if he decides to go back."

Carol stood and came around the table to give her a hug. "I've enjoyed having you here so much. Please don't lose touch. I'll be here for at least another week or two, so call me and let me know where you end up."

"If you don't mind, I think we'll pack and head back now. That way we can get to Dallas by dark." She hugged Carol again. "I'll keep in touch, I promise." She hugged Katie, gave Blue one last scratch behind the ears, and shook hands with Jake. Then, before Carol could say anything else, Megan turned and left the kitchen, Nancy and Jean close on her heels.

She knew she'd have a lot of explaining to do when they got in the car, but at least her friends didn't press her for answers she didn't have at the moment.

And how did you explain a broken heart in the first place?

Darn it! When had Logan managed to steal her heart? She'd thought she'd kept it well guarded. But somehow he'd crept past her defenses, past her better judgment, and had taken up residence where he wasn't wanted--in a heart that had no more room for his plans and schemes.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Megan waited while Jean and Nancy discussed whether or not to rent the apartment they'd just looked at. She refused to give her opinion because she knew she wouldn't live there long. It was small, only two bedrooms, but it was off the street, over a garage in a nice area of town. Best of all, they could move in right away.

"We'll take it." Jean smiled at the elderly woman, now their new landlady.

"Are you sure this is what you want to do?" Nancy asked Megan for the third time. "It's fine with me, but I still think you should tell Logan we're moving out."

Megan shook her head and stared out the window. "Carol will tell him. She said he'd signed the farm over to her and will be home by next week. I want to be gone before he returns."

Jean put her signature on the bottom of the paper and handed the pen to Nancy. "I sure hope you know what you're doing."

Megan murmured, "So do I."

***

Logan knocked on the door of the apartment, hoping Megan might still be there. Hoping she hadn't found another place to live yet. When no one answered, he took his keys out of his pocket and opened the door. Katie brushed past him and went inside, her chin in the air, reminding him of Megan.

He sighed and closed the door behind him. Everything looked just like he'd left it. He knew immediately that Megan and her friends had moved out. There was nothing left to indicate they'd ever lived there at all.

He still didn't understand why she'd left without telling him goodbye. He thought they'd grown close enough that she would care about his feelings. Her leaving had hurt, but he hadn't expected to miss her so much.

It went beyond disappointment. His chest hurt when he thought about her. His head ached from trying to figure out what he'd done to make her leave. His stomach hurt when he wondered if he'd ever see her again.

As he watched Katie stare mournfully out of the window, he decided he needed to concentrate on his relationship with his daughter first. Everything else would have to wait. The custody hearing was fast approaching and Sue Ann's lawyer was pulling every dirty trick she could think of.

"Katie, I want you to come sit down. We need to talk."

She continued to stare out the window as though he didn't exist.

"Katherine Elizabeth Tanner, get over here right now!" Darn it! Now she had him so frustrated he was yelling, and that would get them nowhere.

To his surprise, Katie walked across the room and sat stiffly on the couch, her hands folded in her lap, a sullen look on her face.

Logan sat on the coffee table in front of her and took one of her hands in his. She yanked it back. "Talk to me, Katydid. I know you're angry with me, but I love you and I want to set things right."

She maintained her stiff posture, but he could see tears gathering in her eyes.

"You know I wouldn't purposely hurt you for anything in the world. But you have to talk to me, tell me what you need."

Katie sniffed and wiped her nose on her shirt sleeve. The tears began to fall and she wiped them away until there were so many she couldn't stop the flow. Then she fell into his arms and cried, her sobs breaking his heart.

"Shhh. It's okay. Tell me what's wrong. I'll fix it, whatever it takes."

"I want Megan. I want Blue back. I want to live on Grampa's farm," she cried, her voice catching between broken sentences."

Oh, God. The three things he couldn't give her. He'd signed the farm over to Carol, given Blue to Jake, and he had no idea where to find Megan. And though he'd always tried to fix things for the ones he loved, this time he had no idea how to make it right.

***

"Are you sure Logan doesn't know about this?" Megan sat in a red leather wing chair next to Carol in the title company's conference room.

"He never asked who I sold the farm to. I offered to give him half of the money, but he refused to take it. He sounded a little strange when I told him, though, like he might regret giving it up, after all."

Megan leaned forward and caught Carol's gaze. "You know I'd sell it back to you at any time, right? Or to Logan if he changes his mind. I can find another place to live, but the farm is your inheritance."

Carol nodded and put a hand on Megan's. "I know. And I appreciate it. But it's yours now. I don't ever want you to feel like it isn't really your home."

Megan grinned and hugged Carol. "I can't believe it's almost mine. And you can come stay with me anytime you want to."

"I'd be careful extending an invitation like that. If taking care of Logan and Katie gets to be too much, I may take you up on it." Carol's dark eyes clouded. "I can't believe Sue Ann made the kind of accusations she did against Logan. If I hadn't agreed to move in with him and Katie, his chances of getting custody wouldn't be good."

Guilt, ugly and choking, threatened to steal Megan's joy over the purchase of the farm. She could have made things easier for everyone if she hadn't run away, if she'd stayed and agreed to Logan's plan for a sham marriage. But for the first time in her life, she'd put her own needs and dreams first.

When she married, it would be for love. Nothing less.

If it wasn't with Logan, then there would be someone else. She had to believe that or the pain would knock her down until she couldn't get up again. "What happened with you and Jake? I thought for a while that we might be hearing wedding bells soon."

Carol bit her lip and looked at her clasped hands. "No. I couldn't be in two places at once and Logan needed me. Jake didn't understand why I couldn't say no."

"Can't you come back once Logan has full custody? Maybe you and Jake can pick up where you left off."

Carol shook her head, sadness clouding her eyes. "I don't think so. He was engaged once before and the woman left him to pursue an acting career. He doesn't think it's possible to be committed to someone and still have wants and needs and dreams of your own. What he wants is a perfect little ranch wife who will cook his meals and clean up after him, and be there every night when he comes home."

"What about you? What do you want?" Megan asked gently.

Carol bit her lip and didn't answer. Before Megan could press her further, the title clerk walked in with a stack of papers in one hand and a smile on his face.

He shook Megan's hand and said, "That's it. It's all yours."

***

Before he knew it, Logan had returned to his old routine of working late at the office, then burying himself in more work when he finally got home late at night. Thank goodness Carol had agreed to live with him and take care of Katie. At least he didn't have to worry about his daughter staying alone after dark.

The tension in the apartment was thick and heavy at times, and he was aware that neither Katie nor Carol was truly happy. He'd hoped they would adjust to the change in lifestyle, but every day his daughter seemed less active, less animated. And every day Carol seemed to go through the motions of living, with none of the joy he'd seen in Morris Springs.

Katie was watching television and studiously ignoring him, so Logan walked into the kitchen where Carol was washing dishes. He picked up a dishtowel and dried a cup, rubbing absently as he thought about how to fix their current dilemma. "You're leaving in the morning, right? And you'll be home by Tuesday night?"

Carol nodded and rinsed a plate under the spray of water before she handed it to him to dry. "I think I can pack up all of Dad's things in three days. What I don't think you or Katie might want, I'll give away. Then you and Katie can go out one weekend and decide what you want to keep out of the things I put in storage."

"Okay. Once this game is released, I'll have more time. I'm still behind from being gone so long, but it will get better."

Carol laid the dishrag on the counter and turned to look at him, her arms crossed. "You really believe that, don't you? I'm beginning to think that not everything Sue Ann said was a lie. You're married to your job, and nothing and no one comes between you and your computer. Not even your daughter."

Logan felt as though he'd been punched. How could she think that? He would spend more time with Katie as soon as he caught up at work. But when he was at the office, he lost track of time and there were so many things that needed his attention.

He had a capable manager who had done an excellent job while he was away, but now that he was back everyone brought their problems to the boss just like they had before. "That's not true. I love Katie more than anything."

"Then why do you work until midnight almost every night? Why are you back at the office before the sun comes up? Why is everything else more important than Katie's happiness?"

"Dammit! It's not. But at work I don't have time to think, I don't have time to remember, I don't have time to feel guilty...oh, hell." He slapped the towel down onto the counter and walked away without a backward glance.

How did she do that? Get him to spill his guts when he tried so hard to keep everything inside? Now she'd never leave him alone until she learned the truth. Then she'd hate him as much as he hated himself.

***

Megan sat crossed legged on the floor of the living room, sorting through a box of books, while Carol worked her way through an old cedar chest. "Carol, what kind of books do you want to keep? Just the old ones?"

"I think so. Anything that isn't out of print, you can put in the giveaway stack. Logan has his own tastes in books and most of those would be too old for Katie. I read romance novels, and I doubt you'll find any of those in there." Carol pulled a paper-wrapped dress from the chest. "Look at this. Mom's wedding dress. It's simple, but still pretty."

As Carol stroked the yellowed fabric, Megan smiled and reached for another book. She pulled an old, worn volume from the box. The cover was faded, the edges of the pages dingy with age, only one word on the front to indicate what it was--Diary. Without opening it, she handed it to Carol. "I think this is something you should look at."

Carol took the book and read the cover, then opened it. "It's Mom's. I vaguely remember her writing something after supper and sometimes in the morning after breakfast. I'd forgotten about it, though."

She read the inscription on the first page aloud. "To my dearest Leona, on the day of our marriage, from your proud husband, Charles Tanner." She closed the cover and hugged the book to her chest. "I'm almost afraid to read it."

Megan thought for a moment, then decided it wasn't betraying Logan's confidence--he hadn't actually told her not to tell anyone, after all. "Did you know Logan believes he's responsible for your mother's death?"

Carol's head snapped up. "What? Why on earth would he think something like that? He was only twelve years old--Katie's age."

Megan related what Logan had told her in the chapel the day Charlie passed away. Just the thought of his pain and anguish that day still had the power to break her heart. She missed him more with each day that passed. Each day she felt herself weakening, more willing to accept a marriage for all the wrong reasons if it meant having him by her side.

She resolutely pushed those thoughts aside and reached for another book. She looked up in surprise when Carol cursed. "What?"

Carol set the diary aside and stood, pacing back and forth across the living room, skirting the boxes and stacks of paper that littered the floor. "That's what this has been about all these years. Damn him." She kicked a box and it skittered across the floor. "Damn him for keeping that stupid notion to himself. Damn him for letting it affect his whole life." She sent papers flying with another well-placed kick. "Damn him for letting it affect mine!"

Megan watched in fascination as Carol fumed and stomped until she finally ran out of steam. Tears dripped from her chin and she wiped them away with the back of her hand.

She looked at Megan, a sheepish grin on her face. "It's a good thing you're such a good friend, because I just made a first class fool of myself."

"No, you didn't. I think you just got rid of a lifetime of frustration." Megan stood and brushed the bottom of her jeans. "You might want to read that diary, though, and see if it gives any clue as to what really happened that day."

Carol nodded, her face solemn again. "Yes, I will. I was only eight when Mom died, so it will be like getting to know her again."

***

Sunday morning dawned bright and clear. Megan lay in the bed she'd found second hand at the This and That store in Morris Springs and watched the rays of sunshine creep across the windowsill, highlighting the dancing dust particles in the air. Her very first morning in her very own home.

A week at the local motel had given her a deep appreciation for comfort, so she'd bought the best mattress she could find to fit the king-sized four poster bed. As soon as it was delivered, she'd checked out of the motel and moved into the house.

Charlie's things were safely stored at the Lock and Key, Carol had returned to Dallas, and Megan was alone. It felt strange to know she couldn't walk out of her room and find Jean or Nancy making coffee or bustling around getting ready for work. She had only herself and a couple of calves she'd bought from Carol for company.

Then she remembered. This was her last week of total freedom. Next week she would start to work full-time as Doc's partner at the veterinary clinic. So, if she wanted to be settled in before her hectic new life started, she'd better get busy.

She sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed, slightly disoriented when her feet didn't touch the floor. The bed was several inches higher than she was accustomed to. She grinned and slid off the edge. She loved the feel of the smooth hardwood floor on her bare feet, so she stood there for a moment, taking in the room.

She hadn't felt right about sleeping in Charlie's room with him so recently gone, so she'd moved into Logan's room instead. She could almost feel his presence, could almost smell his scent in the early morning air. She felt like crying. Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea.

Shaking her head, she pulled on a pair of jeans and a clean tee shirt. She carried her boots and socks to the kitchen and set them on the table. While the coffee maker worked its magic, she slipped the boots on her feet. She'd just filled her cup when she heard barking outside.

She walked through the living room and opened the front door. When she pushed the screen open, Blue barreled inside and jumped up on her, sloshing coffee over her hand.

Megan quickly set the cup on the television and wrapped her arms around Blue, letting him lick her cheek. "What are you doing here, boy? I've sure missed having you around."

She heard the scuff of booted footsteps on the porch and looked up. Jake stopped on the top step and shook his head. "I give up. That dog belongs here. He doesn't want to stay at my place. Would you like to have him?"

Megan's breath caught. She loved the dog more than she'd been willing to admit. "Are you sure? Carol and I found his papers yesterday in Charlie's desk. He comes from championship stock."

Jake's face closed at the mention of Carol's name, but he nodded. "I'm sure. He hasn't been happy since the day Logan dropped him off." He started to say something else, then seemed to decide against it.

Megan stepped back out of the doorway. "Would you like to come in for a cup of coffee?"

Jake hesitated for a moment, then stepped inside and removed his hat. "You said Carol was here yesterday? Is she gone now?"

Megan started for the kitchen, keeping her tone casual and her voice light. "Yes, she left yesterday afternoon. We finished moving Charlie's things out more quickly than we'd thought, so she went back early."

Jake settled his long, lean body on a ladder-back chair at the table and stretched his legs out. He set his hat on the chair next to him. "Did she say anything about coming back?"

Megan felt sorry for him. His eyes looked tired, like he wasn't sleeping well. She could understand that, since last night was the first full night's sleep she'd had in weeks. "No, she didn't. But I wouldn't be too surprised if she returned. That's one reason I only bought twenty acres from her, so she'd have a place to come back to."

Jake snorted. "I doubt a couple hundred acres of dirt would be enough to lure her back here. Unless someone struck oil on it, maybe."

Megan smiled gently and touched his hand, bringing his gaze up to meet hers. "I wasn't thinking of the land as the incentive, just an excuse. If you can give her time to sort out her confusion over Charlie's death and her obligation to Logan, I think she'll be back. She left something behind that's she's going to need."

Jake raised a brow and cocked his head, confusion etched on his rugged face. "What's that?"

Holding her gaze steady on his gray-green eyes, Megan said, "Her heart."

Jake's shoulders slumped. "I don't think so. If she cared about me, she wouldn't have left me again. She listened to Logan once before and left me behind." He frowned and crossed his muscular arms across his chest. "I don't think I can forgive her for doing that a second time."

"You're going to see her at the trial, you know. How are you going to handle that?"

"All I have to do is get up on the stand and answer questions. As soon as I'm through, I'll come back home. I won't need to talk to her, so it shouldn't be a problem."

"You aren't even going to try to work things out with her?"

Jake shook his head, his jaw set.

Megan sighed and poured two cups of coffee, then carried them to the table. "Are all men as stubborn as you and Logan, or is it something in the air out here?"

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

"What are you doing back so early?" Logan took Carol's suitcase and carried it into her bedroom, then waited as she dug through it.

Carol pulled a thin, old book from her bag and turned to study him for a moment. "I found something I thought you needed to see and I couldn't wait to get back here." She placed the book in his hand and curled his fingers around the edge. "Read it. All of it. You know I don't often ask you to do things for me. Well, except for this summer. But this is important. For you, for me, for Katie. Even for Megan."

Wary, he turned the book over to read the cover. When he saw the one word written in a fancy blue script, a chill raced through him. He remembered this book. How many times had he seen his mother sitting at the kitchen table, writing while he and Carol watched television or got ready for school?

He dropped the book on the bed. "I can't. It's private, Carol. Would you want me to read your diary?"

She put her hands on her hips and stared him down. When he didn't look away, her eyes narrowed. "You're afraid, aren't you?"

"Of course not. I don't think it's right, that's all." He turned and walked back to the living room, hoping she'd drop the subject. He should have known better. When Carol got a notion about something, she never let it rest until she got her way.

"Logan, I read it. There's nothing in here that you should be afraid of."

He whirled around and searched her face. Did she know? How? Then he remembered his conversation with Megan in the chapel. "Megan told you, didn't she?"

Carol ducked her head, then straightened her shoulders and met his gaze. "Yes, she did. She didn't want to betray a confidence, but she's worried about you."

He cursed and strode to the picture window and looked down on the street below. Children played on the sidewalk under the watchful eyes of their mothers. Old women sat in the late evening sun, watching grandchildren play. His mother should have had that. She should have grown old with Charlie, been there to see her beautiful granddaughter.

Thanks to him, she never had that chance. "And what do you think, now that you've read it? Is there a miracle cure in there for the guilt eating away at my insides? Is there a magic potion that will bring Mom back?"

She shook her head sadly, but he wasn't sure if the sadness was for him or because there was no magic potion.

"No miracles. Just an explanation that I think you need to read, to understand. If you won't do it for yourself, do it for Katie." She walked over and laid the diary on the coffee table, then arched her back and stretched. "I'm going to take a bath."

When she'd disappeared into her room, Logan felt the book tugging at him, begging him to pick it up. He stomped into the kitchen and pulled a beer from the refrigerator. Then he sat at the table and stared at nothing.

Katie came in a few minutes later and got a soft drink. Then she sat across from him and glared at him without saying a word.

Logan looked up and smiled at her, but she lifted her stubborn little chin and turned her head away. He sighed and leaned back in his chair, trying to look casual and unconcerned.

He'd already tried begging, pleading, and threatening to ground her for life if she didn't start talking to him again, but so far nothing had worked. So he decided he'd act like nothing was amiss. Maybe that would push her buttons enough to get a reaction.

"Did you know Aunt Carol was back?" he asked casually.

Katie nodded but still didn't speak.

"Did you know she's talked to Megan recently?"

That got her attention. Her face brightened for a moment and he could tell she was dying to ask about Megan, but she clamped her lips tightly together and shook her head.

"She may have even had a chance to see Blue. Maybe you should go ask her how they're doing?" He hoped she would act on his suggestion, because he wanted to know, too. But he didn't want to be the one to ask the question.

Katie shrugged and took a drink, keeping her eyes focused somewhere above his head.

Logan scooted his chair back and stood. "Fine. If you don't want to know, that's up to you." He tossed the bottle into the trash can in the corner. "But she might even have Megan's telephone number," he added as he left the room.

***

When Carol came out of her room an hour later, Logan pretended to be absorbed in the football game on television, but the truth was he couldn't have said who was playing, much less what the score was. The damned diary was on the coffee table in front of him and he couldn't seem to see anything beyond it.

He looked up when she walked past him on her way to the kitchen. Katie still sat at the table, playing her hand-held video game he guessed from the sounds floating through the door. He heard the murmur of voices and realized they were deliberately keeping their voices low so he wouldn't overhear their conversation.

Feeling like a second rate spy, he eased off the couch and tiptoed to the door, then flattened himself against the wall when Carol walked across the kitchen. If either one of them came into the living room, he was going to have a hard time explaining why he was eavesdropping on their conversation.

"Megan's doing great," Carol said. "She's all settled into her new home and she starts her new job next week. She seemed really excited about it."

"What about Blue? Did you see him?"

Logan felt a pang as he heard his daughter's voice for the first time since Carol had left earlier in the week. He still hadn't figured out how a twelve-year-old girl had gone that long without talking.

"No, I'm sorry, honey. I didn't want to see Jake, so I didn't get to see Blue either."

That was news to him. He hadn't realized anything was wrong between Carol and Jake. He wondered what had happened. Maybe Carol had finally realized she didn't want to live in the middle of nowhere.

"Did Megan ask about me? Does she miss me? Why did she leave?"

"Yes, she did. She misses you, too, and wanted to know all about how you're doing. She even sent you a present."

"She did? Where is it? Can I have it now?"

He heard a chair scrape against the floor and moved quickly away from the wall. He couldn't go back to the couch because he'd be in the line of sight of the door, so he moved to the window and pretended to be absorbed in the scene below. But he couldn't help but wonder when--and where--Carol had seen Megan.

Carol stepped into the living room and looked at him quizzically, then continued on to her bedroom. A minute later she came back with a small package wrapped in shiny pink paper. Katie came out of the kitchen and met her halfway. Carol smiled and ruffled Katie's hair, then handed her the package.

Katie tore the wrapping paper off and dropped it on the floor, then lifted the lid of a small, square box. "Oh, it looks just like Blue."

Logan glanced over and saw Katie holding a miniature ceramic Blue Heeler that did, indeed, look like Blue. Katie clutched it to her chest as tears welled in her eyes.

When she looked up and saw him watching her, she turned away and ran to her room.

Carol sighed and moved to the couch, then dropped on to it and put her feet on the coffee table. "I take it she still isn't speaking to you?"

"No." He sat on the edge of an overstuffed armchair and swung one leg back and forth. "She's mad because I can't make her wishes come true, and she blames me for Megan leaving. But I honestly have no idea why she left like that. Do you?"

"No. She never said what happened. She went into the living room to use the telephone, then came back a couple of minutes later looking like she'd been sucker punched. Fifteen minutes after that, she was gone."

The telephone? Logan thought back, trying to remember what he'd been doing at the time. He'd checked his email when they got back to the house and had found another message from his lawyer. He'd called him and they'd talked strategy, brainstorming about what he could do to ensure the custody decision was in his favor.

Realization, when it dawned, was not pleasant. "Damn it!"

"What? You did do something, didn't you? I knew it."

Logan rubbed a hand over his face. "It wasn't intentional. Megan must have overheard my conversation with Mark when she picked up the phone."

"Your lawyer? Why would that upset her?"

"Because we were talking about how to make sure I got custody of Katie, and one of the ideas we tossed around was that I could get Megan to marry me so there would be someone to watch Katie while I worked."

***

Logan paced the living room, unable to sleep. Now Carol refused to speak to him, too, and dinner had been decidedly uncomfortable. She and Katie had talked as though he wasn't in the room, rehashing the great times they'd had in Morris Springs with Megan and Blue.

He smiled when he thought about Katie's animated retelling of the afternoon in the pond, of remembered games of Scrabble in the evenings, and her shopping trip to Lubbock. He scowled when he thought about her tears when she told Carol how much she missed Megan and Blue and Morris Springs, and even Big Mac.

He knew Katie wanted to go back. She hated being shut up in the apartment with no friends to play with. But she didn't understand. He missed those things too. He just couldn't bear to live where he had to see that garden every day, condemning him every time he walked through the back door.

Besides, it was too late. The house and land belonged to someone else now.

Damn. Why had he signed the property over to Carol? Because he'd never really believed she'd sell it, that's why. He thought she'd hold on to it, for sentimental reasons if nothing else.

He still couldn't believe she'd sold it that fast.

As he paced by the couch, he caught sight of the diary out of the corner of his eye. He stopped and stared at it for a moment, then took a deep breath. He picked up the book and made himself read the first page, then he closed the cover and put it back on the table.

***

Megan was elbow deep inside a pygmy goat, trying to extract the first of a set of twins who'd managed to tangle themselves together in the womb. As she pushed a leg back and tried to get a hand on a small, slippery head, the strong odors of blood and waste hung heavy in the air.

Most people would gag at the sight and smell of the job, but she loved it. She crooned to the mama goat as she worked. Ten minutes later she was rewarded with the bleat of a small kid as it struggled to its knees. When the second twin was born, strong and healthy, she cried.

How could she think of leaving Morris Springs, of moving back to Dallas to spend her days vaccinating dogs and cats and lecturing their owners of the dangers of chicken bones and other table scraps? But she did think about it, every day. Because she missed Logan and Katie. It had taken her a while to realize she was in love with him, but the truth had finally sunk in. She'd even managed to convince herself that she loved him enough to marry him for Katie's sake, if that's what it took to keep him by her side.

Though she knew she'd never be as content in Dallas as she was here, she'd heard that if you truly loved someone you could be happy anywhere. So maybe it was true. But she hated the thought of giving up the farm, her job, and the new pair of female Blue Heelers she'd bought. If that was what it took to get Logan back, though, then that's what she'd do.

But not yet. She would wait a while so she could be sure about her decision. Once she left, there would be no coming back.

She peeled off her rubber gloves and stood to watch as the kids struggled to nurse. If they managed to stand up long enough to latch on, she felt she could safely leave them in the care of their mother.

She smiled when the first twin found the engorged nipple and greedily began to nurse, his legs wobbling crazily as he tried to stay on his feet. The other twin soon got the idea and joined his sister for the feast.

Megan wished Logan would learn from Carol as easily.

At least his sister had had sense enough to know her mother's death wasn't his fault. And she'd had sense enough to read the diary. But according to Carol, Logan still hadn't read it and she was losing hope that he ever would.

Megan cleaned up the mess in Jake's barn and washed her hands and arms in the bucket of water on a table in the corner. She watched him through the window as she lathered the antiseptic soap on her hands, then rinsed them off.

He'd grown quieter and more withdrawn with every day that passed with no word from Carol. He didn't look like he'd been sleeping, or eating regular meals.

She knew he was nervous about seeing Carol at Jerry's trial in a few weeks. But not nearly as nervous as she was about appearing at the custody hearing. Logan's lawyer had asked her to act as a character witness, and she'd agreed, on the condition he didn't tell Logan in advance that she would be there. She wanted to see his unguarded reaction to her presence.

***

Logan yanked his tie loose for the third time and retied the knot, his fingers shaking as he tossed one end over the other. His lawyer had assured him they were as ready as they'd ever be, but Logan was still nervous. He couldn't stand the thought that Katie might not come back home with him.

When he finally had the tie knotted to his satisfaction, he put on his jacket and carefully brushed his hair. If his face didn't have a slightly green hue to it, he thought, his appearance would be acceptable.

Katie knocked on his door and pushed it open when he told her to come in. He smiled at the picture she presented in her navy blue dress and white sandals. Her dark hair had been pulled back and secured with a gold clip.

"You look beautiful. I'll have to beat the boys away in a few years." She blushed and ducked her head, but not before he saw a pleased grin tug at the corners of her mouth.

"Are you ready to go? We don't want to be late."

Logan resisted the urge to ruffle her hair. He figured she'd get mad after she'd spent time getting it just right. His little girl was growing up. "Sure. Let's go."

Carol was waiting for them in the living room, pacing nervously in front of the window. She gave Logan a forced smile and headed for the door. As he reached around her to open the door, she whispered in his ear. "If this doesn't work, we could always take her into hiding."

Logan laughed, relaxing just a little at her teasing. Then he sobered. She was teasing, wasn't she?

***

Megan sat on a hard, wooden chair at the back of the courtroom, her hands twisted together in her lap. She'd waited until Logan and Katie took their seats at the front, and the proceedings were about to begin, before she slipped through the open door and into a seat at the back. She'd chosen a seat behind a big man who spilled over the sides of his chair, hoping Logan wouldn't see her if he turned around.

His lawyer had talked to her for an hour on the telephone, explaining the types of questions he would ask and what she might expect from Sue Ann's attorney. She was so nervous she hadn't dared eat breakfast and now her stomach rumbled.

When the first break rolled around and she hadn't been called, she slipped out the door as soon as it was allowed. She hurried to the ladies room, the one place she could be sure Logan wouldn't find her.

She splashed water on her wrists in an attempt to calm her nerves, then touched up her hair and lipstick. The door opened and Sue Ann walked in.

Megan recognized her from the courtroom. Seeing her this close hadn't been part of the plan. Then an idea began to take form. She took her compact out of her purse and dabbed at her chin as Sue Ann moved to join her in front of the mirror.

Megan caught Sue Ann's disdainful glance in the mirror and pasted a friendly smile on her face. "Don't you hate having to show up in court for a traffic violation?" She gave herself a mental high five. She hadn't actually lied. She didn't say she was there for a traffic ticket.

Sue Ann sniffed delicately. "I'm not here for something so simple."

Megan tried to adopt a friendly, innocent demeanor. "Really? Something interesting, I hope?"

Looking slightly put out, Sue Ann traced her pouty lips with liner, then snapped the lid back on the pencil and dropped it into her purse. "Custody case."

Megan widened her eyes and forced herself to look fascinated. "Really? Are you trying to get custody of your kids?"

"Just one kid. I wouldn't even bother, but her daddy's loaded and he pays generous child support every month." She filled her lips in with a dark red lipstick. "Do you have kids?" she asked as she smudged the lipstick with a tissue?

Megan shook her head. "No, I hope to someday, but I haven't found the right man yet."

Sue Ann turned toward her and looked her over. "Let me give you a little advice. Don't bother. Kids are more trouble than they're worth. They screw up your figure, puke on your clothes, then just when they start getting interesting, they're old enough to mess up your love life."

With a last glance in the mirror, Sue Ann waved her fingertips and sailed out the door.

As the door closed behind her, Megan decided she'd do whatever it took to make sure Logan got custody of Katie, including marrying him. They might not make the perfect couple, but at least they could give Katie a stable home. And if she had to give up the idea of unconditional love, she'd survive. She'd survived this long, hadn't she?

But she didn't want to make it too easy for Logan. She'd keep that bit of information to herself until it seemed absolutely necessary.

***

Logan watched the judge's reaction to Sue Ann's forced tears and plea for custody of her daughter. She dabbed at her eyes with a tissue, smudging her perfectly applied eyeliner in the process.

Katie squirmed beside him and he placed his hand on top of hers. She turned her palm up and linked their fingers together and he smiled at her. When he looked back up, the judge was watching them.

When Sue Ann had finished her histrionics and was dismissed, Logan's attorney stood and called his first character witness. "Miss Megan Flynn." Logan willed himself to remain calm and not let his shock show on his face.

Katie twisted around in her seat to watch Megan walk down the aisle, a huge grin lighting her pixie face. She waved at Megan as she stepped through the gate and Megan smiled back, avoiding Logan's gaze as she moved to the witness stand.

Logan drank in the sight of her as she sat facing him, graceful and poised as she answered the questions in a straightforward manner. She wore a feminine suit in a soft shade of green that brought out the deep emerald of her eyes. Her hair fell softly around her face.

The judge seemed more relaxed than he had while Sue Ann was on the stand. He smiled a time or two as Megan related stories about her time with them and gave her impression of Katie's relationship with her father. Logan was impressed with the way she handled herself, her honesty, and the way she turned the tables on the opposing attorney when he tried to trap her into admitting their physical relationship.

His attorney stood and asked Megan one last question. "Ms. Flynn, have you ever met Sue Ann Tanner outside of this courtroom."

Megan smiled at Sue Ann and said, "Just once, yes."

Logan glanced at Sue Ann. He didn't know they'd ever met, but judging by the hatred in Sue Ann's eyes, Megan had something to say about that meeting.

"And what was your impression as a result of that meeting?"

The opposing attorney jumped to his feet with an objection and the judge overruled him. "I'd like to hear Ms. Flynn's impression myself."

Megan looked up at the judge and requested that Katie be removed from the courtroom before she answered the question. The judge agreed and Katie was escorted outside.

Then Megan related the talk they'd had in the rest room, readily admitting the fact that she'd started the conversation under false pretenses.

When she'd finished, the judge looked at Sue Ann, then back at Logan. He thanked Megan and dismissed her. Then he called for a short break.

***

Megan left the courtroom as quickly as she could without being obvious. As soon as she stepped through the door, Katie ran into her arms. She gave the child a crushing hug, kissed the top of her head, and said, "I have to go, Katie. Don't worry. I'll see you soon, okay?" She gave Katie another quick squeeze, then she let her go and walked down the hall, through an exit door, and down the stairs.

Two minutes later she was in her car, headed for Nancy and Jean's apartment. When her cell phone rang, she answered, expecting the call.

"You were great. Thank you," Mark Delaney replied.

Megan grinned. "So you think he's going to get custody?"

"At this point, I don't see how we can lose. That conversation with Sue Ann was a stroke of brilliance on your part. When I read your note, I wasn't sure what I was getting us into, but you came through like a champ."

Megan pulled into the driveway of the apartment and turned the engine off. "So you don't need me anymore, right? I can go home?"

There was a short pause, then Mark said, "Try not to leave town for another couple of hours and leave your cell phone on in case I need to get in touch with you. After that, it should be fine for you to leave."

Megan agreed and hung up, then nearly skipped up the stairs. The only shadow on an otherwise beautiful day was the fact that she'd had to force herself to leave without talking to Logan. But he still had issues to work through and she wanted to be sure that when they finally came together, it would be without the ghosts of the past between them.

She knew she hadn't imagined his genuine pleasure at seeing her again, nor had she mistaken the longing in his eyes as he watched her in the courtroom. She hoped that memory would be enough to sustain her for the next few days or weeks until she saw him again.

***

Carol and Katie had gone to see a movie, a "chick-flick" as they called it, and Logan wasn't invited to tag along. He'd come home early, as he'd done for the past week, expecting to spend the evening with them, and now they were gone and he was bored.

He punched a button on the remote, fast losing hope that he could find something to watch on television to fill the silence. Now that he had full custody of Katie and the added bonus of an end to the child support payments, he was at loose ends. For the past two years the thought of getting Katie back had consumed his thoughts whenever he wasn't buried in work.

Now he thought of Megan constantly, but he was afraid winning her back would be harder than the custody battle had been. He remembered Carol's statement the day she'd handed him the diary. "Read it for Katie, and for Megan."

It still lay on the coffee table, untouched. He'd thought about hiding it, but then he'd have had to face Carol's censure. It was hard enough to deal with her knowing looks and less-than-subtle prodding. Sometimes she sounded just like Mom.

With a sigh of defeat and less-than-steady hands, he turned the television off and picked up the diary. Though he was tempted to turn to the last page and read his mother's thoughts in the final entry, he forced himself to start at the beginning.

As he read, his mental picture of his mother began to shift. With the wisdom and experience of adulthood, he could feel her joy as she wrote about his birth, and later, Carol's. He felt her sorrow when her own parents passed away. He'd been too young to remember, to understand, but now he understood her feelings of guilt over not visiting often enough when her own life was full to overflowing with kids and animals and a house to care for.

One entry caught his attention, and he read it twice to make sure he hadn't misread it the first time.

February 14, 1980--Today is the day to plant potatoes, but it's rained for two weeks straight. The garden sits empty of vegetables, with only water to fill the rows. It makes my heart ache to have to wait. The greatest joy of Valentine's Day is the precious time Charles gives me to work in the garden while he watches the children.

Of course, he's unhappy too, because now he has no gift to give me. But he's promised to watch the children another day, as soon as the ground dries enough for me to sink my fingers into the ground I prepared so carefully in the fall. I thank God every day for giving me a husband who understands and indulges my love of the land, who continues to scratch a living from the soil even though it would be easier to work at the grocery in town.

He talked again last night of selling the farm and moving to the city where he could make more money so I could have better medical care. I hate to admit, dear diary, that we had a ferocious argument about that. I'm ashamed to admit that I actually raised my voice to him in a most unladylike fashion.

But what fulfillment would there be if I extended my life, only to live it in misery? I want to live here, and die here. Whatever time God gives me is precious, and I mean to make the most of it.

Until tomorrow, dear diary. I think I will take advantage of Charles' presence in the house, and the children's early bedtime, to make up with my husband.

Logan lowered the book to his lap, his mind too confused to continue. His mother was the one who had wanted to stay on the farm? He'd always thought it was his father's decision. He vaguely remembered bits and pieces of the argument. He'd been eight years old at the time and he still remembered how excited he was when he first heard one of them mention moving to town. Somehow, over the years, his memory had laid the blame for that lost dream on his dad. And why did his mother need better medical care?

He put the diary back on the coffee table and went to the kitchen for a beer and a bowl of popcorn. He'd just closed the door to the microwave when the phone rang. He pushed the start button on the oven and picked up the phone.

Before he could say hello, Megan said, "Carol, call me back when the coast is clear. I need to ask you something."

"Megan? Wait. Carol isn't home."

But there was silence on the other end of the line. She'd hung up. He'd wanted to tell her how much he missed her. Wanted to find out where she was. How she was. He tried the call back feature on the phone, but got a recording that the caller was out of the service area.

As he munched on a handful of popcorn, he thought about the call. Then he remembered other calls where Carol had rushed to the phone, then hung up, saying it was a wrong number. She'd always excused herself a few minutes later and disappeared into her room.

Evidently she'd been talking to Megan all along. And she must know where Megan was staying, despite her claims to the contrary. He wandered back into the living room, still thinking.

Megan didn't want to talk to him. Well, he could understand why if his guess was right about why she'd left in such a hurry. Carol didn't want him to know she was in contact with Megan. That meant she was either up to something or hiding something. She'd been humming a lot while she cooked lately, too. Definitely up to something.

He settled back onto the couch with his snack and picked up the diary again. He read the highlights of his childhood, smiling occasionally at things he'd forgotten, small pleasures that were the result of being part of a loving family. His mother had a lively writing style that entertained him, even as it revealed her innermost thoughts and dreams.

Before he realized it, he'd reached the last entry. He didn't want to read it, but he knew he must. He'd already come this far. He'd learned about his mother's heart condition, that she hadn't been expected to survive childbirth, yet she'd chosen to take the risk. That the specialists had told her she wouldn't live past the age of twenty-five, yet she'd made it to her thirty-second birthday.

He'd learned she'd fallen in love with Charlie at first sight. That she'd never regretted marrying him and having his children. That because she knew she wouldn't live to see those children grow up, she'd tried to teach them independence at a young age, making sure they would be able to care for themselves after she was gone.

Logan pressed his fingers to his temple, took a deep breath, and turned the page.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

May 17, 1984. Something isn't right this morning, dear diary. I almost asked Charlie to stay near the house with me today and I've never done that before. I'm not sure what's wrong. Maybe I'm only worried about Logan. He seems so unhappy at school. He comes home each day with his shoulders slumped a bit more than the day before.

I shouldn't have asked him to come straight home from school. He works too hard for a young boy. He should have time to play with friends, time to be a boy. Responsibility will catch up with him soon enough, when he is grown. Carol has more time to play and be a child, being the youngest and a girl. I need to try harder to give Logan time to enjoy life.

And since when do I need another to do my gardening for me? Just because this heart of mine has beat years longer than the doctors expected, that's no reason to stop doing the things I love. I feel so blessed to have been granted my hopes and dreams, to have lived a life full of love and laughter. Especially since the time for my death has long passed and still I remain.

Now that Charles is well enough to go back to the fields, dear diary, it is time--past time--for me to get back to digging in the ground.

When Logan gets home, I'm going to send him out to play after all because it just wouldn't be the same not pulling the weeds and planting my beloved tomatoes myself.

The plants are beginning to droop and need to be planted. So, until tomorrow, dear diary....

Logan closed the book and leaned his head against the back of the couch. He wasn't sure what he felt, what he thought. Relief? Release? Mostly he felt lost, as though he'd never really known his parents after all, and now it was too late.

***

Megan sat on the edge of the bed, her hand over her mouth. She hadn't expected Logan to answer the phone. Carol was there every evening and had always managed to pick up the telephone before he did. She'd almost blown it when she heard him call her name. She'd wanted to reach through the phone and touch his face, to answer him back.

But Carol had told her not to talk to him until he'd read the diary or nothing would change. He would still carry his burden of guilt and it would affect every part of any relationship they might have. So she'd hung up and thought her heart might shatter.

She'd discovered over the last few weeks that her dream was hollow without Logan to share it with her. She had everything she'd thought she wanted, and it all meant nothing. She loved the town, the people, her job. She loved looking out over the pasture to watch Blue romp with Daisy and Dollie, her two female Blue Heelers. She loved working in her garden.

But she loved Logan more.

***

"I know you know where she is. So why won't you tell me?" Logan paced across the room while Carol lounged sideways across the overstuffed armchair in her bedroom. He was ready to throttle her for being so stubborn.

"Because you haven't changed. Megan doesn't need or want a keeper. She wants someone who will love her unconditionally. Someone who will share her dreams and work side by side with her to make them come true."

He nearly growled in frustration. He'd badgered Carol for a week, trying to get her to tell him where Megan was. She'd just smiled sweetly and shook her head.

"Then at least do one thing for me. The next time you talk to Megan, tell her I want to see her. I need to explain about that phone call. I need to let her know we were only tossing ideas around. I wasn't seriously considering it."

Carol raised one eyebrow and gave him a skeptical look.

"Okay, maybe I did think about it, just for a little while. But I know now it would have been wrong to marry someone just to get custody of Katie."

"Do you really? Do you have any idea what a real marriage should be? What you had with Sue Ann didn't even come close. Megan would wither and die in that kind of relationship, and I won't let you do that to her."

Logan dropped onto the foot of the bed, his hands between his knees. "Yes, I do know. I...I read the diary."

Carol's mouth dropped open, but all she said was, "Oh."

"That's it? After all the days of nagging and sulky silence, all you can say is Oh?"

She shook her head and swung her legs around so that she was facing him, her feet on the floor. "So now you know it wasn't your fault? Mom had a heart condition. She hadn't expected to live as long as she did. And she died doing what she loved."

"Yes. That doesn't excuse the fact that I didn't come home when I was supposed to. At least maybe she wouldn't have died alone."

Carol jumped up, walked across the room, and stopped in front of him. "Damn you, Logan. How long are you going to carry that load of guilt? Until it kills you, too? No one can second-guess God, least of all you. If it was Mom's time, it would have happened whether you were there or not. And how much harder would it have been for you? You were only twelve, for God's sake. Don't you think finding her was enough of a burden for a child?"

"But..."

"Be quiet for a minute. Think about Katie. Would you want her to watch you die of a heart attack, knowing there was absolutely nothing she could do to help you? Would you want her to hate Dallas because that happened to be where you died? Would you want her to carry a load of guilt all her life for something that wasn't her fault?"

Carol was furious with him, and he wasn't sure why.

"Of course not, but that's different."

She whirled around, fists clenched, and took a deep breath. When she turned back, she said, "If you continue to work like you've been doing, your daughter might end up just like you. Blaming herself because she couldn't stop you from dying. Is that what you want?"

"No. But I'm not going to die any time soon."

"Oh, you know that for sure? When did you get that revelation?" She stopped and he watched her struggle for control. "Can't you see your daughter is miserable? If you're planning to keep her cooped up in this apartment, you might as well give her up and send her back to Baton Rouge. She'd resent you either way, but at least she'd have her mother."

She turned and strode from the room, slamming the door behind her.

***

Logan sat at the breakfast table across from Carol the next morning, still stinging from her outburst the evening before. He'd had plenty to think about during the long, sleepless night, and some decisions to make. "I'm taking Katie to Morris Springs this weekend. Do you want to go?"

Carol shook her head. "No. I want to go to Austin and water my houseplants, pick up my mail, and check on my apartment. If you're taking Katie with you, this would be a good time for me to go home for a couple of days."

"Okay. I'm hoping if I take her to see Blue, she might at least start talking to me again. And I need to go through the things you put in storage to see if there's anything she wants to keep." He got up and poured them both a cup of coffee, then sat back down.

Carol took a sip from her cup, then set it down and added a teaspoon of sugar. "Are you going to go by the house?"

"Yes." He gathered up the courage to speak aloud the decision he'd made but had kept to himself. "I'm going to see if the new owner would be willing to sell it back to me. I'll offer them a nice profit and to pay for their moving expenses."

Carol's eyes widened. "Are you serious? Why?"

"Because I've decided to move back to Morris Springs, permanently. Then I'm going to find Megan, with or without your help."

She cocked her head and looked at him from under her lashes so he couldn't see the expression in her eyes. "Have you told Katie about this decision?"

"No. I didn't want to get her hopes up until I found out if the new owner would sell."

"That's probably a good idea. Well, I'd better get packed if I'm going home. Are you leaving tomorrow?"

"I guess I might as well. There's no sense in putting it off. Why?"

"No reason. Just wondering."

Logan wondered what was going through her mind. She kept her expression neutral, but he'd swear she was nearly trembling with excitement. Maybe she was hoping he'd see Jake. He probably would, but that didn't mean Jake would ask about her, or send a message back with him. "We'll leave early in the morning and come back Sunday night."

Carol pushed her chair back and stood. "That sounds good to me. Have you told Katie about the trip yet?"

"No, I want to surprise her in the morning."

He thought he heard her murmur something about a big surprise, but he missed most of what she said as she walked out of the room.

***

Logan took the long way around so he wouldn't have to drive through town. He wasn't ready to face anyone there yet, not until he knew what his future would hold as far as the farm was concerned.

Katie had chattered the entire trip as though a dam had broken and she couldn't hold back the flood of things she wanted to say. "I can't wait to see Blue. I'll bet he's missed me," she said as they turned into Jake's driveway.

"I'm sure he has. He'll be glad to see you." Logan parked the suburban and honked his horn in case Jake was out at the barn. The front door opened and Jake stepped out of the house.

"Hey, Logan. What are you doing back here?" Jake strode down the steps and shook his hand. "Did Carol come with you?"

"No, she went to Austin for the weekend. I brought Katie out to see Blue. Is he down at the barn?"

Katie slipped her hand into his and he squeezed hers gently.

Jake rubbed a hand around the back of his neck, then slipped his hands in his back pocket and rocked back on his heels. "No. I had to give him away. He wouldn't stay here, kept going back to Charlie's place."

Logan looked down at Katie and saw tears welling in her eyes. Damn. "Who did you give him to? I'll take Katie there."

Jake cocked his head to one side. "He's at Charlie's. I gave him to the new owner, since that's where he seemed to spend most of his time."

Logan looked down at Katie and smiled. "He shouldn't be too hard to find then. You ready to go meet the new owner?"

Katie nodded and grinned back at him. "I hope they won't mind."

Jake laughed and ruffled Katie's hair. "Somehow I don't think they'll mind at all."

Megan packed the last of her clothes into her suitcase and looked around the bedroom. She would miss this room with its high ceilings and large windows. She figured two more days would be enough to get all of her belongings into storage, then she'd be ready to go back to Dallas. She could only hope Logan would be glad to see her.

She'd thought about him every single day. But she had no way of knowing if he'd thought about her at all. Carol seemed to think he missed her. At least she knew he'd read the diary. Whether or not it had had any affect on him, she wouldn't know until she saw him again.

She couldn't move on with her life until she knew how he felt. If he didn't want her, didn't love her, she'd come back and get on with her life. If he did, she'd sell the house back to Carol and move back to Dallas.

When the doorbell rang, it took her by surprise. No one had mentioned dropping by. It was probably Jake. He stopped by once a week or so to see if she needed help with anything, but she suspected he came mostly for news of Carol. He always managed to bring the conversation around to her eventually. She wished he'd make up his mind about what he wanted, then do it.

With a smile of welcome on her face, she opened the door.

It felt strange to ring the doorbell of the house he'd called home for most of his life. Logan noticed the new owner had planted Cannas in the front flower bed. The bright red and yellow flowers made the front of the house more welcoming. The front door sported a wreath adorned with flowers and tiny birdhouses. Feminine touches, he thought. The new owner must be married.

He turned when the door opened, prepared to introduce himself. Before he could say a word, Katie squealed, "Megan!" and ran headlong into her arms.

The sight of Megan hit him like a sledgehammer against concrete. His entire body vibrated, his nerves hummed, his breath rushed out in a whoosh. He was too stunned to move. All he could do was watch as she wrapped her arms around Katie, tears springing to her eyes, then spilling over onto her cheeks.

That's when he knew he loved her.

What a damned fool he'd been. He'd thought it was only attraction, lust, that kept him from sending her back to Dallas when he'd had the chance. He'd thought it was the aggravation of her walking away without saying goodbye that had kept her on his mind for the last few weeks. He knew he had feelings for her, but he hadn't been willing to admit, even to himself, what those feelings meant.

He'd missed her. Missed her mischievous grin, her smart mouth, her spunky personality. When she looked over the top of Katie's head and smiled at him, it nearly brought him to his knees. He'd have given her the world at that moment, if she'd asked him to.

"Hello, Logan." Her voice was husky, a little shaky.

He had to clear his throat before any sound would come out. "Megan."

She wiped her eyes with the back of one slender hand, then stepped back and pulled Katie into the house. "Come in."

He stepped over the threshold and saw the boxes and rolls of packing tape. "I guess you're moving in, huh?"

She looked up and their gazes locked. "No, I'm moving out."

"I don't understand. I assumed you were the one who bought the farm when you answered the door. Are you just staying here until the new owners move in?" More confused than ever, Logan watched the expressions flit across her face. Pain, wariness, something else he couldn't identify.

Megan shrugged and turned away. "Something like that. What are you doing here?"

Katie looked from one adult to the other, obviously feeling the undercurrents but unsure exactly what was going on. Then she looked up at Megan. "Dad brought me to see Blue. We didn't know you'd be here, but I'm so glad you are." She hugged Megan, then ran to the back door and opened it, calling Blue as she stepped outside.

Megan crossed the living room and stepped into the kitchen. Logan followed her, a million questions running through his mind. He didn't know where to start, but he knew he needed answers.

He stopped in the doorway and watched as she nervously ran a hand through her hair, then opened a cabinet and took out the cookie jar. She set it on the table and opened the refrigerator and got out a jug of milk. "Megan, why are you living here? And why did you leave without telling me goodbye?"

She whirled around, nearly dropping the milk. She quickly set it on the table and took three glasses and a plate from the cabinet. When she had everything on the table, she looked up, then her gaze skittered away toward the back door.

"Katie will stay out there with Blue until I make her come in," Logan said. "We have plenty of time to talk."

Megan nodded and gestured to a chair. "Sit down. I made chocolate-chip cookies this morning."

He pulled a chair away from the table and spun it around, then sat facing the back, his arms across the top. Megan smiled, remembering the way he'd done that the night she'd met him. She'd been as tongue-tied then as she was now. How could she tell him everything that was in her heart without sending him running back to Dallas?

She opted to start with small-talk. "Did you see the progress they've made in town? Everyone's been working hard to rebuild. People come every day from as far away as Abilene to help out. I've learned to swing a pretty mean hammer myself."

Logan arched a brow and leaned back. "You've been helping in town? How long have you been here?"

Megan ducked her head. "Since the day after you got back to Dallas."

"I see," he said quietly. "I guess that means you don't want to be in the same town with me." He started to stand, but she placed a hand on his arm to keep him where he was.

"I was hurt, and angry. Frustrated. But I've had plenty of time to think."

"About what?"

She took a trembling breath and he could tell she was nervous about something. For a moment he wondered if she was the reason Carol and Jake weren't seeing each other, but he dismissed the idea as soon as it formed. He'd seen them together too many times, and Jake had always had eyes only for Carol.

Megan met his gaze and sat up a little straighter. "About me, about us. About what I want, what I need."

He smiled, knowing exactly how she felt. "That's a lot of thinking. Did you come to any conclusions?"

She nodded. "Some. The rest depends on you."

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Logan leaned forward, keeping his gaze on hers. "I tried to find you, you know."

"You did?"

"Yes. I even stooped to eavesdropping, hoping to hear where you'd gone. But Carol never let anything slip. I thought you were still in Dallas until you called that night. When I tried the call return, I got a recording saying it was out of the area. I figured you'd found a small town near Dallas that you liked and moved there. I never dreamed you had come back here."

She lifted her chin and her jaw tightened. "I know how much you hate Morris Springs, but I love it. I have friends here now."

Logan shook his head. "I don't hate Morris Springs. Not anymore."

She looked skeptical. "You don't?"

"No. I'm sure you know about the diary. I finally read it. It was probably the hardest thing I've ever done, but it explained so many things I never understood. I never knew my mother had a heart condition. I don't know why Dad never talked about it, but I think maybe he was glad I'd gotten away from the farm and made my own way."

Megan nodded. "He was proud of you."

"I realize that now, but I couldn't see it when I was so loaded down with guilt. I think I remembered only bits and pieces from my childhood, and events ran together in my mind until they'd become something entirely different from the actuality."

She reached out and took his hand in hers. "I think I've done the same thing. I have bits and pieces of memories that I'm not sure are the whole truth." She looked thoughtful as she absently rubbed her thumb across the back of his hand. "I probably need to talk to my parents, see if I can make sense of those snatches of memory."

"Megan, Katie thinks we only came out to see Blue, but I had another reason."

"Oh? What?"

"I need to know who bought the farm. I was going to go to the courthouse to see if the records had been filed yet, but I'm hoping you can tell me."

She looked a little uncomfortable at that thought. "Why?"

"Because I want to see if I can buy it back."

That was the last thing Megan expected him to say. Would he get mad when he found out she owned part of his inheritance? Of course, she'd sell it back to him if he asked her to, but she hoped.... "Why do you want to buy it? Are you going to keep it in trust for Katie?"

She was a little taken aback by the earnest look on his face. "No. I want to live here. I want Katie to grow up here. I want to be a part of the community. I want to come home."

"Oh." Tears, hot and thick, burned the back of her eyes. "Are you sure? If you're not, you'll break her heart again."

"Oh, yeah. I'm sure. This is where we belong. I don't think I want to farm the land, but I'd like to keep a few of the cows, and I'd like to get Blue back for Katie. Would you please tell me who owns it now?"

Megan scooted her chair back and stood. "Come with me. There's something you need to see."

***

She led him out the back door and he looked around.

Where an old metal storage shed had stood, there was a long, low building made of wood. Four doors opened into fenced yards. Another fence ran around the back of the pens.

It took him a minute to realize what it was. "Dog pens?"

She bit her lip and nodded.

Realization dawned and he turned to face her. "You bought it, didn't you? Did you build all this by yourself?"

"No, Jake helped me. And Tommy and Danny helped on the weekend."

"But you said you were moving. I don't understand."

She took his hand and held it within both of hers. "I decided to sell the house back to Carol and move back to Dallas. I know she wants to come back to be with Jake, but she couldn't because of Katie. I was going to see if you still needed a wife to help you with Katie, and ask if I could have the job."

Logan groaned and pulled her into his arms. He'd wanted to do that since the moment he saw her standing in the doorway, but he wasn't sure if she'd let him. "I don't need a wife, Megan."

"Oh." She tried to pull away, but he held on tight and refused to let her go.

"Don't jump to conclusions. I said I didn't need a wife, not that I didn't want one."

She leaned back against his arms, her eyes searching his face. "What do you mean?"

He leaned down until his eyes were level with hers. "I wanted to wait until I'd bought the farm back before I asked this, but...Megan, will you marry me?"

She opened her mouth to answer, but he stopped her with a kiss. "Before you answer, you need to know I intend to live on this farm until I die. I'll be underfoot all the time because I'm moving my business out here so I can work from home. And I want to fill this house with kids. Can you live with that?"

Megan threw her arms around his neck and pulled his head down for a long, blood-boiling kiss. "Yes, Logan. On all points. There's just one little matter we need to clear up."

Logan tried but he couldn't think of anything he'd left out. "What matter is that?"

She smiled up at him, her eyes mischievous. "There are three little words every woman wants to hear when the man she loves asks her to marry him."

His heart swelled when he realized she loved him too.

"Oh, God, Megan. I love you more than three words could ever cover. I don't want to live my life without you."

"I love you, too, Logan. So much that my dreams meant nothing without you. Together we'll make new dreams. But I hope you don't mind becoming a grandfather in a few weeks."

"What? But, but..."

Megan laughed and pointed to Katie and the three dogs dancing around her in the pasture. "Blue is going to be a daddy soon. That makes you a grandfather. Sort of."

Logan leaned back and laughed so hard he thought they could probably hear him in Morris Springs. "I have a feeling life with you is going to be one surprise after another."

"You can only hope, Logan. You can only hope."
EPILOGUE

Megan clutched Logan's hand in hers, her nerves strung tighter than an over-tuned guitar. Blue had performed beautifully, but so had most of the others. There was something about him that set him apart, though. At least to her. He held his head with a regal bearing, as though he knew how important he was.

Champion or not, he would always be a winner to her. She placed her free hand on top of Blue's head as they waited for the first place announcement. As the judge stepped to the microphone, she bit her bottom lip to stop the trembling.

"The first place ribbon goes to...Tanner's Blue Moon."

Katie squealed and hugged Blue, then Megan led him to the center of the ring to receive the award. Two years of training, six litters of puppies, a thriving veterinary practice, and now a blue ribbon. And not one of those things meant as much to her as the man grinning from the sidelines with a baby on his hip, or the children they shared.

She attached the ribbon to Blue's collar and they made one last jog around the ring to thunderous applause. She looked up into the stands as she passed by and saw a number of faces she knew and loved. Jake, Nancy, and Jean sat together in one section.

Nancy and Jean had moved to Morris Springs two months ago when they'd completed their contracts in Dallas. They shared a small house in town and had set up a practice together in a storefront office on the town square. It still amazed Megan how easily the two had settled into country life.

Nancy had traded her short shorts and strappy sandals for blue jeans and cowboy boots. She filled in at the hospital when a nurse needed a vacation or an epidemic of flu left them short handed.

Jean had left her shy, insecure personality behind for good. She could toss back shots with the best of the honkytonk crowd and had even coaxed some of the couples into marriage counseling when needed.

Jake had become Logan's best friend. They fished together, played cards, and helped each other when there was work to be done on their homes or farms. Jake's eyes had never quite lost the sadness, though, when, like now, he watched Carol from beneath the brim of his cowboy hat.

Carol stood and cheered at the other end of the group. She still avoided Jake whenever she came to visit. It broke Megan's heart to see the pain in her eyes when she ran into him in town. She prayed that some way, some how, the two would find their way back to each other. They were meant to be together.

Tommy and Danny, Danny's family, and Randy Marin stood in a row, yelling and whistling as Blue passed by. Randy's handsome face was marred by a long scar, and he used a cane to get around, but he told Megan often how grateful he was to be alive.

Doc and his wife waved to her from the front row. Megan would never be able to repay him for all he'd done for her, patiently teaching her the things she hadn't learned in school.

As she approached her husband at the end of the circle, her chest tightened. Just the sight of him was still enough to make her heart race. He stood with his arm around Katie, who now held the baby they'd named Charlie for his grandfather.

Katie had matured a lot over the last two years, growing more beautiful every day. Boys were beginning to drop by the house on a regular basis, something that made Logan nervous. Katie enjoyed every minute of the attention, but she didn't take them too seriously.

Megan handed Blue's leash to Logan when she reached him and threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you."

He leaned back, his eyes searching her face. "What on earth for? You did this on your own."

She shook her head. "No Without you, I would have given up on my dreams. You're my strength, my heart. I love you, Logan."

He gathered her in for a kiss, which brought another round of whistles and cheers from the crowd. He laughed and put an arm around her shoulders. "Are you ready for your victory party?"

It was her turn to pull back and stare. "What victory party?"

"The one that's waiting for you at the Prairie Dog Café. We can't take Blue, but there's a big steak waiting at home with his name on it."

They turned toward the car, with Katie behind them talking to the baby as she walked along. "You see, Charlie. I told you Blue was special."

***

Cheers went up as Megan and Logan stepped into the Prairie Dog Café and Logan grinned at the blush that spread across her cheeks. She was still having trouble getting used to the enthusiasm the people of Morris Springs exhibited in everything from football games to politics.

He'd learned that they played as hard as they worked, and they were as loyal as friends could be.

When he'd bought one of the buildings in town to house his business, the men had turned out to help him renovate it, refusing to accept payment for their labor. He'd spent many hours helping them rebuild the town, and they helped him in return.

When Jerry's trial had come up, they'd traveled to the courthouse in the next town for the trial and stood with him for moral support when the verdict was read. And they'd cheered when Jerry was taken away to spend the next ten years behind bars.

They'd filled the church to overflowing when he'd married Megan, and the women had turned out in force when she went into labor, bringing casseroles to the house and presenting Charlie with baby blankets and quilts they'd made themselves.

Logan cleared his throat and called for attention.

Megan looked at him, her brows drawn together. He was nervous when he called out, "I believe Doc has an announcement to make."

He hoped Megan wouldn't get mad at him for going behind her back, but he'd wanted to do something special for their anniversary and Doc had offered him the opportunity to give her the perfect gift.

With his arm around his wife's waist, Doc spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear. "I've decided the time has come to retire. Janet wants to travel, so I'm trading in my practice for a motor home."

Megan's face paled. Logan knew Doc hadn't said a word to her and she was probably thinking he had sold his part of the practice to someone else. He quickly pulled an envelope from his pocket and handed it to her. She took it from him with trembling hands.

When she took out the deed to the clinic and Doc's part of the partnership papers, signed over to her, her eyes sought his, shock and a thousand questions reflected in her eyes.

Logan leaned down and whispered in her ear. "Happy anniversary, Megan."

"Oh, Logan. This is too much. How did you...?"

He stopped her objections the way he usually did, the way that seemed to work every time. With a kiss. When she came up for air, he put an arm around her shoulders and turned to face the crowd. I have one more surprise for you.

"I don't know what else you could give me, Logan, that I don't already have."

He motioned for Katie to join them. She handed the baby to Carol and came to stand between them. Logan took another envelope from his pocket and handed it to Megan, then reached down and took Katie's hand with his.

Megan opened the envelope, her gaze searching his face for some clue, but he kept his expression nonchalant. When she opened the envelope and pulled the sheets of paper out, she opened them and her gasp could be heard all around the room.

She pulled Katie to her with tears streaming down her face. "How did you manage this?" she asked as she wrapped her other arm around his waist.

"This gift was Katie's idea. She's the one who asked Sue Ann to give up her parental rights so you could adopt her. A little cash from me helped her make up her mind. We need to sign the papers, but Mark has everything ready."

Megan looked up at him with a mischievous grin. "Who would have thought that boot print on your butt would do so much good?"

Logan leaned his head back and roared with laughter. He'd been right two years ago. Life with Megan would never be dull.

###

Thank you for purchasing Blame it on Texas! I hope you enjoyed it and that you'll take a moment to leave a short review. If you'd like to connect with me online, you can find me here:

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Excerpt from Blue Moon Over Texas

Book Two of the Lone Star Cowboys Series

CHAPTER ONE

"Good Lord, ladies. I do believe I've died and gone to cowboy heaven." Carol Tanner glanced around the decorated dance hall at the local cowboys, decked out in their Saturday night best--tight-fitting, starched blue jeans, brightly decorated shirts, hand-tooled leather belts, and boots that probably cost them a week's pay. She deliberately skipped her gaze over Jake Reilly, whose intense gaze hadn't wavered from her face since she stepped into the building. Tonight she'd forget about Jake and enjoy herself, or die trying.

But as hard as she tried to ignore him, she had to admit he did look hot tonight. Pissed, but hot.

"Now that is one fine example of prime male physique." Jean Sutherland sighed as a tall, muscular cowboy passed by.

"Just another reason to love this town," Nancy Phillips drawled, with a wink aimed at the cowboy under discussion. "So why are we just standing here? Let's go see what kind of trouble we can stir up."

Logan and Megan Tanner shook their heads and laughed as the three single women headed into the crowd on the dance floor. Logan took baby Charlie from Megan's arms and kissed his wife's cheek. "I'm glad I married you before that bunch had a chance to corrupt you with their wild ways."

Megan grinned. "Who said I wasn't corrupted? I married you, didn't I?"

"So you did." He turned to his daughter, Katie. "Listen, you can go meet up with your friends, but do not go outside after dark, do you understand? Most of these cowboys are harmless enough, but some are drifters that we know nothing about. And check in with Megan or me every hour."

Katie sighed. "I'm not a kid, Dad. See you in an hour." She hurried off, waving at a group of girls gathered around the groaning buffet tables.

Logan watched her go, wishing she was still young enough that he could keep her by his side. She'd grown into a beautiful young girl. No longer a child, but not yet a woman. "Remind me again that she's still only fourteen?"

"Fourteen going on twenty," Megan said. "It's all uphill from here."

"Logan, Megan. Good to see you stepping out for a change." Jake Reilly handed Logan a beer. "You want me to get you something to drink, Megan?"

"I'd love a root beer, Jake. Thank you."

When he came back with the icy drink, his face was stormy. "That sister of yours is asking for trouble," he told Logan.

"Why? What's Carol up to?"

"Out there on the dance floor, making eyes at those range rabbits. Don't even recognize some of those men. Asking for trouble, I'm telling you."

"She'll be okay. We'll keep an eye on her. Why don't you go ask her to dance? You're the one she wants to be with, anyway, and you know it."

Jake shook his head. "I'm going to sit this one out."

For the next hour, Jake watched from the edge of the dance floor as Carol two-stepped her way across the room with first one cowboy, and then another. Every once in a while, he caught her glancing his way--whether to see if he noticed her or hoping he'd ask her to dance, he didn't know. But he noticed, all right. How could he help it? With her skin tight jeans outlining her curves, the close-fitting sweater accentuating her breasts...

His hands clenched into fists as yet another man cut in and swung her away, out of his sight.

"You'd better go get her, Jake, before you decide to take out half the town with your fists." Logan leaned against the wall with Charlie tucked against his chest. The baby was sound asleep despite the loud music.

"What makes you think she'd dance with me? She hasn't spoken to me in two years."

"You ready to tell me why?"

"No." Jake scowled at Logan. "It's none of your business."

"Maybe, maybe not. She is my sister, so I expect anything that has to do with her happiness is my business."

Megan moved between the two men. "Will you two just stop it? Y'all are neighbors, friends. You work side by side nearly every day. You can't afford to get into a pissing contest and risk that friendship."

Jake ducked his head and nodded. "I don't want to fight with either of you over this. It's between me and Carol. If you want to know so badly, ask her."

"Believe me, I have. She's not talking either," Megan said with a sigh.

Katie passed by, dancing with a young man. Logan scowled. "What's she doing dancing with a boy? She's too young."

Megan laughed. "Would you rather she was dancing with a girl? Relax. That's Dean Neiman. He's a good kid. He brings his horse Dancer into the clinic every once in a while. If he treats Katie as well as he does that horse, you have nothing to worry about."

"Why don't I know him? I know most of the Neiman clan."

"Because he's only been here a few months, living with his grandparents, Hugo and Leona. His parents are working in Abu Dubai for a year."

"Hmmph. She's still too young for a boyfriend."

"Who said anything about a boyfriend?" Megan shook her head. "It's just a dance, Logan. Don't make a big deal out of it."

Jake smirked as he listened to them. "I can't wait until she goes on her first car date. You planning to deck her first date like you did me when I took Carol out?"

Logan shot him a warning look. "Watch it, Jake. I can still take you down."

"I'd like to see you try." Though the banter was joking, it still rankled that Logan had taken him down with one punch all those years ago.

"No one is taking anyone down tonight." Megan said. "Now, let's just enjoy the party, okay?"

Katie came back to join them. "Want me to hold Charlie for a while? Y'all haven't danced even once since we got here."

Megan smiled her thanks at Katie, then ran a hand up Logan's arm. "Ready to dance with me, cowboy?"

"Always." Logan passed the baby to Katie, then swung Megan into his arms and they moved onto the crowded floor.

Jake watched them for a minute before his gaze strayed back to Carol. She had a new partner now, one that seemed to be holding her awfully close. He wanted to cut in, to stake his claim. But he had no claim. He didn't even have the guts to tell her how he felt.

He'd tried, God knows, he'd tried. But he'd never been good at discussing feelings. He'd been raised to keep them to himself, and he couldn't recall a single time his father had expressed any feelings toward his mother. But Carol was all about feelings. She used to ask him how he felt about everything from a new calf to a summer breeze.

A calf was a calf, money on the hoof. Cute, maybe, but you couldn't let yourself get attached because sooner or later you would have to sell it or butcher it. As for a summer breeze, it kept your blood from boiling under the unforgiving West Texas sun. But those weren't the answers she'd wanted to hear.

So how did he explain the way his chest got all tight when he saw her with someone else?

Katie moved away to sit in a chair, the baby's weight obviously getting to be too much for her. He should offer to help, but he'd never held a baby before. He'd probably wake the child and it would cry, and then what would he do? Even a fourteen year old knew more about babies than he did. He could handle delivering a calf, but he couldn't handle a small boy.

While Jake watched her pat the baby gently on the back, a rough-looking young ranch hand sat beside her. He said something that made Katie visibly uncomfortable, so Jake edged closer. When the man reached out to touch Katie's hair, she jerked her head away and Jake moved in.

As soon as the man saw him, he started to leave. Jake grabbed his arm. "Leave the girl alone."

"Hey, don't mean no trouble. Just wanted to see if she wanted to dance."

Jake's brows drew together. "She's just a kid. Unless you want to deal with me, I'd suggest you go find someone closer to your own age."

The cowboy shrugged his hand off and wandered away after one last look at Katie.

Jake sat beside her. "You okay?"

"Yeah, but he gave me the creeps. Thanks for making him leave, Uncle Jake."

"Anytime, kid. Let me know if he causes any more problems, okay? I'm going to go find your dad and let him know so he can keep an eye out, too."

Katie gave him a grateful smile. "Thanks."

He found Logan and Megan and as soon as he told them what happened, they left the dance floor and returned to the children. Jake continued across the floor, sidestepping when he nearly collided with Carol dancing with the same piece of scum who'd bothered Katie. He had to exert all his self-control to keep from yanking her out of the man's too-tight embrace. He settled for another beer.

After twisting the top off the bottle, he leaned against the wall and crossed one booted foot over the other. From this vantage point, he could see most of the dance floor. If the cowboy got out of hand, he' d take care of it.

Nancy two-stepped past him, hand in hand with a local doctor. Jean was right behind her, laughing at something her dance partner had just said. Jake thought he recognized the man, but he wasn't sure who he was.

Seemed like everyone was having a good time. Everyone but him. Why had he even bothered to come?

He pushed away from the wall and headed outside. He needed to clear his head, get some perspective. What right did he have to be jealous because Carol was dancing with other men? He couldn't give her what she wanted, what she needed, so he couldn't blame her for looking elsewhere. He had no idea what she did and with whom back in Austin. He was just pissed because he knew most of these men, and they knew Carol was his.

Or should be.

He stormed to his truck and yanked the passenger door open. He kept a pack of little cigars in the glove box for those times when he felt like his blood pressure was about to shoot through the roof. Yeah, they were bad for him, but he figured one every once in a while wouldn't kill him. But his rising blood pressure might.

He lit the cigar and inhaled. The tension started to ease almost instantly. The music spilled out into the parking lot and Jake hummed along with Willie Nelson until the door opened and Carol stepped outside with Nancy and Jean. They laughed about something, their voices carrying on the cool evening breeze. Nancy and Jean went back inside. Carol leaned against the wall and looked up at the sky.

A minute or two later, that same sleazy cowhand that had come on to Katie stepped outside. He said something to Carol, and she shook her head. When she turned her back on him, he grabbed her arm and spun her around.

With a curse, Jake turned off the light inside the cab and sat sideways on the seat, boots planted firmly on the running board, ready to vault himself out of the truck.

He watched as the man backed Carol up against the building and tried to kiss her. She turned her head away. But it looked like the cowboy might have had a drink or two too many and didn't take no for an answer. When he shoved his hand up Carol's shirt and moved in for a second try, Carol shoved him away. The cowboy backhanded her across the face.

He didn't get a chance to do it again. Jake was on him like fleas on a dog in two seconds flat. He smashed his fist into the cowboy's face, once...twice. Carol screamed for him to stop, but Jake couldn't stop. Not until Logan yanked him to his feet and pushed him towards the building. Strong hands grabbed his arms and held him still while Logan helped the cowboy up.

"He was assaulting your sister, Logan. He's the same scum who was hitting on Katie. You should have let me finish him off," Jake yelled.

"Shut up, Jake." Logan's face was grim. "You'd better leave before the sheriff gets here."

Jake shook off the restraining hands and swayed on his feet. Damn, he hadn't had that much to drink. Had he?

Carol took his arm and reached into his front pocket. "I'm driving," she said, pulling the keys out of his pocket.

He muttered under his breath, but he let her lead him to the truck and help him inside. "Sorry I messed up the party."

"It wasn't your fault. I shouldn't have stayed outside alone. It was hot inside and I just wanted to cool off. I wasn't planning to stay out much longer. I didn't think it would be a problem." She rubbed her cheek where the man had hit her. "Guess I was wrong. There's no telling what would have happened if you hadn't been there."

Jake reached over to touch her face, but when she flinched, he dropped his hand, leaned his head back against the seat, and closed his eyes. Maybe if Carol thought he was asleep she wouldn't try to make him talk. The last time she'd tried hadn't ended so well. But she remained silent as they drove through Morris Springs and turned onto the county road leading to his ranch--and Logan's.

Jake had lived there all his life, but Logan had left right after high school, only returning for the occasional holiday. When Logan's father had a stroke a couple of years earlier, Logan had returned at Carol's insistence and stayed until Charlie passed away. Carol had stayed, too, and Jake thought they might have a chance to rekindle the romance they'd started in high school. But when Logan moved back to Dallas, Carol had chosen to go with him to help with Katie instead of staying with Jake.

It was the second time she'd chosen a life elsewhere rather than a life with him, and he wasn't the kind to give second chances, much less a third.

They pulled into the driveway, and Carol rolled the windows down and turned off the engine. The only sounds this far out in the country were the yip of a coyote in the pasture and the muted roar of the train on its way to Lubbock.

Now that they were here, Jake wasn't sure what to do. He had her beside him, in his truck, for the first time in two years. In fact, tonight was the first time she'd spoken to him since she'd stormed out and gone to Dallas with Logan. He should say something, do something. "Come inside and I'll get some ice for your face."

Carol shook her head and opened her door. "I'm fine. Can you make it inside okay?"

Jake nodded. "Yeah, my head's clearing pretty fast. Don't know what came over me tonight. I don't usually drink enough to feel it."

She turned to look at him. "When did you eat last?"

He thought about it for a minute. "Breakfast. Got busy with the cows and forgot lunch. I figured I'd eat at the dance, but I never got around to it."

"Well, there's your answer. You shouldn't drink on an empty stomach." Carol stepped out of the truck and shut the door, leaning back inside the window. "You'd better go inside and fix yourself a sandwich before you get sick." She started walking down the driveway toward the road.

"Where are you going?"

"Back to Logan's. They'll be home soon."

"I don't want you to walk back by yourself." He climbed out of the truck to follow her.

"I'm a big girl, Jake, and it's only half a mile."

Jake fell into step beside her. "Might only be a short walk, but it's late and this is a lonely road. Wouldn't be right to let you go alone. Why don't I drive you home?"

"I'd rather walk. It's a beautiful night, the moon is bright, and the weather is perfect. I don't get many opportunities for a midnight walk in Austin."

"Why do you stay there, when your family is here? You should move back."

She gave him an exasperated look and kept walking. "You know exactly why I don't move back. And I don't want to talk about it."

Here was his opening, but he was too afraid of making her mad again to take it. At least she was talking to him again. So until he figured out what he'd done wrong the last time, he should probably keep his mouth shut.

They covered the distance between the two houses in just a few minutes, but Jake's head was completely clear by the time they arrived. Too bad that clearing didn't help when it came to talking to Carol. He still had no idea what to say.

He followed her onto the porch, where she turned to thank him. But he didn't want thanks. It was his fault she'd had to leave the party early and drive him home. So he silenced her the only way he knew how. With a kiss.

***

"I could deck Jake for ruining our night out," Logan said as they drove home. "We don't get many opportunities to get out these days."

Megan kissed his cheek, and then leaned her head against his shoulder. "He didn't hurt anything more than that cowboy's face. I was about ready to leave, anyway."

"Did you ask Carol what started the fight?"

"No. She whisked Jake away before I had the chance." Megan stifled a yawn.

"Why don't you give her the third degree while I go have a talk with Jake?"

"Not a chance. It's late, and you aren't going anywhere except to bed. With me."

Logan weighed his choices. Going to bed with his beautiful wife definitely sounded more appealing than dealing with Jake. "Okay, if you insist."

She swatted his leg. "Watch it, cowboy."

"Hey, I heard that." Katie said from the back seat. "You might scar me for life, talking like that in front of me."

"You watch too much television," Logan said. He turned the truck into the driveway and the headlights lit up two figures on the front porch in what looked like a serious lip lock. "Speak of the devil..." He might have to deck Jake after all.

"Logan, you leave them alone. I mean it. Not a word. I don't know how they got from not speaking to kissing, but it's their business, not yours. Quit being such an overprotective big brother." Megan squeezed his hand, hard, as Carol and Jake sprang apart like an overstretched guitar string snapping on the down beat.

He sighed. He was itching for an excuse to have this out with Jake. Carol had been miserable for months after she'd left the ranch. He'd wanted to talk to Jake about it a half dozen times, but both women had threatened to emasculate him if he said anything. "I'll let it go for now, but I'm not going to hold back much longer."

Logan helped Megan out of the truck, eased the sleeping baby from his car seat, and they casually strolled to the porch as though they hadn't seen that kiss. The relief on Carol's face when she realized he wasn't going to say anything about it made him glad he'd listened to his wife once again. Megan had a sixth sense when it came to timing, and this definitely wasn't the right time.

"Logan, Megan." Jake tipped his hat, then ducked his head. "I, uh, was just seeing Carol home. Didn't want her to walk in the dark."

"Appreciate that." Logan shook Jake's hand. "Why don't you come in for a cup of coffee before you head back?"

A deep rumble of thunder rolled across the night sky and lightning flashed in the distance.

"Looks like I'd best head back home. Forecast is calling for some serious rain for the next few days. God knows, we need it."

"That's for sure. Okay, you be careful going home."

Jake tipped his hat again, to Carol this time, and headed down the driveway.

Logan slipped an arm around Megan's waist and she smiled up at him. "Good job, cowboy. You just might turn out all right, after all."

You can purchase Blue Moon Over Texas at Smashwords

Excerpt from Lone Star Justice

Prologue

Greendale, Texas 1997

Madelyn Cooper shivered in the air conditioned doctor's office, wearing only a cloth gown as a shield against the cold. But it was more than the temperature making her shaky. Being not quite eighteen, pregnant, and the daughter of a murderer seemed to have the same effect.

The examining room door opened and Doc Myers walked into the room, a frown on his face. "Maddie," he said with a quick nod.

She tried to smile, but just didn't have the energy.

"I see you're complaining of exhaustion. Have you been taking your prenatal vitamins?"

"Yes, every day." She hated them. They made her nauseous, but so did everything these days. Her whole damn life made her sick.

Doc wrote on her chart, then set it aside to check her blood pressure. As he squeezed the bulb and cut off her circulation, he asked, "Have you given any more thought to what we talked about last time?"

What a round about way to refer to abortion. And her answer had not changed, even though her circumstances had. "I'm not getting rid of my baby, Doc. No way."

Doc sighed and removed the blood pressure cuff. "Maddie, surely you aren't planning to have this baby after what's happened? Rand will never forgive you, so any idea you had about marrying him is gone. Hell, the whole town is against you right now. What kind of life will that be for a child? You have no one left, your father is in jail, and you can't even take care of yourself, much less a baby. Being a single mother is hard enough when you have a support system."

Maddie lifted her chin, defiant. "I don't care, Doc. We'll be fine."

He shook his head. "No, Maddie, you won't. You won't be able to find a job. There isn't a single person in the entire county who would hire you right now. And you need to worry about reprisals. I don't think you understand how angry everyone is about what your father did." He listened to her heart and lungs, then hung the stethoscope around his neck. "Look, I feel bad about what's happened. You've had a rough time of it since your mom died. I'm going to give you some money, enough to help you get out of town and make a new start somewhere else."

Maddie shook her head. "I don't want your money, Doc. I'm leaving for a while anyway. My aunt is coming to take me home with her until the baby's born. All I need is a refill on my vitamins to hold me until I find a new doctor."

Doc seemed to relax a bit. He patted her knee like he had since she was a toddler. "Well, I think that's a great idea, Maddie. Your aunt lives in Dallas, right? Far enough away and big enough for you to blend in, hide out. But I still think you should consider terminating this pregnancy. The last thing Rand needs is for you to spring something like this on him. Poor boy is devastated. He hates you now, you know."

That broke Maddie's heart. She didn't kill Rand's parents, though she might as well have. They were dead and he refused to speak to her. And now her baby would never know its father.

"So," Doc said, heading for the door, "when do you leave?"

Was it her imagination, or did he seem especially anxious for her to go? He'd been good friends with the McCades for many years, so he probably hated her, too. "I'll be gone by this afternoon, Doc."

"Good. He nodded and started to leave, turning back for one final shot. "And Maddie? Don't ever come back."

CHAPTER ONE

Montgomery County, Oklahoma 2011

Madelyn Cooper glanced at her watch for the fifth time in as many minutes. "Where the hell is Pioretti?" she demanded of no one in particular. No one dared reply. They knew she tolerated no tardiness in her courtroom, not even from her best friend. Maddie did everything by the book, and no one was immune to being held in contempt.

Jerry March, the bailiff, only shrugged in reply. The defense counsel scowled and glanced at his watch as he drummed his fingers on the tabletop. Maddie couldn't help but wonder if he was more concerned about missing his dinner than he was about the missing prosecutor.

She watched the double oak doors as though Anne would appear if she wished hard enough, but they stayed stubbornly closed. Maddie had no patience left after a full day of dealing with defense lawyers and two-bit crooks hoping for nothing more than a slap on the wrist, and all she wanted to do was get the pre-trial motions out of the way in the Delgado case, the last on today's docket. Then she could go home to her daughter.

It wasn't like Anne to miss something this important. When she still hadn't arrived by five o'clock and no one had appeared to take her place, Maddie continued the case until the next week and left the courtroom. More worried now than angry, she hung her robe on the coat rack in her office and went to her desk to call Anne's office. No answer.

A frown creased her forehead as she cut the connection, then dialed her home number. Brandy should be home, safely ensconced in front of the television, but her daughter would fret if Maddie was late getting home.

Brandy answered on the first ring and Maddie breathed a sigh of relief. "Hi, honey. How was school?" She smiled as Brandy rattled on about the latest happenings at Wadsworth Junior High. At thirteen, her daughter was still young enough to enjoy the social life at school without all the teenage angst that would be inevitable in another year or two.

"Sounds like you had a good day. Listen, I'm going to be a little late getting home. I need to stop by Anne's house on the way. You keep the doors locked and don't open them for anyone, okay?"

Brandy huffed as only a teenage girl can when she thinks she's grown but is being treated like a child. "Sure, Mom. I know the rules. Can you pick up a pizza on your way home? Oh, and see if Anne got that Brad Paisley CD yet. She said I could borrow it."

"Pizza? Again?" Brandy would eat pizza for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if she'd let her. "I'll ask her about the CD, but you are not going to copy it, understand? That's illegal."

"Geez, I know that. I just want to see if I like it enough to buy my own copy."

"Okay. Now remember, keep the door locked and don't open it for anyone. And stay off the computer until I get home."

"Mo-om. There's nothing else to do."

"Just do as you're told, Brandy. I'll be home as soon as I can."

Maddie checked her messages to see if Anne had called. Sure enough, she had. As she listened, she jotted notes on a legal pad. The message was disjointed and didn't make a lot of sense. Something about weird things going on and someone following her, to be careful. Maddie had never heard her sound so rattled before. She was definitely going by her house now. Maybe Anne would make more sense in person.

By the time she locked the door behind her, the building was nearly vacant and the staccato sound of her sandals against the linoleum floor echoed down the hallway.

She rounded a corner and nearly jumped out of her skin when she found herself face to face with Jerry. "What are you doing still here? I thought everyone had gone home."

Jerry looked embarrassed, but managed to stutter, "I wanted to walk you to your car. I don't think you should go into that parking garage alone."

"But I do it all the time, Jerry. It's no big deal."

He gave a jerky nod and fell into step behind her as she marched to the elevator. "I know, Your Honor. But, you being a woman and all, someone should go with you to make sure you're safe."

Maddie punched the down button. "Okay, what's up, Jerry?"

The elevator door opened and the bailiff shuffled in behind her before he answered. "Max Lucas got out of jail yesterday."

Maddie swallowed hard and willed her voice to be strong and steady. "They let that scum out on the streets? I thought the parole board was going to keep him in?"

"Guess not. Anyway, you need to be careful, Your Honor. You know what he said."

"He was just spouting idle talk. I don't think he'd risk another term to get back at me. But I appreciate your concern, Jerry. I'll watch my back."

The bailiff stayed with her until she'd reached her SUV, then checked inside and under the vehicle before he let her climb in. It annoyed her that she'd let him make her nervous about Max. She never let the threats get to her. If she did, she'd have to give up her job, and she'd worked too hard to get where she was to quit now.

As she drove to Anne's house, she wondered if her friend's strange message and failure to show in court had anything to do with Max's release. His threats had been aimed more toward her than Maddie. But Anne wasn't easily frightened, either, and Maddie couldn't picture her hiding at home. She could more easily see Anne stalking Max and taking him out when no one was looking.

Anne was as tough a prosecutor as Maddie had ever seen. She made grown men tremble under cross-examination. On one memorable occasion she'd even made one wet his pants while on the stand. When Max made his threats in court, Anne looked him right in the eye and threatened to make sure the entire cell block knew he favored little boys.

So what had happened to make Anne so afraid?

Maddie turned onto Anne's tree-lined street. The sun was little more than a speck on the horizon. Shadows covered the street and yards, and a shiver of nerves chased up her spine. Did she really want to risk running into Max in the dark? What if he was lurking in the dark shadows cast by the street light's vain attempt to shine through the trees? And who would take care of Brandy if anything happened to her?

No one, that's who. Anne was Brandy's designated legal guardian if anything happened to Maddie. She'd never thought to name an alternate if the unthinkable happened and both she and Anne were killed. She made a mental note to correct that oversight as soon as possible and pulled into Anne's driveway, looking around before she opened the car door.

All was eerily quiet and still. She tried to shake off the foreboding that stole over her. You're being silly. Nothing is wrong. Anne just forgot her court date or something. She wouldn't have left town without letting you know where she was going, no matter how scared she was.

The house looked empty. Anne's car wasn't in the driveway, but she might have parked it in the garage if she was spooked. Maddie grabbed a flashlight from the glove box and stepped out of the car, slamming the door hard enough to announce her presence. No one came outside to see who had come to visit. No one peeked through the curtains. No dogs barked a warning.

She stepped onto the wide front porch and cupped her hands around her eyes, trying in vain to see through the sheer curtains covering the bay window. There was no sound of a television or radio, no footsteps echoing from within the house. No sign of life.

Maddie opened the screen and knocked on the door, hard enough to bruise her knuckles. She waited, and waited. No one answered. She knocked again, then a third time. Feeling like a too-stupid-to-live character in a B movie, she tried the doorknob--and breathed a sigh of relief when she discovered it was locked.

So that was that. Anne wasn't home. All she could do was wait until she called again.

As Maddie rounded the front of her vehicle, she glanced toward the backyard. A flash of white in the trees drew her closer. She really didn't want to go back there. But what if Anne was in trouble? She couldn't just walk away and leave her friend.

At least call for backup. Oh, great. She definitely needed to lay off the cop shows. Her imagination had always been her downfall. Maybe she should have been a novelist instead of a judge. She wasn't planning to chase any bad guys down the street. All she needed to do was make sure the back yard was empty, that the flash of white was nothing more than a grocery bag caught on a branch, and then she'd head straight home and call everyone she knew who might know where Anne had gone. If that didn't bring any results, she'd call the police and turn in a missing persons report.

Shining the light into the trees, she saw what looked like a dress hung out to dry.

That made no sense. Anne wouldn't hang her dress in the trees. Maddie wished she'd called the cops before coming back here alone, but what would she tell them anyway? She had to deal with them every day, and she didn't want them to think she was weak or scared. But right now she'd give almost anything to have one of them at her side.

She took a deep breath and opened the gate, stepping into the dimly lit yard. She used the flashlight to make sure no one was hiding nearby, then moved closer to the trees.

What she saw stopped her in her tracks. Then she lost her lunch all over her brand new Gucci sandals.

###

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