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 s
aid 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.
###
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[email protected] Excerpt from Blue Moon Over Texas
Book Two of the Lone Star Cowboys Series