But I have responsibilities. I volunteered my help for tonight, and I can’t just walk away. Even when Katie was introduced to me as Logan’s date, it was obvious he hadn’t told any of his siblings we were dating or somewhat together, but Skyler knew by the look on my face, and she must have told the others.
I look down at my shoes. “Just say it, Logan. Just tell me whatever it is you want to tell me so I can gohome.
He closes the door behind him and comes to stand in front of me. I hold my hand up, not wanting him to come any closer because I don’t trust myself with him. Even now, when he’s broken my heart and embarrassed me, I don’t trust myself to not fall at his feet. He frowns at me. “Bree, listen to me, please. The first day I was back in town, I talked to my brother, Penn. He knew that it was hard for me to be back at work and seeing you every day. He knew how I felt about you.”
I lift my eyes to look at him but keep my guard up.
He continues, “He said he would arrange a date for me tonight and, uh, I said okay.”
I take a step back. “So you did have two dates tonight? It wasn’t some kind of misunderstanding?”
Instead of answering me, he shakes his head. “I forgot all about it. He didn’t say anything else, and neither did I. After this week, I wasn’t thinking about anything but me and you.”
I suck in a breath. “So you didn’t plan this on purpose… to hurt me?”
He reaches for me, and this time I don’t pull away. He puts his hands on my bare shoulders. “I wouldnever do something like that to hurt you. I don’t want to hurt you, Bree. I couldn’t.”
I tilt my head to the side. “Even after… our past… and what happened between us?”
He winces like he can’t stand the memory, and I completely get where he’s coming from. I hate thinking about that part of our past too.
He brings a hand up and cups my jaw. “Bree, I would never intentionally hurt you. You have to believe me. This was an accident, pure and simple. I talked to Katie and explained the situation. Miller is going to be her date tonight, and I’m going to owe him big time for that, but it doesn’t matter. I was looking forward to being with you. I want you on my arm. I want all of Whiskey Run to know that you are mine.”
Now is probably not the time, but I tilt my chin at him. “You mean… for the next nine months?”
“We should talk about that. I don’t know if I can ever forget what happened but?—”
I put my hands at his waist. “I listened to you; now it’s your turn to listen to me.”
He tenses, and I pull him by his jacket so that we’re flush against each other. “Tonight, when it’s just thetwo of us, I want you to hear me out. I need to explain…”
He doesn’t want to. His lips turn down, and he’s already shaking his head, but I have to get him to hear me out. “Logan, listen to me. We both know that we want more than something temporary. We were talking about marriage and?—”
He cuts me off. “That was before…”
His voice trails off, and something inside me says not to give in. Not this time. “Look, let’s have our night out. We’ll dance, eat, have a good time. Then we’ll go back to my apartment and talk. If after tonight, you don’t forgive me, I’ll leave. I won’t hold you to the contract I signed with Zach. I’ll just go.”
My heart breaks at the thought of leaving Logan, but I know I’ll have to. A temporary thing with him would not be temporary for me. My heart is all in, and the longer we’re together, the harder this will be when it ends.
I can’t make sense of the look on his face.
“Please, Logan…”
He pulls me against his chest and wraps his arms around me. “Okay, we’ll talk later.” His chest expands as he takes a deep breath in. “We’ll talkafterward. But now I want to enjoy tonight with you.”
He pulls back and releases me. “Let’s do this over.” He clears his throat. “Bree, you’re so fuckin’ beautiful you take my breath away.”
My heart does a flip in my chest. I feel like I’ve been on a roller coaster of emotions. “And you’re looking pretty handsome yourself, Lo.”
He drags me to him again, holding me close, like he doesn’t want to let me go. “Do you forgive me?”
How can I not? I do believe him; I don’t have any reason not to. “I forgive you, but just so you know, I don’t like to share either, Logan. If there’s any part of you that wants to be on a date with… her… then just tell me now.”
He kisses the top of my head. “I don’t. I want you… only you.”
He holds his hand out, and I put mine in it. He threads our fingers together and pulls me from the conference room. We walk down the hall, back into the party room, and we both keep looking and smiling at each other.
Everyone is at their seats now, and he pulls out a chair for me to sit at. We’re surrounded by hisfamily. Some of them are at the next table, but at our table is Penn, an empty seat next to him, Miller, and then Katie is seated next to me. I suck in a breath. “Hi, I’m Bree.”
