“We all set on that saddle order?” her mom asked Logan.
“Yes, we are.” He flashed that smile again. The one that made all the fawning young girls squeal as if he were a pop star only too kind to grace them with a minute of attention. “Just had one more thing.”
“Yes?”
He fished something out of his shirt pocket. “Tickets.”
“You don’t have to do that!”
“VIP seating. Special behind the chutes tour on Saturday. Dinner with the cowboys.”
“You have got to be kidding me,” Abbie muttered. “Mom, you’re not seriously going, are you?”
“VIP seats, Abbie.”
The smirk Logan wore made her blood bubble. Her mom had always loved him. She’d been there for her when he left, but the man would always hold a soft spot in the heart of Judith Bennington if her sparkling eyes and giant smile were any indication.
“There’s a ticket for you, too, Abbs.”
“Give it to someone else.” She clipped the leash on Gibbs, prepared to fly out the door. She didn’t know where she was supposed to go since the office would never work. Possibly home to start writing an article. Maybe she could get Erin to squeeze the details from Logan over family dinners if Abbie planted a digital recorder in the kitchen.
At the door, Logan said, “If you promise to come to the rodeo, we might be able to talk about an interview.”
She inhaled a deep breath. She’d expected a price, of course, but she wasn’t sure this was one she could afford to pay. She couldn’t handle watching him on a bull. She’d followed his career via online stats, but she’d never watched a video of him giving more than a brief interview. She tried once, and it gave her a panic attack. She kept imagining him getting crushed by the bull that nearly took his life.
“And if I say I don’t know?”
“Then let’s start with lunch.”
Lunch she could handle, even though she had no idea what rabbit hole it might lead her down. “Okay. Lunch.”
Chapter 6
Logan
Most everyone Logan knew believed him to be calm and collected in every aspect of his life. On a bull, he was. But around Abbie Bennington, his heart never ceased to race at a hundred miles per hour.
“You look good, Abbs.” She looked like a dream, sitting across the table in Mabel’s Diner with sunlight illuminating her wavy locks. They’d come here often in their first months of dating. It was an old favorite, and judging by her nervous hands rubbing her arms nonstop, she hadn’t forgotten.
“You’ll do the interview if I agree to come to the rodeo?”
That was his Abbie, always right to the point. But he couldn’t let her off the hook that easily. He reached for his glass of iced water, leaned back in his seat, and sipped. “When did you move into the guest cottage?” She’d lived in an apartment a block from the main strip when they parted ways.
Irritation at the delay flashed in her eyes, and he couldn’t hide the smile at her inconvenience. She sure was cute when she was mad.
She scanned the diner. “Have you seen our waitress?”
He learned a long time ago that she didn’t let anyone in easily. He’d been lucky to break through her walls all those years ago, but she’d fortified them again, this time much stronger. He calculated what it’d take to bust through once more, and whether Erin’s wrath was worth the risk. “Abbie.”
“I’m dying for a strawberry lemonade,” she said, still scanning, still avoiding him. She tucked a wavy lock of hair behind her ear.
Though he didn’t need a menu, never had, he pretended to look through his anyway. The lunch options were the same today as they’d been years ago, but it bought him time to rethink his strategy. He hadn’t expected her to be so standoffish when that article obviously meant a great deal. “How long have you had Gibbs?”
Unable to successfully flag down their server, Abbie let out a sigh and answered. “Got him almost a year ago. Shelter dog.”
“Really?” Maybe it was because she had lived in an apartment that wouldn’t even allow her to own a goldfish when they were together, but the massive dog was a surprise. “How’d you decide that?” he asked as their server approached them.
“Hi, Sasha,” Abbie said in greeting. The relief was visible from across the table, her shoulders dropping, her frown relaxing into a smile. He hadn’t realized being left alone with him would be such torture for her. “Can I get one of those tasty strawberry lemonades? I’ve been craving one all day.”
