“I—”
“There you are!” Martha snuck up behind them, startling her enough to make her jump back a couple feet. The woman had to be part ninja. Though Abbie hoped she was here to discuss the interview, Martha’s eyes were completely set on Logan. “I was hoping you might be willing to say a few words to the kids.”
“Me?” Seemed Logan still had that celebrity innocence mastered, because Martha practically melted.
“Yes, yes! Come, please.”
Logan winked at her over his shoulder as he let Martha lead him away. She pulled him for a walk outside, probably to discuss what those words should be.
* * *
Abbie waited by the truck for Logan and Izzy after she finished up with Jillian, the photographer for the article. Most of the other younger kids had gone home an hour ago. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, she was glad Logan had come along. Otherwise, she might never’ve convinced Izzy to get off her horse.
As it was, Abbie spent most of the afternoon glued to the fence, watching the older kids prepare for a horse show.
Logan had a real gift, she noted. Why couldn’t he do something like that instead of riding bulls? Sure, it wasn’t as thrilling. But surely he could feel how rewarding teaching a little girl to ride a horse might be.
A myriad of pings went off in her purse like a bundle of fireworks. The Anderson Ranch was not known for its stellar cell phone signal, and she’d spent most of the day without a single bar. But now, reality was catching up.
Most of the texts and the two voicemails came from Vince. Horse camp hadn’t even adjourned before he found out Logan was back in town. At least his excited messages ended by applauding her efforts to get their interview subject to come with her to the event.
It was the second voicemail, however, that gave her pause. The rodeo planned a few dedications on opening night—tomorrow—intended as a surprise for those being honored.
Her eyes fell on Logan and Izzy. The little girl hung like a rag doll over his shoulders. She’d had a full day and would no doubt sleep during their drive back to town. With the way the media portrayed Logan, no one would ever suspect he had this wonderful way with kids. They liked too much to play up his being single. The ultimate heartbreaker. Family man was a role most probably didn’t even know he wanted. Izzy had taken to him so quickly, so without question.
“This is one tired birthday girl.” Logan nodded toward the truck door, and she opened it. Izzy’s eyes fell the rest of the way shut the instant she filled in her booster seat, the grip on her stuffed horse tight as ever. “This was a great thing you did for her.”
Logan’s soft, genuine smiles had always meant the most to her. Unlike the celebrity smile he flashed for his fans and the camera, this sweet one felt unguarded. “I’m afraid of what taking her to the rodeo will do,” she admitted.
He nudged her shoulder. “Think we might have a future barrel racer on our hands?”
“Maybe,” she replied, though she wasn’t really invested in the topic. Her heart twisted. Should she tell him about the dedication for his dad? Much like her, Logan didn’t do well with surprises. Yet Vince might demote her back to errand girl if she let out the secret.
“What’s on your mind?”
She forced a smile. “Just tired.”
Chapter 10
Logan
For the second night in a row, Cliff still wasn’t home an hour after dinner.
With a yawn, Logan slipped out the back door. It was definitely too warm to light the fire pit tonight, so he simply sat in a lawn chair and folded his hands in his lap. He tried asking Erin about Cliff once Izzy was tucked into bed, but she dismissed his worries with a shrug.
“He’s just helping out with some stuff,” she said. “Why don’t you go see Abbie about that article?”
From his chair, he couldn’t help but see the guest cottage. He’d spent a lot of time living there when he was traveling home between events. Even before his injury, his grandpa hadn’t been too crazy about the way he set off to make a living. It caused less friction to stay in the cottage and visit the ranch.
With the lights off in the cottage, he wasn’t sure where Abbie’d disappeared to. He hoped to see her again tonight. Wished he’d tempted her with a couple more questions she could use for her article when dinner was over. But she practically flew out the back door, Gibbs running to keep up with her.
He stirred the ashes in the fire pit with a stick, thinking back to something an unknowingly wise little girl asked yesterday at horse camp.
“I don’t want to leave.” He expected the whine after such a long day for a little girl, and practically had to peel her fingers from the metal rungs of the fence.
“You can come back next year.”
“I can?”
