“Well, somebody’s gonna run it for him,” I say.
“Who?”
Logan opens his mouth to interrupt, but then he shuts it.
I take a deep breath. “Me, for now. I’m the oldest child, I’ve been working here for years, and Daddy’s passing The Cowherd on to me.”
“But Logan said you want to be a writer. You must want to have time for yourself.”
“Um…” My cheeks warm. “I’m planning to…”
“Her father’s going to take the bar back,” Logan jumps in.
Gigi glances around the bar like it’s a foreign land. “What about this ghost legend? Sounds like it’s a very big deal in town.”
“It is,” I murmur. “But it’s not real.”
“Real or not, the legend is the reason those cameras are outside and why people are chasing you around town.” Ginny points to the bar. “The exhibit up there explains everything about why you two will wear a Mr. Darcy cowboy hat and a Ms. Bennet bonnet as you exchange vows.”
“Mrs. Wild mentioned that part,” Gigi says. “Macey, could you please be sure to have the bonnet dry cleaned? God only knows whose hair that hat has sat on over the years.”
Ginny giggles. “Can you do the same for me, Ms. Henwood? I’ll also be wearing the bonnet.”
I elbow her in the arm.
“Well, Logan and I are a little bit different than you and your fiancé,” Gigi says to Ginny. “I’m sure your boyfriend feels special to you, but this town is just eating Logan and me up!”
I bite the inside of my mouth and give Logan a hard look. His neck turns red, but he does his best to avoid my stare.
“This town prefers their heroes polite and humble,” Blake says pointedly.
“Oh, I certainly don’t mean to offend. But you know...” Gigi bounces up and down on her seat, “Wealthy New Yorker about to get hitched to a local cowboy is like something out of a romantic film.”
Now, Logan’s whole face is redder than I’ve seen it except when he’s fought with his father.
“Gigi…” he says in a low tone.
Gigi goes quiet and cuddles into Logan’s side. But he keeps his eyes on me.
We stare at each other for over ten seconds in silence while Gigi watches us warily. I don’t know what I’m looking for exactly, maybe for Logan to reveal to me that he’s caught up in an infatuation, not love. But he closes down before I can read anything. His eyes stay open, but they recede into his face, and I lose connection with him.
Ginny nudges my foot underneath the table and types something into her phone.
When mine dings, I glance down at the screen and see her text.
Nightmare. Let’s please leave?
I raise my head. “As great as this has been meeting you, Gigi, Ginny and I really need to go…”
“Wait. Macey, I’d like your help with something for my engagement,” Gigi says. “You don’t mind, do you?”
“Gigi, being my maiden of honor is actually taking up a lot of Macey’s time,” Ginny says, unable to keep the irritation out of her voice. “Plus, she has a lot of other things going on like running this bar.”
“Please, Macey?” Gigi asks me.
“Um…” The last thing in the world I want to do is get entangled in Logan Wild’s relationship to this woman.
But saying no to a request for help isn’t my strength. I stand up. “Excuse me for a moment while I run to the ladies.”
