“I’ll find a place,” I say with more confidence than I feel. “Is the Ponderosa Pine Inn still in business?”
“They tore that old junk heap down years ago,” says Sam. “Built up a luxury hotel in its place.”
“A luxury hotel? In Sagebrush?”
Sam casts a confused look at Logan. “When was the last time you were here?”
“Seven years ago,” Logan answers for me. “Before Billy Blackstone.”
“Ah, that explains it,” says Sam, as if that really explains anything. “The Desert Mesa Motel is probably the next closest, though they did jack up their prices. I can call ahead and explain that you’re a local. They might be able to cut you a deal if they have any rooms available.”
“It’s cool,” I say. “I mean, if you want to, I’d appreciate it. See ya, Logan. Talk to you tomorrow, Sam.”
I hurry out into the late afternoon, the shadows of early March casting coolness across my heated skin. A car kicks dust up as it drives by, then blessed silence.
“Sierra, wait.”
My back and shoulders tighten. I spin around and will my muscles to relax. “Logan, hi again.”
He pushes his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “Listen, I could never let a friend pay for a hotel room when I have a place for you to crash.”
“Friend?” I repeat.
Logan flinches at my incredulous tone. “You don’t think… All right. We’ve got history—that’s stronger than friendship.”
I hesitate. “You don’t still live with your parents?” I’m not ready to face his mother.
“Oh, no. I haven’t lived with them since high school. I have a house. One of those old, rundown pueblos off Main Street, do you remember those? Fixed this one up ourselves.”
Ourselves. Oh god. “You’re married?”
“No, I live there with Seth.” He watches my face carefully. “Come home with me. It’ll be like old times. I mean, when you used to hang out with us at my parents’, before, you know.”
No, I don’t know. Before we decided to forever wreck our precious friendship by having sex? Or does he mean before our breakup? Or before I self-immolated in a blaze of bad decisions and had to leave town?
“We can order pizza, make popcorn, watch a bad slasher flick. Catch up. You look like you’ve lived a very adventurous life, Sierra.”
I snort. That’s one way of putting it. Logan, as well as the rest of his family, has always been embarrassingly kind.
“I want to hear all about it,” he adds.
Still, I hesitate. I’m a spark, and he’s a short fuse; together we’re explosive. It was why we dated, broke up, got back together, and repeated it ad nauseam throughout high school. We didn’t use to be like that—we used to be best friends. Two peas in a pod, whatever that means, because I never see only two peas in a pod…usually there are like three or four.
Anyway, once sex and jealousy came into play, our relationship became a dangerous inferno. I don’t ever want to relive what happened and all the consequences that stemmed from it.
Logan knows me, though. Despite everything and the years apart, he can still read me, and I shiver when he says immediately, “We don’t have to talk about what happened. Light topics only. There’s no reason for you to stay in a motel, Sierra. I insist.”
I sigh. He seems sincere, and it would save me at least a hundred bucks. “All right.”
He grins. “There you go. I’ll let you choose thepizza toppings too. Pineapple, right?”
Surprised, I laugh out loud. I’d forgotten about that. “Naw, I only ordered that to mess with you and Seth. Seeing your disgusted faces was worth it. Come on, let’s go.”
Four
Logan
It takes me too long to breathe through the riot of emotions. Surprise, joy, and anger ricochet inside me, battling ruthlessly. I never thought I’d see Sierra again. Never.
