Page 61 of Love in the Time of Wildfires

“Logan, welcome home.”

There was the briefest pause before he stepped to her, pulling her into his arms and lifting her right off her toes as he hauled her close. It was one of the loveliest hugs she’d ever received. She pressed her face into his neck as she wrapped her arms around him. She could feel him doing the same. His skin smelled of clean soap, and his facial hair tickled her nose, but it didn’t stop her from breathing him in. It wasn’t just him coming home. This hug was like her finding home as well.

“I’m so glad you’re back. I missed you, osito,” she murmured into his skin.

He didn’t reply, only continued holding her as though he needed several minutes to soak all of this in. She didn’t mind. River could spend the whole evening wrapped in his arms if that’s what he wanted.

When he did pull away, setting her on the ground, he didn’t let go completely, merely met her gaze with his own. “I’m so sorry, River. I’m sorry for being an ass. And you’re right that you don’t deserve all my issues being put on you. I don’t want to do that either. I realize it’s not fair to either one of us. I’m sorry.” His expression was sincere, his eyes unflinching, with sadness there.

She tenderly brushed his hair back as she leaned to press a kiss on his chin. “You don’t need to hold it all in. You can just talk to me, okay?”

“Okay.”

She pulled him into another hug because it felt good to have him in her arms. “Are you hungry? Tired?”

“Mostly tired but happy to be back.”

“Okay, let’s get you in.” It wasn’t even a question that this referred to her apartment. She helped him unload his bag from his shoulder, sliding off his oversized work jacket. It was heavier than she expected before she noticed something bulky in one of the large pockets.

“I got you something,” he said.

River pulled out an item wrapped in crinkled tissue paper—something solid. She gave him a glance because she wasn’t expecting any kind of present.

“We went into town last night, just to have a beer, and I saw it in one of the shop windows in Sisters.”

River carefully undid the tissue paper, revealing a coffee mug that had a large red fox painted on it—its long, bushy tail created the handle. “Oh, Logan. That’s really sweet of you. Thank you.”

“That lady says when it heats up, flowers appear around the fox. It made me think of you.”

Now tears were coming to her eyes. She had never been so touched.

“Anyway,” he continued, “I feel like I should produce one fox since I haven’t found the real thing yet.”

She gave a teary laugh at this, pulling him in for a kiss. “I love it. Definitely my new favorite.” As much as she wanted to do nothing more than jump the guy’s bones, he did appear exhausted.

River led him to her bedroom and proceeded to help him get undressed. It was more tender than sexy, even though she couldn’t help sneaking a few appreciative glances down his bare chest when he pulled his T-shirt off and was left in only his boxer briefs. When she pulled her comforter back to invite him into it, he resisted at first.

“I should really take another shower first. I’ve been traveling all day, and I don’t want to get your sheets dirty.”

“It’s okay. Just relax. I can clean the bedding.”

He settled into her bed with a groan, and she slid in after him since she was already wearing sweatpants and a tank top. River hadn’t planned on going to bed yet, but she wanted to be here. With him on his side, she formed herself around his back, slipping an arm over his middle to hold him closer. With her other free hand, she scraped her fingers along his scalp. “You’re home now,” she said in a low voice.

Logan released the longest breath, his muscles relaxing into her. “Thank you.” Then he was out.

River stayed beside him, lightly scraping her fingers through his hair, listening to his heavy breathing as he slept, and she wondered what had changed within her. From being a woman who didn’t want to be tied down by anyone to someone who wanted to make sure this guy was okay. River considered that she wasn’t tied down as much as tethered to someone who would see fox mugs in a shop window and buy them because it reminded him of her.

And that wasn’t bad at all.

Chapter Nineteen

Logan woke the next morning refreshed but disappointed to be in River’s bed alone. Although her bed was twice as nice as his with the plushest pillows and blankets, he didn’t want to be only surrounded by her scent when he could find the real thing.

He found her in the bathroom. The door was open, and she was wearing a fluffy pink bathrobe and in the middle of brushing her teeth. Her short dark hair was damp, already forming into waves. Their gazes met in the bathroom mirror, and she smiled around the toothbrush in her mouth. She was so damn cute.

Yeah, she was sexy when she wore little black dresses with lacy underwear, but she was also hot while wearing a bathrobe with wet hair. Logan accepted he was stuck on the woman and grateful she was giving him another chance. Her putting him to bed last night was one of the most amazing experiences of his life, and it hadn’t even involved sex. He didn’t know who he was becoming, but . . . he liked it.

Though he’d been too exhausted to do much of anything when he got home, he didn’t feel that way anymore. If anything, when she bent over the sink to spit, he experienced the familiar feeling of tight anticipation and swallowed hard.