Chapter 8 Elena #2
I grip his hand gently, thankful there’s no weird sparks like with the other cowboy. “Elena Ortega. Nice to meet you.”
I let out another slow, silent breath of relief, settling after the shock of mistaken identity.
“Here, sweetheart,” Laurel Logan hands me a small plate containing several cookies that look too pretty to eat. “Try these. I have juice too if your sugar is low.”
Ivy pulls her attention from her husband and turns to me. “Would it be okay if I let the production crew know about your blood sugar? Just so they can have snacks on hand if needed?”
“Sure,” I say, feeling like an idiot for not thinking of that myself. “I usually manage it well, but traveling got to me.” And the hours of riding the sexiest cowboy in Montana instead of sleeping. And missing breakfast.
I’ve just taken a huge bite of the best cookie I’ve ever tasted when the door opens again and a man in a cowboy hat enters.
“I brought you that contract, city girl. Signed and everything,” he says, striding toward Ivy while removing his cowboy hat. “I even read it first. Most of it.”
I choke on my cookie.
There’s no case of mistaken identity this time.
It’s him. The guy from last night.
Holy fuck, I must have done something very bad in a past life to deserve this.
I swallow as much of the cookie as I can manage, wishing like hell I’d taken Laurel up on that juice.
I cough, stifling the actual urge to let crumbs suffocate me so I can die right here, right now.
Green eyes meet mine and widen instantly. The shock and disbelief I feel are reflected back at me.
“Isaac,” Ivy says excitedly as he hands her a manilla folder without taking his eyes off mine. “This is Elena Ortega. She’s playing the lead in Welcome to Paradise. Elena, this is Isaac, one of Wyatt’s brothers.”
I can’t breathe. My heart pounds, rushing blood into my ears.
I know exactly what’s in that manilla envelope. He got the same contract I did.
What we did was against the rules. We blew the whole damn thing before it even began.
“Mouth full of cookie, sweetheart? Been there.” He smirks and I want to slap it off his handsome face.
“Isaac,” Ivy warns, but his smirk only grows to a grin.
“Isaac Logan,” he says, reaching a hand out while his assessing eyes rake over me like he’s remembering every sordid detail of last night.
“Elena,” I say softly, shaking his hand and doing my damnedest to ignore the sparks zinging through me at the contact.
Isaac. I like his name—it suits him. I search my memory because the name is familiar. Isaac Logan. Then it hits me. “You’re the one running the cowboy training camp.”
He nods, releasing my hand. “Guess we’ll be seeing a lot of each other for the next few weeks.”
He winks. Fucking winks.
Is this guy kidding? Or just toying with me for his own amusement?
Wyatt sighs heavily from behind him.
Ivy rolls her eyes. “Ignore him. I mean, you know, maybe pay attention to him for the training. But ignore everything else he says and please don’t sue us because he can’t behave himself.”
I tear my gaze from him to reassure her. “I wouldn’t sue anyone. Promise.”
“Elena, you’ve gone pale,” Laurel breaks in. “Please let me get you some juice.”
“Thank you. I’m okay. I just need some rest. It’s been a—” My mind catches on all the dirty ways Isaac could twist any adjective I’m about to use. Long and rough are definitely out. “Lot of traveling,” I finish.
“I’ll take you down to your cabin,” he breaks in before I can say anything else.
Wyatt clears his throat. “Are you sure that’s a good—”
“I’ve got her,” Isaac says with a hard look at his brother. “I’ll get Colter and the guys to grab her bags.” He turns to me with softer eyes than he gave Wyatt. “You ready? Want to grab a cookie or two for the road?” He nods toward the ones remaining on the plate beside me.
“I’m good. Thanks.”
He snags them anyways. “Just in case there’s a cookie emergency. Wouldn’t want to leave it lonely and uneaten.”
I glare at him. Then I put on my actress mask, smile, and tell everyone it was lovely to meet them.
“Brunch for the meet-and-greet is almost ready then we’ll have dinner at six tonight,” Ivy informs me.
“Eli James will be here then, and you can meet the rest of the family. Well, the family that’s in town.
Willow should be here soon. Sutton has exams so she might not make it.
I don’t know if Caleb will be back in town in time in time, but Asher is still deployed overseas.
Hopefully I can introduce you at some point.
I can come get you on the side-by-side or one of the guys can bring you up. ”
The room is beginning to spin. There are more of them?
Isaac side eyes me then says, “I think Elena here has had enough Logan family fun for today. Let’s let her settle in.”
I kind of want to kiss him. And smack him. And some other things I’m trying very, very hard not to think about.
I don’t feel up to hiding what happened in front of a large audience yet, but I don’t want to seem like a diva that’s too good for a family dinner. It’s been a while since I’ve had one and it sounds…nice.
“I’m just a little tired. I’ll be fine by dinnertime.” I turn to Laurel and say, “I think that was the best cookie I’ve ever had.”
Isaac snickers from beside me. “Weird. I was thinking the same thing recently.”
As discreetly as I can manage, I dig my elbow into his ribcage but he sidesteps the contact before I get deep enough to cause the pain I intended.
“Those have become Wyatt’s favorites too,” Laurel says with a proud smile. “I can hardly keep enough raspberry jam on hand these days.”
Wyatt lets out a snorting sound much like an animal, and Ivy blushes a deep shade of pink. I make a mental note to ask her what the deal is with the raspberry jam.
“I’ll be better in time for training tomorrow,” I promise everyone as Isaac causes my knees to go weak by placing a hand on the small of my back. “Just got to get over this jet lag.”
And figure out how to do damage control for the career imploding mistake I’ve made.