3. Logan
Chapter 3
Logan
“ W hat do you mean you’re not coming?” I growled at Caroline after she cornered me in the barn. “I’ve already got the horses all saddled up and ready to go. We’re supposed to be on the trail before sunrise.”
“I know, I know,” she replied, holding up her hands. “And I’m sorry. It’s sorta last minute.”
“Ya think?!”
“Come on, little brother. You can’t deny me my first client.”
I let out an exasperated sigh, knowing she was right, but I was still gonna try to be mad at her, anyway. After all, I never wanted to go on the cattle drive to begin with. I only did it as a favor to Daddy and Caroline was always the one in charge. Sure, I knew what I was doing, but she lived in it every single day. She and Dakota knew the details. I was just along as another body to keep the cattle in line.
“Fine,” I sputtered, unlatching the saddle from her horse and pulling it off with a huff. “But no more cracks about me drinkin’ on the roof, ya hear? Unless you want me to go spreading your business to the family.”
“Alright, alright,” she said, hands up again. “I’ll do my best.” She took the saddle from me, hefting it back to its stand. “I’ll keep it to myself, but you gotta try to get Dakota to go out with me.”
I stopped dead in my tracks. “Dude, he said no. That’s the end of it. Find someone else to fuck.”
“I know…” she sighed, doing a little frustrated dance. “I just… he’s so freakin’ cute!”
“Yeah, he’s handsome. But he doesn’t want you. Move on.”
“Do I sense a tinge of jealousy, little brother?”
I glanced up at her, scoffing. “No? I don’t even know the guy, Caroline.”
“But you said he’s handsome.”
“Lots of people are handsome. Doesn’t mean I want them.”
“But you don’t want Dakota?”
“No, Caroline. I don’t.”
“Well good,” she nodded. “Because if I can’t have him, neither can you.”
“That’s a bullshit rule.”
“Doesn’t matter though, does it?” she teased. “You don’t want him, anyway.”
I opened my mouth to tell her that it wasn’t that I didn’t want him, just that nobody wanted me. After years in New York all I had were a few hookups and a couple boyfriends that lasted less than two weeks combined. In a city of millions, I would’ve thought it be easy to find someone. Turns out, it wasn’t. Either that or I just wasn’t appealing to anyone. Most days I believed the latter.
And Dakota was no different. He was everything I liked in a man, quiet, calm, handsome as could be. Plus, there was something about those deep brown eyes of his that just drew me in. But the moment I made an offer of friendship to him outside his cabin, he turned me down. To get shot down after asking something so innocent, I figured there was no point in trying to push it any further. Dakota didn’t want me. And I wasn’t like Caroline, badgering people into submission wasn’t my style. If I was gonna have a man, it would be because he wanted me, not because I annoyed him until he gave in.
“So, who’s taking your place on this cattle drive then?” I asked, changing the subject away from Dakota. “It better be someone who knows what they’re doing.”
“Don’t you worry, I got a good replacement,” she grinned, looking very sure of herself.
“Who?”
“Beau Turner.”
My jaw hit the floor. “Are you fucking kidding me?!”
“Did I hear my name?”
We both looked up to see a figure step into the barn, illuminated by the bare bulbs hanging above us.
“Speak of the devil!” Caroline laughed, heading toward him. “We were just talking about you Beau Turner!”
“Nothin’ bad I hope,” he replied, his Texas drawl thick as ever. He sounded like everyone else in Sagebrush and it annoyed the piss out of me. Everything Beau Turner did annoyed me. Especially him dating my best friend, Lucas.
“I was just tellin’ Logan here how much help you’re gonna be on this cattle drive. If there’s anyone else in Sagebrush that knows ranchin’, it’s Beau Turner.”
I felt my face flush with anger. “Caroline, can I talk to you for a second? Alone?”
I dragged her by the arm to the far corner of the barn, out of Beau’s earshot. “Are you out of your mind?” I hissed. “You know how I feel about him!”
Caroline rolled her eyes. “Oh, come on, Logan. You’re gonna have to get over this childish grudge, eventually. Beau’s a good guy, and he knows this land better than anyone.”
“I don’t care if he can herd cattle blindfolded,” I snapped. “I’m not spending a week out on the trail with him.”
“Well, tough luck, little brother,” Caroline said, crossing her arms. “It’s either Beau or no one. And you can’t do this drive alone.”
I glanced over at Beau, who was adjusting the saddle on one of the horses, pretending not to hear us. His movements fluid and practiced despite his discomfort. As much as I hated to admit it, Caroline was right - he did know what he was doing.
“Fine,” I grumbled, turning back to my sister. “But I’m not happy about this.”
Caroline grinned, patting me on the shoulder. “You’ll survive. Who knows, maybe you two will even become friends.
I snorted. “Not likely.”
We walked back over to where Beau was standing. He looked up as we approached, his blue eyes meeting mine for a moment before quickly looking away.
“Everything alright?” he asked, his voice low.
“Just peachy,” I replied, my tone dripping with sarcasm. “Let’s get this show on the road.”
As we led the horses out of the barn, leaving Caroline behind, Beau glanced over at me.
“Lucas says hi by the way,” he muttered. “And good luck on the trail.”
“Thanks,” I replied stiffly, not bothering to cover up my displeasure. “He should have been on this drive.”
“I’d let him if he knew what do?—”
“Let him?” I scoffed. “He need permission from the king of popularity to do anything now?”
“No, of course not. I just meant?—”
“I don’t care, Beau,” I said, cutting him off. “Let’s just get this done and over with.”
I gave my horse a tug and pulled ahead, leaving Beau behind me. To my relief, he didn’t try to catch up and finish our conversation. And that was for the best. I couldn’t think of a person I liked less in all of Sagebrush than Beau Turner.
“You two ready to go?” Dakota called out, already up in his saddle. Behind him was a second horse loaded down with saddlebags. Mama had been working on filling them all week so we had plenty to eat while we were out on the trail. “Let’s get a move on before the sun comes up and the heat sets in.”
“Right,” I muttered, trying not to look him in the face either.
Spending a week with Beau Turner was bad enough. But having to spend a week with Dakota Parker, our ranch hand that clearly wanted nothing to do with me, somehow hurt more. There was no bad blood between us like there was with me and Beau. He just plain didn’t want to be friends with me. Something about that validated my worst fears about myself.
As we rode out into the pre-dawn darkness, the only sounds were the gentle clop of hooves and the occasional lowing of cattle. I kept my eyes fixed ahead, determined not to engage with either of my companions. The cool morning air nipped at my cheeks, a welcome distraction from my churning thoughts.
After about an hour of tense silence, Beau cleared his throat. “So, uh, Logan... how’re you liking being back in Sagebrush?”
I grunted noncommittally, not wanting to encourage conversation. Clearly this big fucking doofus wasn’t going to give up just yet.
“It must be quite a change from New York,” he pressed on. “Lucas says?—”
“I don’t need you to tell me what Lucas says,” I snapped, my patience wearing thin. “He can tell me himself.”
Beau fell silent, and I felt a tiny twinge of guilt that I quickly brushed away. I knew I was being unnecessarily harsh and honestly, rude as fuck. But I didn’t care. Not when it came to Beau Turner. That guy didn’t deserve anything from me.
“Sorry,” he said. “I’m just tryin’ to make conversation.”
“Yeah, well don’t.”
He gave his horse Willow a little kick, pulling up next to me with his voice lowered. “Listen, I’m not sure what I did to earn your anger, but I’d like to try to fix it.”
“Fix it?” I scoffed. “What makes you think you can fix it?”
I glanced over at Beau, his face etched with genuine concern in the dim pre-dawn light. For a split second, I almost felt bad for him. Almost.
“Look,” he said softly, “I know you and Lucas were close before you left for New York. And I know things are different now that he and I are together. But I’m not trying to come between you two. You’re still his best friend.”
I let out a harsh laugh. “Best friend? Is that what he told you? We talk maybe once a month now, and it’s all small talk. He doesn’t tell me anything important anymore.”
Beau’s brow furrowed. “That’s not true. He talks about you all the time.”
“Yeah, I’m sure he does,” I muttered, rolling my eyes.
“He does,” Beau insisted. “He misses you, Logan. I’ve seen him try to call you, try to meet up for lunch or somethin’.”
“And he always wants to bring you along,” I spat. “That’s not being a best friend. That’s being a third wheel.”
“Why don’t you tell him that then? I don’t mind if y’all hang out alone.”
I turned, looking Beau directly in his stupid face. “You want me to tell my best friend that I despise the man he loves more than anything else in the world? How well do you think that’s going to go over?”
“You despise me?” He looked genuinely surprised. “What did I do to earn that?”
I opened my mouth to deliver another biting retort but was cut off by Dakota’s deep voice.
“Alright you two, that’s enough,” he said, his voice low and commanding. He pulled on his horse’s reins, slowing her until he was in step with us. “I don’t care if you two hate one another or not. This is a cattle drive. We’re gonna share the work and we’re gonna have each other’s backs. I’ve never had a man seriously injured on a drive with me before and I’m not about to let that record go to waste because you two have beef.”
“But he—” I began.
“I don’t care,” Dakota said, cutting me off. “Out here we’re a team. End of story. If you can’t do that, you should turn around and head home right now.”
I sat there, jaw hanging open. “You know I can’t go back. What would my Daddy say?”
“That’s your problem.” Dakota lowered his gaze, his brown eyes boring a hole right through me. “Now can you do the job or not?”
There was something about his tone that sent a shiver down my spine. I wasn’t afraid or worried about what he might do if I said no. Actually, I was a bit turned on. I didn’t understand why, only that my jeans were suddenly a bit tighter than before.
“Yes, sir,” I said softly with a nod. “I can do the job.”
“Good.” He tipped his hat up and gave his horse a light kick. “Now quit bickering. We’ve got cattle to round up.”
I watched him go, staring at the way his muscular body shifted easily with each movement of his horse. Light was just starting to peek over the edge of the eastern sky, his figure cutting a pleasing shape against the backdrop of pinks and blues. However, when I finally snapped out of it and shook my head, I found Beau staring in my direction with a knowing look. The smug smile on his face pissed me off instantly.
“Go fuck yourself,” I muttered, kicking my own horse put him behind me.