23. Dakota
Chapter 23
Dakota
I t was well past midnight by the time I pulled into the driveway once more, Caroline’s SUV running on fumes after driving all night searching for Logan. I was exhausted and empty-handed. No matter where I looked, he wasn’t to be found. I even tried the bars, hoping I wouldn’t find him there. And, with bittersweet results, still came up with nothing. In the end I decided that going home was the best idea because I knew, sooner or later, he’d have to come back. I just hoped he’d give me a chance to speak when that time came.
The moment I stepped out of the car, I saw someone sitting on the front porch. But as I headed up the stairs, I realized it wasn’t him. It was Caroline.
“I see you brought my car back,” she said, sounding exhausted. “Took you long enough.”
“Is he back?” I asked, my voice full of hope.
She just sighed, shaking her head. “Yeah. He’s here.”
“Where?”
“The roof. Through his bedroom window.”
I barely took a breath as I pushed my way through the front door.
“You’re welcome,” she called after me.
I made a mental note to thank her later as I took the stairs two at a time toward the second floor. I burst into Logan’s room, my heart pounding. The window was open, curtains billowing in the cool night breeze. I approached cautiously, peering out onto the slanted roof.
There he was, silhouetted against the star-studded Texas sky. Logan sat with his knees pulled to his chest, staring out across the darkened prairie. He didn’t turn as I climbed out to join him, my boots scraping against the shingles.
“Hey,” I said softly, settling beside him.
Logan remained silent for a long moment. When he finally spoke, his voice was hoarse and tired. “Hey.”
I waited, letting the silence stretch between us. The night air was cool, carrying the scent of sage and distant rain. Far off, a coyote howled, its mournful cry echoing across the prairie.
“I’m sorry,” Logan finally said, his voice barely above a whisper. “About today.”
“It’s not your fault. Those people…”
“I didn’t stand up for you,” he said, cutting me off. “I didn’t stand up for you when that lady said all those horrible things or when she wanted to turn you into some Cherokee roadside spectacle. That… That wasn’t right of me.”
“You were trying to save the ranch,” I replied. “I understand why you stayed quiet.”
Logan shook his head, his jaw clenching. “No, that’s no excuse. I should’ve said something. Anything.” He turned to look at me, his green eyes shimmering in the moonlight. “You’re really important to me, Kota. I should’ve had your back.”
I swallowed hard, feeling a lump form in my throat. “It’s okay, really. I know how much this ranch means to you and your family.”
“It’s not okay,” Logan insisted, his voice growing stronger. “This place... it’s just land and buildings. But you? You’re family too. I forgot that for a moment, and I’m ashamed.”
We sat in silence for a while, the weight of his words settling between us. The prairie stretched out before us, a sea of shadows and starlight. In the distance, I could make out the silhouette of my little cabin where we’d first realized our mutual attraction. That was only a week or two ago and yet, it felt like a lifetime. So much had happened.
“I’m sorry too,” I said at last, looking up at him. “I know how much this place means to you and I made it all about myself.”
“But that lady?—”
“She was wrong to say those things,” I nodded. “But things are more complex than just right and wrong,” I said, recalling what my mom had said about my grandfather. “There’s a level of complexity to the situation that I refused to see and then I took it out on you because I was angry.”
“It’s okay.”
I shook my head, holding back tears. “No, it’s not. Because I haven’t been telling you the truth.”
“The truth?” Logan asked. “What truth?”
“I love you Logan Baker,” I sputtered, unable to hold it back any longer. “You’re like wildfire in my veins and no matter what I do, I can’t stop you from consuming me. I tried to resist you for so long, but I just can’t anymore. I love you and… well, it scares me to death.” I took a deep breath, just letting the words flow. “I’ve been so scared for so long that if I opened up to someone, they would abandon me the moment I didn’t do exactly what they wanted. And after a while, I started pushing people away on purpose, so they never got the chance to leave me behind. And that’s what I did to you today.” I looked up at him, feeling a bit lighter already. “I’m so sorry.”
Logan’s eyes widened, his expression softening as he took in my words. For a moment, he just stared at me, the silence stretching between us like a taut wire. Then, slowly, he reached out and took my hand in his.
“Kota,” he said softly, his voice thick with emotion. “I... I love you too. I’ve been trying to find the right way to tell you, but I guess you beat me to it.” He gave a small, nervous laugh.
I felt my heart skip a beat, warmth spreading through my chest despite the cool night air.
“You’re not just saying that because I said it first, are you?” I asked, only half-joking.
Logan shook his head, his green eyes serious. “No, I mean it. I’ve known for a while now. I just... I was scared too. Scared of messing things up like I always have. I failed at leaving this town, at living in the big city, at having a career… I guess I was afraid of failing at having you in my life too, that I’d mess up loving you.”
Logan’s words hung in the air between us, heavy with vulnerability. I squeezed his hand, feeling the roughness of his fingers against my palm.
“You haven’t failed at anything,” I said softly. “You came back here because this is where you belong. And as for loving me...” I paused, my heart racing. “Well, I’d say you’re doing a pretty good job so far.”
A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Yeah? Even though I keep making stupid mistakes?”
“Yeah,” I nodded, leaning in closer. “And for the record, I don’t think you’re being stupid. I think maybe we both just have a lot to learn.”
“Probably,” he smiled, leaning closer.
Logan’s eyes flickered to my lips, then back to my eyes. Slowly, he closed the distance between us, his free hand coming up to cup my cheek. Our lips met in a tender kiss, soft and sweet, filled with all the words we’d left unspoken.
As we pulled apart, I rested my forehead against Logan’s, savoring the moment. The night breeze rustled through the trees, carrying the growing scent of oncoming rain. In the far distance I swore I saw a flash of lightning. For a long while, we sat in comfortable silence, our hands intertwined.
“So,” Logan said finally, his voice low and warm. “Where do we go from here?”
I took a deep breath, considering his question. “I don’t know,” I admitted. “But I think... I think we take it one day at a time. Together.”
Logan nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. “I like the sound of that.”
He shifted, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and pulling me close. I leaned into him, feeling the steady rise and fall of his chest. The stars twinkled above us, countless pinpricks of light in the vast Texas sky. Clouds began to move in with the breeze, blocking them out one by one.
“Just for the record,” Logan said after a while. “I didn’t sign the contract. I couldn’t do it before we had a chance to talk it all over.”
“I know,” I muttered, pulling him close.
As we sat there on the roof, the distant rumble of thunder grew closer. The air felt charged, heavy with the promise of rain. I could feel Logan’s warmth beside me, solid and reassuring.
“We should probably head inside,” Logan murmured, his breath tickling my ear. “Looks like a storm’s coming.”
I nodded, reluctant to move from our little bubble of peace. “Yeah, you’re right.”
We carefully made our way back through the bedroom window, just as the first fat raindrops began to patter against the roof. Logan closed the window behind us, shutting out the rising wind.
Inside his room, the air felt different - charged with a new kind of energy. We stood there for a moment, suddenly unsure of ourselves in this new context.
“I should probably head back to my cabin,” I said, though I made no move to leave.
Logan ran his fingers through my hair, gripping the back of my neck. “Do you have to?”
I hesitated, feeling the warmth of Logan’s hand on my neck. The tension between us was palpable, electric. Outside, the storm was building, rain now pelting against the windowpane.
“I suppose I could stay,” I said softly, my heart racing. “If you want me to that is.”
Logan’s green eyes darkened as he pulled me closer. “I want you to,” he murmured, his voice low and filled with desire. “God, I want you to.”
Our lips met again, but this time the kiss was different - hungry, urgent. Logan’s hands roamed my back as I pressed myself against him, savoring the feel of his muscular body. We stumbled backwards until my legs hit the edge of his bed.
I pulled back slightly, breathless. “Are you sure about this? Isn’t Caroline’s room right next door?”
A loud crack of thunder shook the house around us, making both of us start. The rain fell harder, the sound drowning out everything except the electricity flowing between us.
Logan nodded, his eyes never leaving mine. “I think we’ll be fine.”
“What?” I asked, grinning like a fool.
He just laughed, pulling me into another kiss, his hands working their way under my shirt.