Chapter 29
“You look like you have news,” I say to Ginny once my parents have left the bar.
“Well, I shouldn’t tell you this because it’s not really my business, but...” She trails off and drums her fingers on the counter.
I draw my eyebrows together. “What? You know something?”
“Logan’s back in town,” Ginny says abruptly with a wary look at me.
I lean over the counter, and Ginny nearly falls off her barstool, trying to back away.
“What?!” I say. “He hasn’t called or stopped by or anything.”
“Supposedly, his daddy called him out in West Texas to apologize for their fight,” Ginny says.
“He says he won’t force Logan to take over the family business along with his brothers, and he can keep living there and painting so long as he continues to help with daily ranch work.
I guess he took the deal. I mean, of course he was going to come back to Darcy anyway.
This is just another piece of the story. ”
“How the heck do you know all this?”
“My mama overheard his mama this morning at HEB. She was crying; she’s so happy to have her youngest son home again.”
I furrow my brow. “I can’t believe Logan hasn’t come by. He’s right next door.”
“He only got in very late last night,” Ginny says. “I was waiting to tell you because I’m sure he’ll stop by himself.”
I don’t get it. Logan’s first trip away in forever, and he didn’t tell me he’s back. Something feels off.
Ginny touches my arm. “So…are you asking Jamie to my wedding?”
I drag my gaze over to her. “Nope. I broke up with him. He was getting way too needy.”
“But he gave you a commitment ring,” Ginny says.
“Like I said,” I say. “Way too needy. We’d only been on a few dates. We never even slept together, not even close. Honestly, we didn’t even kiss.”
“You know what I think?” She eyes me carefully. “I think Logan would make a fabulous date.”
“Logan and I have never gone on a real date.”
“Oh, come on. You may not have gone on ‘real’ dates, whatever that means. But…” She smiles. “You miss him. Your body misses him.” She giggles, and I throw my dishcloth at her, but she ducks.
“My body has been just fine without Logan Wild.”
“Because of your vibrator maybe,” Ginny says. “In all seriousness, though, you’ve been acting different since Vegas, you know.”
I do know. I’ve been missing Logan in a way I haven’t before.
“I’ve almost…” I drop my voice to a whisper. “Considered asking Logan if we should amend our rules.”
Ginny jumps off her stool so high I’m certain she’s going to climb over the bartop. “Are you serious?”
“But I’m afraid to mess things up. That’s why we made the rules in the first place. It’s just…”
“Getting married changed things for you,” she says.
“I guess it did. But I don’t know how to talk to him about it.”
“Did you ever read your diary entry from Vegas? To see how you were feeling that night?”
“No, I have to. It’s just—every time I go to do it, I remember those divorce papers I still have to sign.” I reach into my purse and pull out the bull ring Logan married me with. “It was hard when he handed this back to me.”
“It does have a lot of nostalgia. What were y’all—sixteen when you first gave him that?”
I nod. “I’m going to give it back to him. As soon as I sign the papers, I’ll give him the ring along with them. You know, so maybe we can let go of the divorce and then...”
“And then you can talk about throwing out your rules!” Ginny says. “Get a divorce and start to date each other—that’s exactly what you two should do!”
I smile at her enthusiasm. “Maybe. I’m nervous he won’t want the same things.”
“I bet he will. You two are always so in sync. He’s probably feeling the exact same way and isn’t sure how to broach it with you.”
“You think so?”
“Definitely.” Ginny pats my arm. “Talk to him, Mace. Don’t live with regrets.”
The door dings, and I feel Logan just like I always do when he’s walked into a room. The air thickens, the temperature rises, and I feel…noticed.
Sure enough…
“Guess who just walked i-ii-in,” Ginny begins in a singsong voice.
I follow her bright eyes toward the front door.
Logan Wild is back in Darcy. And God, I’ve missed him.
Logan takes off his motorcycle helmet, revealing his mess of dark hair and tanned skin. He waves at Ginny and then locks eyes with me as he saunters over to the bar. “Hey, bartender. Long time.”
He needs a haircut, but his whiskey eyes still look at me like lasers, and his worn t-shirt shows off his muscled biceps and solid chest better than anyone’s in town.
“So, were you unbearably lonely out there in the desert? Painfully sunburned?” I ask.
“I’m happy to be back,” he says simply. “The trip took longer than I expected.”
We look at each other in silence for a long beat until Ginny stands up and gives Logan a quick hug. She waves good-bye while she mouths “good luck” to me and leaves.
Logan takes her stool and leans over the bar to kiss my cheek.
I take a closer look at his face. Something’s different. Logan’s eyes are…dull. They’re always so bright and brash, but not today.
“You look different,” I say bluntly.
“I’m fine.” He narrows his eyes at me in warning, but I’ve never been good at keeping my mouth shut.
“What happened out there?” I say.
His expression closes down. “I painted. Like I said I was gonna do.”
“Did something else happen?”
Instead of answering me, he hops on top of the bar, leans back to grab an empty glass, and presses it against the Lone Star tap to fill up, all in one motion.
“Every time,” I say. “It’s not sanitary to put your ass on the counter. And how often do I have to tell you I’m the bartender, not you?”
“I’m helping you out.” Logan reclaims his seat on the stool and takes a drink of his beer. “So how are things here?”
“Fine.”
“What about your novel?”
“No comment on that,” I say.
My plot of a ghost couple who fell in love but missed their chance at happiness over and over again when they were alive has potential. But I’m not ready to share that information with anyone yet.
“Actually, I wanted to ask you…” I start to say. “I mean, I’ve been hoping we could talk about…”
“How’s everything with your family?” he says before I can finish.
“Well, my father went back to rehab.”
Logan’s eyes whip to mine. “Is everything okay?”
“It is.” I fill him in on what happened.
Logan tightens his jaw. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here,” he says. “If I’d known…”
“I know,” I say quickly. “I’m happy you didn’t have to deal with it. You help me enough as it is. Freedom’s moved in with me for a while.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. She needed a break from Mama. And a little help with her English paper so she can graduate. Although she’s got this new paper now that she totally doesn’t have to write but is actually choosing to do this summer.
Something about cosmic signs.” I smile. “She’s a little psychic nerd, that one. ”
“Pretty awesome she got a full scholarship to UT.”
“I’m so proud of her.”
“Me too. It will be good for her to get out of here for a while. Broaden her horizons.”
“Sometimes, there’s enough stimulation right here in Darcy,” I can’t resist saying. “Especially now that you’re back.”
I leave the bar and walk around to give him a hug. He stands up off the stool and meets me halfway.
His arms go tightly around me, and I bury my face in the familiar scent of his chest. I pull back and look up at him. Something smells different, too.
Logan steps away from me. “Mace, I have to tell you something.”
“Okay.”
The long, overdrawn beat of silence fills the bar. It feels like a warning. And then Logan says in a hoarse tone—
“I’m getting married.”