“You’re so cute.”
“Cute?” he said, sounding outraged. “I’m a man.”
She raised her eyebrows. “So, you can’t be cute?”
“No. Men are not cute. And if you need me to demonstrate how manly I am, I will . . .” his voice tapered off.
“You’ll what?” she asked.
He didn’t say anything, just stared down at her, pulling back once more. Frustration hit her. Would things ever be the same again? How could she go back to that carefree person when she knew the danger that lurked everywhere?
“You hate talking.”
“I can talk.”
“Sure, about sports, cattle, trucks, beer, and which asshole you’d take out first if you were on Survivor.”
“You forgot something.”
“I did?”
“Yeah, I also like to talk about you. Your magnificent boobs, your soft stomach, those pretty eyes, your firm, round butt.”
Her insides stirred, a mix of heat and worry swirling inside her.
“Sorry,” he immediately said, his face closing down. “I shouldn’t have said that.”
“Because you didn’t mean it?”
He turned back, his eyes widening. “No. Because I shouldn’t bring up sex.”
She should just nod and change the subject. She didn’t want to cause an argument or tension.
But then, wasn’t there plenty of that anyway? Look at poor Logan’s face. There was already so much tension it was exploding out in ways none of them could have imagined.
“Why?”
“Because of . . . well . . .” Poor Logan, he looked like he’d rather be having a colonoscopy that having this conversation, “I don’t want you to think I expect you to . . . you know.”
Oh, Logan.
He sighed. “I know I’m not good at this shit. If you’d rather talk to Max . . .”
What? No.
“It’s not that.” She looked up into his face. His gorgeous, handsome face. “I’m sorry, Logan.”
He stiffened. “Why would you apologize? What are you sorry for?”
For so many things.
“For not listening to you. You warned me over and over never to stop to help someone when I was alone. I could have avoided all this. It’s all my fault—”
“Hey.” He grasped her shoulders and shook her slightly. “What happened was not your fault.”
“I shouldn’t have stopped.”
“No, you shouldn’t have. But that’s who you are, Savannah. You help people in need. It’s part of what I love about you. Your caring nature. The way you stop whatever you’re doing to come to someone’s aid. None of what happened is on you. It’s all on him. And on Max and me.”