Real, not pretend.
Finally, hope overrode her fear and chased away her lingering doubt. With Logan, she knew she’d finally found the one who would truly love her for herself, and nothing else. Until this moment, she hadn’t realized how important that certainty was.
She smiled up into his nervous eyes, then slid her arms up around his neck and pulled his head down. With his lips a hairsbreadth from hers, she whispered, “I love you, too. Let’s do it.”
Epilogue
‡
Joy stumbled as Logan guided her over an uneven patch of ground.
“Easy.” Strong hands caught both her arms to steady her balance. “Got ya.”
“You’d better have me since it’s your fault I can’t see.”
He’d blindfolded her at her grandparent’s ranch after dinner, taken her to his truck, and driven…somewhere. After several turns and fifteen long, anticipation-building minutes, she’d been completely disorientated when he’d helped her from the truck.
A deep inhale confirmed clean country
air, but other than a noise she assumed was the low rustle of leaves in the trees, no other sound clued her in to their location. No animal noises, no crickets or birds, no cars, near or far.
He refused to reveal their destination no matter what she threatened to do to him later. When she’d gotten inventive, he’d laughed and told her to keep making promises. Self-assurance rang in his voice, and put butterflies in her stomach. It was as if something inside him had clicked…as if he’d settled in and was finally comfortable with who he was, and damn. She’d been crazy attracted to him before, but his new level of confidence was a powerful aphrodisiac.
“Did I tell you I won the lottery twice this week?”
She halted, turning her head toward the sound of his voice. “You bought lottery tickets?”
“You sound surprised.”
“Well, yeah. It’s a gamble. You’re not a gambler.”
“It’s a little gamble. Thanks to you, I’m learning the payoff to some gambles are more than worth the risk. And, I actually won two-hundred-fifty bucks on the quick pick Friday morning.”
“How much on the other one?”
“That win was a little more exciting, but no ticket involved. Selling a song to Jack Tucker was a one in a million chance. Maybe even more.”
“I disagree. The guy’s obviously smart enough to recognize talent when he hears it.”
“He only heard it because of you.”
“True.” His hand brushed the hair away from her neck, and Joy tilted her head as his warm lips caressed her skin. “And I’ll take credit for that part, but the rest was all you. Speaking of which, you blew everyone away last night at Rowdy’s. It was amazing.”
He chuckled while urging her forward again. “Yeah—amazing I didn’t throw up.”
She smiled that he’d freely admit to being that nervous.
As they made their way through the chilly September air, she still couldn’t figure out where they’d ended up. Her boots scuffed the ground, and the sound became a bit of an echo for a few steps before Logan pulled her to a stop. The familiar scent of fresh hay tickled her senses.
“I want to ask you two things,” he said. “Though I’ve decided to switch the order because I need you to understand one is not contingent upon the other, okay?”
She frowned, eyebrows pinching together beneath the blindfold. “O-kay.”
He removed the folded bandana, and she smoothed her hair as she looked around. Recognition sparked immediately at the sight of the ladder off to his right. They were in his barn—former barn. She swung back to face him.
“What are we doing here?” Joy peeked around his shoulder. “Did you check to make sure Edna isn’t lurking around with a shotgun to guard her property?”
He laughed. “Brian Thomas called me earlier. Apparently, he heard about last night, and thought he’d make sure I was aware that even after the Sheriff’s sale, I still have two weeks to come up with the money to pay off the mortgage. So, that’s what I want to do.”