Counting On It (Hearts for Ransom Book 1) (16 page)

Tonight was their first date. It had been a week since the funeral, and Logan was taking Emily out for dinner.

Unsure of where he was taking her, she had no idea how to dress. She had picked up her phone to call him several times during the day, but then decided it wasn’t worth bothering him. He’d already missed enough work for her.

They talked every day, but she hadn’t seen him since he had taken his stuff and gone home two days after the funeral. She had just started getting used to sleeping without him. She remembered what he said about dating being the thing to do since they’d been sleeping together. Of course when he said sleeping, he meant actually
sleeping
together.

Looking through her closet, she decided she couldn’t go wrong with her “little black dress”. It would be casual enough if they went to a restaurant, and dressy enough if he took her to a club. It hit her again how little she really knew about his life during the past seven years. She didn’t know if he golfed, bowled, danced, or just hung out in bars. He didn’t know any more about her. He was right. They needed to take this slowly.

Almost an hour later, she was ready. Her dress still fit perfectly, falling to just above her knees and hugging her slender figure. Since he was over six inches taller than she was, she chose a pair of black three-inch stilettos. She decided to wear her hair down and spent quite a while curling it to get just the right look. With minimal makeup, she felt like she looked as good as she was going to. Hopefully, it would satisfy Logan.

The low wolf whistle he greeted her with told her it did. “Come here.” He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and returned the kiss. The next thing she knew, they were both breathing heavily and aroused.

“Whoa,” Logan slowly released her and backed away. “That is
not
the way to take things slowly.”

“I agree.” She was still trying to catch her breath and waiting for her heart to slow down. Emily finally had the chance to look him over and was gratified to see he was wearing a pair of black dress khakis and a nice shirt. Her dress should be fine.

“Where are we going?” she asked, picking up her small clutch before walking out the door.

“I thought we’d go to Butlers. Is that okay?” He checked her doorknob to make sure it was locked.

“It’s one of my favorite places.” When she had the opportunity to go out for good food in a nice atmosphere, she always chose Butlers.

“I’ll put that in my ‘Emily file,'” he told her, opening the door of his Mustang for her.

She had ridden in his car, but under the circumstances hadn’t paid much attention to it before. He drove a late model midnight blue Mustang convertible. The interior was black, and the seats were leather. It was nice.

“Have you decided whether you’re going back to work early?” he asked.

She had been weighing her options. Since she didn’t have the responsibility of the campground, she found herself at loose ends. But her parents had wanted her to take those two months off so badly, would she somehow be letting them down if she went back to work? “Not really.” She angled herself toward him. “What do you think I should do?”

“Oh, no.” He shook his head. “If I tell you what to do and it makes you miserable, it’ll be all my fault, and I’ll end up in the doghouse with you again.” He sent a smile her way. “I’m liking it too much living in your good graces.”

“What if I decide I’m mad at you because you won’t tell me what to do?” she teased.

“I’ll kiss you until you change your mind.” He grinned and winked at her.

“Awfully sure of yourself there, aren’t you?” This was fun.

“Excuse me, but wasn’t that you back there in your house a few minutes ago?” He liked seeing the smile in her eyes.

“Yes, and if you don’t stop talking about it, I’m going to make you pull this car over and take up where we left off—taking it slowly or not.” She giggled.

“Okay. I’ll stop tempting you with my wiles.” He was still smiling. “Em, tell me something about yourself. We’ve got seven years to catch up on.”

“Okay. You can ask me one thing, and then I get to ask you a question. I want to know about you, too.” This sounded interesting.

“Ladies first.”

“Okay, how many girlfriends have you had?” She just wanted to get that out of the way.

“Serious or just dates?”

“Both.”

“Then, none and several.”

She was surprised. “You’ve never been in a serious relationship?”

“That’s cheating. You’re asking two questions.” He raised an eyebrow.

“Come on. They’re tied together.” She wasn’t above whining.

“Okay, then.” He paused. “I’ve dated several women, but there has always been something missing. I’ve never felt the need to build something…permanent.” Logan glanced at Emily. “Until now.”

“Oh.” His words sank in. “Oh.”

“Is that a good ‘oh’ or a bad ‘oh’?” he asked.

“Is that your first question?”

“Nope. I’ll just assume it was a good ‘oh’.” She could have told him he was absolutely correct, but she was enjoying their banter. “So, my first question—have you dated much or had any serious relationships?”

“Sneaky, Logan,” she chided him. “You combined two questions.”

“Better than outright asking two questions when we agreed to one.”

“Are we arguing?”

“Nope.
You’re
procrastinating. ‘Fess up, Em.” He didn’t want to hear about her being with other men but wanted everything between them up front and honest.

“Okay. I’ve lived a very boring life, Logan.” She braced herself and got ready to deliver the blow. “I’ve only dated a handful of men, and I’m still a virgin.”

“You’re a…wow, Em.” He glanced over at her, looking at her from head to toe. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you haven’t been responding to me like a virgin.”

She shrugged. “It’s you. Once you kiss me, my logical thought processes stop, and I just feel.” She looked at her lap, embarrassed. “That first night on the picnic table, if I hadn’t remembered where we were, I’d have let you make love to me.” Her gaze lifted to his. “I guess I’m pretty easy, huh?”

“I don’t think you’d be classified as easy, but I’m sure glad to hear that I’m the only guy you’ve ever responded to like that.” He actually wanted to roll down his window and let out a war whoop but decided she would think he was certifiable. “Your turn.”

“Okay. Let’s see…What are your hobbies?” She knew about his work.

“Well, you know about the fast-pitch softball…I’m still so sorry about that, Emily.”

“Over and done with, Logan.” Her parents’ deaths had shifted her perspective on a lot of things.

“Okay. I like to play cards, watch just about any kind of sport, and probably most of all, fish.” Those were his three favorites other than softball.

“Dad and I fish…” She couldn’t stop the tears. “I’m sorry, Logan. I don’t want to spoil our night.”

He pulled into an empty parking lot and left the engine idling. “Come here.”

She unbuckled her seat belt and leaned toward him. He put his arms around her and held her as close as he could with the gearshift between them.

“Em, we don’t have to go out on a date. I make a mean pot of spaghetti, and you haven’t seen my house yet.” He hadn’t thought about it being too soon for her to do this.

She drew back and wiped the tears from her eyes. “Are you sure? I know you planned on going…”

“I planned on spending the evening with you. I don’t care where we are.” He used his fingers to catch a stray tear, then kissed her. “The only thing is, we’ll be alone at my house. After I give you the grand tour, we will not…I repeat
not
…visit the bedroom again.” He gave her another kiss. “I meant what I said about taking this slow and waiting. Okay?”

She nodded and fell a little more in love with him than she already was.

“I meant it when I said my feelings for you won’t change, too,” she softly told him. “I hope you believe me.”

“Oh, Emily, I’m counting on it.” And praying for it. “Buckle up. We’ll be at my place in a few minutes.”

After she was safely strapped in and they were on the road again, she asked him, “Did you build your house?”

He looked at her in surprise. “Of course. Did you think I’d want to live in a house somebody else designed and built?”

A short while later, Emily was astonished when he pulled into the driveway of a house that looked like pictures in her childhood storybooks. It was two-storied and had white siding, with shutters on the windows. He parked in front of a two-car garage that was attached to the house by a breezeway.

“Wow, Logan. This is so…not what I expected.” She slowly got out of the car once he had opened the door.

“What do you mean?” he asked, looking at his house. “What did you expect?”

“I expected a…I don’t know—something for a bachelor. This looks like a house built for a…family.” She could easily envision children running and playing in the large backyard.

Logan had never thought about it like that. He had just built the house he wanted. “Maybe I’ve always wanted a family,” he decided.

“Like I had.” Emily felt tears burn her eyes. “You thought my family was perfect. Now I don’t have…”

“Shhhh.” He took her in his arms. “You did have a perfect family, and they’ll always be with you—in here.” He tapped her chest over her heart. “Whose turn was it to ask a question?”

“Yours,” she said as he led her to the back door of the house.

“Good. What do you see yourself doing in ten years?” He hoped it would include him.

She had honestly never thought that far ahead, always working from day to day at the hospital. She looked at his big backyard and lit exterior of the house and knew. “I want to be married and have a child.”

“Just one?” He unlocked the door and opened it.

“Maybe two or three,” she admitted as he reached in and flipped a switch that lit up the room they were entering.

“This is my mudroom.” She looked at the industrial-sized sink, washer and dryer, and shower stall. A rug under the sink held what must have been his work boots, and another pair of rubber boots, probably for fishing.

“So you strip down in here and take a shower before you go into the house?” She really shouldn’t be picturing that.

“Depends on how dirty I am.” He walked into the next room and turned a dial, increasing the brightness of the lights. “This is the kitchen.”

Emily froze in the doorway, unable to believe her eyes. It was her dream kitchen. An electric range and dishwasher were among the cabinets with the sink. A built-in pantry covered the opposite wall, and her biggest wish of all—an island with a butcher block top—set in the middle of the room. She didn’t want him to think she was just saying it to impress him, but she had to tell him.

“Logan, this kitchen is perfect. If I could sit down and make a floor plan of my ideal kitchen, it would look exactly like this one.”

He grinned at her. She liked his house. “I’m glad you to hear you say that,” he told her before pulling her into his arms for a long, slow kiss. He turned and led her by the hand into the next room. They had walked by a small trendy kitchen table with chairs, but her eyes popped wide open when she saw his dining room. A cherry wood table and chairs took up the center, with a buffet against one wall, and an arched doorway on the opposite one.

Before she could say anything, he pulled her through the next door into a foyer. The front door to the house and what appeared to be a walk-in coat closet were the only things occupying the space.

“And here’s the living room.” As he turned the dial, the lights came on in the largest living room Emily had ever seen. He had it sectioned off with a work area—a large wooden desk and antique-looking filing cabinet—and a living area, complete with two, yes
two
overstuffed couches, a recliner, a rocking chair, and one rocker-recliner. A large coffee table, and end tables that matched the wood of his desk and filing cabinet were placed among the furniture. A flat-screen television was mounted on the far wall. He had taken an enormous space and made it cozy and welcoming.

“I’m impressed, Logan. This is beautiful.”

“Come around here.” She followed him around a small section of the wall she hadn’t even noticed was offset from the rest, and there was a cherry wood staircase. “After you,” he told her, turning on a light.

Once at the top of the stairs, she instinctively walked to the door on her left. When he turned on the light, she saw that it was the master bedroom—Logan’s bedroom, and it was also a huge room. A giant king-size bed and matching wooden furniture didn’t come close to taking up all the floor space. The most comfortable looking chair Emily thought she had ever seen sat in the corner, a packed bookshelf running along the wall next to it, and a reading lamp beside it. She could picture Logan sitting there enjoying a book.

He took her over and showed her a large bathroom with a sunken Jacuzzi and another shower stall, then in the other corner of the bedroom was the largest walk-in closet Emily had ever seen. Logan’s clothes didn’t take up but a fraction of its space.