Follow A Wild Heart (romance,) (21 page)

Shivering, Karena headed slowly back up to the dark house, and Mort gave a small, lonely rumble when she passed his pen.

"There he is, Mom, th
ere's Logan, right over by that station wagon, see him? Pull the pickup in there, Mom. Hurry, before somebody else takes the spot."

Karena shook her head in exasperation at her son.

"Half this lot is empty, Danny," she remonstrated, carefully inching into the place he'd chosen.

After Danny's outburst the previous Monday, Karena had made several efforts to talk with him about his grandfather's influence in their lives, and especially to discuss Mort's future. But for a boy who spent most of his waking hours talking, Danny had clammed right up. After several frustrating soliloquies, punctuated by his "It's okay, forget
it," and, "Don't worry about it, Mom," Karena hadn't given up, but she had been worn down.

If there was a way to make a twelve year old discuss something he had no intention of discussing with his mother, she sure hadn't learned it. On the other hand, he was more than willing to spend the entire week talking about Logan.

"Did you know Logan knows kung fu, Mom? Man, I'd like to learn it, a guy never knows when he might need to defend himself."

And then, "Logan went to Hawaii once, did you know the biggest privately owned cattle ranch in the world is in Hawaii, Mom?"

She hadn't known. She'd never been too curious about exotic places, being perfectly content here at home. But her son wanted to travel.

"He's been to San Francisco and Los Angeles, too. And the old-car museum in Reno." That had never once crossed Karena's mind as being one of the wonders of the world, but she didn't say so. Anyway, Danny didn't give her a chance to say anything.

"He's going to show me his pictures. Imagine, traveling to all those places, Mom," he said yearningly. "Gee, the only city I've ever seen is Bemidji."

"You've definitely led a deprived life, Danny, no doubt about it," she joshed him, but secretly, a sense of inadequacy rose in her, a feeling that she was being unfair to this eager son of hers.

It was true, they'd never traveled at all, even though in the past few years she might have been able to afford a holiday somewhere for the two of them, other than the camping and fishing trips they'd taken together since Danny was a baby.

Danny jumped out the instant the truck stopped and he and Logan went through some intricate slapping handshake routine.

Mindful of the other people around them, Karena held out a hand to Logan in formal greeting, devouring his tall, rangy form with her eyes and feeling happiness well up inside her at being with him again.

He took her hand, making her aware of tiny prickles running up her arm at his touch, but then he used it to draw her smoothly into his arms, kissing her very satisfactorily right there in the parking lot before she drew away, blushing.

Although Danny had a pleased, embarrassed grin on his face, "Yuck," he commented succinctly.

Just as Karena had forecast, the basketball game seemed to go on forever. They sat with the sprinkling of other parents who'd turned out that Saturday morning, and watched Danny sit on the sidelines. He finally had a chance on the floor late in the game, and Karena's heart hammered with nervousness. But the whistle blew and the game ended before her son had a chance to do more than run the length of the court twice. The score was seventy-two to thirty-seven, for Bemidji.

Danny was totally undaunted by the loss.

"Boy, we nearly had 'em, eh, Logan? Did'ja see Stanley make that perfect lay-up? He can really shoot, huh, Logan? The whole team's going to McDonald's for lunch; can I go, too?"

Karena and Logan ended up having a wonderful lunch on their own in a small, cheery cafe near McDonald's.

He made her laugh, telling her about the week's experiences as a wet, disgruntled field instructor trying to stay one step ahead of his students and force them into using their brains.

She made him laugh by relating Mort's latest passion. The misguided animal had now decided he liked the smell of car exhaust, and would stand with his forelegs braced, sniffing the gaseous fumes in an orgy of pleasure if he had the opportunity, and then staggering slightly when he tried to walk, obviously intoxicated.

"That moose has an addictive personality" Karena remarked morosely. "We're going to have to check him into a rehab center before we're through. It's a good thing he's never been exposed to alcohol."

But Logan didn't laugh at all when she related Ole Svenson's dire threats about Mort. After meeting Ole Svenson, he thought it entirely possible the man might do exactly what he said.

"I mentioned Mort to Brian Sutton, the forest manager up at Itasca, and he's heard of a wildlife project in Michigan that might be the answer. He's writing for information. Also, a couple of my students asked if it might be possible for them to come and meet Mort. I said I'd ask."

Meeting Logan's students wasn't a welcome idea for Karena, but after a slight hesitation, she reluctantly agreed. "When might they be coming?"

He reached across and squeezed her hand. "I'm not ready to share you quite yet, so I didn't give them a specific date. Maybe nearer the end of the session."

It reminded her that they only had three more weekends together after this one. Not long at all.

She forced herself back to the present, to the exciting prospect of spending today and tomorrow together. The future would have to take care of itself. She intended to enjoy the present to the fullest.

Danny met them after lunch, and there was an awkward moment when Logan invited them to go along for a quick visit to Betsy and Cliff Gardom's farm before the drive back home.

"They know I'm working at Itasca, and they'll all wonder why I'm not spending the weekends with them. Betsy would love to see you again," he assured Karena. "She asked about you on the phone the other day."

How wonderful to be that sure of a welcome for your friends, she thought enviously. But Karena couldn't face the strain of a repeat visit. Remembering her awkward shyness made her feel inadequate and nervous at the prospect.

"I have some personal shopping to do before I go back," she temporized. "You go ahead, and we'll meet back home later this evening."

"But, Mom, I want to talk with Mr. Gardom about Mort's feed, and besides I want to see Alex and Liz again,"Danny was quick to protest. "Can't we go just for little while?" he begged.

"Why don't you come along with me, and we'll give your mom some time to shop on her own?" Logan suggested diplomatically, but Karena caught the puzzled, anxious glance he sent in her direction. He must think she didn't want to have anything to do with his relatives, she thought miserably, watching Danny slide happily into the seat beside Logan before they drove off.

How could she expect Logan to accept the degree of social isolation she preferred and needed?

As soon as Logan's Jeep disappeared around the corner, she headed for her truck, and the lonely drive back up the highway to home.

As she drove, she reviewed the differences between her and Logan in their backgrounds, their way of life, their education, their personalities, and her spirits sank lower and lower.

It didn't seem very probable that even the love they shared could overcome all that. But she wanted so much to share Logan's life. He'd made an effort to be a part of hers. Couldn't she do the same? Couldn't they meet somewhere in the middle?

She'd have to change drastically to do it. She wasn't at all sure she could, no matter how much she wanted to.

Chapter Nine

"Hand me that board, woman, and stop your laughing. It's downright disrespectful." But Logan's dark eyes danced behind his glasses, and his mouth quirked with rueful recognition of his inadequacies as a builder.

He'd hardly built a thing in his entire life, and he much preferred microscopes to hammers. Gabe had offered his services as well, and Logan was secretly relieved to have the older man helping, until he realized Gabe had even less ability than he did.

Karena picked up the two-by-four Logan indicated, and handed it to him, holding it firmly while he nailed it clumsily to the fence. She smothered her amusement as he muttered under his breath when he missed the nail several times.

The meticulous measuring and careful placement of every board and beam, the double and triple checking with levels and tape measures and squares that she was so accustomed to when her father built anything, were totally missing in these two carefree carpenters.

Logan's measurements consisted of "about" and "nearly." Gabe relied on "close enough" and "a man riding hard in the dark would never notice that," which soon had both her and Danny giggling helplessly when they happened to meet each other's astonished gaze.

Both Carlsons were unable to keep from imagining the absolute shocked horror on Otis's face if he ever heard such blasphemy applied to what he considered the almost religious ritual of building. .

Which method did she prefer?

She had only to look over at her son to see what fun he was having. For the first time in his life, Danny was enjoying construction—if this hit-or-miss comedy could be labeled construction.

Danny was busy nailing boards and sawing. He'd been encouraged by the men to make decisions about the project. Logan also actually asked Danny to bring out his small radio and turn it up full blast to a rock station. Karena had her doubts about how long her eardrums could stand it, but Logan was obviously relishing the noise, and even Gabe didn't seem to object in the slightest.

Mort, so curious his nose was in jeopardy several times from a hammer, had been tethered to a tree down by the lake, and was grunting and whining to protest his banishment.

The past week's rain had left everything fresh. And wet, Karena thought, feeling a blush steal over her face as she looked at a certain spot hidden by the trees down at the lake and remembered lying there the previous night with Logan.

Danny and Logan had arrived back from Bemidji just before dark, and Danny was talking excitedly to her before the Jeep had even stopped.

"Mr. Gardom wants me to come and stay with them the long weekend before school starts. It's fall fair, and there's gonna be a hay ride and a bonfire and a wiener roast and everything. I've got a note from Mrs. Gardom for you. Please, I can go, can't I, Mom? Alex and Liz and I are building a tree fort, and we've only half finished it, and I promised I'd bring the old bear rug Gabe gave me to use on the floor."

"Slow down, Danny," Karena admonished automatically. "Let me read the note and think about it for a moment. You go and say hello to Mort. He's wandered over by the edge of the woods."

Danny thrust the slightly battered envelope into her hand, and as he went hurtling off into the dusk, Logan drew her impatiently into his arms. All the misgivings that had plagued her for the past hours fled as his lips sent shivers of pleasure through her.

In Logan's arms, everything seemed possible and the awful doubts of the lonely drive home faded. She looped her arms around his neck and gloried in the passion of his kiss.

"I missed you," he whispered into her ear after a long moment. "I wish you had come along today. Betsy was disappointed at not seeing you again." He wrapped his arms tighter around her midriff, pressing her against him, and she gasped. It was obvious how much he wanted her, and already she could hear Danny's voice, jabbering away to Mort as he led him up the hill to where they were standing.

Logan gave a small groan of frustration and released her. "If Danny goes to the Gardoms," he suggested eagerly, "how about driving with me to St. Paul for those three days? The Itasca session ends then, so I have to go back, and I'd like to show you where I live."

She interpreted the banked fire in his eyes to mean exactly what she herself was imagining. An entire three days alone, away from interruptions. She'd never liked cities, but Karena barely gave that a thought as voluptuous images of long, sensual interludes played wickedly through her mind. Gabe would look after Mort, Karena was plotting as she quickly read Betsy's cheerful invitation.

"Say I can go, Mom, please, we gotta decide because it's only three weeks away."

"You're quite sure this is something you really want to do now, Danny," she teased unmercifully. "I wouldn't want you forced into anything you hated."

"Please, Mom," Danny groaned. "Get serious, okay? This is my whole social life we're talking about here."

Karena rolled her eyes at his dramatics, and then said slowly, "If the Gardoms are going to have you visit again, why don't we write and ask if Liz and Alex could come up
here and spend next weekend with you? They'd like to meet Mort, and it would give their mother a break."

"All right!" her son hollered, and she nearly fell over backward as he catapulted himself at her in glee. "We can go fishing and swimming and everything, and Gabe would show them his elk teeth, and—"

"Danny, you nutty kid, you're going to break my ribs," she complained happily. Hugs or kisses from her son were few and far between these days, and she rubbed his unruly shock of thick pale hair affectionately.

Over her son's shoulder, Logan shook his head vigorously and pantomimed horror at the thought of three children around instead of only one.