Second Chance at Love (The MacKenna Born & Bred Trilogy) (8 page)

Regaining some level of composure, she nodded. “Logan,” she
said, her voice soft and hesitant.

It wasn't the response he'd hoped for, but definitely the
one he'd expected. He wouldn't say that she'd been cold, or aloof. It was more
like guarded. And he understood that.

“How long have you been back in town?” Chase wanted to know.

“I got in a week ago today.”

“And how long are you staying?”

“Three months,” Brooke answered, glancing quickly at Logan
as she said it. If he was surprised, it didn't show. His expression hadn't
faltered.

“That's awesome,” Seth said. “We'll have to make some time
to hang out, all of us. It'll be great, just like the old days.”

Brooke smiled.
The old days. Hmm.

It would never again be like the old days, but Brooke didn't
have the heart to say it. Seth looked so excited about the idea.

The girl behind the counter called their number, indicating
their order was ready. Logan paid the bill and grabbed their food. Seth and
Chase offered goodbyes and promised to stop by her parents' house soon as they
headed out in front of Logan. He gave Brooke one last long look before
following them out. She watched him go, her eyes wandering to places they had
no business wandering to, and her imagination following suit. She blew out a
breath when the door closed behind him.
God, this is going to be a long
summer
,  she thought.

After lunch, Brooke walked with Karissa back to The Cottage
and stayed for a bit, enjoying the time she was able to spend with her sister
and not wanting it to end just yet. They sat out back on a bench in the garden,
sipping lemonade. Brooke admired all of the pretty flowers, their vibrant
colors adding a nice touch to the place. They made her think of her own garden
back home.

“You're awfully quiet,” Karissa commented.

“Just thinking,” Brooke said. She took a long sip of her
lemonade. Her throat was suddenly dry.

“About Logan?” Karissa asked.

Brooke looked directly at her and sighed. “I don't know,”
she said, her voice low, wistful. “I wasn't ready to see him so soon.”

“Eight years isn't exactly that soon,” Karissa pointed out.

Brooke gave her a level stare. “You know what I mean.”

“Well, look at it this way. At least you got it over with.
Your first time seeing each other again. Now you don't have to stress so much
about it.”

“Yeah, but I'll just stress about the next time I run into
him, and the time after that.” She pouted a little, and Karissa rubbed a hand
up and down her arm, soothingly.

“Honey, I wouldn't worry about it so much if I were you.
Chances are, you won't run into Logan much. Even though this is a fairly small
town, it's still more than big enough for the both of you.”

Karissa was right, Brooke thought. She would try to put it
out of her mind. With any luck, she'd only run into Logan once or twice more.
It was only three months, and then she'd be gone again. Surely they could
manage to avoid each other for that long. Mostly.

Over the next few days, Raelyn began to feel much stronger.
She'd been home from the hospital for only a week and already she was feeling
back to her normal self.  No more pain medication, which made her groggy. She hated
not being aware and alert, and sleeping half the day. That wasn't for her. She
knew she had to be careful and take it easy. The doctors reminded her, Paul
reminded her, her daughters reminded her. She knew they all meant well. She had
just become tired of feeling like an invalid. But with each passing day, she
was regaining her strength and her independence.

Brooke kept herself busy spending time with her mother, or
taking walks, or riding. It had been four days since she'd run into Logan at
the deli. And she'd thought about him ever since. She tried to push him out of
her mind, but he was persistent. If she could keep him tucked in a back corner
somewhere, even, she could deal with that. But no, he just wanted to take it
over. So she'd decided to go for a ride and clear her head.

Now, riding atop Gypsy, she headed out to the tree line and
disappeared into the woods. There were paths, wide ones, branching out in
various directions. Brooke knew these woods like the back of her hand. She'd
spent countless hours every day as a kid exploring them, her and Karissa and
the MacKenna boys. Their land bordered the MacKenna property and was divided by
a stream. They'd swam in that stream and played in those woods all of their
lives. For easier access, their dads had even built a wooden bridge that
crossed it.

Brooke had given herself to Logan for the first time in
these woods. They'd made love underneath a huge willow tree near the south bank
of the stream. It had been summer. August, she remembered. They'd been dating
for nearly two years, and they both knew it was time. It was Logan's first
time, too. They were two young lovers sneaking away for a few stolen hours.
They'd come to the willow tree near the stream many times after to be alone and
to share moments of passion.

Something moved skittishly across the path, startling her,
and she relaxed when she realized it was only a rabbit. She continued on,
urging Gypsy forward. When she reached the clearing, she walked Gypsy slowly. 
She came to the old willow tree, and just sat there for a minute. She loved the
sound of the water, and the sounds of the animals.

Brooke was about to urge the mare on when, out of the corner
of her eye, she caught a flash of movement. She squinted in the bright
sunlight, trying to focus, and realized that it was Logan, sitting on a boulder
on the opposite bank. A pretty black dog, a Lab, Brooke noted, sat leaning
against Logan's legs, his big head in his lap. Logan absently patted it. He
looked deep in thought, and Brooke didn't want to be intrusive. She turned to
steer her mare back toward the path, but something startled the horse, and she
whinnied nervously while dancing sideways.

Logan's head shot up at the sound. Brooke's eyes locked with
his as she tried to calm the mare. He hesitated briefly, then stood up and
started across the bridge that led to her side of the stream, his dog loping
along at his side.

He stopped a few feet in front of her. “Hey there,” he said,
with that rich and masculine voice of his. Brooke couldn't get past the sound
of it. “What are you doing out here?” He eyed her curiously.
She's so damn
beautiful,
was all he could think. He wondered if she even knew.

She swung her right leg over the horse's hind quarters and,
with her knees slightly bent, slid to the ground. She tilted her head as she
looked up at him. “Riding. You?”

“I come out here from time to time. It's peaceful, and I can
think,” he answered, smiling.

His dog stood in front of her and licked her hand. She bent
down to pet him, scratching his ears and his chin. He loved it, and thumped his
thick tail on the ground rapidly.

“Aww, aren't you a sweetheart?” she said, laughing when he
gave her his paw. “And what's your name?”

“His name is Koty,” Logan offered. “He loves attention.
He'll let you do that all day long.”

“He's so friendly and so gentle,” she said, looking up at
Logan. “How long have you had him?”

“Two years. Since he was a pup.”

“You're such a handsome fellow,” she cooed. Koty licked her
face happily. “I've always wanted a dog,” Brooke said, thinking of how much fun
it would be to raise one from a puppy. “I don't know what it is about them, but
I love Labs, in particular.”

“They're great dogs,” Logan said, bending over to pat Koty's
huge head. “They're loyal and they have a nice temperament. He's just a big
baby, really” Brooke could hear the affection for Koty in Logan's voice. “He
likes you.”

“The feeling is mutual.” Brooke scratched his ears one last
time before straightening and giving her attention to Logan.

Brooke watched the way his eyes, the brightest green she'd
ever seen, sparkled in the sunlight. “I haven't been out here in years,” she
said, wistfully.

He believed that to be true. She'd hardly been back to Angel
Ridge at all over the past eight years. He could probably count on one hand how
many times, and he knew he was the reason why. But she couldn't run away from
him forever. This was their second encounter in just days. She had to have
known that eventually they were bound to cross paths, and it appeared that they
would be doing exactly that for the foreseeable future.

Brooke wanted to say a million things to him at that moment,
and nothing at all. Her emotions, already in overdrive, played tug-of-war
inside her.

“It's good to see you, Brooke” He meant it. He'd thought of
her often over the years, wondered how she was, if she was happy. He also
wondered whether or not there was someone in her life who had replaced him,
someone she loved the way she'd loved him once. He supposed it didn't really
matter at this point. It wasn't as if he could do anything to change it. But it
had always occupied his mind. He knew he had no right to ask her.

“Is it?” she asked. “Because I have to be honest, it's a bit
awkward for me. I would imagine it is for you, as well,” she added. She spoke
so softly then that he had to strain to hear her over the sound of flowing
water.

“Maybe a little, but I'm a big boy, Brooke. I think I can
handle it.” He caught the mild irritation that flickered in her eyes. As
quickly as it had been there, it was gone. Logan wondered if he'd imagined it.

“It would probably be best if you and I come to an
agreement,” she stated, unconsciously twisting the delicate gold ring that
adorned her finger.

“An agreement, huh?” he repeated, both amused and annoyed.
“And what type of agreement would that be, Brooke?” He couldn't wait to hear
this.

 “That we stay away from each other,” she replied. “I think
we should respect each other's personal space.” The look that crossed her
exquisite face had challenge written all over it. Logan would have been
intrigued if he wasn't already irritated as hell. She had nerve, he'd give her
that.

He smiled then, slowly. “Tell me, Brooke, would I be in your
personal space if I were to do, say, this?” he asked, moving in closer to her
so that their faces were only inches apart. He could hear her breathing deepen,
and sensed her nervousness even before her eyes betrayed her.

She watched him carefully, her blue eyes darkening. She
could feel his breath fan across her cheek, sending a shiver down her spine.
His lips were so close that they nearly brushed hers, and she was sure she
could see the intent in his eyes. She prepared herself mentally for his kiss.
He hovered there for several seconds longer.

“See you around, Brooke,” he whispered against her lips,
then turned on his heel, making his way back over the bridge with his dog in
tow. She was completely dumbfounded. She glared at the back of his head as he
retreated. Fury bubbled up inside her as she replayed the entire scene in her
head. She didn't know why she was more annoyed, because he had the arrogance to
mess with her head like that, or because he hadn't kissed her after all. Either
way, she found herself cursing Logan MacKenna.

She mounted her horse and waited until he disappeared into
the woods before turning and guiding Gypsy toward the path.
How dare he mock
me?
she thought, and fumed all the way back to West Wind Ranch.

Brooke couldn't remember when she'd enjoyed a Saturday more.
She'd spent the day with Karissa, shopping in Missoula. They'd hit just about
every store in the mall, and Brooke had found some really great new outfits.
And of course, shoes to go with them. Oh, and a new bikini, a handbag, a bottle
of some very great smelling perfume, a gorgeous pair of gold hoop earrings, and
a few paperbacks for her reading pleasure because, well, who didn't love a good
romance?

They had lunch at a nice little Italian restaurant in the
city called Casa Italia. Brooke ordered the chicken fettuccini alfredo with
fresh broccoli and sun-dried tomatoes; it was out of this world. She was
completely stuffed.

If she wasn't careful, she'd have to pour herself into the
pretty new bikini she'd bought. She hadn't exactly been keeping up on personal
fitness the past couple of weeks, just the few times she'd run. But it had been
so hectic, between her mother's surgery and trying to settle in. She really had
to make a conscious effort to exercise. She considered getting a membership at
the fitness center in town. That way, she would be able to use any of the
machines she chose and take advantage of the swimming pool they were sure to
have. Yes, that was it. She put it on her mental to-do list for Monday morning.

Stopping for a few minutes at one of the fountains, they
took a seat on a nearby bench. Brooke's feet were killing her. They'd done a
ton of walking and her heels were probably not the wisest choice of footwear.
She toed off her shoes and absently rubbed her feet.

“Why don't we go out tonight for a while?” Karissa
suggested. “To Locomotions,” she quickly added when Brooke shot her one raised
eyebrow.

“Don't tell me it's karaoke night. Because I'm warning you
right now, I don't do karaoke,” she stated, emphatically. Karissa just smiled.

“Oh, God,” Brooke groaned. “Forget it.”

“No, karaoke is on Wednesdays. On Saturday nights there's a
live band.” Brooke eyed her, skeptically. “Come on, Brooke. When's the last
time you went out and just let loose and had some fun?” Karissa wanted to know.

Brooke thought about it. It had probably been a couple of
months. The last time she could remember was going out for a ladies' night in
Los Angeles with Ashley and one of their other girlfriends. It had been at
least a couple of months, sadly.

“When's the last time
you
did?” Brooke wanted to know.
Karissa smiled.

“I get out now and then. I have fun.”

“What, do you have some scheduled for next year?”

“Oh, you've got jokes.” Karissa smiled and bumped Brooke
with her shoulder. She hadn't been out in months, but Brooke didn't need to
know that. “Please,” Karissa begged.

“Oh, okay,” Brooke said, giving in.”But just for a little
bit.” Brooke laughed when Karissa threw both arms around her for a hug. She was
like a little kid anticipating her first taste of candy.