Page 38 of Logan

“I don’t want to hear apologies, Logan. I heard them two years ago. I didn’t believe you then and I don’t believe you now.” She shrugged. “I never will.”

Dixie hopped off the bar, picked up her jeans and panties, then entered the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

“Fuck,” he swore as he zipped his jeans and waited for his turn in the bathroom. She would never believe how sorry he was that he hurt her. She’d made that clear. He didn’t knowwhat else he could do to convince her.

She returned from the bathroom and made a sandwich. After one look at her, he entered the bathroom to dispose of the condom and wash his hands. Staring at his reflection in the mirror, he swore knowing he had a snowball’s chance in hell of having her back in his life.

****

Dixie’s eyes blurred with unshed tears as she hastily put together a sandwich, her hands trembling with anger and hurt. She squeezed her eyes shut, remembering the intense heat that had always sparked between them.

But now, she couldn’t trust him. How could she believe his words of love when he had used and deceived her? It was a simple answer; he couldn’t truly love her.

The door to the bathroom opened and he strode out, heading straight for the sofa without even glancing at her. Taking a deep breath, Dixie grabbed the sandwich and walked over to him. But as their eyes met, her breath caught in her throat. She still loved him so desperately.

“I don’t want it,” he said, breaking the moment.

“Tough shit,” she snapped, shoving the sandwich into his hands. “You need to eat.”

He looked up at her, frustration etched on his face. “You are the most infuriating woman I have ever met.”

“You’re no walk in the park yourself, Townson,” she growled back. “I’ll be leavingfirst thing in the morning, one way or another.” Stalking back to the small kitchenette, Dixie made herself a sandwich and settled onto the cot against the wall, forcing herself to eat despite her churning emotions.

“That makes two of us,” he muttered as he took a bite of his sandwich. The silence between them was heavy and tense as they both tried to ignore the lingering feelings of love and betrayal that hung in the air.

Dixie finished her meal and went into the bathroom for a shower before heading to bed. She hoped that the snow had stopped so she could finally leave in the morning, no matter what. She couldn’t bear being stuck here with him for even one more day.

As soon as she closed the door behind her, she leaned against it and let out a sob while covering her mouth with her hand. After composing herself, she turned on the shower and undressed. The warm water felt comforting, but she knew she couldn’t stay in there forever. She washed without getting her hair wet, knowing she wouldn’t be able to sleep with damp hair.

She dried off and got dressed. Hopefully, she could relax enough to fall asleep and escape this nightmare. When she emerged from the bathroom, Logan was nowhere to be seen. Wondering where he went in the freezing weather, she heard the front door open and saw him carrying logs for the stove.

He stacked them neatly and added some to the fire before removing his coat and hat and settling on the sofa under a quilt. Dixie sighedand climbed into bed, pulling the blanket over her. She prayed for sleep to come quickly.

The next morning, she woke up to sunlight streaming through the windows. Stretching, she realized Logan was not in the cabin. Curious, she walked to the kitchen and made herself a cup of coffee. Still no sign of Logan, but when she opened the door to check the weather, she was surprised to see that he had cleared her SUV of snow, and his truck was gone.

****

Logan drove to the house and sat in the truck staring at it. He hated going inside because his father’s presence was everywhere. But he knew he had to eventually go in because he was going to have to clean out his father’s belongings.

Throwing the door open, he stepped from the truck, trudged through the snow, and walked up the steps, then entered the house.

He stood inside the kitchen listening to the quiet. With a sigh, he removed his hat and coat, then hung them up.

Taking a deep breath, Logan walked into the living room and looked around as tears pricked his eyes. There was a lot to take care of and though he had time, he wanted to get it done as soon as possible.

He was startled when someone knocked at the back door. He strode to the kitchen, opened the door, and smiled at Carl.

“Good morning, Logan,” Carl said as heremoved his hat.

“Carl, come inside, out of the cold.” Logan opened the door wider. “Would you like a cup of coffee?”

“No, thanks, son. I just wanted to see how you were doing.”

Logan shook his head. “Not good, but I’ll get there. I was just thinking about starting to clear out the house.”

“Are you getting rid of everything?” Carl asked in surprise.

“No, just his clothes…” Logan’s voice choked, and he cleared his throat.

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