Page 42 of Logan

“Found the camera,” Logan called out, making Dixie smile. She continued working in silence, her heart aching for Logan as he had to sort through his father’s belongings. This was her first time doing anything like this, and it was tough enough for her. She couldn’t imagine the pain Logan must be feeling.

****

On Tuesday, Logan made a stop at the mailbox on his way to the house. He parked histruck and got out, walking over to the mailbox and opening the door. Sorting through the mail, he noticed the large manilla envelope from his father’s lawyer and knew it was the will. The rest looked to be sympathy cards.

Letting out a sigh, he climbed back into his truck, set the mail on the console, and drove up to the porch before parking. He grabbed the mail, opened the front door, and headed inside. The warmth of the house felt good on his chilled body.

Logan had returned to work because he couldn’t stand sitting around anymore. Despite Sam’s warnings that he needed more time, Logan felt like he had already spent enough time mourning. He just wanted to get back to his routine and distract himself from thoughts of his father.

After taking off his hat and coat and hanging them up, Logan sat on the bench to remove his boots. Feeling cold and exhausted, he couldn’t wait to take a hot shower before eating and checking the mail.

With a heavy sigh, he stood up and walked through the kitchen, living room, and into his bedroom where he stripped off his clothes and went into the bathroom for a much-needed shower.

After finishing a sandwich, he headed to the living room and settled into the recliner. He flipped through the mail and placed the cards on the table, intending to read them later. Sighing, he opened a letter from his father’s lawyer, expressing condolences for his loss. His father and the lawyer had been close friends foryears. The letter also included instructions for Logan to call if he had any questions about the will. There were six copies of the will for him to distribute, as per his father’s specific requests.

As he read over the will, Logan murmured in disbelief at some of the contents. His father had always talked about doing something special for his ranch hands, but this was more than he could have imagined. He made a mental note to inform them during lunchtime tomorrow.

The next day, Logan drove home during his lunch break to talk to the men and retrieve something from the house. He had already called Carl, telling him to gather everyone in the bunkhouse at noon.

Parking near the bunkhouse, Logan walked inside to find five men and Carl sitting at the table, waiting for him.

“Hey guys,” he greeted them.

“Logan, is everything okay?” Carl asked with concern.

“Yeah, I just have something for each of you,” he replied as he handed out copies of his father’s will. Each ranch hand received twenty thousand dollars while Carl received fifty thousand. The men were shocked as they read their copies.

“Are you sure about this?” Carl asked skeptically.

“It’s not my decision, Carl. It’s what Dad wanted,” Logan explained with a smile.

“Okay, but...” Carl trailed off.

“Just enjoy it. I have to get back to work. See you all later,” Logan said before leaving.

The men nodded in disbelief as Loganwalked out of the bunkhouse and quickly gathered what he needed from the house and headed to town.

****

Dixie let out a heavy sigh as more customers walked into the coffee shop. It had been non-stop all morning, despite the snow falling. She couldn’t understand why people still craved their daily caffeine fix no matter what the weather. Each time the bell chimed to announce another customer, she couldn’t help but sigh.

“I heard that,” Celine muttered as she walked past Dixie.

“Oops.” Dixie laughed.

The next time the bell chimed, Dixie’s eyes were drawn to Logan entering with a box in his hands. The women in the shop were whispering and staring at him; he was undeniably attractive. Dixie smiled and walked around the counter to greet him.

“Hey, what brings you here?”

“I have something for you. Can we talk somewhere private?”

“Sure, come with me. We can use the office.”

After letting Celine know she would be back soon, Dixie led Logan to the back office and closed the door behind them. He placed the box on the desk before turning to face her.

“It’s the tea set.”

“Oh! He didn’t leave it to anyone?”

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