Page 16 of Pure Bred

“You love me,” I counter, reaching to take the tiara from his hand and placing it on his head. “And you look absolutely beautiful.”

Logan rolls his eyes, but I’m pretty sure I catch amusement in his face. “Yeah, yeah. I’m a regular fairy princess.”

I stand on my tiptoes and plant a kiss on his lips. “I promise I’ll make it worth your while later tonight.”

His eyebrows shoot up. “Is that a promise?”

“Mm-hmm,” I say, running my fingers along the edge of his tutu.

Logan suddenly looks much more enthusiastic about his costume. “Well then, we better get on with handing out this candy. The sooner we’re done?—”

I laugh, grabbing his hand and pulling him toward the stairs. “Easy there, cowboy. We’ve got a long night of trick-or-treaters ahead of us first.”

The next few hours fly by in a whirlwind of laughter, sugar, and adorable costumes. Logan and I answer the door together, exclaiming over each little ghost, superhero, and princess that shows up on my parents’ porch.

I can’t stop myself from stealing glances at Logan throughout the night. Even in his ridiculous fairy princess get-up, he’s still hot as hell. But what really gets me is how sweet and patient he is with every kid that comes to the door. He kneels down to compliment their costumes, asks about their favorite candy, and makes silly faces that have them giggling uncontrollably. Seeing him interact with the kids like that makes my heart swell.

As the night wears on, the stream of trick-or-treaters slows to a trickle. By nine o’clock, it seems like the last of them have made their way through the neighborhood.

“I think that’s it for the night,” I say, peering out the front window. “Want to head back to your place?”

Logan nods, giving me one of those smiles that’s meant just for me. “Thought you’d never ask.”

I head into the kitchen, where my parents are cleaning up from dinner. “Hey, we’re going to head over to Logan’s for a bit. I’ll be back late, so don’t wait up.”

“Alright, sweetie,” my mom says. “Have fun and be safe.”

As Logan and I leave my parents’ place, he wraps an arm around me, his warmth shielding me against the chilly October night. He only pulls his arm away so he can open up the passengerdoor of his truck for me. I slide into the truck and watch him as he strides around to the driver’s side. As we set off toward the ranch, I smile, thinking about the evening we just had.

“You were great with those kids tonight,” I say, looking over at him. “You’ll make an amazing dad someday.”

Logan glances at me, a soft smile playing on his lips. “You think so?”

“Absolutely. The way you interacted with them was really sweet.”

He’s quiet for a moment, then asks, “Do you still want three kids?”

I blink, surprised. “You remember that?”

“’Course I do. You used to talk about it all the time when we were younger.”

Warmth spreads through my chest. “I do still want three. Although I’m not as confident it’ll happen anymore.”

Logan is quiet for a beat. Then, with exaggerated seriousness, he says, “All right. Here’s what we’re going to do. You’ll take an extended hiatus from music, move back to Montana, and we’ll have those three kids together.”

I laugh, my stomach fluttering even though I know he’s kidding around.

“Easy as that, huh?” I say.

“Easy as that.”

“All right, Magnuson. You’ve got yourself a deal.”

We both laugh, but there’s an undercurrent of…something else. The idea of having kids with Logan, even said in jest, makes my heart race. I can imagine a life here in Montana, away from the spotlight, raising a family with him. It’s a future I’ve never let myself consider before, but now that the thought’s there, I can’t shake it.

I steal a glance at Logan, wondering if there’s any chance he’s thinking the same thing. Part of me desperately wants to know, but I can’t bring myself to ask.

Soon, we’re at the ranch, stepping through the front door of Logan’s cozy home, the familiar scent of the place enveloping me.

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