Page 50 of Destined for the Cowboy

Lark shook her head, her expression sad. “No. Of course, searching for such things wasn’t as easy then as it is now. Which brings me to the one other thing I know, which is that when he was older, when that kind of search got more efficient through DNA, they offered him the chance to try and find at least his mother. He said no.”

Tris let out a long, pained breath. “I don’t blame him.”

“Nor do I.”

“She—they—don’t deserve him anyway.”

For some reason that made Lark smile. “I can think of someone who does deserve the man he’s become, though.”

Tris felt heat rising in her cheeks. Sometimes Lark wastoodarned observant. Or maybe she was just too darned obvious.

She mulled over what she’d learned as she walked on toward the library, her original destination. It seemed a bit busy for a midday Thursday, but as much as she treasured the quiet she also liked to see people here, using this marvelous resource.An up-to-date, fully connected facility in an old, Texas stone building just made her feel good. Like things could grow and change and adapt without losing what they’d originally been.

But she seemed to be having trouble focusing today, and after chatting with the young man covering the desk for a moment, spent more time than usual searching for something that grabbed her interest.

At least, something that would keep her from endlessly going over that horrible story Lark had told her. No wonder Logan was a bit prickly, and a lot withdrawn. He had every reason and right to be.

It was sometime later that she looked up, and her breath caught when she realized who had come in.

Something had changed.

Tris had no idea what it was, but Logan was…different. Not happier, really, but…lighter. As if a burden had been lifted from him. Or he’d gotten good news. She could tell even from here, a library aisle away.

She watched him, covertly, telling herself it was silly to think that that odd tickle she’d felt at the back of her neck a moment ago had been because of him coming into the building. But she had to admit she’d felt nothing like it before, and a half-dozen people had come and gone already while she’d been here.

Not to mention he looked…great. In a pair of black jeans that looked almost new, a green knit shirt that made his equally green eyes seem to glow, and shiny black boots that showed none of the wear and tear of his work, he looked like a guy who had taken some care. She wondered if he had an appointment with a new client or something.

Or maybe a date?

She didn’t want to think about that. Because the emotion that jabbed at her at the thought felt like nothing less than jealousy. She felt almost…possessive about him, and she had no right.

He paused at the desk, spoke briefly to the assistant librarian there—Joey, the woman had told her, was at her obstetrician’s office this morning—who smiled and nodded at whatever he’d said. He turned and scanned the rest of the library. She knew he couldn’t see her, since she’d been watching through the narrow space between the eye-level books in front of her and the shelf above. Yet, decision apparently made, he started toward her.

As if he’d guessed where she would be.

Well, the history section. No big surprise there.

Still, when he came to a halt in front of her, she couldn’t help but smile at him. It was when he smiled back that she seemed to forget how to breathe.

Yes, something had definitely changed. She’d never seen this kind of openness, this obvious cheer in Logan’s face and demeanor.

“You look like someone who got good news,” she said.

“I did, in a way,” he said.

“I’m glad.” She beat back the urge to ask him what it was. “Looking for something?” She gestured at the bookshelves she knew better than most, wondering what he was here for this time.

“Already found it,” he said. And he was looking at her.

“Logan.” It was all she could manage to get out.

“Can we go someplace quiet to talk?”

She refrained from pointing out they were in a library. She had the feeling he’d meant private as much as quiet. Or maybe she was just hoping that was what he’d meant. She steadied herself, took a deep breath, then the plunge.

“My place is only a block away.”

She knew he knew that, since he had, in fact, been there once before. Sort of. He hadn’t wanted to come in then. She’d told herself it was because they were ready to leave to go see theMustangs of Las Colinas. Then she’d wondered if he just didn’t want to get any more personal with her than he already had.

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