Page 47 of Whiskey and Wildfire

As we made our way back inside, I couldn’t help but marvel at how quickly things had changed. Just an hour ago, I’d been sure I’d ruined everything with Dakota. Now, here he was, supporting me both literally and figuratively.

Dakota helped me back to the bedroom, my mind racing with possibilities the entire way making it hurt even worse. Maybe Lucas really could help us out of this mess. But even if he couldn’t, knowing Dakota was by my side made the impossible seem a little more achievable.

We reached the bedroom, and Dakota gently lowered me onto the bed. He disappeared for a moment, returning with a large glass of water and some aspirin.

“Here,” he said, handing me the pills and water. “Take these. It’ll help with the headache.”

I swallowed the pills gratefully, downing half the glass of water in one go. Dakota sat on the edge of the bed, watching me with concern in his eyes.

“I’m sorry,” I said again, setting the glass on the nightstand. “For everything. I should have talked to you instead of... well, you know.”

Dakota sighed, running a hand through his long dark hair. “I understand why you did it,” he said softly. “But promise me, Logan. Promise me you’ll never do that again. I can’t... I can’t lose you like that.”

The raw emotion in his voice made my chest tighten. I reached out and took his hand, intertwining our fingers. “I promise,” I said, meeting his gaze. “Never again.”

He nodded, seemingly satisfied with my response. Then, to my surprise, he kicked off his boots and lay down next to me on the bed, pulling me close against his chest. I could feel the steady beat of his heart, a comforting rhythm in the quiet of the night.

“Get some sleep,” he murmured, his breath warm against my ear. “We’ve got a long day ahead of us tomorrow.”

As I drifted off, wrapped up in his masculine, albeit sweaty, arms. Though, if I was being honest, I kinda liked it.

Chapter 18

Logan

Icalled Lucas the moment I woke up, telling him I had an emergency, and we needed to meet for a late breakfast. He agreed quickly, telling me he’d bring Beau along and meet us at the diner. Thanks to Dakota, my headache was lessened, but as we stepped into the diner, the usual rumble of conversations that filled the room seemed to pierce right through my skull. I needed some coffee stat or I was liable to murder someone due to the overstimulation.

“Hey there, sugar!” Dolly called from behind the bar. “Take a seat wherever you like. We’re busy this mornin’, but I’ll be over to get your order soon!”

“Coffee first, please,” I said, my voice gravelly and low.

“You got it, sugar.”

Dakota and I chose a corner booth out of the way where things were a little quieter. I wanted to keep the conversation private. The last thing I needed was the entire town of Sagebrush spreading rumors about my daddy’s ranch. Dolly came right over with coffee, bless her heart, and some menus, not that we needed them.

No sooner had she stepped away from the table, I heard the bell over the door jingle again and in stepped Lucas andBeau. They waved and headed over fast, worry etched into their expressions.

“Everything alright?” Lucas asked, sitting down next to me without ceremony. “Your dad okay?”

“He’s fine,” I nodded. “Caroline texted me this morning. He’s recovering, but still really tired. Her and mama decided to get a hotel room in Amarillo for the next couple of days. It seems Caroline decided to put her business on hold for a moment so she could be there for them both.”

“That’s good of her to do,” Beau nodded.

“It’s stupid of her to do,” I shot back. “Her business might be the only thing she has left after all this.” Dakota’s hand landed on my shoulder, giving it a squeeze and I forced myself to take a breath. “Sorry Beau. I’m just… there’s a lot going on.”

Beau started, surprised by the abrupt apology. “It’s alright.”

“No… it’s not,” I sighed, meeting his gaze at last. “I’ve been such a dick to you for so long. And you didn’t deserve it. We all have our battles to fight and expecting you to come out before you were ready just to stand up for me is stupid. I should’ve been standing up for myself. I’m sorry for holding that against you. It wasn’t fair.”

“I understand,” he replied, his drawl thick as he ran his fingers through his blond hair. “I’m sorry for not helpin’ ya back then.”

I held my hand out to shake. “Friends?”

He took it with a smile. “Friends.”

“This is adorable,” Lucas said, grinning from ear to ear. “But I don’t think it’s why you called us here.”

“No. Unfortunately it’s not,” I said, shaking my head. “Daddy’s fine for now, but the ranch… well, it might not be there by the time he gets back.”

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