Page 58 of Whiskey and Wildfire

I helped her up, pulling her into a tight hug. “Thanks, Mom. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Let’s hope you never have to find out,” she chuckled, patting my back. “Now go on. Go find that boy of yours.”

With a deep breath, I nodded and turned towards the ranch house. The walk back seemed both endless and far too short. My mind raced with all the things I wanted to say to Logan, all the fears and hopes that had been building up inside me.

As I approached the house, I saw a figure silhouetted on the porch. But as I got closer, I realized it wasn’t Logan at all. In fact, I was surprised to see it was Caroline, back from Amarillo.

Caroline’s sharp eyes locked onto me as I approached. She was leaning against the porch railing, arms crossed, her usual braid swinging behind her back.

“Well, look what the coyote dragged in,” she drawled, her voice carrying a hint of amusement. “You look like you’ve been chewed up and spit out, Dakota.”

I managed a weak smile as I climbed the porch steps. “Nice to see you too, Caroline. How’s your dad doing?”

“He’s recoverin’,” she nodded. “He’ll be in the hospital for some time yet, but Mama’ll make sure he gets back on his feet in no time. Meanwhile, I popped back to see how the meeting with the investors went.” She gave me a serious amount of side-eye. “Considering how Logan stormed off without even saying hello, I’m assumin’ it didn’t go well.”

“No,” I said. “It went great. They want to invest.”

“That’s great news!”

“But there’s some complications.”

She furrowed her brow. “What do you?—”

“I’m sorry, Caroline. I don’t have time to explain it right now. I need to talk to Logan.” I looked up at her, my eyes pleading. “Do you know where he went?”

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “He took the truck and headed north.”

“Can I borrow your car?”

“Yeah… but what’s going on?”

“I…” I took a deep breath, swallowing hard. “I need to tell him I love him.”

Caroline’s jaw fell open. For a moment she just stared. But then, digging in her pocket, she pulled out her keys and tossed them to me. I caught them, my eyes still fixed on her.

“Well,” she sighed, putting her hands on her hips. “What the hell are you waiting for?”

Chapter 22

Logan

The diner was quiet, the supper rush long ended. I’d stuffed myself into a booth at the back of the dining room, out of the way of everyone. A cup of coffee that was now cold, sat in front of me as I pressed my forehead to the table.

I only glanced up when the bell over the door rang. A familiar face greeted me with a tentative smile that quickly faded. Lucas headed over, looking as if he were preparing himself for bad news. But the truth was, I needed his help.

“Hey Logan,” he said, taking a seat next to me. “You… Well, you’ve looked better.”

“Thanks,” I mumbled against the table’s surface.

“Judging by your enthusiasm,” he said softly. “I’m guessing the investors passed on the ranch?”

I shook my head. “No. They want to invest.”

Lucas’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Wait, what? That’s great news! So why do you look like someone just ran over your dog?”

I finally lifted my head, meeting Lucas’s concerned gaze. His green eyes searched my face, trying to understand. I ran a hand through my hair, feeling the weight of my predicament settle on my shoulders.

“They want to invest,” I repeated, “but there’s a catch. They want to turn the ranch into some kind of roadside attraction with Dakota as the main event.”

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