Page 62 of Whiskey and Wildfire

“The roof. Through his bedroom window.”

I barely took a breath as I pushed my way through the front door.

“You’re welcome,” she called after me.

I made a mental note to thank her later as I took the stairs two at a time toward the second floor. I burst into Logan’s room, my heart pounding. The window was open, curtains billowing in the cool night breeze. I approached cautiously, peering out onto the slanted roof.

There he was, silhouetted against the star-studded Texas sky. Logan sat with his knees pulled to his chest, staring out across the darkened prairie. He didn’t turn as I climbed out to join him, my boots scraping against the shingles.

“Hey,” I said softly, settling beside him.

Logan remained silent for a long moment. When he finally spoke, his voice was hoarse and tired. “Hey.”

I waited, letting the silence stretch between us. The night air was cool, carrying the scent of sage and distant rain. Far off, a coyote howled, its mournful cry echoing across the prairie.

“I’m sorry,” Logan finally said, his voice barely above a whisper. “About today.”

“It’s not your fault. Those people…”

“I didn’t stand up for you,” he said, cutting me off. “I didn’t stand up for you when that lady said all those horrible things or when she wanted to turn you into some Cherokee roadside spectacle. That… That wasn’t right of me.”

“You were trying to save the ranch,” I replied. “I understand why you stayed quiet.”

Logan shook his head, his jaw clenching. “No, that’s no excuse. I should’ve said something. Anything.” He turned to look at me, his green eyes shimmering in the moonlight. “You’re really important to me, Kota. I should’ve had your back.”

I swallowed hard, feeling a lump form in my throat. “It’s okay, really. I know how much this ranch means to you and your family.”

“It’s not okay,” Logan insisted, his voice growing stronger. “This place... it’s just land and buildings. But you? You’re family too. I forgot that for a moment, and I’m ashamed.”

We sat in silence for a while, the weight of his words settling between us. The prairie stretched out before us, a sea of shadows and starlight. In the distance, I could make out the silhouette of my little cabin where we’d first realized our mutual attraction. That was only a week or two ago and yet, it felt like a lifetime. So much had happened.

“I’m sorry too,” I said at last, looking up at him. “I know how much this place means to you and I made it all about myself.”

“But that lady?—”

“She was wrong to say those things,” I nodded. “But things are more complex than just right and wrong,” I said, recalling what my mom had said about my grandfather. “There’s a level of complexity to the situation that I refused to see and then I took it out on you because I was angry.”

“It’s okay.”

I shook my head, holding back tears. “No, it’s not. Because I haven’t been telling you the truth.”

“The truth?” Logan asked. “What truth?”

“I love you Logan Baker,” I sputtered, unable to hold it back any longer. “You’re like wildfire in my veins and no matter what I do, I can’t stop you from consuming me. I tried to resist you for so long, but I just can’t anymore. I love you and… well, it scares me to death.” I took a deep breath, just letting the words flow. “I’ve been so scared for so long that if I opened up to someone, they would abandon me the moment I didn’t do exactly what they wanted. And after a while, I started pushing people away on purpose, so they never got the chance to leave me behind. And that’s what I did to you today.” I looked up at him, feeling a bit lighter already. “I’m so sorry.”

Logan’s eyes widened, his expression softening as he took in my words. For a moment, he just stared at me, the silence stretching between us like a taut wire. Then, slowly, he reached out and took my hand in his.

“Kota,” he said softly, his voice thick with emotion. “I... I love you too. I’ve been trying to find the right way to tell you, but I guess you beat me to it.” He gave a small, nervous laugh.

I felt my heart skip a beat, warmth spreading through my chest despite the cool night air.

“You’re not just saying that because I said it first, are you?” I asked, only half-joking.

Logan shook his head, his green eyes serious. “No, I mean it. I’ve known for a while now. I just... I was scared too. Scared of messing things up like I always have. I failed at leaving this town, at living in the big city, at having a career… I guess I was afraid of failing at having you in my life too, that I’d mess up loving you.”

Logan’s words hung in the air between us, heavy with vulnerability. I squeezed his hand, feeling the roughness of his fingers against my palm.

“You haven’t failed at anything,” I said softly. “You came back here because this is where you belong. And as for loving me...” I paused, my heart racing. “Well, I’d say you’re doing a pretty good job so far.”

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