Page 5 of Whiskey and Wildfire

I could feel the tension rising between the siblings and wished I could sink into the floor. Family drama always made me uncomfortable. It brought up too many bad memories.

Mrs. Baker set a steaming bowl of stew in front of Logan, effectively ending the argument. “That’s enough, you two. Let’s just enjoy our meal and maybe behave in front of our guest.”

“You don’t mind, do you Dakota?” Caroline asked, her gaze back on me in an instant. “Why, you’re practically one of the family now.”

Maybe she sounded innocent to everyone else, but not to me. If there was one thing Caroline was not, it was subtle. She’d made her intentions perfectly clear to me over the past five years I’d been working at the Baker ranch. That girl wanted to wife me up so badly she could barely stand it. But she just wasn’t my type. Nobody was. I stole another glance at Logan. Well, almost nobody.

“Either way,” Logan continued, pulling the conversation off me once more. “I’ll be helping with the cattle drive this weekend. I know we’re a bit short on help right now.”

“Sorry about that, Logan,” his father sighed. The smile that usually adorned his face faltered. “Hired help cancelled on us last minute and those cattle need to come in for the winter.”

“It’s not a problem,” Logan said, taking a bite of his stew. “You know me. I love sleeping in the dirt and riding horses for hours on end.”

It was sarcastic, but his father laughed anyway. “Well, it’s no high-rise office, but it’s not a bad life, right?”

Logan looked up, his smile so fake even I noticed it. “Right. Not a bad life at all.”

Once the meal was over, I offered to help Mrs. Baker clean up, but she’d hear nothing of it. I thanked the Bakers for their hospitality and headed out to my small cabin on the edge of the property. The cool night air was a relief after the stuffy kitchen, and I took a deep breath, letting the tension in my shoulders ease. Some people might’ve found the life of a ranch hand lonely, but I loved it. When I was alone under those stars, I was at peace.

As I approached my cabin, I noticed a figure sitting on the porch steps. My heart skipped a beat when I realized it was Logan. Somehow, he’d beaten me out of the house. He stood as I got closer, his hands shoved deep in his pockets. What was he doing there?

“Hey,” he said softly. “I, uh, wanted to make sure you were really okay after that snake incident.”

I nodded, suddenly very aware of how close he was standing. The heat of him seemed to pull at my skin, sending a tingle down my spine. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just another day on the ranch, right?”

Logan chuckled, but it sounded forced. “Right. Listen, I wanted to apologize for Caroline. She can be... intense.”

“It’s alright,” I replied. “I’m used to it.”

“Right. Of course you are.”

I was suddenly aware of how little time Logan and I had spent together. I was hired onto the ranch after he’d left for college. Other than catching a glimpse of him here and there during holidays, we’d never seen one another, much less held a conversation. And yet, there we were, standing awkwardly outside my cabin with nothing but the silence of a Texas night between us.

“So, listen,” Logan began, scratching the back of his head nervously. It was a cute gesture. “Caroline wanted me to ask you something.”

My heart dropped. Talking about Caroline was one of my least favorite subjects. She was a decent woman and a damn good rider, but she wanted more than I was willing to give.

“My answer is no,” I said, before he could get it out.

Logan looked up at me, a surprised grin spreading over his face. “Oh… so this isn’t the first time she’s done this, then?”

I let out a long sigh. “No. And I appreciate her interest, but I don’t want to date her.”

“Why is that?”

It was an innocent enough question, but it made my stomach turn.

“I… uh… have my reasons.”

Logan nodded. “I get it. She’s the boss’s daughter and?—”

“It’s not that,” I blurted out.

But then I snapped my mouth shut, knowing I’d made a mistake. Why did I even say it to begin with?

“It’s just that… I’m…” I took a deep breath. “I’m just not interested.”

“Hey,” Logan said, lifting his hands up in mock defeat. “You don’t have to explain yourself to me. I’ll tell Caroline to back off. She can be a bit overwhelming sometimes and she knows that.”

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