Two Times as Hot (19 page)

His brows rose a bit. Logan nodded. “I think I can arrange for you to be there to
witness that.”

“I look forward to it.” With one last smoldering look, Emma carried her coffee mug
to where the family sat.

Taking her seat at the breakfast table, Emma was in such a good mood she could even
ignore the openly interested expression Becca wore. That was in direct opposition
to how Tuck kept his head down while he studied the front page of the morning newspaper
as if his life depended on it. Good man. He was giving them privacy. Or he was really
into the local news. Either way, it worked for Emma.

Thank goodness Tyler had already left for work, Mr. Jenkins was busy with the sports
section of the paper, and Mrs. Jenkins was too busy frying bacon to care. Otherwise
the entire Jenkins family might have seen her and Logan flirting over the coffeemaker.

Emma glanced up and saw him coming across the kitchen. He took the empty chair next
to her at the wooden table. “So, you got to see our good old friend Jace yesterday,
huh?” Logan eyed her over the rim of his mug as he took a sip.

Wasn’t this interesting? If Emma wasn’t totally off base, Logan was jealous. This
could play right into her plans. “Yes, I did.” Emma looked at Tuck, enjoying this
game she was playing with Logan. “In fact, Tucker, I think I promised to kiss last
night’s winner. Who won?”

Tuck glanced up, wide-eyed and looking less than happy to be included in Emma’s game
of cat and mouse with Logan. “Uh, not me.”

“Then who?”

“Jace,” Becca answered for her husband.

“Really? Wow.” Hmm. She hadn’t counted on him winning. Emma shot Logan a sideways
glance and noticed the expression he wore. It looked as if his coffee had gotten very
bitter. Making him a little jealous was one thing, but she didn’t want to drive him
away by making him think she was slutting around Oklahoma. Especially not now. Emma
swallowed hard. “So, where is Jace?”

“Stillwater,” Tuck answered in seemingly as few words as possible.

“Oh, well. That offer had an expiration date so he’ll miss out.” She turned her attention
to her sister. Time to change the subject. “Becca, what are you and Tuck doing today?”

“I’m fixin’ to mow our lawn and the Hunts’s yard right after breakfast.”

“No, Tuck—” Logan began to protest.

“Quit.” Tucker cut off his friend. “I stayed in town to help your parents out, so
let me help.”

Logan drew in a deep breath, looking uncomfortable. “Thanks.”

Tuck nodded his acceptance and went back to reading the paper, though he never did
turn the page.

“And I thought I’d need to spend the day keeping you busy, but it seems I don’t have
to. Logan’s willing to do it for me.” Becca smiled.

“Becca, you should spend the day with your sister.” Again, Logan appeared uncomfortable.

“No, really, Logan, you’d be doing me a favor. I still have to write and address all
the thank you cards for the wedding. It’ll probably take me all day. It’ll help me
knowing Emma is being taken care of.” Becca was playing matchmaker again, but this
time, it was fine with Emma.

Logan looked at Emma. “You sure you won’t mind being stuck with me all day?”

Emma met his dark gaze. “Not at all.” She couldn’t think of a better way to spend
a day . . . or a night.

“M
y grandfather owned the shop first. Then my father ran it. I know he hopes Layne and
I will take it over one day.” Logan rubbed the leather of the saddle with a rag as
he spoke.

Emma paused in the midst of tearing into a cardboard box in the store’s back room
and looked up. Logan wore a wistful expression when he spoke about the family history
of his shop. “Logan, I hadn’t realized. This store’s a real family tradition.”

He sniffed out a short laugh. “And how could I have even contemplated selling it,
knowing how much it means to my father?”

“No.” She shook her head. “That’s not what I was saying at all.”

“I know.” Logan sighed like the weight of the world rested on his shoulders. “You
don’t have to say it. I’ve said it to myself at least a hundred times.”

“And in this conversation with yourself, what do you say back to you?” Emma cocked
a brow.

He let out another humorless laugh. “That depends on the day, and time . . . and my
mood. Then I ask myself the other big question haunting me. How can we keep it? Mom’s
busy taking care of Dad. Layne’s in Japan. I’ll have to go back to Stillwater. Even
with the guys from the VFW helping out, it’s a lot of work.”

“I know, Logan. I don’t think anyone will blame you if you decide you need to sell
it.”

His expression told her he didn’t believe that. “I keep putting off doing anything.
I guess I was hoping something would change. And you know what? I think it just might.
Something changed yesterday.”

“What changed?”

“I walked into my father’s room at the rehab facility and he was standing. Before
this, he’s always been in bed or in the wheelchair when I visited.”

“Logan, that’s wonderful.”

“Eh, not quite. He fell right after that, but he had been standing, so that’s something.
His speech is improving, too.”

“That’s great. He’s getting better. See, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.”

“His improvements might be a double-edged sword. You know? If he were totally disabled,
permanently, there’d be no question what I needed to do. We’d have to sell. And if
he makes a complete recovery, there’s no question he’ll want to keep working here.
But what if his condition stalls somewhere in the middle? Then what?” Logan sighed.

“I understand. We have to have faith that this is the start of that complete recovery.
I’m glad he’s making progress.”

“Me, too. And I’m
really
glad that when Mom was so distraught over Dad and told me and Layne to decide by
ourselves if we wanted to sell, we didn’t rush and do it. With my luck, we’d sell,
he’d be as good as new, and never talk to me again.”

“I doubt he’d feel that way, but I’m happy you didn’t sell, too. Because, you know,
I have a fond place in my heart for that workbench. I’d hate to think of a stranger
getting it.” She grinned.

He let out a burst of a laugh. “My grandfather built that bench. If he ever knew what
we’d used it for.”

“He was a married man. I think he’d understand.”

“I don’t know.” Still chuckling, Logan stopped working the conditioner into the saddle
and turned to face Emma where she sat on the floor surrounded by cardboard boxes.
He frowned. “What are you doing?”

“Seeing what’s inside all of these.”

“I can tell you what’s in them. Dusty old crap from my parents’ garage.”

“No. There’s some great stuff in here.” She glanced toward the floor next to her at
pile of treasures she’d unearthed so far.

“Oh really. Like what?”

“Like these deer antlers I found. And this kerosene lamp. And over there, covered
in dust, is a nice old trunk. I just have to clean it up a little.”

He looked in the direction she pointed. “Actually, that’s a tack box.”

“Okay, tack box. Whatever.” Emma dismissed his correction with a wave of one hand
as her mind spun with possibilities. “It will look great with that wool throw for
sale out in the store.”

“Wool throw?” Logan frowned.

“Yeah.” Emma nodded. “The one with kind of a Native American-style print.”

“It’s a saddle blanket not a throw. Just like the tack box, it’s for horses, not people.”
He smiled.

“Fine. That’s even better. I can put together a whole horse theme.” She conceded his
point so she could make her own. “What I’m saying is, when I pull all these things
together in one corner of the store, it will create a scene. It’s going to look like
you stepped into the Ralph Lauren store on Madison Avenue.”

“Oh, really.” Logan cocked one brow. “And that’s a good thing?”

“Yes, it is. A very good thing. It will draw the customers farther inside, back to
the stuff you want them to buy. The big ticket items like the saddles and cowboy hats.”

“Sounds good. Don’t let me stop you. If it’ll move more stock, keep pawing through
this dusty old stuff.” Logan came over and squatted down next to her. He brushed a
thumb across her cheek, and then glanced at his fingers as he rubbed them together.
“But don’t blame me when you get filthy.”

“I’ve never been opposed to getting a little dirty.” That came out sounding very suggestive,
just as Emma intended it.

The nuance wasn’t lost on Logan. He smiled and shook his head. Standing, he said,
“You keep talking like that and my work here will never get done.”

The way the heat radiated off him and into her, just from the smallest touch, that
was a very good possibility. “How about I offer an incentive for both of us? I get
my displays done. You get your work done. Then we can take a little break.”

“And do what?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe figure out a creative way to test out that saddle
you’re working on?”

“That certainly is an incentive to finish it.” He grinned. “I think I can make that
work.”

“Excellent, but you have to help me move my trunk first, before you go back to your
saddle.”

He reached down and gave her a hand up. “Tack box.”

“Whatever.” Standing, she brushed the dust off her jeans.

He shook his head and let out a laugh. Grabbing the handle at one end of the box,
he waited for her to get into position at the other end. “Emma?”

“Yeah?” She glanced up as she bent to reach for the dust-covered handle.

“I’m glad you’re here.” The depth of sincerity in his voice had Emma pausing before
she got herself together and took hold of the other handle.

“Me, too.” She tried to keep her response light, but inside her heart thundered.

Eventually, this thing between them would either go somewhere or it wouldn’t. It was
the latter option that worried Emma, because eventually she’d also have to confess
her secret. They couldn’t just keep having casual sex.

She’d worry about that later. Maybe it would all work out, just like Logan’s problems
with his father and the store hopefully would.

Emma focused on her work, rather than on the secret she was keeping from him. It was
safer while she was feeling so vulnerable and squishy around him. Getting into designer
mode, she directed him to where she wanted the trunk set down and brushed her hands
together.

“Now get going and finish the saddle so I can work on my display.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He tipped the cowboy hat he’d taken to wearing again. “Call me if you
need anything else heavy moved. I don’t want you hurting yourself.”

His concern for her well-being made her heart do a little flip. That was bad. It made
her want to confess everything. She couldn’t do that. Not yet.

Maybe she should say to hell with their work for the day and get to the incentive
part right away. Sex would be a good distraction to take her mind off her hopes and
fears about their future. Hell, sex was good for lots of things.

Who was she kidding? Sex wasn’t a safe distraction. Somewhere along the way, sex and
love had gotten all mixed up when it came to Logan.

Emma restrained herself. For now. “Yes, sir. Will do. Now get.”

“All right.” Walking away, he left her to her work, but she couldn’t get to it as
long as he treated her to the enticing view of his jean-clad butt and cowboy boot
swagger.

She watched him until he disappeared into the workroom. Only then did she try to focus
on anything other than Logan.

 

Somehow Logan kept his mind on his work, though it wasn’t easy. Not when he was hyper-aware
of Emma’s presence. He could hear her out there, moving things around, occasionally
humming along with the radio station. She even laughed at one particularly funny line
in a song. That had him smiling as he finished up the saddle.

The pleasure having her close gave him made up for all the times she had his mind
wandering to her rather than remaining on his task. The job was simple enough, but
made difficult thanks to the lovely Miss Hart’s proximity and Logan’s visceral reaction
to her. One of his father’s customers had brought in the saddle to have a few leather
straps and some old hardware replaced.

Logan’s work ethic and training, instilled in him at a young age by his father, wouldn’t
allow Logan to send it back to the owner without cleaning and conditioning it first.
It was little things like that—taking the time to clean and polish the saddle until
it looked as good as new—that kept customers coming back to Hunt’s all these years.
He only hoped his father would be able to keep serving his loyal clientele for many
years to come. His father got as much out of this business as he put in.

Glancing at his cell phone, Logan realized how late it had gotten. The noise from
the front of the store told him Emma was still working hard. With a smile, he went
out front to see what she’d done.

What he saw stopped him in his tracks.

“Holy shit. Emma, this doesn’t even look like the same place.” He turned in a circle
and took in all the changes she’d made, all on her own and in an amazingly short period
of time.

She cringed. “I know. I kind of got out of control. Is it okay? Will your father be
mad?”

“Mad. Are you crazy? It looks amazing.” Logan walked to one corner, to where she’d
set up a display with the tack box and a saddle. She followed him over.

“I made this the equestrian area, so I tried to move everything horse or riding related
over to this corner of the store.” She spun to the opposite corner. “Over there I
put all the outdoor sportsman-type stuff.”

Logan turned and saw the deer antlers and a fishing creel on top of an old metal cooler
that must have dated back to his grandfather’s day. He shook his head. It made sense.
It would be easy for the customers to find what they needed. And it made the whole
place ooze with a homey charm it had never had before.

“I just started on a home corner. I love that old kerosene lamp. I thought I’d set
it on top of that wood table you have stashed behind the cash register counter. If
you don’t mind me moving it out to the floor.”

“Uh, no. I’ll do it for you though. It’s heavy.” He shook his head again. “Emma, this
really is incredible.”

“Thanks, but I’m not done yet. I was thinking I could paint wooden signs for each
section. Any chance you have some old, weathered wood lying around? The rougher the
better.”

“I’ll take a look behind the garage at home. Or there might be something at the hunting
cabin.”

“Ooo, a hunting cabin?” Emma’s eyes lit with interest. “I’d love to see that.”

“I’m sure it’s not what you’re picturing, but I can take you to see it, if you really
want.” He smiled. His city girl sure was a surprise. “You’re amazing. You know that?
And the customers are going to flip when they see all the changes.”

A frown furrowed her brow. “Yeah, that’s something I wanted to ask you about. We didn’t
have any customers today. Is business always this slow?”

“No.” Logan laughed. “Didn’t you see? I have the
Closed
sign on the door.”

Her eyes widened. “Why?”

“I was working in the back and you were busy moving things around out here. It would
have been too much to be open, too. Everyone in town knows my father isn’t able to
work right now. They don’t expect us to be open for regular business. The custom orders
I’ve been getting done were just a courtesy.”

She planted her hands on her hips. “Well, that has to stop. I didn’t do all this so
no one can see it. Tomorrow, we open for regular business hours. I’ll print up a paper
sign at Tuck’s house tonight announcing it.”

Logan raised one brow. “
We
open for business?”

“Sure. I want to be here. I’d like to hear what people say about the changes. I had
fun today.” She grinned wide, then held a hand to her stomach and swallowed hard.
“Can we take a break to eat?”

“Oh my God, Emma. I’m sorry. I got so distracted I worked you right through lunch.”

“
You
didn’t work me through lunch. I got distracted, too, but I could use something in
my stomach.”

“Of course. There’s not a lot around here, but we can go eat at the diner down the
block.”

“I’m kinda dirty.” She glanced down at her shirt and jeans. She was a little grungy.
He tried not to feel guilty about that. He’d never assumed she’d be pawing through
all the old crap that nobody had touched in years.

“I can run over and bring us back something. How’s that sound?”

“Wonderful. That way I can finish up the new home section. And there are a few more
details I thought of while I was rearranging things.
And
I didn’t get through all those boxes in the back yet—”

“Emma, you’re supposed to be on vacation.”

“And you’re supposed to be getting me lunch. A bowl of soup and some packages of saltine
crackers would be perfect.”