A Second Chance at Crimson Ranch (18 page)

Olivia listened, dumbfounded, as Craig reframed her efforts, managing to cast her in a supporting role while he became the driving force behind the entire project. Her gaze swept the faces of the people listening, many of whom looked confused. Sara and Natalie were watching her with narrowed eyes. Natalie drew her finger across her throat in an angry slash, clearly telling Olivia to cut off Craig's fictitious ramblings.

She glanced at her ex-husband, and as much as she wanted to stop him, Olivia felt rooted to the spot where she stood. Standing to the side while someone hijacked her life, appropriated her voice for their own ends, was second nature to her. How could she make a scene? It went against everything she'd been taught her whole life.

She tried to find Logan in the crowd but there was an empty space next to Noah at the back of the room. Noah gave her a sympathetic smile and tilted his head toward the door. Logan was gone. Of course he wouldn't stand by while she let herself be humiliated once again.

He'd expected more from her than she did from herself. Fear and doubt had held her captive for most of her life. Olivia was finished watching her life from the sidelines. The past few weeks had taught her that she wanted to be an active participant in every moment, to experience the joy and the pain so she'd know what it felt to be truly alive.

Reaching forward, she grabbed the mic out of Craig's hand. “That's an interesting story you're telling,” she said into the microphone, taking a step out of her ex-husband's reach. “Too bad it's total fiction.”

He moved toward her, shock and disbelief warring on his face, but Marshall held him back.

Pushing aside her fear, Olivia looked out into the crowd. “Let me explain how things really happened...”

* * *

Logan saw the lights of a truck swing into the cemetery, but he didn't stand. Cold seeped into his jeans from where he'd been kneeling in front of his sister's grave.

A few minutes later, footsteps crunched on the snow. “Logan, what the hell are you doing?” Josh's voice called out in the darkness.

“Do you visit her?” he heard himself ask.

Josh stopped a few feet from the headstone. Logan didn't look up.

“A couple of times a year,” Josh said. “I don't have to be out here to remember her. I think about Beth all the time, Logan. I know it's different for you, because she was your twin. But we all miss her.”

“This is the first time I've been at the cemetery since her funeral. You know it's her birthday next week.”

“Which means it's your birthday, too. Only you're acting like you're already dead. Like you don't deserve any happiness in this life. You've got people who care about you, Logan. Who love you. But you're ignoring them out of some misplaced honor for Beth. She wouldn't want this.”

“I know.” Logan straightened, meeting his brother's gaze in the light cast down from the stars. “That's why I'm here. At the event tonight I wanted nothing more than to go after Craig Wilder for everything he's done to Olivia. I wanted to hurt him, Josh. Then when he hijacked her speech... I haven't felt so close to losing control since after Beth's accident. It felt like Beth all over again where I was watching someone I care about get hurt and not being able to do a thing to make it right. I thought I was going to snap. I had to get out of there. It was too much. Being in Crimson is too much for me.”

“You're not the same person you were at eighteen,” Josh said softly. “You've grown up, Logan. We all have.”

Logan gave a jerky nod. “I'm starting to see that. I was heading out of town but I can't do it. I may not deserve Olivia, but I can't leave her. And all the memories I've been too damn scared to deal with involve Beth. Our childhood. Her death. I know that if I want to really start a new life, I have to make peace with the past. I don't know if I still have a chance, but I love Olivia.”

“I'd say she'll be willing to give you another chance.” Josh took a step closer. “After you left, she took back the microphone and ripped into her ex-husband so hard he'll probably have scars.”

“Scars?” Logan repeated the word in a daze. “Olivia did that?”

“She was amazing,” Josh said with a nod. “She catalogued, in great detail, how Craig had deceived and betrayed both her and—in a lot of ways—the whole town. I don't think Craig Wilder will be showing his face in Crimson again for a very long time.”

“Good for her.” Logan couldn't help but smile. “I knew she was stronger than she believed.”

“She also talked about your work on the community center and how you deserve a lot of the credit for the project's success.”

Logan waved away the compliment. “It was nothing.”

“Don't do that.” Josh pointed a finger at Logan. “Don't play down what you have to offer. We all know how successful you've been in Telluride. You can do the same thing in Crimson. Stop letting our family history define you. If you want a future in this town and with Olivia, have the guts to claim it, Logan.”

“You're right.” He took two steps toward his brother, a knot of emotion unfurling in his gut. “Where's Olivia now?”

Josh took his sweet time glancing at his phone. “I got a text from Sara. After the event wrapped up, everyone was heading downtown to continue the celebration. I'm guessing Noah gave Olivia a ride. Or maybe one of the other guys. She's quite a catch.” Josh raised one eyebrow. “If you know what I mean.”

Logan reached out and grabbed Josh by the front of his jacket. “Where downtown?”

“The Nickel and Dime Bar.” Josh pulled away, smoothing his hands over his coat. “Relax, Logan. I'm just giving you a hard time. She wants you, no one else.”

“But why me?” Logan hated the emotion in his voice. It sounded raw and weak. “Do you ever think you don't deserve Sara?”

“All the time.” Josh laughed. “I know she's too good for me. That's why I work hard every day to earn my place at her side. You're not afraid of hard work, Logan. You can make this happen.”

“I've got to get into town.” Logan was already heading for the truck. “She thinks I left her when she needed me the most.”

“Hold on.” Josh caught up to him in a few strides. “Do you have a plan for what you're going to say?”

Logan shook his head. “Not yet, although I'm guessing it will involve some begging and pleading.”

“Sounds good to me,” Josh said with a grin. “I just wish Jake could be here to see it.”

“Spoken like a true older brother. Are you going to follow me into town?”

Josh rubbed his palms together. “I wouldn't miss it. Mind if I record the whole thing?”

Logan stopped midstep.

“Joking,” Josh said quickly. “Only joking. I know you're at least three football fields away from your comfort zone talking about feelings. I'll go easy on you.”

“Let me be clear.” Logan looked straight into his brother's eyes. “This has nothing to do with easy. You can take a video and invite the whole town to watch for all I care. I'm going to get my girl, tell her how much I love her and hope to hell it's enough. And if it is, I want everyone to know that Olivia Wilder belongs to me. Is that clear?”

“Crystal.” Josh tucked his keys back in his pocket. “I'm driving with you, though. I don't want to miss a thing.”

Chapter Sixteen

“I
thought this was supposed to be a celebration.” Sara gave Olivia's shoulders a squeeze.

“I'm celebrating.” Olivia picked the tiny umbrella out of her glass and waved it in the air. “My drink is blue. How could that not mean a celebration?”

Natalie plopped down into the chair next to Olivia. “It looks more like you're drowning your sorrows.”

“No sorrows,” Olivia said, shaking her head. “No regrets.” She raised her glass. “A toast to the future.”

Natalie clinked her beer bottle against Olivia's fruity drink and grinned. “It was way cool to watch you publicly eviscerate your slimy ex-husband.”

“I didn't mean to go off on him so hard.” Olivia grimaced. “I got caught up in the moment.”

“And what an awesome moment,” Sara added. “He deserved everything you said. I just wish Logan could have been there to see you in all of your glory.”

“You were on fire,” Natalie confirmed. “It was hot. Very hot.”

Olivia couldn't help but laugh. “I have to admit it felt pretty darn good. Turns out being a doormat doesn't suit me after all.”

“I'm glad you realized it,” Natalie said.

“I finally feel like I belong in Crimson.” Olivia placed her drink on the table. “I probably always did, but now I believe it.”

“It's just like Dorothy in
The Wizard of Oz
,” Sara said. “You always had the power but you had to learn it for yourself.”

“How do you do that?” Natalie leaned forward and made a show of peering into Sara's ear. “You can find a movie reference for any situation.”

“It's my secret superpower,” Sara answered with a wink.

Olivia took a deep breath as some of the heaviness around her heart began to lift. Her friends were right. She hadn't felt like celebrating anything tonight. Not with how raw the pain of missing Logan felt. But she had learned that she was tougher than she'd thought. And even if her whole body ached, she was going to keep moving forward.

“I'm going to go out front for a minute and call Millie,” she told her friends. “She texted earlier to see how things went tonight. I'd like to invite her back to Crimson. We have a lot of catching up to do.”

“We'll be right here,” Sara assured her.

Several people stopped her as she made her way to the front of the bar, a couple to congratulate her on the open house and several to ask about upcoming classes and events at the community center.

She stepped out into the cool night air with a smile on her face, already punching in her half sister's number on her phone.

“You made a big mistake messing with me, Liv.”

Her finger stilled on the keypad as she glanced up to see Craig standing in the shadow of the bar's green awning. She could just make out the glint of his angry gaze. His arms were crossed over his chest and he took a step forward.

She glanced back to the door then fully faced him. “You're the one who made the mess, Craig.” Her voice was steadier than she felt. “I told you I wouldn't help, but you tried to take advantage of me. Again. I'm done letting people walk all over me, especially you.”

“You humiliated me in front of half the town.”

“Paybacks are hell.” She pocketed her phone, not wanting to spend any more time near her ex-husband. “Good luck with the future, Craig. I think you're going to need it.”

She turned to leave, but Craig grabbed her arm. “You can't let me hang in the wind, Olivia.” He yanked her around, his face inches from hers. “I brought you to this town. You'd be nothing here without me.”

Her mouth fell open, but before she could make a sound Craig was jerked away from her. She watched Logan drop him to the ground with a single punch. Her ex-husband curled into a ball, moaning loudly.

“I think you broke my nose,” he said through his fingers. Slowly, he stood. “I should sue you for that.”

“Do whatever you need to, but don't ever touch her again.” Logan shook out his hand and turned to Olivia. “Are you okay?”

She nodded, dazed at seeing him standing in front of her. “You hit him,” she whispered as Craig turned and stumbled off into the alley next to the bar.

“I'm sorry if you think it was wrong.” He took a step toward her then stilled. “My reputation around this town isn't the greatest, but that part of my life is over now. I'm not the enraged kid I once was, always looking for a fight. But your jerky ex-husband has been asking to be laid out all night.”

She whirled around at the sound of clapping behind her. Several people, including Sara, Josh and Natalie, stood in front of the bar. A quick glance at the windows made it clear that most of the other patrons were watching the scene from inside. All of them were clapping.

“We have an audience,” she said, turning back to Logan.

His smile was sheepish. “That's the first time anyone has ever applauded me for punching someone. I know you can take care of yourself, Olivia. But I need you to understand that I'm in your corner. Always.”

“Always?” Olivia put her fingers over her mouth, trying to keep from bursting into loud, embarrassing sobs.

Logan reached out a hand and pulled her against his chest, his strong arms enveloping her. Olivia didn't know if it was his warmth or the way he smelled but suddenly the emotional roller coaster she'd been on caught up to her. She sagged against him, trying to catch her breath as the tears came again.

“So stupid. I'm sorry,” she mumbled. “Craig was acting crazy. And I didn't expect to see you and...it's just all too much.”

He ran a soothing hand along her hair. “No apologies,” he reminded her, nuzzling his chin along the top of her head. “And no one is going to hurt you ever again.”

She tipped her head up and noticed that the others had moved back into the bar. She tried to give Logan a worldly smile. “I made mincemeat of him in my speech.”

One side of his mouth quirked. “I heard.”

“I'm sorry you left the community center thinking I'd let him take credit for our project. I want you to know I'll always protect you. Whether or not you want me in your life.”

His head bent toward hers and he captured her mouth in a gentle kiss. “I want you, Olivia. I want you in my life and my heart—hell, sometimes it feels like you are my heart. I love you.”

She drew in a shaky breath. “You do?”

“I love you and I'm humbled that you would stand up for me. I want to do the same for you. I want to keep you safe and happy forever. Until I met you, I was just going through the motions. You brought me back to life, Olivia. Everything I am and will be is for you.”

“I love you, Logan. You make me want to be brave, to try new things and to be myself. I never understood that it was okay to just be me before you came along.”

“It's more than okay,” he said and kissed her again. “You're perfect, Olivia. Perfect for me.”

She bit down on her lip. “But you don't want to stay in Crimson.”

“I want to try,” he told her. “I left the open house tonight and started driving out of town, but I couldn't leave. I couldn't leave you. You're my lifeline.” He smoothed his palms over her face, wiping away the last of her tears with the pads of his thumbs. “I went to visit my sister's grave. I needed to make peace with my past in order to move forward.”

“And you have?”

“I've started to. I hope that with your help, I can continue. I want a life with you more than anything. I was just too much of an idiot to realize that you're all that's important to me.”

She flashed a smile. “I'm glad to see you've wised up. Because I'm not going to let you go so easy again.”

“You'll never have to.”

She wound her arms around her neck and he lifted her off her feet, kissing her until she wasn't sure where he left off and she began.

“Get a room,” she heard Natalie call out of the front of the bar.

Logan put her back on her feet. “Are you done celebrating?” he asked with a smile.

She turned, pressing her body against his. Her hands cupped his face and she lifted on tiptoe to look into his eyes. “I've only started,” she told him. “You're stuck with me now, even when I get old and gray and you're still hot. I'm yours forever.”

“That goes both ways,” he said and kissed her again.

“Hey, you two,” Sara called. “What do you think about taking that mutual admiration society off of the sidewalk?”

“Good idea,” Logan said and laced his fingers with Olivia's. He leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Right now, I'm more interested in a private celebration back at home.”

Olivia felt a blush start from her toes and quickly color her cheeks. “That's the best idea I've heard all day,” she agreed, knowing her future would be better than she ever could have imagined.

* * * * *

Keep reading for an excerpt from THE BACHELOR'S BABY DILEMMA by Sheri WhiteFeather