Escaping Reality (Hart Ranch Book 1) (11 page)

~ ~ ~

T
he festive mood around the dinner table made Logan’s heart swell with joy and a lump rise in his throat. How long had it been since his whole family sat together and enjoyed a meal? At least five months.

He glanced across the table at his mother, marveling at the youthful glow in her cheeks as she talked and laughed with the family.

Then his gaze shifted to Addie. She seemed less guarded and lighter since they’d returned from the city. It amazed him to think that God used her to make such an impact on his mother.

After dinner Addie thanked Belle for the meal, said her goodbyes and excused herself for the night.

Logan followed her out to the front porch. “Would you mind if I walk with you back to your cabin?”

She smiled. “No. I don’t mind at all. I was actually hoping we’d have some time to talk alone.”

They strolled down the path leading to the cabins as Addie told Logan about her experience down by the creek. When they stopped in front of her porch Logan smiled and reached for her hand. “I thought something seemed different about you. I’m so happy that you’ve finally found the peace you were looking for.”

She nodded and tightened her fingers around his. “Yes, peace and a new purpose. Now I see that God can use me to help others. It’s a wonderful feeling.”

“Well, He definitely used you to help my mother. That’s the first time she’s eaten with the rest of the family in months.” He released her hand and took his hat off. “That reminds me, Addie. I’m sorry how I reacted earlier when I first saw the room. I owe you my thanks.”

She peeked up at him and smiled. “Well, I’m glad I could help. I can’t believe she asked me to make renovation plans for the cabins. I’m going to be quite busy if I want to get a sample cabin completed before I have to go home.”

Logan nodded and rotated his hat in his hands. Questions nagged in the back of his mind. “I know Belle helped out quite a bit but the way you designed my mother’s room…how did you do it?”

Addie shrugged. “It was just instinct…or a feeling, I suppose. I’ve designed movie sets for my father in the past.”

“So your dad’s in the movie business?”

She nodded and fiddled with the hem of her sleeve. “Yeah. Anyway, I loved working on the sets so much that I started designing rooms for my friends too. They’d show me pictures or themes that they like or I’d just spend time in their house to gain inspiration…look in their photo albums…stuff like that. Then I’d just go from there. I think some people don’t know what they want or need until they see it right in front of them.”

Logan gazed into Addie’s dazzling green eyes, marveling at her beauty. “I couldn’t agree more.”

She looked away and chewed on one of her fingernails. “Logan, we have so much to talk about. There’s a lot of things you don’t know about me, but I’m too exhausted to explain anything more tonight.”

He grinned. “Tomorrow then. Come with me into town for dinner.”

Addie nodded and grinned at him in the moonlight. “Is this a date?”

Logan’s eyebrow arched as he put his hat back on. “That depends. Would you like it to be?”

She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “Yes, I would like that very much.” Addie turned and disappeared inside the cabin without saying another word.

Logan stood mouth agape and placed a hand over his thundering heart. What was happening to him? Addie had swept into his life like a sudden mountain storm—intense and unexpected. He’d felt this way once before and it nearly destroyed him. This time around his mind told him to run for dear life but his heart wanted to stay and wait out the storm.

Did he dare risk getting hurt again?

~ ~ ~

J
ared Kingsley tossed a stack of invoices stamped with red overdue notices on his desk. Then he sank into his chair and rested his head in his hands.

This was all Addison’s fault. He wouldn’t be in this predicament if she hadn’t run out on him the day before their wedding.

“So I kissed someone else. Big deal,” Jared muttered under his breath and scrolled through his emails for the umpteenth time that day. All the messages were from people demanding more money. He rolled his eyes and scrolled down further.

Then he saw it. A message from Gabe Morris.

A crooked smile distorted his handsome face as he opened it. His little spy had done his job well. The message contained three pictures of Addison traipsing around a sleepy little mountain town with a friend.

He scrunched his nose. “Going for the western look, huh babe? Never thought I’d see the day when you let go of your fashion sense. And blond hair too. That’s a change.”

Jared scrolled back up and read the contents of the message. Gabe had listed the name of the town. He opened another email to alert his source in the media but then changed his mind. No, he’d have a little fun before he ratted her out to the paparazzi again.

He pushed the intercom button on his desk for his secretary. “Nora, please clear my schedule for tomorrow. I have something very important to take care of.”

“Yes, Mr. Kingsley. Is there anything else?”

He spun a pen on his desk as a pleased grin spread across his face. “Contact my driver and the pilot of my jet. I’ll be leaving for a trip into the mountains first thing tomorrow morning.”

“Destination sir?”

He paused, checking the computer screen for the name of the town again. “Farley…Farley Ridge, Montana.”

~ ~ ~

I
ce clinked the side of Addison’s glass as she gulped down some strawberry lemonade. She attempted to steady her trembling hand while placing her drink back on the coaster, but it was no use. Was it the company or the foreign atmosphere fraying her nerves?

Logan smiled at her from over his menu. “Order anything you like. Don’t worry about the price.”

She nodded, but when the waitress came to their table she just ended up ordering soup and salad. As they waited for their meals Addison couldn’t keep her eyes off Logan. He wore a western style dress shirt and had left his cowboy hat at the ranch. It gave her an opportunity to admire his dark brown hair. It had a subtle wavy appearance and looked soft. Addison had spent the entire evening resisting the urge to run her fingers through it.

He lifted his eyebrows. “What’s wrong? Is this too weird…I mean being on a date with me?”

“No. I really like being here with you. You’re just so different from any other man I’ve dated.”

Logan took a sip of his coffee and gave her an ornery grin. “How’s that? I’m not as…civilized?”

“Logan, I’m being serious. Anyway I think you’re very civilized. You’re a doctor after all, right?"

“
Former
doctor, you mean.”

She looked down and traced the coaster on the table with her finger. “Can I ask you a tough question?”

“Sure.”

“Why did you stop practicing medicine?”

His eyes clouded over. “After Nathan passed away I needed to take a break and reevaluate my life…gain some perspective.”

She peeked up at him, noting the sadness in his eyes. “I can understand that. You should start it up again though. I can tell it’s something you’re passionate about.”

He scratched his chin “Before the accident I thought about going back to medical school to become a surgeon. After what happened with Sam, I vowed that I would…” He paused and drew in a sharp breath, telling her that he hadn’t meant to add in the last sentence.

“Sam wasn’t just a neighbor, was she?”

Logan sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. “No, Samantha was my high school sweetheart.” His eyes took on a faraway look. “We were both seventeen when she got sick. The mediocre doctor in town thought her appendicitis was just the stomach flu. He sent her home but she went into shock. The nearest hospital was over an hour away. It…it was awful.”

Addison put her hand over her mouth. “I’m sorry.”

He nodded. “After that happened I vowed to never let something like that happen in our little town again. Every person should have access to good medical care no matter where they live. So, I guess Samantha inspired me to study medicine.”

Tears stung her eyes, realizing how much pain he’d been through, losing his first love and then his brother. It made her problems seem very insignificant all of a sudden. “It sounds like Samantha was very special to you.”

“Yes, she was.” He looked up and managed a smile. “I’m sorry if I made you sad. I shouldn’t have brought up a past love on our first date.”

Addison shook her head and wiped a tear off her cheek. “No, I’m glad you shared your past with me. It just shows what a genuine person you are.” She looked down and stirred her drink with a straw. “I’ve never had to question your motives. That’s a nice change.”

“And you’ll never have to.” Logan put his hand over hers on the table, creating butterflies in her stomach. “I really like you, Addie and I think this could be the start of something amazing.”

When she looked up, the sincerity in Logan’s blue eyes took her by surprise.

She’d grown accustom to Jared’s neglect over the years. Addison had made excuses for him in the past, arguing that he travelled a lot or had too many responsibilities on his plate. However, looking back she realized their relationship had been full of empty promises. He’d say anything to make her happy and then neglect to follow through later.

Not Logan. She believed he would tell her the truth even if it hurt.

Addison gulped. He deserved better. She was deceiving him—and had been since day one. Logan deserved to know the truth.

He studied her face with concerned eyes. “Is something wrong?”

Addison shook her head, losing her nerve. “No. I’m going to go wash my hands before dinner comes.”

“Okay.”

She headed toward the ladies room with a pounding heart. Once safely behind closed doors Addison stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes travelled from the blond French braid that hung over one shoulder to the red western style dress and cowgirl boots that Belle had helped her find.

What are you doing? This isn’t you at all.

A single tear dripped down her cheek. Was this the new and improved Addison or the chameleon again? She wiped her face, composed herself and headed back out, knowing what she had to do.

As Addison turned the corner a hand gripped her arm.

She nearly screamed until recognizing the gelled blond hair and blue eyes of her old flame. Addison put her hand over her mouth as he led her outside. “Jared. How did you find me?”

His mouth curled in an amused smile. “I have my ways.” He looked her up and down like a hungry lion might size up a gazelle. “Well, Addison. This is a new look for you. I’m not sure if it’s an improvement or not, but certainly new. What happened to your hair?”

She scoffed and put her hands on her hips. “I dyed it. Why are you here? What do you want from me?”

“I’m just worried about my dear fiancé,” he said, voice dripping with toxic sarcasm. “You never showed up at our wedding so I hired someone to find you.” He nodded toward the window where they could see Logan waiting for her at the table. “Now I see you’re already on the rebound.”

Addison glared at him. “Oh, you were worried about me, huh? The way you were kissing the wedding coordinator at our rehearsal dinner makes me doubt your devotion to me. I saw the picture.”

His smile faded and his eyes turned hard as stone. “
She
kissed me. It was just a one-time mistake. It was like your sister was just waiting for me to slip up. She’s never liked me after all.”

“Well, I’m glad she finally caught you. I was about to make the biggest mistake of my life. We’re over Jared. It’s time for you to accept that and leave me alone.” She turned to go back inside.

“I won’t leave you alone until I know that picture is destroyed. I don’t need any negative publicity floating around in the media right now.”

Addison stopped with her hand grasping the door handle and peeked over her shoulder. The picture was the only ammunition she had against Jared if he decided to turn on her. “I’ll have to think about it.”

“Wrong choice,” Jared hissed. “I’ll ruin your family if you cross me.”

She turned to face him. “Is that a threat?”

“You tell me.” He pulled his phone out and a picture popped up on the screen of her younger sister, Brie. She was at a party, glassy-eyed and obviously intoxicated.

Addison gasped and tried to swipe the phone from his hand. “Where did you get that?”

He dodged and produced an evil chuckle. “I have my connections. I’m sure the media will go crazy over this.”

“You wouldn’t dare.” Addison struggled to erase the image from her brain and the raw emotions it summoned. What the picture didn’t show was that earlier that week her stepmom had passed away after a long battle with cancer. Brie was only sixteen and took off after the funeral. Addison found her at the party and drove her home. That was only the start of a yearlong nightmare. One her family had managed to keep a secret from the public until now.

She glared at Jared. “Delete that right now.”

“It’s too late for that. I already sent it to my contact in the media. All he’s waiting on is an email from me. Then it’s released to the world.” He clicked his tongue. “How tragic. Brielle, the sweetheart of the Lewis family has a secret past.”

Her eyes narrowed. “What do you want?”

“Just a few things. First of all, destroy that picture.”

Addison sighed, knowing she had no choice. “Okay it’s a deal. If I do this will you leave my family alone?”

A crooked grin snaked across Jared’s face. “Yes, but I want one more thing.”

“What’s that?”

He nodded toward the window. “A picture of you and that cowboy in there.”

Addison blinked hard. “Why?”

“For extra reassurance. Don’t worry, I won’t share it unless you double-cross me.” He motioned toward the door. “Now go in there and share a romantic smooch with your new boyfriend. Make sure he doesn’t suspect anything.”

She shook her head. “No, I won’t do it. I can’t betray him. If he finds out he’ll never trust me again.”

He pulled out his phone. “Okay, I’ll just send this email and…”

“No, don’t,” Addison pleaded and grabbed his arm. “I’ll do whatever you want. Please, just leave my sister out of this.”

~ ~ ~

Logan checked his watch one last time and gulped. The waitress had already served the meals but Addie hadn’t returned yet. Had his story about Samantha scared her off?

Just when he thought of searching for her she came around the corner. Addie smiled and sat beside him. “Do you mind that I sit here instead of across from you? I was getting lonely over there.”

He studied her face with concern. “No. Not at all. Are you all right though? You were gone a really long time.”

She looked away for a moment and tugged on her sleeve. “Sorry. My sister called. It took a while to catch up.” She looked back in his direction but didn’t make eye contact. “I just lost track of time.”

He nodded and smiled at her. “That’s okay. I understand that you’d want to keep your family updated. I’d like to meet them someday.”

Finally, she met his gaze but her eyes looked stressed, almost frightened. “I’d like that too.”

He brushed a few strands of hair off her flushed cheek and left his hand resting there. “Are you sure you’re all right? You don’t seem like yourself.”

She nodded and put her hand over his. “Everything’s fine. I’m just a little nervous but it’s been wonderful spending time alone with you. I’ve really enjoyed our date tonight.”

“Well, it’s not over yet. I hoped you might take a little walk with me around town after dinner.”

“Sounds romantic.” Addison’s eyes closed as she leaned closer and planted a tender kiss on his lips.

His worry faded as the scent of her strawberry lip gloss blurred his thoughts. Then a small flicker of light caught his attention. He opened his eyes and squinted toward the shadows. “Did you see that?”

She glanced in that direction. “See what?”

He shook his head and smiled at her. “Oh, never mind. I’m sure it was nothing.”

~ ~ ~

After taking Addie back to the ranch and saying good night, Logan headed into the barn to get his horse. A shadow a few feet away stopped him in his tracks. “Who’s there?”

“It’s just me, sweetheart.”

In the dim light of the barn, Logan’s eyes focused on a lone figure sitting by one of the horse stalls. “Mom?” He approached her wheelchair. “What are you doing out here?”

She reached up and patted Skipper as he lifted his regal head over the stall. “I just wanted to see my horses. It’s been so long. I thought they might have forgotten me.”

He rested his hand on her shoulder. “They would never forget you, Mom. You saved them and they all adore you.”

“I wish things could be like they were before.”

“You’ll ride again. I know it. If you cooperate with the therapist when she comes and keep trying those exercises she recommends, you’ll regain your mobility. I can help too. You don’t have to go through this alone.”

She nodded and wiped some tears off her cheek. “Okay, I’ll start cooperating…but don’t get your hopes up too much.”

Logan breathed a sigh of relief and took her hand in his. “Thank you, Mom.”

After a long pause she looked up at him. “You know, I’ve been thinking. You and Belle usually participate in the rodeo every year. I know you decided not to this year because of the accident but do you think it’s too late to enter? I’d really love to see you two in the competition again.”

“Well, on such short notice it might be difficult but not impossible. I’ll go into town tomorrow and try to get it arranged.”

“Thanks.” She sniffled and wiped her face again. “So how was your date?”

He grinned. “It was fun. Addie is one of the most interesting people I’ve ever met. Very hard to read though.” Logan chuckled and then turned serious, thinking about her distant behavior after dinner. He took her back to the ranch early because she said she wasn’t feeling well.

“Addie makes you happy, doesn’t she?”

Logan nodded. “Yes. She does. I’m happier than I’ve been in a long time.” He was glad the darkness of the barn hid his blush. Talking with his mom about his dating life felt strange.