Two Times as Hot (16 page)

The bell above the front door tinkled, a sound that used to be so familiar to him
in his youth when he’d spent every afternoon between the end of school and dinnertime
here. So long ago, though it felt like yesterday. Only now, his father wasn’t out
front to greet the customer. Since Logan had decided to go into the shop to take care
of the long neglected special order, today greeting this customer was his job. He
should have remembered to lock the front door behind him.

Sighing, he set the hat down and headed through the door of the workroom to the front.

“Tuck.” Logan smiled, for what felt like the first time in a long while.

“Hey, buddy.” Tuck drew him into a one-armed hug. “You doing okay?”

Logan let out a snort. “I’ve been better.”

Tuck nodded. “I hear ya. I’m sorry we didn’t come home sooner to be with you. We kept
our cell phones off. I didn’t know about your dad until we got to the airport and
Tyler told us.”

“No, don’t be crazy. Your parents offered to call your hotel, but I told them not
to. Nothing you could have done, so why ruin your honeymoon?” There was nothing anyone
could do now, including Logan.

Nothing except wait . . . and get Mr. Royce his new hat before he left yet another
message on the store’s already full answering machine.

“Well, now that I’m back, I’m here for you. Whatever you need.”

Logan dismissed Tuck’s offer with a wave of his hand. “Really, we’re fine. Layne’s
been here to help. Your mother has been great. She’s dropped off meals for us at the
house every day for weeks now. Your father mowed our lawn the other day while we were
out visiting Dad. It’s all more help than any of us ever expected.”

“That’s what neighbors are for.” Tuck glanced around the shop. “You keeping the store
open by yourself?”

“Not really. It’s been closed since . . .” Logan hesitated. He couldn’t bring himself
to say since his father had collapsed and become an invalid, so instead he said, “Since
your wedding. I only came in today to handle a few things.”

Logan could see the question on Tuck’s face as he glanced around the shop. He figured
he might as well answer before his friend had to ask. “No, I don’t know what I’m doing
with it yet. Layne and Mom have left the decision up to me.”

Tuck’s brows rose. “That doesn’t seem fair to lay it all on you.”

Logan let out a short laugh. “Tell me about it.”

“You could get somebody to run it for you for a while.” Tuck’s gaze met Logan’s. “Just
until you know more.”

Such as whether his father would ever recover enough to be able to walk and talk and
resume a normal life? “I thought about hiring a few high school kids who are off on
summer break, but I don’t know if they’d be responsible enough to work without supervision.
If I’d have to be here to watch them, I might as well work here myself.”

“Work here yourself? As in retire from the military?”

“No. Of course not. Just temporarily.” Logan blew out a breath. “Hell, I don’t know.”

“You know, I bet some of the old guys from the veterans’ association would love to
play shopkeeper a few days a week. They run that VFW like a tight ship. I’d trust
them with the store. And your dad’s a member. They’d want to help a fellow vet, I’m
sure.”

“Hmm. I hadn’t thought of that. Maybe I’ll stop by there later.” It was a good suggestion,
and one Logan never would have come up with himself. It could buy them enough time
to make the right decision.

A few pounds lifted from the weight that had settled on his shoulders that day almost
a month ago when his father was taken to the hospital.

“Uh, there’s something else I wanted to just mention.”

Logan raised a brow. “Yeah?”

“Right before I left the house to come here, I walked in on Becca while she was on
the cell phone with Emma.”

“Oh?” Logan’s heart rate sped just hearing Emma’s name again.

“They were talking about you.”

“Oh.” Logan swallowed hard. Jeez, that had sounded guilty.

“Know of any reason why Becca and her sister would be discussing you long distance
when they haven’t spoken to each other about anything at all for weeks?”

“Uh, maybe.” Logan met Tuck’s gaze. He was torn between being thrilled Emma had been
talking about him, and feeling like a crappy friend for having had sex with Tuck’s
new sister-in-law hours after the man’s wedding.

“Oh, really? I’m listening.” Tuck leaned back against the table, displaying cowboy
boots and folded arms.

“You’re going to be mad at me.” Logan ran his hand over the stubble on his chin and
glanced back at Tuck.

“Madder than I was at Jace for disappearing with Jacqueline after he’d asked Emma
to be his date?”

“Uh, no. Probably not. Who knows?” Logan leaned back against the counter by the cash
register, settling in. This might be a long conversation. “You sure you want to hear
this?”

Tuck shook his head. “I don’t know. Do I?”

“I’m thinking probably not.” Logan wasn’t one to brag about conquests, but he owed
Tuck some sort of explanation.

“All right, then. Let me say this, whatever happened or didn’t happen, I would hope
you treated her the way I’d expect you to.”

A wave of guilt hit him. They hadn’t discussed contacting each other. In fact, they’d
both gone into that night knowing it was just that, one night. Then she’d fly away.
But it had been a really good night, and he should have called. He would have if she’d
given him her number. “To be honest, she and I haven’t talked since she left. I’ve
been so consumed with Dad. And I don’t have her phone number.”

Tuck hoisted himself away from the table and ambled toward Logan. As Logan prepared
himself for pretty much anything, including a punch in the face, Tuck reached past
him and grabbed a sales slip and a pen off the register. He pulled out his phone,
scrolled through a few screens, and then scribbled a number on the paper. “Here. Now
you have it.”

“Thank you.” Logan took the paper and glanced down at the number that would lead to
his hearing Emma’s sweet voice.

“You have any idea what you’re going to do with that?” Tuck nodded toward the paper
in Logan’s hand.

“Yup.” Logan nodded. “I’m going to call her the minute you leave.”

“Because you think that’s what I want?” Tuck eyed Logan from beneath the brim of his
hat.

“No. Because I like her and want to talk to her again. Not because I’m afraid of you,
if that’s what you’re insinuating.”

Tuck snorted out a laugh. “If Jace isn’t afraid of me, you sure as hell ain’t gonna
be.”

Logan felt the scowl settle on his face just at the mention of Emma’s would-be date.
“Jace always has been a fool.”

“Agreed.” Tuck dipped his head. “So, you need me to do anything here to help out?”

Logan laughed. “Not unless you have any experience shaping a cowboy hat.”

A frown knit Tuck’s brow beneath his own well-worn hat. “Can’t say I do. Though I
could sure use some. This old thing is starting to get a little out of shape.”

“Give it here. I’ve got the steamer running. I can have that fixed up in a few minutes.”
Logan reached out one hand.

“Really? Hmm, I never knew you were so handy.” Tuck lifted the hat off his head by
the crown, then handed it to Logan.

“That’s because you and Layne were busy playing while I was here slaving away on the
steamer after school every day.”

“We were only seven.”

“No excuse.” Logan took a closer look at Tuck’s hat. “Jeez, man. Don’t you have a
brush for this thing?”

“Yeah, I had one. I can’t find it.”

Logan shook his head. “They’re over there on the shelf. Go grab one.”

Tuck glanced at the brush display. “You sure are good to have around. Maybe I’ll have
Becca talk Emma into marrying you—that way my hats will always look good.”

“I can keep your hats looking good, but I don’t need to be married to do it. Jeez,
just ’cause
you’re
married, we all have to be?” Logan joked, but being married didn’t sound so bad to
him.

“You should try it. You might like it.”

“Yeah, yeah. And misery also loves company.” Logan turned for the back room, Tuck’s
hat in his hand. “Come on back here and bring your big head with you. What the hell
size is this hat anyway? Seven and three-quarters?”

The tinkling of the bell above the door announced another arrival. Logan turned in
time to see Tyler coming into the store.

“I thought that I recognized those two trucks out front.” Tyler glanced around him.
“Jeez, this feels like the old days when we were kids. Remember how we’d all come
in here after school and look at the new hats we wanted but couldn’t afford on our
allowance?”

“What allowance?” Tuck screwed up his face. “You and Tara may have gotten an allowance,
but the minute I was old enough to work for other people, that shit stopped for me.”

“Aw, it’s good to have you home, bro. I missed your bubbly personality for that month
you disappeared after the wedding. Which reminds me.” Tyler handed a small white card
to Logan. “The rental place checked the pockets when I returned the tuxes after the
brunch. That was in the pocket of yours. With all the stuff happening with your dad
and all, I kept forgetting to give it to you. I’ve had it stuck in the console of
my truck all this time.”

The smug look Tyler delivered along with the card had Logan wondering what the hell
it was. Then he glanced down and saw Emma’s name and contact information on it.

Emma had given him her number. She’d slipped her card into the pocket of his tux and
he’d totally missed it. It could have been lost and he might never have known. Yet
here it was, in his hand, by way of the bridal rental shop and Tyler.

If this wasn’t fate telling Logan to call Emma, he didn’t know what the hell it was.

“Thanks for this.” He pocketed the card, and hoped Tyler wasn’t in the mood to interrogate
him about Emma, especially since Tuck was here.

Logan eyed Tuck and saw he was so busy checking out one of the hats on display, he
hadn’t taken much notice of the exchange. Good. It was another stroke of good luck
working in Logan’s favor. He decided to move the Jenkins brothers’ attention elsewhere
and avoid any talk of him and Emma or what might have happened between them.

Still holding Tuck’s hat, Logan glanced at Tyler’s. “Give me your hat, Ty. I’m fixing
Tuck’s. I might as well do yours while the steamer’s hot.”

“Who am I to argue with an offer like that?” Tyler surrendered the brown hat.

Logan spun it in his hand. “The brim’s all fucked up. What the hell did you do to
it?”

“A bull may or may not have stepped on it a little bit.” Tyler grinned.

“I thought you were gonna start wearing a helmet to ride.” Tuck shook his head at
his brother.

“You don’t.” Tyler frowned.

“That’s not the point.” Tucker raised one brow. “You should.”

“Do as I say, not as I do? Real nice, bro.” Tyler scowled.

Leaving the two brothers to argue, Logan headed to the workroom. This was good. Distraction
was just what he needed right now. Then, when the distractions who were two of his
closest friends left, there was a woman he was long overdue in calling.

M
uch as a watched pot never boiled, a watched clock didn’t move. At least that’s how
it seemed to Emma as she stood in the bathroom holding in one hand the stick she’d
just peed on, and her cell phone in the other, waiting for three eternally long minutes
to tick by on the cell’s time display.

The phone vibrated and she jumped, nearly losing her hold on both.

“Oh my God.” Emma tried to calm her racing heart as she shoved the stick onto the
edge of the sink—better hold the phone in both hands before she ended up dropping
it from her shaking fingers into the toilet.

She needed to calm down. Flipping the seat lid shut, Emma sat and drew in a deep breath.
With the cell safe from the threat of death by toilet, she looked at the caller ID
as the phone continued to vibrate.

It was a call from a Stillwater, Oklahoma, phone. She’d dialed Becca’s apartment phone
enough to recognize the area code, but she didn’t know this particular number. Maybe
Becca was calling from someone else’s phone.

She hit the button and said, “Hello.”

“Emma?” A very deep, very male voice stopped her just as she’d drawn in a breath to
lay into Becca for not being able to wait for Emma to call her back.

It wasn’t Tuck. She’d spoken to him on the phone enough to recognize his voice. Could
it be . . . “Logan?”

“Yeah, it’s me.”

She shot a sideways glance at the white plastic stick on the edge of the sink. A hell
of a coincidence he’d be calling now. “Hi. I, uh, heard about your dad. Becca told
me. I’m so sorry.”

“Thanks. That’s why I wanted to call. I’ve wanted to talk to you, but with the whole
thing with my father, that’s why I haven’t contacted you since . . . you know.”

“The wedding?” Memories of their time together, both at the wedding and after, had
Emma’s pulse pounding.

He let out a short laugh. “Yeah, since the wedding.”

“I know you couldn’t call. You had to be there for your family, Logan.”

“I’m glad you understand.” He sighed into the phone. “It’s good to hear your voice.”

“It’s good to hear yours, too.” Emma couldn’t begin to tell him how much.

She glanced at the stick again. Nothing yet. No plus or minus. Or pink or blue, or
whatever the hell it was supposed to show. Maybe she had better fish the box out of
the garbage and see what she should be looking for. Later.

Now what she’d hoped for had happened. Logan was on the phone. She forced her gaze
away from the little white plastic stick that would decide her fate.

“So how have you been?” he asked.

“Oh, you know. Busy at work.”
Possibly pregnant
. “The usual. Tucker and Becca are finally home from their honeymoon.”

“Yeah, I know. Tuck just stopped by. It’s pretty funny, actually. Tuck had just given
me your number when Tyler walked in and handed me your business card. The bridal shop
had found it in the pocket of my tux.”

“That is funny. I’m glad you have my number now, and that you called. I’ve been thinking
about you.”

“You have?”

“Yes. Are you surprised?”

“Yeah, I guess I am.” He laughed.

Emma’s brows drew down in a frown. “You shouldn’t be. I had a great time at the wedding
. . . and after.”

“I did, too. A really great time.” He drew in a deep breath and blew it out. “Emma,
if things ever get back to normal again, I’m hoping we can keep in touch, you and
I.”

“I’d like that. And even if things don’t get back to normal for a while, Logan, I
want you to know you can call me anytime. Just to talk. To vent. To escape from reality
for a little while. Whatever. I’m here.” Emma hadn’t meant that last part to come
out sounding like an invitation for phone sex but she feared it had.

Oh well, she wouldn’t be opposed to that, either. Logan had the best voice. All deep
and gruff . . . She eyed the pee stick again and reality crept back in. Would she
ever enjoy sex with Logan again, phone or other, if it was positive?

“I’ll take you up on that.” His voice dropped low now, all deep and sexy. It made
her chest tighten.

Damn, she needed to know what was happening with this test.

“Crap. Emma, I’ve got a customer.”

“A customer? Uh, what?” Emma wasn’t exactly on top of things in the midst of all that
was happening in her life right now, but still, there was no scenario she could come
up with as to why Logan would be servicing customers.

He chuckled. “Sorry. I’m at my father’s shop. I should have locked the door after
Tuck left but I forgot and now someone’s come in. Can I call you again sometime?”

“Of course. Go do what you have to. Call anytime. I’ll be here.”
Waiting.

“Great. Thanks. We’ll talk again soon.” The low promise in his voice had her cradling
the phone closer.

“All right. Bye.” Emma disconnected the call and was about to exchange the cell phone
for the pee stick in her sweaty grasp when the phone rang again.

Jeez, why was she so popular all of a sudden? She looked at the caller ID and punched
the button to answer. “Becca, I told you I’d call you when I was done with my errands.”

“I know, but I have something to tell you. Tucker just got back from seeing Logan
and apparently things are tough for the family right now.”

“I imagine they would be.” Emma kept the fact she’d just hung up with Logan to herself.

“Logan’s brother is leaving to go back to Okinawa tomorrow and Logan’s got his dad
and his dad’s store to worry about, so Tucker and I decided we’re going to help him
out. Even Tyler is on board.”

“That’s nice. He’ll appreciate it, I’m sure.”

“He’d do the same for Tuck if the situation were reversed. So anyway, we’re staying
here for at least a few more weeks instead of going back to Stillwater.”

“Really. Can you do that?”

“Sure. As long as we’re both back in time for the start of the new semester. I already
called my boss and he said it’s fine. He’s a friend of Logan’s so he understands.
And Tucker doesn’t mind using the rest of his leave to help out a friend.”

Of course he wouldn’t mind, because Becca had found herself the perfect man. Emma
might have, too, in Logan if he weren’t the quintessential bachelor. She’d like to
explore the possibility of changing Logan’s mind on his bachelor status. She could
only hope there wasn’t a big old complication on the horizon that would get in the
way.

Three minutes must be up by now, but she was afraid to look at the stick and find
out what it said. Emma swallowed hard and avoided it for just a moment more, long
enough to make some plans. Once she looked at the results, Emma had a suspicion she
wouldn’t be able to think.

“You know what, Becs? I have a bunch of vacation time stored up myself. Would it be
okay if I flew out for a visit?”

“Oh my God, could you do that? We didn’t get any time together, just the two of us,
over the wedding weekend.”

Wasn’t that the truth. And all that free time might have gotten Emma into a whole
heap of trouble. “Would Tuck’s parents mind if I stayed there at the house with you?”

“I’ll ask but I’m sure it won’t be a problem. Tuck and I are sleeping in his old bedroom.
You can stay in the room with the sleeper sofa.”

“Is Tara still there?” Emma cringed and waited for the answer.

“No. She went back to take some summer classes at her college, so there’s one less
person in the house. I’m sure Tuck’s parents won’t mind if you stay here with us.”

One more obstacle gone. “Great. I’ll take a look at flights. Just please double check
with them and make sure it’s okay?”

“I will. I’m so excited. It’ll be so nice to have you here. I miss having you near
me. Believe it or not, even if I am married now, I still need my big sister.”

Emma glanced at the stick and saw a symbol had formed. She drew in a deep breath.
“I need you, too, Becs.”

 

“Hey there, cowboy. I’m looking for Logan Hunt. Any idea where I might be able to
find him?”

The sexy feminine voice had Logan’s hand slipping. The brush skipped across the brim
of the hat, slipped out of his hand and skittered to the floor. He looked up and had
trouble believing who he saw.

“Emma?”

“Hi.” She smiled, looking a little tentative as she hovered in the doorway.

Happiness warred with confusion as he took a step forward. “What in the world . .
. What are you doing here? Is Becca okay?”

Surely Tuck would have called him if there were something wrong.

“Yeah, she’s fine. Just a social call.” She looked so sweet, so good, it was all he
could do not to stalk to where she stood and plant a big kiss on those tempting lips.

What the hell? Why couldn’t he? There wasn’t anyone around, and it could be just a
friendly kiss. They were friends, kind of. Weren’t they?

“It’s nice to see you.” As his pulse roared in his ears, Logan moved toward her and
bent low. He pressed his lips to hers in a quick, chaste kiss, and fought the need
to go further.

“It’s nice to see you, too.” Emma’s gaze traveled from his cowboy hat, to his pearl-snap
plaid shirt and worn denim jeans, to end at the leather of his boots. “I know Tucker
had you wear the hat and boots for the wedding, but when did you turn full-time cowboy?”

Logan knocked the brim of his hat back to get a better look at her and shrugged. “I
guess it’s an easy habit to fall back into. There was a day, before the army, when
I was in a cowboy hat and boots from sun up ’til sundown. That’s what happens when
your dad owns a store that specializes in western sporting goods . . . and other assorted
sundries.”

He glanced around, remembering the packed boxes of inventory and the decision he’d
put off making regarding what to do with all of it.

Emma looked closer at the displays of stock surrounding them. “I love it. It’s got
charm. Like the old country store on
Little House on the Prairie
. Remember that TV show?”

“Yeah, I do. My mom never missed an episode.” Logan smiled. Good memories from a time
when he didn’t have a care in the world save for keeping up with his homework in addition
to his chores, which in hindsight, was a pretty good deal compared to adulthood.

“Where I live in New York, stores like this are usually tourist traps. They’re in
quaint little towns within driving distance from Manhattan so they can grab the folks
who want to get away to the country for the weekend.”

“Tourists?” Logan let out a snort. “No tourists are coming here, and if they do, it’s
not to buy any of this stuff.”

“You’d be surprised. The places I’ve seen are designed to look like charming old-fashioned
shops to lure in the city people, then they hike up the prices and make a killing.”
Emma crossed the short distance toward the register and picked up an item sitting
there. She raised one brow. “You’re definitely not pricing this stuff high enough.”

He laughed. “For a store in a small town in Oklahoma, I am. You can’t get much more
than that around here. Maybe I should consider packing all this stuff up and driving
it to New York where I can get top dollar.” The plan seemed pretty good to Logan since
Emma lived there.

“Well, don’t do that right away, because I’m here for a long visit.”

“Really?” This news was as good as it was unexpected, just like Emma’s sudden appearance
in the shop.

“Yup. I’ll be here visiting with Becca. Hanging out. Soaking up the Oklahoma summer
sun. I was hoping I’d get to see you, too.” She turned and caught him in that gaze
that never failed to draw him to her.

For the first time in what seemed like a very long time, Logan felt happy about something.
“I think that can be arranged.”

“Are you sure? I know you’re busy with your dad and the store.” A strange expression
clouded her features. “And if you’d rather not . . .”

“Emma, I’d love to spend more time with you while you’re here.” Logan remembered his
time wasn’t his own right now. “As much as I’m able to with all that’s going on.”

It was enough to make a man weary to the bone, thinking about everything he had to
deal with right now, when it would be so easy to forget about it all and escape into
Emma.

“Good.” Her gaze intensified as she watched him. “How are you doing, Logan? Are you
okay?”

“Sure, I’m fine. Dad’s making progress. I’m getting my land legs back here at the
shop.” He shrugged. “It’s not now I’m worried about so much. It’s when I have to go
back to Stillwater for the fall semester that I’m most concerned with.”

Then, he didn’t know what the hell was going to happen, and delaying the decision
regarding the future of the shop hadn’t helped his unease.

“Yeah, I bet. Well, for now, I’m here to help you in any way I can. Need some shelves
dusted, or something?” Emma smiled.

“No.” Logan shook his head. “You’re not going to help me while you’re on your vacation,
and I’m sure as hell not going to let you do any dirty work around here.”

“Then maybe I can do something else. I am a graphic designer, after all. And some
of your signs could use a good makeover. Maybe a punchy slogan. Some nice graphics.”
She raised a brow and glanced in his direction.

Some of these signs had been here since he was in high school. Nostalgia aside, they
did look pretty old, and not in a charming way. A small change like that might freshen
up the store. It wouldn’t hurt, even if they did decide to sell it.

Smart and sexy as hell—Emma had it all. It was good to see her again.

Logan smiled. “Okay.
That
I might let you do. If you insist.”