too full and we’d be doing him a favor to take it off his hands. Gerry Sullivan, the town’s doctor, never charged us when one of us had taken ill and needed medicine. He’d just call it in then have someone drop it by free of charge. The list went on and on. Ty playing bouncer, fixing my truck for free. Jamie staying close, instead of moving on to a larger city, so she could have my back. Hell, even the town’s florist would drop off flowers from time to time saying they were gonna wilt before he sold them, and they gave the bar a touch of class.
Yes, I’d been so caught up in my own head, I’d missed the fact Ennis had had our backs this whole time. And now so did Logan.
Logan studied me for a second more, then leaned his forehead against mine and closed his still bruised eyes. I would never, not ever, tire of him doing that.
“Good,” he returned, his voice soft and gentle.
“I’m thinking I need to learn your moves,” Jake said out of the blue.
I tipped my head back and looked at him. He was watching Logan and me, his face unreadable.
“His moves?”
Jake hesitated then shrugged. “Only a few people in this town can best me. Logan being one of them. I figure if this thing between you doesn’t work out, I’ll need to be prepared to kick his ass to the curb.”
That was more like the Jake I knew. He wanted this for me, wouldn’t stand in our way, but he wasn’t opposed to taking matters into his own hands if it went bad. Probably looked forward to it if the gleam in his eyes was any indicator. And who better than to teach him how to get rid of Logan than Logan himself.
Logan leaned back and grinned at Jake. The purple around his eyes had faded and was turning yellow. He was no less handsome, even bruised.
“Sure, kid.”
Josh bounded from the table and ran to his room, shouting over his shoulder, “I need to know this to kick Jake’s ass. Don’t start without me.”
Jake grinned and stood to follow.
I sighed and shook my head.
Logan hooked his arm around my shoulders and laughed.
_______________
Chance tossed back his whiskey with a shaking hand as Butch Johnson approached. The ranch hand had been skirting around the edges of Chance’s notice half the day. He’d been watching Chance for some reason. The determination in his eyes told him Johnson had finally worked up enough courage to approach him, now that the rest of his staff had left for their bunkhouse or a road trip to Bozeman for supplies.
Bear Claw had been running on autopilot since his father’s death. The herd had just been brought down from the high country that morning in preparation for winter, but Chance’s attention had been on the valley below instead of the cattle that paid the bills. His sister and brothers had spent the past hour in front of their cabin wrestling around like fools with Logan Storm. The shouts and laughter of their happy unit had peaked his anger to new heights, all while his father’s voice whispered in his head. Kill them. Make them pay. They’re the reason you grew up without a mother. End it all today.
Chance poured another shot of whiskey, while Johnson took a step up onto the wraparound porch and leaned his large frame against one of the massive rock columns that held up the roof. He ignored the man and clenched his teeth. His sister had just jumped on the back of Logan Storm. He watched the big man as he hiked her up higher on his back as if she weighed nothing. Which she didn’t. She looked just like his mother. Just like the woman who had never fought to keep him. Tiny. Petite. Fucking angelic. But there was nothing angelic about Sarah James. She was a demon in disguise and his father the devil himself.
“We need to talk.”
Chance threw a fleeting glance at Johnson. “So talk then leave me be.”
“About what I saw the night your father died.”
Chance didn’t react to the threat. He turned his head and watched the man closely, waiting for him to show all his cards.
“I figure you did it to put him out of his misery.” Johnson smiled slightly, conveying a false sympathy for Justice Bear, who had been a bastard to every living soul who’d worked on Bear Claw Ranch. “That bein’ said, I’m done