Texas with a Twist (Westfall Brothers Book 1), page 5
Not only that, but Logan had built a life back in Dallas. What if he decided that he wasn’t ready to abandon it after all? Even if he wanted her to go with him, Gabby knew she couldn’t leave her hometown. She loved it here. She had travelled all over the world and seen incredibly beautiful places, but nothing beat Diamond. He would leave her and that would be that.
Everything was moving so quickly that Gabby felt like she couldn’t think clearly. She wanted the possibilities she saw in her future with Logan. She wanted them badly, but she wasn’t sure she was ready now. The idea of getting in so deep, so quickly made it hard for her to breathe.
Though it was a fierce internal fight, Gabby managed to get herself under control and rein in the impulse to run out the back door of the shop. Running away wouldn’t fix anything. It was a kneejerk reaction.
She had to decide what she wanted and then figure out how to talk to Logan about it. Gabby only hoped that she didn’t stick her foot in her mouth at the wrong moment, which was a real possibility.
With her thoughts less chaotic, she finished cleaning up in the kitchen and walked out to the front of the shop where Phoebe and Logan were waiting.
The sight of Logan smiling at her and holding out a hand muted the doubts buzzing in her head. Faced with the sight of him, Gabby couldn’t think of a single reason she should be worried and that scared her even more. Chemistry that strong was dangerous.
“Are you ready to go?” he asked.
Lacing her fingers with his, Gabby held on tight. “I am if you are.”
She said good-bye to Phoebe, grabbed her purse from beneath the bar, and followed Logan out into the warm summer night.
Chapter Eight
‡
Gabby insisted they take their own cars to her duplex. She joked that she didn’t want to have to get up when he did in the morning. Because of his new position in his father’s business, Logan left the house at six-thirty every morning.
However, she was a night owl. Eight was an early wake-up call for her, so there was no way in hell she was getting up that early when she could just drive her car home the night before.
Gabby arrived at her house first and immediately went inside to change clothes. She liked to look nice at work, but cut offs and tank tops or t-shirts were her go-to comfy clothes during the summer.
When Logan knocked on the front door, she was already in a ragged pair of denim shorts and a faded tank top with the Guinness logo across the chest. He grinned when he saw her clothes. He often teased her that she would sell a lot more wine if she dressed like that at the shop.
He held out two white paper bags and a drink carrier with two cups in it. “I stopped by The Burger Barn on the way here. I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.”
Gabby took the bags, stepping back from the door to let him enter. “Starving? You ate eight or nine plates of tapas at the Vine tonight!”
“Yeah, but I also spent half the day helping the crew map out and build a stone flower bed at the job site. Stone is heavy and takes a lot of energy to move. If I don’t keep up my strength, I won’t be able to jump your bones later.”
“Well, maybe I’m too tired for you to jump my bones anyway,” she teased, laughing at the mock expression of horror on his face.
“All you need is a greasy cheeseburger and onion rings and you’ll be fine,” he insisted, using his elbow to shut the door after he came inside the house.
“We’ll see,” she joked, gesturing to the kitchen table. “Let’s eat at the table.”
After locking the door, Gabby carried the bags to the kitchen, settling them on the table.
When she walked to the cabinet to grab plates, Logan asked, “What are you doing?”
“Getting some plates,” she answered, confused.
“We don’t need plates,” he stated. “Come over here and I’ll show you how to eat a Burger Barn burger.”
Shaking her head at his words, Gabby did as he asked. “How do you plan to keep from getting grease and ketchup everywhere? Because I promise you I won’t be cleaning up any mess we make.”
Grinning, Logan tore open his white bag. “See? The bag is the plate.”
With a sigh, Gabby copied his actions, tearing her own bag open. When she took the first bite of her burger, she moaned. “Oh my God, this is so good.”
“You don’t eat at The Burger Barn very often do you?”
With her mouth full, Gabby just shook her head.
“Why not?”
After she swallowed her first bite, she pointed at the grease dripping from the burger onto the white paper. “Because of that. I’d really like to see the age of forty-five and arteries clogged with fat and cholesterol aren’t conducive to a long life.”
Logan chuckled. “Duly noted.”
She gave his burger a pointed look. “Considering your dad just had a heart attack…”
“Shhhh. Ruin Burger Barn for me after I finish this one, okay?”
Gabby laughed. “Fine. I’ll let you enjoy your future cardiac disease.”
He grimaced at her, then took a huge bite of his burger, causing her to grab hold of her stomach because she was laughing so hard.
She marveled at how comfortable she felt with Logan and how comfortable he seemed with her. In a brief time, he was firmly ensconced in her routine. She loved his presence in her house and in her life.
After they finished dinner, Logan gathered their trash and threw it away, dusting his hands together.
“See? Easy clean up and no dishes to wash.”
“Okay, so it was a good idea. Now, I’m going to go wash my hands. They’re greasy.”
“Good idea. I’ll use the kitchen sink.”
Gabby walked to the bathroom and took the time to wash her hands and face. While she enjoyed eating the burger, the scent and feel of grease on her skin wasn’t as pleasant.
When she came out of the bathroom, she found Logan sprawled on her couch, the TV remote in one hand and the other resting over his belly. He was watching some show about people living in Alaska.
Hearing her footsteps, he tilted his head back on the cushions. “I am so full.”
Gabby laughed and settled on the couch next to him. “Me too.”
He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer, tucking her head against his shoulder.
“I think your plan to feed me and then ravish me later has backfired,” she murmured. “I can barely move.”
“Yeah, probably not my best idea.”
They cuddled on the couch for a while, commenting on the show or talking about their day.
“This is nice,” Gabby stated, looking up at Logan. “I like it.”
He smiled down at her, running his fingers through her hair. “Me too.”
The slightly panicked feeling that Gabby had earlier returned with a vengeance.
“What is it?” he asked his concerned eyes searching her face.
“Nothing. Sorry.” She turned her head, resting her cheek against his chest again.
Logan’s fingers curled under her chin, lifting her face so he could look into her eyes. “It doesn’t look like nothing. What were you thinking about?”
“It’s complicated,” Gabby evaded.
Lifting the remote, Logan turned off the TV. “Well, I’ve got plenty of time.”
Gabby sat up, moving away from him and tucking her back into the corner of the sofa. Pulling her knees up to her chest, she looked at him, really looked at him. His body was sprawled across her couch, relaxed and loose, and somehow he seemed to fit right in as if he belonged there.
Tucking her hair behind her ear, Gabby decided to lay it all out. It was scary as hell, but they needed to talk.
“I, uh, overheard you and Fee talking at the Vine tonight,” she murmured.
He nodded. “Okay.”
“And I’m a little freaked out, Logan. Okay, a lot freaked out. I feel the same way you do, that this may actually go somewhere, and it’s overwhelming. You’ve been back in town for just a few weeks and we barely know each other. I mean, don’t you think this is moving too fast?”
He straightened, angling his body toward hers and laying his arm along the back of the couch. “Not necessarily. We’re on the same page here, I think.”
Gabby shook her head. “I don’t know if we are. Not really.”
“What do you mean?”
This was the most difficult part. She sucked in a deep breath. “I’m falling in love with you, Logan, and seeing us going the distance isn’t the same as falling for someone.”
Logan reach out, grabbed her wrist, and tugged her forward so that she was half-lying across his lap. “We are on the same page, Gabrielle. Completely.”
She blinked up at him. “Doesn’t that freak you out at all? At least a little?”
He shook his head. “No.” His eyes softened as he watched her and he touched her cheek. “But I can see it scares the hell out of you. Why?”
“Um, well…” Gabby trailed off.
“Gabby?”
Her eyes dropped to his neck and she shrugged.
“Tell me,” he demanded, his voice firmer.
“I don’t know, okay? I don’t know why it frightens me, Logan, but it does. I mean, in less than a month, you come back to town and my whole life changes. It’s for the better, but I have no idea what I’m doing and I hate that feeling.”
“Look at me, Gabby.”
Her eyes flickered up to his. The expression on his face was tender and it took her breath away.
“We don’t have to do anything right now. We can take this one day at a time and see where it goes. You and I both need time to adjust and to get to know each other. I’m not going anywhere.”
Something in her expression caught his attention.
“Do you think I’m going to leave?” he asked, his voice low and even.
“I-”
He shook his head. “Don’t say it. I already know the answer.” Logan sighed, looking both irritated and amused. “Gabby, I’m here for good. Not just because my family needs me but because I wanted to come home. I want to be here and I want to be with you.”
She winced. “I’m not trying to make a problem where there isn’t one, but I just keep thinking that you had a life back in Dallas. For fourteen years. I know it would be hard for me to walk away from something I’d spent fourteen years building.”
Logan shook his head. “It’s not like that, Gabby. Yes, I loved it at first, but the last few years have felt more like a hamster wheel than a life. Something was missing. I was actually relieved when I realized I needed to move back here. I wanted a change. I was ready for it.” He rested his forehead against hers. “I was ready for you.”
Those words hit her right in the heart, but it was a blow she welcomed.
“Just promise me you’ll give me and us a chance, Gabby.”
“One day at a time,” she whispered.
“One day at a time.”
“Okay.”
Instead of answering, Logan kissed her, his lips soft and sweet. Gabby felt her heart turn over at the gentleness of his touch. He was offering her everything she ever wanted. She only needed the guts to take it.
She climbed off his lap, holding out a hand. He took it and let her help him to his feet. Without a word, she led him into her bedroom. If they were going to take this one day at a time, then she wanted to make the most of this day. And every day that she could.
Read the rest of Logan and Gabby’s story in 2016.
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About C.C.
A native Texan, C.C. grew up either reading or playing the piano. Years later, she’s still not grown up and doing the same things. Since the voices in her head never shut up, C.C. decided to share their crazy stories and started writing books.
Now that she has a baby girl at home, C.C.’s non-writing time is usually spent cleaning up poopy diapers or feeding the poop machine. Sometimes she teaches piano, cooks, or spends time bugging her hubby and two beagles.
Titles by C.C. Wood
Novellas:
Girl Next Door Series:
Friends with Benefits
Frenemies
Drive Me Crazy
Girl Next Door-The Complete Series
Kiss Series:
A Kiss for Christmas
Kiss Me
Novels:
Seasons of Sorrow
NSFW Series:
In Love With Lucy
Earning Yancy
Westfall Brothers Series:
Texas with a Twist
Wicked Games Series:
All or Nothing
Paranormal Romance:
Bitten Series:
Bite Me
Once Bitten, Twice Shy
Bewitched, Bothered, and Bitten
One Little Bite
Love Bites
Bite the Bullet
C.C. Wood, Texas with a Twist (Westfall Brothers Book 1)
