The Mighty Quinns: Logan

She smiled and snuggled closer. “I suppose that will have to do.” Sunny closed her eyes and let her body relax. For the first time in weeks, she felt content. And for now, that was enough. As for what would happen in the morning, she’d deal with that when the sun came up.

2

WHEN LOGAN WOKE UP the next morning, she was gone. At first, he wondered if it had all been part of some crazy dream. But when he found the two damp towels, he knew it hadn’t been.

He pulled on his jeans and ran his fingers through his hair as memories of their night together flooded his brain. A sudden rush of adrenaline washed away the remaining effects of sleep, and he felt energized. Alive. He hated to admit it, but he had needed a night of really great sex.

Logan bent down and picked up the towels, then carefully folded them. It had been great, hadn’t it? It was pretty obvious she’d enjoyed herself, and he’d certainly found the experience memorable. He wasn’t sure what the protocol was after a night like last night. Should he find her and say goodbye? Or maybe thank her? Or would that be assuming too much?

She’d left his bed, so she must have decided their night together had come to an end. A rap on the campervan door startled him out of his thoughts, and he hurried over and opened it, hoping he’d find Sunny standing on the other side. Ed was waiting with a plate heaped with food.

“Hey,” Logan said, rubbing his eyes against the rising sun.

“Morning,” Ed replied. “Come on out. I brought you a proper breakfast. I stopped by earlier, but you didn’t answer my knock.”

Logan crawled down the stairs and sat on the top step, then took the plate from Ed. It was loaded with eggs and sausage and two slices of toast. He dug in, and a few seconds later, Ed handed him a mug of coffee.

“Thanks. I really need this.”

“Didn’t sleep well?”

He glanced up and forced a smile. “No, just fine. Like the dead.”

“I had one of the stable boys feed and groom Tally. She’s all ready to go as soon as you are. I won’t bother you with another offer, but if this falls through, make sure I’m the next guy you call, all right?”

“Thanks,” Logan said. “Thanks for everything.”

Ed held out a piece of paper. “And I called a few breeders and vets that we do business with. You’re welcome to stop at any of them if the drive works out right. They’ll take good care of you and the filly.”

Logan took a deep breath, then grabbed the paper and scanned the five names. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Why don’t you just finish your breakfast? I’ll get one of the boys to load Tally, and you can get on the road. And on your way back, make sure you stop. We’ll go out for a pint or two.”

He thought about the promise he’d made to Sunny. “That would be great. I’ll do that.” Logan paused. “And if you see Sunny, can you tell her I’m sorry I wasn’t able to sell her my horse?”

Ed’s brow shot up. “You met Sunny?”

“Yesterday. She came out and rode Tally in the paddock. She offered to buy her and I told her I’d already made a deal.”

Ed chuckled. “If that woman didn’t have horse sense, she’d have no sense at all. She’s right about the filly. I’ll give her that.”

“Is she always like that? I mean, a little…?”

“We don’t call her crazy. She’s high-spirited. But I guess I don’t blame her. She kind of raised herself, from what I hear. Not much input from the parentals. But she’s a helluva rider. She went to the Olympics in London. Show jumping.”

“Really? Oh, my God, she’s that Sunny Grant. I didn’t make the connection.”

“She fell apart, knocked out in the early rounds. She’s been hiding out here since then. The media has been brutal.”

“That’s too bad,” Logan said, his mind occupied with thoughts of Sunny and that tiny glimmer of vulnerability he’d seen in her eyes. He knew her intimately, yet he really knew nothing about her life at all. Now that he had a few more pieces, Logan wished he could have had more time with her. Who knows what else he might have discovered?

He finished his breakfast as one of Ed’s grooms loaded Tally into the trailer. Logan checked her before he closed the trailer doors, then grabbed his shirt and boots and finished dressing. He’d dragged his departure out as long as he could, hoping he’d see Sunny again. But in the end, Logan had to accept that there would be no goodbye between them.

He got behind the wheel and steered the camper-van around the stable and past the house. He glanced over, wondering what she was doing, imagining her lying in bed, her naked body tangled in the sheets. He smiled to himself and headed for the highway.

The next hour was spent rerunning the previous night in his head. It had been a long time since he’d been with a woman. He lived a quiet life on the farm, just him and his right-hand man, Billy. Occasionally, he’d spend a weekend in town, and when he got lucky, there’d be a woman willing to give him a second look.

Since he’d left his job as a banker five years ago, women just didn’t find him as attractive. Funny how a nice guy looked a lot nicer when he had big money. He’d used all his savings, liquidated all his investments to buy the ranch and good breeding stock.

The dream was worth the risk, he’d told himself. And when he’d walked away from the bank on his last day of work, he’d pulled off his tie and unbuttoned his shirt and realized that he was a free man, a man who would determine his own destiny.

Now was not the time to start doubting himself. He had never assumed it would be easy. But the one thing he never realized was how lonely it would be. Logan reached over and slid a CD into the player, then turned up the volume on an old AC/DC tune. He sang along with the song, keeping time with his fist on the steering wheel.

“What time is it?”

The sound of her voice over the song caused him to swerve, and Logan cursed as he brought the campervan and horse trailer back under control. He glanced over his shoulder to see Sunny leaning off the edge of the upper bunk, her pale hair tumbled around her face.

He turned down the music. “What the hell—What are you doing?”

“I was sleeping,” she said. She stretched her arms above her head, the sheet dropping away to reveal her naked breasts. “What time is it?”

“What the hell are you—” He turned his attention back to the road and carefully pulled off onto the edge of the highway. Logan turned off the ignition, then stood up. “What the hell are you doing here?”

She frowned. “I decided to come with you. I packed my things and came back, but you were spread across the bed. So I crawled up here and fell asleep.” She dragged the sheet around her bare body.

“No, you left. Sometime in the middle of the night.”

“Yes, but I came back.”

Logan raked his hand through his hair, shaking his head. “Oh, bloody hell. We’re two hours gone from your place. I’m going to have to take you back now.”

She swung her legs over the edge of the bunk and shrugged. “No. I’m not going back. Nobody cares whether I’m there or not. My father decided to extend his stay in Sydney and won’t be home for another month. So I’m going with you. I don’t have anything better to do.” She jumped down from the bunk and moved toward him, smoothing her palm against his cheek as she passed. She paused and brushed a kiss across his mouth. “Morning,” she murmured with a coy smile.

Logan groaned. “This is just what I need right now.”

“No reason to get narky,” she said, putting on a pout. “I decided I needed more time to convince you to sell me the filly.”

“Oh, really. That’s why you’re running away from home?”

She stared at him for a long moment. “Well, not entirely. But I don’t want to talk about that right now. Besides, we’ll have fun. I make a very agreeable traveling companion.”

The night’s activities flashed through his mind and, with a soft curse, Logan slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her against him. Their lips met in a long, deep kiss, and he felt her warm body melt into his. He couldn’t say that he was angry or even surprised. He’d known Sunny Grant for less than a day and he already knew she was the most unpredictable woman he’d ever met.

“Won’t someone notice you’re gone?” he murmured.

“They won’t care.” She stepped back and ran her fingers through her hair. “I need coffee.” She glanced down at the sheet wrapped around her body. “Can we stop somewhere?”

“I think you should get dressed,” he said. “Did you bring clothes?”