The Mighty Quinns: Logan (15 page)

A wide smile broke across her serious expression. “You will be grand,” Anna said, nodding.

Sunny slipped her arm around the girl’s shoulders. “I think I have some old breeches in my closet. And I know I have a pair of boots that will fit you.”

They started off toward the house and, as they walked, Sunny couldn’t help but smile. Maybe Logan had changed her for good. Maybe he’d taught her to see people for what they were, to know them for the lives they led and not for what she saw on the surface.

She couldn’t help but think about the child he’d been and the troubles he’d seen. If she could spare another child from that kind of insecurity, then she would. Anna Fleming would get a home for as long as she wanted one.

And maybe Sunny would get something, too. She had always thought that teaching children how to ride was something she might be good at. Riding had given her an incredible sense of power and purpose in her own crazy childhood. Perhaps, it might do the same for someone like Anna.

Sunny drew a deep breath and smiled. So many things had changed for her in the past few weeks. She sometimes didn’t even recognize herself anymore. And maybe that was a good thing. The Sunny Grant that she once knew wasn’t worthy of a man like Logan Quinn.

Now maybe she was.

* * *

I
T
HAD
BEEN
NEARLY
four weeks since he’d last seen Sunny, and Logan was just a little more than nervous. There had been so many things that required his attention at the ranch that a day’s drive into Brisbane had been an impossibility. A half-million dollars had just dropped into his lap and that wasn’t something he took lightly, never mind the other half million waiting for him in Ireland.

It still hadn’t really sunk in. It was as if fate had stepped in to make all his dreams come true. Only, fate had come in the form of an elderly Irish novelist with money to spare. Though he hadn’t scheduled his trip to Ireland, he was anxious to go. Logan needed to explain to his great-aunt how much her help had meant to him.

He’d kept his news a secret from Sunny, choosing to get all his plans in order before he told her. All she knew was that his parents were fine and he was working on some financial issues with the farm. He could hear the worry in her voice when they spoke on the phone. But she hadn’t pressed him for details, and for that he was glad. No matter what happened, Sunny always seemed to know exactly what to say and how to act. But he also knew that she would be there for him, in the bad times and the good.

He’d planned their future in his head, working out all the little details. As a former investment banker he knew the risks of putting all his money into property. He’d decided to look for a small place, something within his conservative budget. After that, he’d invest the remainder of his inheritance for their future.

There had been so many things to consider. Was it better to spend money and fix up the ranch and then sell it? Or should he sell it as is, keeping the price low so that someone with limited resources might buy it? How much closer could he afford to be to Willimston without significantly reducing the amount of land he wanted? How far away should he stay just in case things didn’t work out?

Everything had required careful consideration. Decisions were made after deliberate thought. But in the end, he had decided to look at a farm thirty kilometers west of Willimston, a beautiful place that had everything he’d ever need to raise his horses. And a place that Sunny might, one day, want to call home.

It was all falling into place. He’d get the farm. Then, he’d get the girl. And after that, they’d get the horse. He’d already set aside money to buy Tally back from the breeder in Perth and, though he wasn’t even sure they were interested in selling, for the first time in his life, he had the power and the money to make it happen.

Logan frowned. “One step at a time,” he murmured.
First the farm, then the girl, then the horse.
He clutched the steering wheel of the new pickup. Impatience would be the end of him.

He’d always been cool under pressure, but the stakes had never been so high. His future happiness was at risk. But they’d never really talked about a commitment. They’d discussed holidays together a few times a year. They’d discussed the option of being “friends with benefits.” They’d even discussed, for a short time, Sunny living with him instead of returning to her home and family. Never once had they come close to mentioning the C word—commitment.

And now, he was prepared to ask her for that. He was ready to move his entire life to be closer to her. Though he wanted to believe Sunny would say yes to his proposal, he couldn’t be sure. Hell, he hadn’t even decided what his proposal was.

The options ranged from dating to marriage and everything in between. Should they spend more time together, getting to know each other better? Or should he just jump in and risk it all with a proposal of marriage? Maybe they ought to live together first and make the serious decisions later.

He groaned softly. There was always the chance that she’d say no to everything. That their time apart had weakened the bond they shared. A curse slipped from his lips. Maybe he should have gotten the horse first and then gone after the girl. At least with Tally, he’d have something significant to offer her besides promises and an engagement ring.

The sign for Willimston Farm appeared, and Logan turned into the driveway, taking the same route he had on the very day he’d first met Sunny. All that seemed so long ago, though it was barely six weeks. So much had changed in that time that it was hard to remember his life without her.

He pulled the truck to a stop in front of the house, a nervous knot growing in his stomach. Grabbing the bouquet of flowers he’d picked up in town, Logan drew a deep breath. He jumped out of the truck and smoothed his hand over his shirt. Eight hours on the road had left him a little rumpled, but dressed in khakis and a pale blue shirt, he wanted to impress. He’d even managed a haircut before leaving. Raking his fingers through his hair, Logan stood at the front door of the house and pushed the button for the doorbell.

A few moments later, the door swung open. He expected to see Sunny, but instead, he saw an older woman. “I—I’m here for Sunny?”

She smiled. “Well, there you are,” she said. “I’m Lily, the housekeeper. Sunny’s back in the stables. She said you’re to go on back and meet her there. I believe you know the way?”

Logan nodded and started down the steps. But then he turned back to Lily. “Do I look all right?”

“Oh, you look grand,” she said with a warm smile.

“And the flowers?”

“Sunny loves flowers. Daisies are her favorite, but I expect you know that.”

“No,” he said. “I didn’t. It was just a lucky guess. But it is good to know. I need to know things like that.”

In truth, there were still huge gaps in what they knew of each other’s lives. They’d talked about many subjects on their way to Perth, but some things, like her favorite flowers, had gone untouched. But that was what the future was for. There would be fun in the discovery.

As he approached the stables, he heard a shout from the paddock nearby. Logan strode around the corner of the building and looked over the fence to find Sunny sprawled in the soft dirt next to a rail jump. With a quiet curse, he hopped over the gate and ran to her.

“Are you all right?”

“I’m fine,” she said breathlessly. “She just refused. She doesn’t like the white rails.”

Sunny sat up, wincing, then looked into his eyes. Her expression brightened and she laughed, throwing her arms around his neck. “You’re here,” she exclaimed. “And you brought me flowers.”

Logan chuckled, reaching out to straighten her riding helmet. “I am. It took me a while.” He handed her the bouquet.

“It took you too long.” Sunny hugged him again and pulled him down into the dirt with her, rolling on top of him as they kissed.

At that moment, Logan didn’t care about his new shirt or his clean khakis. He just wanted to lose himself in the taste of her mouth and the feel of her body. This is exactly what he’d needed all these weeks, the perfect antidote for his loneliness. His fingers tangled in her hair as he molded his mouth to hers.

He pulled her beneath him, his body already responding to the kiss in ways he couldn’t control. But as he looked down into her beautiful face, he felt a nudge on his shoulder. Logan glanced back to find a horse—

With a soft curse, Logan scrambled to his feet. Startled by his sudden movement, Tally shied away, but Logan held out his hand to calm her. Sunny stood up and wrapped her arm around his waist. “Look who’s here,” she said.

“Jaysus, Sunny, what did you do?” He looked over at her. “Please tell me you didn’t steal her.”

“Of course not,” she said, giggling at the thought. “I bought her. She’s mine. Actually, she’s yours if you want her. We can work out a nice deal. Or we could share her. I’m teaching Tally to jump. She’d been doing well until she refused this fence. I think she wanted to toss me into the dirt.”

He stared at the horse, unable to believe what he was seeing. A lump of emotion blocked his ability to speak, and he pulled Sunny into his arms and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “I can’t believe you did this. Thank you.”

“I couldn’t let her go,” Sunny said. She smoothed her hand over his cheek. “The same way I could never let you go. I love Tally as much as you do, Logan. And I love you even more.” She turned her face up to his. “You’re part of my life now. Not just for today or for tomorrow, but forever. And it wouldn’t have been complete without the horse that brought us together.”

Logan closed his eyes and hugged her tight. “I’ve been thinking the same thing, Sunny. We belong together. All three of us.”

She kissed him, her lips soft and sweet against his. “You changed me, Logan,” she murmured. “You made me want more for myself. And you made me want you. I can’t be happy without you.”

“I love you, too,” he murmured, drawing her into another kiss, this one deep and delicious. When he finally pulled back, there were tears glittering in her eyes. “Are you going to tell me how you managed this?”

“I made him an offer he couldn’t refuse,” Sunny teased.

“And you drove her back yourself?”

Sunny sucked in a sharp breath. “Actually, no. I drove back, Tally flew. I didn’t want to risk her safety. And she’s a lot to take care of on the road. Tally arrived here the day before I got back, and she’s been settling in just fine.”

“You’re an amazing woman,” he murmured, bending close.

“Yes, I am. Are you only noticing that now?”

“No. I’ve known that all along.”

His kissed her again and, suddenly, he couldn’t seem to get enough of her. She was intoxicating, the scent of her hair, the taste of her lips, the feel of her curves. He ached to touch her the way he used to, skin to skin, his fingers exploring her naked body.

“Maybe we should find someplace private,” she murmured. “You could take off your pretty new clothes. I don’t want you to get them any dirtier.”

“That sounds like a wonderful idea. But there’s something else we need to discuss first.”

“There’s something more important than getting naked and making love to me?”

“Well, yes. For the moment, there is.” He grabbed her hand then pulled her along toward the gate. “We’re going for a drive. It’s not far, but I really need to get your opinion.”

“A drive? Now?”

Logan nodded. “I promise, it’s about twenty minutes west of here.”

“But I have to take care of Tally. She’s still got her bridle and saddle on.”

She turned to hurry back to the horse, but Logan scooped her up in his arms and tossed her over his shoulder. “That can wait.”

“No!”

As they passed the stable, Ed walked out, a bemused expression on his face. “Well, I can see where this is going already. Do you need any help?”

Sunny pushed up and reached out her hand. “Can you—”

“I was talking to Logan,” Ed said.

“Yeah, take care of Tally, will you? Sunny and I have some important business to take care of.”

He didn’t set her down until they reached the side of a shiny new red pickup truck. He opened the passenger side door. “Get in.”

“This is yours?”

“Like it?”

“It’s very...very new,” she said, frowning.

Logan opened the door and she got inside. When he slipped in behind the wheel she was staring at him. “When did you get this truck? And where are we going?”

“I’ll explain when we get there,” he said.

“And where is there?”

“A real pretty horse farm about twenty minutes west of here. I’m thinking about buying it—if you like it.”

Sunny reached out and grabbed the truck keys from his hand. “Wait a second. Where is all this money coming from? You bought a new truck and, now, you’re buying a new farm? Is there something you’re not telling me?”

“Did I tell you that I loved you?”

Sunny nodded.

“And did I tell you that someday, I’m going to marry you?”

Her jaw dropped and she blinked. “No.”

“I’m getting ahead of myself. We’ll talk about that later. Can I have my keys now?” She held them away from him and Logan leaned close and captured her lips in a very persuasive kiss.

“No! Did you just propose marriage to me?”

Logan reached into his pants pocket and pulled out the small velvet box, holding it out. “The keys for the box,” he teased. “I know that I can’t give you everything, Sunny. But I can give you myself, my heart and soul. My life. And my promise that I’ll do my best to make you happy forever.”

He opened the box and removed the simple diamond ring. “This doesn’t have to mean we’re getting married tomorrow. Or even next month or next year. But I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Sunny. And I want that life to start now. Is that something you would want, too?”

The next few seconds seemed like an eternity. Sunny stared at the ring then glanced up into Logan’s eyes. A tear trickled from the corner of her eye and she brushed it away. “Yes,” she finally said. “Yes, it’s something I want. I think I’ve wanted it since the moment I met you.”