did.”
“That’s nice to hear.”
“I was...really surprised you didn’t come back to South Dakota.” He paused a moment. “Why didn’t you?”
Poppy played their conversation about her reasons for staying in New York and the letters from Kelly over in her mind. “That’s for some other time,” she finally said, not wanting to spoil the mood.
“Was there someone who kept you there? Or is that for some other time, too.”
“There has never been anyone in my life special enough to keep me from coming back to Rudolph,” she said.
He didn’t look away and she wished the porch light was on so she could read his expression so she would know Logan understood her meaning.
“All these years. There had to have been someone in your life.”
She sighed. “Why are you pushing this? Not everyone is as lucky to find love. You and Kelly were...”
“We were good partners.”
Poppy sputtered. “Well, hell, that was real romantic.”
He shrugged. “I'm not a fancy talker. You know that. But Kel and I were good friends. We worked well together. I know too many couples who don’t even like each other.”
“True.”
“But enough about that. Didn’t you ever get lonely?”
“You just don’t let up, do you? Logan, it's a city with over eight million people in it. The sidewalks were crawling with people day and night. If I wanted to share a meal, all I had to do was go to one of the local neighborhood restaurants. I always knew someone there. Actually, it's really not unlike going to your mom's diner where you know people you grew up with your whole life. Just not as long a wait for a table.”
“You're comparing my mother's restaurant with Manhattan?”
“It's not as homey. I'll give you that.”
“You're avoiding my question.”
“Am not.”
He grabbed the railing with both hands and looked out into the darkness. “Kelly told me you were engaged a while back. Whatever happened to that?”
Poppy reached up and touched Logan’s arm. He turned and looked at her face and she hoped he could see her fully. It was all lies. She knew that, but Logan didn’t.
“I was never engaged. Ever. I’ve never even gotten close.”
“Never?”
Truths . Did they all really need to come out now? When she came here to Rudolph she believed it was important in order for both of them to move on. But the shocked look on Logan’s face told her he didn’t know what to believe. Would he believe her? Did she even stand a chance at getting him to understand the truth without dividing him from the love he’d felt for the mother of his child? After today, she wasn’t sure it mattered anymore.
Visibly uncomfortable, he moved on. “The few times we saw each other over the years, you never came back with a friend. Is our small town life so embarrassing that you'd prefer to keep your city friends away?”
Her stomach fell. “Is that what you thought all this time? Honestly, I don't know what you think of me when you talk like that. I talk about South Dakota to my friends all the time. But most of the people I know back East love the city, the theater and the museums. I love that, too. I've come to love it. Unless you've grown up in a place like this you don't have a true appreciation for the beauty of it all. To some of them, it might as well be a foreign planet.”
He sighed. “It's been looking like it these last couple of weeks. Every time I drive into town it feels like I’m in some crazy science fiction world with destruction everywhere. It's like nature put a huge scar on what used to be Rudolph. I wonder if it will ever be the same.”
“Give it time. Time heals.” Her eyes widened as she looked out into the yard. “It’s snowing!”
She jumped off the porch in her stocking feet and started spinning with her face turned up to the sky. Yes, time heals all and washes away the stains of the past.
Would anything be left behind? Poppy didn’t want to think about it anymore. She just wanted to laugh and to
“That’s nice to hear.”
“I was...really surprised you didn’t come back to South Dakota.” He paused a moment. “Why didn’t you?”
Poppy played their conversation about her reasons for staying in New York and the letters from Kelly over in her mind. “That’s for some other time,” she finally said, not wanting to spoil the mood.
“Was there someone who kept you there? Or is that for some other time, too.”
“There has never been anyone in my life special enough to keep me from coming back to Rudolph,” she said.
He didn’t look away and she wished the porch light was on so she could read his expression so she would know Logan understood her meaning.
“All these years. There had to have been someone in your life.”
She sighed. “Why are you pushing this? Not everyone is as lucky to find love. You and Kelly were...”
“We were good partners.”
Poppy sputtered. “Well, hell, that was real romantic.”
He shrugged. “I'm not a fancy talker. You know that. But Kel and I were good friends. We worked well together. I know too many couples who don’t even like each other.”
“True.”
“But enough about that. Didn’t you ever get lonely?”
“You just don’t let up, do you? Logan, it's a city with over eight million people in it. The sidewalks were crawling with people day and night. If I wanted to share a meal, all I had to do was go to one of the local neighborhood restaurants. I always knew someone there. Actually, it's really not unlike going to your mom's diner where you know people you grew up with your whole life. Just not as long a wait for a table.”
“You're comparing my mother's restaurant with Manhattan?”
“It's not as homey. I'll give you that.”
“You're avoiding my question.”
“Am not.”
He grabbed the railing with both hands and looked out into the darkness. “Kelly told me you were engaged a while back. Whatever happened to that?”
Poppy reached up and touched Logan’s arm. He turned and looked at her face and she hoped he could see her fully. It was all lies. She knew that, but Logan didn’t.
“I was never engaged. Ever. I’ve never even gotten close.”
“Never?”
Truths . Did they all really need to come out now? When she came here to Rudolph she believed it was important in order for both of them to move on. But the shocked look on Logan’s face told her he didn’t know what to believe. Would he believe her? Did she even stand a chance at getting him to understand the truth without dividing him from the love he’d felt for the mother of his child? After today, she wasn’t sure it mattered anymore.
Visibly uncomfortable, he moved on. “The few times we saw each other over the years, you never came back with a friend. Is our small town life so embarrassing that you'd prefer to keep your city friends away?”
Her stomach fell. “Is that what you thought all this time? Honestly, I don't know what you think of me when you talk like that. I talk about South Dakota to my friends all the time. But most of the people I know back East love the city, the theater and the museums. I love that, too. I've come to love it. Unless you've grown up in a place like this you don't have a true appreciation for the beauty of it all. To some of them, it might as well be a foreign planet.”
He sighed. “It's been looking like it these last couple of weeks. Every time I drive into town it feels like I’m in some crazy science fiction world with destruction everywhere. It's like nature put a huge scar on what used to be Rudolph. I wonder if it will ever be the same.”
“Give it time. Time heals.” Her eyes widened as she looked out into the yard. “It’s snowing!”
She jumped off the porch in her stocking feet and started spinning with her face turned up to the sky. Yes, time heals all and washes away the stains of the past.
Would anything be left behind? Poppy didn’t want to think about it anymore. She just wanted to laugh and to
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