turned to face him.
“Oh, you know, just telling Candace some stories about you two,” Jamie responded. “It’s always fun having someone new to share info with.”
“I was telling Jamie about my fear of dogs, and how Ranger decided to make love to my ear with his tongue on the way here.”
Logan just shook his head when the other two burst into laughter. He’d hoped they’d just be themselves around Candace, and they were, which was making the whole situation seem...like some sort of double date. They weren’t treating her any differently than they would any other girl.
He cleared his throat. “I’m heading back home first thing tomorrow, Jamie, did Brett tell you?”
“Don’t tell me you want me to babysit Ranger?” Jamie asked. “Or is that something Candace wants to do now that he’s shown his love for her?”
Both Candace and Jamie giggled, and Logan exchanged looks with Brett. His friend was giving him a look he’d only seen when they’d been serving, a look that told him he had to do what he had to do. Before, it had been about war, about making decisions that could affect his entire team, and now it was about putting his own heart on the line and putting himself at risk. Which wasn’t something he was comfortable with at all. Now, the decision he made was only going to affect his own life, which was why the whole thing was scaring him.
“What are your plans, Candace? You heading back to the States?” Brett asked, giving Logan a moment to gather his thoughts.
Candace was toying with her straw. She took a delicate sip before answering. “You know, I don’t have any definite plans as yet, but I’m planning on staying in Australia for a few more days, maybe longer.”
Logan almost choked on his beer. “You are?” He turned so he was staring straight at her.
She glanced across at him, her eyes not settling on his. “Yeah. You kind of convinced me that I needed a break.”
“When you said you were going to take some time off, I didn’t realize you meant here. I figured you were going back to your ranch in Montana.”
Suddenly it was like there was just the two of them in the room, that Brett and Jamie weren’t even part of the conversation. How had she not mentioned this earlier? Why hadn’t he asked her?
“You’re going tomorrow, and I didn’t want you to feel like...” Her voice trailed off, her sentence unfinished.
“I could have changed my plans,” he muttered. If he’d known there was the chance of spending more time with her, of this being more than a one-night thing...he would have what? He still didn’t know how he felt about Candace, what he thought, what he was capable of offering.
“Candace, you should see Logan’s property while you’re here,” Brett said, interrupting them just as Logan was about to tear his hair out. “I know you’ve probably travelled to a lot of beautiful places, but there’s nothing quite like the Outback.”
An awkward silence fell over the table. Even the ever bubbly Jamie was quiet, which made the whole situation feel more pressure cooked than it was.
“I’d love to see it one day. I’m sure it’s pretty special,” Candace said, but she kept her head down, eyes on her cocktail.
“Brett, why don’t we go get another round of drinks?” Jamie suggested, standing and tugging on Brett’s hand.
“But we haven’t even...” He stopped talking and just stood up when Jamie gave him a fierce look that Logan caught from the corner of his eye.
Logan let them leave before turning to Candace. His mind was jumbled, his thoughts all over the place, but he kept thinking about what Brett had said and he realized he didn’t want to regret anything when it came to the woman seated beside him. It was time to man up and he knew it.
“You should have told me you were staying in Australia,” Logan said, going to reach for her hand then hesitating, before forcing himself to get out of his comfort zone and just do it. “I just
“Oh, you know, just telling Candace some stories about you two,” Jamie responded. “It’s always fun having someone new to share info with.”
“I was telling Jamie about my fear of dogs, and how Ranger decided to make love to my ear with his tongue on the way here.”
Logan just shook his head when the other two burst into laughter. He’d hoped they’d just be themselves around Candace, and they were, which was making the whole situation seem...like some sort of double date. They weren’t treating her any differently than they would any other girl.
He cleared his throat. “I’m heading back home first thing tomorrow, Jamie, did Brett tell you?”
“Don’t tell me you want me to babysit Ranger?” Jamie asked. “Or is that something Candace wants to do now that he’s shown his love for her?”
Both Candace and Jamie giggled, and Logan exchanged looks with Brett. His friend was giving him a look he’d only seen when they’d been serving, a look that told him he had to do what he had to do. Before, it had been about war, about making decisions that could affect his entire team, and now it was about putting his own heart on the line and putting himself at risk. Which wasn’t something he was comfortable with at all. Now, the decision he made was only going to affect his own life, which was why the whole thing was scaring him.
“What are your plans, Candace? You heading back to the States?” Brett asked, giving Logan a moment to gather his thoughts.
Candace was toying with her straw. She took a delicate sip before answering. “You know, I don’t have any definite plans as yet, but I’m planning on staying in Australia for a few more days, maybe longer.”
Logan almost choked on his beer. “You are?” He turned so he was staring straight at her.
She glanced across at him, her eyes not settling on his. “Yeah. You kind of convinced me that I needed a break.”
“When you said you were going to take some time off, I didn’t realize you meant here. I figured you were going back to your ranch in Montana.”
Suddenly it was like there was just the two of them in the room, that Brett and Jamie weren’t even part of the conversation. How had she not mentioned this earlier? Why hadn’t he asked her?
“You’re going tomorrow, and I didn’t want you to feel like...” Her voice trailed off, her sentence unfinished.
“I could have changed my plans,” he muttered. If he’d known there was the chance of spending more time with her, of this being more than a one-night thing...he would have what? He still didn’t know how he felt about Candace, what he thought, what he was capable of offering.
“Candace, you should see Logan’s property while you’re here,” Brett said, interrupting them just as Logan was about to tear his hair out. “I know you’ve probably travelled to a lot of beautiful places, but there’s nothing quite like the Outback.”
An awkward silence fell over the table. Even the ever bubbly Jamie was quiet, which made the whole situation feel more pressure cooked than it was.
“I’d love to see it one day. I’m sure it’s pretty special,” Candace said, but she kept her head down, eyes on her cocktail.
“Brett, why don’t we go get another round of drinks?” Jamie suggested, standing and tugging on Brett’s hand.
“But we haven’t even...” He stopped talking and just stood up when Jamie gave him a fierce look that Logan caught from the corner of his eye.
Logan let them leave before turning to Candace. His mind was jumbled, his thoughts all over the place, but he kept thinking about what Brett had said and he realized he didn’t want to regret anything when it came to the woman seated beside him. It was time to man up and he knew it.
“You should have told me you were staying in Australia,” Logan said, going to reach for her hand then hesitating, before forcing himself to get out of his comfort zone and just do it. “I just
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