She winked at Logan and crossed over to collect the money I had already counted.
Logan and I exchanged a look, and he winked at me.
“You two go on and get out of here,” Sandy said. “It’s past closing time.”
With a few goodbyes, I stepped outside and climbed the stairs to my apartment above the shop. Logan kissed me oncemore before pointing at me and saying, “I still need to know more about this Miles conversation.”
I shooed him off.
“We are on a time crunch. Go home and shower! You stink.”
“We will be talking about this later,” Logan said, to which I responded by playfully rolling my eyes.
We both had to get ready to go to The Tequila Cowboy. It was far too long since we’d all been together. I was ready to get my dance on, see my found family, and get lost in the music.
41
ELLIE
Apart of me, one I couldn’t ignore, was thrilled to be showing up to the bar on Logan’s arm and not just as a friend.
The other night, when we were getting ice cream, I’d panicked at the sight of my brother and Aspen. But tucked away in that shadowed alley, with Logan’s arms around me and his quiet reassurances in my ear, I’d managed to calm down.
Truthfully, I didn’t think any of them would actually have a problem. It was my own insecurity—my deeply ingrained fear of judgment, even from the people I loved most—that caused the spiral.
But tonight felt different. We’d test the waters. Steal subtle touches. Share stolen glances. Maybe even dance together, bodies close on the dance floor. For the first time in a long time, I was genuinely looking forward to a night out.
I was starting to feel like I belonged again. And tonight felt like a quiet kind of turning point.
Finishing the last piece of hair with my curling iron, I turned it off and ran my fingers through the curls to loosen them. I shook my head side to side, giving myself a final once-over in the mirror.
A flowy black blouse, a denim skirt, and a pair of suede boots was my outfit tonight. I’d dressed up a little, just for him. Not because I had to. Deep down, I knew Logan didn’t care about that kind of thing. He looked at me the same whether I was in heels or sweatpants, dolled up or undone at the end of a long day.
Still, I couldn’t help but want to impress him.
I smiled to myself, biting my bottom lip just thinking about Logan.
God.
So much time wasted. So many nights spent tangled in something that never truly fit, all while the right one had been standing just out of reach. Logan had always been there—quiet and loyal. But like he’d said… I wasn’t looking for love then. My eyes had been shut, convinced Buck was end game.
I didn’t have time to linger on those regrets anymore. I didn’t want to.
I was focused on the present. On Logan. On everything we were building.
I stepped out of the bathroom and into the open living space of my apartment just as the front door opened. Logan stepped inside, wild blond hair tamed beneath his worn cowboy hat, fitted jeans hugged his thighs in a way that made my thoughts scatter, and his tight black T-shirt clung to every carved line of his body.
My lower stomach flipped, a warm ache blooming deep in my core.
God help me.
Just looking at him sent my pulse racing.
He grinned, closing the door behind him. That signature smirk—equal parts cocky and tender—spread across his face as his eyes locked on mine.
“Hey there, Ace,” he said, voice low and rough in a way that curled heat through my spine. “How’s my girl?”
He crossed the room in three long strides and wrapped his arms around me, tugging me against his chest and pressing a kiss to the top of my head. It was becoming his signature move—soft, sure, grounding. It got me every damn time.