Second Chance at Love (The MacKenna Born & Bred Trilogy) (17 page)

“Logan, do you---” The rest of her words were cut off when
he unexpectedly pulled her into his arms. He kissed her tenderly, and loved the
way she leaned into him to deepen the kiss. She smelled like apple, sweet and
succulent, and her scent flooded his senses. When they finally drew apart,
Logan tipped her chin up and looked deep into her eyes.

“Please tell me this is you giving us a second chance.” His
words were direct, the emotion in his voice undisguised.

She opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again. Emotion
swirled through her. He placed a finger over her lips, lips that still tingled
from his kiss.

“Brooke,” he began, a persistent nervousness ebbing its way
in. He was afraid that she would say the one word he wasn't prepared to hear.

She smiled then, in that flirtatious way of hers, in an
attempt to lighten the mood. “Let's not talk about that. Why can't we just
enjoy each other,” she suggested. “We have the entire summer to be together, if
that's what you want,” she said. “To have fun. To have lots and lots of hot
sex...” she trailed off, linking her fingers with his.

He watched her closely. “And then what? What happens at the
end of summer?” he wanted to know.

Brooke looked at him, her gaze holding his. “At the end of
August, I go back to California,” she said, softly. “I have to. I have a home,
a job. I have patients who need me.”

“
I
need you,” he said, quietly.

“I can't, Logan,” she whispered. “I just can't.” She shook
her head. “We can't just go back and pick up where we left off, as if nothing
happened.”

“No, we can't,” he said, his voice laced with regret. “But
we can move forward from here.”  The look of doubt on her face said enough. She
wasn't going to be easy to persuade.

An uneasy silence followed as Logan considered this. He
didn't want to push her, not right now. He had two and a half months to
persuade her to stay, to make her fall in love with him. Again. So he'd wait
her out. He was good at waiting.  He'd waited for her for eight long years
already. Eventually, she was bound to see things his way. Wasn't she? He sure
as hell hoped so. Logan took it as a challenge, and he never backed down from a
challenge, especially when the prize was so great. It was a challenge he
intended to win.

“So what you're saying is that all you're looking for is a
temporary distraction, which includes some fun, some hot sex, and no strings?”

“Exactly,” she said, “but I believe I said lots of hot sex.”

He chuckled. “I reckon I could oblige,” he said, in the best
drawl he could manage,

She patted his cheek. “I'm counting on it, cowboy,” she tossed
back, smiling lazily.  Logan watched her as she turned and started back toward
the house. He appreciated the way she filled out those jeans, snug in all the
right places. No woman could do justice to a pair of Levi's like Brooke could,
he thought, his eyes drawn to the subtle sway of her hips as she sauntered
away.

“It's crazy,” Brooke whispered. “But all I want to do is
have sex. Constantly. It's like I'm on this crazy sex high. Whenever he's
within three feet of me, its like all these little receptors start going off,
and I have no impulse control. Yesterday, when he was breaking in the new
gelding, I basically jumped him. We ended up in one of the stalls, and, well,
let's just say that the horses weren't the only ones being ridden hard.” She smiled,
just a little smugly.

Karissa giggled. Ashley sat, practically on the edge of her
seat, trying to suppress her laughter.

“It's not funny” she said. “Do you know how hay looks so
soft and all??” she asked, looking pointedly at Ashley. She eyed Brooke, nodding
her agreement.

“Well, it isn't,” She blurted it out quickly, fully aware
that the heat had already risen to her cheeks. “Especially when you're buck
naked. I have scratches all over my body from getting tossed into it, and I do
mean
all over
,” she winced, raising her hip slightly off the chair so
that she could gingerly rub her bottom.

That was all Ashley could take. The image that popped into
her head of Brooke, Miss Prim and Proper, rolling around in the hay in the
middle of the day with her hot-as-holy-fucking-hell cowboy made her burst into
fits of laughter.

Brooke's attempt at a glare fell short of the mark, and her
lips curved upward. Logan had been taken off guard, and the look on his face
made her laugh even now as she brought it back to memory. He'd been more than
willing, she mused, throwing her over his shoulder and carrying her to the
stables. When she squealed, he chuckled, deep and sexy, and slapped her ass
before tossing her into a pile of prickly hay. But, Brooke thought smugly, some
things were worth the pain and sacrifice.

Ashley was still laughing when Seth and Chase rounded the
back of the house.

“What's so funny, legs?” Chase peered at Ashley over his
Ray-Bans as he leaned a hip on the arm of her chair. “We could hear you
laughing from all the way out front.”

Any other time, she would have had a retort ready, but she
couldn't seem to muster up one at the moment.

She waved a delicate hand in the air, the sun glinting off
of the rings she wore on her slim fingers. “Something about Logan sparking
Brooke's receptacles and her wanting to rip his clothes off and fuck him every
t---” The rest of her sentence was cut off abruptly when Brooke kicked her.
Hard.

“Ouch!” she complained, knowing that she deserved it, yet
rubbing her shin, mildly annoyed.

“Say again?” Seth said, plopping down next to Karissa on the
swing. His arm slid behind her head to rest on top of the cushion. His thigh,
hard and muscled, pressed against hers, making her suddenly and uncomfortably
aware of him.

“Nevermind,” Brooke answered. “Ashley's mind is in the
gutter, as usual.” Ashley snorted, and Brooke narrowed her eyes, giving her a
warning look.

Uh-oh
, Ashley thought.
Not
the look.
She
was no stranger to it, and she knew exactly how to get around Brooke. Smiling
sexily, Ashley sent her an air kiss. Brooke was not amused.

“Forget it, sister,” Brooke said, dryly. When that didn't do
the trick, she stuck out her tongue and crossed her eyes.  Brooke painfully
tried not to laugh. Chase watched the exchange, thoroughly amused.

“The two of you bicker like me and my brothers did growing
up.” he commented.

“Don't you mean like you and your brothers
do
? Ashley
retorted. “I've seen the three of you in action. You argue like a bunch of
little girls.”

Chase tugged playfully on her ponytail. “Do not,” he
countered, falling into the childish game for just a minute.

She laughed reluctantly, and the sound of it, rich and
husky, went straight to his loins. Ashley stood up, and Chase watched in
approval as she sauntered toward the house, on legs long and tanned. God, they
seemed to go on forever, he mused. He imagined them wrapped around his waist
while he was deep inside her, and smiled at the thought. He wasn't bothered by
his attraction to her, not one bit. Chase had always been a ladies' man. He
loved women, and she was definitely one hell of a woman. A woman of
contradictions, and of layers, Chase had begun to realize. He wanted to peel
them back one by one and discover what lay beneath the surface. Of course, that
wasn't easy to do when she cut him off at every turn.

“Earth to Chase.” It came through to his consciousness, and
his head whipped around toward Seth, who sat cozily next to Karissa, nursing a
beer.

Huh?” He grinned when he saw Ashley standing in front of
him, dangling an ice cold Bud between her fingers. “You look like you could use
this,” she said, holding it out to him. Taking the bottle from her, he took a
huge swig, appreciating the way it felt on his already parched throat.

“Thanks, babe.” When she didn't come back with an insult, or
punch him, Chase breathed a sigh of relief. Just testing the waters, he
thought, as she slid back into her chair. “So, is this what you girls do all
day?” Chase wanted to know. “Sit around and talk about sex? Just an FYI ~ sex
happens to be my favorite topic,” he said, a lazy smile on his handsome face.

“No, that's not what we sit around and do. Well, not
all
day,” Ashley added, snickering. “But sometimes when you're not
having
it, you have to sit around and
talk
about having it. It's therapeutic.”
Ashley enlightened him. “Or, we just listen to Brooke's stories about her
sexcapades with a certain hot, hunky cowboy. That's therapeutic, too.”

Brooke just sunk down in her chair and closed her eyes,
pretending not to hear a single word that was coming out of Ashley's big mouth.

“So, is that why you're so uptight, legs? Cause you haven't
been getting any?” Chase thought about it for a minute. “I have to say, I find
that hard to believe. I mean, a gorgeous woman like you....”

“Finding a willing male isn't the issue,” she tossed back.
“Unlike you, I just happen to be selective.”

“Maybe if you'd just relax a little bit....,” he said,
looking at her speculatively. “Just putting that out there,” he added, choosing
to ignore that comment.

How could it be possible for a man to be so damn
infuriating, and so damn hot, at the same time? s
he wondered. He'd managed
effortlessly to flip her bitch switch. “I hardly think I should take advice
from a guy whose only requirement in a 'date', and that's putting it nicely, is
that she have a vagina.” Ashley smiled sweetly. Chase didn't appear insulted in
the least.

“So, what are you boys up to? Just passing by?” Brooke
asked, looking from one of them to the other. She wanted to change the subject,
and quickly.

Seth, who had been watching the exchange between his brother
and Ashley, spoke. “No, actually,” he said, directing his gaze toward Karissa.
“I wanted to go over a few things with you regarding the renovations on the out
building. I stopped by the shop and Evie said I could find you here, so...” he
trailed off.

“Oh, okay.” Karissa felt the first stirrings of excitement.
She couldn't wait to get rolling with the renovations. After Seth completed the
blueprints of the floor plan, there would be some red tape. They'd need
permits, they'd need to make sure everything was up to code, the building
inspector would need to come out. She knew they had a long way to go, but she
felt great knowing that things were going to be getting underway.

“Do you have some time right now?” he wanted to know.

“Sure. Let's go into the house. We can use the kitchen table
as a work space” she offered. Brooke watched them as they headed through the
glass doors into the house. She couldn't really gauge Seth's feelings, but her
sister wore her heart on her sleeve, Brooke mused. She just hoped that it
didn't end up broken in the long run.

June gave way to July, and the buzz around town was the
impending Fourth of July celebration. It was going to be the most memorable
celebration to date, the celebration to beat all celebrations, or so everyone
was saying. Brooke was reserving her vote on that one. In her mind, one in
particular stood out from all the rest. She smiled as it came back to memory.

“What's the smile about?” Ashley asked, glancing over at
her, curiously.

“Oh, just memories of past celebrations. One of them,
specifically,” she said. “I'll tell you all about it later,” Brooke said,
trying to maneuver through a ton of traffic.

As she turned her car onto Maple Street and slowly
approached the park, she was surprised to see that so many people were already
arriving. There were droves and droves of them. Brooke couldn't remember ever
having so many people show up for the Fourth of July celebration before.
Although, she hadn't been home for the Fourth in years, but still. Just how
populated had the town become? she wondered.

She was fortunate enough to find a parking space at the east
end of the park. They'd have a bit of a hike, but that was okay. She didn't
mind walking. She enjoyed it, in fact.

Brooke and Ashley were unloading the trunk when Seth pulled
his truck into the space behind them. Seth and Logan climbed out of the cab,
while Chase hopped down from the back. They were a sight for sore eyes, Ashley
mused. The three of them resembled each other a lot. They'd been blessed with
some superior genetics.

She whistled, low, and shot Brooke a knowing smile. “That's
a whole lotta hotness,” she mumbled, so that only Brooke could hear her.

 
Brooke arched a brow and smiled back. “You. Have.
No. Idea.”

The first thing Logan did was reach for Brooke, snagging her
around the waist and pulling her toward him. He kissed her, deeply. She leaned
into him, returning the kiss. A truck load of high school kids drove past,
whistling and hooting. They grinned at each other, neither of them the least
bit bothered by it.

“Hey, Ash,” Chase said, sidling up to Ashley. “You're lookin
mighty fine, sweetheart.” She pushed her sunglasses up onto the top of her head
and eyed him suspiciously. The corner of her mouth turned up in a smirk.

“Not a chance, Romeo,” she said.

Logan and Seth roared with laughter. Chase probably didn't
know what to think, Logan thought. It was likely the first time he'd been shot
down by a woman, ever. Chase could use a little bit of humbling, he decided.
It'd be good for him. Chase didn't seem fazed at all. Instead, he flashed her a
killer smile, one that could melt butter. And could work on any other woman, it
seemed, except the elusive Ashley.

“I like a good challenge as much as the next guy, honey,” he
said, winking at her.  Ashley shook her head and half-smiled to herself. He was
nothing if not persistent, she had to give him that.

Seth glanced around and came up short. “Where's Rissa,” he
asked, his attention focused on Brooke. She noticed the look of disappointment
on his face.
The man's got it bad,
she realized.

“She's meeting us here,” she told him. “She should be here
any time now.”

He nodded, appearing satisfied with that bit of information.

Seth and Chase reached into the bed of the truck, each
grabbing a handle of the giant cooler they'd brought along, and hefted it out.
If Brooke knew them at all, it would be filled to the hilt with bottles of Bud.
Logan helped her finish unloading her trunk.

Aside from the big cooler, there was another smaller cooler
filled with lemonade, several picnic baskets loaded with all kinds of treats, a
handful of bags containing various items, lawn chairs and blankets. They all
began scooping up things that needed to be carried, arms and hands loaded, and
started the half-mile walk to the west end of the park, where everything was
set up for the day's festivities.

They found the perfect spot. The men put two picnic tables
together, making one long table to accommodate the ten of them. They planned on
meeting Karissa and both sets of parents there. They moved their tables
underneath a giant maple tree, which offered a decent amount of shade. The lawn
chairs, placed here and there, were deep and comfortable, inviting a person to
sink right in.

The women unfolded blankets and spread them out on the lawn,
smoothing them out carefully. Red and white checked table cloths were placed
over the picnic tables, giving them a homey feel. Brooke set the cooler of
lemonade at the end of the table, and the picnic baskets on the bench for easy
access. They had a ton of space and didn't have anyone else sitting on top of
them, which would be comfortable and ideal.

The park itself was enormous, about a mile long and nearly
as wide. It featured strolling paths and rolling hills, with several elliptical
pathways that interlinked, and also sidewalks. More than one hundred maple,
pine, sycamore and oak trees. It was landscaped beautifully, with lush green grass,
big beautiful trees everywhere, and flower beds that had been planted
strategically. The four garden areas had benches and traditional decorative
lamp posts throughout. On the west end, a massive fountain was the focal point.
It was round and had five tiers, the smallest tier at the top, with the others
becoming larger in succession. Water flowed down the fountain in rivulets,
falling into the deep, wide pool below. A ledge a few feet high wrapped around
the entire pool, where people could sit and simply enjoy the soothing sound of
the water.

People strolled past. Men, women and children with smiles on
their faces and enjoyment in their eyes. Teenagers rode by on bicycles, or sped
by on roller blades. Some just sat around the fountain or on blankets in the
lush grass enjoying the warmth and the excitement of the day.

It was nearing eleven, and the grills would be firing up
soon. Brooke remembered past celebrations, which had been entertaining and fun.
She had a feeling that they'd only improved over the years, and she was looking
forward to experiencing this year's festivities with her family and closest
friends.

By noon the festivities were in full swing. There was live
entertainment. A few local country & western bands were performing, and the
one currently playing was awesome.

There were also games and activities for all, including
tug-of-war, the potato sack race, the three-legged race, the water balloon
toss, jump rope and hula hoop contests, frisbee, horse shoes, craft activities,
face painting, a dunking booth, and a bouncy house.

Brooke couldn't believe the abundance of food. It was
brought out in intervals, and just kept coming. Hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken,
pork, all grilled to perfection. She loved the taste of grilled food. Brooke's
stomach began to rumble and she realized that she was starving.

There were salads of every kind, baked beans, sweet corn,
cotton candy, watermelon, and every kind of pie imaginable. They all ate
together at their table. Brooke and Logan sat side by side, wrapped up completely
in each other.  Karissa sat with Seth, talking and laughing, reminiscing about
the past. And much to her chagrin, Chase cozied up to Ashley. They actually
seemed to be getting along  for the time being and it didn't appear that Brooke
was going to have to be the referee, so all was good.

“Have you ever tasted anything so yummy?” Ashley asked, in a
sugary sweet voice that instantly got Chase's attention. “Mmm, I
love
this
stuff,” she added, making little groaning noises as she pulled off a chunk at a
time and let it melt on her tongue. She slowly and thoroughly licked the cotton
candy off of each fingertip. He was practically drooling. “Speaking of cotton
candy,” Ashley said, “isn't that your girlfriend over there, with some other
guy's face buried in her breasts?” She indicated the direction with a nod of
her head.

He didn't bother to look. He didn't give a rat's ass what
Cotton Candy was doing, or who she was doing it with.

“I don't have a girlfriend,” he said, mesmerized by the way
she licked the sweet, sticky confection from her lips, letting the tip of her
tongue run back and forth along her top lip, and then the bottom, until they
glistened. He was so tempted to lean over and have a taste of those very full,
very delicious lips. He wondered what Ashley's reaction would be if he kissed
her then and there.

Ashley smiled inwardly.
He is so predictable.
She was
putting on a show for him, intentionally trying to drive him crazy, just
because she could. He deserved it, after all. It served him right, especially
after some of the offensive things he'd said to her since she'd been in town.
What was that, about a week now? And in that time he'd managed to insult her on
a number of occasions. Unintentionally, of course, or so he claimed.

“Oh, that's right. My mistake. You don't have one, you have
an entire harem.”

“Funny, legs.” He didn't know what game she was playing with
the damn cotton candy/lip licking thing, but he was willing to let her have her
fun, even if it
was
at his expense. There was always a time and a place
for payback, Chase thought, grinning.

Ashley was surprised by how well she and Chase had been
getting along. They'd talked, laughed, exchanged playful banter, and had even
paired up for some of the games and races. She was having a really good time,
she realized. To Ashley's surprise, and delight, even Raelyn and Paul, and
Diana and Nicholas has participated in some of the races.

Brooke and Logan were still completely wrapped up in each
other, and had been for most of the day, which Ashley could certainly
understand.

It was the first time she'd ever met Logan. She knew a
little bit about him, from what Brooke had shared with her.

Initially, she wasn't sure how she felt about him, this
being based solely on what she knew of his past with Brooke. It was one of
those “you hurt my best friend, I'm your sworn enemy” types of deal. She felt
as if she was obligated to detest him. But she didn't. To her surprise, she
really liked Logan. They'd spent some time talking on several occasions, which
had given her the opportunity to actually get to know him somewhat.

Based on that, and the way he treated Brooke, and was
obviously crazy in love with her, how could she not like him? He seemed like an
all-around good guy. Which, technically, was a contradiction to his past
actions, and the fact that he'd cheated on Brooke and had broken her heart.
Ashley knew very well Brooke's feelings about what had happened between them
eight years before, and of course, Ashley would have felt the same way Brooke
did if something so horrible had happened to her.

But sometimes good people made mistakes, too. If Brooke
wanted to give Logan a second chance, then that was her decision and hers
alone. Ashley just hoped that Brooke didn't get hurt again. Somehow, though,
she couldn't imagine that being the case. One thing was for sure, though.
Brooke was in denial. She had convinced herself that her relationship with
Logan was purely sexual, but anyone with eyes in their head could see that was
far from the truth.

Brooke may not realize it yet, but she had genuine feelings
for Logan. She was well on her way to falling in love with him again. Hell,
she'd probably been in love with him all of these years, but let her feelings
for him lay dormant. Now, after seeing him again, and being with him, those
feelings were awakening after a long slumber.