The Mighty Quinns: Logan (10 page)

“‘Use of the car,’” she read. “We have a car?”

“We do?”

Sunny crawled off the bed and ran back to the kitchen, then walked out the front door. She found the keypad to the left of the garage door and punched in the security code written on the paper. The garage door opened, revealing a Volkswagen convertible and a Range Rover. “Wow, Daddy, that’s a nice surprise.”

After she’d closed the garage door, she wandered back inside and headed for the bedroom. “We have a car,” she said as she strolled back to the bed. “Two, actually. A cute little convertible and a Range Rover. So, I guess we can go anywhere we want today. My father is paying for the petrol.”

“Where would you like to go?”

Sunny began to pick through their options. She felt his gaze on her and drew a deep breath, trying to maintain her composure. It took every ounce of her resolve to keep from asking him about the packed rucksack. But she’d promised herself that she’d let it go—for now.

She bit her bottom lip, fighting back a flood of emotion. How could he even think of doing that to her? She’d been deserted by every single person she’d ever trusted in her life. First her mother, then her father. Then every lover she’d ever taken. Had she made a mistake in trusting him, too?

“Wineries,” she said. “Just south of here. That might be fun.”

“Are you going to have any breakfast?” he asked, holding out a toasted English muffin.

She shook her head. “No, I’m not hungry right now.”

“Are you feeling all right?”

Sunny glanced over her shoulder. “I’m fine.”

“You’re not fine. You never turn down breakfast.”

“All right. Put some jam on that muffin. I’ll have that.” Sunny continued leafing through the pamphlets. She pulled out another. “Here. Sunset penguin tour on Granite Island. I want to do that, too.”

“Penguins. That would be kind of cool.”

“Good,” she said, getting up from the bed. “While you’re finishing your breakfast, I’m going to take a shower.”

“Would you like me to join you?” he asked teasingly.

“I think I’ll be fine on my own. There’s more coffee in the kitchen.”

With that, she walked through the bedroom into the bathroom and shut the door. Turning, she leaned back against it and closed her eyes. She could have walked right past that rucksack without even noticing it. If she had, she’d probably be happily sharing her shower with Logan, not putting doors between them.

She crossed to the sink and stared at her reflection in the mirror. Why did it even make a difference? So what if he’d been planning to abandon her? He wasn’t any different than any other man she’d known in her life. Sooner or later, the affair ended and they disappeared.

It was no big deal. She just wouldn’t allow herself to love him.

* * *

T
HEY
LEFT
THE
VILLA
after breakfast, driving the Volkswagen convertible out of the city. The morning was warm and the sky filled with fluffy white clouds. And for Logan, it was wonderful to be free of the lumbering campervan.

They stopped at a couple of wineries and enjoyed a tasting at each, but by the time they were headed to the third winery, Sunny was feeling the effects of the wine and Logan was feeling the effects of her mood.

“Where are we headed next?” Logan asked.

“I have no idea,” she said, grinning. “Just keep driving until we see a sign with grapes on it. We’ll figure it out then.”

The views along the way were spectacular. When they weren’t driving parallel along the water and beautiful white-sand beaches, they were winding through pretty little inland towns or speeding through wide meadows and low-lying hills.

He reached over and slipped his hand through the hair at Sunny’s nape. “Are you sure we shouldn’t just stop and get some lunch?”

“No, I’m having fun. I’m seeing the countryside. I never really got to do that when I traveled for riding events. I always thought it would be fun to just take off and spend an entire summer traveling around the country. Maybe I’ll get myself a campervan and do that.”

Logan chuckled. “Just avoid the wineries.”

Sunny unfolded the map she’d brought along and pointed to a sign up ahead. “Turn right at this next crossroads. There’s another winery about a kilometer down the road.”

Logan did as she asked, turning his attention back to the drive. Sunny hadn’t been herself since they’d gotten up that morning. She was usually so full of energy that he had to constantly engage her in witty conversation or mind-numbing sex. But she’d been lost in her own thoughts and he couldn’t help but wonder what was going on in her head.

Maybe another glass of wine would finally loosen her up a little bit. He’d stopped drinking after the first two samples, but she’d been enthusiastic about anything they offered.

They drove up a winding road shaded with trees, and stopped at a low stone building. The carved sign across the front was decorated with grapevines. Carney Creek Winery.

Logan parked the car and got out, jogging around to open Sunny’s door. But she’d already done that for herself. She stumbled slightly and he grabbed her hand as they walked to the front entrance, but before he opened it, Logan pulled them to a stop.

“Wait,” he murmured.

“What?”

“Is everything all right?”

She gave him an impatient look. “Why do you keep asking me that?”

“Because you’re acting...odd. You’ve been quiet. You’ve been drinking wine like you don’t want to stop. Like maybe you’re angry at me for something.”

“Can we just go?”

Logan grabbed the heavy wooden door and pulled it open. They walked into a spacious room with timbered beams and stained-glass windows. A few other couples were wandering around the displays and chatting softly as relaxing music filled the interior.

The next tour was due to start in a half hour, but they were shown into the tasting room, where a young woman stood behind a counter, pouring wine into large crystal goblets.

They started out with white wines, and Sunny chatted with the young woman, the enologist, and listened to her describe the qualities of each sample. Logan sat next to her for a time then decided to leave her to her mood.

He walked back out to the shop and found a table, then flipped through a magazine about wine. There were things he’d never understand about women. If she was angry at him, why not just tell him? Why torture him for an entire morning?

Sunny had always been so open and honest with him and, suddenly, she wasn’t interested in talking. His questions were answered with a single word or with a shrug. There was a storm brewing and he could feel it. He just wasn’t sure when it would strike or why he was the target.

After the tasting, Sunny bought several bottles of wine and then found him outside. “I bought lunch,” she said with a giggle. “I think we need to go to one more winery. I’m becoming an expert on wine.”

“You’re also a little drunk,” he said.

“We’re on holiday. I’m allowed to have fun, aren’t I?”

Her tone was defensive, as if she was looking for an argument. But Logan wasn’t going to rise to the bait. Sunny wasn’t one to keep her feelings to herself. Given time, she’d say what was on her mind. He loved that they were so honest with each other. But maybe that time was over. Once they starting having expectations, there was much more opportunity for hurt feelings. Why couldn’t things remain simple, he mused. The last thing he wanted to do was fight with her.

They walked back to the car park and Sunny climbed in the car and pulled out the map. When Logan got behind the wheel, he paused before reaching for the key in the ignition. “Do you want to tell me what’s wrong or do you need a little more wine before that happens? We can just do it here in the car park.”

“You want to do it here?” she said with a laugh.

“I want to discuss why you’re cheesed off. And don’t tell me that it’s nothing. I’ve been living with you for the past five days. I know when something is bothering you.”

“All right,” she said, throwing her arms out and nearly hitting him in the face. “Let’s just do that. And let’s start with your rucksack.”

“My rucksack?”

“Yes. I found it this morning, completely packed with everything you own, sitting on the floor near the sofa. So, either you were preparing for some type of natural disaster or you were going to leave last night. And,” she added, her finger punching at his chest, “I found you out in the campervan. Care to explain?”

Logan winced. He hadn’t realized until that morning that he’d left the rucksack where he had. He’d just assumed she hadn’t noticed. “I was going to leave, but I changed my mind.”

“Why? Why would you do that to me? I thought we were friends.” She shoved the car door open and started off down the driveway, a bottle of wine still clutched in her hand.

“Sunny, stop.” He went after her, but she turned and threw the bottle at him. Logan dodged it and it fell into the long grass at the side of the road.

“I thought I could trust you. Why would you do that?”

“I was... I was scared. That if we stayed together any longer I’d fall in love with you.”

She opened her mouth to shout at him then snapped it shut. Wiping a tear from her cheek, Sunny shook her head. “Well, what’s so bad about that? Am I unlovable?” Tears filled her eyes. “That’s why no one wants to stick around. Everyone leaves me. Except my horses. And they only stay because they’re locked in the stables at night. They’d probably run away, too.”

With a groan, she sat down in the middle of the road, burying her face in her hands. Logan ran over to her and grabbed her arms, pulling her to her feet. “Stop it, now,” he said. “There’s no reason to cry.”

“Don’t tell me what to do. I hate when people tell me what to do.”

All that wine on an empty stomach was making Sunny slightly irrational, but Logan was determined to smooth things over. “I’m sorry. I was stupid.”

“You’re a coward.”

“Yes,” Logan said, ready to agree with anything she said. “I am.”

She looked up at him. “I’m not going to fall in love with you. Don’t you know that? I—I just can’t let that happen.” Tipping her chin up, she met his gaze. “We’re just friends. Friends with benefits. That’s all.”

“That sounds just grand to me,” Logan said. He motioned to her. “Come on. If we’re going to go see the damn penguins, we need to leave now.”

“The penguin tour is at dusk,” Sunny pointed out.

“By dusk, you’ll probably be sound asleep. If we can’t see the penguins this afternoon, we won’t be seeing the penguins.”

Logan walked back to the car and Sunny reluctantly followed. Well, at least he got a chance to see a side of Sunny that wasn’t normally visible. He couldn’t blame her for acting like a brat. He knew she had issues with her parents abandoning her and what had he almost done? The same thing.

He held the car door open for her and she got inside, a dark expression on her face. When he was settled in the driver’s seat, he turned to her. “I’m sorry. I never, ever meant to hurt you. I just thought it would be easier if we didn’t let it go on too long. I thought we might develop feelings that complicated things. I was wrong. Now that I know exactly how you feel, I think we’ll be all right.”

Sunny glanced over at him. Her defiant expression dissolved and she leaned over and pressed her face into his shoulder. Logan slipped his arm around her and pulled her close. “I’m sorry,” she murmured. “Sometimes I can be a real bitch.”

“No,” he said. “You aren’t. It was all my fault.”

“Maybe we could see the penguins another time. I think I’d really like to go back to the villa and spend the day sleeping on the beach.”

“I think that would be a wonderful idea. Maybe we could drink that other bottle of wine you bought?”

She drew back then laughed. “If I wasn’t getting a bloody headache, I might agree.”

Logan started the car and they drove away from the winery. They’d had their first major argument and, looking back, it hadn’t gone too badly.

“The penguins can wait,” she murmured. “We’ll see them another time. We could make a holiday of it, maybe next summer.”

Next summer, Logan mused. So there was going to be a next summer between them? And he’d spent so much time worrying about next week.

6

S
UNNY
STRETCHED
OUT
in the wide chaise, stifling a yawn. They’d come back to the villa to spend the afternoon on the beach. The weather was warm and the skies were clear and after so much wine, Sunny was relaxed and sleepy.

She shaded her eyes and watched as Logan stood knee-deep in the water. Since her temper tantrum earlier that morning, he’d been quiet, his thoughts occupied with matters that he wasn’t interested in sharing with her.

It didn’t surprise her how the argument started. She’d been simmering since early that morning and the wine just made it easier to say what she was thinking. But after her fears and insecurities had been laid bare, Sunny felt a bit guilty. After all, she and Logan had known each other less than a week. It wasn’t fair to have any expectations this early on, was it?

And yet, she felt closer to Logan than she had to any other man she’d known. He was solid and honest, and he didn’t get lost in his own ego. And even though she insisted he was just a friend, Sunny knew that wasn’t true. She also knew that hiding her true feelings was the only way to keep him around. And that was her primary goal—to keep Logan in her life until he realized she was more important to him than any other person in his life.

It wasn’t difficult to imagine what stood between them. They existed in totally different worlds. Hers was comfortable and his was a constant struggle. But she wasn’t going to apologize for something she had no control over. Her father’s money didn’t define her.

She hadn’t made her father wealthy, he did that on his own. And it wasn’t her money. She was almost as poor as a church mouse. Her total wealth amounted to the credit limit on her bank card, and she wasn’t even sure what that was.

Why couldn’t they just be two people who shared an overwhelming passion for each other? Why did they have to live in the real world, where wealth seemed so important?

Logan ran back across the beach and plopped down next to her on the chaise. He shook his wet head, cold droplets falling over her warm skin. Sunny screamed and tried to scoot out of the way, but he grabbed her and pulled her back. His lips met hers in a long, lazy kiss.

“I think that we should do this every year,” she murmured, running her fingers through his hair.

“What?” Logan said. “Kiss on the beach?”

“Travel. Go somewhere interesting. You have to admit, we make a good pair. We’ve only had one fight in five days and that was due to your stupidity and my overconsumption of wine.”

“That’s true,” he admitted.

“And we don’t have to rent separate rooms, so that saves money.”

“Also true.”

“So, I thought I could plan the trip and you’ll come with me. For a week or two. It will be fun. Sex and travel. Doesn’t that sound nice? And you could get away for a week or two, couldn’t you?”

“I could,” he said. “Where would you want to go?”

“Fiji. I’ve always wanted to go to Fiji. New Zealand. Bali. Iceland. There are so many interesting places. My mother lives in Paris. Paris is meant for lovers. Where would you like to go?”

“I’ve always wanted to go to Ireland,” he said.

“Right. Quinn. That’s Irish.”

He nodded. “I probably have some relatives there, although I don’t know for sure.”

“That’s where we’ll go first then,” she said. “It’s a date.”

“We’ll see,” he murmured.

“But, you have to say yes. I don’t want to go with anyone else.”

He slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. “Sunny, I don’t know what I’ll be doing next month, never mind two or three months from now. I don’t make plans more than a week or two in advance.”

“So what then? How am I supposed to think about you in the future?”

He stared at her for a long moment. “I don’t know. I don’t know what you want or what you expect. I just know that I can’t offer you what you need.”

“You don’t have any idea what I need,” Sunny said, her anger bubbling up inside her. God, there were times when she just wanted to shake him. He was so careful, so predictable. Why couldn’t he just loosen up a little and live?

“Let’s not argue,” he said.

“No, let’s. We’ve been telling each other the truth for the past five days, why stop now?”

He glanced around, as if worried that someone might overhear. “I’m not going to argue with you here. I don’t even know what this is about.”

“Don’t just dismiss me,” she said.

“Sunny, I’m not dismissing you. You want to talk about holidays, fine. Go ahead, I’m listening.”

“Now you’re pacifying me.”

“Jaysus, I’m glad you know what I’m doing, because I sure don’t.”

“Well, let me give you some time to figure it out,” she muttered, getting to her feet.

“Sunny, you know this is the wine talking.”

“No, I’m fine. I just need some space.” Sunny threw her towel around her neck and walked back to the villa. She shouldn’t be surprised. They couldn’t possibly agree on everything. But she thought at least he’d be interested in making some plans for the future.

She knew there wasn’t much chance they’d have a real relationship. He lived in the outback and she was a city girl. And there was the money thing that always seemed to get in the way. But she’d be satisfied with an occasional getaway in some exotic location. What could be more fun?

Logan Quinn had no imagination. After their trip was over, he’d drop her at home and just drive away. How long would it take him to forget her? A month, maybe two? Well, she never had any intention of remembering him anyway.

She cursed softly, trudging through the sand. But as she climbed the steps to the villa, she looked up to find a figure standing in the open doorway. Her breath caught in her throat and she froze for a moment.

Then, gathering her wits, she continued up the stairs to face her father, Simon Grant. “Hello, Daddy,” she said, stopping in front of him.

“Hello, Lucinda,” her father murmured.

He was dressed in a suit and tie, his shirt still impeccably pressed even at this late hour of the day. He never really looked human to her when he was in a business suit. She found him much more pliable when he was dressed for riding.

Sunny cleared her throat. “Lucinda? Is that how it’s going to be? You only call me Lucinda when you’re angry with me. What have I done wrong now?”

“Do you even have to ask?”

“I’m sure you can’t wait to tell me.”

“You take off with some...some stranger and you don’t think you’ve done anything wrong? No one had any idea where you were or who you were with.”

“I called Lily. She knew. I didn’t think you cared. I haven’t seen you in over a month.”

He cursed softly. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Don’t call me ridiculous,” Sunny said. She wasn’t going to let her father bait her into an argument. It always happened this way. He’d goad her into a fight and then he’d spend the following half hour making her feel like an ungrateful child. She drew a deep breath. “Why don’t you come inside? I’ll get you something to drink.”

She walked past him and, to her relief, he followed her inside. Tossing her towel onto the granite countertop, she headed to the refrigerator. “We have beer, orange juice.”

“A vodka martini,” he said.

“I’m not sure if we—”

“The vodka is in the cabinet above the sink. There should be—” He sighed. “Never mind, I’ll make it.”

Her father joined her in the kitchen and Sunny pulled out a stool at the breakfast bar and sat down, cupping her chin in her hand. “I didn’t realize you had a place here in Adelaide, too, until your assistant offered to let us stay here.”

“Us?”

“His name is Logan. Logan Quinn. He’s a horse breeder and he has a horse I want.”

“And that’s why you’ve decided to run away with him?” Her father tossed some ice in a glass and filled it full of vodka, then threw in a couple of olives.

“I didn’t run away. I just needed to...get away. I needed out of that house and he was going somewhere, so I decided to hitch a ride. I figured I could convince him to sell the horse.”

“What do you need another horse for? You’re not riding the one you have.” He took a sip of his vodka and watched her over the rim of his glass.

“Tally is a beautiful horse. And I’d like to train her. Ed has seen her. He agrees.” In truth, she wasn’t sure that Ed did agree, but he’d be stupid not to.

“That’s all this is, then? Some crazy scheme to get a horse you want?”

“Yes,” she lied. But as soon as she answered, Sunny felt the guilt set in. She wasn’t just lying to her father, she was betraying herself—and Logan. There was more to this than just Tally. So much more. But how was she supposed to explain that to her father?

“Sunny? Is everything all right?”

She spun around on the stool and saw Logan standing in the middle of the room. He slowly approached, his expression curious but guarded.

Sunny drew a deep breath. “Logan Quinn, this is my father, Simon Grant. Daddy, this is Logan.”

Logan quickly stepped forward and held out his hand. “Sir, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Reluctantly, her father returned the gesture. “You’re the man with the horse? How much is it going to take?”

“Take?” Logan frowned. “Oh, you mean to buy her? She’s not for sale. Actually, she’s already been sold.”

Her father scowled, turning back to Sunny. “The horse is not for sale. You’ve been running around the countryside with this guy and he has no intention of selling you his horse.” He slammed the glass down on the countertop, causing Sunny to jump. “Get your things. We’re leaving.”

“I’m not,” Sunny said sharply.

“Do not try my patience. I can cut you off in a heartbeat.”

“Do it,” Sunny said. “Go ahead. I don’t care. I’ll take Padma and I’ll leave.”

“Padma doesn’t belong to you,” he said.

“You gave her to me for my twenty-first birthday, don’t you remember?”

He strode to the door. “Maybe you need time to think about what you’re giving up. I’ll expect you in my office first thing in the morning. If you don’t show up, you know what will happen.”

“Oh, Daddy, please. You threaten me all the time with that. It’s getting old.”

He turned to Logan. “If you think you’re going to benefit from my bank account, you might as well move on to your next target. Sunny doesn’t get anything unless it comes through me. I won’t have her associating with the likes of you.”

With that, her father strode to the door. He slammed it shut behind him, leaving the interior of the villa silent and Sunny stunned. “I—I’m so sorry. He should never have said that. He doesn’t know you and he—”

“He’s right,” Logan said. Crossing the kitchen, he opened the fridge and grabbed a beer, then twisted off the cap. “He’s right.”

“No, he isn’t. He doesn’t know anything about you.”

“I’m sure he took one look at the campervan and could see everything he needed to know.” He shrugged. “It’s all right. I understand completely. Hell, if I were him, I wouldn’t want my daughter hanging around with a guy like me, either.”

“Don’t say that,” Sunny murmured.

Logan took a long drink of his beer. “It’s the truth.”

With that, he silently strode back through the villa and out the door to the beach. Sunny watched him leave, knowing that her father’s objections were not going to go down well with a man like Logan. If he was anything, he was proud.

She sat down on the stoo1 and grabbed her father’s glass of vodka, taking a swallow. “Well, if I’m going to be disowned, I’m going to have to make some plans.”

* * *

L
OGAN
STOOD
IN
KNEE
-
DEEP
water, staring out at the horizon. Every now and then he could spot dolphins in the gulf, breaking the surface. He felt as if he’d been punched in the stomach and he couldn’t catch his breath.

He shouldn’t have expected a warm reception from Sunny’s father, but he certainly didn’t anticipate such a hostile reaction. The fact that he assumed Logan was only after her money was a bit hard to reconcile, but it was probably a logical conclusion.

He heard the water splashing behind him and a moment later, Sunny’s hand slipped into his. They stood silently for a long time. Logan saw a pair of dolphins and pointed. “See them?”

“What?”

“Dolphins. Just out there. To the right of that big boat.”

Sunny held her hand over her eyes and then smiled. “I see them. They look like they’re having fun.” She laughed softly. “They probably don’t have an awful dolphin father telling them what to do every moment of every day.”

“He’s not awful, Sunny. He’s just trying to protect you.”

“From what? From you?”

“Yeah. Me and a million other men who might have ulterior motives.”

“I’m twenty-six years old,” Sunny said. “When do I get to make decisions for myself?”

“I reckon that’s up to you,” he replied.

“And what if I decided I didn’t want to obey my father? What if I decided I didn’t want to go home?”

He turned to her, slipping his arms around her waist. “What are you saying?”

“I don’t have anywhere to go,” she said. “If I left, would you take me in?”

Logan gasped. “What?”

“You heard me. Can I stay with you? Just until I figure out what I want to do with my life. I can help you work the ranch. You know I’m good with horses.”

“Sunny, this is not a decision you make lightly. This is your family. What about your riding? I thought you were going to start that again.”

“Well, I figured we could steal Padma on our way back through and take her to your ranch. The two of us could live there.”

“You’re going to steal a horse from your father?”

Sunny sighed in frustration. “She’s my horse. He gave her to me for my twenty-first birthday. There was a huge party. Everyone was there. I have witnesses.”

“All right. Let’s say we get your horse and we take it to my ranch. How are you going to afford to pay for the travel and the entry fees and everything else that comes with competing on a world-class level?” He fixed his gaze on hers as he waited for her answer. But Logan could tell that there wouldn’t be one coming. “You can’t ride without your father’s help, Sunny. So it seems that you have no choice in the matter.”