The Mighty Quinns: Logan (14 page)

The words hit Logan like a punch to the stomach. He gasped, then realized how ridiculous it sounded. “Right. This is some kind of joke.” He glanced around. “Where are the cameras? You guys should be ashamed of yourselves. I mean, how low—”

“Mr. Quinn, I’m quite serious. Your great-aunt is extremely wealthy and doesn’t have children of her own. She wants to make sure her family benefits from her good fortune. When we find your father, he will also receive a share, and any other surviving heirs of Tomas Quinn. I’ve confirmed that you are an heir.” He reached in his jacket pocket. “This is half of your inheritance. There is only one condition. Miss Quinn wants you to visit Ireland to meet her. Of course, we’ll make all the arrangements for you.”

Logan closed his eyes. Was he really supposed to believe this? He looked down at the check. It appeared to be real. He recognized the name of the bank and it was written out to him. “What does she want me to do with this?”

“Whatever you want.” He glanced around. “It looks like this place could use some improvements. I’m sure this will go a long way. Now, if you’ll just sign here.”

He held out a paper and Logan added his name to the bottom. “That’s it? You’re handing me a half-million dollars and that’s it?”

“If you don’t mind, Mr. Stephens has asked that I take a photo?” He withdrew a digital camera from his pocket. “May I?”

Logan glanced over at Billy then shrugged. “For a half-million dollars? Snap away.”

When Winthrop was finished, he handed Logan a business card. “Just ring my number when you’re interested in visiting your great-aunt. I’d suggest you do it soon as she is ninety-six years old. Good day, Mr. Quinn, and good luck.”

With that, he turned and walked back to his car. A few moments later, he disappeared down the driveway in a plume of dust. Logan stared down at the check, then flipped it over and examined the back. It looked real. But things like this didn’t happen to Logan Quinn. He’d had to fight for every single thing he’d ever been given in life.

“Holy dooley, Logan,” Billy muttered. “If I’d have known that’s what he wanted, I would have called you a lot sooner.”

“I can’t believe this.” Logan laughed. “It’s like my future just fell out of the sky and landed at my feet. Do you know what this means?”

“We can afford to fix up the stables?”

“We can afford to sell this place and buy something that’s closer to civilization. We can buy a farm with a stable that isn’t falling to pieces and a house that doesn’t have a leaky roof. A place we can be proud of.”

“I’m proud of this place,” Billy said, frowning. “We’ve worked hard here.”

Logan nodded. “We have. And someone else who’s just starting out will love this place. But, Billy, it’s time to move on.”

“Are you firing me?”

“No, I’m saying you and I are going to start looking at real estate first thing tomorrow morning.” He paused. “And once we get settled, I’m going to buy Tally back. I can offer them whatever they want. She’ll be back with us, back on our place.”

As he smoothed his fingers over the check, he realized there were other things that wealth could afford him.

Billy grinned. “You think maybe we could get one of those big-screen televisions? Then I wouldn’t have to watch football on that thing you call a television.”

“I’ll put a television in the barn if you want,” Logan said. “You can watch football while you’re mucking out the stalls.”

“Really?”

Logan grinned. “I think we’re going to need to spend carefully,” he said. “I have to make a few phone calls and then tomorrow, we’re going to the bank to deposit this check, before someone changes their mind.”

Logan grabbed his rucksack from the pickup and turned toward the house. As he approached the place that he’d called home for the past five years, he stopped to examine the ramshackle house. He’d grown attached to this place. But now he realized that his home wasn’t a spot on a map or a structure made of lumber and nails.

His home was anywhere Sunny Grant was. For the first time, he could imagine a future, a real future, with her. With the money he’d been given, he could buy a nice place, closer to Brisbane, maybe near Willimston Farm. She wouldn’t have to make the choice between a life with him or a life pursuing her Olympic dreams.

They could be together. And maybe, when the time was right, he’d ask her if she’d want to spend the rest of her life with him. He jogged up the porch steps and opened the screen door. For now, he’d keep his plans to himself. And maybe, when Sunny arrived at the ranch next week, he’d be ready to share them.

He walked to the phone and dialed the number to his mobile. It rang six times before the voice mail picked up. It had been almost nine hours since he’d last heard her voice, and he craved the comfort that talking to her gave him.

Logan left a message, frowning as he hung up the phone. He wasn’t going to be right again until she was here, safe and sound. Even now, he regretted leaving her to drive back on her own. But then, Sunny usually got her own way.

That was one thing he was going to have to get used to if Sunny was going to be a part of his life. But it wasn’t the worst thing in the world—to spend the rest of his life making her happy.

* * *

I
T
FELT
GOOD
TO
BE
BACK
in her own bed. Sunny rolled over on her stomach and looked at the clock. She’d arrived back at Willimston a few days before and had planned to stay just a night before driving the extra day to Logan’s ranch. But he’d insisted that he didn’t need the campervan or trailer immediately and urged her to relax and enjoy some time at home.

Sunny sighed. It was nearly eight, at least four hours earlier than she’d been accustomed to rising at home. But her time on the road with Logan had changed a lot of her bad habits. And since Tally had arrived on the farm the day before yesterday, she’d been out of bed at first light, anxious to get the filly settled in her new surroundings.

Reaching over, she smoothed her hand along the empty side of the bed. There wasn’t a moment during the day when she didn’t miss having Logan near her. They talked a lot on the phone, but it wasn’t the same. And though they missed each other, he’d been reluctant to set a time when they could get together again.

Sunny wasn’t sure what had happened since they parted, but she suspected it had to do with his hasty departure from Perth. All he would say was that he was working on some serious business matters and that he’d tell her all about it when he saw her next. The problem was, Sunny didn’t know when that would happen.

For now, she’d wait. She was learning to be patient, and Logan was a man who was worth waiting for. Even with a day’s distance between them, she was certain of the depth of her feelings. They’d be together soon and there would be time to talk about all the challenges they were both facing and the future they’d have together.

Still, the physical distance did take its toll. It was impossible not to miss the intimacy they’d shared. The hours before she fell asleep were filled with thoughts of the pleasure they’d given each other in bed and out. They had barely scratched the surface of their desire and now they had to put it on hold.

She crawled out of bed. So she’d do what she’d been doing since she got home. She’d put on her riding clothes and spend the day in the paddock working with Padma and training Tally. After that, she’d groom them both and muck out their stalls and then, hopefully, she’d fall into bed that evening, completely exhausted.

Sunny got dressed in her breeches and boots, then pulled on a freshly washed shirt. Her helmet was sitting on the chair near the window where she’d tossed it the previous afternoon. She put it on her head and jogged down the stairs.

“Coffee, please,” she said to Lily as she passed through the kitchen.

The housekeeper poured her a mug, and Sunny grabbed it, along with a croissant, as she passed by. “Thank you, Lily,” she said with a smile. “You always take such good care of me.”

As she walked back to the stables, she noticed an old campervan parked next to Logan’s camper. She stopped and looked it over, her mind flashing back to that day she first met Logan. That day had completely changed her life. She couldn’t help but wonder what the driver of this vehicle was doing at the farm.

As she rounded the corner of the stable and walked toward the paddock, she pulled on her gloves. Now that she’d bought Tally, she was anxious to find out how quickly the horse could learn. Though Padma had already been trained to jump when she arrived at the farm, it would be a challenge for Sunny to train a horse herself. The bond between them was already becoming strong and, hopefully, it would take them both to an Olympic championship in four years.

Sunny stopped short when she saw a girl standing on the gate, petting Tally’s nose. She looked to be about ten or eleven years old, her skinny legs revealed by baggy shorts and her pale blond hair swept up in a ponytail.

“She likes Anzac biscuits,” Sunny called out.

The little girl turned around, then quickly jumped off the fence, shoving her hands in her pockets as if she’d been caught doing something wrong.

“Sorry,” she mumbled, her face turning scarlet. “My dad said I wasn’t supposed to get out of the campervan.”

“Oh, you don’t have to be sorry.”

“I just really wanted to see the horses. I love horses.”

“Tally can be a pest when it comes to getting her biscuits. Go ahead, you can pet her.” Sunny joined the girl at the gate. “What’s your name?”

“Anna. Anna Fleming.”

Sunny held out her hand. “I’m Sunny Grant.”

The girl shook her hand, staring up at Sunny with wide eyes. “My dad said you lived here. I saw you on television. At the Olympics. We watched at the pub.”

“Oh, dear,” Sunny replied. “I was not very good, was I?”

“Your horse was pretty,” she said.

“Do you ride?”

The girl shook her head. “I don’t have a horse. We don’t have a place. My dad and I, we live in our campervan.”

Sunny tried to hide her surprise. “Your mom, too?”

Anna shook her head. “My mom left when I was three. It’s just me and my dad.”

Sunny smiled. “I lived in a campervan for a while, too. I really liked it. It was very cozy.”

Her shoulders rose and fell in a weak shrug. “I’d like to live in a house. And maybe have a puppy. And sleep in a real bed.”

“Maybe you will someday.” Sunny paused. “Why have you come to the farm?”

“My dad is looking for work. He’s really good with horses. He’s worked on horse farms all over Australia.”

Sunny drew a deep breath. “I’m going to go get some biscuits for Tally. Why don’t you stay here and I’ll be right back?”

She left Anna standing at the gate and headed to the stable office in search of Ed. She found him there, deep in conversation with a wiry man who looked a few years older than Logan. Sunny poked her head in the door. “Ed, I need to speak with you. Can you spare just a few seconds?”

“I’m in the middle of something,” he said.

“This won’t wait.” She stood outside, and when he joined her, Sunny grabbed Ed’s arm and pulled him along to the far end of the stable. “I want you to hire that guy. Fleming. I want you to hire him.”

“Now, Sunny, I don’t mind you getting yourself involved in the occasional purchase of a horse, but the hiring and firing of the stable staff on this farm is up to me. I make those decisions.”

“I don’t care. I want you to hire him.”

“You don’t even know him,” Ed pointed out.

“He has a daughter, about ten years old. They’re living out of that campervan. She’s got no mother. And I think it might be important that she has a real home for a while. I think that home should be here.” Sunny stared up into his eyes. “Please?”

He studied her for a long moment, then nodded. “All right,” Ed muttered.

“Really?” Sunny asked. She threw her arms around him and gave him a fierce hug. “You’re a nice guy, Ed.”

“Hell, I was planning on hiring him anyway. He’s got great experience, comes with fine references and knows as much about horses as I do.”

Sunny stepped back. “Can we give him the house near the grove? It needs to be fixed up, but Lily and I could do that. It would be perfect for them. The girl could have her own bedroom, and it has a nice little garden.”

“Fine with me. Now can I get back to my interview?”

“No worries,” she said with a wide grin.

He strode back inside the stable, then stopped and turned to her. “Since when do you care about strange kids?”

“She needs a home, Ed. We’ve got something to offer her. And she wants to learn how to ride. I figure, I can help her with that.”

“
You?
Teach a kid how to ride?” He chuckled softly and shook his head. “Now, there’s something I never expected to hear.” He ran his hand through his hair. “Miss Grant, I do believe that you grew up when I wasn’t looking.”

“It’s about time, no?” she said with a grin. “I’m twenty-six years old.”

“Yeah,” he said. “It is about time.” Ed paused. “Does this have anything to do with the trip you and Logan took?”

“It might,” she said. “I’m not sure yet.” Sunny gave him a wave. “Offer him a decent salary. He might be raising a budding equestrian.”

Ed chuckled. “All right. But next time you see the Sunny Grant I used to know, tell her I like the new Sunny Grant a lot better.”

“I’ll do that. But I’m pretty sure we won’t be seeing her around this place anymore.”

Sunny found Anna waiting where she’d left her.

The girl turned and hopped off the gate as soon as she noticed her approach. “Did you get the biscuits?”

Sunny groaned. “I forgot. But that can wait. You’re going to come with me and we’re going to find you a proper riding habit.”

Her eyes went wide. “But—I don’t think my— Why?”

“Because you’re going to be staying at the farm for a while. Ed is going to give your daddy a job. And if you’re going to live here you’re going to need to learn to ride. And I just happen to be a very, very good teacher—I think.”

“You think?”

“I’ve never taught anyone before, but I think I’ll be grand. What do you think?”