Cool air moved through the open windows. The smell of popcorn and nature filled the air. Grace had never been to a drive-in cinema before. In fact, she’d barely gone to indoor cinemas. Not since she was a teenager, anyway.
Her hand twitched to reach across to Logan. The movie was half over, and they hadn’t touched. Not once. What was worse, he’d had a frown on his face the entire evening.
Thoughts of her conversation with Antonia were still floating through her head. Of Antonia’s strength. Determination. Her courage.
Grace had spent years carrying her trauma around with her like a big weighted bag. She’d worked so hard to heal others, without ensuring that she herself was fully healed. And it was only now, when she wanted to progress in her relationship with Logan, that the cracks were beginning to show.
Every single day, she taught women that recovery and survival only happen because a person chooses for them to happen.
Antonia was choosing to survive. To live. And God, but that was inspiring.
Grace wanted to choose the same. To take back control of her sexuality. To take back the power that was stolen from her and break the spell that Kieran had been holding over her for so long.
She smiled as she reached across the console and put her hand on top of Logan’s. He immediately wrapped his fingers through hers.
The man was everything.
Leaning her head back against the seat, she watched as a girl on the screen left a building, a backpack on her shoulder. Grace could have laughed. She had no idea what the building was, or even the girl’s name. Yeah, she had no hope of catching up now.
Turning her head, she looked out the passenger window—just as a face appeared in front of hers. Grace screeched, seconds before recognition hit.
Placing her free hand on her chest, she took a deep breath. “Courtney, what the heck? You scared the crap out of me!”
Courtney smiled, looking way too amused by Grace’s fright. “Logan would have heard me. You should be angry at him for not warning you.”
She glanced beside her at Logan, and he had a hint of a smile on his face. “I was too distracted by your hand in mine.”
Hm. She’d accept that answer, she supposed. “From now on, you need to focus,” she joked, turning back to Courtney. “I didn’t know you were here.”
She lifted a shoulder. “Joey and I decided to catch a movie. I saw Logan’s truck and thought I’d come over. Wanna get a soda with me?”
Well, she wasn’t watching much of the movie. She turned to Logan. “Do you mind?”
“Go ahead. I’ll join you in a sec.”
Giving him a small smile, Grace climbed out of the car and followed her friend.
“How come you’re here with Joey? Wait, it’s not a—”
“Oh my God, don’t say the word date.” She shook her head, like the very thought was absurd. “No, no, no. We’re friends, nothing more. The guy’s like a younger brother.”
Yeah, he looked younger. Twenty, twenty-one maybe? “Oh. Does he feel the same?”
“Of course. And he’s seen my pathetic bouts of nerves around Jason, so he knows I’m hopelessly obsessed with the man. Not that I’ll ever do anything about it.”
Grace frowned. “Why don’t you just ask him out?”
“Ah, because to date a person, you’d actually need to be able to talk to him. Whenever I do talk to him, I ramble so much that I can’t stop.” Courtney kicked a stone. “It’s crazy, isn’t it? I try to live each day without fear, which is a conscious decision, by the way. I moved to Cradle Mountain even though I knew no one. I used all my savings to open my coffee shop. But with Jason, I just feel so dang nervous, like someone has cut my tongue right out of my mouth. Argh, it’s pathetic!”
Reaching for Courtney’s hand, Grace gave it a gentle squeeze. “Not pathetic. It sounds like you like him a lot, so the possibility of him not liking you in return scares you.” She lifted a shoulder. “It’s normal. Matters of the heart are hard and complicated.”
Courtney sighed. “You’re so wise. I need more of that in my life. And you’re right. I need to grow some balls and ask the guy out.”
That wasn’t what she—
“Thanks, Grace. Maybe I’ll write him a letter. Or an email.”
They both laughed as they came to a stop at the end of the food and drinks line. “Or a text.”
“Yes! Text. Why didn’t I think of that? Hey, what about you? How’s the date?”
“We haven’t done a lot of ‘date’ stuff. We’ve just been watching the movie.” At least she assumed he was watching the movie. She’d done more staring off into space and thinking about anything and everything.
“So kiss him.”
Grace almost laughed. “Kiss him?”
“Yeah. There’s still a whole lot of movie left. Certainly, enough to bring some passion into the night.”
Hm. The passion part didn’t sound terrible. “Maybe.”
“I love that you two are together. You’re a great fit. And such a good-looking couple. You could model on the front page of a magazine together.”
“Er, I’m not sure about that, but thank you. What I feel when I’m with him is so different to what I feel with anyone else.” Understatement of the century. “I honestly didn’t think I would ever want this kind of relationship again. But with him…I want everything.”
The kisses. The hand holding. The sneaky, under-the-table touches that no one could see. The love.
Courtney’s eyes softened. “So beautiful. You’re like two pieces of a puzzle, finally united.”
“He’s such a wonderful man. I don’t know how I got so lucky.” She barely felt deserving of his affection. Especially after what she’d done to him and his team.
Suddenly, Courtney pulled Grace into her arms and hugged her. It was a big, you’re-going-to-be-okay kind of hug that almost had Grace feeling emotional.
“He’s lucky too,” Courtney whispered. “You are beautiful and intelligent and strong.”
Grace hugged her friend back. It was the strong part that stayed with her. Because she didn’t always feel strong. Sometimes she felt a stone’s throw away from breaking.
“Thank you, Courtney.”
When they reached the counter, Grace got her soda first then stood over to the side to wait. She was idly looking at the vacant field to her right when she saw it.
A car entering the gates, stopping not too far away.
Out of nowhere, a camera popped out of the window, pointed directly at her. Through the darkness, she couldn’t see the color of the car—but assumed it had to be green.
Unease swirled in her gut. Was it the reporter? Or was it someone else?
She needed to know. As if her feet had a mind of their own, they took a step toward the car. Then another.
She hadn’t made it far when strong fingers wrapped around her arm and tugged her to a stop.
Turning, she saw Logan’s less-than-impressed face looking down at her. “Where are you going?” Even though he didn’t sound happy, his thumb was rubbing small circles on her skin, making her arm tingle.
She opened her mouth to answer, but before she could, a bright light shone on them. Immediately, she scrunched her eyes closed.
Logan’s fingers tightened around her arm. “What the hell?”
Opening her eyes, she squinted, trying to see. Suddenly, the car’s engine got loud.
She barely had a chance to register what was happening before she was pulled off her feet and thrown to the side. For a second, she was airborne. Then she landed on a big, hard chest, which immediately rolled her below him.
She didn’t have time to feel fear over being caged because Logan was already tugging them both up, hands going to either side of her face. “Are you okay?”
Her heart was racing a million miles a minute, but she wasn’t hurt. “I’m okay.”
Logan’s neck twisted as he looked behind him. She peeked around his shoulder to see the car was gone.
Suddenly, Courtney was beside her, eyes so wide they almost bugged out of her head. “Oh my God, that guy almost hit you guys! Are you both okay?”
She nodded, trying to work up a reassuring smile for her friend, but knowing it didn’t quite come off.
Logan took his phone from his pocket. “Wyatt. The green car just tried to run Grace over. I want you to use every resource you have to find the driver.” There was a beat of silence before Logan nodded. “Appreciate it.”
Logan took Grace’s face in his hands again, fury rolling off him. Even though she’d almost just been turned into roadkill, she couldn’t deny the affect the man’s touch had on her. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m okay, Logan.” Shaky, but alive and uninjured. Thanks to Logan.
He studied her face for another beat before dropping his hands. Immediately, one of them curved around her waist. “Let’s get out of here.”
She gave Courtney a quick hug before heading to the truck. She didn’t miss the way Logan scanned the area the entire way back, like he was expecting the guy to come out of nowhere. Maybe jump out of the bushes.
When they got to the truck, he helped her inside before sliding behind the wheel and driving home.
The trip was done in silence, the air so tense she felt it in her bones.
When they pulled into the garage, he got straight out, going to the passenger side and helping her down. Then she had to jog to catch up with him as he stalked inside. It took two massive strides to match every one of his.
When they reached the living room, she touched his arm, relieved when he finally stopped. “Hey, are you okay?”
His face was clear. Too clear. The man was intentionally trying to shield her from whatever he was feeling. “Yes.”
Not true. Not in the slightest. She didn’t need to be a human lie detector to recognize that.
Stepping closer, she placed her hands on either side of his face. “Talk to me. I can tell you’re not.”
She wasn’t sure if it was wishful thinking, but she could have sworn his muscles eased a little. Hands going to her hips, he leaned down, touching his forehead to hers. “I hate you being in danger, Grace. I hate that we can’t even go out without something happening. What if I hadn’t been there? What if that asshole had hit you?”
She tried not to react to his words. Instead, focusing on the touch of his head against hers. “You were there, Logan. You were exactly where I needed you to be.”
“Every day I spend with you, my feelings grow. The thought of losing you is…terrifying.”
Her heart jolted in her chest, leaving her breathless. “I feel the same way.”
She didn’t want to lose him. But staying in Cradle Mountain had never been her plan. Not long term.
When he lifted his head, his eyes were pained. “I need you to be okay.”
Another jolt to the heart. Another moment of breathlessness.
Other than her father, no other person had needed her to be safe. “I will be.”
Suddenly, he was kissing her. His lips capturing hers with an intensity she’d never felt before. Grace kissed him back. Giving him everything she had. Taking all that he offered.
“Is this okay?” he asked between moments of ravaging her lips.
“Yes.” So much yes.
When his hands lowered, lifting her into his arms, she wrapped her legs around his waist. She ran her fingers through his hair, trying to get closer, trying to give the man more, take more.
She didn’t know how long they remained like that. Maybe seconds, maybe minutes, connected so deeply that time became insignificant. But still, it wasn’t enough. She needed to be closer. The fire inside her demanded it. Demanded him.
She tore her mouth away, whispering the words she thought she’d never speak again. “I want you, Logan.”
When she kissed him again, he only returned it for a second before holding her cheeks, searching her eyes. “Are you sure?”
She knew that she couldn’t live in fear forever. And that right now, she needed this man more than she’d ever needed anything else. She was ready to take back the control she’d barely fought for the last eight years.
“Yes.”
