Chapter Seven

After her shift at the bar, Dixie walked out to her car and slid into the driver's seat. As she started the engine, she let out a scream when someone tapped on her car window. She saw Logan standing beside the car and lowered down the window.

"Logan? What are you doing here? It's two in the morning," Dixie asked, noticing the exhaustion written all over his face.

"I can't sleep, Dixie. I've been going through dad's belongings and it's tearing me apart," he replied, shaking his head. "I know I'm the last person you want to be around…"

"I'll help you," she offered, feeling so bad for him.

"Thank you. I didn't realize how hard this would be. I don't know what to keep or throw away, and just being in that house breaks my heart."

"I'm so sorry. But Logan, you need to get some rest. You can't keep going like this."

"I know. I'll head home and try to get some sleep."

"Not just sleep, you need to rest too," Dixie reminded him.

"I've tried. The only good sleep I've had since Dad passed was at the cabin." He sighed. "Maybe I should go back there for a few more nights."

"But you have to stay at your own house eventually."

"I know, and I will. I just need some time. Are you still off on Sundays and Mondays?"

"You remember that?"

"There are a lot of things I remember about you, Dixie."

"Yes, I'm off those days. I can come over tomorrow around noon and help you."

"I appreciate it. I'll see you tomorrow then. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Please get some sleep tonight, Logan."

"I'll try, baby. Goodnight." He walked away and Dixie couldn't hold back her tears. He was clearly still struggling with his father's passing and she wanted to do everything she could to support him.

The next day at noon, Dixie arrived at Logan's house and parked her car. She knocked on the front door but got no response, so she let herself in and entered the kitchen.

"Logan?" She called out, placing her purse on the counter and taking off her coat and hat. "Logan?"

Sighing, she walked through the living room and down the hallway, peering into each room as she went. She finally found him asleep in a bed in one of the rooms.

She stood by the bedside and watched him sleep, feeling a pang of sadness in her heart for him. Eventually, she made her way to the kitchen to make some coffee for herself. It was freezing outside, and she needed something warm.

She didn't want to wake up Logan, knowing he needed all the rest he could get. Instead, she decided to wait until he woke up or leave a note for him saying that she would be back tomorrow to help him with sorting through his father's things.

She sat at the table, sipping her coffee, when she heard a noise and looked to see Logan entering the kitchen.

"Hey," he said.

"Did you get some sleep?"

He raked his fingers through his hair and nodded.

"I got home around three. I didn't think I'd sleep but as soon as I laid down, I did." He glanced at the clock on the wall. "Have you been here long?"

"No. I just got here. I wanted to let you sleep since I know you haven't. If you didn't get up in an hour, I was going to go and leave a note that I'd be here tomorrow."

Logan nodded. "I'm going to grab a shower, then I suppose we can get started."

She could tell he was still tired. "If you want to wait a day—"

"No, I'd rather get as much done as I can. If you want to go through the dresser in his room, you can bag up…" Logan swallowed hard. "the clothes in it. I'm going to donate them."

"Okay. Where are the trash bags?"

"Under the sink. I'll just be a few minutes."

"It's fine." She got up, rinsed her cup, set it in the sink, then got a couple trash bags and carried them to Clint's bedroom.

Logan followed her. "If there's anything you're not sure about, just lay it on the bed and I'll look."

"It'll be fine, Logan. Go shower and shave." She grinned. She watched him rub his hand over his jaw.

"I haven't shaved for a few days, so I suppose I'd better."

"Please do. It's getting a little thick. Now, go."

Logan smirked. "Yes, ma'am. I won't be long."

Dixie watched him enter the bedroom, then he came back out with clean clothes, entered the bathroom and closed the door. When she heard the water running, she thought back to times they used to shower or bathe together. She smiled remembering one of the times in the bathtub…

The tub was filled with warm, sudsy water, and Dixie and Logan sat at opposite ends, facing each other. She lathered up the soap in her hands, mesmerized by the way it slid and bubbled against her skin. Her eyes couldn't help but roam over Logan's handsome face, his head leaning back onto the tub with his eyes closed. A light dusting of hair covered his firm pecs and led down to his chiseled six-pack stomach.

As she continued to lather up the soap, it slipped from her hand and plopped into the water with a soft splash.

"Damn it. I dropped the soap," she muttered, moving her hands under the water to find it. But instead of feeling the bar of soap, she found something else.

Logan jerked, causing the water to slosh over the sides of the tub .

"Whoa! Hey there, darlin', that's not the soap," he said with a chuckle as he quickly sat up.

Dixie couldn't contain her laughter as she leaned forward, wrapping her hand around his cock. Locking eyes with him, she winked mischievously.

"I know," she said playfully before continuing her teasing caresses.

Logan stood and she watched the water glide down his gorgeous body. He lifted her from the water, dried her off with a fluffy towel, and carried her to the bedroom…

With a deep breath, she shook away memories, entered Clint's room and began to empty the dresser. As she removed clothes, tears streamed down her cheeks. She would miss him so much, and she knew that most of Clifton, Spring City, and Hartland would too.

As she wiped away her tears, she could hear the bathroom door open, and Logan appeared in the doorway. His hair was still wet from the shower, and he had shaved but there was still a shadow. She used to love scraping her fingernails along his scruff.

Logan walked into the room, ignoring her as he looked through the contents of the closet. She caught a whiff of his aftershave as he passed by her. He picked up some boxes from the shelf and carried them to the bed before sitting down on the edge. She could tell he was struggling to open one of the boxes as he ran his hand over it.

She turned back to the dresser to finish emptying it when she heard him chuckle. She turned to see him holding some photographs.

"What are those?" she asked curiously.

He glanced at her before looking back at the photos in his hands.

"Ones Dad took at our cabin. It's funny, I just thought about these the other day while I was there, looking at the photos on the wall." He grinned. "It took him three tries to get that shot on the wall, but I didn't know he kept these."

Dixie sat down next to him, and he handed her the photos. She couldn't help but laugh as she looked through them. The first one was of Clint's hand as he set up the timer on the camera, the second was of him running toward Logan, and the third made her burst out laughing. It was a photo of Clint falling as he ran away from the camera, but Logan's surprised expression was priceless. His eyes were wide, and his mouth formed a perfect ‘O' as he watched his father falling.

"Dad refused to use a digital camera. He always carried around his thirty-five-millimeter camera. He loved setting the timer and jumping into the photos."

"I remember that camera." Dixie smiled.

"Here," Logan said, handing her another photo.

She took it and her heart ached at the image of her and Logan, arms wrapped around each other, sitting on the porch of the house, and smiling at the camera. It was a beautiful picture of them together. She cleared her throat and handed it back to him, and he placed it back in the box .

Logan set the box on the bed and picked up another one, finding more photos inside. Each box he opened was filled with memories captured on film.

"I think I'll just leave these on the shelf for now and go through them later once everything is cleared out. I want to keep these," he said quietly.

"There must be countless photographs of you, from the moment you were born to just recently."

"Yeah. Dad never went anywhere without that camera." Logan's eyes wandered to the closet. "I wonder where it is." He got up and walked over, rummaging through the various items on the shelf, but finding no trace of the camera. "It has to be somewhere in this house."

"Maybe we'll stumble upon it. I'm finished with the dresser, so I'll start on the chest of drawers now." Dixie let out a heavy sigh. "This is so difficult."

"Tell me about it." Logan glanced at her. "Thank you for helping me, Dixie."

"It's fine, really. We're adults, we can handle this."

Logan nodded but continued searching through the closet. "These clothes should go too."

"I'll take care of them. You focus on deciding what keepsakes you want to keep or give away."

"I'll wait until I see what the will says about them before making any decisions. Is there something specific you'd like?"

"Really? I would love to have something of Clint's. "

"Of course, whatever you want, if it's not promised to anyone."

"Thank you. I'll look after I finish with the closet."

As they worked in silence, each lost in their own thoughts, they made good progress. Dixie mentioned she would like to have the tea set in the China cupboard, which Logan agreed to without hesitation. She had always admired its delicate white teapot adorned with pink flowers.

"The lawyer said he mailed the will on Friday, so I should receive it soon."

"Okay, well, I'll wait for your text before taking the tea set."

"Sure. Though I have no idea who else he would have left anything to."

"Well, let me know when you find out. It's alright if he did. I'll pick something else after you see how everything is divided, if at all."

Logan nodded and left the room, the sound of his footsteps fading as he opened another closet.

"Found the camera," Logan called out, making Dixie smile. She continued working in silence, her heart aching for Logan as he had to sort through his father's belongings. This was her first time doing anything like this, and it was tough enough for her. She couldn't imagine the pain Logan must be feeling.

****

On Tuesday, Logan made a stop at the mailbox on his way to the house. He parked his truck and got out, walking over to the mailbox and opening the door. Sorting through the mail, he noticed the large manilla envelope from his father's lawyer and knew it was the will. The rest looked to be sympathy cards.

Letting out a sigh, he climbed back into his truck, set the mail on the console, and drove up to the porch before parking. He grabbed the mail, opened the front door, and headed inside. The warmth of the house felt good on his chilled body.

Logan had returned to work because he couldn't stand sitting around anymore. Despite Sam's warnings that he needed more time, Logan felt like he had already spent enough time mourning. He just wanted to get back to his routine and distract himself from thoughts of his father.

After taking off his hat and coat and hanging them up, Logan sat on the bench to remove his boots. Feeling cold and exhausted, he couldn't wait to take a hot shower before eating and checking the mail.

With a heavy sigh, he stood up and walked through the kitchen, living room, and into his bedroom where he stripped off his clothes and went into the bathroom for a much-needed shower.

After finishing a sandwich, he headed to the living room and settled into the recliner. He flipped through the mail and placed the cards on the table, intending to read them later. Sighing, he opened a letter from his father's lawyer, expressing condolences for his loss. His father and the lawyer had been close friends for years. The letter also included instructions for Logan to call if he had any questions about the will. There were six copies of the will for him to distribute, as per his father's specific requests.

As he read over the will, Logan murmured in disbelief at some of the contents. His father had always talked about doing something special for his ranch hands, but this was more than he could have imagined. He made a mental note to inform them during lunchtime tomorrow.

The next day, Logan drove home during his lunch break to talk to the men and retrieve something from the house. He had already called Carl, telling him to gather everyone in the bunkhouse at noon.

Parking near the bunkhouse, Logan walked inside to find five men and Carl sitting at the table, waiting for him.

"Hey guys," he greeted them.

"Logan, is everything okay?" Carl asked with concern.

"Yeah, I just have something for each of you," he replied as he handed out copies of his father's will. Each ranch hand received twenty thousand dollars while Carl received fifty thousand. The men were shocked as they read their copies.

"Are you sure about this?" Carl asked skeptically.

"It's not my decision, Carl. It's what Dad wanted," Logan explained with a smile.

"Okay, but..." Carl trailed off.

"Just enjoy it. I have to get back to work. See you all later," Logan said before leaving.

The men nodded in disbelief as Logan walked out of the bunkhouse and quickly gathered what he needed from the house and headed to town.

****

Dixie let out a heavy sigh as more customers walked into the coffee shop. It had been non-stop all morning, despite the snow falling. She couldn't understand why people still craved their daily caffeine fix no matter what the weather. Each time the bell chimed to announce another customer, she couldn't help but sigh.

"I heard that," Celine muttered as she walked past Dixie.

"Oops." Dixie laughed.

The next time the bell chimed, Dixie's eyes were drawn to Logan entering with a box in his hands. The women in the shop were whispering and staring at him; he was undeniably attractive. Dixie smiled and walked around the counter to greet him.

"Hey, what brings you here?"

"I have something for you. Can we talk somewhere private?"

"Sure, come with me. We can use the office."

After letting Celine know she would be back soon, Dixie led Logan to the back office and closed the door behind them. He placed the box on the desk before turning to face her.

"It's the tea set."

"Oh! He didn't leave it to anyone?"

"Yes."

"What? Logan, I can't accept this if it was meant for someone else."

"He left it to you, Dixie."

Tears welled up in Dixie's eyes. "I never thought..."

Logan shrugged. "He must have known how much you admired it."

Dixie opened the box and gently touched the delicate tea ware as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"I used to tell him how beautiful I thought it was. I never imagined..."

"He loved you, Dixie. You have to know that."

"I do. So, you got a copy of the will?"

"Yes, and I'm surprised by its contents."

"Why's that?"

"It's complicated. I should get back to work. I just wanted to drop this off for you." Logan turned to leave, but Dixie stopped him by touching his arm.

"I'm curious, what's in it?"

Logan smiled. "I don't have time to explain now, Dixie. I'm already late returning from the ranch. Sam will be mad at me if I don't get back to work."

"Can you tell me later? Please?"

"I will. I'll talk to you soon." With that, he walked out of the office, and she heard the bell chime as he left the shop.

"Are you okay?" Celine asked when she entered the office.

Dixie wiped away a tear. "Yes. Logan's father left me the tea set I told you about." She gestured toward the box.

Celine peered inside and gasped. "Wow, that's beautiful. It looks old. "

"Clint said it belonged to his wife's grandmother. I always admired it but never thought he would give it to me. He was such a kind man."

"He sounds like it. I wish I had met him."

"You missed out. I loved him instantly. He may have been tough on the outside, but he was a softie at heart." Dixie chuckled.

Celine laughed along with her. "I'm glad he left it to you. Now, let's get back to work."

"Yes, we should. Is it okay if I leave the box here?"

"Of course, we don't want anything to happen to it. But maybe we should set it on the floor just in case."

"Good idea." Dixie carefully lowered the box onto the floor before returning to her duties behind the counter.

As she left work for the day, she hopped into her car and cursed at the freezing weather. The leather seats were cold. She turned on the heat as she drove home, admiring the beautiful sunset with shades of yellow, orange, and red in the sky. At least it wasn't snowing.

Arriving at her driveway, she noticed a car slowing down behind her, but it continued when she stopped. Brushing it off, she parked beside her porch. After her father's arrest, all his possessions were seized. Before any of that happened, she had taken a small desk that belonged to her mother, so the FBI knew nothing about it.

As she opened the door and stepped out, she immediately felt the cold air hit her. She quickly ran up the steps, entered, and locked the door behind her. She sighed in relief at the warmth within. After taking off her hat and coat, she headed to the bathroom for a hot shower. But before doing so, she realized she had left her tea set in her car.

Ignoring her coat, she hurried back outside to retrieve it from her vehicle. As she made her way back toward the house, a truck pulled into her driveway. Instinctively, she went back up onto her porch until she saw that it was Logan. Letting out a sigh of relief, she watched as he parked his truck and walked toward her.

"Just getting home?" he asked.

"Yeah, it was a busy day at work. Even with this weather, people still want their coffee."

"I can understand that. I need a cup myself to keep going."

"Come inside. It's too cold out here," she said with a shiver.

"Alright." He followed her inside and offered to take the box from her hands.

"Do you want a cup of coffee?"

"No, thank you." He set the box on the table, removed his hat and coat, hung them on hooks, and studied her. "Do you want to go to the living room?"

"Yes, please."

Dixie couldn't stop stealing glances at him, memories of their time in the cabin flooding her mind and causing her cheeks to flush with heat. "Please, take a seat." She motioned toward the couch.

"After you."

She sat down and looked up at him, locking eyes for a moment before quickly averting her gaze. As much as she wanted to be back in bed with him, she knew it wasn't possible. She cleared her throat when he sat next to her.

"So, what did the will say?" She grinned. "I'm curious."

"You? Curious?" Logan laughed when she playfully swatted at him. "Well, it was quite surprising. I knew Dad had some money saved up, but I had no idea how much. He left twenty thousand dollars each for the ranch hands, except Carl who received fifty thousand. The tea set went to you and I inherited everything else." Logan shook his head in disbelief. "The house was fully paid off years ago so that's completely mine now too. Dad also specified that I use some of my inheritance to cover his medical expenses, but the rest is just mind-blowing. It turns out he had a lot of money stashed away in a bank account that kept accumulating interest over the years. Even after giving away a hundred and fifty thousand dollars, I still have almost two million in cash plus other assets."

"Two... million?" Dixie couldn't believe it.

"Yeah, Dad sold all his cattle to the Coleman family a while back and put that money in the bank. Oh, and I also inherited his horses. He made it clear that he didn't want them sold unless it was to someone like the Stone brothers who he trusted to take good care of them. I'll keep them. They have great bloodlines. I might breed them and sell the foals. There are two stallions worth over twenty-five thousand each." Logan chuckled. "And Dad also managed to grow Beckett feed successfully while saving all this money."

"Will you continue growing the feed then?"

"Yes, Dad specified that in his will too because he didn't want any of the ranch hands to lose their jobs. He always thought about others before himself."

"Unreal. Are you going to continue to work?"

"Definitely. I can't just sit around. I have no idea how to grow the feed, but Carl does. I do need to get in touch with Ash Beckett though. I know he had talked to Dad about it and wants to sign a contract with me." Logan shrugged. "I don't have a problem with it, but Carl and the men will have to take care of it."

"Clint made sure to take care of his men, didn't he?"

"They've all been with him for years. I can't remember a time when Carl wasn't there. Dad always said if you're good to your help, they'll be good to you." He got to his feet. "I should go. I need to get something to eat."

"Okay." Dixie stood and stared at him. He stared back and took a step forward but halted, then nodded.

"Logan—"

Logan's lips caught Dixie's in a hungry kiss, their tongues moving together as he kissed her deeply. His hands roamed down her back, curving around her ass and squeezing it firmly. She moaned into his mouth, grinding her hips against his hard cock.

He pulled her closer, lifting her up and sitting down on the sofa with her straddling his lap. She could feel his thick length pressing into her through their clothes, making her wet with desire. He moved his hips, rubbing himself against her as she whimpered with pleasure.

Logan's hands slid up her shirt, caressing her skin and teasing her nipples through her bra. She arched her back, pressing herself into his touch as they continued to kiss passionately. He cupped her breasts, squeezing them gently.

Dixie got up and moved her hands to the snap of his jeans, desperate to feel him inside her. She finally managed to undo it, sliding her hand inside and wrapping her fingers around his hard cock. He groaned as she stroked him, his hips bucking.

Logan pulled her back onto his lap, then tugged her shirt over her head, revealing her lacy bra. He kissed her neck, his teeth grazing her skin as he reached behind her and unclasped her bra. Her breasts spilled out, and he took one nipple in his mouth, sucking and teasing it as she moaned in pleasure.

She stood again, slid her hands down his jeans, pulling them off his hips and exposing his hard cock. He was long and thick, and she licked her lips looking at him. She wrapped her hand around him, stroking him slowly as he continued to tease her breasts. He reached into his pocket, removed his wallet, and handed her a condom. She ripped open the packet, removed the condom, and rolled it down over him. His jaw clenched as she did.

Logan's hands slid down her stomach, reaching for the waistband of her jeans. He unbuttoned them, sliding them down her hips and exposing her lacy panties. He groaned as he saw how wet she was, his fingers tracing the damp fabric. She kicked off her shoes and stepped out of her jeans.

He slid her panties to the side, his fingers slipping into her wet slit. She gasped as he rubbed her clitoris, arching against his hand. He continued driving her wild until she cried out, her orgasm building quickly as he continued to stroke her.

Logan pulled her onto his lap, positioning himself, and slid inside her slowly, inch by inch. She cried out, her body shaking as she adjusted to him. He stayed still for a moment, allowing her to get used to him before he began to move.

He moved slowly at first, his hips rocking back and forth as he filled her completely. She wrapped her arms around him, her nails digging into his back as he picked up the pace. He pounded into her, their bodies moving together as they moaned and gasped in pleasure.

Dixie's orgasm built quickly, her body tensing as she approached the edge. Logan reached between them, rubbing her clitoris as he continued to thrust. She cried out, her orgasm washing over her as she tightened around him. He groaned, his own orgasm following quickly as he came.

They stayed like that for a moment, their bodies still connected as they caught their breath. Logan pulled her closer, kissing her deeply as they basked in the afterglow of their passion. When Logan raised his head and stared into her eyes, it hit her what she had done. She pushed at his shoulders and stood up from his lap.

"Please see yourself out." She picked up her clothes, walked to the bathroom, and slammed the door behind her.

She started the water in the shower, stepped into the stall and sobbed. Why couldn't she stay away from him? She'd done so well for the past two years but then he shows up and she can't get enough of him. Just like before.

"You need better self-control around that man," she murmured.

God, she wished she could hate him for what he did to her. No matter how many times she told him she hated him, it was a lie. She would always love him. Until she took her last breath.