Chapter 22

22

L ogan felt like he was trick-riding a runaway stallion. Everything seemed to be falling perfectly into place, but he knew that if he stopped moving or sneezed at the wrong time, it might all fall apart. He gave the rest of his savings to Cherry at Tiny Paws for the month and Tabby got the drill company to give her a month's respite before they sent her collections.

Franzi continued to blossom at the day care, and talked enthusiastically about her best friends and imaginary games. (It wasn't actually possible that one of the babies could teleport, was it?)

The playdate on the Fourth of July was a swimming success and Logan was sure that nothing would top the memory of Franzi as a foal frolicking with a strange dragon-deer-unicorn that seemed to skim across the surface of the grass. The offer had been extended again for Labor Day, the next holiday. In return, Vivian had agreed to take Franzi for a few nights while Tabby and Logan entered the three-day Grand Prix. Logan hadn't been clear with her about the fact that he was competing as the horse, but he thought that Vivian suspected as much. She didn't seem to judge him for it.

Mason seemed happy with his work at the auto shop, and Logan felt more and more like he was part of the team. Mason would call Logan over to watch tricky jobs, and explain what he was doing as he went. It wasn't officially a mentorship yet, but Logan knew he was on the right track. Cautious acquaintanceships had warmed to what Logan tentatively believed were friendships.

And Tabby.

As a horse, she worked him harder than ever in the arena, squeezing every ounce of speed and height out of him. "Sure, you got over it, but your last steps were a little close together. You could do better. Go again! Don't toss your head at me, you're not Fabio and it screws up your gait!" She took him out on hour-long rides to return sweating and springy. Logan knew that he was in the best shape of his life…and only some of his workout was in Tabby's bed.

At every chance they got, Logan was catching Tabby to kiss her, plucking at her clothing and making sure that she knew how badly he wanted her. And to his delight, she was eager for his touches as he was, even if she was irreproachably clear that it was purely a physical relationship.

Logan knew he was lucky to have that much from her, and he kept his stallion's desire to declare their undying love at every opportunity squelched. It was just scratching an itch.

Speaking of itches, hay was not the best place to make love.

"I have it everywhere ," Tabby said with regret, pulling strands from unspeakable places a few days before the big show. The auto shop was closed for a local holiday, but the day care was open, so Logan intended to catch up on outstanding chores while he could do it without a forty-pound shadow complicating every task. "What was I thinking?"

"You were thinking that you can't resist me," Logan said merrily. "That you were willing to weather any discomfort for the pleasure I bring you. That I could take you to hedonistic heights you'd only imagined and that it would be worth it to get a little hay in your underwear."

Tabby buttoned her shirt with a blushing laugh. "Well, you aren't wrong ," she conceded. "Even if you are pretty full of yourself."

"Are you ready for this?" Logan asked.

"If you want to go again, it will be in a bed, " Tabby said tartly, buttoning her shirt. "I have regrets."

Logan caught her hand and pulled her back down in the straw with him. "I meant the show. The sale. Is this…okay?"

Logan had convinced himself that it was the best—the only—chance that he had to make a clean start and keep the life that they'd started to carve out for themselves. He was absolutely clear with Clancy that this was their last job and Clancy seemed to accept Logan's new resolve.

But Logan still had reservations, and if Tabby was the tiniest bit uncertain…

"I'm ready," Tabby said, rolling to kiss him. "I'm so ready. I don't know how we can't win. You're a gorgeous horse and smarter than your average bear. You can jump over anything . They won't know what hit them. Selling you completely solves your double life as my stallion, and even if he double-crosses you and your sale lines Clancy's pockets and not ours, the prize money should get us through until we can build the rest of the business. We'll keep our ranch."

"I'll miss you riding me," Logan said, stroking her hip .

Tabby kissed him deeply. "Oh, I don't think you will ," she promised, her voice husky.

"Miss Swiftwater?"

Letisha's voice from outside the stable had Tabby rolling off of him and settling the last of her clothing in place as Logan rose and snatched his pants from the stall divider.

"I'll be right out!" Tabby called. To Logan she explained, "I'm going with Letisha and her mom to look at a horse they want to buy with their vet. A sound horse isn't necessarily a show horse, and they want a second opinion."

Logan followed her out of the stable, cursing the bits of grass that hadn't all been removed from his jeans and his shirt. Tumbles in the hay were definitely off the list.

Better for eating , his stallion sniffed.

Tabby left the stable with Letisha, already talking about the things she looked for in a horse. "It's unlikely you'll find one that's the whole package, like Beau," she cautioned, "but you want one with good sense and a willingness to listen and learn. It's more important that they move easily and have a brain than that they have perfect markings or measurements. You can't ride color!"

Logan's brain caught up with him as he watched Tabby walk away with Letisha hanging on her every word. She had said our ranch.

We'll keep our ranch…

It was her ranch, of course, but Logan found himself with spring in his step as he went to tackle the chores. He wanted all of the us and ours with Tabby.

She is part of our herd, his stallion said. Of course she is ours and we are us.

Logan was still trying to parse the pronouns when his phone rang .

"Logan," he said cheerfully, without looking at the screen first.

Clancy's voice always made him tense but even Clancy couldn't dampen Logan's joy. "I want to make sure we're still on for this weekend and you aren't going to pussy out on me," Clancy said tersely. "You haven't let her talk you out of it, have you?"

"We're in," Logan said. We're. We!