Page 8 of A Heart Falls Cowboy Christmas

When she would have crowded out the door, Logan nabbed her backpack from her shoulder. “I’ll take that. You’ll need your toque and mitts on. Temperature dropped about an hour ago, and the wind’s really chilly.”

Before Jinx could grumble about being ordered around like a child, Sasha caught her arm and pulled her into a tight hug. “Have a fun walk,” she whispered into Jinx’s ear.

Fun. Right. Like a trip to the dentist was fun.

“See you on the bus tomorrow,” Sasha offered cheerily. “Bye, Logan. See you tomorrow after school.”

“If your parents want to talk to us about today’s escapade, let Aiden and Petra know Sasha’s dad and I will be home all night.” Mrs. Stone stepped away from the door and tugged Sasha with her. “Goodnight, Logan. Good to see you.”

“Same, Mrs. Stone.”

Jinx pushed past Logan and headed for the well-worn path between the two ranches.

In the summer, the grasses grew tall along the wide trail, and the sweet scent of growing things would fill Jinx’s head the entire trip home, especially after they’d mowed to keep the path clear.

Now, in the dead of winter, they were greeted by packed down snow and an icy-cold wind that made her eyes water and ruffled the hair sticking out from under the edges of her toque.

Dixie bumped her legs excitedly, though, and the loyal animal’s outrageous love warmed Jinx, even as she worried. “It’s too cold for you, sweetie. You shouldn’t come outside.”

“No way she was waiting for you to get home.” Logan spoke softly, once again pacing at her side. “You okay?”

“Of course, I’m okay.” Jinx shoved her hands deeper into her pockets. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

He was quiet for longer than expected, and she glanced over with suspicion.

“Mrs. Stone mentioned an escapade?” he offered.

The momentary sensation of nausea swept in, then passed fast as Jinx forced herself to breath. “It was nothing.”

“Nothing my ass,” he muttered under his breath.

What?

She jerked to a stop. “What do you know?” she demanded.

“Keep walking,” he ordered. “It’s too cold for Dixie, remember?”

Jinx barely restrained from cursing at him—she had a reputation to uphold—and stomped briskly for a bit. Quiet until they were through the stile and back on High Water land.

It gave her time to think about what she could tell him.

He surprised her when he spoke first with an unexpected confession. “I still have moments when I freeze. When I’m sure I’m about to get the wrong end of a fist or a boot. I hate every second of it.”

Dammit. Tears welled to Jinx’s eyes, and she had to stop, shuffling to the protective edge of the barn to get out of the wind. “You heard what happened?” The question came out barely a whisper.

“I heard that someone surprised you,” he admitted. Logan’s expression grew fierce. “And I heard that afterward, Jason called you some shitty things to try and make his fragile ego feel better.”

“Well, Sasha took care of that part.” Jinx wiped her eyes, the bitter cold turning the moisture on her lashes to mini ice crystals.

Logan leaned on the wall beside her, his solid frame adding a layer of protection from the wind. “That’s not what hurt the most, was it?”

She shook her head. Anything she could add was…terrifying to think about. Yet he’d already somehow guessed most of it, so she tried.

The wind howled louder, so she turned her head into his shoulder. “It was just supposed to be a hug. A surprise, yes, but a hug.” She heard the tremour in her voice. “I hug people all the time now. It’s not a big deal.”

“Fuck that.” A growl shook his tone, but he spoke low and soft, directly into her ear. “You don’t want people touching you who don’t have that right. You get to have that rule, and it’s a big deal for someone to break it. He was wrong; you were right.”

“What if I can never…”