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  “You asked me about forgiving you…” His voice was low and husky.

  She held her breath and waited.

  “I can’t give you an answer, Gina, and I don’t know if time will help or not. That night after we split up, my father had a stroke.”

  That night. A rush of dread made her cold all over. “What happened?”

  He looked away from her as if warring with himself over the answer. “We argued about you.”

  Her chest felt tight. “Why?”

  “I went riding after you left, trying to figure out what to do. When I got back to the barn, Dad confronted me. He said I was better off without you. But I didn’t believe that. I was going to talk to your parents…convince them they were interfering and they shouldn’t be…convince you that we could make something work long-distance. Dad grabbed my arm. I tore away. And then—suddenly he couldn’t speak and he collapsed.”

  Gina was stunned. A tiny shard of guilt pierced her heart at the realization that she hadn’t been there for Logan.

  “I called the paramedics and he was rushed to the hospital. We managed to keep all of it quiet. Dad abhorred publicity and the hospital and medical personnel were cooperative. His recovery took about three months. He was fortunate he regained his speech and most of his mobility. But the whole process was—” Logan halted as if he didn’t want to admit how much his father’s collapse and recovery had affected him.

  “I’m so sorry,” she managed to say, feeling so much sympathy for him that tears welled in her eyes. “Three months,” she murmured. “That’s around when you called—”

  “I was hoping we could just talk. I was hoping—” He shook his head. “But you didn’t have time to talk. You had to run off to take a test.”

  “You never called again,” she said softly, remembering how numb she’d been for such a long time after the rape. She had had a test that day. But more important, she’d been too raw to talk to anyone. Should she tell Logan that? Could he possibly understand?

  No. This wasn’t about her. The distance between them was all about her letting down Logan in so many ways. If she had fought for the love she’d felt for him, then maybe more than one tragedy could have been avoided.

  “Logan, I don’t know what to say.”

  “You don’t have to say anything.”

  She heard a car door slam…children laughing near the store’s exit.

  So much had happened to both of them. She’d lost her sense of safety, her trust in her judgment, her trust in men. Logan had gone on to marry and lost a wife he’d obviously loved. He now had a son his wife had died to save. How much more he must love her for that. How much he must cherish Daniel as the gift his wife had given him.

  The twelve-foot-high parking-lot light lit up the area where Gina’s car was parked. In the blink of an eye, she thought she saw a flash of tenderness in Logan’s eyes. But then whatever emotion he’d felt disappeared.

  They’d been standing as close as two people having an intimate conversation would be, but now he took a step back. “I’ll see you Saturday morning at Baby Grows.”

  Her throat tightened and she wanted to reach out and hug him, hold on to him, cry with him. Instead, she simply nodded.

  A few feet away, Logan waited until she slid into her car, closed the door and started the engine. Then he strode to his car as she drove away, swiping at the lone tear that rolled down her cheek.

  Chapter Three

  Logan could hardly hold on to Daniel Saturday morning. His son peered around at the colorful equipment in the therapeutic workroom at the Baby Grows practice, pointing to a big red ball. “Baw!”

  As soon as Gina came toward them, Daniel reached for her and practically jumped into her arms.

  “It’s so good to see you again,” she told the little boy, her face lighting up as it always did when she was around him.

  In spite of common sense telling him to let it go, Logan couldn’t help but wonder how she felt about seeing him, especially after their goodbye in the parking lot. Why couldn’t he just tell her he forgave her?

  Because it wouldn’t be honest. It might smooth the waters, but it wasn’t the truth. He didn’t know what was the truth. Ever since Amy had died, his life had taken on a manage-each-day quality.

  “I wasn’t sure you’d come,” she said to Logan.

  He saw vulnerability in her brown eyes but didn’t know what to do about it. “I’ve learned over the years avoidance only buys time. It doesn’t solve the problem. So we’re here to get Daniel walking.”

  “Logan, I just want to say again I’m sorry about everything that happened.”

  He could see she didn’t want to let their conversation in the parking lot go, but he did. “Let’s put the past behind us for now, okay?”

  She seemed to tear her gaze reluctantly from his to focus on his son. “So what do you think we should try first?” Gina asked Daniel as if she had this kind of conversation with a fourteen-month-old every day.

  “He’s never tried a sliding board.” Logan didn’t know if that piece of information would be useful or not.

  “The sliding board is a great idea. If he likes to ride down, he might try to climb up.”

  She took Daniel over to the three-foot-high sliding board and sat him on top. “No more carrying. Anywhere you want to go today, you have to get there on your own steam.”

  His green eyes sparkling, Daniel tilted his head and studied her face. Then he raised his legs up and down on the slide portion of the equipment and said, “Go…go…go.”

  “Great exercise,” she encouraged him, watching his leg movement. “That will help strengthen those muscles.” She crouched down at the bottom of the board. “Come on. Let’s see if you can push yourself off.”

  After a few moments of squiggling and squirming, gravity helped Daniel slide sideways down the short board. He careened onto the soft mat beneath it and grinned up at Gina.

  Logan felt as if his heart was cracking into a few more pieces. Daniel should be looking up like that at his mother.

  If Amy had lived—

  Logan might not have Daniel.

  If Gina had stayed—

  Logan might not have Daniel.

  How could he regret any part of his life when his son was the result of it?

  Suddenly, from the reception area, Logan heard a woman’s voice call, “Is anyone here?” He also heard the chatter of children.

  Tessa Rossi entered the room in obvious mother mode. On her left side, she held the hand of nineteen-month-old Sean and on her right, that of little Natalie, who looked to be over two. Logan remembered hearing about the little boy and girl from Hannah, who knew Tessa’s nanny and housekeeper. The children had been through a lot in their short lives, and now Tessa and her husband, Vince, were in the process of adopting them both.

  Tessa headed straight for Logan. “Hi! Gina said Daniel could use some playmates.”

  “I never really thought about it,” Logan admitted. “I was an only child and learned to occupy myself. I guess I thought Daniel would do the same.”

  “Oh, but they learn so much from each other—good and bad,” she confided with a wise smile.

  He laughed. “I suppose that’s true.”

  Sean and Natalie both looked up at Tessa. When she gave a nod, they ran over to Gina and Daniel.

  Logan watched as the kids both gave Gina hugs. “They seem to like her.”

  “Oh, they love her. She knows just what to say to them, just how to handle them, and it’s all genuine.”

  “How long have you known Gina?”

  “Since January. A mutual friend introduced us.”

  “Francesca Fitzgerald.”

  “That’s right.” Tessa’s gaze asked how he knew.

  “Gina mentioned Francesca and I told her she was Daniel’s neonatologist.”

  “They’re both women who are dedicated to helping babies.”

  Maybe so. But he was still curious about something. “I’m surprised Gina came b
ack here.”

  “Why are you surprised?”

  “According to everything I discovered when I searched her name on the Internet, she was headed up the career ladder. After undergraduate work, she earned her Ph.D. at a larger university. Then she moved on to become the dean of a teaching program in early development at a college in Massachusetts. All along she’s published in well-respected journals. A couple of years ago she moved back to Connecticut to head up a new baby study at her alma mater. Lubbock just seems small potatoes compared to what she could be doing and where she could be going.”

  “Have you really watched her with the children, Logan?”

  They stood about twenty feet away from Gina. He had to admit, up until now, he got distracted just looking at her. He always wanted to run his hands through the tumbled curls, to tap his finger on the little bump on her nose.

  Now he really looked at her—the expert, the teacher, the therapist. She was a combination of all three. As Natalie and Sean tumbled and pushed on a beanbag chair, Logan noticed Gina using more than the tools in her repertoire. Yes, she was competent, decisive and knowledgeable. But on top of all that, there was a pure love in her eyes for the children she was with.

  “Gina just wants to work with babies who need help. When I met her, I wondered immediately why she hadn’t married and didn’t have a brood of her own,” Tessa mused.

  “Did she ever tell you why she hadn’t married?”

  “Not really. I think she was just too busy earning her degrees.”

  Too busy? Or some other reason? Gina herself had told him that something had happened after she left Sagebrush. Had she moved around so much for professional reasons? Or something else?

  “Sean and Daniel seem to be getting along well,” Tessa commented.

  To Logan’s surprise, Daniel crawled after Sean. Tessa’s little boy found a stack of chunky blocks. While Logan held his breath, Daniel pushed himself to his knees and, using a small table for leverage, pulled himself up. But then his son sat again and stacked one block on top of another with Sean’s help.

  “He’s teetering on the edge,” Tessa said. “He could walk anytime.”

  “I think he might forget himself and just do it if he’s playing with Sean.”

  “Kids help each other develop skills. It’s wonderful to watch.”

  For the past couple of years, Logan’s employees had been voicing their opinions about opening a day-care center at the factory. First he’d dismissed the idea because of the expense. But after doing feasibility research, he’d been much more open to it. Now he could see even more benefits, not just for the parents, but for the children themselves. He was glad the center was in the planning stages and he’d be meeting with the architect soon.

  As he watched the children, Gina joined the boys, helping them decide what to build. Logan suddenly wondered if Gina would help with the project. He knew there were companies who sent representatives in essentially to take over and even staff the center. But he wanted to use a local contractor as well as someone from Lubbock to staff the facility. Maybe Gina could help with the preliminary stage.

  Was he looking for an excuse to spend time with her?

  Of course not. He didn’t need one with her treating Daniel.

  A half hour later, Tessa and her children waved goodbye. Daniel had obviously enjoyed their company, but he looked as if he’d had enough of these activities and was ready for something else.

  Logan lifted his son into the air and wiggled him. “How about the Yellow Rose Diner and cheese fries?”

  Daniel babbled, “Da da da. Fwies,” and Logan laughed.

  “I think that’s a resounding ‘yes.’ Are you going back to Sagebrush?” he asked Gina.

  “Yes, I am. Raina and I made a pact to clean the house this afternoon, then we’re going to a movie as a reward later.”

  “Girls’ night out?”

  “You could say that.”

  “If you’re going back to Sagebrush, how about stopping at the diner with us and having some lunch? There’s something I’d like to discuss with you.”

  When Daniel fussed to be let down, Logan lowered him to a mat. “We could talk about it here, but I think Daniel needs a change of scene and something in his tummy. What do you say?”

  He could tell Gina was giving his invitation major consideration. She asked, “Is this about Daniel?”

  “No, it’s not.”

  She seemed to think about the pros and cons but he knew what her answer would be. She wouldn’t deny him this simple request because she still felt guilty about what had happened. He didn’t want to push that button. She’d have to let go of the guilt and he’d have to let go of the bitterness. Maybe they could do that if they worked on the day-care center together.

  Finally, she nodded. “Okay. I have to pick up some folders and lock up. I’ll meet you at the diner.”

  Logan found himself looking forward to sitting across the booth from her and didn’t examine his reasons why too closely.

  Logan was settling Daniel into a high chair as Gina walked into the Yellow Rose and spotted them. She ruffled the little boy’s hair as she settled into the booth and smiled at the dish of cheese fries on the table. “You must have called ahead.”

  Logan broke a cheese fry into pieces and set them on his son’s tray. “I did. Experience is a great teacher.”

  Their gazes collided and the noise of the diner faded away. Damn, he was still attracted to her! Why couldn’t he shut it down? Why couldn’t he control the rush of adrenaline that wired him when she entered a room? At first he’d relegated that rush to tension, to regrets, to emotion packed away for a long time. But today, he knew better.

  An auburn-haired waitress came over to take their orders and raised an eyebrow at Logan as if to say, “So when did this start?” Mindy kept her fingertip on the pulse point of anyone who came to the Yellow Rose Diner.

  He ignored her curiosity. After a brief examination of the menu, he and Gina ordered and their waitress hurried away.

  Fingering her knife, Gina moved it to the side of the placemat. “You surprised me when you said you were coming here. It wasn’t a place I imagined you having lunch.”

  “No sterling silver or crystal goblets?”

  “Hannah could make you anything you want at the estate and there are other restaurants that are a little more private.”

  “I’m not a hermit, Gina. I don’t need electric gates around the house or a high wall to keep reporters out. There are much more interesting characters around than me. I know I can’t live a normal life because I have more than most, but I don’t have to live such a different life, either.”

  “Your father wanted—” She stopped abruptly. Picking up a cheese fry, she wiggled it into a scoop of ketchup.

  “My father wanted what?” Logan asked.

  “I think he wanted you to live the same life he did.”

  Logan hadn’t realized that Gina and his father had had many conversations. His father had hired her to work in the stables and that was about it. But she was right. His father had wanted him to travel, to be invited to the governor’s mansion, to have friends in even higher places. But his perspective on raising a son was much different from his father’s, and that wasn’t a subject he wanted to discuss.

  “I read the articles you published online,” he said, changing the subject as he poured water into Daniel’s sippy cup.

  That seemed to surprise her. “I see.”

  He doubted that she did. “I wanted to know what you had done with your life and the type of work you accomplished.”

  She took a sip of her water, then set down the glass. “Why?”

  “I was curious whether the reasons you told me you left were honest.”

  Her cheeks took on some color. “They were honest, Logan. That full scholarship put me on the first rung of the ladder. I had a job when I was earning my master’s and sent money home to help put Angie through school. I became the first college graduate in my famil
y. When I earned my doctorate, even my dad had tears in his eyes.”

  She seemed to brace herself as if he might ask her something else. Like what? Was it all worth it? He couldn’t go there. Not now. Not here.

  “One of your articles concerned day-care centers. I’ll be starting construction for one in June for my employees’ kids, and I wondered if you’d give me some input, maybe give the architect I’ve chosen some input. You know what kids need. I would need it to be appropriate for ages two to five. What do you think? Would you be interested? I’ll pay you a consultation fee.”

  She looked totally taken aback. “You’ve surprised me, Logan. Do you mind if I think about it?”

  “No, I don’t mind. I have a meeting with James Wolfe—he’s the architect who designed the new elementary school in Sagebrush—on Wednesday. If you’re interested, I’d like you to be there, too.”

  Their gazes locked. When she didn’t look away and neither did he, he felt his chest tighten and other parts of his body come awake.

  Had he just made a huge mistake?

  On Wednesday evening, Gina sat in Logan’s den at a long library table next to his architect, James Wolfe. She was studying the plans—and felt Logan studying her. He was sitting across the narrow table from them in a leather desk chair.

  “So what do you think?” the architect asked her. His brown eyes sparkled with interest she didn’t return. He was good-looking enough…but he wasn’t Logan.

  She concentrated on the plans. “The square footage looks about right for the number of children you’re anticipating providing for. But—”

  “But?”

  Directly across from her, Logan’s leg brushed hers as he leaned forward to take a closer look at the architect’s drawing.

  She swallowed and smiled. “I think you need to utilize the space better, maybe two rooms instead of one. That way the younger children can be taking a nap while the older ones are playing or working. You also need a common area where they can share snacks. But that’s just my opinion.”

  James shrugged. “She makes sense.”