(Timeline: This story takes place after the prequel LUCKY LOGAN, but long before the events of BARGAIN AT BRAVEBANK.)
He wanted it more than anything he’d ever wanted in his life.
The realization struck Logan Delano just as he’d finished shuttin’ up the barn for the night, and he’d turned around back toward the house, boots crunchin’ in the snow, shoulders hunched against the bitter cold, and he’d suddenly caught sight of the Christmas Star.
It shone clear and bright in the black of the early dark, poised low on the horizon, just above the roof of the house on the hill. The house with its windows glowin’ a warm, flickerin’ amber; the light of many lanterns still lit inside and a roarin’ fire in the hearth. Through the big front window he could just see one side of the Christmas tree, the branches tipped with small candles.
Logan stopped in his tracks, feelin’ like maybe his horse had kicked him in the chest.
He wanted this. All of this.
He wanted this life.
All that time he’d spent robbin’ and stealin’, takin’ whatever he’d happened to fancy at the time by stealth or by gun … and he’d never wanted anything he’d ever taken as badly as he wanted this right now.
Smoke curled up from the chimney, faint against the night. A carpet of unbroken snow sparkled dimly in the squares of light thrown out by the windows.
He’d walk up the hill, through the gentle drifts, to that front door.
He’d step inside to warmth, the smell of hot food and hot coffee, to friendly faces that would welcome him in like he were family. To her.
Annabelle Pierce.
Logan swallowed hard and shoved his hands deeper into his pockets. He resumed his walk from the barn, headin’ slowly up the hill to that house and its warmth and its food and the family that had given him far more than he’d ever deserved.
To the woman who’d nearly cost him everything, and for whom he’d gladly give up everything, if it meant he could make her happy. Make her smile.
He didn’t deserve her.
Didn’t deserve any of this.
Didn’t deserve to have this life for the rest of his years.
Not after the things he’d done. Not after what had happened to Mr. Pierce.
My fault.
Logan winced, the memory still stabbin’ him deep. Never mind that it’d happened near on six months ago now. It still cut him to the quick, plagued his sleep. It had been his fault. He’d still been tryin’ too hard to live two lives … two lives that could not peacefully co-exist, neither within him nor without.
And Mr. Pierce had paid the price.
Logan had decided then and there what life he’d wanted to live; had gunned down the other Johnson Boys before they’d realized he’d even pulled. And soon as he’d done that, he’d known he could never go back to Paul. At least, not unless he planned to kill the man.
Logan stopped again, his eyes drawn back up to the Christmas Star. He stood there for another long moment in the soft silence that only came with the winter snows, and took deep breaths of icy air that seared his lungs.
He’d never told Annabelle what had really happened that night.
And he wouldn’t. He couldn’t.
He couldn’t bear to lose her.
Couldn’t bear to lose this life.
He didn’t deserve it … didn’t deserve it in the least. But he’d been takin’ things he didn’t deserve his whole life. It hadn’t stopped him before, and it wouldn’t stop him now.
If Annabelle would have him, anyway.
Logan clenched his gloved hands in the pockets of his wool-lined coat, squintin’ up at that Christmas Star with his eyes waterin’ in the cold.
If she’d have him … he’d go straight. Never take another goddamned thing that didn’t belong to him in his life. No more robbin’, stealin’, murderin’ … never.
“You hear that?” he growled out, glarin’ at that shimmerin’ Star. His breath clouded around his head. “I swear it. If she’ll have me, there won’t be no more of that.”
They’d get their own ranch. He was pretty good at workin’ steers now, thanks to Mr. Pierce. They’d get their own ranch, and he’d spend the rest of his days makin’ her happy.
They’d live a good life.
He glared up at that Christmas Star, and then he was pretty sure it winked back at him.
He grunted. Sign from the Divine or not, he weren’t gonna waste any more time.
Logan waded briskly through the snow the rest of the way up the hill and swept through the front door, the gust of warmth and the smell of a savory stew hittin’ him like somethin’ physical as soon as he swung it open.
His heart twisted again as he shut the door behind him and locked it. Hung up his coat like he had so many other days now, peeled off his gloves, and chucked off his snow-laden boots, too.
“Logan.”
Her voice sounded from behind him, and he turned to see her framed in the doorway that led into the den, her figure framed by the light of the fire behind her.
She granted him a smile. That soft, shy smile that had gradually worn away the angry, bitter outlaw he’d once been. “Thought I was going to have to come out there and look for you.”
He shook his head, goin’ to her in three long steps and catchin’ her hands in his as he dropped down to one knee.
He ignored the squeak from Emma, Annabelle’s younger sister, as she stepped out from the kitchen with a loaf of bread wrapped in a towel.
“Annabelle Pierce,” he husked, blurting it before he could lose his nerve. He squeezed her hands, throat suddenly feelin’ thick as cotton. “Annabelle … will you … will you do me the honor of becomin’ my wife?”
Emma squealed and promptly dropped the loaf of bread.
But Logan kept his eyes locked on Annabelle, heart throbbin’ in his throat worse than it had ever done durin’ any gunfight.
Her green eyes lit, a grin widenin’ across her face as her fingers tightened around his. “Why, Logan Delano,” she whispered breathlessly, “I thought you’d never ask.”
Author’s Note: Well, folks, this is my best attempt at a fluffy Christmas story 😛 LOL. I just can’t avoid the angst, it seems. So sorry. But I tried! I have been wanting to write a Christmas themed novel for YEARS. But I never get around to it. This year was the same story, except then, about two days ago, this scene came to me thanks to the real-life Christmas Star that was in the sky at the time (and which I never actually got to see, ugh). And I thought “Well, it’s not a novel, but it’s something!” And something I figured I could probably actually whip up in time for Christmas!
I only barely made it… it’s now 6 minutes after midnight, so technically it’s Christmas just now. 🙂 But I just HAD to write it. It wouldn’t leave me alone. And so here it is.
This scene is based around the idea for a whole prequel novel I have in mind revolving around Logan and Annabelle that details exactly how they met in the first place. That novel will fill in the event involving Mr. Pierce in detail, so I didn’t want to spoil too much of it here.
Hopefully you can still get enough context from the hints to find this very short short enjoyable. Or at least mildly entertaining.
In any event, I’ve really gotta get to bed now. HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU, AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!!!
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