Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty

Logan

I sit in the driveway, drumming my fingers on the steering wheel. I just left Danielle’s house and got home, but I haven’t gone inside yet. My mind is racing, and my heart is beating fast right along with it.

I love her.

I don’t want her to leave, even if it’s just for a few weeks. But I don’t want to be selfish, because she’s going through a hard time right now, and if getting away from Eastwood is what she needs, then she should go.

But will she come back?

She came here because her grandpa was here, and now that he’s gone…what’s going to keep her here?

Me.

Maybe. Maybe not.

“Fuck,” I swear under my breath. For the last year I’ve wanted to tell her that I love her. We finally made love, and it was incredible. She’s incredible.

We are incredible together.

I close my eyes and lean my head back against the seat.

And then Owen knocks on the window. “Dude, what the hell are you doing?” he asks, opening the passenger side door.

“Trying to decide if I should tell Danielle I love her, or if it’s unfair to drop that on her when she has a good reason to get out of town for a little bit. But if she leaves, will she come back? She doesn’t have a reason to.”

“You’re a fucking idiot, you know that, right?”

I glare at my twin.

“Stop overthinking things like you always do. You love her. Go tell her and be her reason to stay. Now. Or give me your clothes, and I’ll go over there and pretend to be you.”

“It won’t work with Danielle.”

Owen’s brows go up. “Exactly.”

I get what he isn’t saying just as much as what he is. Danielle’s always been able to tell us apart when most people can’t. She says she can sense the difference, and jokes that she’s more attracted to the energy I put off over Owen.

“Get out of my car.”

Owen claps me on the back. “Go get ‘em, tiger.”

I start the car, putting it in reverse before Owen is fully out. It takes twelve minutes to drive to Danielle’s house from ours, and I get there in less than ten. I put the car in park and forget to take my seatbelt off in my desperation to get to Danielle.

I race up the front porch steps, getting to the last one when she opens the door. When I left, she was still in PJs with her hair in a messy bun. Now she’s wearing a rainbow-striped skirt and a white tank top. Her hair is braided, and she’s wearing makeup. An oversized bag hangs from her shoulder.

Is she leaving?

“Logan!” she exclaims, not expecting to see me. I grab her around the waist and pull her close, putting my lips to hers. I kiss her hard, feeling my heart flutter in my chest.

“I love you, and I don’t want you to leave.” The words come out easier than I expected them to.

Danielle straightens up and blinks. “What?” She sets the bag down. “I mean…what?”

I inhale and run my hands down her arms, stepping closer and looking into her eyes. “I’ve been in love with you pretty much since we met. You were always so adamant about not staying here and not wanting to date so I tried to ignore my feelings for you, but they never went away. I really love being your best friend, but I want to be your boyfriend. And who knows, maybe your real fiancé someday.”

Danielle’s lips part and tears well in her eyes again. “I love you too.”

“You do?”

“Yes,” she says, and the tears spill down her face. “I’ve been in love with you for a long time too but didn’t want to admit it to myself. And then when we finally kissed…I knew I was a goner.”

“If you need to leave Eastwood, I get it.”

She shakes her head. “I’m not leaving Eastwood. My grandpa left the farm and the house to me. I was going to go into town and finish signing the papers. My parents knew, and they didn’t say anything.” She shakes her head. “I’m so tired of them trying to force my hand. But this is home now. My home. Maybe it could be our home,” she adds softly.

“Are you asking me to move in with you? Geez, Dani, I just told you I love you. We should slow down. Wait another year before we take the next step.”

“You’re still a jerk,” she laughs, shaking her head as I go in for another kiss. “You are my best friend.” She takes her lips off mine just enough to talk. “You’ll always be my best friend.”

“And you’ll always be mine.”

“Tell me you love me again. I like hearing it.”

“I love you, Danielle Cross.” I cup her face in my hands. “And I know things haven’t gone as you thought they would, but I like to believe everything led you to me.”

Another tear rolls down her cheek, and I wipe it away with my thumb. “It did,” she whispers. “I was so busy trying to find my place in the world and fit in, I didn’t realize that I was right where I was supposed to be all along. With you.”