miss my friends. We'd planned a trip to New York City for next week. I'd already bought my plane ticket when Dad had his stroke. I hate having to miss it." Carol frowned, then shook her head. "Oh, well. It's too late to worry about it now."
"Would you go if you had someone to help take care of Katie and your father?"
"Of course. But I'm the one who insisted Logan stay here to help me out. It wouldn't be fair to him for me to leave him to deal with a stranger."
They walked along in silence for a few minutes, but Megan's mind was racing. She didn't have anything planned for the next couple of weeks. If she stayed, Carol could go on her trip. The hardest part would be convincing Logan.
When they reached the neighboring ranch, Carol looked wistfully up the long driveway before she turned around to head back to the farm.
Curious, Megan asked, "Who lives there? That's a gorgeous house."
"Yeah, it is. It belongs to Jake Reilly. His parents passed away a couple of years ago, within a month of each other, and he inherited the ranch. I haven't seen him since their funeral."
"Is he someone special?" From the look on Carol's face, Megan thought she might have been hoping to see him tonight, but there was no one moving about the property.
"He used to be. We lost touch after I left for A & M. He was engaged the last time I saw him. He's probably married by now." She looked back one last time and sighed, then squared her shoulders and set a brisk pace down the dirt road.
***
Logan still hadn't emerged from the office by the time Carol went to bed, so Megan knocked on the door. When he barked out permission for her to enter, she pushed the door open. He sat behind an old, scarred oak desk with a laptop open in front of him. One hand rubbed absently at his temple as he read the screen.
He looked up when she stepped into the room. "Is something wrong?"
"No, everything's fine. I wondered if you had time to talk to me. If this isn't a good time, I can come back later."
He stretched, then linked his fingers behind his head and arched his back. "This is fine. Come on in and close the door." With a sigh he dropped his hands to the keyboard and made a few quick strokes. Then he closed the laptop and leaned back in his chair.
"I hope I'm not interrupting your work." All she needed was for him to be more irritated with her than he already was.
"No. I was just reading an email from my lawyer. He thinks I have a good chance of getting custody of Katie."
"That's wonderful."
"Yeah, it is. I've missed her terribly these last few months and this latest mess was the last straw. I can't believe her mother could be irresponsible enough to let her take off without even knowing where she was headed."
"Katie wasn't exactly honest with her, though."
"No, but when I found out Sue Ann's boyfriend was the one who bought Katie's ticket with her baby-sitting money, then dropped her off at the bus station without even making sure she got on the right bus, it made me even more determined to get custody. Her safety is at stake here."
Megan agreed completely. She'd been totally shocked when Katie had explained how she'd gotten on that bus.
"I'd better get off that subject before I get mad all over again. What did you want to talk to me about?" Logan leaned forward and gave her his complete attention.
Megan decided to get straight to the point while he seemed to be in a good mood. "Did you know Carol is giving up a trip to New York City with her friends to take care of you and your dad?"
He frowned and shook his head, then he winced and rubbed at his temple again. "She hasn't mentioned anything to me. When was she supposed to go?"
"Next week. She's already paid for her airline ticket, but she won't leave you here alone." Megan hoped Carol wouldn't resent her interference, but if Logan agreed, it would solve both of their problems. She'd get to stay, and Carol would get to go on her trip.
Maybe she should be asking herself why she wanted to stay so
"Would you go if you had someone to help take care of Katie and your father?"
"Of course. But I'm the one who insisted Logan stay here to help me out. It wouldn't be fair to him for me to leave him to deal with a stranger."
They walked along in silence for a few minutes, but Megan's mind was racing. She didn't have anything planned for the next couple of weeks. If she stayed, Carol could go on her trip. The hardest part would be convincing Logan.
When they reached the neighboring ranch, Carol looked wistfully up the long driveway before she turned around to head back to the farm.
Curious, Megan asked, "Who lives there? That's a gorgeous house."
"Yeah, it is. It belongs to Jake Reilly. His parents passed away a couple of years ago, within a month of each other, and he inherited the ranch. I haven't seen him since their funeral."
"Is he someone special?" From the look on Carol's face, Megan thought she might have been hoping to see him tonight, but there was no one moving about the property.
"He used to be. We lost touch after I left for A & M. He was engaged the last time I saw him. He's probably married by now." She looked back one last time and sighed, then squared her shoulders and set a brisk pace down the dirt road.
***
Logan still hadn't emerged from the office by the time Carol went to bed, so Megan knocked on the door. When he barked out permission for her to enter, she pushed the door open. He sat behind an old, scarred oak desk with a laptop open in front of him. One hand rubbed absently at his temple as he read the screen.
He looked up when she stepped into the room. "Is something wrong?"
"No, everything's fine. I wondered if you had time to talk to me. If this isn't a good time, I can come back later."
He stretched, then linked his fingers behind his head and arched his back. "This is fine. Come on in and close the door." With a sigh he dropped his hands to the keyboard and made a few quick strokes. Then he closed the laptop and leaned back in his chair.
"I hope I'm not interrupting your work." All she needed was for him to be more irritated with her than he already was.
"No. I was just reading an email from my lawyer. He thinks I have a good chance of getting custody of Katie."
"That's wonderful."
"Yeah, it is. I've missed her terribly these last few months and this latest mess was the last straw. I can't believe her mother could be irresponsible enough to let her take off without even knowing where she was headed."
"Katie wasn't exactly honest with her, though."
"No, but when I found out Sue Ann's boyfriend was the one who bought Katie's ticket with her baby-sitting money, then dropped her off at the bus station without even making sure she got on the right bus, it made me even more determined to get custody. Her safety is at stake here."
Megan agreed completely. She'd been totally shocked when Katie had explained how she'd gotten on that bus.
"I'd better get off that subject before I get mad all over again. What did you want to talk to me about?" Logan leaned forward and gave her his complete attention.
Megan decided to get straight to the point while he seemed to be in a good mood. "Did you know Carol is giving up a trip to New York City with her friends to take care of you and your dad?"
He frowned and shook his head, then he winced and rubbed at his temple again. "She hasn't mentioned anything to me. When was she supposed to go?"
"Next week. She's already paid for her airline ticket, but she won't leave you here alone." Megan hoped Carol wouldn't resent her interference, but if Logan agreed, it would solve both of their problems. She'd get to stay, and Carol would get to go on her trip.
Maybe she should be asking herself why she wanted to stay so
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