A Bride for Logan by Barbara Goss (free children's online books TXT) 📗

wasn’t sure if it was him she missed or if she was just lonely. For their walk that day, she decided to visit Logan with Rusty.

Rusty got lost in the field grass as he romped through it, having fun. She approached the stables and stopped dead in her tracks—Logan had a pretty woman with him. They stood outside the stables talking, and she wondered who the woman could be. She watched as Logan led her into the stables. Emma didn’t know what to do—should she join them or scurry back to her cottage? She chose the latter.

She trudged through the fields, wondering how he could have replaced her so soon. He’d said he loved her, but he was already courting someone else? Who could she be? She’d met nearly everyone in town at some point, especially at the barn services. The only single women were MaryJane Cross and Priscilla Manning, and they were old maids. She’d waited too long, and he’d met someone new.

Emma didn’t know if she felt heartbroken, angry, or jealous. The thought of him holding someone in his arms as he’d held her gave her a strange feeling in her chest. How could this have happened? Oddly enough, she finally recognized her feelings—she loved Logan.

On Sunday, Rusty barked for the first time. He ran to the door, repeating his squeaky bark. Emma peered out through the sitting-room window to see Logan at the door, dressed in his suit and string tie. She opened the door and had to stifle herself from running into his arms to confess her love. He always looked so handsome when dressed for church. He stepped inside, smiling as usual.

“You’d better muzzle that dog—his bark nearly scared me to death.”

Emma laughed. “Should I tie him to the porch before we go? His isn’t fussy about where he does his business.”

“I’ll do it. Are you ready?”

“Yes. I just need to grab my reticule.”

Emma stepped out on the porch, her reticule on her arm, and she overheard Logan talking to Rusty as he tied him.

“Guard the house, Rusty.”

Rusty replied with a squeaky woof.

Emma smiled.

On the ride into town, Emma tried to think of the best way to tell Logan she loved him. It had to be sometime that day. Given there was another woman in Logan’s life, she knew it had to be soon. She recognized that the woman might have been there on business, but it made her aware that she needed to claim him as hers before someone else did.

The sermon was about forgiveness. She wondered if Joshua Price had written it with Logan’s problem in mind. The sermon ended with a verse from Ephesians: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

The congregation sang a hymn to close the service, and people turned to greet one another and chat. Emma saw Alan in the front row, so she moved to greet him. She thought Logan was behind her, but when she looked, he was standing in the yard, talking to a woman. When the woman turned, Emma recognized her as the one who’d visited the ranch the other day. She halted and switched directions, sidled up to Logan, and slid her hand possessively through his arm. It was the boldest move she’d ever made, but when Logan looked down at her, he smiled—his eyes lit up with joy. Emma returned his smile. He pressed her arm close to his body, which felt, to Emma, like an arm hug.

“Emma, I’d like you to meet Cynthia Price, Joshua’s wife.”

His words brought even more happiness—she was Joshua’s wife!

Logan continued, “Cynthia, this is my…” Logan faltered for a word.

“Best friend,” Emma inserted for him. Standing there with him hugging her arm filled Emma with bliss. Things were going to work out, she just knew it. She could tell from Logan’s smile and the sparkle in his eyes that he knew it, too.

“Pleased to meet you,” Emma said to Cynthia.

Cynthia excused herself to speak to the others, and Alan joined them. They talked about everyday things to which Emma hardly paid attention. Her mind was on how she might tell Logan she loved him. Should she simply blurt it out on the way home? Maybe she should suggest they go for a walk, but it looked like rain. Logan nudged her from her thoughts. He was bidding goodbye to Alan and reminding her to do the same.

“Come for dinner next week,” he said as Alan headed for his horse.

“Bye, Alan,” Emma said. To Logan, she whispered, “Sorry, I was lost in thought.”

He loosened his hug on her arm. “Since it’s Irma’s day off, how about a picnic lunch?”

“That’s a grand idea, but it looks like rain.”

“It does, doesn’t it?” Logan shrugged. “I’ve already packed our meal.”

“We should get home, poor Rusty will get wet if it rains. We can eat the lunch there.”

Emma thought it the perfect place to tell Logan she loved him. Though, she had the feeling he knew, he still needed to hear it.

By the time they'd reached the cottage, the sun had broken through the clouds.

“Looks like it won’t rain after all,” Logan said as they jumped down from the buggy.

Rusty wagged his tail and jumped up and down.

They both bent to pet Rusty and Logan said, “I have something to tell you.”

“Let’s go inside. We can eat our lunch and talk,” Emma said.

They sat in the sitting room and Emma unwrapped their sandwiches.

Before biting into his sandwich, Logan said, “I’ve forgiven Rachel.”

“That’s fantastic news. I’m glad. I love Rachel.”

Logan added, “If I’m to follow God’s word, I have to. It took me a while to convince myself, but I know it will alleviate some of my anguish and maybe start to heal