Healing Hearts: A Second Chance, Small Town Romance Novel

Chapter 56

Sage

We're drawing to a close on the meeting and boy have we covered a lot. We have got Mrs Winters the schoolteacher in charge of the bring a book and swap stall, Logan's and my mom are both going to run a cake stall. Daisy and Sadie on crafts. Debs has confirmed she will run her portable café outside with the help of a couple of the youngsters.

Mr Harrison from the hardware store has agreed to help dad built the float, no doubt they'll spend hours locked away in the garage back home. That brings a smile to my face.

Ali is going to be in charge of the stuffed toys stall with Mrs Greyson an elderly lady in the community who makes toys for the children's orphanage in Copper town and for the kids here in Willowbrook who may not be as fortunate as others. Her and Ali have been friends ever since Ali showed an interest in learning how to sew along with Daisy. They'll both have a blast, and it makes me feel so proud of my sister to be involved like this and with her old mentor from way back when.

Things are definitely shaping up that is for sure, and you know what, I am actually looking forward to the event.

There are still a few stalls that need to be firmed away, but Eliza assures us that they always go. Elkie who works in the salon will be setting up her face painting stall and I can't wait to see the kids running around with cute faces.

"You're smiling, Sage." Logan says with his head cocked. That brings everyone's heads swivelling round to me. Talk about putting me centre of attention.

"It's not a crime you know."

"You liking the idea of the fundraiser now? I reckon we may just get you to stay after all." He winks. Damn that wink, I've never known anyone who does it so frequently. Not that I'm complaining it makes me swoon for sure, I am a sucker for a man who has glinting sexy eyes, winks, and has dark tousled hair to his chin not to mention a few days' worth of stubble. So yeah, that covers Logan pretty much.

Well, we all knew I was going to be in trouble from the off, right?

"Oh, darling it'd be fabulous if you stayed. Why do you want to be so hell bent on getting out of Willowbrook? Look what you have around you. Friends and family who love you so much. A beautiful community of people. Everything on your doorstep and a man right over there who simply adores you."

I know my mouth is hanging open because trust my mom. There is no holding her back, I tell you once she's off she's like a greyhound out of the pen. Seriously, I could shrink under the table right now.

Alli grins, I shoot her a do not start look. She sticks her tongue out at me. Great, we're so adult like, yes, I do stick my tongue out at her too. This is very infantile.

Logan sits with his arms folded in front of his chest, I can see the veins popping in his forearms and recall just how they felt around me last night, the familiar smell of his woody fragrance and masculinity, his lips on mine and oh, God I have to squeeze my thighs together.

We all know where I'm ending up again tonight.

"Mom, you know I want to progress further. There's nothing wrong with the practice or working with Logan, Eliza, and Sadie. In fact, I am loving it, more than I thought I would. Honestly, I also like being back home. Not going to admit at first, I was not enamoured but I was nursing a broken heart."

"Yeah, that jerk." Ali butts in. "I could kill, Miles the selfish prick." She can say that again, but you know who am I to say mean things, especially as this is exactly what I did to Logan back then. It makes me feel like shit knowing that I broke his heart in pieces literally. But he wasn't the only one whose heart hurt, mine felt like it was bleeding, I never thought it would ever be fixed. My head was a mess, it was a job to even focus on my studies and every second of every minute of every hour of every day, I wanted to come back home to be close to him, but I had a dream and that pulled me so hard in the other direction.

Now though, looking at him with that grin on his face and the way those eyes are dancing for me, I swear I could lose myself in them forever. With my folks sitting round the table here, his folks who arrived not long ago, our sisters, Eliza, Sadie. Well, yeah it feels like home. It's comfortable, it's warm and I swear I may even be getting those vibes, you know the ones that make you feel like home isn't so bad after all.

My folks begin to get up and put their coats on, Ali follows and Logan's folks.

"I'll get the check; we can put it on the practice." Logan says.

"Are you sure, honey?" His mom asks. He nods. Some things never change, he has always been a generous and thoughtful man, and it shines through not just now but the way he is across the fundraising and wants to do what he can for the younger generation to be able to have a baseball field, the games and to be part of something bigger.

It makes my heart swell, and my breath catches in my mouth. I cannot fall back in love with Logan. I must not fall back in love with Logan. I just can't.

"Let's catch up over drinks back at ours." His mom says to my mom. They've been friends since forever, ever since Logan and I were kids. Mom nods, and dad helps her with his coat. He's such a gent, I love how close they still are after all these years. It's heartwarming and I want this with somebody, but I don't think it can be Logan as much as my body wants it to be and my heart, because I still have a career I want to follow.

This is a crap situation, I'm right back where I started ten years ago only, I'm wiser now, older, I should have a better head on my shoulders.

Do I let my heart rule my head or my head rule my heart?

Oh, shit. What a damn mess this is right now.

Logan has that look in his eyes, the look that is asking are you coming back to mine? And am I?

He's pretty irresistible and I did enjoy being with him again last night. It was like stepping back in time, I felt like I belonged there, and this is the danger zone area. I know that if I continue to see Logan my heart that's already catapulted back in time is just not going to allow me to pursue my dream.

Or maybe this will become my new dream. God, I'm torn up inside. My head wants one thing, but my heart and my body are aching for him.