This was the farthest Kendall had ever been. She sat in her saddle atop Sky, gazing down at the house sitting in the valley. Proud stone walls, curved balconies and high-reaching roofs formed an impressive shape that sat nicely in the middle of its acres of grounds. Yet, the estate seemed almost out of place, surrounded on all sides by forest-covered slopes.
For as long as Kendall could remember, the house had been empty since its last tenant had moved away, its gardens left to run wild, the windows coated with layer upon layer of dirt. But today was a different story. She could see people down there, cleaning, airing, trimming. The Hurtmore house was awakening.
Kendall sighed wistfully. She must have come to look at this estate a thousand times in her life. That was all she would ever be able to do - look. She'd never be able to live in a house like this, one that rivalled the Harper mansion in size and grandeur. Still, it was nice to imagine. She used to pretend that the house was unoccupied because it was waiting for her, waiting for the day she could make it her own.
Right. Keep dreaming, Kendall.
She turned Sky around, trotting back the way they had come. Sky's clopping hooves made a gentle rhythm against the ground, mingling with the sound of birds chirping and insects yawning. She closed her eyes, moving with the pace, thinking that time never seemed to matter here.
Then, through her reverie, she heard rustling, and was startled when the shape of a man popped up on her left. She gasped, tightening her hands on the reins. Her first thought was that it might be bandits, even though she had taken this trail countless times and had never had any trouble before.
Sky tottered backwards, and Kendall could feel her energy going out of control. In a flash, she remembered the lessons her brother had taught her to prevent bucking. She sank deep into the saddle and tugged on the reins to pull Sky's head to one side. If she could break Sky's instinct to go into the bucking position, it might turn out alright.
To her horror, Kendall saw someone grab the bridle, getting a firm hold. They wanted to take Sky from her! Now, it was her turn to panic. She freed her left foot from the stirrup, delivering a furious kick with her boot. She felt the hard, solid heel connect with a patch of chest, and watched with satisfaction as he was rudely sent backwards – right into a mud puddle.
"Ha!" she couldn't help exclaiming. "That'll teach you to try and take what doesn't belong to you. Scum." She adjusted her grip, regaining control. She was about to send Sky off running when she heard something that made her stop.
"Kendall," the man groaned, and her chest tightened when she realized she knew that voice.
She stopped, taking a closer look at the figure she had just knocked down. He was young and lean, and underneath the mud, his clothes were actually quite fine. Only now did she notice his (formerly) white shirt and tailored ash-gray vest, which contrasted against the bulky, sack-like bag on his back. She ran her eyes over his black ponytail and the lean shape of face. "Logan?"
He wiped his face, sitting on his rear and gazing up at her. He smiled wanly through a splash of dirt. "Hello, Kendall."
"Oh no. Oh noooo." She jumped down swiftly, extending both hands to help him up. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I thought you were – "
"Scum?"
She reddened at that. "Yes."
"It's alright. I'm sorry too. I didn't mean to startle the both of you."
"Sky is a little jumpy." Using all her strength, she hauled him up, getting bits of mud on her clothes in the process. Still, it was nowhere as bad as what she'd done to him. "I'm sorry I kicked you. Does it hurt?"
He did a wince as he touched a spot on the left side of his chest. "That was quite a kick."
"Well, you gave me quite a scare."
He smiled, which only made her feel worse.
"Why don't you come back with me and you can wash up at the house?" she suggested.
"I'd appreciate that. I must look a sight," he said, rubbing mud off his arms. He glanced at her, reaching over and wiping off her cheek.
Kendall stared at him, stunned.
"You had a little ... you know."
"Oh, thanks," she went, ducking her head in embarrassment. She turned away, tugging on Sky's reins and beckoning for him to follow.
"You know, I've learned something from this," he said as he walked alongside them.
"What?"
"To never get on your bad side."
She laughed, then stopped herself, feeling self-conscious for some reason.
"Got me right in the heart," he stated, rubbing his chest again.
"God, I feel awful."
"Don't be. It'll make a good story, at least."
His speech was more refined than she remembered, just like his clothes. She wondered if underneath it all, he was still the same Logan she remembered. "So what are you doing back in Coser? We haven't seen you since .... " It was probably not a good idea to mention the whole thing with Lilith Harper, so she left the sentence hanging.
"It's my father. He's not well."
"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that. Although I don't remember hearing anything about him being ill."
"My mother's trying to keep people from finding out. She's like that - doesn't want anyone to worry or make a fuss. Still, I'm sure it's only a matter of time before everyone in Coser learns about it. You know how these things are."
"How bad is it?"
"I don't know," he sighed. "She didn't tell me very much, truth be told. I have to say I'm dreading walking through that door when I get home."
"I'm sure your father will be happy to see you. And who knows? Maybe having you around will help him get better."
"That's sweet of you, but I don't think it's that simple. Every child has to be ready for that day, you know? That day when he loses his parents, and he has to go through life on his own."
Kendall thought about her own parents. She had never really stopped to imagine what would happen if she lost either or both of them. Her father had a bad leg and couldn't walk for long periods of time, but other than that, he was healthy enough. Life without her parents was not something she liked to think about, even with all their faults.
"I'm sorry," Logan said, interrupting her thoughts. "I'm depressing you."
"You have a reason to be depressed."
"But you don't."
"It's alright, Logan. Let me be sad for you."
"I don't want that. I would hate to see you sad." He turned his head, gazing over the tops of the trees. "So how is everyone in Coser?"
"The same mostly."
"Unlike you."
"Me?"
"You look different. You've ... grown."
Kendall wasn't sure what he meant. She hadn't grown any taller in the past few years.
"How's your family?" he went on to ask.
"They're well," she answered. "My brother's in town. He'll be happy to see you."
"He's made quite a name for himself. Almost everywhere I go, people have heard of him. The women, my goodness."
"I know, I know. You don't have to tell me. I see enough of it on a daily basis."
He laughed, the sound of it reverberating pleasantly through his chest. "They're scary, aren't they?"
The shape of the Moore house began to appear ahead of them. They could see the stables, where she noticed that Apollo was missing from his stall. Her brother must not be at home.
She led Logan inside, where her mother greeted them with a face of shock. "Who is this you've brought home, Kendall?" she asked, her gaze flicking back and forth between them. "Why are you both covered in mud?"
"Mother, don't you recognize him?"
"It's been a long time, Mrs. Moore," he said teasingly, and the voice helped.
"Logan Shaw."
"Yes. I would kiss your hand, but, well, look at me."
Kendall's mother muttered something as she shook her head. "Go into the back, the two of you. I'm not even sure I want to know what happened."
Kendall and Logan washed up in a basin in the kitchen, laughing and splashing water at each other like children. Her mother fetched a fresh set of clothes from Brandon's closet for Logan, and he and Kendall separated to change.
"I take it Brandon's not home?" Logan asked afterwards as he emerged from her brother's room. He was still doing up his shirt buttons when Kendall emerged, and she stopped, staring at the bare skin of his chest with its touch of dark hairs.
"No," her mother answered next to her. "I'm not sure where he's gone to."
"Well, I'm sure I'll see him sooner or later. He has a way of attracting attention wherever he goes."
Kendall tittered, ignoring the look her mother gave her. "I still can't believe you're here," Kendall told him.
"Why?"
"Well, you never said anything about coming back, so we all figured you ... didn't want to."
Her mother raised her brows, but Logan was not bothered by her honesty. "No matter what, Coser will always be home to me. Speaking of which, I hate to seem rude, but my family's expecting me and I'm eager to see them."
"Oh, of course," her mother told him. "This should be their time with you, not ours."
"Thank you for accommodating me like this," he said, as they trailed him to the door.
"Think nothing of it. You are always welcome here, Logan. You and your family are friends to the Moores, after all."
He smiled before turning to Kendall. "I'm sorry again about what happened earlier. I really wasn't expecting to run into anyone."
"Neither was I. But it was a nice surprise."
"It was ... after the kicking."
"Kicking??" her mother repeated, horrified.
Kendall frowned at Logan, as if to say, What have you done?
He responded with an apologetic smile before stepping out the door. Her mother waited until he had taken several steps, then turned to peer down at her. "Just what happened between you two?"
"Nothing."
"You looked as if you had been rolling around in a sty."
"I wouldn't do that. If you believed I would do that, we might need to have a serious discussion."
Her mother leaned against the doorjamb, still watching Logan's shrinking frame in the distance. "So what did he say to you?"
"Nothing much. He's back to see his family and ... that's about it."
"He didn't mention anything about where he's been or what he's been up to?"
"No."
"And you didn't ask?"
"No, Mother." She retreated inside, and her mother followed.
"He seems so changed."
"Well, he's spent the past few years traveling, after all."
"Do you think he's married?"
"Uh, I don't know. He didn't mention anything about that to me."
"I would think that if he were married, he would have brought his wife down with him."
"I suppose that makes sense."
Her mother gazed at her, and Kendall could tell there were ideas brewing inside that head of hers. "What is it?"
"Nothing."
"Mother, please don't try anything. You know I don't like being matched. You know it won't work."
"That's because you always sabotage them."
"Logan's a friend, Mother. Just a friend. Besides, have you forgotten the whole mess with Lilith Harper?"
"No, but that was years ago. Ancient history. Wars were over and done with in less time."
It didn't matter how long ago it had been. He was Lilith's past, and Kendall didn't want to be associated with that. Things were strained enough as they were between the Harpers and the Moores without adding Logan Shaw into the mix. "Do you think he still ... likes her?" she wondered out loud.
"Lilith Harper? I don't know. Is that what you're worried about?"
"No. I have no reason to be worried."
But that wasn't really true. She did have a reason to be worried, just not in the way her mother was thinking.
It had been a surprise to everyone when Logan had pursued Lilith Harper years ago ... and no surprise when he had finally been turned down. The Shaws weren't on the same level as the Harpers socially. They lived in a modest little house just down the street from Kendall, and Logan's father was the owner of a small business just like her father.
But things were different now. He was different. He wasn't the same rough-around-the-edges youth who used to be head-over-heels in love with Lilith Harper. He was older, more experienced and seemed to have made some money on his travels, judging by his clothes. He looked like a gentleman. Could it be enough to make Lilith Harper reconsider?
Kendall swallowed tightly, envisioning Sky being ridden away into the sunset by horrible Lilith, as her chances of winning the bet came crashing down in her mind.