“Nice that someone is willing to give me a chance.” She gave him a level glance, as if to remind him that she wasn’t going anywhere.
“Like you gave me a chance?”
Sarah knew he alluded to the phone call she had made in the presence of her father, breaking up with Logan.
The heavy tone in Logan’s voice surprised her as if, in spite of all these years, that still mattered to him. His reference to the past tugged out older emotions and regrets. Was this going to happen every time she saw him? Did she still matter that much to him? Or was it just injured pride?
“What were you talking to my father about, anyhow?” Her question was a direct attack, a way of pushing those emotions to the past where they belonged.
Logan pulled back and it wasn’t just the winter air that made Sarah shiver. “Does it matter now?”
“You made him so upset. And shortly after that he collapsed. Something you said bothered him.” She stopped there, immediately regretting her outburst. She wanted to lay blame somewhere, but she had no right to lay that on Logan’s shoulders.
“If you must know,” Logan continued. “I was telling your father that I’m buying out the contract he took from my father all those years ago. He wasn’t pleased.”
“And you’ve been planning this for all this time?”
“No. Just the past few months.”
Sarah felt a shiver at the emotions roiling around them. Old emotions. Old anger. Logan was no different than her father after all.
“Okay, I get that you don’t care for my father. I get that maybe he might have done something that you perceive as wrong. But really, isn’t that making my father more of an enemy than he actually is?”
Logan eased out a sigh and massaged the bridge of his nose. “You have no idea what kind of enemy your father really is.” He spoke quietly and sounded tired. And for a moment she felt sorry for him. Then he shook his head and gave her a weary smile. “No idea at all.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You really want to know?”
And suddenly she was angry.
“Yes. I do.”
“Your father had his own twisted reasons for disliking my father so much that he would do anything to make his life difficult.” Logan locked eyes with her a moment longer, then spun around and strode across the parking lot, his tall figure dark against the snow, his shadow pushing ahead of him, mysteries trailing in his wake.
Chapter Six
“Don’t tell me you can’t find someone else to coach these boys, Morris,” Logan said, stifling his frustration.
“I probably can,” Morris replied, “But I don’t think I’ll find someone as qualified. Sarah is doing well and I think overall it’s working.”
“Well, my own brother is on that team and it’s not working for him.” Logan ran his hand through his hair wishing so much wasn’t on the line with this team. Much as he was struggling with his own growing feelings for Sarah, he had to set them aside. “She is running into problems with this team. The guys don’t respect her.” Logan turned to look out the window at the spruce trees surrounding the house, their branches heavy with snow. When his father built this house, he had wanted it secluded. Too bad their lives weren’t offered the same protection as this house.
“I know that but I also know Sarah won’t be cowed by them. She’ll get them to come around.”
“I’ve spoken to Billy about it, Morris,” he continued, leaning back against the desk. “I don’t think she has time for them to come around. Those boys need a firm hand. You know what this can mean to a lot of them.”
He heard a light knock on the door and his mother put her head into the office. “Supper time,” she whispered.
He held up a hand to ask for five more minutes. But she came in and sat down in the easy chair in one corner of the office. Her chair. Whenever his father had worked in this office, she would sit here and knit or drink her tea, content to simply be with him.
“The boys lost their game last night against a team they should have easily beat, Morris. They respect the junior coach, Ronnie. Why not put him in charge and let Sarah be the assistant.”
“Ronnie may have the boys respect, but he doesn’t have the skills Sarah does. So I don’t see that as a way out.”
“Well, that’s my solution.”
“Thanks for your input, Logan. Trust me, I don’t take your complaints lightly. But I’m hoping you’ll come to see that Sarah is the right person for the job.”
“I hope so too,” Logan said. He lowered the phone, then hit the End button, breaking the connection.
“He still won’t change his mind?”
Logan shook his head dropped the phone onto the desk.
“That family takes care of each other, you know that.” Donna’s voice held a disquieting note of bitterness.
Logan wondered if she knew what he did about Frank Westerveld. Wondered if he should tell her.
And what would it do? Just create more problems.
“They sure seem to.” Logan sighed and picked up one of the papers the bank had sent him to sign for the loan he needed to take out. If he signed, he would extend himself into the danger zone of financing, all to secure a contract that had made Frank Westerveld so infuriatingly angry.
Could that have caused his stroke?
Don’t go there, he reminded himself. Frank Westerveld had a lot of things to answer for.
But he needed that contract if his business was going to survive. And his business had to survive so he could continue to support his mother and his brother.
He had too many things on his mind right now. Too many people depending on him.
“You’re a hard worker, Logan,” his mother said quietly. “And I appreciate all you do for us. I don’t think I tell you that enough.” She smiled at him. “I just wish you would take some time for yourself.”
“To do what?”
“Maybe take someone on a date?”
“May I remind you that the last few times did not go well?”
“The last few times were with girls who weren’t willing to stand up to you.”
“And that’s why it didn’t work. I can’t date someone who can’t stand up for herself.”
“I understand, but I do eventually hope to have grandchildren, you know.”
And why did his mind immediately jump to Sarah? Sarah with her soft blue eyes that had at one time looked at him with longing—something that had created an answering lifting of his heart—instead of the cool contempt she had shown this afternoon.
Someone who also had problems standing up to a man.
Now she was back and, in spite of his campaign against her, she still evoked those reluctant feelings of surprising joy and frustration. Joy at the sight of her beauty and frustration that he felt this way about Frank Westerveld’s daughter, a girl who had chosen her daddy over him.
“I’ve got a lot of years ahead of me for that, Mom.”
“But you’ve also spent a lot of years trying to be more than you should. A father to Billy, a support for me. You’ve hardly had a chance to be carefree and in love.” Donna lowered her hands to his and caught them between hers. “You’re a good man, Logan Carleton. I know you’ll find someone special someday. I just don’t think you should wait too long.”