"Yes." He didn't move, just gazed down at her as he stood there holding her things. Jesus, he was an idiot. He was the judgmental one after all.
"I apologized for that!" she cried.
"I know you did. But it still bothered me," he admitted. "Your assumption that a man working a physical job like I do would only do it because he wasn't educated enough, or smart enough, to do something else . . . got under my skin. But yeah . . ." He shook his head again and admitted, "I've been holding that against you. I'm sorry."
"You know," she said, "it was uncharacteristically stupid of me to say something like that. I don't consider myself to be a judgmental person . . . but then I suppose most judgmental people don't, do they." She sighed and Bubbles barked in her arms. Her hand shot out to stroke her dog's head. "Regardless, that was a major gaffe on my part. I'm sorry it bothered you so much." She stared up at him, her gorgeous eyes filled with remorse. "I respect you, Logan, and I like you. I always have. Especially after all you've done tonight, more than ever. So please forgive me for insulting you so deeply."
Something washed through him . . . something like shame. He had to let this go already. "Tess . . . just forget it. All of it, okay? I'm sorry too, for being a stubborn ass."
After a pause, she nodded, her curls bouncing softly. She shifted the dog so she could extend her hand. "Let's leave it behind us. For real this time. Truce?"
Exhaling a breath he didn't even realize he'd been holding, he set down her suitcase to shake her gloved hand. "Yes, ma'am."
"All right, then." She waited for him to pick up her bag again, and they walked into the hotel together. Between the lush grandeur of the lobby and his own embarrassment burning in his chest, Logan couldn't wait to get out of there. Tess had called him out. He didn't like how it felt, but he respected the hell out of her for doing it. Now he just had to swallow his chastened pride and let his residual irritation go-and like she'd said, for real this time. He was glad he'd have a long, cold night alone to work that out.
* * *
The next morning, even from behind dark sunglasses, Logan squinted from the brightness of the sun reflecting off the snow as he drove into downtown Aspen. The sky was a crystalline blue, the mountain views behind the shops and restaurants as picturesque as always. He'd missed the mountains and the clear, crisper air when he'd lived in New Orleans, and never tired of the landscape even though he'd been back for several years now.
It'd been a long night, sitting in front of the Harrison house out in his truck, but not terrible. The heat in his truck worked, and his legs almost fit across the backseat. It wasn't the inability to get comfortable in his backseat that kept him from sleeping, but his churning brain. All night, he'd thought about Tess Harrison. She intrigued and interested him. The resentment he felt was based on his own lingering insecurities; when she'd said her piece last night, he knew that her perceived slights weren't deliberate. He believed that now.
And he felt like he wanted to make that up to her somehow. If his damn ego would let him.
He'd finally fallen asleep sometime around midnight, and his phone's alarm woke him at six a.m. Going into the house, he found it frigid, but no traces of smoke lingered. The rooms smelled like the fresh, clear, mountaintop air. He'd taken care of the house, raised the thermostat some, got things in order. He took pride in his job, and he was sure going to do right by Tess on this easy task. By the time she texted him at nine, asking him to come get her, he'd already gone back home, showered, eaten breakfast, and watched some morning news.
Twenty minutes later, as he pulled up and around the long, winding entry to the hotel, he wondered what to say to Tess to express his remorse for how he'd been acting. Or if he even should. He scratched restlessly at his beard. Maybe he should say nothing at all. That usually worked for him too. Hell, they'd called a truce, right? No need to bring it up again, then. He'd just be nicer from now on, not such a surly bastard. Which wouldn't be hard to do at all, because the truth was he did like her.
He parked the truck and popped a mint into his mouth. Feeling calm and centered, he strode with lazy grace across the parking lot and into the hotel. But as soon as he entered the wide lobby, a loud barking set his nerves jangling. Bubbles came storming across the marble floor, skidding to a stop at his feet.
"Hey now." Logan frowned as he bent to pet the dog, who was yipping away. "Where's your mama?" He looked up to see a small group gathered in the middle of the lobby, all looking down. From his low crouch, Logan could see Tess there, apparently sprawled out on the cold, hard floor.
Chapter Five
"Tess!" Logan's heart pounded as anxious worry shot through his veins. He reached her in a few seconds. Bubbles followed, barking loudly. The circle of murmuring, staring people cleared for him as he placed a hand on her shoulder.
She looked up at him and grinned.
He stared and stammered, "What the-?"
"Hi," she said. She was totally alert, seemed okay, just . . . lying on the floor. Next to an older man in a ski sweater and jeans. "Please don't look so worried, I'm fine."
"Jesus, you scared the hell out of me." Logan looked her over quickly, then to the man beside her. Gray-haired, likely in his late sixties, he seemed a little dazed. What was going on? "Why are you on the floor, then?"
"I'm keeping Terrence here company until the medics arrive," Tess said calmly. "Which should be any minute now."
"I'm so damn embarrassed," Terrence muttered, looking from Tess to Logan and back to her again. "Friend of yours?"
"Yes," she said. "And strong as an ox. I'd let him lift you up, but I think it's best for you to not move yet." She rolled from her side onto her stomach and pillowed her forearms under her cheek.
"Could you all please back up?" Logan asked in a sharp tone, swiveling his head around at the human canopy of nosy bystanders.
"Seriously," Terrence grumbled.
"Folks, let's give them some room, all right?" came a voice. An employee tried to make the small crowd of about a dozen leave.
"What's going on?" Logan whispered in Tess's ear as he sat up.
"I was at the front desk checking out," Tess explained, "and I heard something behind me. Terrence here tripped and hit his head on the floor. Pretty hard." Logan caught the glimmer of concern in her eyes. "He was unconscious for a minute. Pam and I"-Tess motioned to the employee trying to clear the lobby-"we rushed to help. Pam called the EMTs, and they should be here soon."
"I told her," Terrence said, "that she didn't have to lie on the floor here with me, but she insisted. Said if I'd cooperate and not move, she'd stay down here with me. She keeps talking to me to make sure I'm alert. She thinks I might have a concussion." He looked at Tess and said pointedly, "I don't, you know."
"I hope I'm wrong, believe me!" Tess grinned. "But just in case, I thought I'd keep you proper company in the meantime."
Logan glanced at Tess, admiration and respect coursing through him. He looked down at Terrence and said, "You know, I can think of worse things than having a kind, beautiful woman lying on the floor with you."
Terrence chuckled at that. "You know what, you're right."
Noise filled the lobby, echoing off the walls and marble as the EMTs rushed into the lobby, wheeling a stretcher.
Terrence reached out and grasped Tess's hand. "You were so kind to stay with me. Thank you for that, and for your concern. I'll be fine."
"Good to know." She reached for her bag, which was on the floor a few feet away. Logan grabbed it and handed it to her as one of the EMTs crouched down to survey the scene. Tess took out a business card and pressed it into Terrence's hand. "My cell phone number is on there. Call me if you need anything. And please text me later to tell me what the actual prognosis is, instead of your own. All right?"
Terrence laughed wryly. "You're a pushy young woman."
"I am. Now promise me."
"I promise, I'll let you know how I'm doing." He let the EMT shine a light in his eyes. As Tess rose from the floor, he thanked her again.
Logan watched as she scooped up her dog, then went to talk to the other two EMTs, likely to describe what had happened. He took her suitcase and moved aside to let them do their job. Within a few minutes, they'd gotten Terrence onto the stretcher and wheeled him out to the waiting ambulance.