Sharon fidgeted, wringing her hands in front of her. “I see. For yourself?”
“Yes.” He held the flimsy pencil in his right hand too tightly. Suddenly it snapped in half.
Sharon flinched. She licked her lips. “You work fast.”
She wasn’t lying. He’d drawn up blueprints and started construction as soon as he’d arrived, telling himself he wouldn’t lose his sanity if he kept busy every second he wasn’t either working or sleeping.
He changed the subject. “Why did you come here?”
“I had to know.”
The unspoken between them was so thick, Logan felt like he was stuck in quicksand. “I wish you hadn’t.”
“I see that. But putting it off wasn’t doing anyone any good either.”
She was right. The way he’d spent the last month tossing and turning at night, unable to relax and rest, attested to her accuracy.
She opened her mouth, hesitated, and then spoke again. “You don’t say much, do you?”
“Not when someone is forcing my hand, no.”
She took a step back and then stood taller, seeming to grow thicker skin. “It’s not all about you, Sawyer. Have you ever considered that? How do you think I felt? Day after day. Waiting. Wondering. What is it with you stubborn men?”
“Well, it doesn’t matter now, does it? It’s not you. You can relax.” He shuddered. His blood boiled. Finding out Sharon was not his mate left only one viable option. Logan Masters was his mate, one of them anyway.
It made Sawyer wince to consider Fate had arranged for Sawyer and some guy he’d never met to share a woman most likely neither of them had met.
Fuck.
Chapter Three
Logan lifted his face to the sky and closed his eyes, soaking in the unseasonably warm sun for this late in the year. The weather was perfect, with the exception of the drought. It hadn’t rained in weeks, forcing the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation to extend the fire season indefinitely. Campfires and open burning were strictly prohibited even though they were approaching the end of October.
Hiking season was still in full swing as a result of the higher temperatures, but camping was at a minimum since the option for visitors was to carry non-perishable food that didn’t require cooking.
As he continued on his path between the lodge and his truck, he heard another vehicle approaching from behind. He hesitated, considering the option of running full force to close the distance between him and his truck and squealing out of the parking lot before being forced to face his sister.
He’d only been back at the lodge a few hours. In that time, he’d been with his father most of the time and his mother the rest. He hadn’t called anyone about the apparition yet, deciding not to make a big deal about it in front of his parents.
The car came to a stop.
He knew the sound of her little two-door. She’d had it for three years.
Instead, he grew some balls and leaned against the side of his truck, crossing his feet at the ankles and his arms at his chest.
Deep breaths.
She parked next to him, climbed from her car, and trudged around to face him on leaden feet. That couldn’t be good news. At least not for him.
A woman who’d just met her mate wouldn’t dash back to tell her brother. And she sure as shit wouldn’t do it alone, leaving the guy she was fated to mate at some other location.
Logan stared at her as she lifted her face, chewing on her lower lip. “It’s not me.”
“I see that.”
Seconds ticked by. “Do you want to know about him?”
“Not really.” He was being stubborn. He knew that. But he couldn’t stop himself.
“He’s building a house,” she shared.
“What?” He uncrossed his legs and stood away from the truck, dropping his hands to his sides.
She nodded. “On his family’s land. That’s where I found him. Laurie told me how to get there. He’s staying most days in a trailer on the property while he tweaks the blueprints and prepares to pour the foundation.”
“Tell me you’re fucking kidding.” Logan stiffened, his heart rate rising with each passing second as her words sunk in.
She flinched. “No. What’s your problem? I’m just telling you where I found him and—”
Logan spun around, not listening to another word she had to say. He jerked the door to his truck open and hauled himself inside so fast, it was a wonder he didn’t yank the door off the frame.
He slammed the door shut, stuck his key in the ignition, and peeled out of the parking lot in seconds, leaving Sharon standing in her spot staring after him.
He didn’t give a fuck if he hurt her feelings. All he could think about was getting to Sawyer Hamilton and wringing his neck.