UNBROKEN PROMISE

~17~Be A Man

The sun was high in the sky by the time I made my way back to the house, my arms tired from working in the garden with Megan and my thoughts still spinning from our conversation. I couldn't help but replay her words in my mind-how she'd laughed off the idea of discipline, how normal it all seemed to her, and how she'd spoken so casually about Jacob spanking her. I couldn't imagine ever feeling as easy about it as she did, but there was a part of me that couldn't deny how comforting her reassurance had been.

As I stepped through the back door and into the cool shade of the kitchen, I froze. Logan was already there.

He stood by the counter, his tall frame rigid as he leaned against it, sipping a glass of lemonade. His expression was as grim as ever, his jaw set and his brow furrowed, as if the world itself had decided to challenge him today. He glanced up when I walked in, his sharp eyes locking on mine.

"What took you so long?" he asked, his tone clipped.

I blinked, caught off guard. "I was in the garden," I said quickly. "With Megan."

His frown deepened, and he set the glass down on the counter with a soft thud. "The garden?" he repeated, his voice low but edged with irritation. "You've been out there all morning. Don't you think it's time you got started on lunch?"

I glanced down at my hands, still a little dirty despite having wiped them on my apron. "I didn't realize how late it was," I admitted quietly. "I guess I lost track of time."

Logan scoffed, the sound sharp and dismissive. He picked up his glass again, draining the rest of the lemonade in a few quick gulps before setting it down with a louder clink. "Well, don't make a habit of it," he said curtly, grabbing his hat from the hook by the door.

I bit my lip, feeling a pang of frustration at his tone. I hadn't meant to stay out so long, and it wasn't like I wasn't willing to make up for it. But Logan always seemed to take things so seriously, so personally, like every little thing was some kind of offense against him.

He started toward the door, and I found myself speaking before I could stop myself. "Do you want me to bring lunch out to you at the barn?"

He paused, his hand on the doorknob, and turned back to look at me. "Don't bother," he said, his voice cold. "I won't be comin' in for dinner either. I'm eatin' at the main house tonight."

I blinked in surprise. "At the main house?" I asked before I could think better of it. "Why?"

His eyes narrowed, and the weight of his glare made me shrink back a little. "That's none of your business," he said, his voice sharp and final.

I opened my mouth to say something-what, I wasn't sure-but he didn't give me the chance. He turned and walked out the door, leaving it swinging shut behind him.

The silence that followed felt deafening. I stood there for a long moment, staring at the empty doorway and feeling a mix of emotions I couldn't quite untangle. Part of me was angry-angry at his tone, at his dismissal, at the way he seemed to brush me off like I was nothing more than an inconvenience. But another part of me, the part I hated admitting even to myself, felt hurt.

I sighed, finally moving to the counter to wash my hands. As I scrubbed the dirt from my fingers, I tried to shake off the lingering tension from the conversation. Logan's moods were nothing new, and I knew better than to take his words too personally. But it was hard not to feel the sting of his dismissal, especially when I'd been trying so hard to fit into this new life.

By the time I had the kitchen cleaned up and a simple lunch prepared for myself, I'd managed to push most of my frustration aside. But as I sat down at the table, the empty chair across from me seemed to mock me, a stark reminder of the distance between us.