Page 66 of The Runaway Bride's Vow

“I would like that, but I’ll have to talk to your father. With the farm to run, it’s not easy to get away, but we’ll figure something out.”

Her mother fixed waffles for her. They were delicious. She loved how the nooks and crannies held in the melted butter and maple syrup. It reminded her of her youth. She was going to miss the breakfasts and having her mother spoil her.

Brooke was anxious to get on the road, but she also didn’t want to run out the door. So after she finished eating, she lingered at the table. They talked about this and that. It was so nice to have things back to normal.

Knowing she couldn’t put it off any longer, she headed upstairs. She made her bed, packed her clothes, and double-checked the bathroom to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything. With her bag in hand, she headed downstairs. As soon as her mother spotted her, a frown formed on her face.

But what surprised Brooke was that her mother wasn’t alone. Her father was there and her sister. They’d all come to tell her goodbye. Tears stung her eyes and blurred her vision. She was really going to miss them all.

There were lingering hugs and promises to stay in contact. And then they walked her out to the car. Her father asked if she’d checked the oil and fluids lately. She assured him that she had the car serviced regularly just like he’d taught her.

With one more round of hugs and tears, she was on her way westbound. She hoped her family would come visit her in San Francisco because she truly saw her future there. The only part she was unsure about was whether Logan would be a part of the future. Her heart filled with hope while her mind warned her to be careful so she didn’t get hurt again.

Chapter Twenty-Two

She was coming home…

Just like he’d asked.

Logan’s gut knotted up with the thought of seeing Brooke again. He noticed her emails had stopped coming, and it worried him. What if she came to her senses and decided he came with too many strings? What if she realized she’d made the right decision by not marrying him?

He halted his worrisome thoughts. He needed to make preparations, just in case she hadn’t changed her mind about loving him. This time around he needed to do things differently. If she gave him a second chance, he promised himself he wouldn’t screw things up.

“What has you so quiet?” Dylan’s voice drew him from his thoughts.

He glanced over at Dylan, who was sitting at his kitchen island. He hadn’t said anything about Brooke coming home to anyone. He didn’t know why he’d been keeping it to himself. Maybe because he didn’t need any further advice. He’d made his mind up about what he was going to do.

As Dylan continued to look at him expectantly, Logan decided to tell him. “Brooke is coming home.”

“That’s great!” Then he got a serious look on his face. “It is a good thing, isn’t it?”

Logan hesitated. “I don’t know. What if she changed her mind about us?”

“But she wrote you those emails.”

Logan nodded. “And now she’s stopped writing them.”

“Oh, is that all? She’s traveling. She can’t write and drive at the same time.”

“Yeah. I know.” Still he couldn’t help but notice that there were no quick notes when she took breaks or in the evening.

“So, what are you going to do when she gets here?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess we’ll meet up and talk.”

Dylan’s eyes widened. “That’s all you’ve got planned? Meeting up and talking? You do want her back, don’t you?”

Logan nodded. It was the one thing he was certain about.

“Then, buddy, you need to step up your game and show her that you still love her. What is it they call it?” Dylan stopped to think for a moment. He snapped his fingers. “I remember now. You need to do a grand gesture.”

That sounded so overwhelming. “What am I supposed to do? Buy her more jewelry?”

Dylan shook his head. “You already gave her the grandest gesture with the diamond ring. It’s got to be something different—something to let her know just how much she means to you.”

Logan frowned. “You know that’s not very helpful.”

“Think about what she said to you in those emails. I’m sure you’ll come up with something fitting.” He downed the last of his coffee. “Now that I’ve imparted my wisdom, I’m off. I have to get my haircut before our shift tomorrow. And you have some grand gesturing to do.”

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