Page 28 of Beary In Love

Serena turned away as Logan went to find his clothes, her cheeks burning. The night air cooled her flushed skin as she fiddled with the sleeve of her cardigan. A chorus of crickets filled the silence.

"You can turn around now," Logan called from behind her.

She pivoted to find him fully dressed in jeans and a henley that stretched across his broad shoulders. His dark hair was still mussed from the shift, giving him that rugged look that used to make her heart skip. Still did, if she was being honest with herself.

"Are you okay?" He crossed the yard in three long strides. "That got intense back there."

"I'm fine." Serena promised. "It takes more than an angry bear to rattle me."

"About that..." Logan said, his voice tinged with worry. "Silas wasn't just making idle threats." His jaw clenched. "Speaking of, I'm driving you home."

"Don't be ridiculous. My car's right there." She gestured toward her Honda parked by the gate.

"This isn't up for discussion," he said firmly. "Get your things."

"Since when do you get to-"

"Serena." The way he said her name, soft but firm, made her stomach flip. "Please."

She opened her mouth to argue further but something in his expression stopped her. Fear. Not for himself, but for her. The realization stole her words away.

With a huff that was more for show than genuine irritation, she headed inside to gather her supplies. Her potions clinked against each other as she packed them carefully into their padded case.

As she collected her veterinary kit, she couldn't help but wonder how she'd ended up here again - caught up in Logan Steele's orbit, watching him fight battles she wasn't sure he could win alone.

The truck's engine soon rumbled to a stop in front of Serena's house. The silence that had filled the cab during the drive continued to press in around them, broken only by the soft tick of the cooling engine. Serena's fingers twisted in her lap as she stared at her front porch, the light she'd left on casting a warm glow across weathered wooden steps.

Logan shifted in his seat. "I'll walk you to your door."

As they made their way up the path, Serena's mind raced with all the things she wanted to say, needed to say. The porch steps creaked as they climbed them.

She set her kits down on the porch, and turned to face him, wrapping her cardigan tighter around herself against the evening chill. "You really need to report this to the police."

"No." Logan's jaw set in that stubborn way she remembered all too well. "This is between me and Silas."

"It stopped being just between you two when he started threatening something you care about," Serena responded. "When he started threatening the animals. When he-" She cut herself off, not wanting to voice aloud the way Silas had looked at her.

"That's exactly why I need to handle this myself," Logan insisted. "He's targeting these things because of me. Because I turned him in."

"It sounded like you did the right thing back then."

"Maybe. But these are my consequences to deal with."

Serena opened her mouth to argue further but stopped herself. The set of his shoulders, the determined glint in his gold-flecked eyes - she recognized all the signs. Once Logan made up his mind about something, trying to change it was like attempting to move a mountain with a teaspoon.

The porch light caught the shadows under his eyes, evidence of the toll this situation was taking on him. Her fingers itched to reach out, to smooth away the worry lines creasing his forehead. She curled them into fists instead, pressing them against her sides.

Logan raked a hand through his hair. "Maybe you should stay away from the sanctuary for a while."

"Excuse me?" Serena's eyebrows shot up.

"Just until I deal with Silas."

"That’s not happening." Serena crossed her arms, planting her feet firmly. The wooden boards creaked beneath her as she shifted her weight. "Your animals need me. That hawk still isn't eating right, and the fox's leg needs another week of treatment."

"I can handle-"

"And what about your fences? Are you going to brew the reinforcement potions yourself?" A hint of amusement crept into her voice. "Because I seem to remember the last time you tried making a potion, you turned your entire kitchen pink."

---