Her Dakota Man (Book 1 - Dakota Hearts) by Lisa Mondello Read Free Book Online Page B

“You hungry?”
    “Yeah,” he finally said. “This is…this is nice. Thank you.”
    “You haven’t tasted it yet.”
    “Can I have a pancake?” Keith asked.
    “Please,” Logan reminded him.
    “Can I have a pancake, please?” Keith repeated with his best manners.
    “Sure can.”
    “I don’t ever remember you being this chipper first thing in the morning,” he said as he sat down.
    Poppy took in the surprised look on his face. “I'm used to New York time. To me it seems much later than it is right now.”
    “Oh,” Logan said.
    “Sit next to me, Auntie Poppy!” Either way, Poppy would be sitting next to Keith at the table. But the sweetness of his request startled Logan, making it clear to him that his little guy missed having a mother, or at least a woman around the house, more than he thought.
    * * *
    Poppy washed the dishes like she’d done hundreds of times at that very sink. She hadn't wanted to admit how stiff she was from the days’ worth of work and playing in the yard with Keith. Her only reprieve had been when Keith had gone down for a very brief nap.
    But more than the work of watching a young boy in his quest to explore endless puddles in the yard, Poppy was emotionally drained. March was always a cold month, but the chill she’d been getting from Logan all day had gotten the best of her. As the water drained from the sink, she felt the tears that she refused to let fall. How had the man who’d once been her best friend become this stranger? How could she have let it happen? Even if she’d known about what Kelly had done at the time, would things between her and Logan been different? She had to believe they would be. Otherwise, why had she bothered to come?
    When the last of the dishes from their dinner of grilled cheese and tomato soup were dried and put away, Logan came into the kitchen.
    “You don’t seem as peppy as you were yesterday,” he said.
    “I’m fine.”
    “Keith can really run you in circles. It can be a lot when you’re not used to it.”
    She wiped her hands with the dishtowel and dropped it on the counter. “You still trying to get rid of me, Logan?”
    “I’m trying…to say thank you.”
    The sincerity in his voice managed to squeeze out the rest of the irritation Poppy had felt all day by Logan’s cold shoulder toward her.
    “Keith has always been fascinated by the heavier equipment and I couldn’t have managed to get as much done as I did if you weren’t here to keep him at a safe distance.”
    “He told me about a hundred times how much he loves to ride the Bobcat with you.”
    “Yeah, he does. But today wasn’t the day for that. You were a…help.”
    She drew in a deep breath and smiled, hoping the tears she’d been on the verge of shedding all day would go away completely.
    “Careful, Logan. You may just remember you actually like me.” When he didn’t reply, she added, “You’re welcome.” She motioned to the living room where Keith was playing with some monster trucks on the floor. “He played hard out in that mud today. He needs another bath.”
    Logan gave her a half smile. “Of course he does. He’s a McKinnon.”
    Poppy used the time while Logan was giving Keith a bath to unpack the clothes that had been in her suitcase since the day she’d arrived. She hadn’t been sure how long Logan would tolerate her being there and didn’t see the point in unpacking. Until now.
    There’d been a shift. Something she didn’t think was possible. Small as it was, the look Logan had given her in the kitchen was void of the anger she’d seen and felt since she’d arrived. They were still light years away from where she wanted to be, and they’d have to confront the truth before there’d be any real change, but this was a start.
    As she hung the last shirt in the closet, Poppy’s eyes fixed on the big decoupage hatbox that Kelly had always used as a little girl to put notes and mementoes in. It was sitting on the top shelf of the spare room