Command Control

“I want him to be happy,” Sadie said. And that meant letting him go back to the world he loved.

“What about your happiness?” Laurel challenged.

“My life’s not a fairy tale. It never was.”

“That’s not true. Once upon a time, we were princesses.” Laurel rested her head back on Sadie’s shoulder. “You know there’s a pair of matching pink wands in there. The ones with the glitter stars on the ends. We’re too big for the dresses, but we could still be princesses and pretend that all our wishes will come true. Like we did when we were kids. Just for a little while.”

Sadie lowered her head down, resting it on her sister’s. “You’re on.”

* * *

AN HOUR LATER, Sadie stood in a field by the side of the road, the heels of her leather boots sinking into the grass as she waved a pink princess wand at a cow. She’d stuck to the dirt roads on the way home from Laurel’s house. Less grass to contend with in her heels, and much less chance she’d run into Logan tending to the animals.

She glanced down at her city-girl boots. Yes, she was the woman who believed in going after what she wanted. But she’d stopped short when it came to conquering career and love. When it came to love, she was a coward.

“Look where it landed me,” she muttered. By taking the long way around to avoid Logan, she’d run into a herd of cows walking down the road. Lou’s cows. Glancing around, she’d seen an open gate. Still, knowing where they’d escaped from didn’t make it easier to get them back.

Prancing on her tiptoes to avoid sinking again, Sadie danced behind one of the heifers, waving her wand. “Time to go home. The sun will start setting soon. You can’t stay out here.”

The cow swung her head to look at Sadie, but remained rooted to her spot beside the road. She’d thought cows were skittish. Most of the others had proven her right, racing into the pasture to escape the crazy woman waving a pink stick. But not this one.

“If I leave you out here, you’ll wander back into the road.” Sadie continued her cow-herding dance while she tried to reason with the large animal. “Someone might take the turn too fast and plow right into you.”

The cow lowered her head to the ground. Out of breath, Sade stopped her ridiculous jumping. “I can’t believe Logan left the gate open.”

“I didn’t.”

She spun around. Logan walked toward her. One look and she didn’t feel like a coward for avoiding him. She felt downright stupid. Solid and strong, Mr. Ruggedly Handsome looked like a superhero come to save the day.

And she was the idiot who’d let him go without a fight.

Behind him, she saw his truck parked on the side of the road a couple hundred yards back. He’d been there long enough to see her jumping up and down like a fool holding a pink toy made for a child.

Stupid and foolish. Great combination.

“Don’t tell me they opened it themselves,” she said. “They’re big and stubborn, but I don’t think they’re too bright.”

“They’re not. But they don’t respond to magic spells.” Logan stopped by the open gate. “If they’d escaped on their own they’d have pushed through the fence or jumped it. Someone left this open.”

He walked over and hunched down by the grass. “Whoever did this drove in. From the size of these treads, in a small car.”

Sadie started connecting the dots. Dread boiled in her stomach. “Another reporter.”

He nodded. “That’s my guess. Someone from town would have come up to the house or swung by the barn. And no one around here would try to steal a heifer driving a compact.”

Guilt hit her hard and fast like always. “I’m sorry. I should have left after the first one showed up. But my publicist said she would handle it.”

“It’s not your fault. You didn’t trespass.” Logan walked up to the cow and gave her tail a twist. The animal jumped forward and looped through the gate into the pasture. “Whoever these guys are, they’re determined.” Logan closed the gate, securing the lock. “Heading home?”

“Yes.”

He nodded to his truck. “I’ll drive you. If you promise not to use your magic.”

She wasn’t a princess. Not even close. But pushing him away when he offered—even knowing it was the right thing to do, for him—her heart felt as if it was on the verge of staging a revolt.

Sadie bit her lower lip. This was her chance to go after the man she wanted, even if she could only keep him for a few more nights. She wanted to say yes and take that chance. But if she did, it would only make things worse and delay the inevitable. They had to part ways.

“It’s a princess wand,” she said. “And I can walk. It’s still light.”