Love by Design

She laid back against the cushions. “I’m sorry, all of a sudden I feel wiped out.”

Logan got up and scooped her up in his arms.

“What—?”

“Shh. I’m taking you to my bedroom. You need to get some rest.”

“You don’t have to do that. I—”

“Will be lying down,” he finished for her. “No buts.”

She yawned. “I feel like an elephant has sat on me, and my eyes are about to explode.”

He picked up the remote and closed the blackout blinds on his windows. “Do you want some Tylenol?”

She yawned again. “No, just a nap.”

Dakota kicked her shoes off and slipped under the covers. “Thank you,” she whispered.

He squeezed her hand. “Anytime.”

Before he got to the door, Dakota called out.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” She yawned. “I’m glad you’re here, that’s all.”

His mouth tipped up into a smile. “Me, too. Now get some rest. If you want, we’ll talk later.”

She laid her head on the pillow as he closed the bedroom door. When he checked in on her minutes later, she was sound asleep.

Logan walked over to the window. The bright sunlight streaming in made his eyes hurt. Right now, his heartache felt as vast as Lake Michigan. A gut kick would have been less painful than watching Dakota recount her story, and the helplessness he felt listening to her world fall apart. A world that he should have been a part of.

When his cell phone rang, he ignored the call and let it go to voice mail. The phone rang again minutes later and again shortly after that. Each time he let it go. The fourth time, he stalked to the table and answered.

“Hi, Aunt Jeannie,” he said in a voice devoid of emotion.

“Saints preserve us. I was going to ask you how things went with Dakota, but I already know.”

“She…she told me everything.”

“Oh, honey. Are you okay?”

“Not really. I feel like a jackass. She had to relive that nightmare all over again to tell me what happened. Aunt Jeannie, when I left, I was only thinking about the path I needed to take for my life. I told myself that Dakota would be okay. She would go to college, make friends and have everything her heart desired in life. But the truth is, she was drowning in tragedy, and I was living the high life and nowhere to be found. And what makes it so hard to take is that not one of you told me what was going on.”

“You’re right, Logan, we didn’t. Because Dakota asked us not to.”

“This shouldn’t have been kept from me. I wasn’t there for her, and now her trust in me is broken. I can’t fix that, Aunt Jeannie.”

“I’m sorry about not telling you, but it’s not too late, Logan. Everything can be fixed.”

Logan would not allow himself false hope. “Not this. I’ve ruined any chance I could’ve had with Dakota. I came back here all confident that I would win her over. I’d get her to work on Belle Cove then declare my love and sweep her off her feet,” he said with remorse. “I’m ashamed of myself.”

“Honey, you’ve had a major setback, and things are not the nice, neat package you assumed they’d be when you returned. Yes, you’ve got some serious work to do, Logan, but I know you’ll do whatever you can to fix your relationship and heal Dakota’s heart. The thing about women is…you have to show us, not just tell us. We love words, Logan, but we also need deeds.”

“I hear you.”

“And the one thing I know about is love. It’s stronger than fear, doubt or anger. Don’t worry, you two will find a way.”

“I appreciate your advice and support, but do you mind if I call you later?”

“Of course. Let me know if you need anything.”

“I will.”

After ending the call, Logan lay down on the couch. He was emotionally exhausted, and needed to regroup. Dakota had given him a great deal to process. His world was tilted on its axis right now, and he wasn’t sure what the best approach would be to restore the balance. She had feelings for him. He did not imagine it. She said that she had cared about him as more than a friend, too.

His heart had hammered inside his chest at her tortured words. Dakota’s confession was both a blessing and a curse. It was all he had ever wanted to hear, but it also scared him to death. His deep-rooted fear that had they been together, he would have failed her somehow, was real. It gnawed at his confidence then, and made him second-guess if he was on the right path now.

When his eyelids grew heavy, he welcomed sleep. An escape from the pain of the afternoon’s revelations and what they implied was exactly what he needed. He would regroup and figure out what to do later, but for now, he had no clue. The only certain thing was that he would be there in whatever capacity she needed him. He would never fail Dakota again.