Free Counting Stars (A Donnelley Brother's Novel) by Alannah Carbonneau

assured
quickly. It felt good to know I’d be taking something so simple
into my own hands. So much of my life lately has felt out of my
control and I couldn’t wait to do something I had never done
before. “I want to learn.”
    Logan smiled. It was the
first real smile I had seen from him and it did something to me. To
see someone usually so grumpy smile was like seeing the sun break
through a cloudy sky. It was nice. Joy seeped into my heart where
there had been pain, and I accepted it for what it was. Relief.
    “I don’t know how you
went through your childhood without learning how to fish.” He
carried the tent over to a small clearing. We’d stopped in a really
nice place to set up camp. There was plenty of room and plenty of
trees.
    “Dad was a lawyer and
Mom was an emergency veterinarian.” I said simply. “They were
busy.”
    Tension flooded his body
and I wished I could take the words back. I didn’t understand why
he was bothered by my parent’s careers, but I knew that he was. “I
don’t understand why people have kids if they don’t want to do
things with them.”
    “My parents aren’t bad
people, Logan. They just live differently than you.”
    He shrugged. “Help me
with this.”
    I scurried closer to
where he’d placed the tent on the ground beneath a small patch of
trees. “I’m sorry if I’ve upset you again.”
    “You didn’t,” he started
feeding a pole through the hole of the tent and I copied him on the
opposite side. “If you had kids, would you want them to have the
same childhood as you?”
    For a moment, I thought
about his question. I didn’t think my childhood was bad. I never
went without and at times I had much more than I needed. Sometimes,
it bordered on excess. But while growing up, I’d wished I had more
time to spend with my parent’s. “No, I don’t suppose I would want
that for my own children.”
    “Do you want kids?” He
asked and I felt my cheeks warm from his question.
    I refused to look up at
him when I spoke. “I don’t know.”
    “How old are you?” He
asked bluntly. The question was rude. Many women were touchy about
their age, and although I wasn’t one of those women, it was still
an obtrusive question. The man should know better!
    Then again, this man was
no other than Logan Donnelley. He was one of a kind. I was sure
bluntness and stubbornness were a part of his genetic makeup.
    “I’m twenty-three.” I
replied tightly. “How old are you?”
    He smirked.
“Thirty-one.”
    I nodded. “Please tell
me you weren’t implying that my eggs might dry up if I wait much
longer.” I narrowed my eyes. “I’m sure that out here in Hicksville
women are popping out babies as soon as they hit twenty, but in the
land of civilization we women like to wait until we’re both
mentally and financially prepared.”
    Logan stared at me for a
long minute as my heart thrashed in my chest. And then he threw his
head back. And he laughed. Hard.
    I blew a breath out from
between my lips as I thanked the Heavens that he wasn’t mad at me
for running my mouth the way I had. What on earth had I been
thinking? And why was he laughing?
    “I like you, city girl.
You’re funny.”
    Ha! Funny? What? “Thanks. I
suppose.”
    He continued to laugh.
“You know, I didn’t expect someone like you when I was told I was
taking over Mom’s tour.”
    “What did you expect?” I
asked softly. “Pearls and silk?”
    He shrugged.
“Maybe.”
    “You know,” I stabbed a
peg into the ground. “For someone as smart as you are, you’re
really very quick to make judgments.” I lifted my eyes to meet his.
“It’s disappointing.”

 
     
    “Tent’s good.
I’ll hang the tarp if you want to go collect wood for a fire.”
    I nodded at his obvious
dismissal of me as I turned and walked away. I didn’t bother
looking back as I moved deeper into the trees, scouring for wood. I
knew enough about making a fire to know I needed to collect dry
wood. Thankfully, there seemed