Blame it on Texas Read Online Free PDF

staring until a spray of water slapped her in the face.
    "Come on in, Megan," Katie begged.
    When Logan nodded his agreement, Megan slid off the rock into the pond. She realized her mistake when she stood to shake the water from her face and saw Logan's gaze fixed on her chest.
    She wasn't wearing a bra, and the thin tee shirt left nothing to the imagination. She moved to the middle of the pool until the water covered her shoulders. A quick glance at Logan earned her a wide grin that took her breath away.
    He winked and turned back to Katie. "Have you already forgotten the rules, Katydid?"
    Katie blushed and shook her head. "I'm sorry. I didn't know where Blue was, and I didn't want to wait. I thought it would be okay. I am twelve, you know."
    "Twelve or twenty, the dog goes in the water first. Don't ignore the rules, honey. That's just asking for trouble."
    Megan looked from one solemn face to the other. "I'm sorry, Logan. I didn't know there was a rule or I would have made her wait."
    He shook his head. "It isn't your fault. Katie knows better. There are a lot of snakes out here and you never know when you might jump into a nest of water moccasins. The dog goes in the water first--always. It's better to lose a dog than a your own life."
    Megan opened her mouth to argue that point, but closed it again when Logan pulled Katie to him in a crushing hug and closed his eyes. She loved dogs as much as she did most people, but Logan was referring to his daughter and in that case, he was right.
    Logan released Katie and kicked back in the water. The scowl on his face was replaced by a wicked grin. "Now, Katydid, what's the punishment for breaking the rules?"
    Katie shrieked and dove for the bank, but Logan caught her foot and tugged her under. Blue barked and swam to Katie, grabbed her shirt, and pulled her up. The three wrestled for a while as Megan watched, wishing she'd had a dad like Logan. One who could discipline without degrading, and who could turn a problem into play. Shoot, she'd have settled for a dad who came home every night.
     
    Logan glanced over the top of Katie's head and saw Megan standing alone in the water, a melancholy expression on her face. She looked so damned lonesome it nearly broke his heart.
    He remembered what it had been like to be the kid on the outside looking in. He'd felt it every time he'd ridden the bus to school in town. He'd been the "farm boy" with dusty shoes and faded jeans.
    He hadn't been the only one, just the one who'd wanted to be part of the town kids' circle, the one who wanted something he couldn't have. The other kids had been content to be who and what they were.
    That feeling of being less than the best had fueled his determination to succeed in business, where he could wear custom-made suits and clean, shiny shoes. To be the top in his field so that he was the inner circle, never again to watch from the sidelines. He'd made it. So why did it feel so empty?
    Maybe because it had cost him his marriage and months of not having his daughter in his life. While his business had flourished, Sue Ann resented his frequent absences until she'd sought company elsewhere. When she'd left and taken Katie with her, she'd taken the joy out of his success. He hadn't really missed Sue Ann. She'd been little more than a stranger by the time she'd left. But he'd missed Katie terribly.
    On impulse, he whispered to his daughter. She nodded, her eyes sparkling with mischief. He slipped under the surface and swam silently until he saw Megan's slender legs under the water, then he wrapped his hand around her ankle and tugged.
    When she came up sputtering, he lifted her up, gave her a warning to catch her breath, then tossed her back into the water. Katie laughed and joined in the melee.
    They played for an hour, and he couldn't remember anything he'd enjoyed more. By the time they crawled onto the rocks, exhausted, he'd forgotten about the fence he still needed to mend and how much he hated the red dust