Barrett shook his head. "I'm not concerned about me. If this relationship can't survive a short separation, it won't survive a marriage. What troubles me is that it might get you into more trouble. You could lose a client."
Logan gave him a wry smile. "His business isn't going to make or break me. I took the case more to help him than anything else. I can afford to give him his money back." He hesitated. "You just be careful. He's likely to come out here and work you over."
Barrett wasn't deeply concerned about that prospect. "Do you think he was upset about them telling me to cut trees?"
Logan shrugged. "Maybe they made the decision without telling him."
Barrett doubted that Mary Jo would let him take the blame - but then, if he was abusive… That thought angered him. He'd accept the blame and leave the property, but he wouldn't tolerate the man abusing Mary Jo.
After Logan left, Mary Jo arrived on foot. She probably saw the car and wondered who it was. He dragged two chairs over to the shade and they sat down. After an uncomfortable silence, she finally spoke.
"Pa told us he didn't want us coming over here for a while. He didn't like the idea that you were chasing after me." She grimaced. "I told him I was the one doin' the chasing. He didn't much like that either."
Barrett shook his head. "I was doing the chasing. I was just doing a poor job of it. All you did was help me out."
She studied his face for a moment. "I wanted you to make love to me last night."
Heat rushed up his neck. "I let things get a little heated, but I didn't intend to go that far. I had a mental picture of Logan wagging a finger at me and us standing at the altar with your father holding a shotgun."
She frowned. "I wasn't talking about sex." She shook her head. "I reckon the idea of marrying me probly put a scare in you, though."
His face flamed. Of course she wasn't talking about sex. She wanted to be loved, not used. "I certainly didn't like the idea of someone forcing us to make a commitment."
She nodded. "Yeah, things are moving a little fast, aren't they?" She studied him a moment again. "Who's Logan?"
He caught his breath. He was revealing too much information. "A friend."