“How the fuck?” Bella said, trying to figure out the coffee maker. She had another pounding headache but she was sure that it was from her lack of caffeine and not from her concussion.

Having electricity had its perks and being able to push the button on a machine and have hot coffee pouring out four seconds later was definitely one of them. After twenty frustrating minutes, she finally got the water boiling and the hand pressed coffee going.

“Ah,” she said, sitting on the bench outside with a hot cup of coffee warming her hands. She smiled as she watched an angry bird chase a terrified squirrel across the ground. It was a really cute log cabin, just the type of place that would be perfect to stay the weekend when she needed to unplug and unwind. Well, it would have been perfect if it weren’t for the crazy asshole who lived inside.

Logan was still a mystery to her. He was nice one minute and then hollering at her the next. She was pretty sure that he wasn’t planning on hurting her and he genuinely looked upset when he had scared her. He kept his word and never came back last night, even when it started pouring rain outside.

While she was on her second coffee, he appeared through the trees in the distance. His clothes were wet and torn, his face looking like he had spent a miserable night out in the rain.

“There’s hot coffee inside,” she called out to him as he approached. “It’s really good.”

Bella had thought all night about how to handle him. There was only one way to handle an asshole: kill him with kindness. She refused to get in anymore shouting matches with him because that wasn’t going to end well for either of them.

“Come sit,” she said, getting up and tapping the chair. “I’ll get you a cup.”

His brown eyes narrowed on her, his head tilting as he watched her curiously. She hurried inside and came out a moment later with a steaming cup of coffee.

“Thank you,” he said, taking it from her. Their fingers brushed as they exchanged the clay mug and warm shivers shook through her body.

She stepped back, eying him as he took a sip.

“It’s good,” he whispered, cradling the mug in his strong hands.

“You slept outside?” she asked, crossing her arms as she watched him. He always kept the scarred side of his face tilted away from her, but Bella didn’t mind. His face was handsome once you looked past the scars, which she was already starting to do.

“I did.”

“It was pouring out,” she said, gritting her teeth closed.

He lowered his eyes to the dirt and took a heavy breath. “You were frightened of me. I don’t want you to be scared.”

“Then stop yelling at me all of the time,” she said, narrowing her eyes on him. “It’s that simple.”

“I’m, I’m sorry.”

It was time to lay everything on the table. It was time to learn his intentions.

“Why are you keeping me here?” she asked, tapping her foot nervously. “Am I your prisoner or something?”

“No,” he answered quickly, his hurt eyes darting up to her. “You have a bad concussion. It’s dangerous to be alone with a head injury like the one you received. There are a lot of dangerous symptoms: confusion, vomiting, nausea, migraines, moodiness, amnesia. You shouldn’t be alone.”

Bella let out an exasperated breath. “Then why didn’t you just tell me that instead of yelling at me and making me think that you kidnapped me?”

“I told you,” he said, taking a heavy breath. “I’m not good at these things anymore. That’s why I’m out here.”

“So I can go?” she asked, uncrossing her arms to pick at her fingernails.

“When you’re better.”

“When is that going to be?”

“It depends on your head.”

She rolled her eyes. “Second question. Why are you out here?”

“What is this? An interrogation?” he asked.

Bella crossed her arms and glared at him. “Yes,” she answered simply. “Why are you out here?”

“Pass.”

“You can’t pass,” she said, shaking her head.

“Next question.”

“Jesus,” Bella whispered under her breath. He was so frustrating. “What’s in the spare bedroom?”

His body tightened. “That’s-”

“Forbidden, I know,” she answered with a roll of her eyes. “I wasn’t asking to go in. I just want to know what’s in there.”

He shook his head. “I won’t tell you.”

She groaned. “Just tell me there are no dead bodies in there.”

“What?” he asked, jerking his head back. “No, there are no dead bodies in there. Next question.”

“How did you get those scars?”

“Pass.”

She bit her bottom lip until it hurt as she glared at him. “How long have you been out here?”

“Three years.”

Her jaw dropped. “Three years?” she repeated in disbelief. “Have you seen anyone in three years?”

Logan rubbed his chin as he stared at the ground. “There’s an elderly woman who gets me some stuff about once every two months. Butter, spices, coffee, that kind of thing. She usually leaves them out on her back porch for me.”

“Three years?” she repeated. Three years without any human contact, without any interaction, without any affection. No wonder he was a little rough around the edges.

“Me and civilization just don’t mix,” he said, downing the last sip of coffee.

“Okay, that,” she said, pointing at him. “What the hell does that mean? You and civilization don’t mix. Who the hell says that kind of stuff?”

“People living with crazed animals in them say that kind of stuff,” he answered, running his thumb over his lips.

“Your bear is not crazy,” Bella said, actually feeling bad for the guy. “He’s sweet. I don’t think you give him enough credit.”

“I think you give him too much,” he answered. “You don’t know what he’s done.”

“What?” she asked, leaning forward. “What has he done?”

Logan shook the mug in his hand. “Is there any more coffee?”

Bella ripped the cup out of his hand and marched back inside to refill it. This guy was a master at avoiding questions. And he never answered any of the juicy ones.

“How did you know all that medical stuff?” she asked when she came back out with two cups of coffee, one for each of them. “The symptoms of a concussion. I didn’t see a laptop inside with a WebMD page open. Are you a doctor or something?”

“Wha-” he said, shaking his head as his cheeks turned red. “Do I look like a doctor?”

“I don’t know what you look like,” she said, staring at him. “That’s what I’m trying to figure out. I’ve never met anyone like you before. You’re like a puzzle but you refuse to give me any freaking pieces.”

“Want to see something really cool?” he asked, ignoring her frustrated rant.

She threw her hand up and huffed out a breath. “Sure.”

“Come,” he said, jumping out of the seat and grabbing her wrist. He yanked her up and then hurried back into the forest, dragging her along as the hot coffee spilled on her hand. “You’re going to love this.”

* * *

“Where are you taking me?” Bella asked after about ten minutes of being dragged through the forest. She would have been nervous if Logan didn’t seem so freaking excited.

“Seriously, Logan,” she said, trying to pull him back but it was like trying to stop a train and every time she did, her feet would plant in the dirt and she’d fly forward. “I’m not a bear shifter. I can’t keep up this pace for much longer.”

He slowed to a stop and crouched, pulling her down with him. “Shhhhh,” he hushed, looking up into the trees.

“What are we looking at?” she whispered. All she saw were branches and leaves.

A warmth flowed through her as he wrapped a muscular arm around her shoulders and pointed up. Her breath quickened as she felt his hard body next to hers. It was surprisingly comforting being so close to his large body and her body started reacting in a strong way.

“Right there,” he whispered, pointing up at the tree.

“Right where?” Just as she said it, she saw it. Two little white owls, sitting on a branch high up in the tree.

“No!” she said, her hand flying up to cover her open mouth. Her eyes widened as she stared up at them with her heart racing. She couldn’t believe it. Two sleepy owls.

No wonder I couldn’t find any of them. They were small enough to fit in her hands.

“Wow,” she whispered as she gazed up at them with her chest tingling. She had actually seen them. She wouldn’t have to lie on her paper after all. Well, I’ll still have to exaggerate and make up some stuff if they don’t wake up.

Their eyes were closed as they slept on the branch, their fluffy white feathers looking like a comfy blanket wrapped around their tiny bodies.

She turned to Logan and smiled. “Thank you,” she whispered, studying the hard line of his jaw. There was some good in him no matter what he thought about himself. This was the sweetest thing he could have done.

He turned and smiled at her, making her cheeks heat up. “Now you saw your owls.”

She grinned, nodding. “I saw my owls. It wasn’t all for nothing.”

Logan sat with her for twenty minutes as she observed them from the ground. “They sure do sleep a lot,” she said, laughing. All of the initial excitement had worn off of her about ten minutes ago. “Maybe I should have observed rocks for my paper instead. It seems like it would be just as interesting.”

“They’re not named sleepy owls for nothing,” Logan said, grinning.

Bella looked down at the empty coffee mug still in her hands. “Have any other cool stuff to show me?”

He looked at her with a grin. “Definitely.”