While letting her mind wander and thinking about Dr. Warren Worthington, Marie hadn’t realized where she was. The surroundings were very familiar and she noticed she was on H-Circle-S land. On impulse, she turned up the driveway leading to her cousin Scott’s ranch house. Marie hadn’t been to the H-Circle-S since Scott and Logan had first started their partnership. In fact, she hadn’t seen Logan since she was in college. He had been at their family Christmas her senior year. She felt herself blush as she recalled the way Jubilee had tried to get her and Logan together under the mistletoe. She had tried to convince Jubes that trying to get someone to kiss the girl with deadly skin probably wasn't a very good idea. Jubilee had just rolled her eyes and made a comment along the lines of, “Well, duh. What do you think that scarf is good for?”
She had always had a bit of a crush on Logan since he had first shown up with Scott. The image that had flashed into Marie's mind of she and Logan making out with the protection of one of her sheer scarves had fueled her imagination for a long time afterward. She had never thought of herself as desirable but Jubilee had always assured her that she was, deadly skin and all. Marie was so thankful that her Aunt Susan and Uncle Tom had been smart enough to adopt the young Asian-American mutant. Their oldest son, Gabe, didn't have the mutant gene but Scott manifested at the age of 14. Jubilee's mutation had manifested when she was only 10 years old. She ran away from home when her parents decided to send her into foster care. She had survived on her own for over a year and then been picked up by the cops for living in a mall of all places. Luckily, Susan and Tom found out about her right away and after meeting her, immediately started the adoption process. It wasn't difficult since her parents gave up all their parental rights willingly.
Jubilation Lee had become Jubilee Summers and in a matter of months was firmly ensconced in their family. Marie had been thrilled to have a cousin the same age and Jubilee had been a lifesaver when Marie's own mutation had manifested when she was 13. Jubilee had such a bubbly personality and was always willing to help out anyone. No one in the Summers family could figure out what her birth parents had been thinking but they were thankful she had become a part of their family.
As she bumped down the drive, Marie's thoughts were drawn from the handsome doctor to the sex on legs (Jubilee's description, not hers) that was Logan Howlett. She and every other woman in the county knew he was a womanizer but that didn't seem to stop any of the women she had seen from wanting him anyway. The thing that had always infuriated her about Logan was that he knew how he affected women and used it to his advantage. She always thought a man as old as him would show a little more respect. So maybe the women got as much enjoyment out of their encounters as he did but that didn't let him off the hook in her opinion. Not that any of her cousins were much better, Marie admitted ruefully. Scott, Caleb, and Bobby were never lacking for female companionship. It was fortunate that their family was so settled in the community that for the most part, their mutations were taken in stride. It also helped that none of them had extremely obvious mutations. Blue skin or a fur covered body weren't as easy to dismiss for most people.
As Marie pulled her red Jeep Cherokee up to the main house, she noticed that everyone turned to look at her, wondering who the stranger was. As she stepped out of the Jeep, one of the cowboys started her way.
“Howdy, ma'am. What can I do for you?”
Marie shut her door and turned to look at the young man. It only took seconds for her to recognize the son of her grandfather’s foreman. “Mike? Mike Johnson? Is that you?”
“Marie Summers? Aren't you a sight for sore eyes.” His face split into a wide grin and he wrapped her in a hug and then stepped back to get a better look. “I think the last time I saw you was shortly after I graduated from high school, right before I moved to Montana to help out on my uncle’s ranch.”
Marie smiled as she took in the familiar features of her old friend. “And you haven’t changed a bit, Mike. I’ll bet that mustache hides one of the most handsome faces ever to be seen in these parts.”
“You always did know how to sweet talk a guy, didn’t you, Marie,” Mike said with a smile.
“You taught me everything I know about it, Mike. I couldn’t grow up around you all those years and not have it rub off on me a little bit. Besides, with only my cousins around all the time, who else would have taught me anything.” Marie winked at him as she continued, “And who better to teach me some of the finer points of kissing than a friend?”
Mike laughed and shook his head. “You were all of what, 12 years old when that happened? You always could get me in trouble, no matter how hard I tried to avoid it. When your grandpa caught us up in that hay loft, I thought we were both done for.”
Marie laughed as she recalled the memory. The innocence of the kisses they'd shared before her mutation had surfaced and ended any chance of it happening again. She ignored the melancholy that threatened to bring her down and forced another smile. “I had to give my Grandpa an entire summers worth of free labor so that he wouldn’t tell my mom and dad what had happened.”
“Those sure were the days,” Mike grinned.
Across the yard Scott looked up from the corral gate he was closing and gave a shout. “Mike, are you gonna take all the lady’s time or am I going to get to see her?”
“Now you know I would never do that, boss. I was just getting ready to send her your way.” Mike turned back to Marie with a smile. “If you’re going to be around for a few days, maybe you could find time for an old friend to buy you a drink.”
“I’d like that, Mike. We have a lot to catch up on.”
Marie started across the yard toward Scott and was enveloped in a crushing hug. “Marie! What are you doing here? Don’t tell me that you gave up that cushy job in Denver to come live back in the wild country.”
Marie laughed and leaned back to look into her cousin’s face. Even with his ever present glasses covering his eyes, Marie could sense the mischief in them. “I always told you I’d come back and make your life a living hell, didn’t I?”
“I’m happy to see you but I know there has to be a reason for this visit. You didn’t even tell anyone you were coming.”
Well, surprise! Here I am,” Marie laughed. “God, you look great!” She could hardly take it all in. He was even bigger and more handsome than she remembered him. “You know, the men in this family just get better looking all the time.”
“You don’t look so bad yourself. I think you could use a little toughening up though. You’re starting to look a little soft.” Scott draped an arm across Marie's shoulders and urged her along with him toward the corral.
Marie's arm circled his waist and she leaned her head against his chest. “You can believe what you want but I still make time during the week to go to the gym; although it probably isn’t as good for me as just working out here obviously is.” She patted Scott's flat stomach with her free hand as they headed toward the corral. She hadn't realized how much she had missed her family. Scott's ease around her and her mutation made her feel more relaxed than she could remember being in a long time. Marie asked about the horses penned inside and was rewarded with the history and respective bloodlines of each of the occupants.
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Logan pulled his dusty pickup up to the main house and was surprised to see the Jeep with Colorado plates parked there. As far as he knew they weren’t expecting the next scheduled buyer until after Thanksgiving. The H-Circle-S was quickly gaining a reputation for the quality of cutting and roping horses they bred so an unexpected customer wasn’t unusual. He quickly scanned the outbuildings and saw their foreman, Mike, talking to a pretty little brunette. He saw Scott heading toward them from the corral and the woman turned with a radiant smile and met him halfway from the house. The woman threw her arms around Scott and gave him a fierce hug. No, she definitely wasn’t a buyer unless she was really bad at bargaining - or really good, depending on how you looked at it. On the other hand, maybe Scott was holding out on him. Logan was pretty sure Scott had sworn off women for the time being. His last relationship hadn’t ended on a good note.
Based on everything Logan had heard and what he’d been able to get out of Scott, it definitely wasn’t Scott’s fault either. The woman he'd been seeing had gone looking elsewhere for entertainment and Scott had been the one to end up looking like a fool. That was just another reason to avoid those kinds of situations to Logan’s way of thinking. He would just stick with the women who knew the rules and were willing to play by them.
Logan climbed out of the truck and watched as the conversation continued between his brawny partner and the little brunette. What a contrast they were - Scott with his brown hair and 6’1” heavily muscled frame was dressed in the requisite uniform of a rancher; blue jeans and shirt that had each seen one too many washes along with a pair of beat up cowboy boots. The woman, who couldn’t have been much over 5 feet, looked out of place on a working ranch. With her perfectly tailored black slacks and sleek blouse she looked ready for a day at the office. Her hair stirred in the slight breeze and when she turned, he could see some unusual white streaks in the front of her hair. Instead of looking strange, they actually seemed to complement her, drawing your eyes to her exquisite features. She didn’t look much like Scott’s usual type, which generally fell into the blond and busty category.
Scott and his friend were making their way toward the stables and Logan could see the smiles that neither one of them could seem to contain. Something about the way she moved seemed familiar. It was definitely time for him to find out who this woman was. Even with his keen hearing he couldn’t make out any of their conversation. He took his time unloading the fencing gear from the bed of the pickup and then made his way silently toward the barn.
“I’m so glad to be back here,” Marie exclaimed as they entered the coolness of the stables. The smell of the hay and the horses sent a pang of longing through her.
“Everybody’s missed you, squirt. You shouldn’t have stayed away so long.”
Marie sighed. “I know, but I’ve been so busy with work and all that it seems like there’s never enough time for all the important things in life, like you.” As they were talking, they made a quick tour around the L-shaped stable checking out all of the changes they had made since they had acquired the ranch. Scott and his older brother, Gabe, had always been like brothers to her and she hadn’t realized how much she had missed them.
Logan entered the dim barn, his eyes adjusting instantly to the low light. He sniffed the air and recognition hit him like a blow to the chest. Marie Summers. His thoughts flashed to the last time he'd seen her and the damned mistletoe Jubilee had been forcing on him. She hadn't had the white streaks in her hair then and he wondered if they were some kind of fashion thing or if something had happened to make them appear naturally.
Marie was engrossed in her conversation with Scott and unaware that Logan had entered the stable. When she rounded the corner she ran directly into something very hard and unyielding. With a shriek, Marie tried to lever herself back so she could see just exactly who (since she was pretty sure that it was a person anyway) she had run into. Before she could, two very strong arms reached around and locked her in a tight embrace.
“Whoa there, sweet thing. You’d better watch where you’re going before you hurt somebody.” Much to his enjoyment, Logan found himself with his arms full of lush feminine curves clad in what felt like silk. As a pair of startled brown eyes met his, Logan was stunned by the wave of lust that swamped him. He couldn’t remember ever meeting anyone else who had such extraordinary eyes. They had a sexy exotic tilt to them and were rimmed with gold-tipped auburn lashes. His gaze wandered over her familiar face and took in the innocent-looking freckles sprinkled across her nose and cheekbones followed by the curve of her oh so kissable lips, which were turned down in a disapproving frown.
The warm, deep, decidedly masculine voice oozed like melted chocolate over Marie’s startled nerves. If she lived to be a hundred she didn’t think she’d ever forget the way that deep voice rumbled up from inside and sent a shiver down your spine. As soon as she heard it, she knew it could be none other than Logan Howlett. She blushed partly due to her clumsiness and partly due to a surge of anger that she had just been called, “Sweet thing! I suppose to you that’s some kind of endearment, cowboy?” Marie said as she jabbed a finger into the middle of his chest. She flattened her palms to shove him away and found she was unable to budge him an inch. Logan cocked his brow in that infuriating way of his as she continued, “And who the hell told you you could manhandle me that way? If I remember right, the last time you pulled a stunt like that you ended up with a black eye! Or what would have been a black eye if you didn't have that damn healing factor.”
“Marie Summers.” Logan drawled. A slow grin spread across his face. “You haven’t changed a bit, darlin’.” Logan’s eyes wandered slowly over her. Whatever she’d been doing in the last few years, it definitely agreed with her. She’d gone from an athletic teenager to a full-grown woman since he had last seen her. “Well, maybe you’ve filled out a little but in all the right places.” At Marie’s muttered oath, Logan’s grin broadened. “Still a bit of a wildcat aren’t you?”
Marie’s glare was not as appreciative as she looked him over in turn. Despite the years that had passed, there wasn't a damn thing that had changed about Logan Howlett.
It wasn’t hard to imagine why she and her cousin, Jubilee had both had crushes on him when they were in high school. Half the female population of the county had probably had one at one time or another. Jubilee had gotten over her crush easily. She claimed it was too weird since Logan was her brother’s best friend and was practically like a brother. Marie, however, couldn’t think of anybody who had ever filled out a pair of Wranglers quite the way Logan did. You could see his thigh muscles bulge when he walked for heaven’s sake! And here she was, little Marie Summers, wedged between those gorgeous legs in a position she never thought she would find herself in.
Marie knew that plenty of women had probably been there and more hoped to follow. She also knew that she would never be one of them. Deadly skin not withstanding, Logan just wasn’t her type. Not that she had ever had an aversion to looking. She and Jubilee had spent a lot of time picking out the finer points of the cowboys they saw at rodeos. Maybe it was because she knew Logan and what his attitude toward women was. He had always been too sure of himself for her taste. Logan was one of those men whose body was solid muscle and practically oozed masculinity. He wasn’t extremely tall, she’d put him at about 5 foot 10 but there was something about him that commanded your attention whenever he was around. When Logan looked at you with those beautiful hazel eyes, he could make you feel like the only person in the room. Unfortunately he seemed to have the same problem with his ego that he’d always had.
“Even if I hadn’t seen you for 20 years, I still would have known by the arrogant attitude who you were.” Marie’s brown eyes glinted with amusement. “You know,” she continued, “I remember one of the last times I saw you, Mr. Arrogance, you and my cousin were pouting about being out-roped and out-classed by two helpless females. Namely myself and Jubilee. You do remember that rodeo where we beat you, don't you?”
“Mr. Arrogance, huh? That has a nice ring to it. Do you think I could legally change my name to that?”
Marie’s amusement vanished. “You’re just as insufferable as you always were, Howlett.” Marie muttered another oath as she tried to twist around out of his grip. When his hold didn’t loosen, she stopped and said through gritted teeth, “Would you mind taking your hands off me or do I have to show you that I’m serious.” She lifted her gloveless hand and held it close to his face, threatening him with her touch.
Seeing the devilish glint that came into Logan’s eye, Scott decided it was time to intervene. He’d forgotten how these two could go at it. “Now, Marie, you haven’t been around here for a while so you’re probably not the best person to judge Logan.”
“Oh, really? And I suppose you’re going to tell me that he’s changed so much in the last few years that every mama around is clamoring to have him for their daughters,” Marie almost sneered at him.
“Now, darlin’, you ought to know better than that. I've avoided getting hitched for this long and I don't plan on it happening any time soon either.”
Marie refused to be drawn any further into a battle of words with someone as egotistical and narrow-minded as Logan Howlett. She shoved one more time at his chest and was surprised when he loosened his hold. She was even more surprised by the feeling of loss she experienced after Logan had let her go. It was absurd considering the fact that she would never want to be held by him in the first place. Get a grip, Marie, she thought to herself. Why would she want Logan Howlett of all people touching her? She was obviously in more need of a date or even basic human contact than she had imagined. She was definitely going to get hold of Dr. Worthington when she got back to Denver.
Dismissing any thoughts she had about Logan, she turned her back on him and addressed Scott. “So I expect I’ll be seeing you at Grandpa and Grandma’s for Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow?”
“That’s right. We wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
Marie was about to speak when she paused. “Wait a minute. You said we. Do I dare to hope you’ve found someone you’re actually willing to introduce to the rest of the family?”
“Not unless I’ve taken a wrong turn somewhere and started dating the tall, dark, and ugly type.”
Marie had to stifle a groan as she glanced over her shoulder at Logan. A sudden grin split the ruggedness of his features carving deep grooves around his wide mouth. Did his smile have to be so damn appealing?
“That’s right, darlin’. You don’t get him unless I get to come, too. It’s like two for the price of one.”
“Why do I feel like I’m getting short changed?” Marie tried to remember that Logan was Scott’s friend and she couldn’t expect to not see him around. But did he have to come to their family dinners as well? Resigning herself to the fact, she looked back at Scott and said sweetly, “Well, at least that will cut down on the amount of food Grandma has to make since you’ll be bringing the turkey.”
“Real original on that one, darlin',” Logan said with another grin. Marie did her best to ignore him.
“Don’t worry, Marie. He’ll be on his best behavior the whole day,” Scott said as he led her back to her jeep. “And if he isn’t, he won’t have to worry about getting any of that great pumpkin pie you make.”
“You’re killin’ me, Scott. You know that’s the only reason I agreed to go with you,” Logan said with what he hoped was a hurt look as he followed them.
“False flattery will get you nowhere and seeing as how you didn’t even know I would be here, I highly doubt you would be missing out on any pie I may or may not make. Besides, it’s Jubilee that makes the pumpkin pie.” Marie turned her back on Logan and gave Scott a quick hug. “I’ll see you tomorrow...and if you both don’t behave, you can forget any dessert at all.” She climbed back into her jeep and with a quick wave, drove back down the long driveway on her way to her grandparent’s place.
As they watched Marie go, Scott shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels. “So what exactly was that all about?”
“What was what all about?”
“Don’t give me that, Logan. You know exactly what I mean. Why do you always have to get under her skin like that? You’ve been doing it ever since I can remember.”
Logan smiled and looked down the road where Marie had gone. “Mainly because it’s so easy to do. Now Jubilee on the other hand can give as good as she gets. She must have picked that up from your Dad. But Marie’s another story. She’s always been easy to get riled up. At least it looks like she’s learned to control that temper of hers a little better...I didn’t walk away with an almost black eye this time.”
“There for a little bit it looked like you might not be walking away at all.”
“You noticed that, huh? She wouldn't really use her power on me, would she?”
“Oh yeah she would. It looks like you’re very lucky that her temper’s more under control now. You don’t want to mess with Marie when she gets riled. I’m not afraid to admit she used to scare me a little.”
“Maybe I’ll have to help her find a different way to cool off that temper of hers. Either she’s itching for a fight or some hot sweaty sex. Whichever it is, I’d be happy to oblige her.” Logan clapped a hand on Scott’s shoulder as the started toward the house.
“Hey, don’t forget that’s my cousin you’re talking about. And with her whole skin thing it wouldn't be that easy.”
“I've already thought of 20 different ways around her skin. But I won't be sharing that with you seeing as how you'd probably knock me into next week for even thinking it.”
Scott stopped and looked at Logan in surprise. He'd never thought of Logan being interested in Marie that way. He hesitated before he said, “I would hate to see either one of you get hurt. Besides, I wouldn’t be doing my job if I let you forget who she is.”
Logan's brow furrowed. “You have no faith in me, do you? I would never do anything to hurt Marie or any other woman.”
Scott grinned. “Not on purpose anyway. Just remember that if you do decide to pursue this,” he held up a hand when it looked like Logan was about to say something, “which I can see you’re already debating the pros and cons of, just remember that they are still known as the gentler sex.”
“Exactly. It’s looking like Thanksgiving dinner just got a whole lot more interesting.”
The Wolverine & Rogue Fanfiction Archive
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Disclaimer: Still don't own them but wish I did so they could be more like this.
A/N: Not such a long wait to see them together so this should be fun! Thanks for reading!
A/N: Not such a long wait to see them together so this should be fun! Thanks for reading!