Swimming in Thoughts

[Emmaline]

Emma had left her apartment and walked around town for a little. It wasn't long before she ended up here at the lake. She loved walking around lakes and thinking. It was just something she did. She was wearing her usual clothes, regular jeans and a loose fitting shirt. She didn't want people to know she was pregnant yet, she wanted them to get to know her before they judged her. She stopped at the edge of the lake and picked up a rock. She stood there looking out at the lake, playing with the rock in her hands. The wind was blowing slightly, causing her hair to blow around. She sighed and looked down at her hands and the rock before she looked back at the lake, running a hand through her hair.

She wondered what her brother was doing in New York, she'd left behind a great life, but she couldn't live with him forever. All that mattered now was that she was away from her parents and they had no clue where she was. She didn't care about anything else, not even the fact she had no clue how to take care of a kid. She'd never had to watch over someone, she'd be so lost by herself. While she stood there all her thoughts had become so overwhelming that she had tears running down her cheeks, without even realizing she had been crying. She just wanted to start over, completely new.

[robbs]

Logan had his hands full with his dog, Hayden. The rottweiler was exceptionally hyperactive and in one of his good moods. Logan was tossing the ball out across the long stretch of grass around the lake, sending his dog chasing after it. His denims were clean, free of any paw marks that you would usually find when out and about in the parks. His shirt was a crisp white, fitting his body rather snugly.

Hayden was by the ball now, standing with his head lowered as he watched a couple of people pass. He kept the ball between his large front paws, occasionally growling at the people.

I can hear you.

Logan said, loud enough for his dog to hear. Hayden's ears tipped forwards then he grabbed the ball and sprinted back towards Logan. He immediately knocked into his legs, sending both man and his dog to the ground with a playful yelp. Unfortunately he liked to head butt things, including Logan's legs.

Ugh. You get heavier every day.

He laughed, taking the ball from his dog and sending it back out before Hayden had the chance to slobber all over him. It hurtled out towards the lake, missing the water by meters, and also landing a small way from a woman.

[Emmaline]

Emma had been standing there thinking about everything and crying slightly. She heard something land on the ground near her and glanced over to see a ball. She reached up and wiped away her tears before she looked around to see where it had come from. She saw a guy a little ways away and a dog. She smiled slightly to herself, looking around before back out at the lake. She wondered how people could be so happy with how the world was. What had happened to her had changed her views.

She glanced back at the man and the dog and sighed. She had always wanted a dog, but her brother never let her get one. She looked at them again and noticed the man was pretty attractive as well, but so was the last man she'd 'been' with. She hadn't really been with him but she was having his baby, and that was bad enough. She didn't know who to trust anymore, when had everyone become so untrustworthy. She had been crying slightly again so she wiped away more tears, forcing herself to stop, she couldn't be crying like this.

[robbs]

Logan watched the woman, seeing her turn around to look back at the source. He only got a glance of her face the first time, but he could tell already that she was quite attractive. Hayden was still by his side, his mouth gaping wide as he yawned, sitting down with his back legs sprawled to one side. He looked up at Logan, whose smile was brought on his dogs stubbornness. Whenever Hayden didn't feel like chasing after the ball, Logan was forced to fetch it for himself.

You're going to get fat one of these days, pal.

He laughed, walking off towards the ball. Hayden watched, his ears perking forwards as he watched Logan near the woman as he retrieved the ball.

I'm not sure if I'm throwing the ball for him, or for me.

Logan said as he knelt down to retrieve the ball. He looked up at the woman, whose eyes were rather red. He could guess what she had just been doing.

Are you alright?

He asked, tilting his head to one side. His eyes were warm, friendly and polite. His stature was relaxed and he posed no threat to her, nothing at all except for an easy conversation. That was of course if Hayden would permit it to even begin. His dog was possessive, but Logan had a way of keeping his dog in control.

[Emmaline]

Emma ran her hand through her hair again, trying to keep it out of her face. She bent down and picked up another rock before standing up straight. She was playing with it her hands again, it was just a habit of hers. Emma was sort of back into her thoughts and she didn't hear the guy come up behind her. When he talked to her she jumped slightly, startled by the closeness of his voice. She turned slightly towards him when he was talking. She still had the rock in her hands, playing with it.

She smiled slightly at him when he said he wasn't sure who he was throwing the ball for. She didn't know what to say though, she hated meeting new people. She didn't know who to trust. She looked at the guy though. She wondered if she should tell him. "Yeah I'm fine." She said lying and running a hand through her hair again, but she figured he'd see through that. She noticed he didn't look like a bad guy, but she couldn't be sure anymore. She couldn't help but notice how relaxed he seemed, not at all like he would hurt her.

[robbs]

He hadn't meant to startle her, and waited patiently as she composed herself. His smile was lazy, charming even, but he wasn't turning on himself. Logan had been anything but behaved when it came to the opposite sex, but that was years ago. He'd matured since then, going on his early twenties soon. Now he respected them, taking it easy instead of just jumping into the sack and going for it. It seemed a little...weak, now that he thought about it. He'd just been stupid about it.

He watched her, seeing the way she would play with the rock in her hands, brushing her hand through her hair, and generally just keeping busy, whether that was mentally and/or physically.

I figure you won't talk to a stranger so, uh...

He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand, a little quirk he had whenever he was trying to figure out what to say.

The name's Briggs - Logan Briggs.

He grinned, introducing himself to her. Hayden was still in the very same spot where he had been sitting, panting as he soaked up the sun. Although Logan knew that his dog was watching him, including the woman opposite him. He hadn't done anything yet, but he was going to come around sooner or later.

[Emmaline]

Emma saw the guy wait for her to talk. She knew she must look so stupid just standing there. She noticed his smiled, it was charming and she couldn't help but want to tell him everything. But she couldn't do that. She wanted a new start and in order for that to happen she couldn't have everyone know about the baby. She couldn't just tell him. She felt a little nauseous though. She couldn't stop playing with the rock though, it kept her doing something with help.

She kind of smiled slightly at him. "Not really." She said shrugging slightly. She didn't trust half the people she knew let alone someone she just met and didn't know his name. She watched him rub the back of his neck and figured he was trying to think of what to say. She wasn't the only one who had problems with coming up with conversation with new people. She nodded when he said his name. "I'm Emmaline Sykes. But you can call me Emma." She said smiling back at him. She wasn't really sure what to say then though. "Nice to meet you though." She added then.

[robbs]

Logan nodded slightly as he heard her name, his eyes concentrating on her now.

Emmaline is a pretty name.

He commented her, speaking his mind as he always would. You'd find that he was extremely honest, sometimes brutally so, but that's just how it was.

Pleasure to meet you, Emma. Are you new around here?

It was the first time he had really spoken to anyone in this town, and the question seemed appropriate because it was after all, a small place. And he hadn't seen her around, so he figured it must be so. He looked over his shoulder as he heard a slight grumble along with heavy panting, and saw Hayden trotting up towards them. The rottweiler looked casual, immitating his owner, and had yet to growl at the woman Logan was speaking with. Hayden came up beside him, looking up at Emma with cautious eyes. He then sat down, looking rather stubborn but protective as he assumed his guarding position. His ears twitched and the he growled.

Watch yourself, pal.

Logan warned, nudging his dog in the side with his leg. Hayden immediately ceased his growling, looking up at Logan with somewhat innocant eyes as if to say: "wasn't me".

Sorry.

Logan apologized, his smile slightly bemused by his dogs overprotective nature.

[Emmaline]

Emma smiled at him. She didn't know why but he looked so much more trusting then the people in New York. She shifted slightly. "Thanks." She said nodding slightly. She couldn't really take her eyes off him, which was different for her because she usually couldn't keep eye contact with people. When she did they usually said something about the pain or distant look in her eyes. Her past had changed her dramatically. She kept playing with the rock, not sure why she was other then to keep herself busy.

She smiled at him again, this time more animated then before. She wasn't as nervous, but she wasn't completely comfortable either. She nodded slightly at what he said. "Yeah I am. Just got here this morning." She said shrugging slightly. She had and so far she liked it her, more so then other places she had been. Emma looked up as she heard something coming towards him. She saw the dog the guy was playing with earlier walking over. She wasn't afraid of dogs but she wasn't completely comfortable around big dogs she didn't know. She didn't show it though. She shifted slightly when it growled at her but didn't move. "It's ok. It's protective of you, the way a dog should be if it has a good owner." She said shrugging slightly. Maybe that's what she needed, a dog to bring along with her. She had always wanted a dog actually.

[robbs]

He looked back at Emma as she explained that she had only arrived that morning, his eyebrows raising only by a little bit.

Barely off the shelves. Well, welcome to Lohunt.

His smile never waned, nor did his warmth. His friends back in Arizona said he'd always been like that, it was only on his darker days that put people off. That was usually when reality backed up on him, forcing him into a corner, and knowing boys, that wasn't exactly gunna cut it for him. His father had been in jail since before Logan was born, so all Logan had was his mother. He had no older or younger brothers, no sisters, no uncles and no father. Absolutely no kind of male presence, unless you count his friends fathers, so Logan had had to wing it. So far he hadn't been doing such a bad job.

Logan reached down, messing with Hayden's ears and laughing when his dog gave him one heck of a dirty look. He scratched behind Hayden's ears, to which his dog tilted his head, closing his eyes and panting heavily. Emma was speaking again and he looked up at her, not very shy of keeping eye contact.

Should I take that as a compliment?

He asked, his eyes glinting with amusement.

Hayden's one heck of a guard dog. Won't chase the postman but he'll bite anyone in the butt if they get too close. Including myself.

He winked, grinning as he looked down at Hayden, who was oblivious as he continued to lean into Logan's hand.

[Emmaline]

Emma nodded and laughed slightly. ”Yeah I guess you can say that.” She said smiling at him. She was definitely getting more comfortable around him, even though she barely knew him. Her mind just didn’t connect him to the guys back home, which was a good thing. She knew he was different, she just couldn’t figure out why. ”Thanks though.” She said when he had said welcome to Lohunt. ”It’s nice here, I like it.” She said smiling still. ”Completely different from my old home.” She said shrugging then. But it was a good different to her, a more friendly, safe, different to her.

Emma couldn’t help but notice how nice he seemed, in New York people didn’t care about others. They didn’t really bother you for the most part unless you bothered them. But that could be bad at times, when the wrong people got too close. She sighed slightly and ran her hand through her hair again, trying to shake the thoughts from her head. She couldn’t be thinking about that right now, it might bring tears to her eyes again which was never good. She ran her hand through her hair a lot when she was nervous, it had kind of become a habit for her. Emma smiled at the dog, it was a very pretty dog, she liked it. ”Yeah. It means you’re a good person, someone who cares. I mean if you didn’t take care of the dog it wouldn’t protect you. So it’s a good thing.” She said smiling a little bigger at him. She laughed slightly at what he said. ”Well that’s good.” She said nodding slightly at him.

[robbs]

Logan nodded as she mentioned how different it was in Lohunt. He could very well say the same, but then again, it was also very similar. He came from a fairly small town. Everyone knew his family's business, including the fact that he had never known his father - he'd been in jail since before Logan was born.

You can say that again.

Different - no one knowing your business. Well, for the time being. As I say, Logan was brutally honest, so you could get anything out of him if you put on those big doe eyes.

His smile remained rather generously plastered to his lips, never waning. He finally lifted his hand as Hayden's attention wavered from Logan's affection. He crossed his arms over his chest, watching as Emma ran her hand through her hair again. He wasn't very good at reading body language or any of that stuff, but something about the way she did it told him that she was nervous, or he might just be imagining it.

No, no. The good thing is that I don't wear boxers with little hearts on 'em, or else the whole town back in Arizona would know about it.

He chuckled, looking down at Hayden then back up at Emma.

Oh, and he's Hayden, by the way.

[Emmaline]

Emma saw him nod and wondered where he was from, but she didn’t want to pry so she wasn’t going to ask, not until she knew him longer then a few minutes. That would be better then just asking now. Emma wondered how fast news spread around here, in New York it didn’t spread really fast unless it was bad, but this was a small town, she’d never lived in a small town before. Back in New York the only people who really knew about her family was her family and their friends, their horrible friends at that. She nodded at him and chuckled slightly when he said you can say that again. She knew it fit for most people. She was really starting to like Logan, which was different, but it was in a good way. She wasn’t sure how much she’d trust him with, but it was more then she’d trust most people she’d just met.

Emma looked down at her hands and saw she was still holding the rock. She bit her bottom lip slightly and tossed it into the lake before looking back at him. She put her hands into her pockets then, not sure what to do. She just didn’t want to hold the rock anymore, but without she didn’t have something to keep busy with. She laughed at what he said then and shook her head slightly. ”Yeah I guess that is a good thing.” She said grinning and still laughing slightly. She now knew where he was from, or that he’d been in Arizona for a time being. She looked at the dog then back at him. ”Hayden, that’s a nice name.” She said smiling. ”A very pretty dog too.” She said looking at the dog then back at him.

[robbs]

Hayden went on attention as soon as she tossed the rock, standing up onto all four paws and watching as the rock landed with a dull thump into the water. He barked, so fierce and enthusiastic that his front paws left the ground. He ran after the rock, leaving the two of them alone as he bounded after what he probably presumed was a ball. Logan watched in amusement, running his hand through his hair to comb it back out of his eyes.

Logan watched Hayden as he went off, listening as Emma spoke. Without warning he burst out laughing, having to recover to speak, calling out to Hayden who was nosing around in the lake shallows.

Hear that Hayden, you're real pretty, man.

Hayden didn't pay attention, but Logan found this hilarious. He looked back at Emma, his grin waning a bit as he realised he had been a bit rude.

Sorry about that, but that's the first time anyone has called him pretty.

His smile wasn't exactly debonair, but he tried to warn off any unattractive sides of him. Sure, he had matured over the years, but sometimes a habit was a habit. And as they all say, habits are hard to break.

[Emmaline]

Emma watched as Hayden stood up and followed the rock. She laughed and shook her head, she hadn’t expected him to go after it into the water, that’s why she’d thrown it that way. She crossed her arms across her chest and watched the dog laughing, this was probably the most she’d laughed in awhile, probably the most she’d ever laughed truthfully. The wind was still blowing slightly and had started to pick up a little, cause her to get a little cold. She had left her jacket at home, figuring she wouldn’t need it. She pushed some of her hair out of her face so she could see. She looked at Logan who was laughing before she looked back at the dog. She couldn’t help but think he looked really cute laughing and smiling.

Emma heard Logan laughed out of nowhere and looked at him a little confused, wondering what had been so funny. She looked back at the dog watching him a little, she wasn’t sure if she should laugh or not. Emma looked back at Logan then to seen him calming down slightly. She kind of cocked her head and looked at him, still curious as to what had been so funny. She shook her head slightly and chuckled when he said that was the first time someone had called him pretty. ”Well I didn’t know how else to describe a dog.” She said shrugging slightly. She really hadn’t, she could have said handsome but that was just weird to her, that’s how you describe a person not a dog.