~ ALLIE ~
I’ve sunken into Logan’s sheets and I’m not sure if I’ll ever get up. Logan’s showering and I already did the same—my second shower of the day and a pretty quick one, considering we’re running late now for his parent’s dinner. But I’m still naked on top of his bed, unable to get the strength to get dressed.
I feel the tug of sleep pull me in, till I hear the buzz of Logan’s phone go off next to me on the nightstand.
I didn’t intend to see the message that popped up. I’ll swear to my dying day that I was just glancing that way to see what time it was. But I’m looking at it now, and it’s got my stomach in knots.
“I’ve still got a crab cake and a flute of champagne with your name on it. You better be there.”
I wouldn’t think too much about the message. Really, I wouldn’t. But the tiny photo displayed next to the name “Maeve” has me instantly feeling small and homely.
She’s gorgeous. Someone much more suitable for a guy like Logan.
And she’s invited him to some fancy dinner.
I shake off the feelings of jealousy as he steps out of the bathroom with a smile. A smile for me. Not for Maeve.
She is probably just some old girlfriend, reaching out to him with the hopes of reconciliation. Who could blame her?
My brow creases, remembering. Wasn’t that the name of his interior designer friend? So it might be completely innocent.
It might be.
I act like there’s nothing wrong as I get ready for dinner. I know he sees I’m nervous, but considering I’m meeting his parents for the first time, I’m reasonably justified.
“You’re late, bro.” Ryan’s eyes are narrow on his brother as we finally walk up the front pathway that leads to double entry doors. I’m beyond intimidated by their house. It’s borderline palatial, like one of those homes I see on design shows on TV, the kind that makes you want to take your shoes off at the door and speak in hushed, reverent tones.
“I am,” Logan answers.
“Nice to see you again, Allie. Hannah is out back with my dad playing badminton. She’ll be so happy to see you.”
I almost crack a smile at Ryan’s tone. He always seems to speak as though we are in a business meeting. Even at Buckeye Land, he looked like he was sizing the place up for a hostile takeover. He would intimidate the hell out of me if I hadn’t also seen the way he is with Hannah.
“I can’t wait to see her, too,” I reply as I see Logan’s mother approach.
“Allie!” Her arms are outstretched and she envelops me in a maternal hug.
My heart feels a tug, the feel of her arms around me making me miss my mother, and I make a mental note to call her first thing in the morning.
“Welcome to our home,” she says as we step inside. The soft, silver hair framing her face seems to showcase her striking blue eyes—the same eyes as I see on Logan. Her face is stunning, but not flawless by any means. She seems to have embraced her age with such dignity, and because of it, she looks all the younger and more beautiful for it.
I want to be like her when I grow up.
“Thank you so much for having me,” I tell her.
“You couldn’t be more welcome. I don’t think I’ve ever known Logan to bring a girl home to us since he was sixteen. So you must be someone really special.”
“Mom,” I hear Logan protest as his brother laughs behind him. It’s funny how a mother can turn a hardened SEAL warrior into a shame-faced little boy.
“Logan!”
Another man approaches us from the back door. I recognize Dylan from the picture Logan showed me and all I can think is how this family won the genetic lottery when it comes to looks. He’s an inch or two shorter than Logan, but broader in the chest, even though I didn’t think that was possible. His hair seems golden compared to Logan and Ryan’s darker hair, but his eyes are the same piercing blue.
Logan gives his brother a hug. “Damn, Dylan, you get bigger every time I see you. You gain any more muscle and how will I kick your ass next time you cheat at poker?”
“It’s that new equipment I got in the gyms. It’s sick, Logan. You’d love it, if you’d ever get your ass to one of my gyms to try it out.” He glances my way and extends his hand. “You must be Allie. Hannah’s been chatting you up quite a bit in the backyard. I think she’s your biggest fan.”
“Second biggest fan,” Logan counters, wrapping his arms around my waist. “How about I get you a glass of wine, baby?”
I nearly have to resuscitate myself from his use of an endearment like that in front of his family. I glance over at the kitchen table and see another glass of wine and a couple bottles of beer sitting unattended. So long as I’m not the only one drinking. “Yes, that would be nice. Thanks.” I sound a little breathless—must be because I’ve never been around so many handsome men in my life, and certainly never been able to go home with the hottest one of the group.
I try to not let my eyes wander around the room as I am talking to his mother about my dog rescue. But it’s hard. The living room is lavish, with stunning oil paintings showcased by recessed lighting, a few sculptures displayed on built-in shelving, and a jaw-dropping stacked stone fireplace as the centerpiece of the room.
I hear a chuckle coming from the back entrance and I bite my lip as I see Logan’s dad approach, being dragged by his granddaughter.
“My granddaughter says there’s some kind of hero here in our house.” He extends his hand to me as Hannah lunges toward me with a hug. “Jake Sheridan, Allie. Splendid to meet you.”
Logan’s father is strikingly handsome with the same wide jaw and sculpted cheekbones as his sons. Though his smile is genuine, I can’t imagine having to face down this man in a boardroom or at a business meeting. He has the same intimidating look as Ryan, even in his polo shirt and crisp khaki-colored pants. But his voice, his stature, his air of command reminds me of Logan.
My heart is touched with sympathy for this man at the thought of him facing a diagnosis of vascular dementia. I’ve known him a matter of seconds, yet I can already tell that the idea of being helpless or dependent would be unacceptable to a man like him.
I try to focus on his smile as we talk, pushing back the image of his future. Logan is right. He is a charmer, listening to me talk about my dogs as though my tiny nonprofit is as significant to this town as JLS Heartland.
We eat barbeque ribs on the back porch, and I can’t resist helping myself to another scoop of mashed potatoes. Logan’s mother—Anna, she asked that I call her—makes them with some of the skin left on and a hint of roasted garlic bringing the flavor to a whole new level.
We play badminton for a while, and Ryan, Hannah, and I catch fireflies while Logan talks to his parents on the back porch. I can tell I’m the topic of the conversation from the way he is looking at me, and he blows me a kiss that takes my breath away.
Logan, his brothers, and I step into the living room while his parents stay with Hannah, who has dozed off on the porch swing. They talk sports and I pretend to show an interest for a while until I retreat to the kitchen to refill my drink.
As I return, I catch Ryan talking to Logan. “The papers should be signed this week,” he says gravely. “So I’ll tell her next weekend.”
Logan nods stoically while Dylan gives Ryan a swift thump on the shoulder.
“That’s good. It’ll be hard. But it’s good.”
Ryan is nodding, but looking unconvinced. “Logan, can I have Maeve’s number? I was thinking I’d do something to Hannah’s room. Really make it special—like a fairy castle theme to sort of soften the blow.”
“Good idea, Ryan. She’ll do right by you. And can probably do it all by remote.” Logan pulls out his phone. “I’m texting you her contact info.” He sees me approach, and slides his hand lightly along my arm as I return to my seat next to him.
Dylan flashes a smile. “Logan, how the hell did you get so lucky? You know there are only about twelve single women in Newton’s Creek, don’t you?”
And just like that, the mood in the room brightens.
***
“They adored you,” Logan says as he joins me in his truck. He touches my hand lightly and my skin sizzles with awareness. I can’t wait to be alone with him.
“Do you really think so?”
“I know so.”
I bite my lower lip. “Can I ask you something?”
“Shoot.”
“What was Ryan talking about after Hannah fell asleep? Something about needing a designer for her room. Softening the blow of something?”
Logan nods slowly. “Hannah’s mom is remarrying. She decided she doesn’t want Hannah to live with them.”
“Why not?”
“Tired of her, she says. Hannah is a bit of a handful. Adriana says she’s tired of the complaints from the school. Teacher meetings. Doctor visits.”
“What a bitch,” I fire off without hesitation, and then cringe at my tone. “I mean, sorry—I don’t mean to be judgmental. But she doesn’t really sound like a prize of a mom.”
“She’s not. She says she wants to have more kids with this new guy. Start fresh.”
“Holy crap.”
“No kidding. Personally, I’m happy that Hannah is moving in permanently with Ryan, but it’ll be hard on her, settling in. And the kid has enough self esteem problems without her mom making her feel unwelcome. But in the long run, I think it will be for the best. Ryan’s scared shitless about it, though. He works killer hours, you know. Has to travel a lot to job sites in different states. Not sure how he’ll juggle being a CEO and a full-time dad.”
“If he needs help, I’m around a lot since I work from home.”
He takes my hand and gives me a squeeze. “Thanks. That will mean a lot to him.”
Frowning, I bite my lip again, working up the nerve. “Can I ask you something else?”
“’Course.”
“The designer you mentioned. She’s the one that decorated your place, too, right?”
“Yeah. Maeve.”
“So she’s a friend?”
“Good friend. You’d like her.”
I’m not so sure.
“Why not?”
Oh, shit. I said that aloud?
“I mean… oh, I don’t know what I mean.” I sigh in defeat. I’m so insecure.
He glances over at me. “Wait a sec? Are you jealous?”
Caught. “I’m just—ugh. How do I say this? I saw a text come in from her on your phone. I didn’t read it, of course. Just saw the first line or two, you know, because it pops up. Something about having a crab cake dinner with your name on it.”
He laughs. Hard. So hard that the shame I’m feeling at my jealousy is getting edged out by annoyance. “Hey. I can be as jealous as the next girl. And I saw her little photo pop up by the text. She’s freaking gorgeous. How am I supposed to feel?”
He’s still laughing. At a stoplight, he pulls his phone out of his pocket. “Pull up the texts from Maeve.”
“I’m not going to snoop in your phone.”
“Do it.”
I roll my eyes. I’m humiliated enough. He doesn’t need to make me feel worse. I tap on the texting icon and see her photo in contacts. Her model-like features have my stomach churning as I tap on her face and pull up a recent conversation.
“Scroll up a little bit.”
I do as he says, and see another photo that she sent him.
“Open that one.”
I do it and—holy crap, who is that hot guy with her? They look like some kind of Hollywood couple. Her, with her perfect hair and features, and eyes that could stop traffic. And him, with his pecs poking out of his t-shirt as he rows a tandem kayak. No, they don’t look like a Hollywood couple. They look like what a Hollywood couple wishes they looked like.
“Who’s he?” I ask, still staring at the phone.
“Her husband. Love of her life. Man she was destined to marry since birth, I’m thinking. And also a fellow Sailor. We served at the Naval Academy together.”
“Oh. I feel like an idiot.”
“Don’t. I’m actually kind of touched that you’d get jealous like that. It means you don’t want me to date other women, which by the way, I have no inclination to do.”
My heart goes pit-a-pat. Either that, or I’ve developed a heart murmur.
“Me neither,” I quickly tell him.
“Good. You’d actually like Maeve. She’s one of those people that everyone loves. She doesn’t have friends. Everyone is family to her, you know? She’s been harassing me about a wedding invitation.”
“Who’s getting married?”
“Her friend Bess. I met her a couple times. She’s a sweet kid. Quiet. Engaged to an Army guy. I think she has a little girl.”
“His kid?”
“I didn’t get that impression. Anyway, she doesn’t have a ton of family so Maeve’s gotten pretty desperate to fill up the bride’s side of the church, if you know what I mean.”
“Oh, you should go then. That can be really hard. She needs support.”
“You sound like Maeve. But really, I barely know Bess, and truth be known, I hate weddings. I RSVPed with a no ages ago, but Maeve’s pretty insistent.” He pauses. “Then again, it might be fun if I could tempt you into going with me.”
I sputter. “Oh, I can’t do that.”
“Come on. I’d love to show you Annapolis.”
“I can’t leave my dogs.”
“Cass will take care of them again. You can’t tell me she wouldn’t love to.”
He’s right about that. She’s been begging for more opportunities to get away from her apartment.
“It’s not for another week,” he continues. “So check your calendar, and talk to Nancy. If Nancy can’t give you a day off, I could get us a Friday night flight and have you home late Sunday.”
“I have an adoption event on Saturday.”
“And you have volunteers who could handle it for you.”
“I probably have a party scheduled Friday night.”
He raises his eyebrows. “And one of your friends could take over it, I’ll bet. Didn’t you say Kim is trying to earn more money? Come on, you’d love Annapolis.”
I probably would love it. I’d love anyplace if I went with him. “Okay. I’ll go,” I tell him, releasing a swarm of butterflies in my stomach.
Satisfied, he smiles. “So how did you like my crazy family?”
“Loved them,” I reply without hesitation. Being around the Sheridans makes me long for my own family dinners before my dad died.
I really should visit my mom more often—to build up some new family memories, I guess. She’s only a few hours away.
But she’s not at home. Not my home. I walk up to her house now and see a place she bought with her new husband, not my dad. I have no memories there. They fixed up a guest room so that I can visit, but it’s not my room, not where I drew misshapen unicorns on the walls with a permanent marker when I was six and had to stare at them for the remainder of my childhood long after I outgrew my unicorn stage. The doorways there don’t have the tiny etched marks where my dad tracked my height. The rooms don’t look out onto the maple tree that we planted as a sapling before I was even old enough to talk.
The house they bought is nice. But it’s not home to me in the least.
“Are you okay?” Logan asks as he looks over at me at a stoplight. “You seem a world away.”
“I’m fine. Sorry. I just got to missing my mom.”
“Why don’t you go for a visit? I can take care of your dogs.”
He makes it too easy for me, and that’s what I don’t need right now. “I should. I know. It’s just hard.”
“Because your dad’s not there.”
I shake my head. “No, actually. It’s more because some other guy is taking his place.”
“He’s not taking his place, Allie. No one will ever replace your father. Not to you. Not to your mother.”
I shrug. “I’m not so sure. She seems pretty happy.”
“And that makes you angry.”
“No,” I deny. I’m not that childish. Am I? “It just makes me… frustrated. Frustrated that she moved on so quickly. Did she even mourn him?”
“I’m sure she did. She was married to him for how long?”
“Almost twenty-five years.”
“Twenty-five years,” he repeats. “That’s a long time to wake up with someone in the same bed, Allie. That’s a long time to have someone to eat dinner with every night. With you gone, I can understand why her heart needed to find someone else.”
I never thought about it that way. I always thought that by replacing Dad, she was showing that she didn’t love him as much as I did. But maybe she loved him so much she needed someone to fill the void.
“You think?” I feel small for even thinking these thoughts.
“I’m sure.”
I press my lips together in thought. I will call my mom tomorrow, if for any other reason, to tell her about the wonderful man in my life. I know she’d want to know. And I want her to know.