“Works for me,” I said excitedly as he placed the keys in my hand.
“Be gentle with her.”
Now I was the one rolling my eyes. Men and their cars. He and Luke would get along well. “You got it. And be gentle with that kid in there.”
He chuckled. “Not my fault he can’t stand a little pain.”
“Right. I’m sure it’s more than a little.”
I’d started walking away when he asked, “You don’t have any, I take it?”
“Tattoos?” My brows shot up.
“Yeah.” He grinned.
I shook my head. “No, not my thing.”
“Well, if you change your mind, let me know. It’s on me.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said, turning back away toward Logan’s room.
Once I was dressed and climbing into Jax’s Mustang, I sent a text to Luke.
What time can I bring Scout by?
His reply came when I was halfway to Main Street.
Anytime. I took a sick day.
A sick day? He’d seemed fine twenty-four hours earlier.
Are u sick?
Who’s asking lol
I smiled as I replied.
I take that as a skip day then.
Whatever u want to call it. I’m home so bring him by any time. Apt 20A
K be there in an hour.
I arrived at Logan’s office after shooting him a text saying I’d bring lunch by if he didn’t have plans. To my pleasure, he didn’t. We ate tucked away in his office with clothes strewn about, the door locked and blinds shut.
“I better go.” I stood, grabbing my bra that had been tossed over his desk chair.
“Why?” he asked. His eyes were closed peacefully.
“Because you need to work,” I replied, giggling.
His eyes shot open, and he dragged me back down. “I could use another break.”
“As tempting as that is, I have to pick up Scout.” Reluctantly, I pulled away and straightened myself, scanning the room for my shirt.
“Now? I thought that was this evening.”
“It was, but Luke took the day off so I told him I’d bring him by…” I checked the clock. “…twenty-five minutes ago.”
With a groan, he sat up. “Too bad. I haven’t had my fill.”
“You rarely do.” I smiled.
“Very true.”
“I’ll see you tonight—unless you have some wild Friday-night plans out on the town.” I hopped into my pants.
He thought it over, a wicked gleam in his eyes. “I could take you out. Anywhere you want to go.”
Standing over him, I watched as he buried his head in my navel. “How about a movie night with Oliver, and after his bedtime…”
He looked up at me with a soft smile. “I love that you care for my son…that you truly care for him.”
“Always,” I told him before stepping out of his hold to find my blouse.
Logan stood gloriously naked. “He’s excited about our surprise for you tomorrow.”
“Right, the one where I have to wear an old turtleneck and ratty sweater. How could I forget?”
His smile grew as he gazed at me with a look that seared my soul. “Stay with me through the weekend,” he murmured.
“I can’t.”
“Why not?” he asked, sliding on his shirt.
I stepped back to him and placed my hands on his biceps, which bulged against the silky fabric. “Because on the way here, I called the school to confirm I return next Monday and they said I could return this Monday instead if I was up for it.”
A frown settled over his lips. “Were you talking on your cell while driving?”
“What?” My brows furrowed.
“You said it was on your way here, which implies that you were talking while driving.”
I snorted. “That’s what you took from what I just said?”
He was deadly serious. “My girl putting herself at risk is the only thing that struck a chord.”
His concern for me warmed me to my toes. “Your girl, hm?” I whispered across his lips.
“My girl, my angel, my lover. So many descriptions, but only one question remains.” His head moved back slightly so he could read my eyes. “Were you talking while driving on snow-covered roads?”
My shoulders sagged. “Yes, okay, but I was at a light for most of that time. And for the record, I can look out for myself. I’ve been doing it for quite a while now.”
His lip quirked, his arms encircling me. “I know, but now you have help. So tell me about this parked-at-a-light explanation. Are you lying?”
“Maybe,” I muttered, my eyes cast downward.
He chuckled, and I jumped when his hand swatted my ass. He kissed the tip of my nose and murmured, “You’re so damn adorable.”
“I thought I was hot,” I teased, kissing his jaw.
“You’re everything I could want and more.” He kissed me softly, then moved away to grab his pants. “So, are you sure you’re ready to return to school?”
“More than ready, which is why I can’t stay through the weekend. But I will till Saturday night. I need Sunday to get organized.”
“Spend Saturday night with me, and I’ll release you bright and early Sunday.”
“Release me?” My brow cocked.
“What would you call it—set you free to return every evening?”
My teeth dug into my bottom lip to catch the laughter that was bubbling inside me. “You might want to skip the poetry.”
Finally fully dressed, I grabbed my coat and purse and placed a kiss to his lips as he stepped into his trousers.
“See you later, lover,” I purred.
“Looking forward to it.” His eyes glistened with adoration, and I sauntered out his door with an intoxicating high.
Scout slept soundly in the passenger seat, his head resting on my bag. The vet had explained everything I needed to know to help him heal quickly and safely, and had even given me a printout for Luke.
I stroked his back, wishing I could take him home. It wasn’t an option, though. I wouldn’t do that to Oliver—or Scout.
Once I’d parked at Luke’s apartment building, I scooped up Scout, swaddled him in a thick blanket, and made my way upstairs, cradling him like a baby.
The apartment wasn’t hard to find; it was the first one on the second floor. After I knocked once, Luke opened the door looking anything but sick. He stepped aside, allowing me to enter, and there sitting on his futon was Julia.
“Hey Cassandra,” she said cheerfully, standing and approaching me.
I should’ve felt surprised to see her, but instead I was simply happy for them. There was a natural vibe between them that spoke more loudly than anything else. They’d be good together.
Julia cupped Scout’s face. “Hey there, buddy. How you feeling?”
“He’s still a little sore, but he seems happy to be out of that place,” I explained. My gaze was on Luke, however. He was standing slightly behind Julia, admiring her kindness for Scout.
She looked up to me. “I bet. They don’t like to be out of their comfort zone for too long. We had a dog growing up, and he hated whenever we were away or he’d have to go to the vet.” She looked away thoughtfully. “Miss him. He was family.”
“What was his name?” Luke asked sweetly.
“Larry.” She looked back at Scout, a cautious grin tugging at her lips.
“Larry?” I laughed.
“Did you name him?” Luke asked.
She released a breath, obviously debating whether she wanted to answer. My curiosity was piqued.
“No, I would have preferred something stylish for him. Larry, however…” Her body suddenly shook with laughter. “You don’t want to know.”
“Oh, no you don’t! Now you have to tell us,” Luke teased.
“Maybe you should ask Logan,” she suggested.
I slouched down on the futon and petted Scout, who was on my lap. “No, no, I’d rather hear this now
.” I chuckled, readying myself for what could have Julia of all people chewing her perfect nails.
“All right. Larry was the name of Logan’s imaginary friend,” she confessed.
Luke spit out his laughter and I sat there staring, my eyes wide, jaw dropped. Logan had an imaginary friend?
“Shut. Up!” I gasped.
Julia sat beside me, stroking Scout’s tail. “Swear to God. Drove my dad nuts, or so I was told. I wasn’t born yet, but Lawrence still cracks on him about it. Dad bought the dog supposedly so there was a real Larry for Logan to talk to.”
I was laughing so hard my chest ached, and my breath was all but lost. “Now that’s adorable! How old was he?”
She raised her shoulders. “Don’t know. I think six or seven? Larry was already there when I was born.”
“I can’t picture a little Logan having an imaginary friend,” I said, sitting back.
“Me either, but good to know,” Luke said, his expression revealing obvious amusement.
“He’ll kick your ass if you tease him,” Julia warned with a smile. “Lawrence is the only one that gets away with it, and even still, Logan hates it.”
“Wow, the things I learn about your brother,” I said, my smile still locked in place.
“Oliver had one too,” she explained.
“Seriously? An imaginary friend?”
“Yeah, which means when you and Logan have a child—which will be named after me, FYI, in case you forgot—I’d keep an eye on that.”
Julia and Luke were both snickering, but my laugh had ended abruptly.
“Lovely,” I grumbled. Logan and me, with a child? I wasn’t ready for all that just yet.
Scout limped out of my lap and collapsed down on the couch against Julia.
“He likes you,” Luke said, leaning against the wall and watching her.
“I’m glad. I like you too,” she cooed, petting his ears.
I pulled the paper bag from the vet out of my purse and stood, holding it out to Luke. “Here’s everything you need to know, and some meds they gave him.”
He nodded and walked the bag to the kitchen table. I followed.
“You don’t feel good, huh? Well, I’ll come by every day until you do,” we heard Julia promise Scout.
Once Luke and I were in the space designated as the kitchen but still in the same room as Julia, he spoke. “Don’t worry about him. We got it. How long you thinking he’ll be here?” The look he shot me told me the longer, the better.
I smiled. “At least a week. The vet said dogs heal quickly, but until he’s at full strength it’s best he stay here.”
“No problem. I don’t mind at all.” He leaned in and whispered, “I need you to feel her out for me.”
“What? When?” I blew out in a hushed voice, staring nervously back at the living room only a few feet away. Could she hear us?
“I’ll go get some blankets to make him a bed,” Luke said more loudly than necessary, eyeing me for my understanding.
Okay, I guess now is when. I gave a slight nod and watched him leave, disappearing into his bedroom. Reluctantly, I turned to Julia, considering my words carefully.
“Thanks for helping him with Scout,” I started.
“Of course. I’m more than happy to.” She glanced at the bedroom door Luke had disappeared behind, then back at me. “He’s a good guy,” she said softly.
I stepped closer, my hands kneading together. “He is—which is why I’m curious if you’re, you know, interested in him…I mean, as more than friends.”
Her gaze dropped back to Scout as she released a heavy sigh. “There’s no point to it.”
I sat back down beside her. “No point in dating someone you like who likes you back?”
She perked up, but only slightly. “He told you that?”
“He did, but he didn’t need to. It’s obvious. You have to see that.”
“Maybe in time we can be more, but for now I don’t want to ruin things,” she said, looking completely miserable.
“Ruin things how? Did something happen?”
Her hand stilled on Scout’s back. “Yeah, Logan happened. I’m not going to let him get to Luke like he did Mark.”
My spine straightened painfully. “Get to him?” I breathed.
She looked right at me, fury written all over her face. “Logan thinks he can control my life, but eventually it will backfire on him,” she spit out. “Wait and see.”
“Okay, so this is the most comfortable blanket I could find,” Luke announced, strolling back out of his room.
Still processing Julia’s words, I was surprised she’d already cleared away her irritation and replaced it with a polished smile directed at Luke. Everyone needed a calming force in their lives, and it seemed Luke provided that for her.
I, however, was unsure what to say. What had Logan done to Mark? Seemed Jax and I weren’t the only ones with secrets in Harmony.
Luke placed the neatly folded blanket on the floor, then sat on the other side of Julia, Scout between them.
“Well, looks like he’s in good hands,” I said, standing and grabbing my bag. “I better get going. Thanks again.”
Luke leapt up. “I’ll walk you out.”
I nodded and gave Julia a tight smile. She deserved to be happy, and Luke was the right guy for that. I was determined to help that happen.
“So, do I have a shot?” he whispered, holding the door for me.
“Yeah, you do. Just give her some time.” And give me time to talk to Logan. I’ll set this straight.
“I owe you one.” Luke’s grin was optimistic, and I was pretty sure I was his new favorite person.
“Consider us even for you taking care of Scout.” It was a win-win in my book.
Chapter Thirteen
Calamities
After calling out a quick goodbye to Scout and Julia, I made my way downstairs to the parking lot. My thoughts were lost on possibilities of what Logan could’ve done to Mark that had Julia so put off. The last time I’d seen my ex was at Haven, where Logan was detained in the kitchen, nearly destroying the place trying to get to Mark. It was clear he didn’t like the guy. I didn’t mind, but whatever had happened between Logan and Julia needed to be worked out.
“Shit!”
A loud shattering noise followed the curse, and I spotted Natasha standing beside her car. The box in her hands had broken open at the bottom, and shards of glass surrounded her feet.
I had two choices: continue to my car and pretend I never saw, or…
“You need some help?” I asked, walking over. Typical. It’d always been in my nature to be the nice one.
She peered up at me, her eyes squinting in the bright sunlight. “Uh, yeah actually. But I’m sure you’re busy. I got it.” She shoved the empty box in the passenger seat and shut the door.
My lips pulled up, my smile tight but friendly. “I don’t mind, really. I’ve got some time, and I just moved last year so I know how much fun it can be.” I stopped at her trunk, eyeing the massive box waiting to be hauled out. There was no way she should carry it by herself. Even if it was filled with pillows, it looked too large to be handled by one person. “Grab the other side?”
“Thanks, but I say we take these first.” She handed me a smaller box from the backseat that was more my size. “That one is gonna be a pain.” Natasha gestured toward the trunk. “Feel free to walk away now.”
She laughed, and I relaxed.
“Nope. I said I’d help, so let’s do this.”
Natasha grabbed a vase from the backseat, shut the door, and led the way.
Surprisingly, she lived only three apartments down from Luke. I blanched internally at the thought of her and Julia running into each other regularly. I could only hope it wouldn’t put a damper on Julia’s visits with Luke.
Natasha’s apartment was standard but a slightly different design than Luke’s, with a small combined kitchen and dining room, tiny living room, and hall with three doors. That was the differ
ence—his had only two doors. I assumed one was a bathroom, and the others…
“Two bedrooms?”
She nodded, placing the vase on the counter. “Yeah. I know Logan isn’t going to let Oliver stay the night anytime soon, but I hope that will change eventually. I want him to feel at home here, and it wouldn’t feel right if he didn’t have his own room.”
A smile broke out on my face.
“You want to see?” she asked, excitement in her tone.
“Sure.” I wasn’t sure there would be anything to see, since she was just moving in and boxes lined the walls, but I was proven wrong as soon as she opened Oliver’s door.
You’d never guess a room so perfect was situated in a small-town apartment. It was fully furnished and decorated, complete with a wallpaper border of dinosaurs running along the center of the walls. There was a twin-sized bed against the wall, with a maple side table that held a lamp boasting a giant T-rex surrounded by miniature dinosaur figurines. On the other side of the room were a dresser and bookshelf loaded with a mix of children’s novels and toys. And above the bed, wooden letters hung, spelling out OLIVER.
I was in awe. It rivaled his room at Logan’s house.
“It’s…perfect. He’ll love it.”
“I know. I spent all day yesterday shopping, and then stayed up till two this morning decorating. He said he and Logan like to play dinosaurs.”
I turned away from the Pottery Barn-styled showroom and looked to her. “They do. I think it’s their little thing.”
“Well, now we’ll share that.”
Maybe it was just me, but the way her lips pinched together when she’d said those words bordered on disturbing.
“We should get that box from the trunk,” I said, leaving the room.
I didn’t want to dislike her, despite having every reason in the world to be cautious. She was Oliver’s mother, and at the end of the day he needed to have one other person who could at least stand to have her around. For him, I would be that person—or at least try to be.
“Can I ask you a question?” Natasha asked as we walked through the living room.
“Sure.” I stopped and turned back, my routine smile in place.
“I volunteered to help out in the PTA last month when I moved here and haven’t heard anything back. How does that usually work?”