***
“You didn’t tell me Tess was such a babe.” Dylan left the wedding cake on the floor in the front of Logan’s truck. They’d debated where to leave it before settling on the safest place they could think of.
“You didn’t ask.”
“A six-foot blonde goddess deserves a mention or two. Or were you worried a more worthy man might whisk her out from under your nose?” Dylan took one of the takeout coffees Logan was holding. He opened the door to the back of the truck and slid into the seat.
Logan stood on the sidewalk and stared at him through the open window. “Does this mean you’re coming with me to the hospital?”
Dylan slicked back his hair and grinned. “I’m coming to the wedding, too. Kristine invited me.”
“You do realize why the wedding’s tonight?”
“Yeah, I know.” The smile fell off Dylan’s face. “It mustn’t be easy for them.”
“At least we can help make it something special.” Logan walked to the driver’s side of the cab and started the truck. Dylan didn’t say anything more until they were heading toward the hospital.
“So tell me about Tess. I take it she’s single? It goes without saying that she’s drop dead gorgeous. Does she have a sister?”
“Do you have anything on your mind except women?”
“It keeps me from thinking about anything else.”
The truth in Dylan’s words made Logan’s foot slip off the accelerator. The truck lurched forward.
“Is the cake okay?”
“I hope so or one of us will be in trouble.” For a second, Logan imagined all of the frosting splattered across the inside of the box. Tess and Annie would kill him. He glanced down at the cake. It was sitting at an odd angle on the floor. He couldn’t remember what it had looked like before his accelerator slip.
Dylan leaned forward. “And we both know who’ll be in trouble the most.”
Logan looked over his shoulder. Dylan looked smug in the knowledge that it wouldn’t be his head on the chopping block.
Dylan cleared his throat. “So, getting back to Tess. How long have you known her?”
“About a year.”
“You’ve known her a year and haven’t said anything?”
Logan thought he’d better set Dylan straight on where his relationship with Tess sat. A big, fat nowhere was where. “She’s not my girlfriend. She hates reporters, although I think she’s getting used to me. She likes Chinese takeout, but feels guilty eating it when she’s such a good cook. She’s done some modeling, owns Angel Wings café and lived with her grandparents for a few years.”
“You got her shoes size and dental records in there somewhere?”
“At least I pay attention to the important things.”
Dylan laughed. “And Chinese takeout is so important.”
“Don’t laugh too hard, you’ll give yourself a hernia.”
“It’s just as well we’re turning into the hospital parking lot.”
Logan wasn’t going to attempt to divert Dylan’s attention away from where his brain had taken him. At least he could joke about Logan’s miserable attempt to get to know Tess better. Neither of them had dated in so long that it felt good to laugh about something that involved a woman.
“Does Connie’s mom know we’re leaving the cake with her?” Dylan asked.
“I hope so.” He knew Tess had Connie’s cell phone number. Whether she’d thought to let Connie know they were on their way was another story. “I’ll give Tess a call.”
Dylan jumped out of the truck as soon as Logan found a parking space. “Don’t worry. We’ll go to Connie’s mom’s hospital room. If something has happened, or it’s not going to work, we’ll revert to plan B.”
“Plan B?”
Dylan looked at Logan as though the answer was as plain as the nose on his face. “Hide the cake under a table.”
“I can see why you work in security.” He watched Dylan carefully lift the cake box out of the truck. “Whatever you do, don’t drop it.”
“You wouldn’t be trying to jinx me, would you?”
Logan locked the truck and followed Dylan across the parking lot. The last thing Connie and her family needed was more bad luck. So he walked beside his friend, opened the doors and navigated around anything that could make Dylan drop the box.