Текст книги "Moonlight on Nightingale Way"

Автор книги: Samantha Young

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Текущая страница: 7 (всего у книги 19 страниц)

“I’ve heard a lot about you from Shannon and Cole,” Cam said, shaking my hand. “You take being a good neighbor to the next level.”

“You would know all about that,” Jo teased him as she pressed into his side. She smiled at me, and for a moment I was a little dazzled by her. “I’m Jo, Cole’s sister.”

I shook her hand as I looked up at her. She was tall and even taller in her four-inch heels. “It’s really nice to meet you both.”

I didn’t know what else to say. I felt a little intimidated by the gorgeous couple.

Luckily, Cole saved me by coming over to shake my hand. “Nice to see you again, Grace.”

I blushed.

He turned to Maia, who was at my side. “Maia.” He winked at her.

She blushed.

Logan groaned and glowered at his sister. “We need to get you a new fiancé.”

Shannon grinned, looking more than a tad smug. “He can’t help that he’s gorgeous.”

I think Maia and I blushed even harder.

“Oh God. Don’t be filling his head with that nonsense.” Cam gave Cole a teasing shove toward the table. “It’s big enough.”

“I’ll have you know I have just the right amount of ego,” Cole shot back before pulling out Shannon’s chair for her. I noted Cam did the same for Jo and Logan did the same for Maia.

It was such a gentlemanly thing to do. And here I thought chivalry was dead.

Before I could pull out my own chair, Logan slid around Maia’s and did it for me. I smiled at his kindness and settled in across from Jo.

“Where’s Belle?” Maia said immediately, looking disappointed.

I had to rack my brain, but I was sure Belle was Jo and Cam’s daughter.

“Oh, our friends Hannah and Marco are babysitting Belle. They have two boys and a daughter, Sophia, who is close to Belle’s age. They’re like cousins. They’re really close,” Jo explained.

“Hannah is Cole’s best friend,” Logan added for Maia’s benefit. “She’s a high school English teacher.”

Maia’s eyes widened. “At my school?”

Logan shook his head. “She doesn’t work there.”

“Thank God,” Maia murmured, and then blushed when everyone laughed. “Sorry. I just really don’t want to know one of my teachers outside of school.”

“Hannah can always help you though,” Cole said. “She’s happy to tutor after school.”

“Thanks, but Grace helps me with my English homework.” Maia grinned up at me, and now I had everyone’s attention.

“Oh? What do you do, Grace?” Cam said.

“I’m a freelance book editor. Mostly self-published fiction but some academic papers as well.”

“Really?” Jo leaned forward, looking extremely interested. “Our friend is a writer, and she’s thinking about self-publishing this series her publisher doesn’t want. She’s been looking for an editor.”

Yay for me! Dinner had suddenly turned into a potential client. “Oh, well, I’ll give you my number to give to her, and my Web site. What’s her name?”

“Jocelyn. She writes under ‘J. B. Carmichael.’”

My jaw dropped.

Jo snorted.

Her snort was quickly followed by muffled laughter around the table.

Clearly my face was a picture.

Considering J. B. Carmichael was a number-one Sunday Times bestseller, however, I think I was entitled to my surprise.

“You’re friends with J. B. Carmichael?” I said.

“This feels like déjà vu.” Cole grinned cheekily at Shannon, and she threw her napkin at him for some bizarre reason.

Jo ignored them. “Yes.” She smiled. “Can I still give her your number?”

“Wait.” I glanced down the table at Logan. “Is J. B. Carmichael our landlord, Braden – your boss’s

– wife?”

“Yeah.”

“And you just didn’t think it was important to mention that his wife was a bestselling author?”

Logan’s eyes glimmered with amusement. “Not really.”

“Have you not seen her flat?” Maia jumped in for me. “It’s, like, overflowing with books.

Including J. B. Carmichael’s books. You could have told her.”

Cole found this even more hilarious.

“Can we maybe stop calling her ‘J. B. Carmichael’?” Cam asked the whole table. “It’s weird.”

“Agreed.” Jo nodded and turned back to me. “Can I give Joss your number?”

Joss, I mouthed. “Joss.” I managed to utter the word. “Yes. Yes, you can definitely do that.”

Holy crap. There was a possibility J. B. Carmichael could be my client. That would look amazing on my Web site!

“We’ve lost her,” Logan said.

I rolled my eyes at him. “You have not. I’m here.” I grinned huge. “I’m just happier than I was ten minutes ago.”

He burst out laughing but was stopped from responding by the pretty waitress hovering over him.

She grinned down at him, cocking her hip toward him. Logan’s own grin deepened.

I felt an unpleasant sensation in my stomach.

“Can I get you guys drinks?” the waitress asked the table while looking into Logan’s eyes. She was just his type. Petite, blond, with exaggerated curves.

“Water for the table,” Logan said.

“Anything else?”

“Guys?” he asked us without taking his eyes off her.

I wanted to punch him.

Hard.

“I like your tattoo,” the waitress said. “Does it mean something?”

“It definitely means something.” He grinned suggestively at her.

Shannon shot him an annoyed look before turning to us. “A bottle of wine?”

We nodded.

“Red?” Jo asked.

We all nodded again.

“A bottle of the house red,” Logan said. “Maia.” He finally wrenched his eyes away from the waitress to look at Maia. He frowned when he found her glaring daggers at him. “What do you want to drink, sweetheart?”

Instead of answering, she buried her nose in her menu.

He looked at me for answers and I glanced down at Maia, unable to look him in the eye. I had no right to feel jealous or hurt by his flirting with another woman. Maia… she had a right to be confused by how it made her feel. I imagined right now she wanted Logan all to herself. “Diet Coke, sweetheart?” I asked her softly.

She nodded.

“Diet Coke,” I said, snapping open my own menu.

I heard him mutter the drink to the waitress, and as soon as she left, I felt his burning stare. I ignored it and looked up at Jo and Cam. “So Logan didn’t tell me what you two do for a living.”

“I work with my uncle Mick. I’m a painter and decorator,” Jo said.

This surprised me, but I tried to hide it. I imagine looking the way she looked, she was used to people making all sorts of snap judgments about her. “That must be fun working with family.”

She nodded. “It can be, yeah.” She nudged Cam with her shoulder. “Cam’s a graphic designer.”

“Oh? Do you work for yourself or…?”

“Both. I work for a marketing company full-time, but I also codesign with multimedia artists.”

I knew Cole was famous in the tattoo industry because he was the top artist at INKarnate, a tattoo studio in Edinburgh of national acclaim. I wondered if he was inspired by Cam and asked. From there the two of them kept me entertained, with Jo and Shannon interjecting every now and then, but I was very aware of a silently pissed-off Maia at my side and her confused father on her other side.

I was also aware it was time I started taking back my own life, because there was no if anymore regarding whether I was going to end up getting hurt. Only when.

CHAP TER 11

“W hy are you looking at me like that?” Maia said, throwing Logan and me a wary smile.

She’d come home from school to find us standing in my sitting room, waiting for her.

It was a week since I’d gone shopping with Logan, and it was his day off again. We’d spent it putting the finishing touches on Maia’s room.

Logan’s face was perfectly blank.

I refrained from grimacing at him and smiled brightly at his daughter instead. “Logan has a surprise for you.”

I wouldn’t hold his sudden lack of enthusiasm against him, because I knew underneath that stoic reserve, he was a pile of nerves. He wanted Maia’s room to be perfect for her.

Maia’s eyebrows rose at the announcement. “Okay.”

“This way,” Logan piped up, marching toward her. He put his hands on her shoulders, gently turned her around, and put his hands over her eyes. He started guiding her out of my flat. She giggled, and I saw his shoulders relax a little.

I hurried past them to get my door and laughed at them as Logan attempted to guide her out. She tripped on the doorjamb, and Logan’s arms went around her to stop her from falling. She craned her neck to look back up at him, laughing, and he grinned down at her.

“Maybe I’ll just cover your eyes once we’re in our flat.”

She didn’t miss the emphasis he put on the word “our,” and she turned back to me with bright eyes.

“Come on, then.” I hurried ahead and opened Logan’s door.

Once we were all inside, Logan insisted on covering her eyes again, and it took them twice as long to get through the flat to Maia’s room. He guided her in and said, “I hope you like it, sweetheart,” and then removed his hands from her eyes.

Maia blinked a number of times, her eyes growing rounder and rounder as she gazed at her new bedroom.

Logan had painted the whole room a soft, soothing green. The white Shaker bed was centered to the room, and we’d found matching bedside cabinets, bureau, and wardrobe. In the corner of the room was a small, extremely cute green velvet reading chair I’d fallen in love with and promised Logan Maia would love too. I’d dressed her bed in a white cotton duvet set that was trimmed in forest green and champagne. Draped across the bottom of the bed was a forest green velvet throw, and I’d arranged five scatter cushions in all shapes and sizes, in greens and champagne, on top of her pillows.

Pretty gold lamps with silk champagne shades set off her bedside cabinets, and I’d bought her some perfume and makeup and arranged it on her bureau. In her many conversations about Leigh and Layla, I’d discovered who her favorite bands were. We’d found posters for a few of them, framed them, and put them on the walls. Above her bed was a piece of canvas abstract art that was painted in the colors we’d decorated her room in.

We waited with bated breath for her reaction.

The wonder on her face suddenly dissolved into tears.

Logan shot me a panicked look.

I smiled at him in reassurance and before I could say anything Maia slowly walked over to him, her mouth trembling, her chest heaving as she tried to control the tears, and she threw her arms around him. Right then she seemed so much a little girl, and tears pricked my eyes.

Logan relaxed into the hug, holding her securely in his strong arms. He kissed the top of her head and said softly, “I take it that means you like it?”

She nodded against his chest. “I love it. It’s beautiful.” Her mumbled praise rose up to reach our ears. There were a few more sniffles and choked emotions before she pulled away from her dad and swiped at her cheeks. “Thank you.”

My heart squeezed in my chest when I realized Logan’s eyes were bright with emotion. He cupped her face and whispered, “Welcome home, sweetheart.”

I couldn’t stop the tears and, frankly, I wasn’t ashamed of them. I was so moved to be a part of this moment.

Maia smiled shakily at me. “I better go pack.”

“Yeah.”

She rushed toward me and hugged me tight before hurrying out of the flat.

And just like that I found myself wrapped in Logan’s arms. I made a startled noise before relaxing into him. Sliding my own arms around him, I tried not to think about how warm and strong he felt against me, the muscles in his back hard beneath my fingertips. He smelled bloody wonderful too.

Damn it.

The hug didn’t last nearly long enough. He pulled back but not to step away. Instead he cupped my face in his hands like he had done Maia, and his thumbs swiped at the tear tracks on my cheeks. I felt a little lost looking up into his beautiful eyes. “There’s no way for me to thank you properly,” he said, his voice gruff.

“You don’t have to thank me,” I whispered, struggling to find the strength to speak up over the reaction my body was having to his nearness.

I was tingling.

All over.

In places Logan really shouldn’t be making me tingle.

Those tingles turned to full-on shivers as he lowered his hands, his thumbs whispering a trail down my neck and along my collarbone. He let go, only to settle his hands on my waist.

My lips parted in surprise, drawing his gaze.

I couldn’t breathe.

A vibrating noise shattered the intensity of the moment, and I frowned in confusion.

Logan stepped back, no longer meeting my eyes. “My phone,” he muttered, digging into his jeans pocket for it.

More than a little discombobulated by what had or had not just happened, I started backing out of the room. “I’ll just, uh… go see how Maia is getting on.”

Shaking my head, I hurried out of the flat.

What the hell had that been?

He wasn’t all flirty, so it couldn’t have been sexual. In fact, I knew for certain it wasn’t sexual, because he wasn’t attracted to me. I shook my head again and charged into my flat, suddenly annoyed.

I wish the man wouldn’t be so bloody affectionate with me!

That was it. I’d been right a week ago at the restaurant when he’d flirted with the waitress. Sure, as soon as Maia went into a huff with him over it, he stopped it, but it still reminded me of a very important fact.

I was not Logan MacLeod’s type. I never would be.

And, frankly, in any other dimension he wouldn’t be my type. I’d been thrown at him in circumstances beyond my control.

Well, no more!

I needed to create distance from him without creating distance with Maia. I could do it.

I had to do it.

Shoving the moment out of my head, I moved into the doorway of my guest room to see Maia packing her clothes into the suitcase I’d left out for her. “Nearly ready?”

She looked up and gave me a tremulous smile.

“Sweetie, are you all right?”

She shrugged, and then she was crying again. “I’m going to miss you.”

I walked into the room and drew her into my arms. “I am not going anywhere. I will be right next door, and you can come see me anytime you want.”

I let her cry for a little while longer, and finally she pulled away to start packing again. “I’m a wee bit nervous,” she admitted.

“That’s perfectly natural. But you and Logan are going to have an amazing time making up for lost years.” I gave her a teasing smile. “Still, try to take it easy on him.”

Maia giggled and nodded. She gave me one last hug, and I walked her to the door. Logan was waiting in his doorway, and he came over to take the suitcase from her.

It was only a few steps, but it felt like miles as I watched him lead her across the landing. She gave me a watery smile and disappeared.

Logan nodded at me, and I gave him a little wave before shutting my door.

Sliding down the door, I landed with a little bump on my bottom as I stared despondently down my hall.

My despondency did not last. I didn’t have time for it because any concerns I had about not seeing Maia (and yes, maybe Logan too) were put to rest when it became perfectly apparent than neither she nor her father had any intention of forgetting about me.

Two weeks later I was standing in my kitchen. The first week in May had passed us by, and I found myself doing something familiar.

Eating dinner with Maia and Logan.

Somehow we’d fallen into this pattern together. After school Maia usually spent time at either Leigh’s or Layla’s house for an hour before coming home to me. She’d do her homework and I would help if I could, while I got dinner started in time for Logan to finish work. If I was too busy with my own work to cook, I ordered takeout for us all.

“Layla said what?” I shook my head, thinking I’d heard wrong.

“Layla said that she thinks our history teacher, Mr. Tatum, is having an affair with the music teacher, Mrs. Rogers.”

I shared a worried look with Logan.

We were sitting around my kitchen counter eating Chinese takeout. “And did Layla witness something that made her think this?”

“Yup. She said Mrs. Rogers fiddles with her wedding ring every time she’s talking to Mr. Tatum.”

“How bored must this girl be to notice that shit?” Logan looked as flummoxed as me.

“I think the more important point here is that Layla should not be spreading rumors based on a woman fiddling with her wedding ring.”

Maia shrugged. “I didn’t say it.”

“Well, maybe you should get Layla to stop saying it.”

Maia bugged out her eyes at me. “It’s Layla. Only the British Army and a Challenger 2 tank could get her to stop talking.”

Logan choked on the bite of food he had just taken.

I took a sip of water to hide my smile. When I felt composed, I faced her again. “Maia, spreading rumors is wrong.”

“I know. I won’t do it,” she promised.

“Pass the prawn crackers.” Logan gestured to me, and I slid them over the counter to him. “I found out who was stealing at work,” he said as he piled rice and chicken onto a cracker.

“Oh?” Money had been going missing from the bar take on and off for the last week or so. It was driving Logan crazy, and I knew it was partly to do with his inner sense of responsibility and the fact that he had a criminal record and money was missing from his place of employment. Braden had gone out on a limb for him by giving him the managerial position at Fire, and I knew Logan didn’t want to let him down.

“One of the nightclub promoters started…” He stopped and shot a look at Maia. He did this a lot when he was about to say something before remembering his fifteen-year-old daughter was in the room. “Started a relationship with one of my bartenders. She found out somehow that I have a past record and thought it would be easy enough to steal the cash and that I would naturally be blamed for it.”

I felt my blood heat with fury and noticed Maia’s cheeks turn red with her own. “How did you find out it was her?”

“Luckily, the bartender she was slee—in a relationship with noticed a change in her funding situation. He got suspicious and caught her last night when he was shutting down the bar. She thought his back was turned.”

“Bitch,” Maia snapped, furious.

Logan just nodded in agreement.

I rolled my eyes. “Maia, don’t use that word.” I looked at Logan. “But she’s right. Did you get the police involved?”

Logan shook his head. “You know Braden. I think he was worried it would stir trouble for me, so he told her that she could pay him back or he could go the police. She’s paying him back.”

Maia huffed, pushing her food around her plate. “People suck.”

“Only sometimes,” he told her. “They make mistakes. Everyone does.”

Sensing she was going into broody teenager mode over the unfairness dealt toward her dad, I decided to change the subject. “Speaking of mistakes, I made one today.”

“Yeah?” She looked up from her plate.

“Hmm. I listened to that bloody awful band you like so much.”

“Uh!” She made a noise of outrage. “Which one?”

“The Charmed Umbrellas… Potatoes… Walking stick.” I shrugged, teasing her.

“The Charitable Rifle,” she huffed. “They are not bloody awful.”

I looked at Logan. “How do they get away with a name like that? It doesn’t even make sense.”

He shrugged, his lips twitching.

“Jeez, Grace, you’re showing your age.” Maia was giving me what I referred to as her “hell no”

look.

I gave her my own “hell no” look back. “You did just not say that. I will have you know that twenty-eight is not that old.”

“It’s thirteen years older than me.” She grinned cheekily.

“Now you’re just being mean.”

Logan lost his battle and grinned at his food.

Before Maia could respond, the doorbell rang, interrupting us. I frowned. “I wonder who that is.”

Who that was, was a tall, leggy, curvy blonde. She was wearing skinny jeans, stilettos, and a tight-fitting sweater with a deep V-neck that showed a very good cleavage. She wore no jacket and didn’t need one, considering we were having quite a warm May. Her wide blue eyes grew round at the sight of me. “Uh…” Her brows drew together in confusion. “I’m looking for Logan.”

She was American.

My stomach plummeted.

Was she the American?

“Come in,” I found myself uttering out of ingrained politeness. I stepped aside, letting her into my flat, and her strong perfume wafted over me.

Her stilettos clacked against my wooden floors as I led her into the kitchen. She stopped in the doorway, and Logan’s lips parted in surprise.

She gave him an intimate, cheeky smile. “Some old guy downstairs said you might be here.” Her smile dropped as she took in Maia, her expression turning confused when she looked at me.

He dropped his fork on his plate and slid off his stool. “What helpful neighbors we have.”

An awkward silence fell.

“Uh… Sharon, this is my daughter, Maia, and my friend Grace. Guys, Sharon.” He walked over to her and leaned in to her to ask quietly, “What are you doing here?”

“Well” – she put her hand into her large handbag and pulled out a device – “you left your iPad at my place this afternoon, and I thought you might need it.”

“Fuck. I was looking all over the office for that. Thanks.” He took it from her.

I felt sick.

All this time, he’d been seeing the American after he said he wasn’t.

I felt… betrayed.

I knew that wasn’t fair to Logan because that wasn’t what we had, but still… I guess you can’t help how you feel.

“Dad, who is this?” Maia demanded snottily. It also happened to be the first time she’d called Logan “Dad.”

He stared back at her a little dazed. “Uh… a friend, Maia.”

“Well, we’re having dinner. She’s interrupting.”

“Maia.” His voice lowered with warning. “Don’t be rude.”

“I’m not the one being rude,” she muttered, and turned around on her stool, pushing her food around her plate with her fork.

She was glaring at that plate with a fierceness that concerned me. Logan was really going to have to be careful when it came to introducing women into her life.

“Sharon —”

“I better go,” she said, throwing me an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry to interrupt.” She leaned in to kiss his cheek. “It was nice seeing you again.”

Logan walked her out, and I felt my frustration mount every time one of her heels clacked against my floorboards.

When Logan returned, Maia looked up at me. “Can I be excused?”

I stared over her shoulder at Logan, and he nodded wearily.

“Sure.” I smiled patiently at her and took her plate away.

Without another word, Maia got up and left the flat to go next door.

Logan rubbed the back of his neck, uncomfortable. “That wasn’t supposed to happen.”

Feeling dread at the fact that I was the one he wanted to talk to about this, I turned my back on him and began emptying mine and Maia’s food into the bin. “If you have a woman, I think it best you ease her into your life with Maia. For future reference.”

“But I don’t… Sharon… I haven’t… Look, Sharon and I haven’t been together. I did break it off with her. Today was a slip.”

I didn’t say anything.

“I’m saying I spent two years in prison, and when I got out, I may have been trying to make up for the fact that I hadn’t had sex in two years. When you get used to it regular… She called me, and I went to her place on my lunch break and —”

“I don’t need to know the details.” I shot him a look over my shoulder, trying to hide my fury.

“We’re friends, but we’re not that close.”

“I’m just saying it happened. It’s not serious, and it won’t happen again.”

I started loading the plates into the dishwasher now. “Does she know that?”

“She’s here on a six-month visa. We both knew it was temporary. Would you turn around? I hate talking to your back.”

I braced myself and spun around, leaning against the counter for support. “Unless she’s dreaming of the rough-around-the-edges Scotsman popping the question.”

Logan stared at me like I was nuts.

I gave a huff of unamused laughter. “What? You don’t think women think like that? Many women have romantic fantasies and notions, and as much as we understand the reality of a situation, there’s always these little things called imagination and hope, and they make us think crazy things such as wanting a manwhore nightclub manager to marry us and give us a permanent visa.”

Logan processed this. “No?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, well, it’s definitely finished, then.”

“The horror. However will you find your next booty call?”

Logan burst into laughter and got up off the stool. Still laughing, he took his empty plate and put it in the dishwasher. When he stood up, we were way too close for my liking. He grinned. “Thanks for dinner.”

I watched him walk away, thinking perhaps I hated him a little, and I hated myself for hating him when it wasn’t his fault I had feelings for him.

“Oh and, Grace.” He glanced over his shoulder. “Don’t ever say ‘booty call’ again.”

CHAP TER 12

“D o I know you?” Chloe dragged her gaze down the length of me and back up again with exaggerated attitude.

“Don’t.” I sighed and slipped onto the stool next to her at the bar. After Logan had left, I’d called Chloe to arrange an emergency night out. I needed a drink and I needed my friend. I did not, however, need her to be snarky. “I know I’ve been preoccupied lately and I’m sorry, but…” I trailed off. The truth was, I really hadn’t been the greatest friend. “Actually, I’m just sorry.”

Chloe made a face. “You got yourself a life, Grace. There’s nothing to be sorry for. I was just teasing.”

The bartender interrupted. “What can I get you?”

I slumped, leaning my elbow on the bar and my chin in the palm of my hand. “Talisker and ginger ale, please.”

Chloe sucked in her breath beside me. “You’re on the whisky? Okay, whose head do I need to be cracking?”

“Mine.” I groaned and squeezed my eyes closed. “Shit, Chloe. I’m letting myself fall for Logan MacLeod and I need you to help me stop.”

“I knew it!”

My eyes popped open to glare at her. “No gloating.”

She hid her smile behind her glass and took a sip of the fruity-looking cocktail she was drinking.

“Stop smiling.”

She huffed. “Right, you grumpy cow. Tell me why I’m stopping you from falling for Mr.

MacLeod. I saw a picture of him on Facebook. Can I just say… wow.”

My brows puckered. “Facebook?” How on earth did she find him on Facebook? Logan had a Facebook account? That didn’t sound right.

“I friended Maia after we talked on the phone the other day and —”

“You talked to Maia?”

“Yes. When I called you, she picked up. We had a wee chat. She’s a cutie.”

Trust Chloe to make friends with Maia after one conversation. “So you added her to your Facebook? You do know you’re thirteen years older than her?”

Chloe made a face. “I didn’t friend her to friend her. I friended her for the purpose of snooping, and it paid off.”

“Ed really needs to get a job closer to home,” I murmured.

She ignored my dig. “Maia posted a selfie of her and Logan.”

I perked up. The thought of Logan posing for a selfie with his daughter made me feel all warm inside. “Let me see.”

Grinning, Chloe reached into her clutch and pulled out her phone. She played around with it for a few seconds and then passed it to me. She had brought up Maia’s profile on Facebook, and sure enough, her profile pic was a selfie of her and Logan.

It was adorable.

Maia was grinning widely into the camera, her cheek pressed to Logan’s as he gave that little smirk of his that was sexy even when he didn’t mean it to be. I scrolled through the comments and started to frown. “Look what these children are saying about Logan.”

“They’re fifteen and he’s hot.”

“It’s Maia’s father, not…” My mouth hung open. I pushed the phone in Chloe’s face, pointing to a comment. “Where did she learn about that? That is inappropriate. That… Bloody hell, that’s Layla.” I was aghast. “Okay, I think I need to curb how much time Maia is spending with that little dirty-mouthed… girl.”

“Ooh nice, Grace. You really got vicious there.”

“I’m not going to be vicious about a fifteen-year-old, even if she is cruder than porn.”

“Is it possible to be cruder than porn?”

“Depends on the porn,” the bartender said with a cheeky smile as he put my whisky in front of me.

“Tab?”

I thought about Logan and Sharon. “Yes, please.”

“Back to the subject at hand,” Chloe said. “I don’t want to stop you from falling for this guy.

Personally, I think he’s good for you.”

“How can you possibly think that? You haven’t even met him.”

“I know that you have this fire about you that I’ve never seen before. You have these new people in your life. You have Maia, whom you clearly adore.”

I decided it was time to tell her about Sharon the American.

“Och, that’s nothing.” Chloe dismissed it with a wave of her hand as soon as I was finished telling her about the events of the evening.

I was affronted by the dismissal. “You’re clearly not listening. I am not Logan’s type. At all. And he’s not even my type. I don’t know how this happened. But I do know that he’s never going to see me as anything but a friend, and I’m going to end up getting my heart broken if I don’t do something quickly.”

Chloe raised an eyebrow. “Did you hear what you just said? He’s not your type. And yet here we are discussing how you have feelings for him. Who is to say that he hasn’t developed feelings for you?”

I shook my head, frustrated by her attempts at encouragement rather than discouragement. “He flirts with women he finds attractive. I’ve witnessed it. He has never flirted with me. Ever. Chloe, all of his women look the same. And they don’t look like me. If he’s not looking to get serious with his type, he is definitely not looking to get serious with me. He’s just going to have shady hookups on the side with women he doesn’t want to bring home to his daughter. I’m not going to be a shady hookup, and I wouldn’t want to be.”

Chloe scowled. “What the hell is it you want me to say?”

“I want you to help me get over him. Before all of this I’d been on one bad date after another. A few of those you sent me out on. I’m asking you to dig deep and search hard and find me the best bloody date you’ve ever found anyone. It’s time to remake the magic of Aidan and Juno.”

My friend did not look happy. “But —”

“But nothing. Logan is a dead end. Find me a through road!”

Her eyes widened with amusement. “Fine. I’ll find you the most perfect date ever.”

“That’s what I’m talking about.” I clinked my glass against hers, feeling better already.

As Maia helped me load the dishwasher a few days later, she turned to Logan, who was sipping a beer at my counter. We’d just finished dinner together. Again. “Since it’s Friday, can we watch a movie tonight?”

“Have you done all your homework?”

“Most of it. I thought I’d finish the rest on Sunday. There’s not much to do. Ask Grace.”

I glanced over my shoulder to find him looking at me questioningly. “She speaks the truth.”