Finally, a Family--A Clean Romance

by Callie Endicott

  “I don’t know. Nothing complicated. Friends,” Logan said, regretting that he’d brought it up in the first place. He hadn’t expected her to put him on the spot by asking for a definition.

  He liked Jessica and knew being friends was possible with a woman without male-female issues coming into play—Rachel and Nicole were perfect examples. Problem was...they’d never made him feel the way Jessica made him feel. It was almost as if his soul had recognized her from another life, which was absurd. He didn’t believe in such fanciful ideas.

  Oblivious to his inner turmoil, Jessica took the pizza box he was holding and slid it in the break room refrigerator. “I think you’re talking about breezy, surface cordiality, which is fine for business associates. But I wouldn’t call it friendship.”

  “Then what’s your definition?”

  “Well, it’s more than exchanging pleasantries. You care about someone because their welfare makes a difference to your own happiness. To be a real friend you have to be willing to give part of yourself, and other times be vulnerable enough to take the chance of getting hurt. Do you have anyone you feel that way about?”

  “My partners,” Logan said instantly. “I’d trust them with my life. We know each other’s best qualities, along with our quirks and weaknesses. We don’t argue often, but when we do, it doesn’t change a thing. I can rely on them, no matter what.”

  Jessica’s lips curved. “That’s nice. Maybe my grandparents were so happy because they were married and also the best of friends.”

  “You don’t think your parents are happy?”

  She shrugged. “In their own way they are. They have the same goals and work together. I guess that’s important. Anyway, I’m hardly an expert on relationships.” She tapped her left ring finger and he suspected she was thinking about her failed marriage again.

  “So, what led you to move here?” he asked.

  “Cyndi and I were visiting my grandparents and I heard about the department store job. Grams knew the manager of the human resource division and put a good word in for me. Moving across country was a big step, but now I wonder what took me so long. Washington has always felt like home.” She gestured at the clock on the wall. “It’s late. I’d better get going.”

  “I’ll see you on Saturday, if not earlier when I come for coffee. Thanks for sending the directions to your house.”

  He let her out the front door and watched as she headed for her car. Then he realized he was framing mental snapshots of Jessica in the parking lot. He’d tossed off comments about viewing the world through a camera lens, but Jessica was right; it was easier to deal with a photo than a real person with all their complexities.

  CHAPTER NINE

  JESSICA DROVE HOME, stressing even more than before, if possible.

  She glanced at her reflection in the rearview mirror and made a face.

  One of her counselor’s frequent urgings had been to stop trying to control the uncontrollable, especially her childhood past, her husband’s desertion and her parents’ continued absorption in moneymaking. The important thing was to choose how she reacted to the events that had impacted her life. It was easier said than done, but she didn’t have to pretend everything was okay when it wasn’t. Being uptight was normal with so much at stake. The answer was applying her energy to find creative solutions.

  So, what could she do?

  There was the idea about the agency moving, instead of her.

  It was true that Logan and his partners had spent a truckload of money remodeling the original location, but if she moved, they wouldn’t get that much more room. In contrast, taking over the empty units at the back of the building would nearly double their footprint.

  Rather than continue worrying and losing sleep, she’d write out a list of pros and cons and propose the idea to Logan. Even if they’d considered moving already, she might come up with something that would swing the decision in her favor.

  * * *

  KEVIN THOROUGHLY ENJOYED the dinner and game with Penny and Cyndi, which they’d finished playing by the time Jessica arrived.

  She gave him a hug. “Welcome home, Uncle Kevin. I’ve missed you.”

  “I missed you, too.”

  He looked at her closely, seeing shadows under her eyes that hadn’t been there when he’d left for Chicago. When it came to Jessica he was biased and he felt a surge of anger at Logan.

  “Show the baby pictures to Jessica,” Penny ordered.

  Grateful for the distraction, he took out his phone again and handed it to his honorary granddaughter. She went through the photos, oohing and aahing before giving it back.

  “Newborns are so precious.”

  “Do you miss having a baby around?” he asked.

  Jessica watched her daughter, asleep on the couch. “I’m sad to see Cyndi grow out of every stage of childhood, but it’s inevitable. They grow and grow, no matter how often you tell them to stay little.”

  “You ought to have more kids. That way I’d have grandbabies on this side of the country.”

  Her smile wavered. “It’s possible to have children without a partner, but that isn’t the way for me.”

  “You’re still young. You have time to meet someone.”

  “Hey, don’t start matchmaking, I get enough of that from Grams.” Jessica’s voice was light but firm.

  What was wrong with young men today? Kevin wondered. They ought to be beating her door down. He just hoped little Allie would grow up to be as fine a woman as Jessica.

  “Do you want some dinner?” Penny asked. “I have spaghetti and meatballs.”

  “I’d love it, but the reason I had to stay late was to meet with Logan. We shared a pizza. If I’d known your spaghetti was on the menu I would have told him to forget it.”

  Kevin frowned. “I’m sorry about what’s happening, kiddo. I’d do anything to fix it.”

  “Don’t worry. I’m sure everything will work out.” Jessica went to the couch and bent to kiss her daughter’s cheek. “Wake up, sweetie. Time to go home.”

  The little girl leaned against her mother groggily as they went out the door. It felt strangely natural when Penny stepped next to him as he watched to be sure the two got safely inside their half of the duplex.

  He sighed.

  It was hard to stand alone when you were used to having someone at your side.

  * * *

  ON SATURDAY MORNING Logan left his studio apartment by nine to be sure of getting to Jessica’s place on time. Her instructions didn’t accord with his GPS, but she’d indicated that the route missed the worst traffic, which proved to be true.

  Ironically, Regen Valley was one of the areas he was considering in his house-hunting search. So far he’d looked at places in Enumclaw, Buckley and Issaquah. He’d also driven up to Black Diamond, only to decide that the community was a little too small.

  Just outside of Regen Valley Logan spotted an interesting house for sale. The rear of the property looked out on an evergreen-crested hill rising above the town. He stopped and collected one of the real estate fliers. The description further intrigued him.

  Knowing the house was in the same town where Jessica lived made him hesitate, but he finally shrugged. With so many Moonlight Ventures tenants and clients, the chances were good that he’d find one of them wherever he looked. Perhaps he’d contact the real estate agent and arrange a viewing once he was finished with Cyndi’s meeting.

  When he arrived at Jessica’s home, he studied the duplex. She’d written that she lived on the right side of the midcentury home. The place was in good condition and bursts of colors filled the flower beds.

  The door on the right flew open as he got out of the car. Cyndi came running down the walkway.

  “Hi, Logan. You came.”

  “I promised to come, didn’t I?”

  “I know. See you in a minute. I
’m helping Grandma in the kitchen. We’re ’sposed to have healthy snacks.” Cyndi leaned forward and dropped her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “But there’s a little bit of chocolate.”

  Jessica stepped onto the front porch as her daughter rushed back inside.

  “Good morning,” Logan said.

  “I see you found us.”

  “Your directions were excellent. It was convenient coming out today because this is one of the towns I’ve considered in my search for houses. I’m going to look around after the meeting.”

  Her delicate eyebrows rose. “I would have pegged you as a city guy, all the way.”

  “I have been, but when I was moving to Seattle, I decided it was time for a change.”

  “This would be a big change. Regen Valley is nice, but we don’t have embassies or art galleries. Instead we have community picnics, softball and amateur watercolors sold at our gift shop.”

  Her tone was skeptical and Logan was unaccountably annoyed. “You sound like a longtime native warning me away. I thought you just moved to Washington last year.”

  “Sorry, I don’t mean to sound unwelcoming,” Jessica apologized. “As a kid I spent my summers in Regen Valley—made good friends, learned to swim and drive...had my first real kiss. But my parents hate the place, so I know it isn’t to everyone’s taste.”

  “Your father never lived here?”

  “Nope.” She peered back at the duplex and then continued in a low tone. “Dad disliked roving the world and eventually talked my grandparents into sending him to boarding school. Grams still wishes they’d refused, but I think he would have turned out the same.”

  Logan thought about his childhood. At times he’d resented the constraints of diplomatic life, but he wouldn’t have wanted to leave his parents. “I can’t imagine boarding school.”

  “Me, neither. But on the question of moving to Regen Valley, will you be comfortable in a town where people are active in the community and expect their neighbors to be the same? It would be hard to stay behind a camera here.”

  Once again Jessica was holding up a mirror that reflected how other people saw him...and how he saw himself, deep down.

  He was the guy with the camera, the watcher, the one who caught the perfect moment. And yet in many ways he was invisible. Who paid attention to the photographer at weddings or other events? But it was undeniable that he’d been restless. He had simply assumed it was about wanting to start the new part of his life at Moonlight Ventures. Now Jessica was making him wonder if it was more than that.

  “Maybe I don’t want to stay behind a camera. Not all the time.”

  She gave him a quizzical smile. “Really? Keep in mind, there’s limited privacy in such a small community. I wouldn’t call my neighbors nosy, but they have a friendly interest in what’s going on.”

  Logan shifted the camera bag hanging on his shoulder. He’d enjoyed the frenetic world of fashion photography, but when the time had come to leave it behind, he hadn’t been able to do it fast enough. Forays into the wilderness and living closer to nature were what appealed now.

  “I’m willing to give it a try,” he said.

  “Then I wish you luck. Several nice houses are for sale.”

  “Uh, yeah. I picked up a flier for one of them on the way into town. Looks like an interesting place.”

  Jessica nodded. “That must be the Satterly House. A wealthy businessman built it years ago as a retreat. The property has been on the market for a while, so you might be able to pick it up for a good price.”

  On the market for a while? That could mean the house was a fixer-upper and Logan would prefer something move-in ready. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to take a look.

  With an inviting gesture, Jessica motioned him inside and he saw the living room was sparsely furnished.

  “I’m buying a couch on layaway, but it won’t be paid off for another couple of weeks. It was too expensive to move our stuff across country, so mostly I’ve been shopping at yard sales for what we need. Don’t be alarmed, though, the girls sit on the floor.” She grinned. “Grown-ups get the chairs. That’s my rule.”

  Her tone was matter-of-fact and Logan realized being careful with her finances was such a normal part of her life she didn’t think twice about buying secondhand.

  “Is a yard sale where you found that vintage coffee bar for the Crystal Connection?” he asked. “It’s a great piece.”

  Jessica’s eyes sparkled. “An old inn was being refurbished and they sold what they weren’t keeping at rock-bottom prices. Their loss, my gain. I got these two chairs, too.”

  Intrigued, Logan went to look. For indoor shoots, he’d sometimes used classic furniture as a contrast to modern fashion. “These Morris chairs could be Stickleys.”

  He glanced up and saw Jessica typing into her phone. A moment later she shook her head. “According to what I see on the internet, Stickley chairs cost a bundle. There’s no way I’d get two of them for forty bucks.”

  “Anything is possible. How do you think antique dealers stay in business? They buy valuable items that other people don’t recognize.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You don’t understand—I don’t want them to be Stickleys. They’re attractive, solid and comfortable. That’s what counts. If they were valuable, I couldn’t enjoy sitting in them any longer.”

  Hmm. Jessica had a curious point of view—most people would do handstands at getting an extraordinary bargain. But then, she probably wasn’t interested in designer labels, either.

  “Are you partial to antiques?” she asked.

  “Not especially. If anything, I prefer Mission-style. Or Shaker and Arts and Crafts,” Logan added, though he hadn’t given it much thought. “My studio apartment came fully equipped, so most of my furniture is in storage. But I just had a small condo down south, so I’ll need to start shopping when I buy a house.”

  Logan wasn’t wealthy, but his work had provided him with a comfortable income. His success had come early, so he no longer knew what it was like to buy what he needed piece by piece, looking for bargains.

  “The Satterly House would look good with any of those furniture styles,” Jessica said.

  “Then if I buy it, are you going to roll out Regen Valley’s red carpet for me?”

  She just gave him a measured smile and shrugged.

  * * *

  PENNY SUPERVISED CYNDI’S efforts in the kitchen and made sure she used the knife safely, but she didn’t do the work for her. The directions were clear about how she earned ranger points. Regen Valley Girl Rangers was a local program, unaffiliated with a national organization. Jessica had longed to join as a kid, but at least she’d been able to participate as a guest during her summer visits.

  “This part is done,” Cyndi said. “Now I have to do the celery with peanut butter.”

  “Are any of the girls allergic to peanuts?” Kevin asked. After hearing Logan was coming to give a program on photography, he’d promptly volunteered to be one of the adult helpers. Penny hadn’t objected. They were both anxious on Jessica’s behalf and wanted to be supportive.

  Cyndi shook her head. “I checked. Everyone can eat peanuts, but Ella can’t have apples. She likes them, but they give her a rash. That’s why I decided on oranges for my fruit. It wouldn’t be nice to eat apples in front of her.”

  “Good thinking.”

  “Girl rangers are supposed to be considerate and re-spect-ful,” she said, spreading peanut butter on celery sticks and poking raisins on the top. “I’m reading the handbook and Momma helps with the big words. The other girls have been girl rangers longer than me, so I have to catch up.”

  Penny smiled as Cyndi picked up a tray, carried it to the living room and then returned for the second container. She loved having Jessica and Cyndi next door. Her grandsons rarely visited, but Jessica was a loving, thoughtful woman who was teaching he
r child to behave the same way.

  “Pretty proud of that youngster, aren’t you?” Kevin asked in a low voice.

  “Extremely. I just wish I could take some credit for how she’s turning out.”

  “Of course you can take credit. You’ve seen Cyndi every day since they moved here and had a big influence on her mother. Jessica is a fine young woman.”

  “I agree, even though it’s basically patting myself on the back.”

  They chuckled and followed Cyndi to the living room, where Logan and Jessica showed distinct signs of being on edge with each other. So much for the hope they’d become a couple. Not that their discomfort was necessarily a bar to romance. There were awkward moments whenever two people were getting acquainted. She and Eric had been champions at it, what with her chasing after him, while he tried to do the noble thing and avoid temptation.

  Logan nodded at them. “Hi, Penny. Kevin. I didn’t know you were going to be here this morning. How was your flight from Chicago?”

  “Not bad. My new grandbaby was restless the night before I left, so I slept most of the way. Thought I’d come into the agency on Monday or Tuesday to talk. If you’re free.”

  Logan’s jaw hardened. “I’ll check my schedule and let you know.”

  The tension in the room was now so thick that Penny opened a window, needing air. When she turned around, she saw a wicked smile on Jessica’s face.

  “Grams, Logan just told me he stopped and got a real estate flier for the Satterly place. Isn’t that nice?”

  Kevin looked skeptical. “Really? You don’t seem like the small-town, take-care-of-your-neighbor kind of fellow.”

  Logan’s jaw muscles were clenched so hard now his skin turned white. “That’s my problem, isn’t it?”

  “My girls live here, so it’s my problem, too.”

  Oh, dear. Kevin was a sweetheart, but Penny suspected a bit of testosterone-driven competition was coming into play. She decided to intervene.

  “Logan, I’m sure you’d enjoy Regen Valley. And the old Satterly home is wonderful.”