Finally, a Family--A Clean Romance

by Callie Endicott

  It was bad enough that after the movers had left on Tuesday last week, he’d started imagining a woman’s purse hanging on the hook by the door. A child drawing pictures. The scent from a pot of chili wafting from the kitchen. And the sound of a baby crying in a room that didn’t even exist. Was it possible that his longing for a home betrayed a deeper desire to belong? Perhaps he wasn’t as detached as he had always thought.

  Logan turned over again.

  It was going to be a long night.

  * * *

  LOGAN DRAGGED HIMSELF into the shower the next morning, hoping a cold dousing would make him more alert. On the way to his parents’ hotel, he stopped at a coffee kiosk and ordered a cup with an extra shot of espresso. He nearly gagged on his first gulp—Jessica’s coffee was infinitely better.

  Though they were early, the traffic into Regen Valley was heavier than he’d ever seen it. The street fair wasn’t officially open for another half hour, but they still had to park six blocks from the sectioned-off downtown area.

  “Attendance should be good,” Thomas said with satisfaction. “Jessica will be pleased.”

  Logan didn’t doubt it. “I just got involved a few weeks ago, but the committee has put a huge amount of time and effort into the event.”

  “You’ve contributed, too,” his mother said stoutly. “Penny says you’re donating photography sessions for the auction and that you’ve gotten several celebrities to attend the fair. It was sweet of you to do that for Jessica.”

  He wanted to protest that he hadn’t done it for Jessica. After all, it was a good cause. But he wasn’t convinced himself, so how could he convince anyone else?

  Perhaps it was his guilty conscience about the stress he and his partners were putting her through. Ultimately they couldn’t force the Crystal Connection to move in the near future, but she had to be wondering what would happen if she refused. It was to the point he’d be willing to personally pay for the entire remodel of the back area, but that wasn’t feasible. He had some savings, but not the kind of finances for what would be involved. So he was devoting a huge amount of time to get the information needed for a decision. In fact, he’d just gotten in touch with a fourth contractor for ideas and costs.

  “I wonder where Jessica might be?” mused his mother.

  As if in answer, Jessica came around the corner with Carl Sheffield, both in red T-shirts. They were laughing and Logan found himself taking pictures again. She wasn’t wearing makeup and her soft hair was already sliding free of her French braid, but he couldn’t imagine a better subject for a photo.

  “Hi,” she called, coming over. “We officially open at nine, but with so many people here, most of the booths have opened early.”

  “We can’t wait to explore,” Regina told her. “It’s remarkable how everything has come together.”

  Jessica grinned. “I feel the same. Logan, the Bryant twins are scheduled to begin signing autographs at 10:00 a.m., and Laurel Stevenson at eleven. Cara Williams will start at noon, followed by Alyssa Jeffries and Martin Carter at one o’clock. We thought it might be best to stagger the start times. Remember, the autograph stations are in the park if you want to be there.”

  “I remember.”

  “Then go enjoy yourselves.”

  His parents wanted them to stay together as a group, so after they wandered around for while, they all headed for the park. Long lines had already formed in front of the Bryants’ autograph stations. Adam and his wife arrived shortly afterward, along with Tiffany and Glen.

  The day before, Adam had announced that Cassie was pregnant and he still looked exhilarated.

  “Are you ready for this?” Logan had asked.

  “More than ready,” Adam had declared with unquestioned confidence. He was even looking forward to diapers and 2:00 a.m. feedings. He’d told Logan that with Cassie’s niece and nephew they’d jumped into parenting in the middle; now they’d find out what it was like to start at the beginning.

  Logan was happy for his friend. Fatherhood no longer seemed like such an odd choice for Adam, though he hadn’t changed his mind about becoming a father himself.

  Nevertheless...he looked at Jessica, who had just arrived. As she chatted with Adam and Cassie, she stroked her daughter’s hair, and for the first time in his life, Logan seriously wondered what it would be like to have that kind of connection. To be a husband and father.

  His time wouldn’t be his own, and he couldn’t just disappear for the weekend to take pictures. He’d often been told that children required routine and he’d always hated the idea of following the same schedule, day after day.

  But still...

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  JESSICA KNEW ADAM WILDING but had met his wife only once.

  They were a nice couple, busy raising Cassie’s niece and nephew. Today they were positively glowing. The reason seemed clear when Jessica spotted the large round button on Tiffany’s T-shirt that announced I’m Going to Be a Big Sister.

  “I’m just guessing, but are congratulations in order?” she asked.

  “That’s right.” Adam grinned from ear to ear. “Cassie is six weeks along.”

  Since pregnancy had prompted a far different reaction from Jessica’s ex-husband, she appreciated his excitement. He was a proud, ecstatic papa-to-be.

  “That’s wonderful. Any cravings yet, Cassie?”

  “None so far, but the food I can smell from the booths is driving me crazy. We try to eat healthy, so I’m going to blame my indulgences on the baby.”

  “Sounds good to me.”

  Adam put a hand on Glen’s shoulder and leaned forward to say something to both kids. They nodded and headed for their respective autograph stations. The people waiting in the two lines—predominantly other teens and preteens—cheered.

  Jessica held up a pair of gift bags. “These are for Tiffany and Glen to thank them for coming.”

  “That’s so thoughtful,” Cassie said, accepting the bags. “Though totally unnecessary. The twins were thrilled to be asked. Tiff practically did handstands.”

  “Well, I hope you enjoy yourselves. If you need anything, ask somebody wearing a T-shirt like mine.” Jessica gestured to her bright red shirt with Flash Committee printed on it.

  “Thanks.”

  Jessica’s cell phone beeped. It was a text, reminding her that the fire department’s skit on fire safety would soon be starting.

  “I hope I see you later,” she said to Tom and Regina before leaving. “Thanks again for dinner last night.”

  “It was our pleasure.”

  Jessica headed for the fire station with Cyndi. She didn’t need to return to the autograph stations in the park; Carl was delivering Laurel’s gift bag, and other members of the Flash Committee would greet the remaining three celebrities. Right now she was just on call, though later she was taking her turn on the dunk tank.

  A crowd had already gathered outside the main doors of the firehouse. The department had been performing the same skit for twenty-five years, but they enjoyed doing it so much that everyone else had fun watching. Jessica’s favorite part was when the fire chief started singing and his crew doused him with a hose.

  “Thank you,” said Chief Delgado at the end. He bowed, still dripping with water. “We’ll be back in an hour.”

  “I took bunches of pictures,” Cyndi said, coming over to join Jessica. She’d been at the front of the crowd, watching with the other kids.

  “It’s okay just to watch, too,” Jessica reminded her gently. She didn’t want to make a big deal about it, but she also wanted her daughter to learn balance.

  “I know, but I gotta practice.”

  An hour later they crossed paths once more with Regina Kensington, who still looked spotless in her cream linen slacks and white silk blouse. Jessica wouldn’t have dared to wear clothes like that at a street fair; they’d b
e ruined in five minutes.

  Regina looked at Cyndi. “Are you having a good time, little one?”

  “Uh-huh.” Cyndi lifted her camera and took a picture of her. “See? I want to be just like Logan. Momma, can I go take pictures of Grandma selling candy? And to help her,” she added quickly.

  Jessica hesitated and then nodded. “That’s fine. Stay until I come for you.” The candy booth was just a short distance away, but she watched until her daughter was safely inside before turning back to Logan’s mother. “When do you fly home?”

  “Monday morning. We love being here, but we don’t want to take too much of Logan’s time. How long have you known him?”

  “A little over a month.”

  “I would have guessed longer. You know, Regen Valley is such a peaceful little town that it hardly seems possible we’re so close to metropolitan Seattle.”

  Jessica understood how she felt. “Several communities in the Pacific Northwest have the same hidden-away feeling, probably because of all the hills and waterways. Naturally I think Regen Valley is the best, but I’m biased. I spent summers here with my grandparents as a kid. It’s always felt like home.”

  Regina’s face turned wistful. “Logan doesn’t have a place like that. Our assignments were usually a few months...a year or two at most. It’s difficult to form ties.”

  “He’s mentioned living in a number of different countries. He must have enjoyed the travel, since he continued doing it in his career.”

  “Perhaps, but I know we shouldn’t have remained in the diplomatic service for so long. Tom tried to resign when Logan was five and they begged him to stay. He has special skills that always seemed to be needed somewhere, and each new country required learning different protocols and customs. We were constantly walking a political tightrope, which meant our son had to walk it right along with us.”

  The intimate conversation was surprising, but maybe Regina needed reassurance.

  “Logan is a good person,” Jessica said firmly. “He said it’s been hard to spend much time together over the past few years, but I know he wants you to be part of his life.”

  Regina’s smile quivered. “That’s kind of you. It’s a comfort knowing you’re his friend. But I mustn’t be selfish and keep you from your responsibilities. The boys will be back soon. I bought some patchwork quilts and pillow covers, so they took everything to the car.”

  Friend? Jessica blinked. Her relationship with Logan was more frenemy than friend given the agency’s request to relocate the store, but the other woman wouldn’t appreciate hearing it.

  “I’ll volunteer to help in the candy booth,” Regina added. “It would be good for the boys to have time together without me.”

  The way she called her husband and son “the boys” was endearing, but Jessica didn’t have time to really consider it—her phone beeped for the ninth time that morning with a text message. She pulled it out and looked at the screen.

  “Is something wrong?” Regina asked.

  “I’m needed at the health station. We have a lost child looking for his parents. See you later.”

  * * *

  “I DON’T KNOW how she expects to get this home on the plane,” Thomas Kensington grumbled as they stowed his wife’s purchases in the back of Logan’s SUV. There were seven patchwork quilts and other assorted handiwork that she’d explained were gifts for potential donors to the clinic.

  “I know Mom. She usually has some room in her luggage. The rest can be shipped.”

  Tom snorted. “Room? She brought three times the number of clothes she needed. Maybe she was nervous about the trip, because it simply isn’t like her.”

  Logan agreed. He’d learned his minimalist travel style from his mother, not his father. Regina Kensington believed in bringing exactly what she needed and no more. It helped that his parents usually stayed in the kind of establishment that provided laundry and dry-cleaning services.

  They headed back to the street fair and he saw his mother waving at them from inside the candy booth.

  “I’m volunteering for a while,” she explained. “Maybe you can find the health station and help Jessica. They have a child looking for his parents.”

  Obviously Jessica and his mother had spoken, which led Logan to wondering what they’d spoken about.

  “Happy to help. Can’t have a lost child,” Thomas said.

  But when they reached the health station they were told the family had been reunited.

  Jessica was talking to a paramedic and Logan began snapping pictures. He’d put four extra memory cards in his pocket early that morning, just in case, and it was starting to look as if he’d need them.

  Through the viewfinder he saw her glance his direction and wrinkle her nose. She finished her conversation and came over.

  “Don’t take so many pictures that you forget to enjoy the fair,” she urged. Her light tone didn’t fool Logan. She’d called his camera a barrier between him and the rest of the world.

  “Sure. What food do you recommend?”

  She shook her head. “I can’t recommend one vendor over another. The competition between them is too fierce and I might be accused of favoritism.”

  “Perhaps we should get a sample from each of them.”

  “Then you’ll need an unusually hearty appetite and patience for long lines.”

  Logan eyed the crowds of cheerful people queuing up at the different booths. The lines were moving quickly, but he probably wouldn’t have the patience to wait in one, much less all of them. Ironic. He was willing to wait hours for a single great photograph of a bear. But not for food.

  He wasn’t even hungry because of the hearty breakfast burrito he’d gotten earlier when things were quieter.

  A family went by, carrying heaping plates of barbecued ribs and potato salad. Logan’s mouth watered. Maybe he could handle one line today; the question was which one.

  “Uh, I’ll talk to my folks and see what they want to do.”

  “Good decision.”

  Jessica walked away, hips swaying gently while the sun sparked fiery glints off her hair. For once Logan didn’t lift his camera—this was one image he couldn’t store electronically. He needed to capture it in his brain.

  * * *

  PENNY WAS PLEASED with the brisk candy sales. Even though cooks from all over Regen Valley had contributed their homemade confections, they were already running low on supplies.

  “My great-grandma made that one,” Cyndi told a customer, pointing to a container of cappuccino fudge. “It’s the best and it’s almost gone.”

  “All the fudge is good,” Penny scolded in a light tone.

  “But yours is best, Grandma.”

  The customer, a woman wearing a Seattle Seahawks T-shirt, just laughed and followed Cyndi’s recommendation.

  Regina Kensington had been helping with the sales, but now she took money from her purse and bought the last container of cappuccino fudge. “I don’t want to miss getting some,” she explained, tucking her purchase into a new tote, decorated with a patchwork square.

  A short time later Jessica brought them cups of coffee. “Grams, someone is replacing you at one o’clock, right? Though it doesn’t look as if they’ll have much to sell by then.”

  “Yes, at one. Carl has someone getting more candy from a warehouse store. Anyway, it should be quiet for a while. Over the noon hour people are more interested in hamburgers than sweets.”

  “That’s true. Call if you need anything.”

  She smiled at Regina and left with Cyndi.

  “Goodness, your granddaughter is a bundle of energy,” Regina said when they were alone.

  “She knows how to get things done.” Penny surveyed their remaining stock of candy with exasperation. “I wish we had more fudge and English toffee. Store-bought candy won’t be as popular and the profit margin will be smal
ler. Still, every bit counts.”

  “You sure sound like a savvy businesswoman.”

  “I should be after so many years in business. My husband and I started the Crystal Connection. It’s Jessica’s now because we wanted her to have it after he was gone. But I still manage the trade network we set up with our friends in other countries.”

  Regina traced the lettering on the cash box. “If you don’t mind me asking, how long have you been alone?”

  “A lifetime in emotions, nine months now by the calendar.”

  Regina shivered. “Tom had a health scare in February. It turned out all right, but we were both reminded that time shouldn’t be wasted.”

  “Then his problem was a blessing in disguise.”

  “I suppose. I—” Regina stopped, her attention caught by something down the street. Following her gaze, Penny saw Logan, and looking in the direction his camera was pointed, she saw Jessica and Cyndi.

  “Do you think there’s anything between them?” Regina asked wistfully.

  “I’ve wondered, but don’t get your hopes up. Jessica’s marriage ended badly and I suspect your son isn’t too keen on permanent relationships.”

  “Logan likes his freedom. But what about you? Do you think you would ever consider remarrying? I’m only asking because Kevin McClaskey seems to be such a close friend.”

  “I’m not ready for anything like that,” Penny said, though she’d been thinking a lot about Kevin. Lately their relationship had been changing—it was even beginning to feel as if it was more than friendship.

  But romance? She still thought the idea was ridiculous for a woman her age.

  Wasn’t it?

  Her mind was buzzing as a customer came up to buy a package of soda cracker candy.

  She didn’t want to upset her relationship with Kevin, but it would be best to get things out in the open and discuss their expectations honestly. After all, she was too mature and they’d known each other too long for silly games and girlish embarrassment.