Slow Dancing at Sunrise
Page 32
“I’m sorry I startled you. I’ve had a long-ass...” He glanced at the kid and grimaced. “It’s been a long trip, and I got caught in a rainstorm just south of here. I haven’t eaten since dinner...”
Her eyes softened a fraction, even as she held the mop out firmly. “The Methodist church three blocks over has a food pantry, and the Catholic church does soup and bread every Wednesday for whoever stops in. Father Joe might be able to help you find a place to sleep. But you can’t stay here.”
Logan couldn’t stop his bark of laughter, even though it made her jump. She thought he was homeless? He couldn’t decide if he was offended or impressed. Clearly scared out of her wits, she was still kind enough to offer him a chance at hot food and a bed. Yeah, definitely impressed. It was no surprise she worked for his grandmother, who was also a tough-as-nails woman who cared about others far more than she ever let on. Her eyes started to narrow again, and he leveled his voice. Again.
“Actually, I can stay here.”
She lifted the cell phone, so he rushed to explain. “I’m Logan Taggart. This is my grandmother’s place. I know I look like Sasquatch right now, but I’m honestly just here to help my grandmother.” There was certainly no other reason he’d ever come to Rendezvous Falls with all its frou-frou festivals and Gran’s kitschy old inn.
The woman froze. “You’re Logan? But Iris said...” She looked him up and down. “Iris said you were a big shot in oil.” Her eyes narrowed. “And she didn’t tell me you were coming.”
He rolled his eyes. Leave it to his grandmother to exaggerate his job description for her friends.
“She didn’t know I was coming. She told my sister and me not to, but we knew she’d need help, and I was the lo...the lucky winner who had time to come to Rendezvous Falls.” The truth was, he’d lost the bet with Nicky a week ago, and had no choice but to uproot his own life, stuff it into a duffle bag and ride his Harley from Alabama to New York. He rolled his bum shoulder and tried not to groan. All so he could be threatened with bodily harm by a woman half his size. “I assume you work for Gran. Nice to meet you, Mrs....?” He held out his hand and waited. The woman was pretty in a fresh-scrubbed, wholesome way that had never been his style. But there was something about her that was...interesting. She stared at his hand in suspicion before her shoulders dropped a fraction and she let out a long breath, lowering the mop at last. She reached out to take his hand, but she clearly wasn’t happy about it.
“Piper Montgomery. I work for Iris part-time, and a little more than that now that she’s laid up. I’m sorry, Mr. Taggart... I...”
“Your reaction was one hundred percent understandable. And please, don’t ever call me ‘Mr. Taggart’ again. It’s just Logan. And I should be the one apologizing for frightening you and your daughter...”
The girl jumped out from behind her mom. They were so much alike—long blond hair, big baby blue eyes and porcelain skin. The girl flashed him a toothy grin.
“I wasn’t scared! I knew you were a real giant, and Momma didn’t believe me. But now she does! My name’s Lily, and I’m gonna call you Logan the Giant, ’kay?”
Oil rigs were no place for kids, so he didn’t have much experience talking to them. And he was still wary of Lily’s mom, who’d just released his hand to hold Lily back. Either she didn’t believe he was Iris Taggart’s grandson, or that fact didn’t automatically make him “safe” in her book. She shook her head at the little girl.
“You will call him Mr. Taggart...” She glanced up at him. “Or maybe Mr. Logan?”
He nodded. “As nice as Logan the Giant sounds to my ego, Mr. Logan is probably the better choice. It’s nice to meet you, Lily.” He extended his hand to her, and she grabbed his fingers and shook up and down with a great deal of enthusiasm, making him grin.
“Hi, Mr. Logan! Are you staying at the inn? Miss Iris lives in the back. I can give you the key. But you’ll have to watch Mr. Whiskers if you stay there, because he likes to escape. Or are you going to take a room? Or you could stay with us! We live right next door and there’s a bedroom in the attic that my brother wants but I bet he’d let you have it...”
Piper held up her hand to stop the seemingly endless flow of words. “Mr. Logan is not staying with us. You can’t just invite strangers into our home, Lily. Why don’t you go to the library and find a book to read while Mr. Logan and I have a chat?”
Uh-oh. Whenever a woman said they wanted to have “a chat” in that tone of voice, it was rarely a friendly conversation. She may not think he was homeless anymore, but she wasn’t giving off a “welcome to the Taggart Inn” vibe, either. She picked up her phone, shaking her head at his look of concern.
“I’m not calling the cops on you. Yet. But I do have to make a call.” She tapped on the screen and turned away from him.
“Sandy? It’s Piper. Look, I have a bit of a...situation...to deal with at the B&B. Is it okay if I work noon-to-four today instead of ten-to-two?...Yeah, everything’s fine...No, no need for Pete to stop by...” She glanced over her shoulder quickly. “Unless he wants to meet Iris’s prodigal grandson...”
Logan grimaced. Great. That’s just how he wanted the locals to think of him. She noted his expression and for the first time, he saw a glint of amusement in the eyes that had been icy until now. She’d said that just to goad him. He liked her sass.
“Yeah, you heard right...Well, he’s...scruffy...” She laughed at something Sandy must have said. Her laugh was light and soft, and he couldn’t help thinking that it fit her somehow. “He seems fine, I guess. I just have to get him settled, then I’ll drop Lily off and come to the office, okay?...Thanks.”
He seems fine...I guess? So he hadn’t exactly won her over with his charm yet. She turned back to face him after the call ended. Her voice was brisk now, and all business.
“Okay. Let’s figure out some logistics. How long are you staying? And where?”
Logan scrubbed the back of his neck. Probably would have been nice if he’d thought that far ahead.
Don’t miss Stealing Kisses in the Snow
by Jo McNally!
Copyright © 2019 by Jo McNally
ISBN-13: 9781488038617
Slow Dancing at Sunrise
Copyright © 2019 by Jo McNally
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