A Better Man: A Small Town Surprise Pregnancy Romance (The Heartbreak Brothers Book 3)

by Carrie Elks

  “Yeah, and I’m not asking you to. I’m just telling you what’s going through my mind.” His muscles felt tense beneath her hand. Like an animal poised to spring.

  “Hey,” she said softly, wriggling until her face was inches from Logan’s. She cupped his jaw with her hands, brushing her lips against his. “I’m glad you’re talking to me. I know there’s a lot to think about. But I need you to know one thing, I really want to be with you.”

  His lips curled up. “You do?”

  She nodded. “I do. And I understand how complicated your life is. The fact you’re even thinking about spending more time here is amazing. And couples juggle stuff like this all the time. Look at the military, how often fathers are stationed abroad when their babies come. You’ll only be a few hours away by plane. You can come here, I can go there. We can make this work.”

  “I’d really like you to come out to Boston. See what I do.”

  “I’d like that, too. I guess we should do it before I get too big and the farm starts to get busy.”

  “How about next week?”

  She laughed. “As in a few days’ time?”

  “Let me get through New Year’s Eve, then you can come out and I’ll show you around.” He pressed his lips against her jaw. “It’ll give me something to look forward to.”

  “Okay.” She wasn’t sure who was more surprised by her answer. Either way, a smile shone from Logan’s face.

  He slid his hands down her back, cupping her bare behind. “You’re astounding, you know that?”

  She grinned. “Are you talking about my body or my mind?”

  “Both.” His eyes were dark. “And by the way, I like you calling us a couple.”

  Courtney tipped her head to the side. “Is that what we are?”

  He nodded. “Yeah, if you’ll have me. I know we’re doing this all ass backward, but I’d like us to be exclusive. A couple. Whatever the damn phrase kids use nowadays.”

  “Don’t ask me. I seem to skip the dating part and go headlong into the baby thing.”

  “Yeah, well making babies is pretty hot,” he whispered, sliding his lips along her jaw, nipping her earlobe.

  She glanced down at his naked body. He was hard and thick, the way she liked him. “Again?” she whispered, not sure whether to be shocked or elated. It was only ten minutes since they’d been rolling around, their bodies tangled together in a heated mess.

  “Again,” he said firmly, kissing her hard. Those two things were all it took to set her on fire. She could never get enough of him. It was like she was programmed to respond to every touch, every word, every kiss he gave her.

  And she loved every minute of it.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Logan had no idea how he always ended up being late for the airport. Okay, so he had some idea, and she was currently wandering around her front yard, feeding chickens in the coop. It was getting harder to leave her. He stared out of the windshield at the empty road ahead, his head full of Courtney and their baby.

  Strange how the thought of their child warmed him inside. It was as though the knowledge had changed him. Made him stronger. Now he knew what was important, and he couldn’t wait for the rest of his life to start.

  He had a lot of loose ends to sort out before it could begin.

  Turning onto the highway, he was so deep in his thoughts that he didn’t notice the flashing blue lights. It wasn’t until the cruiser was right up his rear that he realized the bright flashes were for him. He sighed, glancing at the speedometer. He was five over at the most. Lifting his hand to acknowledge the officer, he hit the indicator, and put his foot on the break, moving over to the shoulder, before coming to a stop next to a grassy field.

  Now he was going to be really late. It was going to be tight. He gritted his teeth, thinking about the meeting with the inspectors he was scheduled to have later that day. If he had to catch a later flight there was no way he’d make it there.

  The officer tapped on the driver’s window, and Logan lowered it to see Carl Roberts – Courtney’s brother–in-law – standing on the other side.

  “Sorry,” Logan said, flashing him a smile. No point in looking sore over their last encounter. He’d been stopped before – it was par for the course with the kind of cars he drove in Boston. And he’d learned a smile and an apology worked far better than arguing. “I’m late for my flight. I didn’t realize I was speeding.”

  “You were eight miles over the limit.” Carl’s eyes were narrow. “I need your license and registration.”

  “Can I grab my wallet?” Logan asked.

  Carl nodded, saying nothing.

  Logan pulled his license out, passing it to Carl who looked at it carefully. “This is a rental,” Logan told him. “I have the details in the glove compartment.

  “You live in Boston,” Carl said, still holding onto the license.

  “That’s right.”

  “Get out.” Carl stepped back, his dark eyes still on Logan.

  “Of the car?” Logan clarified. He’d never had that request before.

  “I’m going to need to search it. And give you a breathalyzer. I can smell alcohol.”

  “It’s ten in the morning,” Logan protested. “I haven’t drunk anything for days.”

  Carl’s smile was sickly. “That’s what most drunks say.” He breathed in through his flared nose. “I’m only going to ask you once more, and then I’ll be arresting you for obstruction. Get out of the car.”

  Logan bristled at his tone. “Do I need to call my lawyer?”

  “I don’t know, do you? I guess if you have something to hide…”

  There was no other option but to climb out. Logan gritted his teeth as he pulled the door open, then followed Carl to the cruiser. Carl pulled the back door open, telling Logan to sit inside, then walked back to Logan’s rental to search it.

  As each minute passed, Logan could feel his blood boiling. There was no reason for Carl to search his car. Certainly no reason to go through his damn suitcase. He gritted his teeth as the cop methodically rifled through his clothes, his gifts, even the framed photograph of the baby’s ultrasound picture Courtney had given to him for Christmas.

  Yeah, Carl took a lot of time staring at that.

  Finally, he zipped the case back up and closed the trunk, walking back to the cruiser with a dark expression.

  He wrenched the door open, inclining his head for Logan to climb out. “You don’t deserve her, you know?”

  Logan sighed loudly. “That’s none of your business.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong. Courtney’s definitely my business. She might think you’re some kind of hero, but I know exactly what you are. A rich asshole who sweeps in and disrupts everything. You’re gonna let her down and break her heart, and guess who’ll be here to pick up the pieces? Why don’t you do us all a favor and stay in Boston?”

  Logan stared at him for a moment, taking in the close-cropped hair, the twisted nose, and watery blue eyes that looked like the creek after a storm. “Courtney’s having my baby. I intend to be around for good.”

  Carl pressed his lips together, his jaw twitching. For a long moment the two men stared at each other, the silence only punctuated by the whistling wind dancing through the roadside trees.

  Carl swallowed hard. “You can go now…” he said, his voice low. “But remember this. If you ever hurt her, I’ll make sure you fucking regret it. She’s a Roberts and she always will be.”

  Logan lifted a brow. “You know what will hurt her?” he asked, refusing to back down. “People like you deciding what’s best for her. She’s chosen me. And I’m sorry if that makes you feel like shit, but it’s the way it is. And I’m pretty fucking stoked that she’s having my baby. So pull me over all you like if it makes you feel better, because that’s all you can do. You can’t stop her from being with me, and that’s killing you inside.” He shrugged. “Now have a nice day, I have a flight to catch.”

  Logan took his license back from Carl
and began to walk away.

  “I could make your life hell,” Carl called out.

  “If you want to lose your job, go ahead.” Logan didn’t look back. “The next time you stop me you better have a damn good reason for doing so, otherwise I will be talking to my attorney.”

  “In that case, you better watch out,” Carl shouted as Logan opened the door to his SUV. “People like you always slip up. You think you’re better than the rest of us. That the rules don’t apply to you.”

  Gritting his teeth, Logan climbed into the driver’s seat, slamming the door behind him. He had nothing else to say to Carl Roberts. The man was fucking power-drunk.

  And right now, he needed to get back to Boston.

  “That went better than expected.” Paris pulled the cork from a dusty bottle of expensive Cabernet, as they sat in the almost-finished restaurant a few days later. “I thought they were going to give us more bad news. But now we can really start planning for the opening.” She poured them both a glass of the ruby red wine. “Here you go, cheers.”

  “Cheers.” Logan lifted the glass to his lips, savoring the dark fruity bouquet. Though they had a professional who bought all the wines for their restaurants, he still took an interest in the suppliers. Last year, he’d spent a few days at the Crock Ham Estate in California, tasting the results of the previous year’s vintage. One of the selling points of their restaurants was their attention to detail. Everything had to be perfect. And they charged accordingly.

  “Alicia is coming in tomorrow to finalize the plans for opening night,” Paris said, looking at him over the rim of her glass. Alicia Duvall was their go-to event planner, and a well known figure in the Boston social scene. She and Paris were close friends. “Can you believe it’s only three and a half weeks away? I know we’ve had that date in mind forever, but it feels like we have so much to do.” Paris widened her eyes in mock-surprise. “We have to have the final tasting this weekend. The chef will need that time to make sure he has all the ingredients and train the staff. Shall we do it on Saturday?”

  “I’m busy on Saturday.” Logan ran the pad of his finger along his jaw. It was rough from a day’s beard growth. “Courtney’s visiting.”

  “As in Courtney, your baby mama?” Paris asked. “Does she even know what an airplane is?”

  “Don’t call her that.” Logan frowned. “And of course she knows what a plane is.”

  “I wasn’t sure she’d want to leave the exciting town y’all come from.” Paris exaggerated a country drawl. “But you should bring her to the tasting. The more the merrier. I’ll ask a gang as well, get their feedback.” She smiled.

  Logan looked at her for a minute, trying to decide whether she was being a bitch or not. “Okay,” he said slowly. “I’ll bring her.”

  “Good.” Paris nodded. “It’s about time we met. I’ll get to look her over, show her how busy the restaurant business is. That way when you need to work rather than bathe a screaming baby she’ll understand.”

  “About that.” Logan ran his finger around the rim of his half-empty wine glass. “I’m looking for a house to buy in Hartson’s Creek.”

  Paris blinked, the smile melting from her lips. “What does that mean?”

  “It means I’m planning on spending more time there once the baby comes. Maybe before.” He met her confused gaze. “You mentioned before about us bringing on another partner. This might be a good time to do it.”

  “What the hell are you going to do in bumbfuck Virginia?” Paris asked, incredulous. “You’ll go crazy in about five minutes. There’s a reason you left Hartson’s Creek. You’re too big for that place. You couldn’t run a restaurant like this there,” she said, pointing at the almost-finished furnishings.

  “I know that. But I want to spend time with Courtney and our baby when she or he arrives. And I can’t do that from here.”

  “She’s hardly into the second trimester,” Paris pointed out. “There’s plenty of time to think about the future.” Putting her glass down on the counter, she sighed. “Look, there’s no way we can find someone to buy into the business until this place is up and running. They’ll want to see the accounts, a profit, all of that stuff. And besides, neither of us has time to look for the right person right now.” She tipped her head to the side, her eyes scanning Logan’s face. “How about we revisit this after the restaurant is open. If you still want to do it, then we’ll start looking.” She shrugged. “Though I think you’re crazy.”

  Everything she said made sense. Apart from the crazy part. “Okay, we’ll revisit then,” he agreed, though he knew he wouldn’t change his mind. He was already counting down the time until he could hold Courtney in his arms again. Next weekend. That’s all the time he had to wait until he could bury his face in her fragrant curls. Until he could press his body against hers until everything in his life made sense again.

  “Good.” Paris finished her wine. “Now come on. We’ve got work to do.”

  The last time Courtney had been on an airplane was when she was eighteen, right after graduating from high school. She’d flown to upstate New York to be a camp counselor. She could still remember the feeling of intense excitement, peppered with anxiety as she walked through the terminal. She’d been almost surprised to see her case going around the carousel. She was certain it would be lost somewhere along the way. She was even more surprised to see an older man waiting for her once she’d walked through the gates, holding a sign with five names written on it, including her own.

  She felt a similar feeling when she saw Logan waiting for her on the other side of the doors. He was wearing a dark blue suit and lighter striped shirt, his phone in one hand as he scanned the incoming arrivals.

  As soon as he saw her, his lips lifted into a grin. He shoved his phone into his pocket and raised his hand, and she found herself smiling back at him.

  “Hey,” he said when she reached him. He kissed her cheek, his lips soft. “How was your flight?”

  “It went quick,” she told him as he took the handle of her suitcase. “It felt like I barely sat down before we landed. I didn’t even get a chance to finish my book.” She patted her purse, where she’d put the paperback when the pilot announced their descent. “Hopefully I will on the way back.”

  He hooked his arm around her waist, leading her toward the exit. “I thought we’d drop your things off at my apartment first. Then we can head somewhere for dinner.” God, he smelled good. Warm and woodsy and so very Logan. She loved the way she could feel his warm skin through his thin shirt when she slid her hand beneath his jacket.

  “My car’s in the lot,” he said, as they walked through the glass doors. “And you probably shouldn’t move your hand any more, or I’ll end up taking you against the terminal wall.”

  She laughed. “Is it wrong that I want you to?”

  He moved his hand up, his deft fingers feathering her neck. “Not wrong, no. But potentially illegal.”

  “I guess we should avoid jail for the weekend.”

  “I’m thinking so.” He tipped his head until his eyes met hers. “My place is only twenty minutes away. I think we can manage.”

  She lifted an eyebrow. “What is this magic? Every time I see you it’s like there’s this magnet inside me. Is that normal?”

  He shook his head. “I’ve never felt it before.”

  Her gaze locked with his. “Me either.”

  Surprise washed over his features, and this time she was the one doing the mind reading. “Never,” she repeated. Not with Shaun or anybody who came before him. It reminded her of those metal snake eggs she’d won as a kid at the annual fair. She used to pull them apart and they’d rush together again, hitting with a clang. She’d walk around with them in her hand, moving them in her palm. But even as they moved, they didn’t part.

  That’s how she felt whenever she was near him. Like there was something deeper than either of them could conceive, pulling them together. As though their meeting on the road last September wasn’t an a
ccident. It was the magnets finally getting tired of staying apart.

  An inevitable clash that would change both of their lives.

  Logan swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing beneath the taut skin of his throat. There was a dark shadow of beard growth there. She wanted to run her lips along it, let the roughness scrape against her.

  She blushed as she thought about his face between her legs.

  “Are you thinking about what I’m thinking about?” he asked her, his voice thick.

  She exhaled softly, her lips slightly parted. “Yeah,” she breathed. “I think I am.”

  He lifted her luggage, as though he didn’t have time to pull it along the blacktop any more. “Come on,” he said, pressing his palm into the small of her back. “Let’s get you back to my place.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Logan held the door open, and Courtney climbed out, grabbing her purse from the floor of his Lexus. She was wearing a black mini-dress with billowing sleeves and a velvet collar that she and Logan had gone out to buy this morning. She hadn’t brought anything dressy to wear, and upon hearing that they’d be eating out at his latest restaurant tonight, she’d panicked.

  She felt better now, though. The dark fabric skimmed her body, revealing only a hint of the swell that was getting harder to disguise. Her hair was down, gleaming curls tumbling over her shoulders. While Logan had worked on a few things in his home office, she’d spent some time applying the make-up she only wore occasionally, and she liked the result.

  Tonight, she felt almost like she belonged in a city like Boston.

  “You ready?” Logan asked, his eyes roaming her appreciatively. Like her, he was dressed up, but unlike her it wasn’t unusual. She’d never met anybody who rocked dress pants and a shirt like Logan Hartson.