AT LONG LAST (The Playas Series - Book 4)

by Brenda Jackson

  “You’re welcome. Have a nice visit.”

  She watched John head back toward the seaplane. Then, she took a deep breath and rang the doorbell.

  Logan heard the sound of the doorbell as he was getting out of the shower. He knew Lance and Asia had a state-of-the-art intercom system but he decided by the time he figured out how to operate the thing, he could make it downstairs to open the door.

  He wondered who could be visiting. It wasn’t as if they had neighbors within twenty miles. And the only way to get here was by boat or seaplane. Quickly putting on a pair of shorts, he rushed down the stairs, hoping it wasn’t a client they’d forgotten to cancel. He’d been here two days and figured Lance, Asia and the baby should be returning sometime today.

  He opened the door. Claire was standing there and she seemed as surprised to see him as he was to see her. Why? She’d known he would be here. Chances are, she’d thought he had left already, and that was the reason she seemed surprised to see him. Or maybe she just hadn’t expected him to answer the door. Whatever the reason, considering how their last conversation had ended, he doubted she wanted to see him at all.

  When she didn’t say anything, he said, “Something came up and Lance, Asia and the baby had to leave the island. I’m expecting them back sometime today.”

  She lifted a brow. “So, they left you here with Susan?”

  He shot her a bemused look. “I don’t know any Susan. When I arrived on Sunday, no one was here. Lance texted that something had come up and that I should make myself at home. So, I have.”

  He paused. “I thought you weren’t coming until after you’d visited your mother.” He moved aside to let her enter. There was no need for her to stand out in the bright morning sun.

  She walked by him, pulling her luggage behind her and leaving her luscious scent in her wake. She turned around when she reached the middle of the room. “They were expecting some woman named Susan,” she said.

  Logan shrugged and figured he would have done a better job keeping up with what she was saying if he hadn’t been checking her out in her very short shorts and top. Her long legs got to him each and every time. “I don’t know anything about that. Lance didn’t mention it in his text.”

  He closed the door and leaned against it, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “So why did you decide to come here? Is it because you thought I’d left?”

  She shook her head. “I wasn’t sure if you had, but I was hoping I’d be able to catch you.”

  He was definitely surprised to hear that. He straightened his stance and removed his hands from his pockets. “Why?”

  Claire drew in a deep breath. She would answer his question, but first, she needed a drink. Her throat suddenly felt dry. “May I have something to drink?”

  He slowly nodded his head. “What would you like?”

  “A glass of wine would be nice.”

  He moved away from the door. “We can sit outside on the patio, if you’d like. It’s not too hot out there now.”

  “Alright.”

  By the time Logan returned with two glasses of wine, Claire had taken a chair facing the ocean and was enjoying the breeze. But she hadn’t come up with what she wanted to say. In the back of her mind, she could hear her mother’s voice saying, Speak from your heart, Claire. Speak from your heart. So, she would and she hoped Logan would understand.

  “Here you are,” he said, handing her a glass filled with wine. “And I decided to have one myself,” he said, taking the chair across from her.

  She took a sip and at first, she didn’t say anything, even though she knew he was waiting. Finally, she started. “I told you I deliberately came here hoping you’d still be here and you asked me why. The reason is Susan.”

  She watched his brow lift. “Susan?”

  “Yes.”

  He shrugged his massive shoulders. “You mentioned her before and said Lance and Asia were expecting her. Who is she and what does she have to do with me?”

  Nothing I hope, Claire thought. I hope she never has anything to do with you. Instead, after nervously smoothing a hand over her pale-yellow shorts, she added, “Susan is someone Asia knows. You two have a lot in common. She’s a pilot in the Air Force and she’s ready to settle down, get married and have babies. Asia was going to fix the two of you up during your pit stop here.”

  Logan stared at her, as if he thought she was joking. At some point, he undoubtedly figured she wasn’t. “Are you serious?”

  “As a heart attack. So, don’t be surprised when Susan shows up.”

  He took a sip of his wine. “Asia never gave me the impression she’s the matchmaker type.”

  “Typically, she’s not. But she wants you to be happy and she understands that you’re ready to settle down.”

  “Yes, but…”

  “But, what?”

  “Nothing. Please continue. I find all this rather interesting.”

  Claire didn’t say anything for a minute. “Asia told me about the plans she had for you and Susan even before we left DC. Of course, it didn’t matter to me because we were just friends. I wanted you to be happy too. I even thought of fixing you up with my friend Mindy, but she was involved with someone already. But then on our trip, things changed and we became intimate.”

  She could no longer sit still and had to stand. Had to start pacing, then stopped for a moment. “And after we had our talk and you left, I knew you were coming here and would meet Susan. I admitted to myself that I didn’t want Susan to have you, even if you two have a lot in common and want the same things.”

  Claire took another sip of wine. “It took Mom to help me sort out a few things. I know my not wanting to love another man for fear of losing him isn’t just about Walter. It’s also about my dad. I also know I have to admit my feelings for you too, Logan.”

  “And they are?” he asked, getting up to stand in front of her.

  She tilted her head back to look up at him. “That I love you, and that I have to move on, whether I want to or not.”

  He reached out and gently caressed the side of her face. “And how do you feel about that?”

  “Scared.”

  He took her glass out of her hand and placed it on the nearby table. Then he drew her into his arms and held her. “Don’t be afraid, Claire. You should never be afraid with me.”

  She didn’t say anything at first, just rested her face in his chest and absorbed his scent, shared his strength. Moments later, she pulled back slightly and looked up at him. “I do want the things you want, Logan. I can see that now. But it took the possibility of me losing you to Susan that opened my eyes.”

  He tightened his arms around her. “You could never lose me. Asia was right in assuming I want love, marriage and children. But I only want them with you, Claire. I thought she knew that.”

  “Evidently, she didn’t.”

  “Well, it doesn’t matter. Now you know it, too. I didn’t want to rush you. The reason I invited you to go on vacation with me was for you to get to know me.”

  And she had gotten to know him. She had fallen in love with him. “So, you love me and I love you. What’s next?”

  He chuckled. “What’s next is whatever we want.”

  She leaned up on tip-toe and whispered, “I want you to make love to me, Logan.”

  So, he swept her off her feet and carried her into the house.

  The ringing of Claire’s cell phone awakened her, and when she stirred, so did the man beside her in bed. “Sorry,” she whispered to Logan before grabbing her phone. She glanced over at the clock. It was close to midnight. “I hope it’s Asia.”

  Claire hadn’t heard from her sister and brother-in-law since arriving on Paradise two days ago. And she knew Logan hadn’t heard from them either and he’d arrived two days before she had. “Hello?”

  “Claire? You made it to Paradise, I see.” It was Asia.

  “Yes, I made it. Logan was already here. Where are you guys? Is everything all right?”


  “Yes, everything is fine. We’re at our cabin in North Carolina and decided to hang out here for a few days.”

  Claire lifted a brow thinking that didn’t make sense. “Your cabin? Why did you leave when you knew Logan was coming?”

  She could hear Asia giggle before saying, “Because I figured the two of you needed some time to yourselves.”

  Claire sat up in bed and placed the phone on speaker. “Asia, Logan is here with me. Could you repeat what you just said, because I’m sure I missed something?”

  “No problem. Hey, Logan!”

  Claire glanced over at Logan and watched him smile. “Hey back at you, Asia. Where’re Lance and Leland?”

  “Lance is right here beside me in bed and Leland is in the other room asleep. I just told Claire that we left Paradise to give the two of you some privacy.”

  Logan pulled up in bed beside Claire. “Privacy? You were expecting me but not Claire,” he said.

  “Oh, yes, we were expecting Claire as well.”

  Claire frowned. “Asia, that doesn’t make sense. You all but told me not to come to Paradise because you’d fixed Logan up with this Susan person.”

  “Yes, I did say that, but honestly, I never thought you would do what I said. In fact, I knew you wouldn’t, since you never have. I was counting on you staying true to form. I was also counting on you coming to your senses about how you really felt about Logan.”

  Claire glanced over at Logan and smiled. “I did come to my senses. But how did you know I would?”

  “Because I know you. I also figured dangling Susan in your face would provide motivation.”

  Claire chuckled. “It did. I’m glad you decided not to invite her.”

  Asia laughed out loud.

  Claire wondered what Asia thought was so amusing. “And what’s so funny?”

  “Haven’t you figured out, Claire, that there never was a Susan. She was someone I made up to make you jealous enough to come to your senses.”

  Claire nearly dropped the phone. “You made it up? You lied to me?”

  “Yes. Guilty as charged. But please stop screaming. Leland is asleep, and your shrieking might wake him.”

  “But why?” Claire asked.

  “Because I owed you for sticking your nose into my business with Lance, making sure we got together. When Logan made a stop here on his way to DC to see you, he told me and Lance how he felt about you and I knew you could feel the same way…with a little push.”

  “More like a shove, you mean,” Claire said smiling, snuggling closer to Logan.

  “Okay, a shove. Whatever. It worked.”

  Claire laughed. Yes, it had worked. “Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome. I just wanted to let you guys know you’ve got two more days. Then we’ll be back. I hope you’ve made some serious plans by then.”

  It was Logan who spoke this time. “We will have. And thanks for interfering. I owe you one.”

  “Umm, a niece named after me would be nice.”

  Logan laughed. “We’ll keep that in mind.”

  “Okay, guys, I’ve heard enough.” Lance, who’d been quiet all this time, interrupted to say. “It’s time to end this call. We’ll see you in two days. Bye.”

  “Bye.” Claire clicked off the phone and placed it back on the nightstand, then wrapped her arms around Logan’s neck. “Can you believe there never was a Susan?”

  “It doesn’t matter. You’re the only woman I want. The only woman I’ve ever wanted.”

  Claire knew there were plans to make and more talking to do but she had time. In fact, she intended to call her boss tomorrow and request a thirty-day extension of her time in the States. Logan had invited her to spend some time with him at his place in Tampa, and she couldn’t wait.

  “Claire?”

  “Yes?” She looked up at him.

  And Logan lowered his mouth to hers.

  32

  LOGAN AND JEREMIAH

  Two weeks later in Gary, Indiana

  Logan glanced over at Thea who sat beside his father on the sofa. He’d met her yesterday and he had liked her immediately. It was obvious she made his father happy. He didn’t know of any other man who deserved happiness more than Jeremiah Montgomery. His Pop.

  When Lyle heard that Logan and Claire were coming to visit Pop, he and Monique had decided to make the trip as well. So had Lance, Asia and the baby. That meant all the Montgomerys were there and accounted for. It was also pretty obvious that his brothers liked Thea as much as he and Carrie did. Lance had mentioned at breakfast that he’d never seen their father smile so much, and Lance was right. Since both Claire and Thea had degrees in education, they had a lot to talk about and were already forming a close relationship.

  No one was surprised when Pop and Thea announced their plans to marry. They were planning a Christmas wedding with all the family present in Gary. They also announced their decision to put up both of their individual homes for rent and buy a new home in one of those up and coming senior communities that catered to the over sixty-crowd. They had better things to do than spend their time and money repairing older homes. They wanted to travel and the first place on their list was Germany. Logan couldn’t wait for them to meet Asia and Claire’s mother and stepfather, who’d also caught the travel bug.

  Logan was happy for his father and Thea. The only sad note was getting the news last week that their mother Edwina had been arrested by the FBI. She’d been posing as a truck driver and had been caught hauling stolen goods across state lines. Although they’d severed ties with her a few years ago, they were still somewhat surprised she hadn’t reached out to them, asking for help. If she was found guilty, she could be facing twenty years in prison. As far as they were concerned, she would finally find out that crime did not pay. They also figured that she understood that finding out what she’d put Carrie through had been the final straw for the Montgomery men. They were done with her. Edwina Montgomery’s offspring were better off without her in their lives.

  Logan glanced across the room at Claire who was talking to a very pregnant Carrie. Instead of returning in two days like they’d threatened, Lance, Asia and the baby hadn’t come back until four days later. That had given Logan and Claire even more private time together for walks on the beach, playtime in bed and a lot of serious conversation.

  Claire’s boss had given her the extra time in the States as she’d requested and when they had left Paradise, they had gone to his home in Tampa. He was glad she loved his place, which would eventually become her home. Already, she had submitted her resume to the universities in the Tampa area.

  Logan stood and beckoned Claire to his side. He whistled and everyone turned to look at him. “Now that I have all of your attention, and we’ve congratulated Dad and Thea on their upcoming marriage over the holidays, now you can congratulate me and Claire on ours. We’re getting married in May.”

  Cheers and clapping filled the room. The Montgomery family’s happiness was complete. Jeremiah would have three happily married sons, a very happily married daughter, and he would be a happily married man.

  At long last, all was well in the Montgomery family. It might have taken years, but it had been well worth the wait.

  33

  SEAN

  Liz sat across the table from her friend, Dr. Gardenia Riggs, as they enjoyed lunch. It was hard to believe she’d been back in Boston for almost a month and that Thanksgiving was only a couple of weeks away. The girls had adjusted well to the move and already had made new friends at their daycare, which was less than ten minutes from the hospital.

  She had to admit Sean had been a godsend. She’d had to work extra hours trying to get organized at the hospital and he’d helped out with the girls every chance he got. He would still pick them up every morning and was usually there to bring them home in the afternoons, if she needed him to. On those days, he would take them to her place, get them fed and ready for bed by the time she got home.

  When she’d returned to Bosto
n and reunited with her former associates at the hospital, word had quickly gotten around about the twins and the identity of their father. Some people were amazed at how well she and Sean got along and the close friendship they shared. They had expected drama, but she and Sean hadn’t given them any. It was obvious they were putting the girls first and were rekindling their friendship.

  Gardenia, who’d been a part of her and Sean’s circle of friends for years, had returned a couple of weeks ago from a village in West Africa, where she’d been part of the government’s Goodwill Mission team. Gardenia had known about Liz’s feelings for Sean. And she’d also been aware of the twins and who’d fathered them. In fact, she’d been one of the first people Sean had questioned about Liz’s whereabouts.

  “I see things are still going great between you and Sean,” Gardenia observed smiling.

  Liz smiled back. “Yes, he’s been a godsend, especially with all my duties at the hospital. We’re trying to keep things as normal as we can for the girls, considering everything.”

  Gardenia lifted a brow. “Everything like what? If you ask me, you’ve pretty much got it all now. Two beautiful kids, a great career, and a man who loves you.”

  Liz shook her head. “Sean doesn’t love me, Gardenia. We’re just good friends.”

  Gardenia rolled her eyes. “That’s the same thing you used to say years ago, that the two of you were just friends. If you recall, I was the one who forced you to reexamine your feelings for him.”

  Yes, Gardenia had definitely done that. It had been an eye-opener for her. She’d had to admit that not only had she been in love with Sean, but in her heart, she’d loved him from the first.

  “Yes, but that was different. I could examine my own heart.”

  Gardenia smiled as she bit into a French fry. “I’m not sure why you can’t examine Sean’s as well. It’s obvious to anyone who takes the time to look.” She leaned over the table and whispered, “And trust me, plenty are looking.”