by Claire Adams
I nodded. “You’re probably right.” I let go of my suitcase and headed toward the stairs. “I’m going to go lie down for a bit. I’ll play with the boys after that, and that should make them happy again.”
I had the money, of course, to hire a full-time dog sitter, but that always rubbed me the wrong way. The whole point of having pets was for them to bond with me, not strangers. Maybe I was selfish that way.
“When did you want a meal, sir?”
“Five is fine.”
“Very well, sir.” She headed toward the kitchen.
I bounded up the stairs and into my bedroom. After pulling my phone out of my pocket, I collapsed on my bed. Even the beds in the hotel I’d stayed at in Copenhagen didn’t measure up to the expert combination of support and fluffiness of my mattress. Then again, I’d paid ten thousand dollars for the thing. Worth every cent. I never had trouble getting to sleep on it.
Another yawn erupted from my mouth. Exhaustion had seeped into every cell in my body, but that didn’t stop me from thinking about the curvy, hazel-eyed woman who had been consuming my thoughts since Tuesday.
I stared at my phone. No messages from Emily. No calls. No texts.
It didn’t matter. I didn’t expect any. A worthwhile man pursued the woman he wanted. That was just how things were. Maybe I’d screwed things up on the date, maybe I hadn’t, but now that I wasn’t in Europe, I could make things right.
I dialed. She picked up on the third ring.
“Hello?” Emily said, more than a little surprise in her voice.
I swallowed. I’d missed her sweet Tennessee twang. “Hello, Emily. I just got back into town.”
“Oh, that’s right. Your business trip.” I’m no expert on listening to people over the phone, but she sounded disappointed for some reason.
“I’d like to see you again.”
She didn’t respond for so long that I wondered if we’d lost a connection.
“You would?” She definitely sounded surprised.
“Yes. I had a great time, and I’m thinking we could have another good time.”
“I did, too, but I…” She sighed.
I resisted the urge to make a joke. The last thing I wanted was for Emily to think I wasn’t taking this whole thing with us seriously.
“You can pick the restaurant.” Maybe that would help her feel more comfortable. “Oh, also I’d like to take you and Juniper out. I’d like to get to know her better, and I have a special gift for her I picked up in Denmark.”
“Huh. You do?”
That sounded promising.
“So, what do you say? Maybe we could get together tomorrow?”
“I’d, hmm, if you want to see Juniper, then we’ll need to wait until Monday. She’s still with Lionel until then.”
“That’s fine with me.”
I wished I could see the expression on her face, as all I had to go off was her tone through the phone. The next few seconds felt like an eternity.
“How about the café where we had our first date?” Emily said.
“Really?” I didn’t bother to hide the surprise in my voice. It’d be a nice, low-key place, but I’d expected she might want something fancier rather than the opposite, even with her daughter in tow.
“Is that a problem?”
I shook my head, despite the fact she couldn’t see me. Reflex, I guess. “Sounds perfect. Would five-thirty work on Monday? You need to pick her up from school, right?”
“Yes, that works. Yes, I do. Since we’re doing something different, you should know she’ll be a little hyper.”
I laughed. “If I can negotiate international business deals, I can deal with a hyper five-year-old.”
“Famous last words.” Emily chuckled, and it was the first time she’d seemed a bit lighter since we started the conversation. “Okay,” she said. “See you Monday, Logan.”
“See you Monday, Emily.”
She hung up.
I lowered my phone, a mix of excitement and disappointment warring in me. Whether or not I’d screwed up after the date, it didn’t matter, as I now had another chance. My only regret was that I’d have to wait another day.
I couldn’t deny it anymore. I wanted this woman.
Chapter Eleven
EMILY
I stared at Juniper in my rearview mirror. The only things keeping her from bouncing all over my backseat were the seatbelt and her car seat. This was the trouble with telling my daughter things ahead of time. She would work herself up into a frenzy. An adorable frenzy, but still.
“Are we there yet?” Juniper asked. “Are we there yet? Are there yet?”
I chuckled as I turned a corner. “Almost, sweet pea. Just keep calm.”
Maybe I was concentrating on my daughter so my nerves wouldn’t get to me. My heart had been pounding since I picked Juniper up from school. This wasn’t just another Monday afternoon for either of us.
This was a date. An official date scheduled not by my Mama or Logan’s mother but between us. I’d have no excuse to hide behind if things got screwed up. Well, I could pretend it wasn’t truly a date, but what else did you call a man and woman who weren’t already close friends getting together for a meal?
Not that Juniper cared about meeting Logan. She vaguely remembered him from the party at my mother’s, but she’d spent most of the time in the toy room. She was mainly excited about the idea of going out to eat.
Turning the final corner on the way to the café, I wondered what this date even meant. I’d thought Logan wasn’t interested, but then he’d gone out of his way to set up another date with me, even going so far as to suggest Juniper come along.
That had to mean something, but I wasn’t sure what. I also wasn’t sure how to deal with the fact I was going out to eat with a man at all, let alone a man who wasn’t put off by the fact I already had a kid.
It was nice to be wanted, but the more I thought about it, the less of a good idea it seemed. Yes, Logan Hawkins was nice to look at, and from what he said, it sounded like he was a great kisser. Or maybe I was the great kisser. I wished I could remember.
He didn’t seem to be a bum, but more than anything, my daughter needed stability, and I now regretted bringing her along. I was no better than Lionel.
We finally pulled into the parking lot of the café, and I let out a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding.
Juniper clapped. “Can I get a milkshake, Mama?”
“Now, Juniper, I don’t think you need a milkshake for dinner.”
“Please,” she whined.
“We’ll talk about it.”
I stepped out and moved to the other side of the car to let Juniper out. She jumped to the ground, doing some strange little dance before giggling. I didn’t bother to ask her what it meant.
Holding her hand, I walked to the front of the café, a bit of relief settling over me. By avoiding a fancy place, I wouldn’t raise Logan’s hopes any more than they already had been. Whatever strange and embarrassing connection we had made at my Mama’s house, I had to let it fade, if only for the sake of my daughter. Maybe in a few more years, when she was a bit older and more emotionally settled, I could worry about dating men.
Logan emerged from the front door and offered us a wide wave. I waved back, and Juniper let go of my hand to wave back with both hers.
We closed in on Logan, and he smiled down at my daughter. “Hello, I’m Logan Hawkins.”
She curtsied. “I’m Juniper Blue, Mr. Hawkins.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Juniper.”
“Likewise, Mr. Hawkins.” Juniper blushed and looked down. She was always shy around men she didn’t know.
Logan’s gaze drifted up to my face, and he smiled warmly. “I already have a table for us. Not exactly Rue Verte, but I’ve heard good things about their chicken fried steak.” He opened the door and gestured for us to enter. “Not something I’m going to eat, but always a good sign when they have a nice signature dish.”
Juniper hur
ried inside. I followed.
My stomach rumbled. I hoped he hadn’t heard it. “It’s a good place. We have it delivered at my bank a lot for lunch.”
“Ah, good to know.” He let the door swing closed behind him.
His response made me think about his job. The café was originally picked because it was half-way between our workplaces, but it was obvious he didn’t come here a lot. I wonder if he preferred fancier food and thought a place like this was beneath him.
As he led us to a table, I couldn’t get the thought out of my mind. I’d grown up in a family with a taste for finer things, but my marriage had soured me on snobbery. It’d be easy to give up on Logan if he were that sort of man. I kind of hoped he would be.
Logan pulled out our chairs for us. We both took a seat. I noticed a small cloth bag sitting by Logan’s chair. I wondered what might be inside.
I nibbled my lip. Now that we were sitting a table, all that nervousness I’d pushed away before had returned to smother me. What the heck was I thinking? I was going out on another date with a man I’d thrown myself at after getting drunk at a party.
The more I thought about it, the more I suspected Logan thought I was an easy lay. That was probably the only reason he was putting any effort in at all.
It wasn’t like we’d hit it off our first time at this café. That said, I wasn’t going to be rude to him about it when he’d been nothing but a gentleman. If Mama had taught me anything, it was that you always return politeness with more of the same. That is what separated our fine city from the kind of rudeness you might see in many other cities.
The waitress walked to our table. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“Coffee,” Logan said.
“I’ll have some sweet tea,” I said.
“Chocolate milkshake!” Juniper said.
“That’s not something to drink really,” I said.
“Lemonade,” she added, a pout on her face.
“How about all that and a milkshake for Juniper?” Logan said.
The waitress smiled at him. I shook my head at him, but he didn’t seem to notice, or maybe he wasn’t paying attention. It was a sweet gesture, but he didn’t need to spoil Juniper.
“And do you know what you want to eat, or do you need more time?” the waitress asked.
“I’ll have the tomato soup,” Logan said.
“I’ll have the chicken fried steak,” I added. “And chicken tenders for my daughter.”
The waitress smiled, wrote it all down, and hurried away.
“How was your trip?” I said, looking at Logan. Juniper watched us both quietly.
“Ah, great. I love Denmark.”
“You go there a lot?”
“Not really, but I’ve been about four times in the last year.” He shrugged. “I was hammering out a business deal. This last trip was the final part of that.”
I was about to reply when the waitress appeared with our drinks and the shake before heading off again.
Juniper’s eyes widened as she eagerly stuck her straw in her shake and began her attack on the delicious contents of her glass.
“Juniper Blue,” I said. “Don’t you have something to say?”
She pulled away from the shake and sighed. “Thank you, Mr. Hawkins.”
Logan chuckled quietly before returning his attention to me. “Have you traveled much?”
“I always wanted to, but,” My gaze flitted to Juniper and then back to Logan, “some people I used to spend more time around didn’t like traveling. Been to Mexico a few times, but that’s about it.”
“I didn’t travel much until after college.” He took a sip of his coffee. “My mother used to say, ‘Why leave Nashville? You have everything you could possibly want here.’” Another playful chuckle followed.
Juniper slurped her shake a bit. I cut a look over at her, and she grinned but didn’t say anything. When she continued, though, her drinking was much quieter.
A tranquil feeling settled over me for a moment. Not long after that, my heart kicked up. I was having a meal with a man I was interested in while my daughter sat nearby drinking a shake. It was all very domestic. Normal. That’s what it felt like at first, but I couldn’t really have that with Logan Hawkins.
First impressions are everything, and I had to remember that. He wasn’t interested in me, not really. He was interested in the woman who did stupid things after she got drunk off champagne. That woman wasn’t me. Well, sure, she was kind of me, but she wasn’t the me who would be around all that often. I hoped.
“I have a little gift for your daughter,” Logan said.
Juniper stopped working on her milkshake, which was almost gone at this point. She peered up at him, a curious look on her little face.
“A gift?”
“From Denmark.” Logan reached into the cloth bag and pulled out another smaller cloth bag, this one with a huge LEGO logo on the side. He set the bag in front of Juniper.
She peered into the bag, and her eyes widened. I leaned over to see what was inside. A pile of little LEGO sets.
“These aren’t released yet,” Logan said. “I talked to some people at LEGO headquarters, and they were willing to give me a few.”
Juniper squealed and started digging into the bag.
Logan laughed, but I sighed.
“Juniper,” I said. “A proper lady controls herself in public.”
My daughter giggled and nodded quickly. My face burned. Not from embarrassment over my daughter’s behavior, but from remembering just what I, a so-called proper lady, had done in public with Logan not all that long ago.
I cleared my throat. “And don’t you have something to say to Logan?”
Juniper hopped out of her seat and rushed to throw her arms around Logan. He blinked, clear surprise on his face.
I could only wonder what my face looked like at the moment. Juniper might be hyper around her daddy, but she’d always been reserved around men she didn’t know.
A little laugh escaped my mouth. I guess the other men should have shown up with LEGOs straight from Denmark.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you, Mr. Hawkins,” Juniper said.
He ruffled her hair. “You’re welcome, Juniper.”
“You need to sit back down in your seat, sweet pea,” I said. “And you can’t play with the LEGOs until you get home.”
Juniper pulled away from Logan, but instead of heading back to her seat, she sat down next to him.
I didn’t tell her to go back to her original seat. The bright smile on her face was just too much. Whatever my own concerns over this semi-relationship I had with Logan, it wasn’t fair to confuse a happy little girl.
“That was a sweet thing,” I said to Logan. “I didn’t even realize I’d told you about her love of LEGOs. And you remembered too.”
“Oh, I try to pay attention to everything you say.” This time the smile on his face went beyond friendly, and more than a little hunger appeared in those eyes.
A little warmth flared in my center over that look, and I swallowed. No. I wasn’t supposed to be letting Logan wind me up with a look. I was supposed to be working on escaping him. It was the best thing for my daughter and my own peace of mind.
Luckily, our food showed up, so I could concentrate on eating for a few minutes. At least that was the idea.
Every time I glanced up, I found Logan watching me, a small smile on his face. Nothing creepy, but he looked at me like I was the most interesting woman in the world.
I spent most of the meal focused on my food, offering only some scattered small talk. I had a feeling if I spent too much time looking at Logan, I wouldn’t listen to what my brain was telling me. That I didn’t need a man. That I’d gotten along fine without a man for two years, even if Logan was handsome, intelligent, kind to my daughter, and flew off to Denmark for business trips.
I didn’t need any of that. Right?
We finished our meals. Juniper began eagerly sorting through her new LEGO sets,
though she did obey me and didn’t open any.
I took a deep breath and prepared to tell my daughter it was time to go. The best way to end things with Logan was to avoid setting up any new dates. He’d get the point. My stupid body and heart would get the point as well, as long as I stayed away from the man and his frustratingly handsome face and warming smile. We didn’t have a reason to meet anymore.
“Mama,” Juniper said, her hand still in the LEGO bag. “I want Mr. Hawkins to come to the Spring Festival.”
I managed not to grimace. So much for staying away from Logan.
“Spring Festival?” Logan asked.
“It’s something they do at her school. Lots of little performances. Her class is singing.” I forced a smile. “It’s Wednesday evening, though. I’m sure you’re busy, with all your Denmark trips and business deals and such.”
“I’m sure I can find the time.” Logan winked.
Juniper clapped her little hands and bounced in her heat, beaming from ear to ear. The sight warmed my heart.
Then my brain all but shut off. I didn’t know what to say. What could I, really? Logan had treated me well, treated Juniper well, and taken me out to eat several times. It’d be rude to tell him I wasn’t interested.
Not to mention a lie. I understood I shouldn’t be trying to date a man, but I couldn’t help that for all the discomfort I was feeling, there was a part of me that enjoyed spending time with Logan, and not just the part that loved his handsomeness or smooth voice. One little school festival wouldn’t too much, and it’d obviously make Juniper happy.
“Guess I’m stuck with you for a little longer,” I said, smiling.
Chapter Twelve
LOGAN
Late afternoon Wednesday, I was on my way to Juniper’s school in my car when my phone rang. I glanced at the caller ID on the display in the center of my dashboard. My mother.
I transferred the call to my car’s speakerphone. “Yes, Mother?”
Before she even spoke, my mother let out a long sigh. I didn’t expect a pleasant conversation.
“I wanted to talk to you about Emily,” she said.
I grimaced. This was not the conversation I wanted to have in traffic on my way to Juniper’s school. I was having enough trouble with Emily by myself. I sensed something in her, some sort of wall or distance. As if she hadn’t been fully comfortable with me on our last date, and I didn’t want to accept it.
