“You just like having someone you can boss around,” Jack said with a grin. “Admit it.”
“You know me too well.”
“You know, you could get the same thing with a girlfriend.”
“Really? We’re back to that again?”
“When’s the last time you had one? And I mean a real girlfriend. Not some woman you picked up and spent a few hours with.”
“I was twenty-one. It ended badly, and I’ve never met anyone else I wanted to get so completely involved with again. And not that I want her to be my girlfriend, but I did ask Brooke out, right?” Logan finished her soup and placed her hands palm down on the table. It was the first time she’d mentioned her relationship with Julie in college to anyone other than Brooke. “Your turn. When’s the last time you had a girlfriend?”
“I have one now,” Jack said. “I’m head over heels with this one, Logan. I really can’t wait for you to meet her.”
“Why didn’t you bring her here?” Logan felt the lump forming in her throat but tried to swallow it. Why did everyone want to be paired up with someone? Why couldn’t more people be happy simply by themselves?
“I didn’t think it was appropriate. I’d never mentioned her to you or Dad, and it somehow felt wrong to show up here with her by my side.”
“She told you to say that, didn’t she? Because what just came out of your mouth doesn’t sound like something you’d come up with on your own. It’s a little too cerebral for your feeble mind.” Logan laughed when he gave her a mock look of disbelief. “I think I like her already.”
“Good, because I invited her here for Thanksgiving.”
“What’s her name?”
“Cynthia.”
“You’d better tell me more about her. I don’t want to look like a fool when I meet her and know nothing more about her than her name. Where’d you meet? How old is she? What does she do for a living?”
Jack just looked at her as though she had two heads. Getting information out of him had always been a monumental task. After a few seconds, he shrugged.
“I think I’d rather you get to know her on your own. That way you have no preconceived notions about her.”
“Too late for that, bro. She must be an idiot to get involved with you.”
They finished their meal and did the dishes with very little conversation. Logan was happy to learn Jack had found someone he wanted to spend his life with. She felt selfish for wanting to keep her brother to herself. Maybe trying to avoid relationships with people wasn’t the smartest way to live her life, but after twelve years of it, it was the only way she knew how.
“Why are you here anyway?” Jack asked when they’d finished with the dishes and settled on the couch for a mindless evening of reality television. She looked at him questioningly. “You have the apartment above the funeral home, so why are you staying here with me? Dad had it built to give you your own space. Don’t get me wrong. I love spending time with you. But I don’t need a babysitter, Logan.”
“I feel closer to him here,” she whispered. “I’ll go back to the apartment, but for now I feel better being here. And it’s not to babysit you, even though you probably do need someone watching after you.”
He looked as though he completely understood her reasoning. That was what she loved the most about their relationship. They didn’t have to talk a lot in order to understand how the other one was feeling.
“After my second concussion three years ago, I decided I’d better start looking into alternative career choices, just in case. Two concussions in one season was a bit of a wake-up call, you know? I got my degree in mortuary science this past summer. I never got to tell Dad I was doing it. I wanted to surprise you both.”
Logan didn’t know what to say. She was surprised, but at the same time, it made sense. Her brother, for all his joking around, was a smart guy. She nodded as encouragement for him to go on. He took a deep breath.
“I need to find someone to serve my apprenticeship with.”
“You mean in case the news you get tomorrow is bad. You are going to keep playing if they say you can, right?”
“Of course.”
“Billy’s only into his sixth month as an apprentice. I can’t see taking on another one.” Logan saw the disappointment in Jack’s expression but he simply shrugged as if it wasn’t a big deal. “If you want to wait six months I’d be more than happy to take you on. I’m pretty sure Ernie doesn’t have an apprentice at the moment though. I could give him a call for you if you want.”
“Sure, that would be great.”
Logan knew he’d rather work with her, but Ernie was a good guy. Their father had known him since they’d gone to school together. Ernie’s funeral home was about fifteen miles away in Riverside, which was farther southeast from Oakville, which also meant it was farther from any of the larger cities too. She couldn’t help but wonder how well Jack would adjust to living the small town life again.
“We’ll wait and see what the doctor says tomorrow before I call him, all right?”
“Sounds good.”
They watched television in relative silence for the rest of the evening, and Logan couldn’t help but think about how nice it was to have him home again. She hated all the circumstances that had conspired to make his homecoming happen, but she wouldn’t lie by saying she wasn’t happy to have him back home. She hadn’t realized just how alone she really was.
Chapter Eight
Logan was a little apprehensive when Jack told her he’d called his girlfriend, Cynthia, and invited her to meet them for lunch in Pittsburgh after his appointment with the specialist. The doctor had run some tests and promised to call in a couple of days with the results. Patience had never been Jack’s strong suit, and Logan knew sitting around waiting for the phone to ring was going to drive him crazy.
When they walked into the restaurant, Cynthia was already seated, and she waved in their direction. Jack waved back, and when he looked at Logan he had the sappiest grin on his face. She couldn’t help but laugh at him as she clapped him on the back and motioned for him to lead the way.
Logan stood back and watched in uncomfortable silence as they hugged, and Jack kissed Cynthia on the cheek. Once they were all seated and they’d ordered drinks, Logan took the time to really look at the woman her brother seemed to be so in love with.
Cynthia was about the same age as Jack, and her long blond hair was pulled back in a ponytail. She wore minimal makeup, which impressed Logan, because so many of the women who made it their life’s ambition to hook up with a sports star wore way too much of the crap. Cynthia seemed understated and elegant, and Logan had to admit they made a rather striking couple. She was sure they’d make beautiful babies together. Beautiful blond-haired, blue-eyed babies, which was what their mother always said she wanted for grandchildren.
“I was so sorry to hear about your father,” Cynthia said to Logan when the waiter brought their drinks. “Jack’s told me a lot about both of you.”
“Funny, he never said a word to me about you.” Logan kicked Jack’s shin under the table. To his credit, he showed no reaction. “It’s very nice to meet you though.”
“You’re a funeral director, right?” she asked. When Logan nodded, she continued. “What an admirable profession. Not everyone is cut out to do that sort of thing.”
“And what is it you do for a living?” Logan asked. She wanted to kick Jack again. She hated making small talk, and he was just sitting there smiling like a pig in shit.
“I’m an attorney.”
Logan wanted to reciprocate the admirable remark, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. For some reason admirable and attorney just didn’t go well together in her mind.
“How did the two of you meet?” Logan wondered if Jack had gotten into the sort of trouble you needed an attorney to get you out of.
“We met at a Cleveland Indians game a few months ago.” Cynthia reached for his hand, which was on the table. “He spilled beer on me.”
“Still Mr. Smooth with the ladies, aren’t you, Undertaker?”
“I had no clue someone was standing right behind me,” he said in his defense. He finally managed to look away from Cynthia and focused on Logan. “Beer etiquette states if you have a beer in your hand, the closest person should stand at least two feet from you.”
“You’re so full of it.” She turned her attention back to Cynthia, who she had to admit was much nicer to look at than her brother. “So, he spilled his beer all over you. Let me guess—he made sure to give you his number so you could call him with the cost of the dry cleaning, am I right?”
“How did you know?”
“He’s my brother, and it’s exactly the same thing I would have done.” Logan grinned and took a sip of her beer before looking over the lunch menu. Jack was so obviously happy with Cynthia it almost made Logan nauseous. But she knew before their lunch was even over she was definitely going to like this woman.
*
“So I’m confused about something,” Brooke said when they were at dinner later the same evening. “Did you live with your father? I asked you before why I’d never seen you when I’d come to visit my grandparents.”
Logan took a sip of her water and tried very hard to ignore the way Brooke’s dress clung to her. And the amount of cleavage she had on display. Her blue eyes were a shade lighter than the dress, and Logan was having a difficult time keeping her eyes above Brooke’s neckline.
“No, I don’t really live at the house. I’ve been living in an apartment over the funeral home for the past ten years.” Maybe it was time to test out Jack’s theory about a woman not wanting to see her again after finding out where she lived. “We probably never saw each other because after my mother died my father didn’t want to be around the house on holidays, so we usually went to Florida for Christmas. On Thanksgiving, we went to a movie and ate dinner at a restaurant. He was still holding out hope the apartment would be for Jack when he started building it, but then Jack displayed his uncanny ability to chase down and annihilate quarterbacks. I moved in there when I started working with him.”
“If Jack was supposed to take over the family business, how did you get roped into it?” Brooke didn’t miss a beat, but Logan thought she saw an uncontrolled shudder run through her.
“I didn’t get roped into it. When it became apparent Jack was headed to Penn State on a full ride scholarship, I knew he wouldn’t be thinking about the mortuary business for his time there, so it would be at least six years before he was ready to move back to Oakville and work with our father—if he was ever ready at all. I took it upon myself to change course and become a funeral director. So, when our mother died, I moved back here to help him out and I’ve been here ever since.”
“How long ago was that?”
“Fifteen years.”
“What was your major before the switch?”
Logan watched in fascination as Brooke took a sip of her water and a tiny droplet ran out the corner of her mouth. It was all she could do to keep from brushing it away with her thumb, but Brooke wiped it with her napkin before she could even think to move her hand.
“Medicine. I wanted to be a doctor. I wanted to heal people instead of bury them.” Logan moved back when the waiter brought them the bottle of wine she’d ordered. He poured a glass and waited while she took in the aroma and tasted it. She nodded her approval and he poured their first two glasses.
“Are you a wine connoisseur?” Brooke looked impressed, but the snort Logan replied with left her appearing uncomfortable.
“Sorry,” Logan said with a sheepish grin. “Not a connoisseur, no. But my father always told me to at least act as though I knew what I was doing in any given situation.”
“Sage advice. Your father was a good man.”
“Yes, he was, thank you.”
The following silence began to grow uncomfortable and Logan didn’t know what to say or do. She sent a silent thank-you to whatever higher power there might be for the waiter bringing their food right before she seriously considered making a run for it.
“Tell me about your father,” Logan said when they were left alone to enjoy their meals. She knew it was probably a touchy subject because he’d kept her from seeing his parents for so long, but she wanted to get to know Brooke. What better way than to ask about family?
“He’s had his share of troubles,” Brooke said.
Brooke met Logan’s gaze and Logan saw the sadness there.
“He never talked about his parents unless I asked something specific about them, so I never had any idea what had happened between them. He and my mother are both alcoholics, but in spite of the drinking they were always there for me when I needed them. I guess you might call them functioning alcoholics. They both work full-time jobs, and as far as I know they never drink before five o’clock. I didn’t dare bring home any friends from school though because sometimes things got a little ugly once they got home and started drinking. They argue incessantly when there’s alcohol involved.”
“How did you connect with Henry and Peggy?”
“My aunt Marlene found me. It was my first year of college at Temple in Philadelphia, and she worked in the admissions department. When she saw my name on the roster for that year, she got in touch with me. According to her, my father contacted his parents to tell them they had a granddaughter named Brooke, but refused to tell them where we were, and he never got in touch with them again.”
“Did they welcome you with open arms when you met them the first time?”
“It was a little awkward at first for all of us, I think. I was glad Marlene was there as a buffer for our initial meeting, but things quickly evolved, and before I knew what was happening, it was almost as though I’d known them forever.” Brooke smiled and started in on her food. Logan decided to do the same before her food got cold. Suddenly, the invitation to dinner seemed like a far better idea than she had anticipated.
*
“I’m surprised you asked me out, Logan,” Brooke said when they arrived back at the house. It was a bit chilly out, being only three days before Thanksgiving, but Brooke didn’t mind sitting on the front porch for a while. She wasn’t sure she wanted their evening to end quite yet. She was enjoying Logan’s company, and it was pleasantly unexpected. Her self-imposed celibacy in the wake of Hurricane Wendy was getting old. Why not go out for dinner once in a while with a stunningly gorgeous woman? It didn’t really have to mean anything beyond spending a little time together, did it?
“Why are you surprised?”
“Well, you don’t strike me as a woman who dates very often. Even if you hadn’t told me as much the other night, I would have figured it out on my own simply by how nervous you were when you asked me,” Brooke said. “But you should know I’m not really in the market for a relationship after the way my last one ended.”
“As you’ve no doubt gathered, neither am I. You can always use friends though, and there aren’t too many lesbians in Oakville,” Logan said with a grin, and Brooke could have sworn Logan’s cheeks turned a deep shade of red. “In fact, since you moved here, the number of lesbians in town has doubled. But even if there were thousands, I’m sure none would compare to your beauty.”
“Thank you.” Brooke felt her own face flush at the compliment. She glanced away, not wanting Logan to see her embarrassment. Wendy had never complimented her very often, and she wasn’t sure how to react to Logan’s flattery.
“Hey, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable,” Logan said.
She placed a hand on Brooke’s arm and Brooke felt her pulse spike at the contact. She fought to not pull her arm away. She wanted Logan to touch her. She wanted Logan to do a lot more than that, but sex wasn’t something she ever did casually, and certainly never on the first date. But the fact she was even considering sex with Logan was enough to sound the proverbial alarm in her head.
“You’re an amazing woman, Brooke, and your ex was a fool to let you get away,” Logan said w
hen the silence continued. Brooke could see in her eyes Logan meant the words she was saying, and it caused a hitch in Brooke’s breathing.
“How can you possibly know something like that about me?”
“I know you gave up your life in Philadelphia to come here and care for your grandparents. What else would I need to know in order to come to an obvious conclusion?” Logan asked, sounding sincere. “I’m sure you’ve heard it many times before, but you really are incredibly beautiful. And I should have said it earlier, but when I first saw you tonight my mouth was a little too dry to speak. You look absolutely stunning in this dress.”
Brooke did pull her arm away then, fearing what might happen if she prolonged the contact. She didn’t trust the way her body was responding to the things Logan was saying. Arousal was something she hadn’t experienced in almost a year, and she had to admit, the feeling was rather invigorating. She could definitely get used to it.
“I have not heard it many times before, but thank you,” Brooke murmured.
“Then there’ve been more fools in your past than I thought.”
Oh, Logan was laying it on thick. It wasn’t like Brooke didn’t enjoy being the recipient of her flattering remarks, but she found herself wondering how many other women she’d said the same things to in the past. Or how many more of them were in her future. Was she saying these things to try to get her into bed?
“Thank you for a wonderful evening, Logan.” Brooke got up and walked toward her front door, not really trusting herself to resist Logan’s charms for much longer. When she turned back to say good night, she was startled to find Logan standing only a few inches away. “I really should be getting inside so I can check on my grandparents.”
Logan leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. “I had a nice time tonight as well. I hope we can do it again sometime.”
“So do I.” Brooke mentally slapped herself for sounding so eager. But then again, what would it hurt to spend time with Logan? They were both single, and neither of them was looking for anything permanent. Just because she’d never been into casual sex before didn’t mean she couldn’t start now, did it?
Trusting Tomorrow Page 6
