Hannah reached out and smacked his arm. “Hey, now, I’m not that bad of a cook.”
Logan turned to face Piper. He put his hands to his neck as he rolled his eyes. “She’s terrible.” He nodded to Piper. “Remember when you tried to make bread last year with just flour and water?”
Piper giggled. “Yeah. It tasted like baked glue.”
“Exactly. Bleh.” He stuck his finger in his mouth. “That’s Hannah’s cooking all the time.”
Hannah grabbed a string of tinsel and whipped him with it. But it was too flimsy and it just sank to the ground. “I’m not that bad. I’ve gotten better.”
Logan nodded toward her like he believed her, then turned to Piper and shook his head.
“Okay, mister wager man. I’ll take that bet.” She stuck out her hand and tried to muster a confident look.
Logan shook it with laughter dancing in his gaze. “It’s set.” He squeezed her hand as he smiled at her. Butterflies flitted around in her stomach. She pulled her hand away. Inside, she took a mental note to never touch Logan Blake again. There was too much complication there.
Piper rocked back and forth on her feet. “This is going to be so fun!”
They got started. With only half the tree to decorate, Hannah had to get creative with the lights. Finally, she decided that a zigzag pattern was the best way. She had Piper plug in the strand to make sure it worked. The room filled with multi-colored lights as they twinkled on the floor.
“Pretty!” Piper exclaimed as she grabbed the strand. Hannah instructed her how to make sure the lights got on every branch.
Once they were finished, Logan enlisted Piper’s help in flinging the tinsel onto the tree. He’d found a bag of icicle tinsel and claimed it as his. With each strand that floated to the ground, Hannah tried not to cringe. She wasn’t sure how her mom would feel about this.
But the squeals of laughter that emerged from Piper’s lips soon pushed away all that worry. Logan had her up on his shoulders so she could reach the top. Every so often, one would float down and land on Logan’s head. Once they were finished, Logan looked like he was wearing a silver wig.
“Piper,” he exclaimed as he hunched his back. “I’m the Christmas monster.” He growled and headed after her.
She screamed and dipped behind the couch. He chased her, and she squealed as she rushed over to Hannah. “Save me, Miss Hannah.” She crouched in the corner, shielding her face.
Feeling the energy those two were giving off, Hannah grabbed a few bows and stuck them to her head. “I’m the Christmas knight. I will protect you!” She grabbed a nearby icicle ornament and stuck it toward Logan.
He growled and lunged. “Perfect. I eat Christmas knights for breakfast.” He pawed the ground as he readied his stance. Suddenly, he raced across the room.
Hannah couldn’t help it, she screamed as she bolted away from him. He growled and chased after her. After three laps around the room, Hannah peeled off into the dining room. She glanced around for Piper. But she was no help. She’d taken that opportunity to climb on top of the piano to protect herself.
“Be careful, he tickles!” she called from her perch.
“Piper!” Hannah exclaimed. “You’re supposed to help me.” She narrowed her eyes at the approaching Logan.
“You’re on your own,” Piper called after her as she raced into the kitchen.
Two hands engulfed her waist and pulled her toward him. Her left foot caught on the right one, and she went tumbling down. Before she could hit the floor, Logan pulled her hard so that she landed on top of him. His eyes danced with excitement as he stared up at her. Her hair had been loosened from its bun and ringlets fell around them.
His breath was labored as his face grew serious. She became very aware of the warmth of his hands at her waist and the feel of his body underneath hers. They were no longer kids. Logan was a man. Her heart sped up as she met his gaze. Silently, she cursed herself for looking. There was a desire there that she’d never seen before.
“You okay?” he asked. His voice was deep with emotion.
Hannah pinched her lips and nodded. She was too afraid of what she might sound like if she spoke.
He reached up and pushed a curl behind her ear. “Can I tell you something?”
She nodded.
He brought his head up from the floor so he was inches from her ear. “You’re crushing my guy parts,” he whispered.
Heat flushed her body as she rolled off of him. He sat up, bringing a knee up and draping an arm across it. He glanced over to her. In the light of the kitchen, she swore she saw him blush.
“Sorry about that,” she said. “I guess we got a bit carried away.”
He smiled and nodded. “Yeah.”
Piper emerged in the door frame. Hannah was thankful they’d gotten off each other. She didn’t want to have to explain that.
Hannah stood and grabbed a glass from the counter and filled up the water. Logan sat cross-legged on the floor.
“You guys ready?” Piper asked, glancing around the kitchen.
Logan nodded. “Let’s finish this up so I can beat Hannah once and for all.”
Hannah turned and flicked some water at him. “We’ll see about that.”
He grinned at her, and her stomach turned to mush. Well, shoot. What was she going to do now?
They made their way back into the living room. Hannah enlisted Piper’s help in putting up the tinsel as Logan sifted through the ornaments to pick the ones he wanted to use. Hannah kept a watchful eye to make sure he didn’t pick the best ones.
Finally, both sides of the tree were decorated. Piper and Hannah stepped back while Logan plugged the lights in. It was a hodgepodge tree. But it made Hannah smile. The ornaments hung crookedly on the branches. In fact, they only went up about halfway. It was pretty apparent where Piper could reach and where she couldn’t.
The lights on Logan’s side seemed to be desperately clinging to the tips of the branches. She huffed. Obviously, her way was the better way. But in all its imperfections, it was theirs. They had made it together.
Glancing to the side, she saw Logan staring at her. Her cheeks flushed as her spine tingled.
“Grandma’s tree is prettier,” Piper said, breaking up their moment.
Logan glanced down at Piper. “What do you mean?”
She waved to the tree. “It’s a mess!”
Logan reached down and grabbed her. Bringing her up, he hugged her tight. “But we did this!”
Piper giggled as he set her down. “Next time, we’re asking Grandma. Both of your ways stink.”
Hannah smiled. “It might be the tools we had to decorate with.”
Piper turned and studied Logan, then Hannah. “No. You don’t have Grandma’s touch.”
Hannah glanced at Logan and burst out laughing. “Maybe she’s right.”
Logan feigned a hurt expression. “I’m a Christmas tree-decorating master.” He wiggled his eyebrows as he turned back to the tree. “You know what this needs? Our very own, hand-picked ornament.” He glanced over to Hannah. “What do you say? We pack up and head to the store to pick one out. Then we can grab food for dinner as well.”
Hannah couldn’t help but smile at him. That idea sounded great. If she was honest with herself, she didn’t want them to go. Who knew when her mom would be home, and she didn’t want to spend the rest of the night alone. “That sounds amazing,” she said.
LOGAN
Once they were piled into the cab of his truck, Logan pulled out of the driveway. Hannah sat in the passenger seat with Piper sandwiched between them. As much as he fought it, his heart soared. This was what having a family was like. He never wanted it to end.
Piper leaned forward and turned up the Christmas song on the radio. Soon, she and Hannah were singing along with The Twelve Days of Christmas. It was one of those songs that got faster as it went along.
They giggled as they tried to keep up. Logan enjoyed listening to them.
When the song
was over, Logan turned the music down.
“That was… interesting,” he said as he glanced in their direction.
Piper smiled. “I’m getting faster.” Her toothy grin made his stomach flip. After what she’d said earlier about wanting her mom around for Christmas, Logan couldn’t help but feel like a total failure as a dad. All he wanted was for his little girl to be happy. He’d find Charity and make her come if he had to.
“Yeah, Pip. You’re getting better.” He reached out and tousled her hair.
He turned off the freeway a few exits before they had to. He wanted to run past the old Victorian homes that ran down Johnson street. They always had amazing decorations.
“You going down Johnson?” Hannah asked as she turned her gaze to him.
He nodded. “Yep.” He stopped at a light and waited.
“You know, my family used to own a house on Johnson street.”
Piper grabbed a book from behind them and started flipping through the pages. Their conversation was most likely boring her.
“Really? I didn’t know that,” Logan said as the light turned green.
“Yeah. It’s the Cobbler mansion. Apparently, my great-great uncle inherited and was supposed to live there, but decided he’d rather have the money.”
Logan flipped on his blinker and turned down Johnson. Giant houses, most three stories high, ran the length of the street. The lights glinted and glittered as they framed the windows and roofs. Dancing Santas and reindeer dotted the lawns. Every yard had a lit-up nativity scene. Logan wondered if this street was visible in space.
Piper abandoned her book to look out the window. They all oohed and aahed at the festivities. Three neighbor kids were parked in front of a house under a sign that said, Hot Chocolate $2.
Logan pulled over and bought three cups. He paid with a twenty, but refused any change. He liked supporting kids who wanted to be entrepreneurs. Their eyes widened as he turned, which made him smile. It made his day to see them so excited.
When he got into the truck, they started back down the street. As they neared the Cobbler mansion, Hannah sucked in her breath.
“No way!” she exclaimed as she sat up straighter.
“What?” Logan peered through the windshield.
“It’s for sale.” She rolled down her window and waved toward the realtor sign in front of the house. “That’s crazy.”
Logan eyed the Victorian-style home. It was massive and its yard even larger. He glanced over at Hannah. “Your family owned this?”
She nodded. “I would love to buy it back.” Then she laughed. “But it’s probably millions of dollars. Where would I get that kind of money?”
The cab grew quiet. Logan glanced over at the house again. He had the money. A thought brewed in his mind. What if—
“It’s a dream that will never come true. Maybe I’ll call the realtor and schedule a showing.” She smiled over to him. “I could pass as a rich man’s wife, right?”
Logan studied her, then nodded. “Of course.” He stopped at the light, then turned right. They got back onto the freeway and headed toward Shopping Co. The music filled the air as they rode in silence. He was thankful for the time to think. He needed to digest his idea.
13
LOGAN
It didn’t take long before they pulled into the parking lot of the Shopping Co. and Logan turned off the engine. Hannah and Piper didn’t waste any time climbing from the truck. Logan followed behind them. He watched as Piper linked arms with Hannah. He cleared his throat as he watched them interact. He doubted this night could get any more perfect.
As he walked past Mr. Cornwell, who was getting into his truck, Logan noticed a strange look on the man’s face. Lifting up his hand to wave, Mr. Cornwell nodded as he continued studying him.
Then, Betsy Gordon stopped to wave at him. Her tie-dyed hair stuck in every direction. “Hey, Logan,” she said, wiggling her fingers at him.
He nodded in her direction. “Betsy.”
She giggled and flashed him another smile.
This was getting weird. He did live in a small town so knew most everyone, but they’d never been this friendly before. Logan shook his head. It must be the holiday season that had everyone in a good mood.
When they got into the entrance of the store, Hannah grabbed a cart, and Piper hopped onto the side. As they meandered through the aisles, Logan tried to ignore the inquisitive looks the other store goers were giving him. What was happening?
They stopped in front of the ornaments. Piper jumped off the cart and started inspecting them. She grabbed a princess castle, a dog, and a crown from the wall. She stood next to Hannah while they deliberated about which one to get. Logan was fine taking a backseat to this. He’d end up picking the wrong one, anyway.
George, a little boy who went to school with Piper, came rushing into the aisle. He stared at an ornament in the shape of a baseball bat. He picked it up and held it gently between his fingers.
“George Allen Gunderson, get back here right now,” a woman’s voice scolded as she rounded the corner, almost running straight into Logan. She harrumphed as she stared at him. “Logan,” she said as she nodded toward him.
“Mrs. Gunderson,” he replied.
“Put that ornament down. We need to leave.” She stomped over to George and pulled at the ornament he had tried to hide behind his back.
“But, Mom!” he whined as he glanced around in desperation. “Why does Piper get to buy one?”
Mrs. Gunderson glanced over to where Piper and Hannah were now looking at them. “Well, her family is rich. He can afford these things. Not like us—those who have to work for a living.” Her tone had turned icy as she shot a glance in Logan’s direction.
Logan stared at her. How did she know? His lips parted as he tried to think of something to say to her. Something to rewind time so that Hannah hadn’t heard. So that no one knew.
“Let’s go,” she said, grabbing the ornament and throwing it into a nearby pile. She pinched George’s arm and dragged him from the aisle.
Logan glanced over to where Piper and Hannah stood. Piper had gone back to the ornaments, but Hannah had a look on her face that said she wasn’t going to leave it alone.
She left Piper’s side and headed in Logan’s direction.
He readied himself for her questions.
“What was with Mrs. Gunderson? She seems really upset with you.”
Logan shrugged, hoping he appeared as if he didn’t care.
“And what was that about your family being rich and not working?” Hannah peered up at him.
He sighed and glanced over, tapping a nearby Santa ornament with his finger. “I’m… um…” He wasn’t ready for this. This was his dad’s money. Not his.
“Logan…” Hannah’s voice sounded just like his mother’s.
His shoulders slumped. “My dad left me a substantial amount of money when he passed.”
Hannah’s eyes widened. “Substantial? Meaning what?”
He shrugged and continued fiddling with the ornament. “I’m like a”—he dropped his voice—“billionaire.”
Hannah leaned forward as if to try to catch what he just said. “A mill…” she started, eyeing him.
“Billionaire.”
She took a step back. “So I did hear you right.”
Logan’s cheeks burned as he glanced over to her. “But it’s my dad’s money, not mine.”
Hannah’s lips fluttered as she glanced up and down the aisle. “Logan, this is insane. You know that, right? I mean, how can you not be running up and down the store? A billionaire?” She made a choking sound as if that word had caught in her throat.
Frustration and pain boiled up inside of him. This is why he didn’t want people to know that he had money. They didn’t understand the pain associated with it. He was only rich because his dad was dead. The man he’d longed to have in his life since he was a small boy, trying to play baseball by himself. It didn’t work. There was no one to throw the b
all.
The urge to protect himself surged through his body. “I’m…I’m going to go get stuff for dinner. Watch Piper for me,” he mumbled as he darted from the ornaments.
“Logan—”
But his hasty retreat cut her off. Right now, he needed to be alone. She, of all people, should understand that.
HANNAH
Hannah’s ears rang as she watched Logan practically sprint from the aisle. Her brain stumbled as she tried to think of something to say. Anything. But, the only word she could think of in huge, neon letters was: billionaire.
How does one go from destitute to loaded in a blink of an eye at twenty-five?
As she brought her attention back to reality, she glanced over to Piper, who was dangling an ornament in her face.
“I think this is the one I want,” she said, smiling her toothless grin up at Hannah. The ornament was in the shape of a princess castle.
“That’s the one?” Hannah cleared her throat.
Piper nodded. “Yep.”
Hannah grabbed it and placed it into the shopping cart. “Okay, let’s go help pick out the food for dinner.”
She led Piper down the aisle.
“Can we get Swiss rolls?” Piper asked.
“Sure.”
“Great. I love Swiss rolls. At my mom’s house, I always left them out for Santa.”
“Swiss rolls, huh? No cookies?”
Piper glanced at her with a twinkle in her eye. “I figure, Santa will have his fill of cookies. If I leave him something he hasn’t had, he might be so happy that he leaves me the biggest present of all.”
Hannah’s mind went to Logan and his earlier confession. With an uncle that rich, Santa was about to get really generous. “Makes sense.”
They headed down the meat aisle and caught sight of Logan. He was standing in front of the cooler, staring a bit too hard at the packaged meats in front of him. Hannah’s heart broke. She hadn’t meant to upset him like that. Obviously, his dad’s money was a sensitive subject. She really stuck her foot into her mouth this time.
They pushed the cart up to him.
Forgiving the Billionaire (A Clean Billionaire Romance Book 2) Page 9
