Something Real

by Ariadne Wayne

  “I’m sure these three keep you busy. Logan never stops talking about any of you when I call him. He’s so proud.”

  He interlaced his fingers in mine. “I am. Ready-made family, just waiting for me.”

  Kat cleared her throat, and I shifted my gaze back to her as she smiled sweetly. So uncomfortable.

  “Kat, dear, could you please go and check the chickens for eggs when you’ve finished your coffee? They must need feeding by now.” Beth smiled.

  “Sure thing, Mum,” Kat said.

  Logan squeezed my hand as if to tell me to ignore her, but it was really freaking hard to do.

  “How about you boys? What year are you in at school? Do you enjoy it?”

  Beth shifted her focus to Thomas and Jack. I think I loved her already.

  Logan leaned over, kissing me under the ear. I smiled, twisting my head toward him. He raised his hand to stroke my cheek. It was reassuring and loving. Just what I needed.

  Jack spoke first—he always did—telling Beth all about school and Logan and Thomas. Thomas couldn’t get a word in if he tried.

  “Thomas? How about you, sweetie?”

  “Thomas isn’t at school yet,” Jack proclaimed.

  “Thomas is a bit shy,” I said. Thomas stood, making his way over to us, and Logan pulled him up and onto his lap.

  “Well, that’s okay. Logan used to be shy too. Nothing wrong with that.”

  She smiled as Thomas buried his face in Logan’s chest, and my heart pounded as I watched them together. For Thomas to seek comfort with Logan was a sure sign that he was part of our family now.

  “You ask Logan to show you the animals. There’s a lamb out there, and the chickens. And you’ve met Patch.”

  “Patch is cool,” Jack said.

  She nodded. “He’s very cool. He’s been around a long time now.”

  Kat finished her coffee, gulping down the last part. Her focus went to Logan, who sat there rubbing Thomas’s back, whispering to him that it was okay and he could take his time. She didn’t register I was watching, and pulled a face as if she were sucking on a lemon.

  As she turned, she caught me looking at her and gave me a half-hearted smile, but I’d seen it—the contempt she had for him being with my child, and by extension me.

  I tried to blank my face, but I didn’t have it in me to hide my irritation. She frowned, shrugging and leaving the room while I leaned over to give Thomas a reassuring pat on the back too.

  “C’mere Patch,” Logan called, clicking his fingers at dog level.

  The dog came wandering over, and Logan patted his head again. “How about you give Patch some love, Thomas? I bet he really wants you guys to be friends.”

  Thomas reached out and touched Patch’s head again. This was what would bring him out of his shell.

  “How about we go outside and you can see the garden and the animals? Want to see a lamb?” Logan asked him.

  He nodded excitedly and Logan stood, carrying him on his hip. “Want to walk, or do you want me to carry you?”

  Thomas hugged him tight, and for a moment I thought he was going to completely retract and ask Logan to carry him outside. Instead, he straightened his legs to drop down, and took Logan’s hand instead.

  “Jack?” Logan asked.

  Jack drained the last of his lemonade and jumped up. I watched as the aging dog seemed to get a new lease on life, standing too, and wagging his tail as if whatever they were doing was the most exciting thing in the world. Maybe it was.

  “Coming?”

  The word was addressed to me, and I nodded. “You bet. I have to check this out.”

  If the front of the house was enchanting, the back was magical. Beth had a huge lawn with pockets of garden planted all over the place. Different flowers were in each patch, and what looked like a large vegetable garden at the back.

  There was a large pen with the lamb in it to the left, and a chicken run on the right. In the event of a disaster, this place would probably have been the perfect safe zone.

  It was simply beautiful.

  Kat was coming out the chicken run as we walked across the lawn, carrying a bowl.

  She twisted her mouth, as if unsure whether to speak or not. Looking at Jack, she held the bowl out. “Want to see what I’ve got?”

  His eyes widened when he saw the eggs. “Thomas loves eggs.”

  “Come and have a look, Thomas,” she said.

  Thomas took tentative steps toward her until his curiosity got the better of him, and he ran the rest of the way, gasping as he saw the bowl.

  “Fresh out of the chicken,” Kat said.

  “That is so cool,” Thomas said, turning back to address me.

  “Better than the ones we buy at the supermarket, right?” I laughed.

  “Take one.” Kat smiled, actually smiled at Thomas, and for just a few seconds I was grateful to her. Then I remembered the way she’d looked at him and Logan together inside.

  Thomas dipped his hand in the bowl and pulled out an egg, cradling it in his palms as if it were the most precious thing in the world. I slipped my phone out of my pocket, and lined up a photo. He looked up and grinned, laughing as I clicked.

  “What have you got?” I asked him.

  “Mum, look.” He walked so slowly toward me, covering the gap between us. He looked up at me, excitement gleaming in his eyes.

  Of everything I’d seen today, this was the best.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Dinner was amazing. The lamb was cooked to perfection, seasoned with rosemary and thyme. The potatoes were crispy and salted just right, and the vegetables were fresh from the garden. If I’d cooked it just for us, I would have eaten myself into a food coma. But other people were there.

  “This is great, Mum,” Logan said. “The lamb is amazing.”

  Thomas frowned, and I cocked my head, waving to get his attention. What’s wrong? I mouthed.

  “Is this the lamb from the back yard?” he whispered loudly.

  Beth grinned. “No, sweetie. The lamb is still there; you can go and visit him again after you’ve finished your dinner. This is from the butcher.”

  His little mouth formed an O and he picked up a large slice with his fork and bit into it. “Good boy,” I murmured.

  He and Jack even asked for seconds. Running around outside in the fresh air combined with a good meal would make them both sleep like logs tonight.

  As if she read my mind, Logan’s mother looked over at them. “You should stay the night. Those two look like they’re falling asleep on their feet.”

  “Mum, I told you it would just be a quick visit,” Logan said.

  She sighed and stood, picking up her plate to take to the kitchen. I followed her lead, picking up my own and stacking the boys’ plates on top.

  “I’ll take care of those,” Beth said.

  I smiled. “It’s no problem. I’ll give you a hand.”

  “Why don’t you take the boys into the living room, Logan? They’re about to nod off, and it can’t be comfortable sitting at the dining table.”

  Logan grumbled, but did as his mother told him. Jack and Thomas followed along behind him, Thomas yawning wide as they left the room.

  That left Beth, Kat and me. Not uncomfortable at all. I reached for Logan’s plate to stack on the pile, but someone else had that idea. Kat and I looked at each other, both with one hand on the plate, before she shrugged and let go, sitting at the table instead.

  Oh, this is fun.

  Beth was already running water in the sink when I carried the plates in, and I placed them with the other dirty dishes, taking up the spot to her right with a tea towel I’d grabbed from the handle of the oven door.

  “He’s just being grumpy because he knows the right thing to do is to just put them to bed, and he thought he had it all planned,” Beth said.

  Laughing, I grabbed the first dish and began to dry. “He’s just adjusting to being with us and having to work around them. I have to say, he’s done an amazi
ng job so far.”

  Beth pointed at a cupboard in the corner. The kitchen was as amazing as the rest of the house with so much cupboard space.

  As she washed and I dried, she asked me all kinds of questions about my family and the boys. I had nothing to hide. When I got to the part where Evan left me, she put down the dish brush and hugged me.

  Kat walked in as we were in this awkward embrace, my arms loosely around Beth, as I had a damp towel in one hand, a plate in the other. Kat brought in the remainder of the dishes from the table, placing them on the dirty side of the bench and stalked back out, giving me the evil eye.

  Logan passed her in the doorway, turning as she went past and shaking his head as she walked away. He met my gaze, smiling that special smile that made me so freaking hot. Right when I was pressed up against his mother. I shook my head with a smirk, rolling my eyes and making him snicker.

  Beth let go, tilting her head to look at her son.

  “One on the floor, one on the couch, both fast asleep.”

  “Told you,” she said smugly.

  “Whatever, Mum. I have a bone to pick with you while we’re alone.”

  Alone with me right there.

  “We need to talk about Kat. You didn’t tell me she was here,” Logan said, his tone irritable and with good reason.

  “I knew if I did you wouldn’t come. I don’t know about you, but I think you can get on with your life without worrying about her. She needed somewhere to stay out of the way of temptation, and this has been perfect. Look at how well she looks.”

  My skin burned as I sat in the middle of this confrontation. I didn’t want Beth to think I was causing trouble over it, but at the same time I needed Logan to know I supported him. Having Kat here was a distraction; it was hard to just be myself when with a few looks I felt as if I’d have to grow eyes in the back of my head to avoid the knives.

  “I understand, but I’m not happy about bringing Olivia and the boys here under these conditions. Me? Fine. But Olivia shouldn’t have to deal with this.”

  “Katrina needed help and I helped her. I know that you did what you could for her until you didn’t think you could help anymore, but I stepped in. She’s doing so well, and I’m sorry for being selfish and wanting to meet Olivia and the boys. If it makes you feel better, I can see why you love them all so much.”

  My head shot up before I even thought about it, and we made eye contact. She looked at me so kindly, and whether it was sentimentality or not, it made me think of my mother and how we used to be a long time ago.

  “Logan, I’m more proud than you can imagine that you’ve found someone so … well … normal.”

  I couldn’t help the smirk that spread across my face, and her eyes twinkled as she kept her gaze on me.

  “So. Are you staying the night, or are you going to make those poor boys take that long car trip in the dark? It'll be so uncomfortable for them sleeping in their car seats.”

  Oh goodie. Guilt trip.

  He sighed. “Fine. Whatever. We can stay, if Liv is okay with it.”

  I shrugged. “I don’t mind. Your mother is right. It’s a long drive this time of night.”

  “There's plenty of room, and you two can sleep right next door to them,” Beth said.

  Logan turned toward me, his shoulders slumped. “I guess you’re right. It just feels so awkward with Kat here.”

  “One night will be fine.”

  He reached for me, and with a light grip on my hair pulled me toward him for a kiss. Beth clapped. “So, it’s settled then.”

  Logan rolled his eyes. “Guess so."

  And then he grinned that damn devilish grin, the one that always got me into trouble.

  We were fine.

  He picked up another towel, and with his help we got through the rest of the dishes quickly and quietly.

  “We should go and move the boys if we’re staying the night.” He sighed.

  “I’ll grab the little one. You grab the one that’s too heavy for me to carry.”

  Beth laughed. “I’ll go and turn down the beds so you can bring them right in.”

  “Thanks, Mum. I do appreciate it.”

  Thomas stirred as I picked him up off the floor, kissing him gently on his forehead. Following Logan up the hallway, we went to a room near the end where two single beds waited.

  Tucked in, I kissed them both goodnight, as did Logan, and we came back out to the hallway.

  “Little angels, those two,” Beth said.

  “They’re brilliant. I don’t know what I’d do without them.”

  She took my hand and led me back to the kitchen. “Coffee?” she asked.

  * * *

  Coffee didn’t do much to wake me up. I was as tired as I was sure the boys had been. It had been a long day, and although I would miss my own bed, the thought of sinking into any mattress was welcome.

  “Come for a walk in the garden,” Logan said, pulling me into his arms.

  “I would, but I really want to check on the boys and make sure they’re okay. I’m tired, too; must be this country air.”

  Beth laughed. “It does have that effect.”

  Logan kissed me, lingering on my lips and waggling his eyebrows before exiting out the back door. I sighed without thinking, prompting his mother to giggle.

  “You’ve got it bad. So does he,” she said.

  “He’s so sweet, and the boys love him, too. He’s just been a perfect fit.”

  She nodded, flopping her arm over my shoulders. “I think you’re just what he needed. From the sounds of it, he’s just what you needed, too." She drew back, looking me right in the eye. "I love seeing him so happy; it’s been a long time.”

  I smiled, and moved toward the door on my way to check on my children.

  “I’ll do that. You go out for a walk with Logan. It’s a beautiful night out there.”

  “I can’t ask you to do that.”

  She crossed the room, taking my hands in hers. “If I’m going to be a granny to those two, I’d better get used to it.”

  I couldn’t help but grin at her welcoming us all with open arms. How could she be anything but wonderful with a son like Logan? This had been even better than I could ever have imagined.

  “Okay,” I said.

  Beth grinned. “Get going.”

  I laughed as she let go of my hands. “Yes, ma’am.”

  Skipping to the door, I pushed it open and was overwhelmed by the sight. The garden was dark, lit only by the odd solar light, but the sky was full of stars, so many more than we ever saw in the city. I felt a pang of regret that the boys were asleep. Thomas in particular would love it.

  I breathed in that heady night air and looked around for Logan. Hearing a noise in the far corner of the garden, I moved toward it, and spotted him leaning against a half wall that contained a small garden behind it. Kat stood between us, her back to me, and the closer I got, the more I heard of their conversation.

  “You promised,” she hissed, stabbing at him with a finger.

  “It’s not like that, Kat.”

  “Of course it is. You said we could be together if I kicked this, and I have.”

  He sighed. “I said that a very long time ago.”

  “You still said it. So now you have to ditch her and keep your promise.”

  I felt sick, not because I didn’t believe in Logan, but because she seemed to think that I was something he could just throw away. But then again, he was a man of his word. What if he kept his promise and did the unthinkable?

  My head was swimming with possibilities. She felt strongly enough about this to make a big deal about it. He’d admitted he’d said it. With every bone in my body I’d fought thinking the worst of him, and now it all came flooding to the surface again as he hugged her and said something too quiet for me to pick up.

  I knew I should stay and push my way in but instead I went quietly back inside, sneaking in behind Beth so she didn’t see me, and went to our room, undressing and slipping bet
ween the sheets as if nothing were wrong.

  But it was. All I could see was them together. All I could hear were the words between them. The bedside lamp glowed in the corner, covering the room in a soft light. I laid on my back and stared at the ceiling, looking at the shadow cast by the warm yellow light. This sucked so bad.

  My heart thumped as anger passed over me. I’d sworn to never be anyone’s doormat. Screw it. I’d go out there and claim what was mine. No doormat here.

  I rolled over and sat up, but before I could get out of bed and put my clothes back on, the door opened.

  “Hey,” he said softly.

  “Hey.” I knew I was abrupt, more than I ever had been, but seeing her with him like that had pushed my buttons.

  He pulled off his T-shirt and slipped his jeans down, kicking them off and sliding into bed beside me.

  “You okay?” He reached out and rubbed my back, his warm hand working its magic, even though he hadn’t touched me in one of those naughty places only he was allowed to touch. I raised my hand to my cheek, swiping away the tear that had escaped my eye and quickly ran my finger across the other eye to stop the same thing happening.

  “I’m glad we came. Mum just loves you and the kids. At least she won’t be hassling us to have more anytime soon. We can take our time.” His voice was soft and soothing, and I closed my eyes at the sound.

  He didn’t miss the deep breath I took. I didn’t know what to do, whether to confront him. I’d been so determined to storm out and say something, but now he was here, with his hands so gentle and his gentle words, I wasn’t so sure.

  “Come here,” he murmured, pulling me back and down into the bed, enveloping me with his arms. His skin smelled of coconut, from him using my shower gel that morning. Familiar and soothing.

  “I've never loved you more or been more proud of you,” he said.

  I raised my head, locking gazes with him. His eyes scanned my face, and he frowned. I guessed he knew something was wrong, but wasn’t sure what, and I was too scared to open my mouth for fear of freaking out at him.