“I don’t think this is a good idea.”
“Why is that? I’ve been to your home. Is it that odd that you come to mine?” Logan asked as they sat in the limo.
“I guess I just feel more comfortable at home.”
“You mean safer?” Cori nodded. Logan shook his head. “If I were out to hurt you, your place would have been just as easy. Trust me, Cori, tonight we’re meeting for one purpose only, and that is to review the file. I can’t make any promises regarding the next time I bring you here.”
He would honor his word for more than one reason. First, Logan was a gentlemen, and for the most part, his word meant something. Second, he really wanted to explore that file in detail. There was no way she went through such great lengths to uncover this story without there being some truth to whatever she suspected. If she believed her grandfather had been murdered, surely she’d taken her concerns to the police. Why me? What could I possibly provide to be her only hope?
Once they were inside, he decided to utilize the kitchen table to lay out what she had. Cori had compiled photos outside of what the police had. “Where did you obtain these?”
“My grandpa had given me a camera for my fifth birthday. I used to snap pictures of everything. Years later, I had the film developed and was surprised to see how much of it was of the vineyard.”
“I take it this is . . . was your grandfather?” He pointed to a man who appeared to be in his seventies.
“Yes. His name was Joe Sparks. He was a gentle giant. He came here in hopes of making a life for generations to come. In one horrible night it was all taken away. The only things left were my memories and these photos.”
“You’re fortunate to have those. I met my grandmother a few times. She was far from gentle. If anything, she hated us more than our father did.” He could tell Cori was shocked. “Don’t feel bad. We knew nothing different. The saying that you can’t miss what you don’t know is true.” Or so I keep telling myself.
He pointed to one picture. “What is this?”
“It was the wine cellar,” Cori replied as she picked it up and looked at it closely. “See this? All the bottles smashed on the floor?”
She handed him the picture, and he saw what she was looking at. Then he went back to the photo of the wine cellar before the fire. The bottles were on wooden racks, and he could see the year clearly labeled on the rack.
“Cori, look again. What do you see?”
“The same thing I’ve seen everything time I look at them. Years of work destroyed by the fire. What do you see?”
He looked at both pictures side by side. Although they were from different angles, they were of the same bottles. “The racks aren’t destroyed so how did the bottles break?”
“The report said the heat caused them to explode.”
“That would not explain why they’re on the floor. I’m not a scientist, but I’d like your permission to have my brother Brice look at these. He’d be able to tell you if their findings were accurate.”
“Logan, I don’t want anyone else knowing about this. I wasn’t even going to tell you.” He heard the panic in her voice.
“Don’t worry. I’m not going to tell him who or why. I’ll just show him the two photos and ask him how this could have occurred. He will be so busy providing his theory he won’t ask any questions. That would take the fun out of it for him.”
“But—”
“Cori. You asked me for my help. I believe your words were I’m the only one who can. Let me help. What harm can come from me borrowing two pictures for a night? I promise you I’ll have them back to you safely tomorrow.”
He truly wanted the entire file, but if she freaked out this much over two pictures, he was sure she’d shut down on that request. Besides the longer this took, the more time he could spend with her. And as long as they were talking about her grandfather, they weren’t talking about James. Or any Henderson.
“I guess it’s okay for one night. But please don’t tell him anything.”
“If you’d feel better about it, you can come with me.” Logan had no idea where the invitation had come from. He heard the words, but surely he didn’t ask her to meet with Brice. It was bad enough she’d already met Shaun and Morgan. What the fuck is wrong with me?
“I’d like that.”
Great. She agrees to the one thing I want her to say no to. Got to love women. “Okay. I’ll set it up. We normally meet at a bar not far from my office. Will that be okay?”
“Just text me the address when you confirm with Brice, and I’ll meet you there.”
He’d much prefer picking her up, but that wouldn’t make any sense since he literally could walk to the bar, and she wasn’t in the city.
They spent the rest of the night looking through the other details. Nothing else jumped out at him. Then again he wasn’t sure what he was looking for. What he did get was a good idea that she was the only one who believed her grandfather was murdered. He empathized with her. From what he’d seen she’d tried every avenue, and he really was her last hope. And I’m not sure I can help.
When he dropped her off at her apartment, he once again kissed her lightly. Even in that brief contact, he could feel the stress of what tonight’s endeavor had done to her. “Cori, don’t think about it anymore. We’ll meet with Brice. If there is anything odd, he’ll pick it up. And then we’ll know what to do from there.”
“And what will that be, Logan?”
“I’ll use every resource I have to find out the truth about what happened to your grandfather.”
Her eyes watered, and he knew he’d be lost if she started crying again. Thankfully she contained them. “No matter what the answer is, I know it wasn’t an accident. I just know it.”
She turned and walked into her apartment building. He knew if Brice said it was normal, it’d break her heart. And if Brice confirmed her suspicions, then the pain of reliving it was going to hurt her like hell. No matter what happens, I’ll be here for her. Someone has to be.
Cori tossed and turned. She’d never expected to be sitting with Logan discussing the fire. If anything she figured one day she would confront him with the proof that his father was responsible.
She was so conflicted about not telling him her suspicions. If Brice came back supporting her theory, was that the time to tell him? Should she wait until she had more information? And what was he going to think once she told him? It’d look like she used him and that wasn’t the case. Well, not totally.
Deception wasn’t the way her grandpa would’ve handled things. He was always upfront about his feelings and opinions. Logan had been so sweet and supportive. How could she not tell him everything? Her lack of sleep was coming strictly from guilt. Tomorrow, no matter what, she needed to come clean with him.
That was going to be hard because she knew he would never trust her again. Especially after I pleaded with him to trust me. She’d spent so long being angry and hating the Hendersons that she didn’t know any other way. Until she got to know Logan better. And once he started opening up about his feelings for the family, she started to see them in a way she hadn’t before. As people.
Sleep wasn’t going to happen for her, so she got up, showered, made coffee, and decided to work. No matter what was going on, she still had a job to do. Normally she dreaded doing it, but not after what Logan had said about her writing. She’d never felt much pride in what she was doing, but now she looked at it differently.
Her fingers flew on the keyboard, and the words flowed like never before. They weren’t just words but an extension of herself. Cori had put everything she had into this article. She gave it one last read through and smiled. Once again the subject matter made her grin, but the content was damn good. She not only did herself proud, but the women she’d interviewed as well.
Hitting send, it went off to her editor. Morning had come, and she felt so positive about the day. All of her work had been completed, so she was going to need to come up with something else to occup
y her time until she met with Logan and Brice. Going back to bed was one option, but right now she was happy, and that seemed too good to waste sleeping.
She went back to her room and changed. Today she wasn’t going for a jog or anything else like that. Cori was going to take a drive and walk on the beach. It’d been so long since she’d done that. Right now she wanted to feel the warm sand between her toes, enjoy the sun beating down on her, and take deep breaths of the saltwater air as it moved against her skin.
When she headed out the door she knew one thing: today was a good day, and she was going to do everything she could to make it last.
Chapter Nine
‡
“You really can’t think this is a wise move. Brice is no fool. He’s going to ask questions,” Bennett barked over the line.
“He can ask all he wants. I don’t have any answers.”
“My point exactly. He’s not going to ask you. He’ll come to me. I haven’t told him anything that has been going on with you. I’d like to keep it that way so I don’t have to.”
Logan knew one thing about Hendersons: they all had their secrets. Bennett had proven his loyalty to them, but when it came to internal family secrets, he wasn’t sure where he stood. Guess I’m going to find out.
“He won’t have a clue what Cori is up to.”
“And you’re going to pull that off how?”
He hadn’t thought that through entirely. Meeting Brice for a beer wasn’t out of the norm. Bringing a woman with him sure was. Bennett was right. He needed a story. One that Brice wouldn’t question. “I’ll introduce her as my . . . date.”
Bennett’s laughter echoed through the phone. “And you don’t think that wouldn’t be suspicious? If anything that will get the entire family talking.”
“Brice doesn’t care.”
“No, he doesn’t. But he’ll tell Lena, and she’ll tell all the women, who then will plan some event that will require you to bring Cori with you. Can you see how quickly this can spiral out of control? You’d be better telling him the truth, that she’s a reporter.”
“That’s not going to happen.” If it weren’t for Bennett, he wouldn’t know himself.
“Well, you better think of something, because Shaun told Morgan to keep it under wraps. I’m not sure how long she’ll be able to pull that off.”
“That’s perfect. Thanks for reminding me.” He’d tell Brice they met at Morgan’s parents’ house. Not a lie. Not exactly the truth either.
“Logan, I used to think you were the normal one. I don’t anymore. You’re just as fucked up as your brothers. Speaking of which, Shaun is meeting his mother tonight.”
Logan didn’t want to talk about that. He knew exactly where the conversation was going. “That’s nice.” His voice was dry and intentionally without emotion.
“I know this isn’t easy for you. We’ve tried everything to locate your mother. She never returned to Tabiq after having you. At least, not that we can find a record of. And we have been unsuccessful in tracking down anyone in the US that knows what happened either.”
He didn’t need Bennett to tell him his mother wasn’t alive. There was something deep within him, a feeling he couldn’t shake. From the moment he’d learned they each had a different mother, he knew he’d never meet his.
“Quit looking. Some things aren’t meant to be.” I don’t need to know. It was part of the reason why I despised James Henderson so much. He stole everything from me. At least everything worth having.
There was a pause before Bennett spoke again. This time his voice didn’t hold the hardness it normally did. “I wish I could tell you that we’ll find her. Everything leads to a dead end. I’m not ready to give up yet. You shouldn’t be either.”
He had no idea why Bennett was being so stubborn about this. What did it matter to him whether Logan’s mother was dead or alive? He’d found everyone else’s, including Zoey’s. Why couldn’t he just let it go? “Is there something you know that I don’t?”
“There is, but I’m not sure I should tell you.”
He was done playing games. “Does this have to do with my mother or not?”
“It does in a way. What I found out was your mother was related to Zoey and Alex’s mother. She was their first cousin.”
“Okay. Once again what aren’t you telling me?”
“I’m not searching for her just for you, but for Zoey as well.”
That made no sense at all. Zoey had her happy family. Why would it matter to her if his mother was alive or not? ’Cause she’s my sister and wants me happy. “Then explain to her that I’m okay. She doesn’t need to worry about me.”
“It’s not just about your happiness. I’m not supposed to say anything, but she’s been seeing a doctor in New York.”
He hadn’t heard a damn thing about this, and that didn’t please him at all. “What’s going on, Bennett? Don’t leave anything out,” Logan demanded.
“She doesn’t want anyone to know. But they suspect she has lupus. We’ve been trying to obtain medical history on her mother’s side to see if there were any women who may have had any symptoms.”
Lupus? Shit. He knew damn well what that was all about. It wasn’t his field of expertise, but it didn’t have to be. He’d never noticed the typical butterfly rash associated with lupus, and to his knowledge she hadn’t shown the classic symptoms of joint pain or swelling, nor complained of myalgia in her muscles. God, had she had chest pain and never mentioned it to me? Am I that cold-hearted that she didn’t want to talk to me about it? “Why didn’t she tell me?”
“Because she knew she was seeing the best person in that field. And there was nothing you could do to help. She’s a strong woman and filled with pride. Having her brothers hovering around to take care of her would only stress her out.”
“And you left her like that? She’s alone with the baby, and you’re in Tabiq.” Logan was pissed. Thinking of Zoey going through this hurt. He wanted to fix it, but he knew he couldn’t. “Are you positive that is the diagnosis?”
“I’ll talk to Zoey, and if she agrees, I’ll text you the doctor’s information. I personally think it would be good for you to look at the findings. I hope they’re wrong.”
Me too. “Make it happen. I need to know. And let me know what you find out about my mother. If she can be of any help for Zoey, I’ll do whatever you need. Even if that means I go to Tabiq.”
Logan never would’ve gone for himself, but he’d do anything for his sister. He knew that it might not be on her mother’s side. They didn’t know anything about their father’s side either. Being one of the eldest, he could remember his grandmother. She’d been old and sick, and mean as hell. Was it possible she also had the disease? He was going to need to bring the subject of Dad and Grandmother up with Brice. He was the one who knew them both the best. Although I’m sure he’s tried like hell to forget.
That didn’t leave him in a great mood for meeting with Brice and Cori. All it did was add another level of frustration over their family dynamics. No matter how hard they tried to be a normal family, they missed the mark by miles. He was upset that Zoey had been ill and had chosen not to tell them. Logan thought, through these last few years, they’d grown past that type of behavior. But learned behavior was the hardest to break. He should be happy his siblings had found spouses that they could trust and share their lives with.
Guess that leaves me where I’ve always been. Alone.
Cori entered the bar right on time. She already knew what Brice looked like. He was there, but Logan wasn’t. She hesitated. Should she go up and introduce herself? Did Brice know she was coming along? If not, this was about to get awkward.
She lingered by the door not sure what to do. A waitress came over and asked, “Are you waiting for someone or can I get you a table?”
Cori knew what table she needed to be at. In a voice that was loud enough for Brice to hear, she answered, “I’m waiting for my friend, Logan.”
Sure enoug
h, Brice turned in her direction. He gave her a once-over glance then got up from his seat and came toward her. “That wouldn’t be Logan Henderson you’re meeting, is it?”
She smiled. “It is. You must be his brother Brice.”
Brice didn’t acknowledge her outstretched hand. Instead, he said, “Seems you know me, so why don’t I know you?”
If Cori had any question about what Logan might have told Brice, she had her answer. Nothing. That meant she needed to scramble to pull something believable out and also not something that would be questioned later when or if Logan arrived.
“Sorry. Your brother asked me to meet him here after work for a beer. Guess he figured you wouldn’t mind me tagging along.” That wasn’t really any information at all. So whatever Logan decided to tell his brother, it would fit in nicely.
“Well, since Logan is late as usual, why don’t you come and let me buy you a drink, Miss . . .”
“Cordelia Sparks. And that would be lovely, thank you.” She followed him to his table and sat across from him. That meant she couldn’t see the door, but she had faith Logan would show. He better, otherwise, I’m going to go into my interview role, and I won’t be able to stop myself.
She wasn’t sure that was a bad idea anyway. Logan was giving her information, but Brice was the oldest. He probably knew James the best. Of course from what she’d learned, he also was the most reticent. It surprised her that he asked her to wait with him. Maybe he already knows who I am, and I’m the one who’s not up to speed.
Nothing surprised her when it came to the Hendersons. They were difficult people to understand one at a time, never mind trying to handle two of them at the same time. Logan pulled up the seat between her and Brice. Guess I’m about to find out.
“Sorry, I’m late.” Logan leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
Cori didn’t expect that. From the look on Brice’s face, neither did he. She was willing to play along if it meant getting answers. Logan signaled the waitress and ordered his beer. She ordered an iced tea. Alcohol wasn’t going to be her friend right now. She needed all her wits to get through this little meeting.
After Six Page 9
