After Six

by Jeannette Winters

  Brice didn’t take his eyes off her as he asked Logan, “So why did you invite me on your date?”

  Logan laughed. “If it were a date, you wouldn’t be here. Actually, I wanted your opinion on something.” He pulled out the two photos and handed them to Brice.

  “What are these?”

  Cori was dying to hear what brilliant story Logan had come up with.

  “Cori and I were playing a game last night. It’s one of those solve the mystery games. We couldn’t agree on this one. I figured I could utilize your expertise to see what you thought.”

  She was impressed. It was quick thinking. Brice, on the other hand, didn’t seem thrilled about being dragged out to look at pictures for a game. Cori figured she’d break the tension with a bit of humor. “I guess that’s the best he could come up with for a reason to introduce us. Guess that’s why I’m winning the game.” She gave Logan a wink.

  It worked because Brice chuckled. “Sounds like my brother. Okay. So let me see if I got this right. You have two photos. One before a fire and one after. You’re supposed to determine what exactly?”

  Logan answered. “If it was an accident or not.”

  Brice raised a brow. “Just by these two photos?” Logan nodded. “I love a challenge. Okay. This a wine cellar, and it doesn’t look like the fire actually hit the barrels of wine or the racks. However, you do see some fire damage along this side wall.”

  “Yes, I saw that too,” Cori stated, trying to keep in the conversation.

  “But the bottles are on the ground. What do you suspect, Cordelia?”

  She wasn’t going to give the truth. Instead, she was going to play dumb and repeat what the police report said. “I think the heat from the fire caused the bottles to explode.”

  It didn’t take long for Brice to disagree. “That’s impossible.”

  “Why?” Cori asked. Give me something I can work with.

  “If it were the heat, the corks would’ve popped. Look at the bottles. First, the corks are intact. Second, the bottles are on the ground, which tells me they were removed from the racks and either stomped or crushed on purpose. Third, if you look at the floor, it’s covered in wine. Then look at the wall where the fire was. See how the wine covers some of where the fire was, even on the floor. That meant the fire took place first and was extinguished. Then the bottles were destroyed to make it appear that it happened during the fire.”

  Cori hadn’t noticed that. She was just going on gut instinct, but it was nice to know someone else viewed this as intentional. But that raised other questions. When did the fire in the cellar take place? It couldn’t have been at the same time as the fire in the vineyard fields or whoever set it would’ve been killed just like her grandpa. But the police report states it was the same time.

  She always knew there had been a major cover-up. Now she had proof. Of course, she didn’t have anything that linked James to the fire. One step at a time.

  Cori smiled at Brice and said, “I’m glad you’re not playing with us, because I’m sure we would lose.”

  “I’m not into games, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t like to get to know you a bit better. Logan, why don’t you bring Cori to Sunday brunch at my house?”

  She saw Logan smile but knew he wasn’t keen on the idea. That’s too bad. You started it. Cori reached out, covered his hand with hers, and gave him a beaming smile.

  He didn’t agree. Instead, he said, “I think Bennett wants to meet me then.”

  Brice asked, “Here or in Ta—”

  “Off-site,” Logan said quickly.

  Cori wanted to know what Brice was about to say when Logan cut him off. Whatever it was, Logan didn’t want her to know. That only made her more inquisitive. Haven’t figured that out about me yet have you, Logan?

  Brice finished his beer and got up. “Cordelia, I hope to see you again.” Then he turned to Logan. “We’ll talk later tonight.”

  She knew it had to do with whatever Logan was hiding. She should be happy Brice confirmed her suspicions, but now her mind was on overload, telling her the biggest story of her life was hidden in something that started with Ta. And I’ll find out. I don’t give up.

  Once alone, Logan said, “Looks like you were right. That fire wasn’t an accident.”

  “Now I just need to find out why the police made it look like it was.”

  “I have the resources to help with that if you’ll allow me to.”

  “Would that be Bennett? Because I thought you said he was . . . off-site.”

  Logan shot her a look then turned away. If she had any doubt before that Bennett’s whereabouts was confidential, he just confirmed it. “He’s always accessible.”

  “Then let’s see what he can come up with.” And I’ll be doing the same on him.

  She did find some comfort in knowing no matter what was going on in Logan’s life he was still there trying to help her. It wasn’t something she was accustomed to. But having someone care is something that could grow on me.

  Cori needed to remind herself that once it came out who’d had Joe killed, whatever this was between them would end. They would be standing on opposite sides, and forgiveness was a wall too thick to break through.

  Chapter Ten

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  “I was able to obtain a copy of the police report. There’s not much there. From what you said there was an entire file.”

  “At least an inch thick.” Logan had been surprised by the details she knew.

  “Then it must be her own research because I’m telling you, the police has it listed as an open-and-shut case. The fire was deemed accidental due to negligence on the owner’s part.”

  “That’s bullshit, Bennett. I’ve seen what she has. If I didn’t think she was right, I would’ve never brought it to Brice for his opinion.”

  “Now that I believe. Can you ask her to scan what she has and I’ll look at it?”

  He wasn’t going to waste his breath asking her. The answer was going to be no. This was years of her research, and it was hard enough to pry the photos away from her. “Are you saying you can’t figure this out yourself?” Logan knew Bennett prided himself on doing what no one else could. He was top in his field.

  “Good try. I like the way you think. But right now I’m busy in Tabiq. You know damn well what my top priority is.”

  Logan couldn’t believe he’d forgotten. What was this woman doing to him? Until he met her, his family was always the most important thing in his life. That hadn’t changed, but somehow Cori had entered into that small group of people. He should’ve realized that when he kissed her in front of Brice. He’d been making a statement, one he hadn’t even admitted to himself.

  That explained his need to help her. It wasn’t about finding the answer to an old crime that happened thirty years ago. It was about Cori needing someone to believe her. To be there for her while she did this. Maybe having Bennett look into this isn’t the way to go. Maybe I’m supposed to do this. Be by her side.

  “You’re right. I’ve got this. You just find what you need for Zoey.”

  “And if I need you to come to Tabiq?”

  He wasn’t turning his back on his family. “Then I’ll be there. Just try to do it without me. You know my stance.”

  “I’ll do what I can.”

  When the call ended, Logan reached out to check on Zoey. With everything he’d learned lately, it was time for him to step back into the big-brother role and keep an eye on her while Bennett was away.

  “What a surprise, Logan. Is everything okay?” Zoey asked.

  They had seen each other every month at Sunday brunch, but somehow that was about it since she’d married Bennett. He’d foolishly stepped aside so they could have their privacy, when in fact, all it did was keep him away because he didn’t want to hear anything more about their mothers or their father. He hoped if he met with her now, they might be able to stay off that topic. The odds of that happening were slim.

  “Everything is fine. I was
just checking to see if you and Pearl wanted to ride with me to brunch.”

  Zoey paused longer than normal. She was the thinker of the group. That was probably what made her a good match with Bennett. They kept each other on their toes. Logan, on the other hand, had never thought that long and hard about what someone else was thinking.

  “I would’ve thought you’d be traveling with your . . . new friend. What’s her name?” She waited only a second before continuing. “Cordelia, right? We’re all looking forward to meeting her. Well, maybe I should say the rest of us. It seems Morgan, Shaun, and Brice have already been introduced.”

  He could bang his head on the desk right now. This was exactly what he didn’t want happening. Logan hadn’t officially asked Cori to go with him. Actually, he believed he’d made it clear she wasn’t welcome, and he wasn’t attending. If Zoey knew that Morgan had already met her, she’d have already made contact and pumped Morgan for information. Bennett was right. I’m fucking this up royally.

  “It’s nothing serious, Zoey, so don’t go spreading rumors.” He knew the warning was falling on deaf ears. When all the ladies in the family were together, the guys simply rolled their eyes at all the whispering and giggling. It was scary as hell because when they were through, the guys knew they were in trouble. Logan never gave it a second thought because he was never the subject matter. Until now.

  “Then I guess we shouldn’t have invited her out to lunch with us today.”

  “You didn’t!”

  Zoey laughed. “Oh dear. I guess Morgan is right. You do have it bad. How cute is this? Logan Henderson finally has met the one.”

  He’d gotten his wish; they weren’t talking about parents, but this wasn’t where he wanted the conversation to go either. With gritted teeth, he asked, “You’re joking, right?”

  “Logan, do I ever joke?”

  He wished she did. “I really wish you hadn’t done that.”

  “Why not? It’s easier if we meet her before Sunday. Trust me, the ladies all agree. When they first came to brunch and had to meet all you guys, it was . . . scary. You guys can be gruff at times, and when you don’t know people, it can be . . . a bit too much. So we decided to meet her beforehand and introduce ourselves. This way she won’t feel outnumbered.”

  Zoey and the others plotting like this didn’t surprise him. What did it mean; was Cori agreeing to it and not informing him? They should’ve discussed this, talked it out. Made a plan regarding what story they were going to tell and stick to it. Guess she’s going to wing it, and I’ll be the last to know.

  He couldn’t be angry with her. After all, he was the one who’d started it. It seemed such a simple impulse at the time. Just a light kiss and look at him now. His sisters-in-law were ganging up on him, and if he weren’t careful, they’d be planning a wedding too. Since it was early, he had time to call Cori and set things straight first. She had no idea what she was about to walk into. There was no such thing as an innocent little lunch. Cori might be the reporter, but these ladies had interrogation down to a knack. Cori won’t know what hit her.

  Cori felt guilty for doing this without talking to Logan first, but it wasn’t as though she’d reached out to them. They’d contacted her and asked her to lunch. Saying no would’ve been rude.

  That didn’t explain why she’d ignored Logan’s call and text. She knew exactly what he wanted. He was going to ask her to back out of lunch with his family. That might work for him, but not for her. She wanted to go. He was letting her in, but only so far. He hardly spoke about himself, and this was going to give her insight to a side she didn’t yet know. Like how many women have you brought home before me?

  That was a stupid thing to even care about. They weren’t really a couple. He’d only kissed her in front of Brice to go along with the story he’d made up regarding some dumb game. She gave him credit because it worked, but there had to have been another avenue he could’ve taken instead of making it look like she was his girlfriend.

  Since he was the one who opened this door, he should’ve realized there was no way she’d sit back and miss an opportunity like this one. Although Zoey was the only Henderson by blood, she knew they were all very loving and supportive of each other. These ladies were the shining lights of the Henderson family.

  Cori would have to be very careful not to let them know the real reason she was meeting with them. As far as she knew, no one except Logan knew she was a reporter. Normally the people she was interviewing understood that, but not this time. It was going to require a different skill set. One she believed she possessed but was only going to know for sure after their lunch.

  It was like any other interview. She needed to know her boundaries. Normally this would take place over the phone and with one person at a time. Face to face with all five Henderson ladies might be more than she could handle. However, she’d been able to keep her composure in front of Brice. He’d been even more intimidating than she’d expected. If she could fool him, what was she worried about? All she needed to do was make sure she didn’t ask too many questions. This lunch would need to seem like a normal everyday conversation. She felt confident they’d talk, but she knew it would need to be a two-way conversation. For all the questions she had, she knew they had their own agenda. If she didn’t open up, they’d never believe she and Logan were a couple.

  Even thinking about play-acting such a roll made her chuckle. She’d pictured herself going undercover to get a story many times before. She’d somehow thought she’d be a tough badass woman who infiltrated a gang or mob or some high-profile organization, not the sweet girlfriend or wife of a Henderson. Wife? Slow down there, Cori.

  It’d have been easier if he’d played it off that she was his housekeeper or something. At least they’d know what she did for a living. Now she scrambled to come up with a great backstory. She had none. How am I going to pull this off?

  It was too late. She was already seated, and the five ladies were approaching her. Cori was going to let her words flow and hope she didn’t trip herself up. If she did, it wasn’t only her they’d be upset with, but Logan as well. Causing a family riff wasn’t appealing.

  Morgan was the first to greet her. “Cori, I’m so glad you could join us. Let me introduce you to everyone. This is Lena, who is married to Brice. And Tessa is married to Dean. Ziva recently married Alex and last, but not least, Zoey. Poor Zoey, the only girl in the family with all those hardheaded men. But don’t feel too bad. She married one that fits right in with them.” Morgan laughed. “Actually, Bennett might be the only man who could hold his own with them.”

  Now that they were all there, she felt a bit overwhelmed. Also, on display. Cori smiled, and greeted them warmly, “Nice meeting you all. Thank you for the invite.”

  “We thought it’d be easier to get to know you now instead of at brunch. Sometimes the guys are talking so loud we can barely hear ourselves think,” Lena said. “You might think I’m joking, but you’ll see for yourself. They’re just big kids sometimes.”

  Cori couldn’t picture that. Not with all the research she’d done. They were all such tough businessmen and had such serious looks about them. Was that just a façade? She would see that for herself. “I have a hard time picturing Logan joking around.”

  Zoey nodded. “Oh he can, he just doesn’t do it often. Strange, but he’s the most reclusive of us all. We know he’s not going to do any talking, so we figured we’d ask you. How did you two meet?”

  Oh, I was lying and pretended to be a patient. That wasn’t the answer to give, although it was the truth. “I was doing research, and he was kind enough to help me.”

  “Are you in the medical field?” Tessa inquired.

  Not in the least. “No. I—”

  “A student?” Ziva asked.

  Cori shook her head. “No, I do . . . do a little writing and had some questions on a subject.”

  Morgan’s eyes widened. Then she reached out and grabbed Cori’s hand. “Oh my God. C. Sparks. You write tho
se articles about—”

  “Yes.”

  “Writes what?” Lena asked.

  Cori rolled her eyes. Please don’t say it. But she knew Morgan was going to. The excitement on her face was too much. There was no way she was going to contain it.

  “Have you ever read the entertainment section of the paper?” They nodded. “She is C. Sparks.”

  Zoey’s eyes lit up. “Oh, goodness. Please don’t tell me my brother is your source for any of those. I don’t think I’d ever be able to look at him the same again.”

  Cori burst out laughing. “Well . . . I hate to break it to you, but he was interested in the images he saw of the women who were part of the obese fetish . . .” Their stunned silence made it far too difficult to keep a straight face. “I’m joking. He was just assisting on the medical—I mean neurological—questions I had regarding a piece.”

  “Well, that’s good to hear, because my brothers would never let him live it down if he’d been the subject.”

  “I don’t know, some of them sounded kind of fun. I have Dean reading them now,” Tessa said, giving Cori a wink.

  Oh, this is going downhill fast. She needed to change the subject quickly. Now that they knew, they were probably going to tell their husbands, and Sunday brunch was going to be something she wanted to pass on.

  “Morgan, it was so nice of your parents to include me in their celebration. I had a lovely time.”

  “They’ve been asking about you. Why don’t you stop in? They’d love seeing you again. Take Logan too.”

  Right now that would be a more relaxed environment than Lena and Brice’s. At least Loras and Elizabeth were clueless about who she was. For now.

  “I’m sorry. I should’ve asked. How are you feeling by the way?” Morgan asked.

  “I’m fine. No lingering effects.”

  Lena chimed in, “What happened?”

  Morgan filled everyone in on the minor accident she’d had. Cori blushed as they all started talking to her like she was fragile and needed caring for. It was cute that they all rallied around her. Like it had at Loras and Elizabeth’s party, seeing these women, related only by marriage, being so warm and unified brought a pang of sadness as well. How she wished she had that sort of loving relationship with Sarah. When did things go downhill for them? If Cori didn’t make an effort for them to talk, they’d probably never speak again.