Chapter Thirteen
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Logan couldn’t wait to see Cori again. He’d missed her, but the reason behind this surprise visit probably wouldn’t please her if she knew. He needed to grab a sample of her hair and her toothbrush, so he could confirm if they were related or not. How does one come up with a reason to do that?
It wasn’t going to go over too well if he kept his distance. Pretending to have a cold was the best he could come up with for not hugging or kissing her. Can’t tell you I’m freaked out we might be kin. Even thinking it made him sick to his stomach. They hadn’t crossed any major lines, but he wanted her, and that was wrong if they were related.
Of course, you have to answer your door in only a T-shirt. Fuck!
“Logan, I wasn’t expecting you.”
He forced his voice to be a bit raspy as he said, “I was out getting a little more cold medicine and just had to see you for a few minutes before going home.”
“You’re sick? Why didn’t you tell me? I’ve been worried something happened. I could’ve made . . . well bought you some soup. Come on in.”
He could see the concern in her eyes, and that only made him feel worse. Lying was quickly becoming a habit—one he needed to break. Convincing himself it was out of necessity didn’t change that it wasn’t right. Eventually, he’d need to come clean with her and his family. Just not today.
One nice thing about being a Henderson was having connections to get things done immediately. Jon Vinchi had promised to process the DNA for him and have the results by morning. All he needed was an opportunity, and he was golden. Well, at least, he would be when Jon told him their DNA showed no relation.
“Why don’t you go sit on the couch, and I’ll make you some tea?” Cori headed right toward the kitchen.
The bathroom was down the hall, but she’d see him if he headed that way. So he figured he’d spend a short time with her, then excuse himself and leave. He just couldn’t drag this on too long. He had a driver waiting downstairs to take the sample to Jon. Realistically, there wasn’t an urgent need. It was more of a moral battle he was facing.
Instead of sitting on the couch where he’d prefer to be, he chose the straight armchair. It gave him the separation he required, at least for now. He could hear the cups rattling as she carried them on their saucers. Logan let out a loud sneeze. He hoped it sounded more real to her than it did to him. Zoey and Alex have the theatrical talent, not me.
“Here. Drink this. I put honey and lemon in it for you. I also have some menthol rub for your chest. Put this on before you go to bed. And here are some pills to help with any congestion. Do you have a fever?”
His hands were full of supplies. “Cori, I don’t think—”
“Oh, what was I thinking? You need a bag to carry all that. Hold on. I’ll be right back.” When she returned, she not only had a bag but a box of Kleenex as well. “If you’re too sick you can spend the night here.” His eyes met hers, and she clarified. “On the couch.”
Logan really appreciated her TLC, but the clock was ticking. If things worked out, he was going to have a speedy recovery and take her up on the offer of the sleepover. But he wouldn’t sleep on the couch. That was for damn sure.
Don’t even think about it. Not till you hear back from Jon. “Actually I’d like to use your bathroom if you don’t mind.” He held his stomach as though he was going to be sick. Of course, he didn’t want to be inside for long, or she might come check on him. So he grabbed her toothbrush and pulled some hair from her brush. Then slipped both into a plastic bag like he used in his office for specimen collections. Putting them both deep into his pocket, he returned to the living room. “Sorry, Cori. I really don’t feel good. I’m going home, but you’ll hear from me sometime in the morning. Okay?”
“Are you sure you can make it?” She got up and went to hug him.
He raised his hands to stop her. “Yes, but I don’t want you to catch it. I shouldn’t have even come by.”
“Of course, you should have. Sick or not, I’m happy to see you. And if you need anything at all, I’ll have my cell phone by my bed all night. Just call me. I’ll come right away.”
Her sincerity was so damn touching. He wanted to pull her into his arms and never let her go. She was an angel right to the core. “Good night, Cori. Sweet dreams and thank you again for all the medicine.” Most people figured because he was a doctor he didn’t need to be taken care of. No one ever thought of giving him medicine; they normally only wanted some from him. It was just another thing he loved about her.
That word crept into his mind again. He refused to acknowledge it. Not right now, but soon.
Once outside, he handed the driver the package and gave him clear instructions to put it in Jon’s hands personally. Then he headed home. His bed was calling to him, but his lack of sleep wasn’t due to any cold. He was haunted by everything he’d learned in California. Part of him wished he’d never gone. The old guy had been right about one thing. Logan didn’t want to really know the truth. It wasn’t so much that his family was fucked up for at least two generations before him, but knowing that it could still affect them—and his future—fucking pissed him off.
He needed to know ASAP what those DNA results were. He needed to have a serious conversation with Cori, but the outcome directly collated with the findings. Would this be something that stayed between them or would he need to tell the rest of the family? Tomorrow I’ll know.
Cori wished Logan would’ve agreed to stay last night. Maybe she would’ve gotten more sleep if he had. All she wanted to do was take care of him. That was tacky, a need within her, surely not what he wanted. If he had, he would’ve taken her up on her offer. She’d done enough research to know men were different from women. Men wanted women there, but not all the time. They wanted them only when they wanted them. The rest of the time, they wanted their space.
She wanted to show him she cared but worried she had come across too strong. That’s just the way she was. She didn’t do anything half-assed. Her job was done to the best of her ability, so why wouldn’t she give a relationship one hundred percent of herself as well?
Cori picked up her phone for what seemed like the millionth time, wanting to call or text and check on him, but knowing that wasn’t what Logan wanted. She’d made it clear she was worried about him, and she would be there if he needed her. But he didn’t call. He doesn’t need me. Her heart ached from holding back her feelings for him. She realized if her quest to find out the truth about her grandpa’s death was resolved, she might not have a new mission in life. Yes, she might get a promotion, but she would still be . . . she’d still be alone. Was that why Logan affected her so much?
Tomorrow was supposed to be Sunday brunch with his family. He still hadn’t mentioned anything to her. Were they going? His family seemed to believe so, but Logan hadn’t said a word. She could use the excuse that he was sick and it slipped his mind, but she knew that wasn’t the case. It was evident he hadn’t decided what he wanted tomorrow. Or the day after for that matter.
She knew she was overthinking this. Why couldn’t she just enjoy whatever it was they had? Because I’m getting some mixed signals from him. He’s running hot and cold. Does he want me or not?
Cori could write articles galore, but when it came to how to play the game herself, she sucked. No matter how sick he is, I’m going to look so darn cute tomorrow he won’t be able to resist. Then again, she’d known he was at the door yesterday, and she’d opened it anyway wearing just a T-shirt and panties; she hadn’t gotten a hug. Not even a glance.
She needed to remember everything he’d said about how he grew up. There was no love in his life. Maybe what she was trying to offer him, not the sex but the emotion, was more than he wanted. He was forty and single for a reason. It wasn’t because he was a loser. The man had the entire package. There was no way women weren’t throwing themselves at him. Then it hit her. She didn’t want to be one of them. She was making this too easy f
or him. When she was pushing him away, he was chasing her. Now she’d been trying to let him know she wanted more, and he was avoiding her. Maybe my next article should be the differences between men and women.
She grunted softly to herself. I better interview others because obviously I don’t have a clue. She reminded herself Logan wasn’t just any man. He was a Henderson. They were a different breed altogether. There should be an entire manual written just for them.
Cori laughed because she wasn’t the easiest person to figure out either. She was accusing him of sending mixed signals, but she was the one who started all this with a lie. Unfortunately, part of the lie was still between them. I’m such a hypocrite. They needed to have a conversation, and she needed to start with telling him everything. Of course, that might be the last talk we have.
That didn’t mean she wasn’t moving forward with her research. While he was off doing whatever, she’d found some interesting things about Tabiq. For one, Shaun wasn’t the big player there. Bennett seemed to be visiting on a regular basis. The reason for the frequent trips was still a mystery. Given a bit more time, she knew she’d find out. Asking Ziva wasn’t an option nor was speaking to Zoey. Morgan was such a sweetheart, but she was an stay-at-home mom alone right now. That might be the avenue she needed to take.
She peeked out the window, and the sun was shining. Sitting here, wondering what Logan was doing, wouldn’t accomplish anything. Maybe this was the right time to see what Morgan was up to. Cori dialed her number.
“Hi, Cori. How are you?”
She couldn’t believe she called before planning her excuse. Think fast. “I’m good. I know you mentioned Shaun was out of town, and it’s such a nice day.”
“That it is. My mother snagged Ginny for a stroll and said she wants to keep her for a while after. What are you doing today?”
“I thought maybe you’d like to go to . . . the bike path with me.” Cori remembered at their luncheon she’d mentioned a bicycle built for three. “We could take Tyler.”
“Oh, that would be nice. Just one problem, Tyler has a certain route he needs to take. Would you mind if you came to our house, and we rode around here?”
“Sounds like a plan. Just text your address and I’ll come right over.” She already had their address. It was a few houses down from Elizabeth and Loras. She’d been surprised at Shaun living in such a residential neighborhood. Until she’d met Morgan and Tyler. Then she knew what enticed him to walk away from a penthouse apartment in the heart of Boston.
It wasn’t long before she arrived at Morgan’s, and they were on the road. Cori had never been on a tandem bike, and it took a bit of getting used to. At first, she thought it’d be easier than riding alone, but you had to work together. Morgan took the front, Tyler the middle, and she pulled up the rear. After a few minutes, she’d gotten the hang of it and was actually having fun.
“I truly like this bike.”
“Shaun bought it for me . . . I mean us. I guess that’s when I fell in love with him. He’s so . . . well he’s a wonderful father.”
Cori didn’t need to see Morgan’s face to know she was smiling. She could hear the emotion in her voice, and understood why. Tyler was such a special young man. To love another man’s child as their own is a sign of an exceptional man, someone capable of great love. There was no way a man like him was off in Tabiq doing something disgusting like paying to sleep with young women. There had to be an explanation.
Once they were back at the house, Morgan invited her in for lemonade. Tyler had gone off to play in his room. This provided her with the chance to ask more about Shaun.
“It must be hard with him gone.”
She shrugged. “Not much I can do about it. This venture is important to him. He wanted me to go with him, but I couldn’t leave Tyler.”
So it was something he wanted her to be part of? “Oh, he was looking forward to a little getaway with his wife. Nice.”
Morgan shook her head. “No. It’s just that he wanted to share this with me. I explained to him that it was better for him to go alone. This was his time. We would have many more times to travel there together.”
“It must be tough anyway. I can see you really want to be there with him, and I can understand why.” No, I can’t, but I’m sure you’re going to tell me.
Morgan asked, “Do you know that I’m adopted?” Cori shook her head. “I don’t know what I would’ve done without my adoptive parents. You’ve met them. They’re wonderful people. But since meeting Shaun, I’ve been really thinking about it even more. I don’t know either of my biological parents, but I have two parents who love me unconditionally. Shaun’s family grew up with a tyrannical father and never knew who their mothers were. So finally getting to meet them after all these years must bring so many mixed emotions to each of them. They’re all processing it differently, which is understandable.”
Mothers? More than one? There was no way she’d heard correctly.
“He wasn’t sure it was ever going to happen for him. Shaun never said anything, but I could see it in his eyes each time one of them went to Tabiq and met their mother. It was like he was happy for them but never believed his mother would be found. That’s why I wanted him to have this time alone with her. I’m sure it’s going to be emotional for both of them.”
Cori was stunned. There were so many questions she had but nothing was coming out of her mouth. She couldn’t wrap her mind around it all. Logan hadn’t mentioned anything about his mother. Had he not met his, or when he did, hadn’t it worked out?
“Shaun’s lucky to have someone as loving and supportive as you, Morgan. Thank you for going on the bike ride with me. Sounds like it was helpful to be distracted for a while.”
“It was. Thank you for coming over and listening. I guess I needed someone to talk to who could relate.”
That sure isn’t me. “I’m here anytime you need someone to listen.”
“I guess we’ll see you tomorrow at brunch?”
“Wouldn’t miss it.” She hugged Morgan and headed back to her apartment.
The entire drive home her mind was racing as she thought back to the research she’d compiled on the family before meeting any of them in person. How was it that never came up? No one ever mentioned what happened to their mother, never mind that they each had a different one. Someone must’ve questioned that long ago. Then again, James was a powerful man who could’ve hidden such a thing. But why? And how?
There was no marriage or divorce decree. So these women were never married to him. Cori knew that at least Shaun’s mother was from Tabiq. Since Alex met Ziva there, she assumed that’s where his mother was from as well. That was too much of a coincidence. Was it possible that all six mothers were from there? It would explain how James was able to hide it from them for so long. He was a big enough bastard to do that.
By the time she entered her apartment tears were streaming down her cheeks. Her heart went out to them all. She had hated them because of what James had done to her grandpa. She never imagined there would be anything to make her believe they were any different than he was. She knew differently now. They’ve suffered so much at the hand of their father. It explained why they shut themselves off from most relationships. Their pain ran deep. There was no way she could ever exploit them with what she’d just learned. It was time for her to reach out to Logan and tell him the truth about why she’d searched him out. Admit to what the story was supposed to be. Then somehow she was going to have to convince him that she would never share everything she’d learned with another living soul. Their pain is safe with me.
Chapter Fourteen
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Logan was going out of his mind. He expected to have the test results first thing in the morning. He didn’t care if it was a Saturday, this was important to him. He’d left Jon a voice mail an hour ago and still nothing.
Grabbing his phone, he tried Jon again. This time he answered.
“When did you lose your patience?”
/> When it became personal. “Do you have the results?” Their calls typically were lengthy, as their discussions entailed medical procedures and advancements to the robotic devices Jon developed. However he was not inclined to chat any longer than to hear the words he’d been hoping for.
“No family relation. I hope that’s what you wanted to hear.”
More than you’ll ever know. “The truth is all that matters.”
“I figured I owed you that. But for the record, I had your DNA on file from . . . another matter. Next time you need something urgent for a personal matter, just say it.”
“My DNA?”
“Yeah. Don’t ask, but know that this is why you go to your friends for certain things. Like this.”
He knew exactly what Jon meant. You couldn’t go to a lab and not risk things getting out you didn’t want made public. “Thanks for your help. I appreciate it.”
Once off the phone he sat back and felt a lot of tension release from his body. He hadn’t realized how much it was affecting him until that moment. He’d told Jon he only wanted the truth. That didn’t mean he wasn’t elated.
Logan had intended to wait until after Sunday brunch to talk to Cori, but he couldn’t hold back. He knew she’d spent years gathering information regarding Joe’s death, and he wanted to be the one to tell her what he’d found.
It was later than he’d thought, but he stepped on the gas and broke the speed limit the entire way. Whatever fines came his way meant nothing to him. There was one thing he was focused on right now, and that was seeing Cori’s sweet and beautiful face.
After pretending to be so sick last night, he didn’t want to show up empty-handed. Not far from her apartment he recalled seeing a florist shop. Thankfully he pulled in just before they closed. He’d never done such things before, but something in him wanted tonight to be special. The florist obviously knew he didn’t frequent florist shops and informed him of each flower’s symbolic meaning. After a much-too-lengthy lesson on roses, he chose the deep pink. Romantic way to say how happy I am to have you in my life.
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