Cricket Cove

by Haddix, T. L.

  Logan crossed his arms over his chest, widened his stance, and waited.

  Finally, his brother ran out of steam with, “What the hell are you doing, Lo?”

  “I’m having a romance,” he stated quietly.

  That gave Archer pause. “You’re what?”

  Logan shrugged, looking down at the ground. “Having a romance.”

  “With Pip?”

  “Yes.”

  Archer stalked off again, making it halfway down the walk to the driveway before turning to stalk back. “Why?”

  Logan frowned. “What?”

  “Why?”

  He struggled to explain. “She’s different. And she… I enjoy being with her. Not just sexually,” he hurried to say when Archer’s face clouded with anger. “But she makes me laugh. She makes me forget that the load I carry is so heavy.”

  “She’s good at that. Always has been.” Archer’s anger seemed to be fading, and Logan could see the concern setting in. “She’s not a fling kind of woman, Lo.”

  Logan nodded. “I know.”

  “What are you going to do when things get to the point where you have to walk or stay?”

  Logan met his gaze steadily. “I’m starting to think I’ll stay. Are we done? John and Ben gave her a rough time earlier about us, and I’m sure the fact that you reacted the way you did hasn’t helped. This is supposed to be a happy day, Archer.”

  His brother’s cheeks flushed with shame. “I know. I’ll apologize to her as soon as we go in.”

  “But not to me?” Logan pressed.

  “Fine, to you, too.” Archer slung his arm around Logan’s shoulders. “But if you hurt her, I’ll kick your ass.”

  “You’ll have to get in line behind Owen, I’m afraid.”

  Archer reached out to open the door, and Logan saw just a hint of amusement on his brother’s face as he turned to him. “Had that talk, have you?”

  “Oh, yeah. You?”

  “Not under the same circumstances, but close. Of course, I was also in the process of getting married to said daughter.” He arched an eyebrow hopefully.

  Logan just shook his head, amused at the attempt to pin him down.

  They met Amelia and Emma in the hallway just outside the living room. Amelia’s eyes were red rimmed, and Logan felt the hit like a punch to the gut. The guarded expression he’d not seen in weeks was back on her face, and he felt like shouting in anger at her entire family as well as his brother. He held his hand out, and after a slight hesitation, her face cleared and she took it.

  “Okay?”

  She nodded.

  Archer stepped over and put his hands on her shoulders. “I hear you can make this guy laugh,” he teased. “You’ll have to tell me how you do it.”

  Amelia’s face turned beet red and she choked out a sputtering laugh, horrified, as Emma snickered behind her. “Um…”

  Comprehension dawned, and Archer groaned. “Oh, God, this is too weird. Never mind. I don’t want to know. No details, please. Is that what you were doing when I called? Don’t answer that!” He pulled her in for a hug, kissing the top of her head. “I’m sorry, Pip. We’re okay, right?”

  She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him back. “I don’t know. Are you and Logan okay?” She looked to Logan for an answer, and he nodded.

  “We are.”

  “Then I guess we are, too,” she told Archer as she stepped back. “But I do have a couple of things to say to everyone. Do you mind coming back into the living room?”

  “Of course not.”

  This time, Amelia joined them on the hearth, sitting so close to Logan that her left side was pressed solidly against his right. He put his arm around her and ignored her brothers.

  Whatever happened, they were in this now for real, and there was no going back. Logan meant what he had told Archer—he was starting to think seriously about staying. After spending two nights away from Amelia, he had no desire to be alone anymore. He just had to figure out if that change was a permanent state of mind or not.

  Chapter Forty

  Amelia felt her resolve strengthening as she took a seat beside Logan on the hearth. A glance around the room told her that her brothers still had some reservations about this new development, but they were just going to have to adjust. They wouldn’t like finding out the rest of what she had to tell them, either.

  “So I need to talk to you all about a couple of things,” she said. She tightened her grip on Logan’s hand where it rested on her hip.

  Owen scowled. “You’re not going to tell us you’re pregnant, are you?”

  Logan sucked in a fast breath, and Archer laughed so fast, he snorted, turning the reaction into a cough when Owen’s glower turned to him. “Sorry.”

  “No, Daddy. I’m not pregnant.” Amelia pressed her free hand to her forehead, shaking her head. “That’s not… geez. I heard from Lori.”

  All the amusement from Archer’s reaction died, and her family was somber as they waited for her to elaborate.

  “As I think everyone knows, Lori’s been having an affair with Trace Stidham. These three,” she said as she gestured to Emma, Archer, and Logan, “confronted him. And like we’d guessed he would, he went straight to Lori. She’s on the defensive now. Actually, I’d say she’s royally pissed off. She passed defensive way back down the road if her letter is any indication.”

  “What did it say, sweetheart?” Sarah asked.

  Amelia leaned to the side and pulled the folded envelope from her back pocket. “It’s probably best if you hear it verbatim. Logan, will you?”

  “Sure.” He took the letter and pulled it from the envelope. He scanned the first few lines, his face growing dark as he read to himself. A few lines in, he turned an outraged gaze to Amelia. “Is she serious?”

  “She is.”

  “Well, what does it say?” John asked impatiently.

  Logan blew out a breath. “A helluva lot.” He started reading.

  “Dear Amelia,

  I am so angry with you right now, if you were in front of me I would slap you. How dare you interfere with my life?

  Trace told me what your sister and her thugs had done to him. He’s debating whether or not to file charges.” Logan snorted. “I’d like to see the son of a bitch try.”

  Archer leaned over to look at the letter. “Read the damned thing, would you?”

  “Who the hell are you to judge me, when you’re the one who has been having an affair with my husband? Who the hell are you to try to ruin what little happiness I have, while you’re the one who’s destroying my marriage? Wasn’t killing my brother enough for you?”

  This time, Owen was the one who interrupted the reading with a string of curses that had everyone’s eyes widening.

  “Daddy!” Amelia was stunned by the depth of his anger.

  “We never should have let you be friends with those ignorant dipshits,” he growled. “I wish to God we hadn’t.”

  Sarah put her hand on his arm. “Owen, calm down and let him finish. What’s done is done.”

  “Sorry. Get on with it.”

  “I told Roger that you had said he was stalking you. He was as outraged as I am, and that’s when he confessed that you two have been…” His cheeks flushed and he looked to Eliza, who nodded. “…fucking each other. That you’ve been fucking each other for months now. All this time, I’ve thought you were my friend, and you’ve been playing me. How could you do that to me? I guess now that you’ve stolen Roger, you’ll go after Trace next. Do you have to destroy every bit of happiness I have in my life? What the hell did I ever do to you?

  I don’t ever want to see you or hear from you again. You no longer exist to me. Stay the hell away from me, away from Trace, and away from Roger.

  He cri
ed when he told me how you’d come on to him. He swears that he won’t try to see you again, and I believe him. I’m going to stop seeing Trace and work on salvaging my marriage. It makes sense now, why you’ve tried so hard all these years to break Roger and me up.

  You are a sick and evil person, and I hate the very idea of your existence. I wish you would drop off the face of the earth. You deserve it, given what you’ve done to me.”

  There was absolute silence in the room as Logan’s voice trailed to a stop. He folded the paper and handed it to Archer, who read through it swiftly, as though he couldn’t believe what he’d heard.

  “I’m sorry,” Logan said. He pulled her closer and rested his head on hers. “Damn, Amelia. I’m so sorry.”

  She was numb. “So am I.”

  Emma stood and started pacing the living room with choppy movements. Angry tears were streaking her cheeks, and Amelia hated that she’d been the one to disturb her sister so. “I think I’ll pay a little visit to the bitch tomorrow. Zanny?”

  “Count me in.”

  “Me, too,” Rachel added. “And then I want to go see Trace, then Roger. Uncle Eli, can I borrow a pair of castrating snips?”

  The men all winced, but Ben was nodding in agreement. “Sounds good to me.”

  “It doesn’t sound good to me.” Amelia’s pronouncement was met with surprise. “None of you say or do anything. I appreciate the sentiment, believe me. I’m touched. But we are finished with this.”

  Emma planted her hands on her hips and stared down at Amelia in astonishment. “How can you be so calm?”

  “I wasn’t calm when I read it yesterday. But after sleeping on it, I woke up determined to get on with my life. I’m done giving those dipshits, as Daddy so accurately put it, any control over my life. And to that end, I’m going home this evening.”

  The room erupted in protests, with everyone trying to out-shout everyone else as they listed the reasons she couldn’t do that. Only Eli, Eliza, and Logan remained calm. Eli silenced them with a shrill whistle.

  “Let the girl explain her reasoning, children. And keep in mind that Eliza and I agree with her.”

  Owen’s face resembled a thundercloud as he turned to his uncle. “You can’t mean that. You think she should go home, put herself back within Roger’s reach?”

  “No. I think she should go home, stay aware, and keep both eyes open. Amelia?”

  She sent Eli a grateful smile. “I’m missing so much. I’m not getting to see my nieces and nephews growing up, I’m not getting to see any of you, and I’m not getting to live my life.” She looked up at Logan, who appeared concerned but didn’t try to speak. “And I’m finished giving them power over me. From now on, if Roger so much as breathes in my direction, I’ll file a complaint. I don’t care if it doesn’t go anywhere or if there isn’t enough evidence. I’ll harass him. I’ll take out a full-page ad in the damned paper if I have to. But I’m not giving them another minute if I can help it.”

  “How the hell do we keep you safe, Pip?” John asked. “I understand how frustrated you must be, but how is going back into the lion’s den an answer?”

  “How is staying here indefinitely an answer, Johnny? What am I supposed to do if this doesn’t end? Go to Ben and Ainsley’s next? Find whatever obscure relative we have that will let me stay and visit them? Sneak home for visits, or worse, never go home again because Roger might do something? No.”

  Ben’s scowl was a close mirror to their father’s. “From the sounds of things, you’ve already been home once. How could you let her do that, Logan?”

  Amelia growled low. “He didn’t ‘let’ me do anything, Benjamin. I made that decision on my own. And I’d do the same thing all over again.”

  Logan sighed. “They have a point. As much as I hate admitting it, how are we going to keep you safe?”

  She swallowed, seeing nothing but concern in his eyes. “I don’t know that we can. I’m hoping Lori is right and that Roger will at least be distracted by her for long enough that he forgets about me. And if he doesn’t, then we’ll deal with that when it happens. We just have to make it not worth his while to stalk me.”

  “If it wouldn’t mean getting Lori killed, I’d drop a little nugget in Roger’s ear about what she’s been doing with Trace,” Sarah surprised her by saying. “But that would be going too far, and he very likely would kill her for that.”

  “He would,” Amelia answered. “I’m sure of it. The same thought crossed my mind, Mom, but I can’t do that to her. As much as I’m disgusted and hurt by what’s happened, she doesn’t deserve that.”

  Emma didn’t look as though she agreed. Amelia knew that was only because her sister was deeply concerned for Amelia’s own well-being. “So you’re coming home. Okay. What precautions are you going to take?”

  “I’ll keep vigilant. I’ll keep my gun in my purse and at hand at all times, I’ll vary my routines, and I won’t go out at night alone.”

  “Plus I’ll be around,” Logan added quietly. “Maybe seeing me with you will temper his desire to harass you.”

  Ben’s eyes narrowed. “Just how much are you planning to be around, Gibson?”

  “As much as Amelia wants me.” Logan didn’t flinch as he met Ben’s gaze, and Amelia felt something relax inside her.

  Ben, however, was not as pleased by his answer. He opened his mouth to retort but Ainsley pinched him, making him jump.

  “Whatever you were about to say, don’t.”

  “She’s my baby sister.”

  “She’s a grown woman.”

  He shook his head. “No.”

  Ainsley’s smile widened, and she rubbed her hand over Ben’s back. “I’m sorry, honey, but she is. And I think she’s in good hands. You’re being a little bit hypocritical, don’t you think?”

  “How? They’re not married!”

  “I suppose you were a virgin when you got married, huh, Ben?” Eliza surprised Amelia by asking. “Because that is the only way you could be justified in throwing those stones you seem to be hurling right now, and even then, it would be debatable.”

  Ben’s cheeks turned bright red, but he couldn’t argue. “Fine. But we know where you live,” he told Logan. “Don’t you forget that.”

  Even Owen seemed amused by the threat. Logan, however, nodded solemnly. “I won’t.”

  Now that the hardest part of the day was over, Amelia found herself exhausted. She hadn’t slept well the night before, and all the turmoil of today had taken its toll. She leaned against Logan and sighed. “Want a ride back to Perry County?”

  “From the looks of things, you need a driver, not a passenger. But sure.”

  The gathering broke up not long after that, and Ben volunteered to help her bring her things down from upstairs. Amelia wasn’t sure she trusted his motives, but she agreed.

  “I already have most of it packed,” she told him as they climbed the stairs.

  Once they’d reached her room, Ben blew out a breath. Amelia turned and waited for him to speak.

  “You know that you will always have a place with Ainsley and me, right? No matter what happens, if you need us, you come to us. Or if you can’t come to us, let me know, and we’ll come to you.”

  The concern on his face defused her defensive anger. “Benny… I do know that. Thank you. And I don’t know what’s going to happen, with either the Roger situation or with Logan. But I have to try.”

  “I know. I just wish he were more like Archer, you know?”

  Amelia smiled. “I understand what you’re saying. But if he wasn’t who he is, I wouldn’t feel the same way about him.”

  He groaned and pulled her in for a hug. “I know. Damn it.”

  Downstairs, her grandmother was waiting at the foot of the steps. Eliza enfolded her in a hug. “I hate to see y
ou go, sweetie. I’ve enjoyed getting to spend time with you the last couple of weeks.”

  “I’ll be back, Nonny. And I’ve enjoyed this, too. Thank you for having me.”

  “Nonsense,” Eli said, taking his turn with the hug. “You know we’ve had a blast. Come back soon, you hear? And be careful.”

  “I will.”

  “I packed you some leftovers,” Eliza told her in a low voice. “Your father put them in your car. There are enough there for two, in case you don’t feel like stopping at the grocery tonight.”

  Amelia blushed. “Thank you. And thanks for the other night, encouraging me to be brave.”

  Eliza touched her face. “Sweet girl, I just hope you get everything you deserve. Love you.”

  “Love you, too.”

  Once they were on the road with Logan driving, Amelia settled back with a sigh. “That was both better and worse than I’d hoped.”

  He reached over and she placed her hand in his, a feeling of contentment running through her as his fingers curled around hers. “Archer took it pretty well. That surprised me, I have to say.”

  “Me, too. But I’m glad.”

  They didn’t say much the rest of the trip. When they came up the last hill that brought them to the edge of the Hazard city limits, Logan glanced at her. “Your place or mine?”

  Amelia turned to him. “Are you asking me to stay the night, or would I just be dropping you off?”

  “I’d like it if you would stay.”

  “Then I will.”