by Amelia Judd
She looked skeptical but did as instructed. She slowly lifted her foot off the clutch and stopped the moment she felt the car start to react. With her foot held in that position, the car didn’t move forward or die. It sat alert, waiting for her command.
Kat grinned. “It’s working! I can feel it. What next?”
“Slowly start to push on the gas until you feel a catch. That means you’ve found a balance. Then continue to evenly lift the clutch and lower the accelerator at the same time. Pay attention to the car, and you’ll soon recognize what it needs without having to think about it.”
Kat squared her shoulders and adjusted her grip. This time the car moved forward, slowly, hesitantly, as if concerned about the driver’s abilities.
“You nailed it, darl.”
Kat laughed, her features bright with excitement as she turned onto the road and shifted into second. “I told you I was a great driver,” she said, jerking the car into third.
When she tried to shift into fourth Logan shuddered at the mangled sound of the gears grinding in resistance. Even though every newbie made that mistake a few times, it was still tough to hear.
“Whoopsie. Forgot to use the clutch.”
“No worries. You’re doing great.”
She tossed him a relieved smile and continued on toward Silver Bay. It soon became clear what Kat lacked in skill, she made up for in exuberance. While some of her starts were bumpy and others made the engine roar, the expression of pure joy on her face never faded.
Twenty minutes later, she pulled to a jerky stop in front of Hannah’s coffee shop and let her foot off the clutch, forgetting to put the car in neutral first. The car bucked once and died.
“A suitable ending to a dramatic trip, don’t you think?” Kat asked, her words a rush of excitement. “I mean, seriously, I totally rocked it!” She slugged his shoulder and grinned wide. “Come on, big guy. I’ll buy you brekkie for your trouble.” She popped out of the car and belted out the chorus of “Born to be Wild.”
He swallowed a groan while he watched her ass sway from side to side as she moved toward Fresh’s front door. He wanted Kat when she wasn’t trying to seduce him just as damn much as he did when she was laying it on thicker than a stripper at a buck’s night. And it seemed the more he got to know her, the more he wanted her.
Sure, he’d been attracted to her at La Vida. She was a gorgeous woman with a killer body and cheeky attitude that kept him alert, active, interested. But he hadn’t spent as much time with her in Costa Rica as he would’ve liked. While she’d willingly participated in any excursion, adventure, or volunteer work led by anyone else at La Vida, she’d steered clear of any activity when he’d been in charge or if the situation meant they’d be alone together.
Now that he was living with her, he realized she could be playful and sweet as well as sexy as hell, which turned out to be a damn attractive combination. He needed to find something he didn’t like about this woman. Something really shitty that would get rid of the lust and—even more scary—the fondness he felt for her. Maybe she enjoyed making fun of poor kids whose worn-thin pants were always a few inches too short. Or maybe she even kicked puppies in her free time.
Kat had to have flaws. Everyone did. He just needed to find hers. How hard could that be?
Chapter 7
“YOU picked a great spot for people watching.” Kat set two cups of coffee and a plate-sized cinnamon roll on the table Logan had selected while she bought breakfast. He’d picked one of her favorite spots at the front of the shop. Nestled beside the front window, it looked out over Silver Bay’s historic square. The table was meant to seat four, but Logan filled his side completely with six foot four inches of mouthwatering male muscle. From seventeen to seventy, every woman in the place had already checked him out.
“There weren’t many spots to choose from,” Logan said, seemingly unaware of the attention he drew. “I can’t believe how busy this place is early on a Saturday morning.”
“Fresh is always busy,” Kat said, taking a seat across from him.
“How do you like working here?”
“Great! It’s fun to chat with everyone; plus I get free coffee on the job.” She slid a cup his way. “Speaking of coffee, I didn’t know how you liked yours so I asked for it black with room for milk.”
“Perfect. Thanks, darl.” With a grateful smile, Logan picked up the cup. “Think I’ll just touch it up a bit.”
Kat sipped her black coffee and stared at his broad shoulders and great butt as he walked to the station with creamers, milks, shakers full of coffee-related spices, and various types of sweetener packets. Like some hoity-toity chef preparing a culinary masterpiece, Logan worked at the station for a frickin’ long time. Pouring, shaking, stirring, taste-testing, then pouring some more.
She laughed under her breath as one eager twenty-something redhead sidled up beside him, sneaking furtive glances his way approximately every five seconds. Logan, gotta love him, seemed clueless to the whole episode, his focus completely on his coffee. Not even glancing in Red’s direction, he moved over to make room for her, but that was it. Eventually, the girl gave up and stomped back to her table with a pissed-off expression.
At long last, he headed back toward the table, dodging his muscular frame through the scattered tables in the cafe. The dude really was big. When she’d first met him, his size had bothered her. Thankfully, her unease around large men had faded a bit. Come to think of it, she hadn’t worried much about being alone at night recently either. Of course, she hadn’t actually been alone; she’d been with Logan. And she couldn’t imagine ever feeling afraid with him around.
“You’re such a coffee diva,” she said as he sat down.
He cocked his head. “Coffee diva?”
“You spent more time doctoring up that drink than it takes me to make an entire meal.” She shook her head in mock disappointment. “What did you put in there anyway?”
A grin tugged at the corner of his lips. “Milk, two packets of raw sugar, some of that powdered vanilla stuff, and just a bit of cinnamon. How do you drink yours?”
“Black. Like Mother Nature intended.”
“Sounds boring.” He took a sip. “This is great. Costa Rican, yeah?”
Surprised and a little impressed, Kat sat up straighter and eyed Logan. “Yeah. It’s organic fair trade coffee sourced from a group of small farms not far from La Vida. Honestly, I’m shocked you can taste anything over all that crap you dumped in there. How did I live at La Vida for a month and not know this about you?”
He arched an eyebrow. “You either avoided or ignored me at La Vida. Usually both,” he grumbled.
“True,” she agreed with a cheeky grin. “You didn’t seem worth the trouble then.”
“And now?” he asked, his voice a low, sexy rumble.
“Now, I’m trying to convince you that I’m worth the trouble.” Kat winked and clicked her tongue before turning her attention to the gooey concoction on the plate between them. “Dive in. These cinnamon rolls are huge, so I thought we could share.” She forked up a bite and slipped the warm goodness into her mouth, moaning in pleasure. “Hannah is an amazing baker. It’s one of the many reasons this place is so popular.”
When Logan didn’t respond, she looked up to find his gaze locked on her mouth. His posture was rigid, and his baby blues had a look so hot that her panties nearly caught fire.
Oh, yeah. He wanted her. Maybe even as much as she wanted him. She felt the urge to grab his shoulders and shake him until he agreed to break the foolish promise he’d made to her dad. But she’d learned her lesson. He hadn’t responded to aggressive tactics, so she would try a more subtle approach this go around.
“How’s work? Found a group of Silver Bay citizens to help yet, Superman?” She took another bite of the cinnamon roll, then used her tongue to lap up the frosting melted onto her fork. Okay, not exactly subtle, but at least she hadn’t flashed him her boobs this time.
“Huh?” Logan grun
ted, gratifyingly distracted.
“Work. How’s it going?”
“Oh. Good.” He looked away and shook his head, hopefully trying and failing to clear away thoughts of her. “Actually, not good. I told your dad about your idea to help the elderly, but he’s not sure there’s a need. He said that families usually take care of that stuff.”
Kat snorted and rolled her eyes. “Dad’s sheltered and fairly clueless about some things. Trust me, there’s a need. If you’re free tomorrow, I can show you.”
“Show me what?”
“What I’m talking about,” Kat snapped, already wishing she’d kept her mouth shut.
For some crazy reason, she felt vulnerable offering to let Logan see how she’d been helping Mrs. D and her friends.
So what if he found out how she spent her time? She wasn’t ashamed of anything, but allowing Logan inside her private life when she’d shut everyone else out felt a little too personal. Which was laughable since the thought of having sex with him didn’t seem too personal at all.
“Forget it. You would likely cramp my style.”
“Too late.” He scooped up a huge chunk of roll on his fork. “You offered and I accept.” He popped the bite into his mouth and grinned like a smug SOB while he chewed the gargantuan piece of roll.
“Feeling really proud of yourself, big guy?” she asked, dropping her voice and narrowing her eyes.
Logan swallowed then took a sip of coffee. “Absolutely. You’re a real larrikin. I’m sure you cause all kinds of interesting mischief during the day.”
“Larrikin?” Kat bit back a grin. “What do you imagine I do during the day?”
“Bully children? Throw rocks at stray cats? I’m not sure.” Logan shrugged. “I can’t be the only one you torment.”
Kat rolled her eyes so dramatically this time she almost made herself dizzy. “I’d never pick on kids or cats!”
“What about puppies?” Logan asked hopefully.
“Nope. I love animals.”
“Fine.” He slumped back in his chair.
She cocked her head to the side. “Would you prefer I be mean to animals and kids?”
“Auntie Kat!” Before Logan had time to answer, an adorable bundle of petite blond energy charged across the room and jumped into her lap.
Kat grunted on impact, then pulled her niece in for a tight hug. “Hey, kiddo. What are you doing here?”
“Mom’s at one of Ty’s games so Aunt Hannah said I could stay here with her.”
“How was your trip to Chicago?” Kat asked.
“Great! We saw dolphins! Not in the lake. But in a really big pool inside. I wanted to swim with them, but Mom said they didn’t let anyone do that. She said there are places in Florida you can go to swim with them, and I really want to do it. I want to be a dolphin trainer when I grow up. Mom said I would be a maroon biogist.”
“Marine biologist?” Kat asked with a grin when Grace paused to catch her breath.
“Yeah, that’s it! Mom said I will have to take a lot of science classes. That’s okay. I started science at school this year, and I’m really good at it. We looked at a strand of our own hair really close with a microscope. It was cool! Who’s he?” Grace abruptly pointed at Logan.
“Grace, this is Logan McCabe. He’s one of uncle Pax’s friends.” Kat lifted her gaze to Logan, who looked amused. “Logan, this is Grace, Claire’s seven-year-old daughter. She likes to hang out at the coffee shop with Hannah when her mom is busy or at one of her brother’s soccer matches.”
“I hate soccer! It’s sooooo boring,” Grace moaned and flopped backwards against Kat as if even the thought of soccer drained away her will to go on.
“Nice to meet you, Grace.” Logan extended his hand and a killer grin to Grace.
Her niece’s eyes bulged. “Whoa. You sound different.” Grace put her little hand into Logan’s massive one.
He grinned wider, shaking her hand gently. “That’s ’cause I’m an Aussie. That means I’m from Australia, the Land Down Under.”
“Down under what?” Grace asked, her little brow wrinkled in confusion.
Though Logan’s blue eyes lit with amusement, he didn’t laugh at Grace’s question, thank God. Grace could be sensitive to adults laughing at her. Whenever it happened, her darling little face would blush in embarrassment. Kat knew the grown-ups didn’t intend to hurt her feelings; they simply found her inquisitive nature cute. But their laughter obviously made Grace feel foolish.
“That’s a good question,” Logan said, nodding his head in approval. “It’s because my country is far down south, so on a map it looks like it sits under most other countries. You’d love it there since we have lots of dolphins. There’s even an island where you can feed wild dolphins at sunset every night. It’s ace. You should ask your uncle Pax to take you sometime.”
“Cool!” Grace said, a big smile lighting her face. “I’ll go text him right now! Uncle Pax is awesome. I just know he’ll say yes!”
Kat shot Logan a bemused look when Grace bolted through the café toward the stairs to Hannah’s apartment. “Pax is going to be pissed. I should be mad at you too for getting her hopes up, but knowing Pax he’ll probably say yes.”
“Too right.” Logan laughed, looking mighty pleased with himself. “Pax will never be able to tell that little shelia no. He’ll try to stall for a couple years, but he’ll do it.”
“I like your style, Logan McCabe,” Kat said, picking up her coffee cup and extending it toward him in the air.
With a dull thunk, Logan tapped his cup against hers. “Back at ya.”
“Thanks,” Kat murmured as realization landed hard in her belly.
She liked Logan. And not just because he was sexy and oozed charm. She really liked him. The guy had offered her a place to stay and taught her to drive a stick shift with his gorgeous car. Not only did he make her laugh, their verbal sparring always energized and lightened her spirit. He treated Grace with kindness and a genuine respect that a lot of adults didn’t extend to kids. And even though it pissed her off, he’d refused to sleep with her because his screwed-up morals said it was the right thing to do.
She had misjudged him. He was a hell of a lot more than the hot bod and carefree smile he presented. Kat couldn’t help but wonder why Logan kept the best parts of himself hidden from the world.
•••
After lunch the next day, Kat slugged Logan on the shoulder and scooped up his keys from the kitchen counter. “Let’s hit the road.”
“Where are we headed?”
“You’ll see.” She smirked.
“Are we going to get arrested?” he asked, following her out of the cottage.
“Never know.” She tossed the words over her shoulder, stopping next to the driver’s door. “You need to quit being such a wuss. Life’s no fun when you’re too afraid to live it.”
A bubble of hope swelled in her chest the second the words left her mouth. That sounded like something the old Kat would have said. Old Kat wasn’t afraid of anything. God, she missed Old Kat. It felt good to think she might be able to get little pieces of herself back over time.
Logan laughed and opened the passenger door. “Okay, tiger, I’ll follow your lead today.”
“Sweet. Now get in the back.”
Logan’s brow dipped in confusion. “The back. Why can’t I sit up front?”
“We’re picking up a friend, and she gets to sit shotgun.”
“What about you?”
“Oh, I’m driving, big guy.”
Logan stood firmly planted outside the car. “Kat, I don’t fit in the bloody backseat. Look at me.” He gestured up and down his big body. “I’d have to lose a foot and fifty pounds to sit back there.”
“Then it was kind of a ridiculous car choice for you to make, huh?” She tipped her head to the side and gave him a you-should-have-known-better look. “Now stop whining and climb in, or I’m leaving your arse behind.” She slid behind the wheel, slammed the door, and turned the key
. The car purred to life around her.
Grumbling a few obscenities, Logan eventually maneuvered himself into the cramped backseat. Aside from smacking his head against the roof and almost shutting his foot in the door, he fit just fine.
It usually took twenty minutes to get to Silver Bay from the cottage. Cutting that time to fifteen, Kat rolled to a stop in front of Mrs. D.’s small brick house in the heart of town.
“Why the bloody hell did I have to sit back here before you picked up your friend?” Logan grumbled from the teeny backseat.
“Figured we should make sure you fit before we left the cottage.” Kat stepped from the car. “Wait here. I’ll go get her.”
She hustled to the front door and tapped out a jaunty knock, wondering if she should feel guilty that tormenting Logan really brightened her day. Nah. Logan was a good sport, and if his back hurt from the bumpy ride in the toddler-sized backseat, she would offer him a massage to work out the kinks later.
Grinning at the thought, Kat stepped back when Mrs. D. swung the front door open. Next to her former piano teacher, Kat felt like an Amazonian warrior. Mrs. D. was tiny. Hell, her whole body probably weighed as much as Logan’s left leg.
While the older lady always favored wearing pastels over neutrals, today she’d really embraced the color of summer and had dressed from head to toe in a bright-yellow track suit. Even her sneakers and daisy clip-on earrings were yellow. Thank God, Kat had her sunglasses on since looking at Mrs. D. felt like staring directly into the midday sun.
“Hey, Mrs. D., you’re looking good today. Love that outfit. Is it new?”
“Yep. I ordered it online. They let me use a thirty-percent-off coupon and a free-shipping code. Quite a deal, don’t cha know!” Purse (also yellow) draped over one bent, spindly arm, Mrs. D. pulled the door shut, and started speed walking—or more accurately speed shuffling—down the sidewalk.
“Are you still ordering a lot online?”
“You betcha.”
Kat groaned to herself. It was great to see a senior embrace Internet shopping, but Mrs. D. never wanted to pay return shipping. So last week Kat had spent one afternoon making returns for her in person at a half dozen of Mrs. D.’s favorite stores.
