“Logan,” Amy called, jogging up to the open door. Her smile was broad. “Hi, Jade. How did you like the cottage?”
Jade gave Logan a questioning look.
It was too late. He’d missed their chance to escape.
“It was fine,” Jade told Amy. “Good.”
“I love that place. But I’m glad you’re back. Hey, Logan,” she greeted, peering deeper into the plane.
“What’s going on?” he asked her.
“Hello,” called Bonnie as she arrived.
Mike was at her side, and Jade was making her way out of the airplane. Logan quickly exited to join them.
Bonnie grasped Jade’s hands. “Sam told us what happened. He explained the mix-up.”
Mike stepped in. “We’re awfully sorry about our reaction.”
“I’m horrified that you went to jail,” said Bonnie. “Even if it was only for a little while.”
Jade was glancing from one to the other. “I, uh…”
“We hope you’ll come stay with us for the rest of your vacation,” said Mike. “We’d like to make it up to you.”
Bonnie put an arm around Jade’s waist, urging her into a walk. “We’ll upgrade your room to our best suite.”
“And offer you complimentary breakfast,” said Mike.
Amy shot Logan a self-satisfied grin. Taking the handle of Jade’s suitcase, she fell in behind the small troop.
“You’ll probably want to go to the spa,” said Bonnie. “You need to relax, regroup.”
“I’ll take her to the spa,” Amy called.
Elroy blinked at Logan.
“What the hell?” Logan asked no one in particular.
“I’m assuming that means she’s innocent,” said Elroy.
“Good to know. But it would be nice to find out what happened.”
Jade and the others climbed up the staircase to the foot of Main Street. She glanced over her shoulder, but it was too far for him to see her expression.
“Do you think she’ll stay?” Logan asked.
“Jade?”
“Yes, Jade. Do you think she’ll hang around? She might hightail it out of town. If I was her, I’d be pretty ticked off at the Edwards clan.”
“I don’t get it,” said Elroy.
Logan watched her disappear around the corner. “Get what?”
“What did I miss? Two days ago, you wanted to abandon her at the cottage, because she made you crazy. Now, it sounds like you want her to hang around.”
“She’s not as bad as I thought.”
“What did I miss?” Elroy asked again. “What exactly did you two do up there?”
“We canoed across the lake and climbed to Red Ridge.”
“You took her canoeing?”
“Were we supposed to sit around and stare at each other all day long?”
“And based on canoeing and hiking, you like her now?”
Logan didn’t know if “like” was the right word. “Obsessed might” have described it better.
“Logan?”
“Yeah?”
“You kissed her again, didn’t you?”
There didn’t seem to be any point in lying. “Yes.”
“And?”
“And.” Logan started walking. “Yeah, there was an and to that.”
Elroy whistled low.
“I need to go talk to her.”
“You’ve got a flight.”
Logan turned his head. “What?”
“A pickup. Six tourists from Bowen Valley.”
“Now?”
Elroy glanced at his watch. “Right now, according to Danica. Paperwork is in your office.”
“Can you take it?” Logan’s desire to see Jade was growing more urgent. There was a commercial flight to Denver in a couple of hours. She could easily decide to leave town. He wouldn’t blame her if she did.
“I have a helitour booked,” said Elroy.
“Damn it.”
“She’ll be here when you get back.”
“Will she? We haven’t exactly been hospitable.”
“Bonnie looked determined to keep her. Text Amy. Get her to help.”
That wasn’t a bad idea. Logan retrieved his phone, grabbing his sister’s number from his contact list. Then he paused, wondering exactly how to phrase the request.
“Slept with Jade,” Elroy intoned, looking over his shoulder.
“Back off.”
“Need to see her again,” Elroy continued.
“I can do this myself,” said Logan.
“Don’t let her leave town,” Elroy finished. “How hard is that?”
“I’m not letting my little sister in on my sex life.”
“Your little sister is twenty-five, and she has a sex life of her own.”
“Not in this town, she doesn’t.”
“We’re not all her cousins.”
Logan ignored the jab. Elroy didn’t have sisters, and it made him cavalier.
Take Jade to the spa, Logan typed. My treat.
“Could you be any more oblique?” asked Elroy.
“I’m trying to be circumspect.”
Elroy stepped back and started for the office. “So, what are you going to do?”
Logan walked with him. “When?”
“When you see Jade again. What’s your plan?”
“I don’t know.”
“Please tell me you’re not going to ask her to stay.”
Logan didn’t know how to respond to that.
“This isn’t still about Sasha, is it?” Elroy asked.
The question annoyed Logan. “This has nothing whatsoever to do with Sasha.”
In fact, he hadn’t even thought about Sasha since he’d met Jade. When he tried to picture Sasha now, Jade’s face was superimposed.
“They do look alike,” Elroy reminded him.
“Jade is nothing like Sasha. I mean nothing. She’s sassy and sarcastic. She’s chicken about some things, but fearless about others. She made it all the way to the top of Red Ridge without a single complaint. And she was a trouper coming back across the lake. I’ve never been out on it so rough. You saw how she cooks.” Logan found his memory slipping back. His tone automatically softened. “Jade is smart and practical. Sasha was, I don’t know, decorative, I guess.”
“What the hell happened out there?” asked Elroy.
“I’m not giving you a blow by blow.”
“I’m not talking about sex. You fell fast and hard, Logan.”
“I didn’t fall anywhere. I barely know the woman. Up until ten minutes ago, I thought she was a criminal.”
His cell phone pinged, and he plucked it out of his pocket, checking the display.
A smile grew on his face, and relief poured through him. “It’s Amy. They’re going to the spa.”
*
The warm mineral water was up to Jade’s neck in the natural pool at the Brookside Spa. She was sitting next to Amy on a smooth rock surrounded by ferns and moss, with evergreens in the background of the clearing, while warm water bubbled up into the sculpted pool and out through a little creek. They had facials booked in an hour, and pedicures planned before dinner.
“Sam said it was an easy mistake to make,” said Amy, her head tipped back, eyes closed, mini droplets of steam clinging to the blond hair piled messily on top of her head.
“Did he go into any detail?”
Jade needed to find out what Sam had discovered. She hadn’t seen Ewan and John yet, but she feared they might try a new tactic if they found out she’d been cleared of their first setup. She’d already booked the first possible flight out of town, but it wasn’t for two more days. She’d have to do her best to lie low until then.
“He told Aunt Bonnie that he’d followed your trail, and you’d done nothing but check your e-mail.”
Jade couldn’t help but wonder if Sam had also browsed in her e-mails while he was there. Not that there was much to find. “Is he still in town?”
Amy shook her head. “He left yester
day.”
“Would you happen to know where I could contact him?”
Amy opened a curious eye.
“I’d like to thank him,” said Jade. “I really appreciate what he did for me.”
“I think he was doing it for Aunt Bonnie and Uncle Mike.”
“I’m sure you’re right. Still…”
“I can find out.” Amy settled her neck into a dip in the rocks. “So, what did you think of my brother?”
“Logan?” Jade asked to give herself a moment to think.
“I only have the one.”
“He’s…” Jade wasn’t at all sure how to phrase it. “Suspicious.”
“He is that,” Amy agreed. “But that’s not what I meant. Most women find him attractive.”
“He’s a very handsome man,” said Jade.
“Do you like him?”
“He grows on you, I suppose.”
Amy opened her eyes. “I mean, do you like, like him.”
“Is this junior high?”
“Did he make a pass at you at the cottage?”
“That’s none of your business.”
“That’s a yes. I really hope you shut him down. Women don’t do that very often, and he starts to get really big-headed about it.”
“I thought maybe he was born that big-headed.”
“It’s a learned behavior. Women chase him more than he ever chases them. But it’s funny.” Amy stopped and seemed to consider Jade. “Now that I think about it, there’s something about the way he looks at you. I’ve only ever seen it one other time.”
Okay, that had Jade curious. “What other time?”
“A couple of months ago. Her name was Sasha, and she was here on vacation.”
“Was she his girlfriend?” Jade couldn’t help remembering Logan had mentioned a girlfriend.
“I think he wanted her to be.” Amy sat up. “Hang on.” She dried her hands on her nearby towel and retrieved her phone.
She scrolled her way through it for a minute then held the phone in front of Jade’s face. “Here. That’s Sasha.”
Jade stared for a moment at the beautiful, auburn-haired woman in the frame.
“She’s how most of his relationships happen,” said Amy. “A woman here on vacation meets Logan, likes him, and off they go. You know, Sasha kind of looks like you.”
“A little bit, I suppose,” said Jade. At first glance, there was a definite resemblance.
“The chin, the nose, your hair color.” Amy grinned. “Wow, I guess that explains why he would hit on you. You’re definitely his type.”
“I guess I am.”
What a sickening thought that Logan would have been interested in her looks alone. He’d used his years of practice to entice her into bed, when all the odds were stacked against it. She was yet another one of his many holiday flings.
“He asked her to stay in Mirror Falls,” said Amy, obviously calling up a memory about Sasha. “He doesn’t think I know, but Elroy accidentally gave it away. I could tell there was something going on, because Logan was so upset after she left. In all these years, I think Sasha was the only woman he had a real thing for.”
Jade wished she could duck her head under the water and stay there. Worse than a meaningless fling, she was a substitute for the woman who’d broken Logan’s heart. She fought against a little whimper. How stupid had she been?
“Are you too hot?” asked Amy. “You’re suddenly flushed.”
“I think I should get out.” Out of the hotel. Out of Mirror Falls. All the way out of Colorado.
“Sure. It’s almost time for our facials.” Amy rose, water dripping from her bathing suit.
Jade slowly stood as well, bracing her feet beneath her and wrapping her arms around her aching stomach, fighting a wave of dizziness.
She managed to chat her way through the facials and pedicures, with Amy promising again to get her Sam’s contact information. That was a positive outcome, she told herself.
No matter how bad it ended with Logan, she still had Ewan and John to deal with. And perhaps Sam’s information would help with that. She didn’t dare break back into the Twin Peaks Resort server and poke around for herself.
Finally, her spa day ended, and she made it back to her room. The new suite was spacious and opulent, and something about it left her feeling lonely. It had a huge bedroom connected to a massive en-suite bathroom. The living room had a big, stone, propane fireplace that lit with the flick of a switch. A high polished beam ceiling arched overhead. There was a dining table for eight with upholstered chairs, a guest bathroom, and a huge sundeck with lounge furniture and an outdoor whirlpool tub.
Jade found a small corner in the big space and curled up with her phone, dialing Jillian’s number.
“Hey, jailbird,” came her sister’s voice. “How’re you holding up?”
“I’m fine,” said Jade, trying to put some enthusiasm into her voice. “I’ve been cleared of all charges.”
“That’s great news! Good to get that settled. So, how are you enjoying Mirror Falls?”
“I’ve been in jail, Jilli.”
“I know. I mean besides that? Is it a nice place? Have you met anyone?”
Jillian’s questions were unsettling, but Jade tried to answer. “I’ve met the Edwards family. They have a sheriff and two hotel owners. And I’m starting to wonder if the judge is also a relative. Oh, and a nice woman named Amy Edwards. She seems like a whole lot of fun.”
“What about guys? Men our age. Anything romantic?”
Jade’s stomach clamped at the thought of Logan. “What part of jail don’t you understand?”
“You’ve been out on bail. There must be somebody interesting out there.”
Jade capitulated. “There are a couple of guys, I guess. They’re both pilots. Both in the suspicious Edwards clan.”
“Give me names.”
“Stop it, Jillian.”
“What, I can’t ask their names?”
“Just because you’re high on romance doesn’t mean we’re all destined to find it.”
“You might eventually.”
“Yeah, well…” Jade didn’t know how to answer. “Sometimes things just don’t work out.”
“Was there something in particular that didn’t work out?”
“It’s a figure of speech.”
“Which one of them did you like?”
Jade was seriously rethinking her decision to call her sister. And she certainly wasn’t about to answer the question.
“Elroy and Logan,” she said instead. “Their names are Elroy and Logan.”
“Are they cute?”
“They’re both quite handsome.”
“Well, that’s pretty interesting. Tell me about the one named Logan.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m bored and recently high on romance. And Devlin’s at the gym with his friend Luke.”
“Fine. Logan is a float-plane pilot.”
“How tall?”
“Maybe six-one.”
“Buff?”
“He kayaks and climbs mountains. So, yeah, he’s pretty buff.” Jade couldn’t stop an image of Logan naked forming in her mind. Buff was an understatement.
“Your voice went funny when you said that.”
“I was taking a drink,” Jade lied.
Then she rolled to her feet, crossing to the minibar to make herself truthful after the fact.
“Have you spent much time with him?”
“No. Yes. Fine. Yes, I have. Mostly we’ve been arguing.”
There was a smile in Jillian’s voice. “That’s how it started for me and Devlin.”
Jade’s nerves jumped, and she snagged a mini bottle of red wine. “It’s not like that at all. He thought I was a thief.”
“But he knows you’re not, right?”
“He does now.”
“Sam proved that.”
Jade’s brain went on alert. “How did you know about Sam?”
There was silence o
n the other end, then a bang and a clatter.
“Oops, sorry. I dropped the phone.”
Jade tried and failed to connect the dots in her mind. “How did you know about Sam?”
“Lizbet mentioned he was helping out.”
“Grandma knows Sam?” That made even less sense.
“Apparently, they met in Florida.”
“That’s bizarre.” Talk about a weird coincidence. Jade unscrewed the lid from the bottle and dumped the wine into a glass.
“Small world,” said Jillian. “So, have you made a move on Logan?”
“No.” Jade sat back down.
“But?”
“But what?”
“There was a but in that sentence.”
“There was not. And it wasn’t a sentence. It was a single word.”
“I’m your sister, Jade. You can’t lie to me. There was a but in that sentence.”
“Fine. Okay.” Jade never could lie to Jilli. She took a swig of the wine. “He kinda sorta made a pass at me.”
“Define kinda sorta.”
Jade was mortified by her own behavior. “Do we have to do this?”
“Absolutely.”
“I feel like an idiot.”
Jillian’s tone immediately changed. “Why? What happened? Are you okay?”
“No, I am not okay. I’m mortified. I thought it was…well, something. But it turned out it was something else entirely.”
“Can you toss a couple of nouns into that sentence?”
“I thought he liked me,” Jade admitted. She twisted the wineglass around on a coaster.
“Did something change?”
“I found out he likes redheads. According to his sister, I’m his type. His type. Like the guy’s ordering women out of a catalog. I’ll take auburn hair, green eyes, a B-cup, and long legs.”
“Whoa. What?”
“I slept with him, Jilli. I did it. I jumped into bed with a man I barely knew.”
There was a beat of silence.
“You slept with him already?” asked Jillian.
“Go ahead. Give it to me. Tell me how stupid I am, that I’m lacking self-respect, that I’ve let down the sisterhood.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong.”
Jade pulled back her phone and stared at it for a moment.
She returned it to her ear. “Huh?”
“Sometimes the heart wants what it wants.”
“This isn’t about my heart. And it sure isn’t about his heart. I look exactly like his last girlfriend. Who, by the way, broke his heart.”
An Extraordinary Match (The Match Series Book 3) Page 12
