Page 113 of Tattered (Lark Cove 1)

“Thank you for having us.” I shook his hand as he gave me the same cautious inspection as his wife.

“This must be Charlotte?” He gave her a small smile.

“It’s Charlie,” Logan and I corrected at the same time.

“Right. Well, come on in.” Thomas gestured for us all to join him at the small bar at the back of the room.

“Hi, again.” Aubrey appeared at my side, giving me a reassuring smile, then winking at Charlie.

With the hand no

t holding Logan’s, Charlie actually waved back.

We followed Thomas to the back of the room where two other women were standing by the bar. One I recognized as Sofia from Logan’s family photo. She was wearing a strapless navy gown, just as formal as Aubrey’s, and much like her sister, she was beautiful. She didn’t look as much like Charlie, especially with all the makeup and her long hair dyed black, but the family resemblance was still there.

I had no clue who the other guest was, but Logan knew her. His jaw ticked and he shot Sofia an angry glare as we reached the bar.

“Sofia, what do you think you’re doing?” he snapped.

“What do you mean? I’m just standing here talking to Alice. We’re allowed to bring friends here, aren’t we?”

Alice pushed away from the bar at the mention of her name, strutting right up to Logan in a pink minidress and six-inch sequined heels. “Hey, stranger.”

The way she purred made me want to vomit. I had no idea who she was, but by the sultry gleam in her eye, she was quite familiar with Logan. Could this be the woman he’d seen briefly after Emmeline? It had to be. Clearly, Alice hadn’t gotten the message that they were over.

“Alice,” he clipped. “Meet Thea, my girlfriend. And my daughter, Charlie.” He gave Alice a tight smile before pushing past her to the bar.

“What can I get for you?” Thomas asked, taking up post behind the bar.

“She should make the drinks,” Alice snickered, returning to her place next to Sofia. “She’s the bartender.”

Ohh-kay. I’d never heard my occupation said with such condemnation.

As she and Sofia giggled like eighth graders, I looked up at Logan.

“Alice,” he warned.

“What?” She pretended to be clueless. “Isn’t she a bartender? That’s what Sofia said. I was just thinking if she knows how to make good drinks, we should let her.”

“Don’t—”

“No, it’s fine.” I cut Logan off and gave both Alice and Sofia a sugar-sweet smile. “What do you like?”

Logan tried to grab my hand, but he was too slow. I made my way around the bar and stood at Thomas’s side.

“A cosmopolitan.” Alice smirked. “You know what that is, right?”

“Of course.” I was going to make this bitch the best cosmo she’d ever had in her life.

“Thea, put that glass down.”

I shot Logan a shut-up look and went about making the cocktail. “Aubrey? Sofia? Would you like one?”

“Sure. That’s so sweet of you.” Aubrey came behind the bar, making her allegiance clear. “Dad does his best, but he’s never mastered the cosmo. Sorry, Dad.”

Thomas chuckled. “I’m better at making Logan drinks than I ever was you girls.”

It took me no time to fill three martini glasses, then pour a Macallan for Logan. As I handed him a tumbler, I smiled at his mother. “Mrs. Kendrick? More champagne?”