Page 13 of Tattered (Lark Cove 1)

“His family is wealthy.”

“Obviously,” I deadpanned. “Anyone with two eyes can take one look at him and see that’s true. How about we get to the point where you kept a secret from me for months that involves Charlie’s father?”

“Don’t get pissy with me, young lady. You know I always think of you first. Just give me a minute to explain.”

“Fine,” I grumbled, then clamped my mouth shut so she’d continue.

“I was shocked when I saw his face on that foundation website. I recognized him immediately from the drawing in Charlie’s room but wanted to be sure. So I snuck in and got it to double-check. Sure enough, I put that drawing side by side with the computer and knew I’d found him.”

The drawing did look a lot like him, probably because I’d poured my heart into that sketch.

He was just as handsome as I remembered, though he had changed some. In a good way. Time was kind to men like Logan. The color of his eyes was deeper than before, more mesmerizing. His jaw seemed stronger and more refined. His hair was a bit shorter but still tamed around the inch-long part on the left.

But one thing hadn’t changed. He still had the ability to capture the room. Ten minutes in the Lark Cove Bar and I’d been completely off-kilter in the one place I felt completely at ease.

“I don’t think Charlie recognized him today.”

I didn’t want to keep her from Logan, but until I knew exactly what was going to happen, I didn’t want her in the middle. I wanted the introduction to her father to be one she’d remember with a smile, not some chaotic memory that would scar her for life.

“I don’t think so either,” Hazel said. “She was more worried about her frog than a stranger in her gran’s bar. But trust me, if you give her a quiet minute to really look at his face, she’ll recognize him right away.”

My daughter wouldn’t need much to put it all together.

She didn’t ask about her dad much. After I’d given her that sketch, she’d asked about him once or twice a year, usually around her birthday. I liked to think she didn’t ask about Logan because she didn’t feel like a part of her family was missing.

“Never mind Charlie,” I said. “Let’s get back to how you came across his identity and didn’t share.”

Hazel took out another cigarette from her pack and stood, going back to the railing and her ashtray. After she lit it up and took the first drag, she blew out a long stream of smoke before continuing. “It shocked me to the middle when I came across his face. I didn’t sleep a wink that night, wondering what to do.”

“You could have talked to me.”

“I know.” Her shoulders slumped. “But I love you and Charlie like you are my own. The last thing I wanted was someone coming in and causing you problems. You’ve had enough of those in your life. So, right or wrong, I decided to keep it quiet until I could learn more about the guy.”

“You should ha—” I stopped my retort. Snapping at her wasn’t going to change anything. And I couldn’t be mad at Hazel when her heart had been in the right place. “Well, it’s done now. Tell me what else you know.”

“He’s a lawyer in New York. He works for some fancy firm. He went to college and law school at Columbia. He’s thirty-two. Not married. And he doesn’t have other children, from what I can tell.”

A lawyer. Thirty-two. Not married. I soaked u

p these tidbits like a dry sponge, craving any information about Logan. I’d spent too long guessing about his life.

After our night together, I spent a month working at that hotel bar with one eye on the door, willing Logan to walk through. I craved him more than I ever had nicotine. The five months after that, I watched the door, praying he’d come back for an entirely different reason.

But when my sixth month of pregnancy rolled around and I still had no earthly clue how to find Logan, I gave up hope. The manager of the hotel bar had downgraded me to day shifts, and when I complained about needing the better evening tips, he encouraged me to look elsewhere for employment. Apparently, pregnant bartenders weren’t part of the image they were trying to convey in their high-class establishment. I could have refused and found a cheap lawyer to fight back, but instead, I decided to quit and leave New York.

I called Hazel and confessed my troubles. She told me to “get my ass to Montana and we’ll figure it out from there.” Two days later, I hopped on a bus with the entire contents of my life packed in one large suitcase and a backpack I’d bought secondhand.

I left knowing I’d never find Logan, and that Charlie would never know much about her father. The only things I could tell her were that he’d been sweet and kind. I could tell her that he’d treasured me, if only for one night.

I guess Charlie could learn a lot more about her dad now.

All she had to do was ask Hazel.

“You found all this out on the internet?”

She shrugged. “No such things as secrets in a world with Facebook.”

I shook my head. “I still don’t understand why you didn’t tell me. After you learned all of this. How could you let him ambush me like that?”