Page 69 of Tattered (Lark Cove 1)

“What did he do?” Hazel asked, coming outside to the porch.

“He kissed me to pick a fight with this one.” I jerked a thumb at Logan. “And Willa saw.”

Hazel’s face hardened. “Damn it, Jackson.” Before he could respond, she swung her arm back and brought it up fast and hard, smacking him in the back of the head.

“Hey!” He winced, rubbing the back of his head. “That hurt.”

She stuck her index finger in his face. “You deserved that.”

“Gran, why did you hit Uncle Jackson?”

All our heads spun to the little girl climbing out of her Jeep at the base of the steps.

“Sometimes your uncle needs a good thumping,” Hazel declared, then turned to Jackson. “All the bowls in the kitchen need to be taken down to the tables. Get on it.”

His frame shrank. “Yes, ma’am.”

We might be in our thirties, but neither of us ever went against that tone in her voice.

“Show me that Jeep.” Hazel left Logan and I on the porch while Jackson disappeared inside the house.

He and I would have it out later. For now, I was just glad that Charlie had missed the entire kissing episode and her happy birthday wasn’t in jeopardy.

“You okay?” Logan stepped up to my back and placed his hands on my shoulders.

I nodded and turned, ready to apologize and explain, but I was cut off when two of Charlie’s soccer teammates came running around the side of the house followed by their parents.

My explanation would have to wait.

It was party time.

“Here.” I handed Logan a tumbler of bourbon and ice. “It’s not Macallan, but it’ll have to do.”

“Thanks.” He took the glass, resting it on his knee as I sat down on the couch beside him.

I had my vodka in hand, but tonight, it was in a glass, over ice and with a lemon twist. “Thank you. For today.”

He extended a hand to squeeze my knee. “You’re welcome.”

Logan had been amazing at the party. He’d stuck by my side all day, introducing himself to the other parents and bringing them under his spell. I’d gotten to know some of the other parents better than I ever had before, so much so, a couple of them had insisted I sit with them at the next soccer game.

Because of him, there hadn’t been any awkward silences or divided groups. He’d brought us all together from the start and no one, especially me, had wanted to leave his side.

On top of that, he’d been incredible with Charlie. He’d watched proudly as Charlie had made a wish and blown out her candles. He’d fussed over all the gifts she’d gotten from her friends. When he wasn’t standing by me, he was at her beck and call, getting her another drink or more snacks or another piece of cake.

The afternoon and evening had flown by in a whirl, and Charlie had fallen asleep with a smile on her face.

For the first time, both her mother and father had tucked her into bed on her birthday.

“It was a fun day.” Logan sighed. “Except for the part where he tried to kiss you.”

“Jealous?”

“Yes.”

I smiled, glad he hadn’t tried to deny it. “There’s nothing going on between me and Jackson. He was just trying to get a rise out of you.”

Jackson and I were having words tomorrow, though he already knew he’d screwed up. He’d kept his distance today, watching from the back of the crowd. Any time I found his gaze, it was full of apology.