Page 9 of Tattered (Lark Cove 1)

I grinned. That was why the Lark Cove Bar carried Macallan. She’d bought my favorite whisky for her bar, even if it had never been served.

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sp; “I . . .” Thea took a long breath, shaking her head and closing her eyes. When she opened them, the shock of seeing my face was gone.

But instead of the confident, sexy woman I’d expected to see once the surprise had faded, I saw fear.

Why would Thea be afraid of me? I’d treated her with nothing but respect during the night we’d shared. Hadn’t I?

Before I could say anything else, she sprang into action, grabbing a shot glass and slamming it on the bar. Then she reached behind her, swiping a bottle of tequila from a middle shelf. With a flick of her wrist, she poured the shot, not spilling a drop.

“Drink that,” she ordered. “We need to talk.”

My heart was bouncing like a ping-pong ball between my sternum and spine. I couldn’t believe Logan was standing right in front of me.

Logan.

How many hours had I spent looking for him in New York? How many times had I searched for his face in the crowds? How many nights had I laid in bed, replaying our night together, hoping I’d be able to recall something—anything—that might lead me to this moment?

Eventually, I’d given up hope that I’d ever see him again. I’d made peace with my situation.

Logan Whatever-His-Name-Is was the best, and only, one-night stand of my life.

He was just another person I’d left behind in New York. He was a memory, one of the few good ones from back then.

Yet here he was, standing in my dingy, happy bar, staring at the tequila shot I’d poured him.

A shot he really needed to drink before I took it myself.

“Please,” I whispered. “Take it.”

His gaze snapped back to mine and my heart pounded even faster. Confidence radiated off his tall body in waves. He was just as intimidating now as he had been years ago, except instead of being alluring and charming, today it was terrifying. His frame was locked tight and his brown eyes were narrowed, silently demanding me to speak.

Did he know what I was going to tell him? Did he know that I was about to change his life?

I swallowed the lump in the back of my throat and sucked in some oxygen so I didn’t topple over. Then I gripped the edge of the bar to keep myself upright.

Do it. Say it, Thea. Tell him.

If I didn’t tell him today, I might not ever have the chance. And for her sake, he needed to know.

“I had a . . .” God, I was dizzy. Why couldn’t I find the words? “You, I mean we, have a—”

“Mommy, look.” A little hand tugged on my jeans.

I jumped, clutching a hand to my thundering heart. So shocked by Logan’s presence, I hadn’t heard Charlie come into the bar. Maybe it would be easier with her here. Maybe he’d take one look at her and know what I’d been trying to say.

“Charlie.” I turned and bent at the waist, ready to ask her to wait in the office for a minute. But instead of looking into my daughter’s brown eyes, I stared at two slimy eyeballs.

“Ah!” I screamed as she thrust the thing right at me.

“I found a frog.”

“Eww!” Its slippery nose touched mine and I jerked away, swatting the frog away from my face. Except in my hurry to put some distance between me and the creature, I hit Charlie’s hands. The contact was just enough that her grip faltered and the frog slipped loose. It springboarded off her palm into my chest, leaving a wet spot, then landed on the floor with a thud.

“No!” Charlie screeched, scrambling around me to capture the frog. But its legs were a blur of motion, propelling it farther and farther out of her reach.

“Damn,” I hissed and sprang into action, dropping to the floor beside Charlie. My hands and knees thumped on the hard floor as I tried to keep up, but the frog was leaping too fast.