She rubbed at her temple where her head ached. She rose from her seat, and the other two followed suit. “I better get back to work. It’s getting close to closing time.”
“What are you going to do about Logan?” Dory asked.
She hitched a shoulder. “Explain, I guess. What else can I do?”
They moved from the dining room as the bell over the door tinkled again, this time signaling the arrival of three tall men dressed for the weather in heavy coats, two of them with “Hangman’s Loss Police Department” patches stitched onto the sleeves. The third had his coat unzipped, an FBI badge attached to his belt. Maddy’s heart lurched when Logan’s gaze locked on hers, a deep well of emotions swirling in their depths.
Breaking the contact felt like pulling apart two strong magnets.
Chapter Twelve
Bradley Gallagher tugged off his knit cap and strode up to Emma. “There she is,” he said. He framed her face with his hands and bent his head to take her lips with his.
Dory rolled her eyes. “You haven’t seen her for what, forty minutes?”
Brad broke the kiss and stepped back to stand next to his wife. “And your point is?”
“Absolutely nothing.” Dory smiled, moving forward to give Brad a brief hug. “Welcome back, handsome.”
Despite his manner of greeting Emma, Brad’s expression told Maddy he was in what she referred to as cop mode. Something was going on.
Logan’s face held a similar expression, a kind of heightened focus. He didn’t appear to be suffering from any ill effects from his experience with hypothermia. His gaze settled on her again with an intensity that made her jumpy. The unanswered questions lay between them like a minefield, ready to blow up in her face. Well, if he was mad at her, then he could be mad. She hadn’t told him about Lily because he hadn’t been around to tell.
She ignored the escalating headache and pointedly turned her attention to the third man. “Hi, Jack. Good to see you.”
The big man gave her a quick nod. “Good to see you, too, Maddy.”
Despite that both Brad and Logan were tall men by anyone’s measure, Captain Jackson Morgan dwarfed them both in height and breadth. Maddy guessed he was at least six inches over six foot, and had a muscular build that had made him a valuable asset on the defensive line on Loss High’s football team. It also made him a little bit intimidating. The added padding from his police-issue coat only made him that much larger. She found it interesting that his gaze rested extra long on Dory. And that her friend was decidedly not meeting that gaze.
“Did you find the missing women?” Maddy addressed her brother.
“Yeah,” Brad answered. “Thanks to these two.” He jerked a thumb at the other two men.
“What happened? Are they okay?”
Brad clapped Logan on the back. “With me still out of town, Special Agent Ross here briefed Jack.” Maddy fielded a raised brow from Dory, glad that Logan being FBI was no longer a secret. “They’d planned to get a helicopter up in the air this morning to search, but Jack got a call from Eli MacElvoy out at the Broken Arrow. He reported that one of his hands spotted a delivery-type truck parked on a forest service road late yesterday, and it was still there this morning. Eli met Jack and Logan, and they went to check it out. They found the truck and broke the lock on the back. There were four women inside, and one little girl. She’s only ten years old. Conditions were pretty miserable but they’re alive.”
“Oh, thank goodness. What’s going to happen to them?”
Logan took up the conversation. “Nothing good. They’re in FBI custody and will be turned over to ICE. Ultimately, they’ll be sent back to their country of origin. Not what they’d hoped to find in the United States, but certainly better than what awaited them when the traffickers came back for them, which they would have.”
“At least they’re safe right now.”
“They are.”
Maddy moved behind the counter. “Do you all want coffee? I can brew a fresh pot.”
“Sure, thanks,” Brad said, then continued, “The FBI raided the locations Logan gave them, and we have several men in custody. But there are at least two unaccounted for, in addition to Horvath.”
Maddy put a fresh pot on to brew and stepped through the swinging door to give her crew the all-clear to leave. Lulu sat on a stool, the mop and bucket beside her. “You don’t have to wait. I’ll do the mopping.”
Lulu shook her head, her expression troubled. Maddy realized her friend had overheard the conversation in the front of the store.
“We can’t save everyone, Lu. As much as we want to. Those women would have ended up being forced into prostitution. Or worse. And one of them was only a little girl.”
Lulu opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again when the door swung open. There were few people Lulu chose to speak in front of.
Maddy glanced over her shoulder, not really surprised to see Logan. The FBI badge glinted dully from his belt.
“Guess you’re out of the closet now.”
He glanced at Lulu, then back at Maddy. “We need to talk.”
Maddy motioned to Lulu. “Go on. I’ll take care of the floors.” Her friend hesitated, then rose to her feet, and with a last narrow-eyed look at Logan, exited through the back door.
Logan stood, hands on hips holding open his coat. “Why didn’t you call me when Horvath showed up?”
“Why, darling, I’ve missed you, too.”
His expression didn’t lighten even a shade. “Why, Maddy?”
Suddenly she was fed up. Fed up with the emotional upheaval, and really fed up that his reaction the day before made her question her decision not to tell him about Lily. “Because I called my brother.”
She tried to brush past him, but he reached up, quick as a snake, and caught her arm. “Brad was on the other side of the mountains. You should have called me.”
Anger bubbled up, anger that had been building for far too long and needed an escape valve. “How do I know I can rely on you?” She told herself the waver in her voice was from anger. “Yesterday you did what you always do. You walked out.” She jerked her arm free to give him a solid poke in the chest. “We needed to talk, and instead of dealing with something that’s emotional, you left.” She prodded him again, but this time he caught her hands to his chest, holding tight. “You disappeared without leaving a clue as to where you were or how to contact you. Pretty much like what happened ten years ago.”
“This isn’t ten years ago. This is now.”
“And you’re still walking out the door.”
His hands remained around hers, keeping her close to him. Close enough that she could see that the banked down emotion on his face.
“I’m not walking away now. Even when I’m mad as hell that you didn’t tell me about our daughter. I’m right here.”
“For how long? Until things get tough again?”
“I’m not going anywhere.” His grip tightened. “You should have called me.”
“I don’t even have your phone number. Not now, and not ten years ago.”
He breathed deep, then raised her hands to press firm lips to her knuckles, and her anger fizzled out like a deflating balloon.
“Okay, I should have made sure you had my number. But even after you talked to Brad, you should have called me. You could have gotten my number from him.”
The warm lips on her skin distracted her. She pulled her hands free. It was either that, or dissolve into a puddle at his feet. Her heart was a traitor where Logan Ross was concerned. “I figured Brad would talk to you. It’s not like we’re together.”
A spark lit to bring out a glint of steel to his eyes. “I feel like we are. I’m so wound up in you, Maddy, I don’t think I’ll ever feel like you’re not mine.”
She swallowed past the tightness in her throat. “Don’t do this, Logan. I can’t let you hurt me all over again. Breaking my heart once was enough.”
“That’s something, at least. I didn’t know I could break
your heart. That you still cared enough. But you’re right about the phone number.”
She narrowed her eyes. She was right about more than the phone number. His gaze shifted to scan the shelves. “You keep Tylenol in here?”
She crossed to a drawer and pulled out a bottle to hand to him. He tapped out two tablets onto his palm, then filled a glass with water. “Here.” He held both out to her.
“What?”
“You have a headache. I can see it in your eyes.”
Off balance, she took the pills in his outstretched palm. “You confuse me.”
“Right back at you, blondie.” When she’d swallowed the pills, he returned the bottle to the drawer. “We need to talk. Really talk. But damn it, now is not the time.” He turned his head at the sound behind them.
Brad stuck his head past the door, his dark gaze tracking from Logan to Maddy. “You kids done in here?”
“Another minute,” Logan said, and Brad retreated. Logan pulled out his phone, swiping and tapping at the screen. “Okay, I sent my number to you. I got yours from Brad a couple weeks ago, but should have remembered you didn’t have mine.” Her phone chimed. “That’s probably it.”
Maddy pulled her phone from her pocket. “It is, but that doesn’t change anything. If I’m in trouble, I’ll call Brad. He’s my brother, and he’s chief of police. He’s the one I rely on.”
“You can rely on me.”
“No, I can’t. I can’t depend on you to stick around.” She sighed. “It doesn’t matter, Logan. You’re not a long-term kind of guy. I get it.”
“Christ, Maddy. Why don’t you pull one of those knives over there and gut me.”
“Too messy, and I’d have to clean it up.” This time he didn’t try to stop her when she stalked past him.
In the dining room, Brad raised a brow at Maddy’s expression. She could only guess she looked like murdering someone was a possibility.
“I want you and Mom to come stay at our place until Horvath is in custody,” Brad stated. “Dory said she and Adrian will stay with her folks.” Maddy opened her mouth, but he continued before she could respond. “I know you like your independence, Madison, but Horvath is dangerous, and he already suspects you have something to do with Logan. We’re looking for him, but until he’s in custody, I don’t want any of you staying on your own.”
“I was only going to say I need to bring Sophie.” She poured coffee into to-go cups, and handed them around. “I can be reasonable.”
“I’ve got to go pick up Adrian,” Dory said. “I’ll see you all later. Keep me informed on what’s happening.”
“Do you want a ride to your car?” Emma asked.
“I’m fine. I’ll enjoy the walk.”
“Where are you parked?” Jack Morgan voice held its usual gruff, no-nonsense tone that didn’t reflect any emotion.
“Over at the library. I returned some books and wanted to stretch my legs so I walked over here.”
Maddy raised her brows. Interesting. Dory never sounded nervous, but she sure did around Jack Morgan. Jack had been Rodrigo’s friend, and Maddy was sure that put Jack on the permanent black list in Dory’s book.
“Brad and I can give you a ride.” Emma rubbed the side of her swollen belly.
Jack shook his head. “I’ll take her.”
“Oh no, that’s quite all right.” Dory’s words came out in a rush.
“Chill, Isadora. It’s not like I’m about to bite you,” Jack said.
Dory’s eyes snapped with temper and Maddy stepped back, out of the firing line. Since shedding her abusive husband, Dory didn’t back down from anyone. She might be nervous, but she didn’t back down.
Brad held up a hand. “It’s better if he takes you, Dory.”
He turned to his officer. “Jack, try not to say anything that’s likely to get you punched. We’ve got too much to deal with without you two bickering.”
Jack didn’t respond, but he held the door open for Dory, who stalked past with a scowl on her face.
“That’s settled then,” Brad said. He looked at his watch, then glanced at Logan. “FBI is setting up a command center in the city hall building. We’ll meet there in thirty. I’m taking Emma to Mom’s now. You’ll take care of getting Maddy there?”
At Logan’s nod, Brad and Emma left.
“That’s really irritating.”
“What?”
“Being treated like defenseless little women. I have to finish up here before going to my cabin for an overnight bag. You don’t need to waste your time escorting me all over the place.”
“You armed with a gun, blondie?”
“Of course not. But that doesn’t mean I’m defenseless.”
“Bet you don’t carry a knife either. Got a black belt in any martial art?”
She crossed her arms. “Don’t be arrogant. Just because I don’t carry a gun and haven’t registered my hands as lethal weapons doesn’t mean I’m defenseless.”
“Yes, it does.”
When she opened her mouth to give back a sharp retort, he cut her off, his own tone edging toward heated. “Look, Maddy, I believe in gender equity, absolutely and without reservation. You’re one of the smartest people I know, but you’re not being smart now. If you carried a weapon and were trained to use it, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. But your brother, Jack, and I, we’re goddamned law enforcement officers. We’re trained to protect you. That’s our job, so give us some fucking respect.”
Her mouth snapped shut. Then she muttered, “Okay.”
His expression turned cautious. “I thought you’d put up more of a fight.”
She hitched a shoulder. “Maybe later.”
The days passed slowly, and there was a feeling like an executioner’s blade hanging over Maddy’s neck. Something was coming, something bad, and worry was making her antsy. Plus, Christmas was in two weeks and she couldn’t get into the spirit. And she always got into the spirit.
She took one afternoon to decorate the café, coiling fairy lights around the windows, and even bringing in a small tree on which she hung ornaments. She tried out new recipes, including one for dog biscuits that Sophie enthusiastically approved of. Maddy wrapped the biscuits in red and green cellophane and put them in a basket by the cash register as a freebie for her dog-owning customers. The activities helped her mood enough that she put some effort into finishing off her Christmas shopping, visiting neighboring shops on Main Street to complete her gift purchases for her family and friends.
Which only served to bring up the question of whether she should get something for Logan. But no matter what she did, nothing dispelled the nagging unease brought by the search for the elusive Horvath. And, of course, there was the looming discussion about Lily.
The stress was even showing on Brad, who was usually so unflappable. Maddy thought he tended to all of them like a mother hen. Not that he’d appreciate the analogy, but he was wired to protect, and with Emma pregnant, that instinct kicked into high gear.
Trish and Maddy staying with the newly married couple was getting a little old for everyone. No one wanted houseguests who couldn’t go home, and she missed her little cabin in the woods.
Through Brad she learned the FBI boss Rittenhauer believed Lazlo Horvath was long gone, but that Logan didn’t think so. Brad told her Logan didn’t think so, because she hadn’t had a real conversation with Logan in days.
Not that she wasn’t seeing him on a daily basis. He’d walk into the café and her turncoat heart would kick up its beat and she’d get those happy dance tingles. It was like she’d somehow become afflicted with a split personality. One that responded to the contained sexuality he exuded and made her want to slurp him up like an ice cream cone, while the other side urged her to run and hide because Logan Ross meant pain and grief.
He sure did take his job seriously. Lazlo Horvath had seemingly disappeared into thin air, making Logan always vigilant and constantly watching. Over her. While the FBI command center was operating out of t
he city hall building, Logan set himself up as her own personal bodyguard. He showed up at the café when she did in the morning, settling into a booth where he spent most of the day with a laptop. There were periods when he’d be gone, but then he’d be back, tapping on laptop keys and sipping coffee.
Other agents came to the café to sit in the booth with him. There was Special Agent Natalia Flores, who enjoyed the honey-bran-raisin muffins, and Special Agent Nate Goodwin, who liked to talk with her about bread baking techniques.
Logan had picked a strategic spot, a booth where he had a clear view of the door as well as of the front counter where she usually worked. When the agents joined him, they’d have hushed conversations over frothy cappuccino or steaming bowls of soup. They’d leave, but Logan would stay. Not that he ever had a hushed conversation with her. Because now that she was ready to tell him about their daughter, he was doing a good job of keeping any conversation off that particular track. The feeling of the unfinished business between them weighed on her, like her own dark rain cloud parked over her head.
She didn’t like the tension between them, though she couldn’t figure out why since, for all intents and purposes, they hadn’t talked for ten years. But if he didn’t want to talk to her, she would let what was between them sit there like a pressure cooker over a flame, gathering steam until it was ready to blow up, most likely in her face.
Maddy served up what felt like the hundredth coffee of the day, giving the small of her back a surreptitious rub. Busy was good. Busy occupied her mind and paid the bills. But sometimes she wished she’d chosen a profession where sitting at least half the time was an option. The Hensley triplets, their matching hair this week an unlikely ebony black, sat where Logan had been parked most of the day. He’d taken a phone call about twenty minutes ago, packed up his laptop, and slipped out the door when she’d been serving bowls of potato leek soup and rosemary olive oil bread to hungry skiers.
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