She leaned against the railing and breathed in the crisp smell of the water, gazing down the row of houses that lined the beach. There was a good bit of space between each house, making them not seem crowded together at all. However, in the dark, with only the windows illuminated, she could see the lit houses for miles.
A sliding door opened somewhere below her and she tensed for a moment, as if her private moment had been interrupted. She listened for voices and quickly recognized Logan singing softly and strumming his acoustic guitar. She didn’t remember him packing one, but she figured he probably had an entire room of instruments here. He rarely went anywhere without a guitar.
Smiling, she walked to the end of the top porch where it began to wrap around to the other side. She leaned slightly over the railing to see if she could spot him on one of the porches below her. She found him sitting on the railing with one leg anchored to the ground on the level right beneath her. The guitar was in his lap as he gently stroked the strings and sang softly.
Bending over a little further, she realized that he wasn’t alone. His mother was sitting in front of him, her face turned up toward him but her eyes closed. She was seated in her wheelchair with a shawl wrapped around her shoulders and a thick blanket across her lap. The smile on her face was unmistakable, pure bliss as she listened to her son serenading her.
“Is he singing to Momma?” a quiet voice surprised her and she jumped back onto the porch.
Dylan reached out a hand to steady her. “Whoa, careful there.”
“Sorry,” Caroline blushed, feeling guilty for being caught eavesdropping.
Dylan glanced over the railing where she had been looking and smiled, nodding his head. Turning around to face Caroline, he leaned back and put his elbows on the railing. They were far enough away that he wouldn’t see them unless he happened to look up.
“You’ve got a good one there, you know,” he told her.
“I know,” Caroline smiled.
“Before her transplant, her health was really bad but some days were worse than others. Logan would always be there and sing to her. Even after the transplant, he still does when he can find the time to come around. That’s how he started music and got me started in it too. We were neighbors when we met and I never thought once about being a drummer, or any type of musician.”
“Really? How did he get you into it?” she asked.
“My folks weren’t around much, and when they were, I tried not to be. So I spent most of my time at the Clay’s house. Laura is a better mom to me than I’ve ever had, so Logan and I would have done anything to help her. Music seemed to ease her pain, it was the only thing on some days that could get her to smile. So that’s what we did.”
“I’m so sorry, Dylan. That had to be difficult.”
“Don’t be. It’s made me who I am today, and brought me my best friend.” Dylan shrugged and turned to look out over the water.
“He says the same about you. I wish he got to see all of you guys more often.” She joined him at the railing.
“Now that you two are an item, I think he will. He rarely visited before because of Gina. He didn’t want Momma knowing that the woman who gave her a kidney and saved her life was using that favor to practically enslave her son.” Dylan shook his head sadly.
Caroline raised her eyebrows in surprise, glancing over at him. “Really? Wow, he never told me it was that bad.”
“It was worse than bad. I came into New York one time a little after he really blew up and his career took off. Just to visit, you know? I missed my best friend,” he started.
“You are too, you know that right, Dylan? I’ve heard you play, you’re amazing,” Caroline interjected, having heard the wistfulness in his voice.
“We’ll see, but it’s okay.” He shrugged, then launched back into his story, clearly not wanting to talk about his music career anymore.
“Gina wouldn’t even let me see him, so he snuck out to meet me at some bar. I swear his phone rang every thirty seconds until he finally gave up and headed back,” Dylan continued.
“Why didn’t he just dump her a long time ago?” Caroline asked before she realized that she might have sounded a bit rude.
However, in all honesty, she had been dying to understand it better. Logan had told her in Greece all about his family, about why he stayed with Gina, but it still just confused her.
“Look at him, Caroline. That man would do anything to keep the people he loves happy. He didn’t want his Mom to ever feel guilty or to worry about him, because she definitely would have. He wanted her to be proud of him. He doesn’t think about the toll it would take on himself, just on how to help the ones he loves.” Dylan motioned toward where Logan was still with his mother.
“He’s one of the good ones.”
“That he is,” Dylan agreed, yawning slightly as the night was growing later.
“But so are you.” She put a hand on his shoulder and gave it a small squeeze before heading back inside to her room to wait for Logan to come to bed. Dylan smiled and nodded in her direction, but he wasn’t really paying attention as he stared off into the ocean. His expression looked sad, as if he wanted to believe what she had said about him, but couldn’t.
Chapter Seven
“Rudolph the red nosed reindeer, had a very rosy nose, and no one ever saw him, underneath the mistletoe-” Mickey was singing as he flipped pancakes on the stove top the next morning.
“Pops, you do know that no part of that is correct, right?” Logan chuckled, walking into the open kitchen that blended into a large living room and dining room, all seemingly part of one giant open floor plan divided only by some furniture and half-walls.
“Just because you’re a singer, boy, doesn’t mean you know anything about Christmas carols. I’ve been singing these songs since I was a kid,” his father fired back, bringing a finished stack of pancakes to the already set table where his wife was seated, watching the exchange.
“Actually, Logan is right, Mr. Clay,” Caroline chimed in, having followed Logan.
“Hey, I told you to call me Mickey.” He gave her a stern, but teasing look causing her to smile and blush in response.
“Sorry, Mickey. Still, Logan is right.”
“Hear that, Pops? It’s two against one.” Logan sat down next to his mother and started pulling pancakes onto his plate, while Caroline joined him and did the same.
“You wish. I’m your father. I count as ten votes.”
“Mickey, I think Logan is right.” Laura was laughing with them now.
Mickey put his hand over his heart, a pretend look of shock on his face, as he imitated staggering backwards for a moment. Then he stood up straight and pointed to his wife accusingly.
“Betrayed by my own wife! These kids are a bad influence on you, beautiful.” Laura just laughed at his comment and waived him off.
“What did Momma do?” Dylan had just walked into the room and was behind in the conversation.
“She’s defending your sidekick over there.” Mickey turned back to the stove and started pulling off the second and last pile of pancakes onto another platter.
“Ooh, pancakes! I’m starving! Merry Christmas Eve, everyone!” Aralia waltzed into the room, her usual bubbly self grinning ear to ear.
“Come sit and get some before they are all gone.” Laura motioned to her to join them.
“Dylan, finish the verse in this song- ‘Rudolph, the red nosed reindeer...’” Logan started singing then paused and pointed to his friend.
“...had a very shiny nose, and if you ever saw it, you would even say it glows.” Dylan smiled and started singing.
Aralia raised her brows at him as she pulled out a chair next to him. “I didn’t know you could sing, Dylan.”
“Oh darling, there are a lot of things you haven’t seen me do yet.” He winked at her suggestively, but she just rolled her eyes and began eating her breakfast.
“That is not how the song goes! If you had a giant ass red nosed, no one
would kiss you under the mistletoe. It’s just logic.” Mickey was seated now, cutting off a large bite from his food and stuffing it into his mouth as he argued.
Caroline joined in the laughter as the table burst into debate over the lyrics of the well known Christmas tune. She smiled as she looked around the table to see so many happy faces, everyone getting along and enjoying themselves. Family meals growing up had always been so quiet. Their discussions were short and stayed on things like work and things that needed to be done, never about how a song is supposed to be sung or something nonsensical like that.
Logan’s family was the definition of joy and laughter, while hers had been stoic and proper. She had always felt loved, that wasn’t the problem that had her thinking right now. It was the lack of freedom to open up and just be yourself in front of those you love. Everything was about decorum at her home, and when she had chosen not to follow the path set for her, she suddenly wasn’t welcome anymore.
A tear sprang to her eye as she remembered the conversation with her father. Christmas was tomorrow and she was sad that she wouldn’t be able to see them. She looked down at her plate and took another bite of food, hoping no one would notice her teary expression.
Glancing up to check, she saw Logan’s mother watching her. Caroline blushed in embarrassment, but Logan’s mother just smiled warmly and gave her a small wink.
She couldn’t help but smile back, feeling better already. Logan’s hand found its way to her knee and gave her a squeeze absentmindedly while he was continuing his discourse with the men at the table.
She looked at his perfectly chiseled profile as he smiled and talked animatedly, the stubble from not shaving crossing his cheek and making its way over his chin was something she found absolutely sexy.
She reached over and slid her arm behind his back, resting it on the back of his shoulder that was closest to her. she placed her chin next to her hand, so that she was slightly behind him, but still pressed into his side. Despite missing her family, this is where she wanted to be. Tucked into Logan’s side with his arm over her legs was better than any home she could imagine.
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“I’m excited for your tour, I can’t wait to see where you grew up and all that.” Caroline pulled her hair back into a French braid, looking into the mirror on the dresser in front of her.
“I can’t wait to show you.” Logan smiled at her, pulling a cable knit sweater on since the temperature had dropped quite a bit overnight, making it colder than it already was. “What about your friend? And Aralia?” Caroline asked Logan as she pulled a fluffy sweater on over her head in their room.
“Dylan was going to McGinny’s for a few drinks with Rock and Charlie, I heard Aralia ask to tag along. It’s the only good bar in this small town.” Logan shrugged, pulling on warm winter boots as he sat on the edge of their bed.
“Really? On Christmas Eve?”
“We’re Irish, babe.” He stood up and walked over to her, pulling her to him by grabbing her hips.
“Aralia isn’t.” She bit her lip, becoming distracted by the proximity of his body against hers.
“When Dylan said he was meeting the guys there, she seemed more than eager to tag along,” Logan said, his voice muffled as he breathed into the skin on her neck.
His lips trailing down the side from her jaw.
“Oh okay, that definitely sounds like Aralia.” Caroline giggled and wrapped her arms around Logan’s neck, pressing the lower half of her body against him.
A deep growling noise came from somewhere inside Logan’s chest as his hands tightened, wrapping around her. His hands cupped her bottom and lifted her up, seating her on the dresser top right behind her. Moving his mouth up from her neck, he found her lips and kissed her.
No part of it was gentle, it was urgent and intense. Caroline’s body instantly responded in kind, allowing him to take control as she pressed herself further into him. Their lips tangled together eagerly, needing to taste one another. Sliding his hands down her body, Logan grabbed the top of her black, skintight pants beneath her sweater and yanked them down her legs.
Dropping them to the floor, he unbuckled his jeans and Caroline finished the rest by freeing him from his boxers. Pulling her to the edge of the dresser, they were instantly connected and Caroline gasped at the suddenness of it all. Dropping her head into Logan’s neck, she bit down gently on his skin causing him to groan and move faster inside her.
Caroline grinned, they were definitely going to be late for their outing.
And she didn’t mind one bit.
Chapter Eight
“Dylan! Where the fuck have you been? We’ve missed you around here!” Rock Slade slid off his barstool at McGinny’s and walked over to Dylan as he entered, one hand extended.
Dylan grinned, grabbing his hand and shaking it, while the two men touched shoulders and patted each other’s back in a familiar embrace.
“Fuck you, Rock. I’ve been around,” he responded to his old band mate.
“The fuck you have, I haven’t seen you in at least a year.”
“Yeah, Dylan, what gives?” Charlie Hudson walked up behind Rock and exchanged the same handshake with Dylan.
Dylan grinned at his old band mates, suddenly feeling nostalgic of the days when the three of them and Logan would light up the stage in this bar on Friday and Saturday nights. Logan was the lead singer, but they all sang backup or had different solos back then.
Dylan was the drummer, Rock played the bass, and Charlie was on the keyboard, but when the scout came through town, he was only interested in Logan. Dylan remembered how angry they had all been at first, jealous of Logan’s success, but friendship had won out in the end and now they were proud to know someone so famous and talented.
“Are you going to introduce me or am I just going to stand here as if I’m your entourage or something?” Aralia quipped from behind him, causing Dylan to turn and look at her, realizing he forgot she was with him.
“Whoa, Dylan! You finally settled down and got yourself a girl!” Charlie chuckled, smacking him on the shoulder.
“And a gorgeous one at that,” Rock offered, raising his brows and looking over the petite, curvy brunette standing in front of them with one hand on her voluptuous hips.
“No way, we are not together,” Dylan quickly interjected.
“Please, I would rather die,” Aralia chimed in at the same time.
Realizing what the other had said, they both stared at each other with narrowed eyes, clearly irritated. Charlie put his hands up in a defensive position and Rock just grinned, his eyes laughing.
“Alright, didn’t mean to stoke the flames,” Charlie said.
“Come on, let’s go sit down and get a drink,” Rock told them, then stepped closer to Aralia, speaking only to her.
“Since my friend here is a blind idiot, how about I buy you a drink, beautiful?” Rock’s voice lowered slightly, a huskiness to it.
Aralia blushed and nodded in agreement, taking his extended hand and following him to the bar. Dylan watched them, his jaw tight. He didn’t know why it bothered him to see Rock flirting with Aralia, but he was suddenly feeling very agitated. Brushing it off, or at least trying to, he followed the small group to the bar and immediately ordered a tall beer.
“What have you assholes been up to out here?” Dylan chugged down about a third of his beer, looking over at his friends sitting at the bar on the corner perpendicular to where he was sitting.
“Still working over at Summit Memorial, but I do the keyboard here some nights. Do some parties and weddings, stuff like that.” Charlie shrugged.
“Yeah? I couldn’t do security at a hospital, too many whack jobs,” Dylan responded.
“That’s the best part.” Charlie flashed his mischievous, boyish smile at his friend.
“Charlie’s always been able to calm the crazies,” Rock chuckled, his eyes turning back to Aralia who was sitting next to him.
“What about you, Slade?”
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“That’s your name? Rock Slade?” Aralia quipped, biting her lip as she leaned in closer to him.
“You like that, baby girl?” Rock ignored Dylan and his voice rumbled as he spoke to her.
“It’s alright.” She grinned, shrugging nonchalantly even though her eyes were saying something entirely more revealing.
“Slade, keep it in your fucking pants. I gotta deliver her back to her friend in one piece, alright?” Dylan smacked his beer glass onto the bar a little harder than he intended, causing it to crack and split in two.
“Dude, relax.” Rock glared at Dylan and Aralia’s jaw fell open.
“Excuse me, Mr. I-Just-Met-You-Yesterday, I can speak for myself,” Aralia retorted, clearly irritated, as the bartender came over and cleaned up the spill and broken glass.
Dylan apologized to the bartender, ignoring Aralia’s response. Luckily, they had known the owner a long time and he didn’t mind much, although it would certainly be on his check.
“If you boys agree not to break anymore glasses, we have an open spot here on Friday night. Don’t know if you’re planning on sticking around the day after Christmas. It’d be nice to hear you guys all together again,” the bartender spoke as he refilled their drinks.
“Well, you guys know I will be here.” Charlie grinned, sipping his whiskey.
“That sounds awesome, will Logan be here?” Rock turned to Dylan.
“I think so, he wants to see you guys, but he is showing his girl around today,” Dylan told them.
“The spot is yours if you want it.” The bartender shrugged and walked off as the men exchanged excited looks.
It had been a long time since the band had played together, close to five years now. Seemed like they were long overdue for a reunion.
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“I love it, Logan. It’s so beautiful, surprisingly quiet and peaceful too.” Caroline leaned into his side, his arm around her shoulders, as they stood on the beach and looked up at the white, octagonal lighthouse towering before them.
Logan Clay: A Forbidden Rockers Box Set Page 28