by Ella Frank
Under that one was Thomas as a baby, and directly beside it Miss Lila, and then farther up was the entire Madison clan for last year’s Christmas card. Logan remembered receiving it in the mail and thinking how perfectly cheerful they all were.
Cole and Rachel sitting on the bricks surrounding their fireplace with Thomas on Cole’s knee and Lila in her mother’s lap. Pure joy shone from their eyes. It was enough to make even his heart swell.
Then, just as they reached the end of the hall, he spotted the gift that he and Tate had given Rachel last month for her birthday. Tate had thought of it, of course, and Logan remembered the tears in her eyes when she’d unwrapped the framed photo of them that had been taken at their friend’s wedding back in May.
Both in suits, the two of them looked sharp. But it was the moment they’d been captured in that Rachel claimed made the image so powerful. Tate was standing behind Logan with his arms wrapped around his waist, and Logan was looking at him over his shoulder—he remembered it perfectly. He’d been bitching about having one of the grooms’ bow ties flung into his drink, and Tate had kissed his ear and said, “Cheer up. I promise to blindfold you later with my tie. Not throw it in your drink.” And the resulting look between them was a scorching expression from Logan, and a hell of a wicked smile from Tate as they stared each other down.
That night had brought up some interesting emotions for him when Tate and Ace, one of the grooms, had joked about how they’d pair their names if they were to ever get married. But Tate had quickly squashed any discussion on that, insisting it was all a joke. So it wasn’t that shocking some of the telltale signs of all that love and matrimony was evident in the photograph.
You can practically feel the love between you two here, Rachel had said when she first looked at it. And she was right about one thing: that night, when they’d gone back to their hotel room, love had definitely been felt.
“Logan? Tate,” Cole said, and Logan tore his eyes, and thoughts, off the photograph. “You’re here.”
Thomas had released his hand and run through the living room to the kitchen where Cole was sitting at a table in the breakfast nook, and beside him in her high chair was the little miss—Lila.
With her thick ebony hair in pigtails, her chubby pink cheeks were made to be kissed as she raised her hand and waved. Logan stared at the picture the three of them made gathered around the kitchen table. Cole at the head, Lila to his left, and Thomas tapping Cole on the shoulder.
So cozy. So homey. And when Cole looked down at Thomas and laughed at something his son said, Logan thought, So happy.
He took Tate’s hand in his, and they walked over to where the three sat as Rachel headed into the kitchen. As they got closer, Lila, who’d been watching her brother and father, looked up and spotted Tate.
Her blue eyes widened and she immediately raised her arms, saying, “Unca Tate. Unca Tate.” Basically, her little heart melted—much the same way Logan’s did whenever he saw Tate.
Awesome, Logan thought, I pretty much have the exact same crush a two-and-a-half-year-old girl has.
“There’s my girl,” Tate said, and let go of Logan’s hand to head around the table to where Lila was now practically bouncing in her highchair. Logan laughed as he walked into the kitchen, stopping behind the island.
“Is she all done here?” Tate asked Cole, who had a small plate in front of him with a half-eaten triangular sandwich on it.
“Yeah, she’s done. And honestly”—Cole chuckled at his daughter, who was wriggling in her chair—“I’d almost be scared to deny her what she so clearly wants.”
“Unca Tate,” she said again, and when Tate reached for her, she giggled. “Lift!”
And just like everyone else in that room who’d met Tate, Lila immediately welcomed him with open arms.
Chapter Nine
LILA MADISON WAS a total heartbreaker, and just about the cutest thing Tate had seen. He scooped her out of her highchair and brought her close for a hug and kiss. With her pigtails held up by pink ribbons that matched her dress, the little girl who grabbed his cheeks and smacked a kiss to his lips stole his heart a little more every time he saw her.
When she pulled back and looked over her shoulder to see everyone watching her, she started to giggle, and then turned back to do it again.
“You know, little miss, you’re lucky I’m not jealous by nature,” Logan said, which had Rachel snorting and saying, “Sure you’re not.”
When Lila pulled away a second time, Tate shifted her around his body so she was resting on his hip, and he could see Rachel placing an open Corona on the counter in front of Logan.
“Thanks,” Logan said, glancing at his sister-in-law. Then he looked over at Tate and saluted him with the bottle. “Plus, it would be in poor taste to be jealous of someone who clearly has such fantastic taste. Who wouldn’t want to kiss Tate?”
“True,” Rachel said, joining Logan at the counter. “There is something about him.”
Cole coughed, which had his wife looking in his direction. “Is that right?” Cole asked as Thomas started to drive a Hot Wheels across the breakfast table.
Logan raised his beer, took a sip, and then nodded. “Yeah… It’s the hair. There’s something about those—”
“Ow,” Tate said as Lila grabbed a tiny fistful of said hair and tugged on it.
Logan laughed as Rachel winced, then Lila tugged again and announced, “Pretty curls.”
Tate reached up to try and pry her fingers free, but Lila had a tenacious grip. “Uhh, Logan,” Tate said, walking over toward the two in the kitchen. “A little help.”
Logan put his beer down and came around the end of the island to where Tate stood with Lila, and looked between the two of them. He smiled at his niece and then placed a hand on Tate’s shoulder and leaned in to press a kiss to her cheek.
As she laughed, Logan took hold of her iron grip and said, “Aww, come on now, hon. I’m the only one that gets to pull Tate’s hair like that.”
When Logan straightened and waggled his brow, Tate rolled his eyes, but Lila let go, clapped her hands, and pointed to her cheek.
“Again!” she said.
“A true Madison,” Logan joked, and then leaned in to give her another kiss. “Demanding and not afraid to go after what she wants.”
Rachel looked over at Cole, whom Thomas was now climbing all over like he was a jungle gym, and said, “Thomas, why don’t you take your sister into the family room and watch Peppa Pig for a little while so Daddy can help Mommy get ready to go and grill?”
Thomas froze halfway up Cole’s back and frowned, and the fierce expression on such a young face was almost comical. “I want to help grill.”
“And you can,” Rachel said. “But first Daddy and I want to talk to Uncle Logan and Uncle Tate. I’ll come and get you when the men head outside. Okay?”
“That sounds serious,” Logan said. “Sure I can’t go watch the pig too?”
Tate snorted, and Thomas looked between him and Logan with narrowed eyes, as if he didn’t trust what he was being told, before he slid off his dad’s lap and trudged over to where Tate was putting Lila back on her feet.
Thomas held his hand out for his sister, and when she smiled and took it, Tate had an unexpected flash of Jill when they’d been kids and the way she used to follow him around everywhere.
God, where did that come from? Tate thought, as he watched the two little ones head off toward the family room, Thomas steady on his feet as he guided the less-than-steady Lila. Scott Thompson, that’s where it came from. Bringing up his damn family. Actually, not his family, since his mother had disowned him when he’d started dating Logan, and Jill had followed her lead. At least he still had a relationship with his dad. A good, solid one.
“Hey,” Rachel said, coming over and handing him a beer. “You okay?”
Shoving the memory aside, Tate took the frosty bottle from her and nodded. “Yeah, I’m good. You’ve got some great kids there.”
S
he looked over at the two small figures disappearing into the family room and then smiled at him. “I agree. Come on,” she said, looping her arm through his elbow and leading him over to where Logan was taking a seat at the table with his brother. Tate pulled out the chair beside Logan, and once he was seated, he looked over at Cole, who pushed back from the table so Rachel could take a seat on his lap.
“Why do I suddenly feel like I’m about to get in trouble?” Logan asked.
“Because you have a guilty conscience,” Cole said, as he wrapped his arms around his wife.
Rachel slung her arm around Cole’s shoulders and nodded. “It’s true. You do,” she said, and Logan turned his head to look at Tate.
“Did you tell them?”
Tate knew Logan was referring to his altercation at the bar on Friday night. But he hadn’t said a word, so he shook his head. “Nope. I don’t know what this is about, so any guilt you’re feeling is your own.”
Logan aimed a very funny glare at him before he looked back to Cole and Rachel, who were now staring at the two of them, waiting for an explanation of some sort.
“Oh, fine,” Logan said. “I got into a fight at the bar on Friday night and punched someone.”
“You what?” Cole said, as Rachel sat up and said, “Oh my God.”
“In his defense,” Tate said, “the guy deserved it. And it broke up soon after that.”
“Logan, you can’t just go around punching people,” Cole said.
“Gee, thanks, Dad,” Logan said.
“What did the guy do?” Rachel asked, and Logan took a swig of his beer and said, “See. That’s what you should be asking, Cole. I wouldn’t just hit someone.”
“I know that,” Cole said, and sighed. “Well, what did he do?”
“He was being an asshole,” Logan and Tate said at the same time.
Rachel frowned, and as soon as she did, her eyebrows drew down into a deep V and Tate started to laugh.
“What?” she said, the frown becoming even more pronounced.
“I just realized where Thomas gets his fierce look of consternation from.”
Cole hugged Rachel back against his chest. “She is fierce when it comes to protecting those she loves. This is also her don’t even think about it look.”
As they all started to laugh, Tate put a hand behind Logan’s chair and ran his fingers absently over the line of his shoulder. Man, he loved this family. Right from the get-go Rachel and Cole had taken him in and welcomed him as though he were already part of them, and as they sat around the table talking about last week’s big win for the law firm, he still couldn’t believe how fortunate he was to be able to call this amazing group of people his people.
“So, okay. Spit it out. What do you two want?” Logan asked.
Tate leaned over on his seat so he could press a kiss to Logan’s temple. “Very subtle, Logan.”
“Excuse me, I know when I’m being buttered up for something.”
“He’s not wrong,” Cole said. “We do want something.”
“See?” Logan said.
Tate’s lips twitched, and he couldn’t stop himself from kissing the know-it-all. “I see.”
Logan turned back to the two at the end of the table. “Okay, what is it?”
“Well,” Rachel said, “we were wondering if you were free next weekend.”
“Yeah, we don’t have any plans,” Tate said. “Why?”
“Oh good,” she said, flashing an overly enthusiastic smile at them. “You know how it’s my birthday this week? Well, Cole wants to take me away for the weekend and, uhh, we were wondering if you guys would mind taking the kids for the night.”
There was a three-second pause and then Logan said, “Like…the whole night?”
A booming laugh left Cole, and Tate couldn’t help but join in, and when Cole finally settled, he said, “You should see your face.”
“I mean, it’s not an unreasonable question,” Logan said, then aimed a glare over his shoulder at Tate. “I’m glad you’re so amused.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, you really look it. But have you thought about what this entails?” Logan asked, and then he looked back to the laughing parents. “Have you two? Are you really willing to leave your children in our care for an entire night? I don’t even know what to do with a kid after they’ve been fed.”
Rachel slipped off Cole’s lap and walked over to wrap an arm around Logan’s shoulders. “Oh, we totally trust”—she paused and looked over Logan’s head to meet Tate’s eyes—“Tate.”
Tate bit back a laugh and ran a hand over Logan’s leg under the table. “We’d love to,” he told Rachel. “And I’m sure we’ll manage. It’s not like we haven’t taken them off your hands for an afternoon before.”
“Exactly,” Logan said. “An afternoon. Not an entire night. What if we break them?”
Cole stood and headed into the kitchen. “If you break them, I’ll kill you. I thought that was laid out in the contract the first time you took care of them.”
“Very funny,” Logan said.
“Seriously, though,” Rachel said, “other than Mase and Lena, who are both working, there is no one we trust them with more. And it’s time. They love the two of you, and honestly, I really need a night away with my husband.”
Tate nodded, accepting on Logan’s behalf, knowing that Logan would always be there to take care of his niece and nephew, no matter how uncomfortable he might be about it. He loved those kids as though they were his own.
“We’d love to. Wouldn’t we, Logan?”
“Sure we would. But I have one condition,” Logan said, and Rachel cocked her head to the side. “You don’t come back from this night pregnant. Two kids I can wrap my head around minding. Three…I’m leaving the state.”
SEVERAL HOURS LATER, steaks had been consumed, drinks had been shared, and Rachel’s salted caramel chocolate tarts had been devoured. Logan was surprised they could actually walk from the back patio to inside with as much food as they’d all eaten, but somehow they managed.
As they headed into the comfort of the living room, Rachel and Cole took the kids into their playroom, Thomas declaring he was going to make the biggest Lego castle any of them had ever seen, and, of course, Lila was right there alongside her big brother to help.
Logan sat on one side of the large love seat facing the fireplace, and when Tate wandered his way, he placed his arm along the back of the cushions in open invitation. Tate took him up on the invite in a second, sitting beside him so damn close their legs were practically glued from hip to knee.
“Hmm…” Logan said, and Tate shifted and placed his lips to his jaw. “What’s that for?”
“No reason,” Tate said. “I’m just happy.”
“So I see.”
Tate placed a hand on Logan’s chest and smoothed it down over his polo shirt. “Yep. I’m very happy.”
Logan took Tate’s chin and bent his head to steal a kiss. His intention was to keep it nice and light, knowing that Cole and Rachel would be along as soon as they had the kids occupied. But Logan should’ve known better. The second he got the taste of cinnamon gum and Tate on his tongue, the word nice left his vocabulary.
He slipped his tongue past Tate’s lips, and when Tate moved on the couch so his front was flush against Logan’s side, the fingers he had on Tate’s chin traveled down his neck. Logan clasped the back of it, and Tate smirked, clearly about to shift away from him, until Logan brought his other hand up to grab hold of his shirt, keeping him in place.
The warmth he’d seen in Tate’s eyes earlier turned molten then, and as Logan’s gaze swept down to the shiny lips he wanted either back on his or wrapped around his cock in the next five minutes, he was trying his hardest to think of a good excuse to have them up and heading for the door ASAP.
“Sorry about that, guys,” Rachel said as she walked into the living room, and then came to an abrupt halt, which made Cole run into her. “Uhh…sorry. Are we interrupting somethi
ng?” she asked, as she took in the picture they made on her couch of Tate practically lying over Logan’s lap, while Logan had his hand balled in Tate’s shirt like he wanted to rip it off him.
“Yes,” Logan said, just as Tate pushed away from him and said, “No.”
Cole grumbled something about them at least waiting until they got home. But Logan tuned him out the second Tate resituated his ass back against the couch close enough so he could wrap an arm around him.
“If you can contain yourself for five minutes, Logan, maybe we could finally talk to Tate and Rachel about the idea we’ve had,” Cole said.
Logan let out a put-upon sigh. “Why couldn’t you have brought this up before Tate decided he couldn’t keep his hands off me?”
“Is that what that was?” Tate asked. “You were the one holding on to me.”
“Hey, you were telling me how happy I make you then rubbing all up on me. How else am I supposed to take that?”
Tate shook his head, but the smirk on those fantasy-inspiring lips let Logan know this was one conversation that would be revisited the minute they got home.
Logan looked back to Cole and nodded. “Okay, if it’s only going to take five minutes then I think I can manage. Any longer than that and you can forget it.”
Rachel took a seat in her favorite spot. It was a reading chair by the fireplace, and they all knew better than to go anywhere near it.
Then Cole sat in his recliner and said, “As you both know, over the last couple of years the firm has been doing extremely well, and with Logan’s big win this week, Mitchell & Madison is set to—”
“Explode,” Logan ended for him. “Our firm is about to be featured everywhere, which will likely have clients calling from all over. Some who want to bring us their business, and those who want to make sure they’ll remain with us no matter what.”