Sandpiper Shore

by Debbie Mason

  “Maura,” Jenna called out as they began to walk away, “remember the question you asked me the other morning?”

  Logan’s mother tilted her head to the side with a frown. “No, I…Oh, yes, the perfect match.”

  “Yes. I’ve had a chance to look into it, and he’s not.”

  “You’re sure?” she asked, looking disappointed.

  “Ninety-nine percent positive.”

  “All right. Thank you for looking into it for me, darling.”

  “Interesting. My mom doesn’t take to a lot of women, but she’s obviously taken with you,” Logan said, guiding her toward the French doors with a hand at the small of her back.

  She swallowed a small sigh of regret. She’d missed the feel of his hands on her, the feel of him standing so close. And maybe because she’d missed him, she picked up on the resentment in her voice when she said, “We have some things in common, and it helps that I’m not the type of woman her sons would be interested in. And before you say I don’t know what I’m talking about, I’m best friends with Michael’s fiancée, Shay.”

  He moved his hand to let her walk ahead of him through the dining room, where some of the older guests had congregated to chat in the relative quiet and bug-free environment. “That’s not true, though, is it? I was obviously interested in you or we wouldn’t have—”

  “Are you crazy? Don’t say that, especially around them. They may be getting on in years, but it doesn’t mean they’re deaf.” She lifted her chin at the Widows Club. “Follow my lead,” she said out of the side of her mouth. Then, to the women gathered around the brass easel at the top of the stairs, she said, “Hello, ladies. I hope you’re enjoying the evening. Logan and I are just going up to my room to get a special little something for Princess Isabella.”

  “You’re not so hot at subterfuge, are you?” Logan murmured, a touch of amusement in his voice. Then he turned on the charm for the older women, who gathered around him to pet and flatter. They were obviously proud to know the man of the hour.

  While he was occupied, Jenna took a step back and slowly eased her way out of the crush and across the lobby to the grand staircase. She raced up the stairs, taking two at a time, desperate to get to her phone without Logan looking over her shoulder. She sighed, relieved when her foot hit the landing. At least she’d have the opportunity to delete…

  The elevator door opened to reveal Logan, leaning casually against the glass wall with his arms crossed. Maybe it was the lighting in the elevator or the amusement in his eyes, but the man looked more gorgeous than he had a right to. Delectable and devastating were just two of the words that came to mind.

  She resisted the urge to make a run for her room and said, “You didn’t have to leave your fan club, you know. I’m perfectly capable of getting my phone on my own.”

  “I know, but then I wouldn’t have the opportunity to talk to you alone. There are some things you need to understand, Jenna.”

  “No. I don’t need to understand anything. We weren’t in a relationship, Logan. We had sex within hours of meeting each other.” She wondered what was wrong with her, saying things like that out loud. She looked around, relieved that they seemed to be alone in the hall.

  “So we had sex and then that was it. No further contact?”

  “You know we did. It’s why you want to see my phone, which, by the way, feels a little stalkerish. And if you think I’m going to let you go through all my texts and my search history, you’ll be sadly disappointed.” She stopped at her door and took the passkey from the pocket of her dress.

  She felt him move in behind her, close enough that his body brushed against her back as he bent to whisper in her ear, “Afraid I’m going to find out all your dirty little secrets?”

  “You’re my dirty little secret,” she said, closing her eyes when the words came out of her mouth. What kind of hold did this man have on her? He made her say things she’d never think of saying. He also made her want things she’d never thought of wanting, like a man who was engaged to another woman. “Logan, I—” she began as she went to open the door.

  “Jenna, move aside. Now,” he said, gently pushing her out of the way as he reached inside his jacket and pulled out a gun.

  “What…? Oh my…Pippa,” she cried out at the sight of her room torn apart. The dresser drawers were pulled out, the bedding had been ripped from her bed, and hangers and clothing were scattered over the floor. She tried to push past Logan, but he held her back with his arm.

  “Pippa’s okay. Just give me a minute,” he said, closing the door in her face.

  “Please don’t be lying to me. Please don’t be lying,” she half-whispered, half-sobbed, pressing her ear to the door. She heard Logan comforting Pippa as he walked around her room, the sound of the closet door opening and closing. It dawned on her then that there was the possibility the person who’d broken into her room was still there.

  “Jenna, you can come in now.”

  She sagged against the door and then opened it. With his back to her, Logan was crouched on the floor talking to Pippa in a soothing tone of voice. Pippa was beside herself, pacing from the window to the bed and back while frantically cheeping.

  “That’s a good girl. You’re okay. Come here, now,” Logan said, and Pippa stopped to blink up at him and then practically flew to him. He gently scooped her up and came to his feet, cuddling her to his chest. He turned and used that bird-whisperer voice on Jenna. “No one hurt her. Come here.” He held out his arm, and she walked to him. He held her close, and she rested her cheek against his broad chest, placing her hand on Pippa while fighting back tears.

  They weren’t because she’d been scared witless for both Logan and Pippa or because someone had torn her room apart. They were because he was here for her again, making her feel like everything was all right, making her feel like she wasn’t alone anymore. She allowed herself to indulge in the fantasy for only a few seconds before moving out of his arms, time enough for her to pull herself together and blink away any evidence of tears.

  “Can you tell if anything is missing?” he asked, his voice rougher than it had been moments before.

  She nodded. “I left my purse on the end of the bed with my wallet inside. My phone was on the nightstand. They’re gone.” And to think she’d been worried about Logan reading her texts. Now a perfect stranger would be.

  “Check and see if anything is missing from the jewelry tray in the bathroom.”

  “I doubt they’d be interested. It’s costume—” She walked into the bathroom and then remembered one item of value. One look told her what her sinking stomach already knew. “Lorenzo’s ring is missing.”

  “Aidan mentioned something earlier that I think you should know, Jenna. Lorenzo and his uncle were in Harmony Harbor last week.”

  “You think it’s—” A knock on the half-opened door interrupted her, and Michael stuck his head inside.

  “Jenna, have you seen Lo—” He spotted his brother across the room, and she sensed the disapproval in the way he raised his eyebrow at Logan. She felt ashamed for the brief time she’d spent in his arms. She may not have acted on her feelings for him, but Logan was as good as a married man. Like Richard had been. Jenna had never judged or questioned her mother and stepfather’s actions. Even at the tender age of ten, she’d known they were meant to be together, and to her mind, that was all that really mattered. It had taken her an awfully long time to realize that wasn’t true. There were consequences to a forbidden love.

  Logan walked to Jenna and placed a hand on her shoulder, as though delivering a message to his brother. She just wasn’t sure what it was. “Jenna’s room was broken into. The ring is gone, and so is her phone and purse. Tell Aidan to put out an APB on Lorenzo and his uncle.”

  “Jenna’s room isn’t the only one that was broken into. So were Isabella’s and Grams’s.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Something was rotten in Denmark. Colleen had sensed it less than an hour after the royals
had arrived at the manor. It was a shame, really. A royal wedding at Greystone was the coup of a lifetime. They couldn’t afford to buy publicity like this in a million years. The paparazzi was camped outside the gates. Reporters from around the world were begging to get inside the manor, offering a small fortune for an exclusive interview with the bride and groom-to-be.

  The Hartes had already been granted the interview though, so the other reporters had to make do with the citizens of Harmony Harbor, who were only too happy to share their stories about the Gallaghers with the press. Which made Colleen nervous. There’d been mention of her and her book, The Secrets of Harmony Harbor, and not always in the most flattering light.

  Logan had come off well, not a bad word to be said against him to the press from anyone except Officer Ryan Wilson. And even he had tempered his remarks. No doubt thanks to the three lawyers in Logan’s family and Aidan, of course. A good thing her great-grandsons were on the job because she and Simon were having a devil of a time getting Jasper’s attention. And with his time taken up with the wedding and the power struggle with his nemesis Luis, Colleen didn’t hold out much hope of getting him to cooperate anytime soon.

  “I suppose it’s high time I took another crack at the book myself,” she said to Simon, who sat at her feet. Colleen had parked herself beside Jenna and across from Logan at the table in the manor’s dining room. It was time for the taste testing. There were four white china plates sitting between them, each with a large slice of cake. At the end of the table were tiered wedding cakes of different designs. The only thing missing was the bride-to-be.

  “Did you sleep okay?” Logan asked Jenna, obviously trying to make conversation. Other than the clatter of cutlery, pots, and pans, and the odd grumbled command from the kitchen, there was nothing to break the awkward silence that had fallen between the pair after their initial greetings.

  Jenna looked up from her iPad. “Yes, thanks. You?”

  To which Logan nodded.

  Colleen didn’t know how anyone got any sleep last night with all the excitement. Police officers had swarmed the manor and the grounds searching for clues until the wee hours of the morning. Aidan had immediately contacted the Charleston Police Department to ascertain Lorenzo’s and his uncle’s whereabouts. According to Aidan, Lorenzo was with Gwyneth, and his uncle had returned to Italy two days before.

  Now the police were focusing on the attendees at last night’s soiree. Apparently not everyone who was there had been on the guest list. Logan had spent most of the night and half of the morning tightening security. It was too bad Colleen couldn’t share her thoughts on the matter. She had a fairly good idea who the thief was, and if her great-grandson weren’t such a fine man, he would’ve twigged to what was going on right under his nose much quicker than this. But he was beginning to sense things weren’t quite what they appeared to be. Now the question was how far the ones involved would go to keep their secret.

  Logan picked up a fork and pulled the first plate toward him, his eyes on Jenna as he did.

  Jenna’s gaze jerked from her iPad to him, and she twisted at the waist to look around. “What are you doing?” She went to pull the plate from him. “We have to wait for Princess Isabella.”

  “She was supposed to be here twenty minutes ago. If she doesn’t want to choose the cake, I will.” He speared a piece of cake and held the fork out to her. “Better yet, you will. Come on, you’ve been eyeing this cake for the last twenty-five minutes. Don’t bother denying it.”

  Colleen chuckled. “And you’ve just given yourself away, my boy. You wouldn’t know that if you hadn’t been watching her the entire time. She’s just as bad. Both of you pretending to be working on your devices.”

  “It’s banana and chocolate marble cake with buttercream icing,” Jenna said, leaning in and opening her mouth to accept the bite he offered. She moaned. “That’s amazing. Here, you have to try too.” She picked up a fork and scooped up a piece for him.

  He leaned in in much the same way Jenna had, only he watched her while he took the bite and then closed his eyes on a groan. “Okay, we don’t have to try any more. That’s the one.”

  “No, we have to try the red velvet,” she said, and Logan agreed, picking up his fork.

  But instead of feeding themselves, they kept feeding each other like it was the most natural thing in the world, having a lot of fun while they were at it, as evidenced by their exaggerated moans and laughter.

  “I’ve been around for almost a hundred and six years—” Simon looked up at Colleen and meowed. “Don’t be so literal. I’m here, am I not? Anyway, for all the years I’ve walked this earth, this is the first time I’ve seen a couple use a cake tasting as a form of foreplay.” Thinking she’d offended Simon’s sensibilities when he got up and padded away, she chuckled.

  But she soon learned his sensibilities had nothing to do with it. The princess and her entourage had arrived, and their sensibilities had clearly been offended by the sight that awaited them.

  “No way. You’ve got more on your face than I do.” Jenna laughed, leaning across to dab at Logan’s mouth with a napkin.

  “I’m telling you, you have more.” He picked up a piece of chocolate cake and shoved it in her mouth, grinning. “See, what did I tell you?”

  “Oh no, you did not just do that.” She laughed, wiping away cake crumbs as she picked up a piece and tried to do the same to him, but Logan grabbed her wrist and held it away from him.

  “You can’t…” As though finally registering someone’s attention upon them, Logan looked over. Releasing Jenna’s hand, he picked up a napkin to wipe his mouth.

  “What is the meaning of this? Her Royal Highness has arrived to taste the cakes for her wedding, and this is what awaits her? Really, Ms. Bell, if this is how you handle something as simple—”

  Jenna looked stricken, rising awkwardly to her feet. “I’m sorry. I’ll have fresh pieces cut and brought—”

  “Jenna, sit down. It won’t be necessary. We’ve been waiting more than forty minutes for you to arrive, Isabella. We have to be at Tie the Knot in half an hour, so I’ll pick the flavor, and you can pick whichever cake design you want. Sound fair?”

  Mateo looked sharply at Logan and then pulled out a chair for the princess, guiding her solicitously into it as though she were a hundred and six.

  Isabella nodded her thanks to her bodyguard as she looked under her lashes at Logan. “I apologize for being late. I had difficulty sleeping last night.”

  “We all did. Yet we were here. On time.”

  Luis’s gaze narrowed on Logan. “A word, if you please.”

  “No, Luis, I don’t please. Apparently, we do things a little differently in Harmony Harbor than you do in Merradien. Politeness, consideration, and respect for other people and their time matter. I suggest you all get used to it.”

  “Logan,” Jenna said, clearly aghast.

  Colleen had to admit to being surprised herself. This was not the great-grandson she knew and adored, but, she admitted, she had seen this side of him before. He had a long fuse, but he didn’t like games, and he didn’t like people who were disrespectful or inconsiderate.

  “Now, I’m sure Jenna has things to do, so why don’t you decide on which cake you want, Isabella. Is there anything else you need us to taste?” he asked Jenna.

  She avoided looking at him and focused on the princess instead. “The cakes can wait until after you’ve had your fitting, or I can incorporate them into the family dinner this evening if that will make it easier for you, Your Highness?”

  “Yes, thank you, Jenna.” The smile Isabella offered the other woman was genuine, so much so that Colleen wondered if she’d misread the situation. She glanced at Luis, Mateo, and Pilar, who all stood protectively behind the princess with their arms crossed, none of them pleased with Logan.

  If they thought their pointed stares would make a whit of difference to the lad, they didn’t know him very well. He was as protective as they were, only he’d off
ered his protection to Jenna on the day her fiancé jilted her. Colleen wondered when he would finally realize he’d offered her his love too. Oh yes, she’d heard all about their romantic night on the beach. It was hard not to since she’d followed them to Jenna’s room last night.

  And while she might have lost touch with Jenna growing up, she knew the girl as well as she knew the boy. Neither was the type to have meaningless sex. She believed there’d been a touch of magic in the air that day that brought them together, or maybe it was an old lady’s prayer, an old lady who was living betwixt and between. She smiled, liking the sound of that, wondering if it could be so easy for the rest of her great-grandchildren.

  From out in the lobby a woman shrieked, “Jenna Bell, you get out here and face me!” There was the sound of a scuffle. “Get your hands off me or I’ll call the cops. I’ll say what I’ve come here to say! She told my husband he was meant to be with another woman!”

  Colleen groaned. “Sorry, my girl, it’s my fault. I tempted fate by talking about how easy it all had been.”

  “Excuse me. I need to take care of this,” Jenna said, red splotches appearing on her neck and face.

  “Jenna, what’s going on?” Logan called after her, pushing back from the table.

  Luis reached out as if to stop Logan. “There is no time for this. You and the princess must choose the wedding cake. Your appointments at Tie the Knot are in—”

  “I told you I don’t care. Pick whichever one you want. I’m good as long as we go with the banana and marble cake with buttercream icing,” Logan said as he went after Jenna.

  Colleen noted the way Luis stabbed the cake Logan had indicated with a fork and then caught the secret smile Mateo and Isabella exchanged. She’d been right; there was definitely something rotten in Denmark.

  * * *

  For the past few weeks, Jenna’s ratio of happy days to crappy ones had overwhelmingly been in the crappy column, but this one was beginning to feel like it would win the prize for crappiest day of all. Even though the taste testing had been kind of amazing…until it wasn’t. Apropos, she supposed. It seemed to be hers and Logan’s thing. She gets dumped; she and Logan make love. She gets robbed; Logan holds her in his arms. She finds out Logan is marrying another woman, a princess no less…Okay, so she had no positive counterpoint to that. Which was probably a good thing because, if there were, she might do something really, really stupid like tell him she had feelings for him and that they were meant to be and he and Isabella were not. And that would probably turn out as well as it had in the Ryan Wilson love triangle.