“Wow. She moves on fast,” Charity said, coming up from behind him.
Logan’s frustration kept him from saying anything. All he could do was stare.
“Miss Hannah!” Piper shrieked as she bolted across the yard.
Startled, Hannah pulled from the guy and glanced around. When her gaze met Logan’s, her face turned beet red and she stepped back. Good. Let her feel uncomfortable. He’d been on the receiving end of her kiss last night. He knew she felt more for him then she was letting on.
“Piper! Good to see you.” Hannah reached out and hugged his bouncing daughter.
“Who’s this?” Piper stared at the man.
Logan walked up behind her. “Piper, don’t be rude.”
Hannah smiled at her. “It’s okay. This is my very good friend, Samson.”
“Huh.” She turned to Hannah. “Are you still coming to the carnival today? We’re going to Merdoc’s hill, then heading over there.”
Hannah glanced over to Logan. “I’m not sure—”
“But you promised.”
“Piper, if Miss Hannah can’t, then that’s okay.”
Piper glanced at Logan, then back to Hannah. “But she promised.”
Hannah studied Piper’s face. “Okay. I’ll be there.”
“Yes!” Piper squealed as she wrapped her arms around Hannah’s waist. “I can’t wait for you to meet my friends.”
Hannah patted her head. “I’m excited, too.”
Logan studied the two of them as they embraced. His heart hurt watching them. He was trying to deny his feelings for Hannah, but when he saw her hugging his daughter, all of his resolve went flying out the window.
Piper was the first to break the embrace. “Okay. Let’s go, Daddy,” she said as she bounded over to the truck and got inside.
“You don’t have to come,” Logan said, daring heartbreak to meet her gaze.
“I know. I want to. It means a lot to Piper. I don’t want to disappoint her. I could never hurt that little girl.” Hannah’s gaze zeroed in on Charity.
“Will you be coming?” Logan glanced over to Samson, who pushed his hair from his face.
“Sure. If Hannah’s going, then I’m going.” He reached out and slipped his arm around Hannah’s waist and pulled her to him.
Logan wanted to throw up and punch the guy at the same time. He shook his head. He was a mess of emotions right now. He needed to get a grip.
“Great. Can’t wait to see you there.” He turned and glanced at Charity. “Come on. Let’s go.”
It took less than thirty seconds for him to cross the yard, yank open his door, and start his truck. Thankfully, Charity was just as fast. They peeled out of the driveway.
Logan tried to keep his gaze from making its way over to Samson and Hannah, who were walking up the sidewalk that led to her house. He tried to keep his heart from breaking as Samson leaned down and brushed his lips across her cheek.
But from the way his heart tightened at the thought of them together, Logan knew he was in too deep. He needed a distraction.
“So, tell me what you’ve done since we saw you last,” he said, turning to Charity. She smiled and proved, yet again, that she was more than happy to talk about herself.
She chatted on about all the different acting jobs she’d taken. The disgusting apartment she had to live in. Not to mention her overbearing roommate. When Piper tried to join the conversation, Charity waved her away. Finally, Piper gave up and started counting the semis as they passed by.
Such a stark difference between watching this mother-daughter interaction and watching Hannah and Piper play with dolls. Hannah welcomed and invited; Charity ignored and shut out.
Logan glanced in the rearview mirror and smiled at his red-haired beauty. She giggled and pointed at the semis that passed them. When he turned his gaze back to the road, he pressed on his brake to stop at a red light.
Glancing to the left, he peered down Johnson street. The Victorian house they’d driven by last night looked just as stately in the morning sun as it did last night with all the twinkling Christmas decorations. An open house sign had been added to the front yard.
Logan flipped on his blinker. “Hang on. I need to check on something.” When the light turned green, he pressed on the gas. Pulling the car up into the driveway, he turned it off.
“Logan. What are you doing?”
He glanced at Charity. “Wait here.”
She huffed and folded her arms.
Logan chose to ignore her as he shut the door and walked across the lush green grass. It spanned the front yard and ran up to the brick walkway. He went up the front steps that led to a giant wraparound porch. The front door was open and voices could be heard in a far room.
He pushed the button on the handle of the storm door and opened it. Stepping inside, he took off his shoes. “Hello?” he called.
The voices stopped and a woman with black-rimmed glasses and a pressed suit appeared. “Well, hello,” she said, giving him a warm smile.
He nodded as he tried not to stare at the huge entryway he now stood in. The chandelier above him twinkled in the sunlight that was making its way into the room from the window above the door. An ornate staircase was centered in front of him and went off in both directions. His stomach flipped from the expensive furnishings that adorned the room.
And he could actually afford something like this. It was all too strange.
“Are you interested in the house?” the woman asked as she clutched the folder she had tucked next to her body.
His first instinct was to call foul and leave. But he could do this. It was for Hannah. He swallowed. “How much?”
The woman’s gaze swept over him, and for a moment, he felt vulnerable. It was as if she were trying to gauge the seriousness of his question. “One-point-nine million.”
He swallowed. Never in his life had he heard that number before. He was a back roads, thrift store kind of guy. His mouth dried as he glanced around. “I’ll take it.”
Her laugh echoed off the walls and rattled his resolve. “Honey, do you have a bank note stating this is something you can afford?”
He glanced over to her. “Trust me, I don’t need a bank to help me pay for this.”
She pulled the folder from her body and shuffled some paper. “Well, I can’t do anything until I have that note. Here’s my contact information. Give me a call once you have it.”
He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. Flipping it open, he removed his lawyer’s business card. “Call my lawyer. I’m offering cash. I’d like to take care of this today.”
She studied him as she reached out and took the card. “I will.”
He nodded and turned. Once outside, he let out the breath he’d been holding. The weight that he’d been carrying around since his dad’s death seemed to lighten. This was what his dad wanted him to do with the money. He intended it to be a blessing to Logan’s life. He wanted Logan to be happy. And right now—all Logan knew was—making Hannah happy made him happy.
18
HANNAH
Hannah tried not to watch Logan’s truck drive by as she followed Samson up the walkway and into her mom’s house.
“This is your mom’s house?” Samson asked, eyeing the Christmas tree in the corner.
“Well, the furniture and everything else is my mom’s. That”—she waved to the tipping tree—“is mine.”
Samson smiled. “I love it. Just like I love you.” He leaned over and kissed her on the nose.
Hannah tried to ignore the feelings that settled in her stomach. This wasn’t Logan. The kisses weren’t the same.
“Oh, before I forget. I brought this.” He rifled around in his suitcase and emerged with the little black box that had caused her to find the first flight out of Ohio and hide in North Carolina. “Ready to wear it?”
Her cheeks heated, but she ignored the feelings of hesitation. “Sure.”
He grinned and opened the box. Taking out the ring, he
motioned toward her left hand. She extended her fingers, and he slid the ring onto the fourth one.
She stared at it. It sparkled under the overhead lighting. It was beautiful. A princess cut diamond surrounded by a circle of smaller ones. But she couldn’t ignore the nagging feeling in her gut that told her something was wrong.
When she glanced up, Samson was studying her.
“Everything okay?” he asked, pushing his hand through his hair.
Hannah nodded. “Yeah. It’s beautiful.”
He grabbed his suitcase. “Yeah. My assistant did a good job.”
That was strange. “You didn’t pick it out?”
Samson shook his head. “You know I don’t do that kind of stuff. Jenny is much better at it.” He glanced around. “So, where am I sleeping?”
Curling her fingers into her palm, she lowered her hand. He didn’t pick out the ring? His assistant did? That was about as personal as having the butcher pick out your meat. Shaking it off, she smiled at Samson. That didn’t matter. They were engaged. Who cared how they got there?
“Follow me,” she said, waving her hand at him. He kept a few steps behind her as she led him down the stairs.
“Down here?” he asked, glancing around.
Hannah nodded. “Mom’s rule.”
He gave her a sly smile. “But rules are for breaking.”
“Not this one.” She shook her head. She was finally on the road to mending her relationship with her mom. There was no need to test its limits right now.
Samson plopped his suitcase on the cot Hannah had set up and unzipped it. “I’ll shower and then you can show me where you grew up.”
Hannah nodded and headed back up the stairs. Once in the kitchen, she sat at the table and twirled the new accessory around her finger. Her thoughts turned to Logan and the kiss they’d shared yesterday. Her lips tingled from the memory. Shaking her head, she instantly felt stupid.
They’d slipped into a moment of insanity. That was what last night was. They’d both moved on from their high school feelings. She forced a smile. They were friends. That was all they could be.
LOGAN
Logan studied Charity as she stood at the top of the hill, glancing down at the blue mats that covered the hill in front of them. “Really?” she asked, nodding in their direction.
“It’ll be fun,” Logan said, smiling.
Flipping her hair over her shoulder, Charity gripped the sled.
“You’ll do awesome, Mommy,” Piper said.
She grumbled something under her breath, then plopped the sled down and sat on top of it. She shot Logan one last glare, then pushed off. The sled started off slow, but then picked up speed. Soon, she was screaming and careening into other sledders. Logan laughed.
Piper glanced over to him. “Mommy isn’t having too much fun, is she?”
Logan shrugged. “It’s good for Mommy to get out of her comfort zone once in a while.”
Piper chewed her lip. “Who was that person with Miss Hannah earlier?”
“Samson?”
Piper nodded.
“I’m not sure, sweetie. Why?” He studied her. She looked worried.
“I hope he doesn’t take Miss Hannah away.”
Logan wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “You like her, huh?”
Piper smiled up at him. “She’s my best friend.”
His heart felt as if it would burst.
“I tell her my secrets.”
Logan feigned a hurt expression. “I thought I’m your only secret keeper.”
Piper giggled. “You’re the daddy. The dragon slayer.”
Grabbing Piper around the middle, he tipped her to the side and brought her up by his hip. “Dragon? Did you say dragon? Where?” Pretending he had a sword, he swept it in front of him. “I’ll slay any dragon that threatens Princess Piper.”
Her giggle had turned into a full laugh as she tried to wiggle from his grasp. “Daddy, put me down. There are no dragons right now.”
He placed her down, then bowed on one knee. “Your highness.”
She pretended to knight him. “To the brave Sir Daddy. You have been knighted.”
He wrapped her into a hug. As he pulled back, he studied her. “You like Miss Hannah that much?”
Piper nodded. “I don’t want her to go.”
Reaching out, he swallowed as he ruffled her hair. He shared her sentiments.
They spent the next two hours riding sleds down the hill. After Charity’s fifth tumble into the trees, she gave up and stated she’d be sitting at the cafe while they finished. Logan waved to her as she walked away. He was grateful to have this time alone with Piper.
They were both red-cheeked and sweating as they walked into the cafe around lunchtime. Charity was sitting at the counter, sipping on an ice water. Logan walked up and flagged down a waitress.
“Two waters, please.”
“I want a lemonade,” Piper said.
“A water and a lemonade,” Logan corrected. The waitress smiled and disappeared.
“Are you guys done?” Charity asked after they settled in on the seats.
Logan glanced at Piper. “We done?”
“Yeah. I want to go home and get ready for the carnival.”
Charity looked at Logan. “We’re going to that?”
Logan nodded. “Yeah. I promised Audrey.”
Charity glanced at her fingernails. “It’s just not really my thing.”
Logan tried to ignore the hurt look that passed over Piper’s face. “Come on, Charity. Piper wants to introduce you to her friends.”
Piper nodded and smiled at her mom.
“Pumpkin, Mom’s really tired. Maybe next time. I’m not planning on going anywhere.”
Logan’s stomach lurched. He hated it when Charity made promises that she was clearly going to break. Then he’d be left to pick up the pieces. “Mommy shouldn’t make promises she can’t keep,” he said through gritted teeth.
Charity shot him a look. “I can make that promise.”
Logan narrowed his eyes. “It’s okay to be practical.”
“I am.”
Anger surged through Logan, but he didn’t want to fight in front of Piper. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a few quarters. “Why don’t you go over to the arcade and play a few games. I’ll order us food.”
Piper squealed, grabbed the coins, and headed toward the blinking game consoles. When she was out of earshot, Logan turned.
“Why did do that?”
Charity fiddled with her straw. “Doing what?” She sighed.
“Promise our daughter that you were here to stay.” He narrowed his eyes. “Especially when we both know you’ll leave the minute you get bored.”
She took a sip of her water. “Who says I’m going to get bored?”
“Experience.”
“Well, you’re wrong.”
He scoffed as he picked up a menu and tried to make out the words written on it. “Believe me, Char. I wish I was. For Piper’s sake, I wish I was.”
A warm hand engulfed his fingers. He glanced up at Charity.
“I don’t want to fight. I want to start up where we left off. Why can’t we try again? Piper deserves to have her mom and dad together.”
His chest constricted as he glanced over to Piper. She was cheering and pumping her fists in the air. As much as he wanted to fight it, he knew she was right. He was on a mission to make the women he cared about most happy. If being with Charity would make Piper happy—he’d do it.
He brought his thumb up and rubbed Charity’s hand with it. “Okay.”
Charity’s eyes lit up. “Really?”
No. But he wasn’t going to say that. “Yes.”
A smile broke out over her lips. “Great.”
The waitress came over, and Logan ordered lunch for him and Piper. Charity just waved her away, saying the water was just fine.
Fifteen minutes later, the food was dropped off at the table, and Logan motioned for Piper to come ov
er. Silence filled the air as they started eating.
A phone rang.
Logan felt for it in his back pocket. It was his. Pulling it out, he hit the talk button. “Hello?”
“Mr. Blake?”
“Yes.”
“This is Gertrude Templeton. I met you at the open house this morning?”
“Yes, Gertrude. What can I do for you?”
“Well, I contacted your financial advisor as you said…”
“And?”
“Well, the Kensingtons are willing to accept your full price offer if you are still in the market to buy.”
A surge of excitement rushed through him. “So, it’s mine?”
Gertrude hesitated. “Yes. It seems your finances are in order. They’d like to move forward with the sale as quickly as possible.”
Logan grinned. “Great. Yes, I’ll take it.”
“We’ll have the documents ready for you to sign after the holidays.”
“Perfect.”
Pulling the phone from his ear, he hit the end call button.
Two inquisitive gazes peered back at him.
“What was that?” Charity asked.
“It seems I bought a house,” Logan said.
Charity sputtered on the water she was drinking. Reaching out, she grabbed a nearby napkin. “A house?”
Logan nodded as he picked up a French fry and began to chew. Wow. What a rush. Maybe this being rich thing wasn’t so bad.
“Are we living there?” Piper asked. Then her face grew serious. “I don’t want to leave Granny.”
Logan’s stomach flipped. “Oh, no, honey. It’s not for us.”
“What? Then who’s it for?” Logan tried to ignore the accusatory look Charity was giving him.
“It’s for a friend,” he said.
Charity groaned. “Oh, no. Not Hannah.”
Logan watched her. “What does it matter who it’s for?”
Charity’s shoulders stiffened. “I just think we should discuss things before making big purchases like that.”
“What? It’s my dad’s money. Why should I have to run anything past you?”
Charity’s eye’s widened. Then she shook her head. “You’re right. I’m sorry. It’s your money—do with it what you want.”
Forgiving the Billionaire (A Clean Billionaire Romance Book 2) Page 13