After Six

by Jeannette Winters

  Cori got up from her seat and carried her laptop over to sit next to him on the sofa. She didn’t say anything. There was no need. Logan’s words were clear.

  “I’m sorry. From what I’ve gathered so far, James was a . . . difficult person.”

  Logan chuckled at her choice of words. “Difficult would’ve been a blessing. Let’s just say he tried teaching us his value of human life. Thank God, it didn’t stick.” At least, we believe we’re better than him.

  “What was it about him that hurt you the most?” Her voice was so soft and filled with compassion.

  “I guess that’s the problem. I haven’t found anything that I liked or respected about him. So what hurts the most I’d say is just being his son. You’re not the first person who’s wanted a story, and I’m sure you won’t be the last. But I don’t think you’re here to learn what good my siblings and I have done. You, like everyone else, just want to know if we’re like him.” Logan searched her eyes as he asked, “Can you tell me you’re any different from them?”

  She looked at her computer then back at him and shook her head. “I wish I could.”

  Logan reached out and touched her cheek. “So do I.” He got up and said, “I agreed to start the interview today, but I never said when it would end. If you don’t mind, I’d rather we pick this up again tomorrow night, after I get off work and do my rounds at the hospital.”

  Cori closed her laptop and walked him to the door. He could tell she didn’t want to do this tonight any more than he did. The problem was, once the interview ended, what would they have to hold them together? The attraction was undeniable, but once she learned how fucked up he was on the inside, she’d run. And she should.

  He’d resisted kissing her goodnight, but it haunted him the entire ride home. It didn’t seem right. Not after the way he’d snatched her phone and spoken to her. Logan had never needed to watch or think about how he treated another person. All his connections outside the family were professional. Either they were colleagues, patients, or patients’ relatives. She fit in none of those categories, and he was struggling to figure out exactly what slot to put her in. Professional or personal? He wasn’t foolish enough to believe they could be both.

  Chapter Six

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  Cori had spent the entire night reading through every single piece of information she had on James. She had compiled a large file on him, yet she knew it was far from complete. It was all based on business, which did, in fact, showcase him as a tyrant. Although she didn’t doubt that for a minute, Logan confirmed the picture she’d painted of James was accurate, but only to a point. She wished she had details of what James was like as a father, but Logan had alluded to enough to show that James was even worse than she’d imagined. That’s shocking, because I now imagine you as a total asshole.

  Pushing Logan for more would’ve been easy, yet not kind at all. So she did the only thing she could and let him leave. They were meeting again tonight, but she knew he would’ve put up many walls since their last meeting. She was going to need to prepare a list of questions ahead of time and take into consideration that he might not be receptive to them. Refusing to move forward on the interview was the worst that could happen. That didn’t mean she would give up gathering what she needed. It’d mean she’d have to reach out to another Henderson. And I don’t think Logan wants that either.

  This wasn’t the story she was looking for, the one that showed the inner dynamics of the Henderson family, but since it was brought up, she couldn’t help herself. If she could get proof that James was involved in the death of Grandpa Joe, the family story would be icing on the cake.

  There was a voice in her head that reminded her to be careful. Although Logan didn’t seem to be like his father, she only had her gut to go on. She wished Grandpa Joe were alive to guide her. He’d have all the answers. Then again, if he were alive none of this would matter. She wouldn’t give two cents about the Hendersons or what James and his sons were like.

  But Grandpa wasn’t alive, and James was responsible. Yet, with this new development, Cori questioned if she was wrong about why James went after Joe. She knew they weren’t in the same line of business, so it wasn’t about competition in the wine industry. Joe had wines that had far exceeded expectations. Some of his bottles cost more than two thousand dollars. Could his death be over something as trite as James being disappointed with his purchase and lashing out by destroying the vineyard? From what Logan said, there wasn’t anything good about the man. But that seemed so extreme.

  Cori picked up the copy of the police report again that detailed what had happened. She didn’t know why she hadn’t noticed it before. The report stated the fire started in the fields. That wouldn’t have spread through the entire vineyard. They had to have used an accelerant in different locations at the same time. It was the only explanation why they couldn’t contain it and were caught in the middle with no way out.

  It was painful reading this again, but she needed to. It called to her as though without her it would all be forgotten. I promise, Grandpa, that won’t happen.

  As she flipped through photos she came across one of the main wine cellar. It had been damaged but not completely burned. Her fingers traced over the large wooden barrels that once contained some of the finest wines. She’d spent many hours watching them test the wine to make sure it was ready. Only then did it make it into the bottles, ready for sale.

  There’d been rows of bottles on the racks, filled and waiting to be picked for deliveries. They all ended up on the floor, crushed. Like every dream Grandpa had.

  It wasn’t so much what the report said that troubled her. They stated what they found, but made no mention of what they didn’t find that should’ve been present. No footprints or no fingerprints at all, even on the door leading to the wine cellar. There should’ve been dozens based on the staff Grandpa had working there. Someone had gone to a lot of trouble to make sure their presence would never be uncovered.

  If James was involved, his money could have bought off any forensic data to cover up the evidence or paid to plant things to make it look accidental. She needed to find who and how. She knew James hadn’t flown to the West Coast to start the fire himself. He was dirty, but from what she’d learned, he didn’t get his hands dirty directly. That meant he had a hired hand. Was that person still doing business with the Hendersons? Was he on their payroll? If so, she needed to find him.

  Cori wanted to mention the vineyard last night to see what reaction she’d get, but it didn’t seem like the right time. Even their brief conversation seemed to rekindle something deeper than the pain of the loss of a bad father. Each time Logan mentioned James’s name, there was a look of total disgust, and she knew he absolutely despised the man. That makes two of us.

  Although her emotions ran dark when she thought of James, she still couldn’t relate to Logan’s feelings. The man was nothing to her, but he was Logan’s father. Cori wasn’t ready for such a strong reaction from him. Before she brought forth her accusations of James killing her grandpa, she needed to make sure none of them had known about it all this time. That wasn’t going to be easy to do. If the police couldn’t come up with any substantial proof, what made her think she could?

  She wasn’t sure what Logan even remembered from back then. He was five years older than her, making him forty. That meant he would’ve been ten when her grandpa was killed. Logan wouldn’t have had any knowledge of what James was involved in. It was possible he’d never heard about the fire at the vineyard, as it took place on the opposite side of the country. Until she was one hundred percent sure, she needed to keep this to herself.

  Sarah knew Cori’s suspicions but was absorbed in her own life, and she didn’t believe her theory anyway. That was to be expected. As the oldest, she’d inherited all the money and was supposed to use it to take care of them both. The money was used, but Sarah chose to spend it on expensive trips and gaudy jewelry. It did, however, attract men to Sarah, and she was more
than generous with them.

  Cori, on the other hand, used the small amount Sarah shared with her to go to college. As far as she was concerned, education was the best investment. Since she was still at the bottom of her field at the news station, she questioned if she should’ve had a little bit of fun with it instead. But she couldn’t bring herself to do so. She was just like her grandpa: work hard for everything you get and only then can you genuinely appreciate what you’ve earned. Too bad I’ve earned what amounts to peanuts.

  Grandpa Joe seemed so vivid in her mind now, thirty years later. Even though she’d been the younger sister, Cori was Grandpa’s shadow every day. Sarah on the other hand never wanted anything to do with the vineyard and was bored hearing the stories of the the difference of grapes and the entire process for making some of the best wines. Hence why Sarah barely remembered him at all, and when Cori spoke of their childhood, Sarah didn’t seem interested in talking about the old days one bit. And I can’t seem to let them go.

  She closed the file and opened her laptop. There were files she kept under password, so if anyone ever hacked her computer, they couldn’t steal her work. Not all her files made that list. She was working on a story right now that had to be submitted to the editor by the end of the night. This was what she was being paid for, and as far as she was concerned, it wasn’t worth a dime. Each week she needed to interview a person with a different sexual fetish.

  First of all, she could only imagine what her search engine looked like. If there was something kinky out there, she had researched it and written an article about it. Cori wasn’t a prude by any means, and since taking on these assignments, her eyes were opened to so much more than her imagination could process.

  The one she researched this past week made her laugh several times. Thankfully the interview had been over the phone. Which in itself was a bit odd based on the subject matter, but it would’ve been so much worse in person. Half the time she needed to push mute on her phone. She didn’t know such a thing existed. At first, he seemed like a man who enjoyed cooking, as he described many delicous recipes. He’d had her mouth watering. The man was into feeding women. At first, she liked that idea. Let me sit on the couch, you cook and bring me the food. If she could date him and the guy who got off cleaning houses, her life would be made. But as she spoke to him longer, he kept asking for pictures of her stomach. She didn’t get it. It wasn’t like sexting, but it had struck her as odd. By the third time he asked, she had him explain why. And he did.

  It all went downhill from there. He went into details, which made her wish her brain was like a chalkboard and could be easily wiped clean. Instead, she had to hold on to each word, so she could quote it properly. Sometimes I hate my job.

  How she was able to pull off writing this article about men who get off, literally, on feeding women until they become obese was beyond her. But as she read it again, her writing was spot on, even though the material made her laugh. Who would’ve thought Feederism was a real thing?

  Another week done. She couldn’t wait until she had options for what she wrote and for whom. She knew the story on the Hendersons was the way out of this dead-end job. It would be her mark on true journalism. That day can’t come fast enough.

  She attached the file and sent it to her editor. Then she lay back and broke out in laughter. I don’t think I’ll ever let a man buy me dinner again.

  “Bennett, I know what I’m doing.” That wasn’t totally accurate. He was supposed to be gathering intel, and instead he felt as though he gave away a bit too much.

  “You’re lucky she isn’t a real investigative reporter or you’d be in trouble. From what I’ve read, you should be okay. And if she does write a story about you, I plan on laughing my ass off.”

  He knew exactly why too. Cori seemed so proper, but when she wrote, she blew his mind away. It didn’t seem to fit who she was. Or maybe it does. “Trust me, that’s not the story she’s after.”

  “It would be better if it was. If she gets wind of Tabiq, she’s not going to stop until she knows why we’re there.”

  “Then don’t go.”

  Bennett grunted. “Shaun is going to meet his mother. If you think telling him to wait while you handle this reporter your way is going to go over well, then you don’t know your brother.”

  He got it. Shaun wanted his mother to be part of his children’s lives. That’s great. They could all be one big happy family. Damn. I even sound like a jackass in my head. He wanted to be happy for Shaun, just like he wanted to be for everyone else. All he could see was complications. For him, it wasn’t fear of what he’d find, as much as what he wouldn’t find.

  They all expected to find the part of them that had been missing. Logan’s problem wasn’t what he was lacking. It was what he’d struggled with all his life. Finding a mother that he never knew wasn’t going to change that. If anything, it could make him bitter. I can’t miss what I never had. I can only hate what I did.

  “She won’t find out from me.” That was one thing he was sure of.

  “That wasn’t the answer I hoped for. What do you know that you’re not telling me?”

  He’d forgotten how good Bennett was at deciphering things over the phone. “She went to a family gathering.”

  There was a brief, unexpected moment of silence. It was rare to throw Bennett off. “I might be out of the country, but Zoey usually mentions things like this.”

  “Ah. It wasn’t a Henderson party. Shaun’s in-laws celebrated their anniversary, and Cori was invited.”

  Bennett’s tone spoke louder than his voice. “What the hell! When did this take place?”

  “Yesterday.”

  “I didn’t know they knew each other.”

  “She was hit by a car in front of their house a few days ago. They took her in, and they had Shaun take her to the hospital to get checked out, and then he took her home. If Elizabeth likes you, you can’t run from her. Guess she likes Cori.” So do I. Just for different reasons.

  “This is not good. You have no idea what happened there.”

  “Yes, I do. I made sure I showed up and kept an eye on her the entire time.” Couldn’t have stopped if I tried. He wasn’t going to mention kissing her as that was only going to fuel the fire. Besides, it wasn’t any of Bennett’s business. The only thing he needed to worry about was making sure the family was safe. Logan’s gut said Cori wasn’t a real threat.

  “You better keep a close eye on her, Logan. Shaun’s leaving in the morning, and we don’t want her asking any questions about where he is. I’ll confirm with him that his in-laws don’t know anything. Damn, this is one fucking mess. You Hendersons only do things the hard way.”

  Logan laughed. “This is coming from a guy who served many years in the Marine Corps? Shit, I guess we are fucked up then.”

  Bennett chuckled. “You don’t know the half of it.”

  I don’t think I want to. He ended the call because it was time to pick up Cori. For some odd reason, she burst out laughing when he offered to buy her dinner. She was a strange one, and he found that refreshing. She wasn’t easily impressed by anything he said or did. Heck, if anything it put her off. Cori was a challenge and one he looked forward to seeing again.

  When he picked her up, she insisted they go to a coffee house, and she would pay. Tonight she was in a take-charge mood. She picked the destination and led the conversation. He felt more like he was along for the ride instead of on a date with her.

  On the way back he couldn’t stand it any longer. Something had changed from yesterday, and he needed to know what.

  “Cori, you seem . . . different tonight. Even your questions weren’t what I expected. I mean everything you asked you could’ve found out on your own. It’s public knowledge.”

  She looked out the window and wouldn’t meet his eyes. What she didn’t realize was he could see her reflection in the glass.

  “I figured you’d had a long day at work, so I’d keep the interview simple and short.”
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br />   That was such bullshit. There was something else going on, and he wanted to know. Pushing her for the answer might get one he wouldn’t like. Instead, he opted for a different route. “I appreciate that. Thank you. But I’m sure you have a deadline for this story. Why don’t we meet tomorrow again and this time we’ll eat. I don’t know about you, but after a long day at work, coffee doesn’t cut it for me.” Neither does this night ending so soon.

  She turned and faced him. “Only if I buy.”

  He arched a brow. “I’m okay with equal rights for women, but I prefer to pay.”

  “Hmm. I’ll make a note of that.” She giggled and added, “For the article.”

  As they pulled up to her apartment, he leaned over and brushed his lips against hers. She sat back and looked startled. He said softly, “For the article.”

  She blushed, and he smiled as he watched her exit the limo all flustered. Maybe you will write one of those sex articles about me. He leaned back and burst out laughing. You are certainly a fascinating woman, Cori. I want to know everything about you.

  How that was going to happen without her learning everything about him . . . well, that remained to be seen.

  Chapter Seven

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  Cori wasn’t sure what to do. Logan had texted her in the afternoon to cancel dinner that night. He said there was a medical emergency. There was no reason not to believe him because he was a highly sought-after surgeon. It was more surprising that he’d spent this much time with her.

  But today she hadn’t heard one word. Her stomach was grumbling, and she wasn’t going to wait to eat just because he might call. So she ordered her favorite pineapple pizza for delivery and changed out of the just-in-case-he-called clothes into a pair of lounge pants with a tank top. If she had her way, she’d go braless all the time. Maybe that can be my next article. Women who hate bras.