Cricket Cove

by Haddix, T. L.

  “No, I just came out to get some air.”

  He got the feeling she wanted him to go away, which caused Logan’s perversity to kick in. Instead of leaving, he took a seat beside her and leaned back against the wall of the church.

  “You put on a nice wedding.”

  Her response was more of a grunt than a laugh. “Thanks. I’ll have to put it on my résumé.” She didn’t say anything else, and he decided to let the silence stretch between them. To his surprise, it wasn’t uncomfortable.

  After several minutes, she sighed and stood. “See you inside.”

  Logan watched her go, his thoughts jumbled. He didn’t know many women outside the military who had the ability to sit quietly and not feel the need to fill the silence with chatter. Hell, he didn’t know many men who could do it, either. He wasn’t sure whether Amelia had kept quiet because she didn’t need to speak or out of a desire to not talk to him in particular.

  Either way, sitting beside her in the dark had been intimate, one of the very scenarios he needed to avoid with Amelia. He couldn’t help running through all the things that could have happened had they not been so antagonistic toward one another. His imaginings started with a kiss and ended… well, they ended in a place they shouldn’t, in Logan’s bed. Even the cold chill of the December night couldn’t quell his desire.

  “It’s going to be a long night,” he told the starry sky as he stood, adjusting his clothing to hide his erection. It took several minutes of pacing beside the icy creek that ran behind the church before he was presentable enough to go back inside. “Just from a few minutes of sitting beside her. God help me.”

  His hip twinged as he went up the three steps that led to the door, and Logan gave a bitter laugh. It wasn’t enough that he desired a woman he could never have, but his injuries were apparently deciding to make themselves known. “Probably thanks to the damp and the cold.”

  Most of the time Logan played down the injuries he’d sustained. He had learned very quickly to hide his pain from Archer, as it worried his brother. But tonight he was tempted to use the wounds as an excuse to get away from the church. Away from Amelia.

  Much more time in her presence and he wouldn’t be responsible for his own actions. Somehow he didn’t think throwing Amelia over his shoulder and making for his cave would be an appropriate ending to Logan and Emma’s wedding.

  Chapter Seven

  Amelia grabbed a ride back to her house with Ben, Ainsley, and Jonah. It was late, almost midnight, by the time they left the church. They had to be back early the next morning to clean up from the ceremony, but she was so tired she felt like she could sleep until Monday.

  “So what’s up with Logan?” Ben asked as they pulled out of the parking lot.

  She shifted in her seat and put her feet in Jonah’s lap, whimpering as he slid her shoes off and started rubbing her feet. “You may have to carry me inside. I don’t know if I can stand to put those shoes back on,” she told him before addressing Ben. “What do you mean, what’s up with Logan?”

  Her brother’s shrug was a little too nonchalant for her comfort. “Nothing. It’s just that he was awfully interested in who you were dancing with tonight. By the way, Jonah, you’re too old for her.”

  Amelia sat up a little as everyone snickered. “He’s what?”

  “Logan thinks Jonah is too old for you.”

  In the front seat, Ainsley reached over and laid her hand on Ben’s shoulder. “Did you set him straight? Tell him that Jonah’s gay?”

  “I did not. I was enjoying watching him turn green with jealousy too much. So what’s going on with the two of you, Pip?” He glanced at her in the rearview mirror.

  Her cheeks felt like they were sunburned, they were so hot. “Nothing is going on between us. He can’t stand me for the most part, and I find him incredibly annoying.” She started taking her hair down to have something to do.

  Jonah’s hands were gentle as he worked the tension from her feet. “Didn’t look like he couldn’t stand you, not from my perspective. I noticed his glaring attention, but I figured it was more a gay disapproval thing than jealousy.”

  Amelia shook her head. “No. You guys are just imagining it. If he was glaring, it was because I did something he disapproves of.”

  Ben laughed outright. “Yeah. You were dancing with another man. Pip, for someone who’s a Cupid, you’re kind of oblivious. Maybe that’s how it works, though. You can’t see it for yourself.”

  “Believe me, I know how Logan feels about me, and there’s nothing remotely warm or flattering about it. He thinks I’m a frivolous waste of space.”

  There was shocked silence in the car. Ben actually pulled off the road and turned around in his seat to look at her.

  “Explain.”

  She cursed her loose lips, blaming it on her fatigue. “It’s nothing, Benny. I’m just tired.”

  “I don’t think so. You’ve said a couple of things today that just weren’t right. What’s going on, Amelia?”

  Jonah reached a hand out and she took it. “I overheard a conversation between him and Archer a few months ago. It wasn’t flattering to me, to say the least. Archer ripped him a new one, but still.”

  “Oh, sweetie. I’m sorry,” Ainsley said. “Is that why you’re so impertinent with him?”

  Amelia’s laugh was bitter, she knew. “For the most part, yes. I just liked to tweak his tail a bit at first, but then after I heard what I did, it seemed safest to keep the tone unpleasant. At least until I could hide what I knew. And now it’s just how we interact. Please, none of you say anything about this. Not to Logan, not to Archer or Emma. It’s embarrassing enough.”

  “I don’t have to say something to Logan to knock the hell out of him,” Ben growled.

  “Ben, that’s not going to help Amelia,” Ainsley chided. “If it would, I’d hold him down for you.”

  He clearly wasn’t happy but he conceded to her request. “Fine. We won’t tell anyone. But if he hurts you again? He’s mine.”

  Amelia gave a single nod. “Fair enough.”

  After a minute, he pulled back out on the road. They were quiet the last few miles, and Amelia could feel the anger rolling off her brother, even from the backseat. When they pulled up in her driveway, she sat up and touched his shoulder.

  “Benny, I’m fine. I had a pretty good blow dealt to my ego, but I’m fine. Don’t let this bother you, please. Before long I won’t even remember it happened.”

  “Bullshit,” he replied, though his voice was soft as he turned to face her. “I know you. I know how painful it had to be. And it isn’t like you can avoid seeing him. He’s family now, damn it all.”

  There wasn’t much Amelia could say in argument. He was right. Fortunately, Ainsley stepped in and took the attention off the situation with Logan. She handed her an envelope over the back of the seat.

  “Enough of him. This day has been too good to end on such a sour note. Emma and Archer wanted you to have that. Don’t open it until you get inside. And you’re not to show up at the church tomorrow. That’s an order from on high. There are plenty hands to go around and get things straightened up.”

  Tired, her emotions broke over her reserve. Amelia sniffed back tears and fingered the heavy paper of the envelope. “What did they do? This isn’t just a thank-you card, is it?”

  Ainsley’s smile was sweet. “No. You’ll like it, I promise—and you deserve it.”

  Once she was inside she opened the flap. There was a thank-you card inside, but there was also a slip of paper with a reservation number on it. Emma’s handwriting told her what the number was for.

  Dearest Baby Sister,

  You’ve worked so hard for us, and you’ve made what is traditionally a stress-filled ordeal an experience that was a pleasure to go through. We wanted to say thanks.


  I know how much you love the spa we go to occasionally in Lexington. We’ve always talked about spending a few days there at their full-service retreat. Well, guess what? They’re expecting you Monday for a three-night stay. I had Zanny and Rachel pick your brain, and I know you don’t have anything scheduled early in the week that won’t keep for a few days.

  Go have fun and get some rest. Accept this token of our thanks. It isn’t quite a happily ever after, but it’s the least we can do.

  With love,

  Emma and Archer

  “Damn it, Em.” Amelia wiped her wet cheeks with the heel of her hand. “I was expecting an engraved platter or something. Not this.” But the gift wasn’t really surprising now that she thought about it. She’d just been so distracted with everything the last week or so that she hadn’t noticed the probing questions. Hindsight was twenty-twenty. The spa sounded like heaven, and she didn’t want to wait until Monday to go.

  She did a quick walkthrough to make sure the house was locked down, grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, and went to the bedroom. She considered a shower but she was too tired even for that. Stripping out of the bridesmaid’s gown, she laid it on the chair beside the bed. The rest of her garments followed. As soon as she was undressed, she turned the lamp out and crawled into bed. Her mind drifted to the possibility that Logan really had been jealous of Jonah.

  “Dog in the manger, you know. For all the good it would do the man. I wouldn’t touch him with a ten-foot pole if he offered.”

  But part of her knew she would touch him. She wouldn’t let herself get emotionally involved with him, but if the opportunity presented itself, she probably would give in to the temptation he presented. In all her life, she’d never thought she’d be interested in sex without love, but there it was.

  As Ben drove around to his parents’ house where they were staying, the tension in the car was so thick it could almost be cut with a knife.

  “She’s not going to just forget about this,” he growled. “You do realize that, don’t you?”

  “Of course we realize that, but Ben, there’s nothing to do about it tonight. And it’s her decision. If Amelia doesn’t want us to interfere, we have to respect that decision.” Ainsley touched his shoulder. “But damn him, I’d like to get my hands on him right now.”

  “So would I,” Jonah added from the backseat, surprising Ben. The man was usually laid-back and gentle. “And I wonder about him. I saw the way he was looking at her tonight. Hell, we all did. He wants her.”

  “He can want until hell freezes over. He goes near her, I’ll rip his head off.” Ben was serious. He’d always been protective of Amelia, but after seeing her go through the tragedy of losing Jimmy, seeing what that loss had done to her, his protective instincts were stronger than ever. Add in the emotional stress of his impending fatherhood and it was taking all his willpower to not rip Logan Gibson limb from limb.

  Ainsley’s words shook him, however. “It isn’t just the way he looks at her. She looks at him similarly when she thinks no one else is watching. I think they’ve got a powerful attraction between them, despite what she thinks. If they could somehow manage to work out their demons… he might be her mate.”

  “You are out of your mind if you think I’m going to let him have my baby sister,” Ben told her with a soft caress down her arm to temper his words.

  “Let me remind you that things aren’t always as they appear, no matter what someone hears or reads or is told.” Her voice was gentle, but Ben still felt the reproach. More, he knew she had a valid point as much as he hated to admit it. Their own relationship had nearly been destroyed by her mother’s machinations. They’d spent five years apart because of the woman’s interference and had only by the grace of God found each other again.

  “If he hurts her again, I’m ripping his head off,” he countered as he parked beside his mother’s car.

  Ainsley nodded. “If that happens, you’ll have my blessing and then some. I just hope it doesn’t come to that. Though if it does? Honestly, there might not be enough of him left for you after Archer gets hold of him.”

  “She’s right,” Jonah said as they got out and made their way to the front door. “If you think you’re unhappy about this, I don’t even want to know how upset Archer would be. And given how long he and Emma have waited for each other, I think we’ll all have to work hard to pretend nothing is wrong. At least for a few weeks until they’ve had time to enjoy each other. It wouldn’t be fair to them to do anything else, or to Amelia. She’d feel so guilty if their honeymoon was ruined.”

  Ben conceded the point. “Then I guess we keep our mouths shut. Mom and Dad, John, Rachel—the whole rest of the family. If Pip wants them to know, she’ll speak up. But I don’t like it.”

  “Neither do we, love,” Ainsley assured him. “Neither do we.”

  Chapter Eight

  The three days went by much too fast. Thursday morning found her on the road home, feeling much closer to human than she had when she’d left Hazard. She’d called Lori before leaving, as she’d be missing their regular Tuesday-morning get-together.

  “Will you be okay?”

  “I’ll be fine. I’ve told you, you don’t have to stop by and bring groceries every week.”

  But Amelia felt that she did. Roger kept Lori on a very tight budget, so tight that she barely had enough money for groceries even though he made a good salary. He had laid the law down to her, had her trained so that she bought what he wanted first, and if she had any money left over after that, she could get what she needed and wanted.

  “I’ll stop by when I get back to town Thursday,” Amelia had promised.

  Now, feeling happy and relaxed, she turned off the main highway and down the secondary road Lori and Roger lived on. When she pulled up in the driveway that led to the small house, she was surprised to see that Lori’s little car wasn’t there.

  In addition to his restrictiveness with regards to the grocery budget, he only let Lori keep enough gas in her car to get to and from the store once a week, with a little extra just in case she needed it. He kept a close eye on her mileage, and if it exceeded what he thought it should, Amelia knew he would grill Lori for hours, making her retrace her steps over and over again until he was satisfied that she wasn’t meeting some other man.

  She sat there for a few minutes in the hopes that Lori would return, but she didn’t. After twenty minutes, Amelia gave up and headed to the library to browse for new books. Her mom wasn’t working this week, as she and Owen were keeping Sydney. Archer and Emma weren’t taking a honeymoon out of town as they’d both been off from their respective jobs in recent months, but they were taking the evenings for themselves. As they’d decided to wait until after the wedding to consummate their relationship, Amelia figured there wasn’t a single member of her family who would go knocking on their door this week unless there was an emergency.

  She took her time browsing, enjoying not having a full plate of responsibilities. When she made her way to the checkout desk, she was surprised to see Logan there. She plastered a smile on her face as she joined him.

  “Hey, stranger. What’s shaking?”

  He held up the paper he was filling out. “Getting my library card. How was Lexington?”

  “Wonderful. How are the newlyweds?”

  “I’ve only spoken to Archer once, and he sounded… um, tired but happy.”

  A laugh spilled out before she could prevent it. “I can’t imagine why he’d be tired.”

  There was a pregnant pause as Logan’s cheeks turned just a little pink, and then he snickered. “Must be staying up until all hours playing board games.”

  “I’m sure that’s it.”

  He finished the application and handed it to the lady behind the desk. They continued talking about trivial things while Amelia checked out.
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  “How’s Sydney taking the transition?” she asked as they walked toward the parking lot. “I’ve not made it to the farm yet.”

  “She’s good. I went up last night and went for a run,” he admitted in a low voice.

  His candor surprised her. When he’d found out months ago that Archer had shared the family secret with the Campbells, he’d been very unhappy. “You mean you shifted and went for a run?”

  “Yeah. And I stopped back by the house and let her see me as the cat. She went nuts.”

  Amelia was torn between amusement and the uncomfortable sensation of being jealous of her niece. “So did she get to pet your belly?”

  He huffed out a sigh but his lips were twitching. “She did.”

  “And?”

  “And what?”

  “Did you purr?” She threw the question at him over her shoulder.

  He stopped walking and gave a short bark of laughter. “Why am I not surprised that you asked that?”

  “You started this conversation.” Amelia turned to face him. When he didn’t answer, she gave him an innocent smile and waited. He finally caved.

  “Yes, I purred. It tickled like hell and I coughed for about five minutes when I first started, but I got the hang of it. Satisfied?”

  She nodded. “I’ll bet it made her week.”

  “The kid was pretty happy.”

  They went the rest of the way to her car and she unlocked the door, then set her books inside. “I guess I’ll head out. I’ve got a ton of things to catch up on now that I’m not planning a wedding.”

  He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked across the parking lot. “Do you maybe want to get a bite to eat?”