“Are you okay, BrennBrenn?” Jane lays her little hand on mine, and the negative feelings instantly disappear. She has owned my heart since the day she was born over three years ago.
“Yeah, sweetie. Do you want to watch some cartoons?” I ask, and she nods her head enthusiastically. “I’ll be right back,” I tell Logan before getting Jane settled on the couch with her favorite show.
When I get back to the table, Logan had already cleared the dirty dishes and is just sitting back down. I take a seat beside him, both of us with a view into the living room where Jane is laughing at the television.
“What are you thinking?” he asks, lacing his fingers through mine.
“So much. I just can’t comprehend why.”
“Have you heard from your sister?”
“No,” I say, rubbing my forehead with my free hand. “I tried calling again this morning, and her phone is still off.”
“Is there someone else you can call? Parents?”
I let out a dry laugh and shake my head. “No, and even if our mother knew anything, she wouldn’t tell me, just out of spite. Our relationship is sickening, to say the least. Besides, if she knew I had Jane, she would do everything she could to take her away from me. And as for my father, I haven’t seen nor heard from him since I was a child.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know yet. There is still so much to consider, but I know I need to do something because what Lynne did last night is unacceptable.”
Jane barks out a laugh, and I smile, knowing she is here with me and safe, but I have no real plan. How can I work when I now have a three-year-old to look after? I can’t very well bring her to the bar with me or even the office, so I would need to look into childcare, but I don’t know if I can afford that expense. This may be the push I need to accept Richard’s job offer. Before I left yesterday, he brought it up again and mentioned it being a permanent position within his law firm. I know I told Logan last night that I wanted more, but right now, I just need the stability.
“Didn’t you have to work today?” I ask, just now realizing it was a workday and he was here with me.
“I took a personal day.”
“You didn’t have to,” I start, but Logan places a finger across my lips, stopping me from saying any more.
“I had too many and needed to use them, so spending the day with two pretty girls seemed like the perfect opportunity.” He kisses my forehead and wraps an arm around me, bringing me to his side as I lay my head on his shoulder.
“I have some phone calls to make today and need to get things in order.”
“Please, let me help with whatever you need.” His fingers are gliding against my arm, causing my body to break out in chills.
“You being here right now is perfect and something I didn’t even realize I needed.”
It’s true, I have spent so much time alone, and it’s never been a problem for me, but when I try to imagine going through the past twelve hours without Logan, I just can’t. He has been amazing, showing me a completely new side of him I never knew existed.
When lunchtime rolls around, Logan decides we need to get out of the apartment, so Jane and I get dressed, and we head out for pizza. When I started keeping her more, I began buying and storing my own clothes for her. I never knew if Lynne would send her with anything, or if she did, it usually smelled so bad I hated to even bring it into my apartment. Feeling like she will be spending much more time with me now, I need to eventually go shopping and pick up a few more things for her.
We remove the car seat I kept for her from my car and secure it in Logan’s Range Rover. The drive to the restaurant is short, but we spend it singing along to Jane’s new favorite song on the radio. It is funny listening to her sing the words she thinks belong in the song when I know how far off she is. She is always so upbeat and full of life, which only makes me angrier at my sister.
The hostess seats us in a booth toward the back of the building, and Jane chooses to sit with Logan. I am still shocked at how quickly she has taken to him, but who could blame her with his charming ways.
He is so good and patient with her, listening to everything she has to say as though it is the most interesting thing he has ever heard. She lights up as she talks, and I just sit back and enjoy watching the two of them. Occasionally, the conversation will come back to me, and I can join in, but I’m content just admiring them. Seeing the kindness within Logan causes me to feel things I am not ready to acknowledge.
Jane needs to go to the restroom, so I stand and take her down the little hall. She is chattering on and on the entire time about Logan and how he is her new best friend. It’s easy to see how smitten she is with him, and I understand because I feel the same way.
We wash our hands and walk back out to our table, which now has a new guest sitting down. Jane is holding my hand, skipping next to me, and stops short when she sees Tanner sitting with his brother.
“I couldn’t believe my eyes when I found my brother here, eating pizza, instead of slaving away at work, but now I understand.” He stands from the booth and winks at me.
Jane jumps back into the booth with Logan, and after giving Tanner a brief hug, I slide in across from them. Tanner follows in behind next to me and puts his arm around my shoulder. I look up and see that Logan is not amused with his brother’s antics, causing him to laugh before removing his arm.
“This is even better than I thought.” Tanner laughs under his breath. “So you must be Jane? Your aunt has told me so much about you.”
“Who are you?” she asks, sitting up tall.
“I’m Tanner. That guy sitting next to you is my brother, and I am a good friend of Brenna’s.”
I love how both of the guys haven’t treated Jane as though she is a baby and instead engage with her more maturely. She has always been a bit of an old soul.
“Well, if you’re brothers with my best friend, then I guess we can be friends too.” She puckers her lips in thought before nodding to herself.
“Why does he get to be your best friend?” Tanner asks, sounding hurt.
“He makes my BrennBrenn smile, a lot.” She leans over the table like she wants to tell him a secret. “I think she likes him and wants him to be her boyfriend,” she says, loudly and not in a whisper.
My face heats up, and I know it’s beet red. I don’t know her announcement embarrasses me, but I feel better when I look up and see Logan’s wide smile.
“You, Miss Jane, have just become my new best friend.” Tanner laughs. “Do you like games?” he asks, and she nods her head quickly. “How about we go check out that arcade room? If it’s okay with your aunt.”
Her big brown eyes turn to me, and I couldn’t tell her no even if I wanted to. “Go ahead, but you have to listen to Tanner, and you both had better behave.” I use my stern voice and have them both moving their heads up and down.
“Yes, ma’am,” Tanner says, saluting me.
“Yes, ma’am,” Jane repeats.
“Here, let me give you some money.” I reach for my wallet, but Tanner stops me.
“No way. This is on me. I love any excuse to play in an arcade.”
They take off in the direction of the game room, and I watch as Jane grabs Tanner’s hand. He looks back at the table with a blinding smile on his face. How quickly this girl has wrapped both Tate boys around her little finger is amazing.
Logan stand and moves over to my side of the booth, sliding in next to me, so we can watch the two kids play.
“So,” he says, resting his hand on my knee, “a little birdy said you might like me.”
“Really? You’re going to listen to a three-year-old?”
“She thinks you want me to be your boyfriend. I was kind of hoping she was right.”
My attention shoots to him, and I stare in shock, waiting for the laugh and joke to come, but it never does. I hold his gaze and see he is serious.
“She may have been on to something,” I admit and e
njoy watching his lips stretch into a grin.
“Yeah? Brenna, you want me to be your boyfriend?”
I slap my hand against his chest. “What, are we in grade school? Are you going to ask me to go steady?”
“It depends. Will you wear my letterman’s jacket?”
I laugh out loud and watch as his face stays serious. “Will you walk me to class and carry my books?”
“Of course, as long as you hold my hand.”
“Oh, I think we can arrange a little more than handholding.” I lean up and press my lips against his.
“That’s what I’m talking about.” Leaning down, he deepens the kiss, and I get lost in the moment, but all too soon, he pulls away, and I remember where we are.
I laugh it off, turning my focus back to where Jane is having a blast with Tanner. Her hands are pressed against the glass of the claw machine as she watches him move the toggle around looking for the right angle. Eventually, he hits the button, and even from a distance, I can see the look on Jane’s face and know he is about to become her second best friend.
Chapter 7
“Lynne, it’s me again. Please call me back. I want to know you’re all right, and in case you forgot, I have your daughter.”
I end the call and toss my phone onto the coffee table. After lunch, we came back to my apartment to watch movies. It wasn’t long before Jane fell asleep and we moved her to my bed. She had a fun day with the Tate brothers and officially moved Tanner up to best friend status. She had three new stuffed animals from the claw machine before leaving the restaurant.
“Anything?” Logan asks, sinking down into the couch next to me.
“Nope. I don’t know what I am supposed to do. I can’t keep calling out of work. That’s not going to pay the bills. I definitely don’t know anything about daycares or if I would even be able to enroll her because I’m not her parent.”
“When is your next shift at the bar?”
“Tomorrow night. I’m sure Claire wouldn’t mind watching Jane. She has a little girl, and they love to play together.”
“Jordan’s girl?” he asks, slipping his fingers between mine.
“Yeah, they actually live across the hall. Well, Jordan hasn’t officially moved in, but the guy never leaves.”
Logan’s phone rings from the kitchen, so releasing my hand, he stands from the couch to fetch it. As he takes his call, I pick up my cell and send Claire a text.
I need a favor.
Claire: Does it have anything to do with your new frequent house guest? Jordan saw you guys come in.
We have some catching up to do about that. Jane is staying with me for a while. Would you be able to watch her tomorrow night while I work?
Claire: Of course. Emma was just asking about her. But you will be filling me in about you and lover boy.
Thank you! And I promise to give you the lowdown.
“That was my uncle,” Logan says, returning to the living room. “He was hoping I would be able to reach you and beg you to return to his office. Apparently, he doesn’t feel anyone is capable of fulfilling the job other than you.”
I laugh, imagining that Richard was exaggerating again. “I’m not sure that job will be in the cards for me. At least not right now.”
“About that …”
“What?”
“I hope you don’t mind, but I lightly touched on your current situation with my uncle.” He stops talking to gauge my reaction. Not sure how I feel about Richard knowing my problems, I just nod my head, hoping he will continue. “All I told him was that your niece is staying with you. I didn’t mention the details, and I know Trevor won’t say anything, either.”
“Okay. At least he won’t think I’m just flat turning the job down. I’m honored he wants to hire me, but I don’t have anywhere for Jane to go right now.”
“Well, we think we might have a solution for the time being, so you can take the job and Jane will be taken care of during the day.”
I turn my body, bending my knees to the side so I can face Logan. “I told you I couldn’t enroll her in daycare, and I’m fairly certain I wouldn’t be able to afford it even if I could.”
The thought of not being able to provide for Jane hurts. She deserves nothing but the best, and I will bend over backward for her, which makes it hard to understand how a mother could abandon her child like this.
“I know you said that. Trevor’s wife, Gabby, stays home with their little boy, and he’s close to Jane’s age. She would be more than willing to watch Jane for you while you work. She was a teacher for ten years before their son was born, so she has experience with kids. I can give her a call, and we can go by their house so you can meet her and Jane can meet TJ.”
I blink and release the tears I had been building up, swiping my hand across my cheeks to clear them away.
Logan looks puzzled but quickly pulls me into his arms. “Are you upset with me?”
My head moves against his chest, shaking back and forth. With a sniffle, I sit back up and clean my face, but Logan grabs my hands and gently wipes my cheeks.
“No, I’m not upset. Why are you doing all this for me? I’ve spent years getting by without anyone’s help, and then you come along and have done so much for me in the past two days. It’s just a lot to take in.”
“I told you, Brenna. I care about you. I want to help you and so does my uncle. He saw something in you the first day you worked for him, and he has great instincts.” He presses his lips to my forehead, his hands cradling my face. “Let me help you. It won’t make you any less of a person to accept help when needed. I hate that you have been alone this long, but I’m telling you now that from here on out, you will never be alone again.”
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Logan.” Our gazes lock, but all I see is sincerity in his deep blues.
“I never do.”
A high-pitched scream comes from my room, and we both jump up and bolt down the hall. Opening the door, I see Jane curled up on my comforter, her pink blanket squeezed against her chest and sobs pouring out.
The mattress dips as I sit down next her and she lifts her head. Red eyes stare up at me, causing my heart to break.
“It’s okay, sweet angel,” I say soothingly, rubbing my hand up and down her back.
She stares at me, but at the same time, she doesn’t seem fully awake. After a few moments, she blinks and throws herself into my arms, wrapping her tiny body around me.
“Shhh, it’s okay. I’m right here,” I whisper as I continue to calm her down, rocking us back and forth.
Logan sits down beside me; one arm goes around my waist and the other joins mine on Jane’s back. She jerks from the touch and lifts her head from where it’s buried in my chest and glances toward Logan.
“Hey, are you all right, baby girl?” he asks her quietly.
Her little head nods, and I stop our rocking motion. Her cries have subsided, leaving her with her pitiful sniffles. Unwrapping her arms from my neck, she reaches out for Logan. His eyes meet mine, and I nod my head, releasing my hold on her before he takes her in his arms. My heart warms at the way she latches onto him, and he whispers sweet words to her.
After a few minutes, Jane has her sniffles under control, and I watch as Logan’s thumbs wipe away her cheeks, much like he did mine earlier. At this moment, I can feel myself falling a little more in love with him.
“Did you have a bad dream?” I ask once she has fully calmed down.
“I don’t remember,” she says, still holding Logan. “BrennBrenn?”
“Yeah, sweetie?” I place my hand above Logan’s on her back.
“I think I went potty,” she whispers before burying her head into Logan’s shirt.
My eyes meet Logan’s, and he nods his head.
“It’s okay. Come on, let’s go take a bath, and we will get you all cleaned up.” I take her from Logan, and that’s when I notice the big wet spot on her clothes as well as his.
I mouth, “Sorry,” to Logan, but
he holds a hand up to stop me and smiles.
“How about I call Gabby while you take care of Jane?” he asks, standing from my bed.
“That would be great. Thank you.”
Pressing a kiss to the side of my head and Jane’s, he walks out to the living room while I take Jane to the bathroom. I set her down, and she removes her wet clothes while I fill up the tub with water and her favorite bubbles.
“Do you think Logan is mad at me?” her sweet voice asks me.
Looking over my shoulder, I find her standing with her head down, chin to her chest. I shut the water off and pull her closer to me.
“No, sweet angel. He’s not mad at you. No one is. It was just a little accident.”
“Okay,” she says, and I see tears pooling in her baby blues.
“I love you, you know that?”
“Love you too, BrennBrenn,” she responds, still sounding upset.
My fingers tickle her sides, gaining a few giggles and a huge smile. Lifting her up, I place her in the tub among lots of bubbles, and it doesn’t take long before she is playing with her toys, the past half-hour forgotten.
Leaving the bathroom door open, I walk out and find Logan pressing paper towels to his shirt. He lifts his head when he hears me approach, and as a smile spreads across his face, he doesn’t look like a guy who has a child’s urine all over him.
“How is she?” he asks.
“She’s in there playing, so I think all is good again. She did ask me if you were mad at her.”
He wads up the paper towels and tosses them in the trash can. “Poor girl, there is no way I could be mad at her.”
“I told her you weren’t. It would probably break her little heart if her best friend was mad at her.”
Stepping closer, he hooks an arm around my waist and tugs me to his body. “I can’t have that. She might replace me with Tanner.” He scrunches up his nose, and I laugh at how cute he looks. “Gabby is over the moon about keeping Jane and can’t wait to have a little girl to play with. She invited us over for dinner tonight. Does that sound okay with you?”
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