“Yeah. I hope we can too.” To Logan’s surprise, he’d actually meant it.
When Charlie had knocked on his door that morning, fishing rods in hand, he almost hadn’t answered it. But then he’d remembered Drew asking if Charlie had said that he was sorry and saying that he would do anything to be able to go fishing with his own dad. So, instead of doing what he’d really wanted to, which was crawl back into bed and pull the covers over his head like he’d been doing for the last week, he’d said yes.
Being out on the lake with Charlie had been good. They hadn’t talked much, which Logan had appreciated. They’d just fished in comfortable silence. It was actually the first time Logan had ever felt like he had a dad in his life. And he hadn’t realized how much he’d needed it.
Since Emma and Drew had left, his life had pretty much completely turned to shit. All he did all day was miss them. For thirty years, he’d gotten through each day just fine. Sure, he’d had bad days, but he’d never felt like something was missing. He’d never felt lost.
As they turned off the main road and headed towards home, Charlie slapped his hands on his thighs. “So I haven’t seen Blondie and The Kid around much.”
Logan was pretty sure Charlie knew exactly where “Blondie and The Kid” were. This was Hope Falls. Everyone knew where they were. But he figured that, since they were almost home, he might as well play along.
“Yeah. They’re staying over at Mountain Ridge.”
“Oh yeah. I’d heard something about that.” Charlie nodded. “Did it just get too crowded over at your place?”
The last person he was going to talk to about this was his father, who’d abandoned his children and their mother. Tightening his grip on the wheel, Logan stared straight ahead.
“Look.” Charlie’s voice grew serious. “I knew they’d moved out, and everyone has a different story as to why. It’s none of my business. I know that.”
Logan felt a “but” coming.
“But the thing is—”
There it is.
“—I thought the two of you made a real nice couple. Seeing you two together was the first time I saw you look truly happy. I know that I’m probably not the person you want to talk to about this, but I just want you to know that I’m here, son. I’m here if you want to talk.”
Maybe it was because he’d been in his house for the last six days without any human contact. Maybe it was because he just needed to vent. Or maybe Charlie was a better counselor than Logan gave him credit for. But, whatever the reason, Logan did something he’d never thought he’d do.
He talked—really talked—to his dad.
“It doesn’t matter if I was happy or not. It would never work.”
“Why’s that?” Charlie asked with zero judgment.
“I’m fucked up. That’s why. Emma and Drew, they deserve someone who isn’t dealing with the things I am.”
“Are you talking about the PTSD, the incident on the job?”
“How do you know abou—” Halfway through the question, he realized the answer and he swore under his breath. “Fucking Lucky.”
“Your brother is worried about you. When he found out you were staying across the street from me, he thought I should know, just in case I could help,” Charlie explained.
“You’ve known this whole time?” Logan was going to kill his brother.
“Yeah. And, Logan, let me tell you something. I’ve seen fucked up, okay? I was fucked up. A lot of the people I counsel are fucked up. But you, son—you are not fucked up.
“That stuff on the job? You did what you had to do. Everyone sees that—except you. So let me ask you something. What if it had been Lucky in your situation? Or Levi or Adam? And they’d done exactly what you did. Would you think of them what you think of yourself?”
Shit. Logan had never thought of it that way. If one of his brothers or his cousin had walked into what he had and done what he did, he would’ve thought they’d done exactly what they’d needed to do.
“Look, no thanks to me, you turned out to be a good man. A really good man. Levi did a great job with you and your brother.” Charlie started getting choked up, and it hit Logan right in the chest. “I’m sorry that I was such a fuck-up when you were kids. I said and did things I would do anything to take back, but I can’t. There’s nothing I can do to make up for the past. All I can do is call it as I see it now, and let me tell you something, son. Emma and Drew love you and I know you love them. They would be lucky to have you. Just as lucky as you would to have them.”
Charlie’s words shouldn’t have meant anything to him. He shouldn’t have cared about anything he had to say. But they did and he did.
As they came around the corner of their street, he saw an unfamiliar, black SUV was parked in his driveway.
“Who the hell is that?”
His question was answered when his twin brother stepped out of the driver’s side and waved.
“What the hell is Lucky doing here?” Logan asked as he pulled into his driveway.
Before he had even cut the engine, Lucky had opened Logan’s door and had him in a half-headlock, half-hug thing.
While stepping out of the truck, Logan had to admit that, even though he was pissed at his brother, it was good to see him. So, as he hugged him back, he repeated his question.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
“I’m training here.” Lucky threw his arms up like he was a gymnast who’d just landed a dismount before hugging Charlie. “It’s good to see you, Pops.”
“You’re what?” This was the first Logan was hearing about it.
“Yeah. I moved my training to Hope Falls. You’re here, Levi’s here, Adam’s here, Pops is here—I felt left out.”
He knew that his brother was “joking,” but that was probably closer to the truth than Lucky wanted to admit. He was only younger than Logan by five minutes, but he definitely acted like the baby of the family. He never wanted to miss anything or be “left out.”
“Where are you staying?” Logan asked.
“With you,” Lucky answered like it was a no-brainer. “I mean, when Emma and Drew were here, I had planned on renting a place above the gym space I rented, but now that they’re headed back to Seattle, I figured you’ve got the space.”
“They’re headed back to Seattle?” This was also news to Logan.
“Yeah. I stopped by the Roadhouse on my way into town, and Shelby was heading out to some going-away party for Drew and Emma.”
Logan’s head was spinning. It had been bad enough when they were just across town. He couldn’t even imagine them being two states away.
“I was just about to head over there. I haven’t seen Em in years, and—”
Not waiting to hear the rest of what Lucky had to say, Logan got back in the truck. He was pulling out of the driveway before Lucky could get another word in. His brother, who was in insane shape because of his MMA training, was able to make his way around the hood and get in the through the passenger’s side door.
It was actually fairly impressive—not that he would admit it to his brother.
“You boys have fun!” Charlie waved from the driveway, a smile from ear to ear on his face.
“So, what’s the plan?” Lucky asked as they sped down the road, his eyes gleaming like the time they had plotted to shoplift cigarettes when they were twelve. They’d never made it to the store because Levi had caught them in the mid-planning stage and said that if they ever did anything stupid like that, he would kick both of their asses and take them to prison himself.
When Logan didn’t answer, Lucky clapped.
“No plan. Got it. Just going in blind. I like it, bro.”
The only plan Logan had was to stop Emma from going back to Seattle. How he would accomplish that? He had no idea.
*
“And to the newest residents of Hope Falls, Emma and Drew!” Amanda raised her champagne glass in cheers as the rest of the book club members said in unison, “To Emma and Drew.�
�
Emma clinked glasses with Shelby, Lily, and Amy, the three women who were seated by her on the couch. As all the women cheered, the talk migrated to Karina’s wedding and the toasts she’d missed because she and Logan had left early. She checked out the window and saw Noah and Drew in the middle of an epic Nerf Gun war. The scene was just one more confirmation that she’d made the right decision.
Taking a deep breath, she brought the champagne to her lips. Then she took a fairly sizeable gulp. Though what she was doing was the best thing for her and Drew, that didn’t mean she wasn’t a little—a lot!—worried about it.
After she’d left Logan’s house almost a week ago, she’d written. And written, and written, and written. The story had just flowed out of her. Not only had she typed “the end” on When It’s Magic, she was ten days ahead of schedule on When It’s Fate.
Apparently, she worked well with a broken heart. Last night, she’d heard from Lana and Caroline. They both agreed that When It’s Magic was some of her best work. They’d both been very happy with who Tina had ended up with.
So, when she had been packing up to leave this morning, she should’ve been ecstatic. She had a good jump-start on her next manuscript, and the book she’d been working on for four years wasn’t a complete disaster.
Sure, all week she’d been missing Logan like crazy, but she’d made peace with it. He was a great man. An honest man. And she didn’t regret a minute, a second, of the time they’d spent together. She didn’t regret telling him that she loved him.
As one of Drew’s coaches was fond of saying, she’d left it all out on the field.
Since that was the case, there had been no reason for her to feel so anxious as she’d folded their clothes and put them in their luggage. But she had. With every shirt, sock, and pair of pants she placed in their bags, she’d grown more and more unsettled.
Then Amanda had knocked on the door to ask if she needed help packing and it had hit her. If she got on that plane and flew back to Seattle, she wouldn’t be going home—she’d be leaving it. This was home. Hope Falls was home. Somehow, in the few weeks they’d been there, the town had found its way into her heart.
When she’d sat on her bed and told Amanda what she was thinking, instead of questioning her sanity, asking if she was sure it was a good idea to uproot and relocate not only herself, but her son too, her new friend had just woo-hooed and said that she was calling an emergency Book Club meeting to celebrate.
So there they were. Celebrating their induction into the Hope Falls community.
Was she terrified? Yes. But in the best way possible. If it didn’t work out, Seattle would always be there, but she had a feeling that she and Drew would be happy in Hope Falls.
Drew was already ecstatic. When she’d told him, she’d gotten hugged more than she had since he’d started kindergarten. He had also told her that she was the best mom in the world and she didn’t even have to get him anything for the next two Christmases. That last one had been revised down to one Christmas after he’d thought about it for about an hour, but the “best mom” title was still in full effect, so that was good.
“Hey, did you know Lucky’s in town?” Shelby asked her, snapping her out of her inner thoughts.
“Oh, no, I didn’t.” Emma shook her head.
“Yeah. He just got into town and stopped by the bar. When I told him I was coming here, he said he might stop by. He wanted to see you.”
“Oh great.” Emma smiled, hoping that none of the sadness she was feeling bled through.
The thought of seeing him was a little bittersweet though. Even though they were fraternal twins and their personalities were night and day, Lucky was still Logan’s twin. But, she would need to get used to seeing Logan. Or, if he didn’t stay in town, then Logan’s relatives.
“Mom, look who’s here!” Drew yelled from the direction of Amanda’s front door.
It looked like she’d have to get used to it sooner rather than later.
Standing up, she plastered on her biggest smile. Then, as she turned, she fully expected to see Lucky standing at the door. But it wasn’t Lucky.
“Logan’s here!” Drew yelled.
“Yeah. I see that.” Emma tried to hold her plastered-on smile in place. Not only did she not want Drew to see her face fall, but she wasn’t real big on the idea of having everyone in Book Club witness it either.
“Hi.” Her voice wavered, as it had a tendency of doing in the presence of Logan Dorsey.
Every eye in the room laser-focused on her and Logan. Silently, he stalked towards her, his steps long and purposeful. She knew that it was impossible, but it felt like he was moving in slow motion. Like time was moving slower than it had just seconds before.
It also felt like all the oxygen was being sucked out of the room.
Before he made it to her, though, she was pulled into a hug.
“Hey, Em! You look amazing!” Lucky exclaimed as his arms held her against him.
She lifted her arms, which felt like they’d been dipped in cement, and patted him on the shoulder. “Hi, Lucky. Thanks.”
Pulling back, he held her at arm’s length as a part-charming, part-mischievous grin tilted on his face. “So, does Tina pick Kade or Sean?”
“What?” Emma was so lost, she felt like Alice after she fell down the rabbit hole.
Was Lucky serious?
Did he read her books?
Lucky just winked at her. “Never mind. Damn, it’s good to see you!”
“That’s enough, Lucky.”
A shiver ran down her spine at Logan’s authoritative tone. Her eyes automatically rose to meet his. The scruff on his face was more grown out than his normal five-o’clock shadow. And even though it’d only been six days—six long days—since she’d seen him, he looked thinner.
So many emotions had assaulted her from just seeing him again that she hadn’t noticed it right away. Now that she had, she was flooded with worry.
“Are you okay?”
“No,” he shot back.
Wow. She hadn’t expected him to admit that. Especially not in a room full of people.
“What’s wrong?”
“Don’t leave,” he pleaded.
“I’m just going bac—”
“I love you.”
“What?” She thought she must’ve heard him wrong.
Raw emotion filled his voice. “I know I said that I don’t believe in love, and I didn’t. But I was wrong. I love you. I love Drew. I don’t want you to go back to Seattle, or if you do, then I’ll go with you. I told Eric I’d take the job, but I’ll tell him I can’t.
“No, you don’t have to do that, I’m staying too. I already decided. I was just going back to pack,” Emma explained through tears.
Relief washed over Logan’s features as he leaned down, resting his forehead against hers. “I don’t care where we live as long as we’re together. I don’t want you to have movie nights without me. Or Drew to have games I don’t see. I want to be the one who carries you to bed when you fall asleep during a movie. And goes out and gets medicine and does grocery store runs. I want to fall asleep every night with you in my arms and wake up every morning to your beautiful face. These past three weeks were the first time I felt like I had a real family.”
“Hey!” Lucky threw his arms up like he was offended, but he had a huge smile on his face.
Emma laughed as tears, of course, streamed down her cheeks. All the other girls in attendance were chuckling as well.
Logan wasn’t. “You and Drew are my family. I want to marry you. I want to spend every day for the rest of my life with you. If you still want me.”
“I want you,” Emma said through choppy breaths. “We want you.”
“Thank God.” Logan pulled her into his arms, and her feet left the floor.
The entire room broke out in applause. Over his shoulder, she saw Drew jumping up and down and whooping. Lucky winked at her, and she had a feeling that he might’ve had something to do wi
th Logan’s sudden appearance at Book Club. That definitely deserved a thank you, so she mouthed, “Kade.”
“I knew it!” Lucky exclaimed.
The crowd was still cheering when Nikki put her hands on her chest as she swooned.
“That was so romantic. A real-life Jerry Maguire moment!”
As Logan held her, he buried his face against her shoulder and kept telling her he loved her over and over again. Emma knew that this happily ever after was better than anything she could’ve ever written, because it was real.
Logan Dorsey was her happily ever after.
The End
Lucky Kiss
Lucky Dorsey’s story
Lucky Kiss
Coming October 2015
Other Titles by Melanie Shawn
THE HOPE FALLS SERIES
Sweet Reunion
#1
Sweet Harmonies
#2
Sweet Victory
#3
Home Sweet Home
#4
One Sweet Day
Novella #4.5
Snow Angel
#5
Snow Days
#6
Snowed In
#7
Let It Snow
#8
Perfect Kiss
#9
THE CROSSROADS SERIES
My First
Book 1
My Last
Book 2
My Only
Book 3
My Everything
Book 4
Tempting Love
Book 5
Crazy Love
Book 6
Actually Love
Book 7
Fairytale Love
Book 8
My Love
Book 8.5 (Novella)
About the Author
Magic Kiss (Hope Falls Book 11) Page 25