She’d tried that for the last six months and it hadn’t worked. Seeing Terell made her realize that Logan was the only man she wanted. But how could she be sure that her husband hadn’t betrayed her?
Kamrie had been a guest at their house for cookouts and Robin had thought she had been friendly and nice. Then she started calling Logan her work husband. Robin remembered how she’d balked at that stupid nickname.
“Work husband?” Robin asked as she and Logan loaded a platter full of grilled corn on the cob.
“It doesn’t mean anything.”
“Oh, it’s inappropriate as hell, Logan. You know what she said to me?”
Logan sprinkled pepper on the buttery cobs. “What did she say?”
“It’s nice to meet you, sister wife. In my own damn house.” Robin shook her head and crossed over to the refrigerator. She grabbed two bottles of wine and set them on the counter.
“She didn’t mean anything by it. Kam and I have spent a lot of time together in the operating room.”
Robin grabbed the corkscrew. “That better be the only damn room y’all spend time in.”
Logan placed the platter on the edge of the marble island. Crossing over to his wife, he pulled her into his arms. “You don’t have to worry about me being in another room other than the operating room with another woman. Because when I come home, you’re the one I want in my kitchen.”
“Excuse me?”
He brushed his lips against her neck. “You remember how we broke in that island that you had to have? Best meal ever.”
Robin blushed as she turned around and faced her husband. “So, the kitchen is the only place you want me?”
“Oh no. I remember the game room.”
“When can we kick them out and play?” She ran her tongue across his bottom lip.
“If you do that again, they can go now.”
“Hey,” Kamrie said from the doorway. “Where’s the food?”
Robin rolled her eyes and wanted to tell her what she could eat came in a sack. But instead she shot Logan an icy look.
“Give us a minute,” Logan said as he fanned her away and then kissed Robin until her knees went weak.
Robin wiped moisture from her eyes. Had she been a fool to believe him? That woman was in her house. Maybe that was why it had been so easy for her to walk away from their place. A safe haven where the world wasn’t supposed to touch them. Yet that bitch had breached her peace and Logan let it happen.
Did he? What if he is telling the truth?
Chapter 6
Logan didn’t rush to drive back to Richmond. And because everyone else in the world was tucked in with family and loved ones, he had the highway to himself. What he wanted more than anything else was to have his wife in his arms while they danced at Nina’s reception. He wanted to lift a glass of champagne and toast his little sister’s happiness. He’d always had a special relationship with Nina because she loved sports and they’d talk about them all. Robin had always left the room when those two sat down and watched SportsCenter. Now he wondered if Robin would keep her word and fight for their marriage. Listen to what he had to say about Kamrie’s lie and help him recover his reputation.
He couldn’t hold Robin responsible for the last part. If he was honest with himself, he’d seen signs that Kamrie was a little off. It was strange that she was always in on most of his major surgeries. Since she was a skilled surgical nurse, he hadn’t had a problem with it at first. Then they saved their first patient together during the power outage during the hurricane. And she kissed him.
He’d never told Robin about it because he’d brushed it off. Maybe that had been where she’d gotten the idea that she had a chance with him.
Things got stranger, but he still ignored it. Then she was pregnant. How she had a healthy premature birth didn’t add up, but neither did Kamrie claiming he was the father. At first, he laughed it off as a joke.
Then the DNA test showed up and his life had been shit ever since. But seeing Robin and hearing her say she’d fight for their marriage had him looking forward to the new year. But he needed some sort of proof to have for his wife before she came home. Logan sighed. He was going to have to talk to Kamrie and see if he could make heads or tails of what she was trying to pull.
By the time Logan made it to his house in Richmond, he was restless. The only person he could call this late was his best buddy, Liam Jones. The twice divorced former marine was the only person he knew who hated all holidays, especially Christmas.
“Baptiste,” Liam said when he answered. “This call must mean your trip to Charleston didn’t win Double R back.”
“She said we’re going to make this thing right after the holidays. Her sister is about to get married so . . .”
“Cool, I got scotch or whiskey, what am I bringing over?”
“Both and I’ll order some wings.” Logan looked at his watch and realized that he was going to have to cook wings, which meant more work than he wanted to do at this hour.
“I know you’re not going to order anything—just make sure you season the chicken real good before you put it in the smoker.”
Logan laughed. His buddy knew him too well. Heading into the house, he noticed a package on the steps. Thinking it was the yearly gift from the hospital, he picked it up and took it inside. After dropping it in the foyer, he headed to the kitchen and pulled a package of wings from the freezer. He started seasoning the wings and heated up the smoker. Looking around the kitchen, Logan realized that he was missing Robin with a vengeance. One of their favorite things had been cooking. Her lowcountry style mixed with his creole cuisine made for some amazing meals. And some great love. He glanced at the marble island and smiled.
Making love to Robin was one of his life’s joys. How could she think that he would ever want another woman? No one else held his heart and soul the way his wife did. What was it going to take to make her see that?
Logan was so deep in his thoughts that he almost didn’t hear the doorbell ring. Wiping his hands, he bounded to the front door, expecting to see Liam and the liquor. Seeing who was standing on his front steps made him wish he’d stayed in his dank Charleston hotel room.
Logan opened the door and stepped outside. “What in the hell are you doing here, Kamrie?”
“It’s Christmastime and I know you aren’t going to allow Jean to spend his first holiday without his father.”
“When you find his father, have this conversation with him. Now, get the hell off my property before I call the police.”
Kamrie smiled. “Is this little act for your soon-to-be ex-wife? Logan, I’m offering you a life that she can never give you. A child. Your child is waiting for you. Did you get our gift?” She took a step closer to him. Logan held his hand out to keep her at bay.
“Don’t come here again.”
“Okay, if this is how you want to play this, then you’re going to regret it. How do you think people at the hospital are going to look at you, knowing what a fucking deadbeat dad you are?”
Logan clenched his jaw and was about to tell her the quickest way she could go to hell when he heard Liam’s booming voice.
“I didn’t know it was a party over here.” He bounded up the steps and looked at the angry scowls on Logan’s and Kamrie’s faces. “Is there a problem here?”
“Nah,” Logan said in a calm voice that belied his anger. “She’s leaving.”
Liam shook his head and walked in the house. “Yo, Robin,” he called out. Logan knew he was putting on a show for Kamrie and he wasn’t mad at all.
“This isn’t over, Logan.” Her voice was a bitter hiss.
“Oh, it is and you’re going to stop this lie.”
“What lie?” She sauntered off the porch and Logan wanted to scream.
Walking into his house, he saw Liam was already in the kitchen mixing drinks. “What the hell was all of that?”
Logan shrugged. “I keep telling you that woman is out of her mind. Now she’s showing up here l
ike she has a reason.”
Liam took a big sip of whatever he’d mixed in his glass. Then he gave Logan a questioning look. “I have to ask, is there something going on with you and that woman?”
“Hell no.”
“Ever?”
“Nothing has ever happened with me and Kamrie. Well, there was a kiss.” Logan grabbed his drink and took two huge gulps. That was a mistake. The strong cocktail burned his throat like a thousand fires.
“What the hell is this?” Logan exclaimed.
“I call it truth serum. Scotch, whiskey, and bourbon with a dash of club soda.”
Logan blinked. “Shit. A dash is right.”
“Listen, I want to believe that you haven’t slept with that crazy bitch, but she sent DNA papers to your house.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“I’m asking if you’re being honest. If all you did was kiss her, now she’s claiming you’re the father of her son . . . .”
“You want these wings or not?” Logan snapped. “I’m not defending myself to you when I never cheated on Robin and that kid isn’t my son.”
Liam threw his hands up. “So, why is she doing all this extra shit?”
“That’s the million-dollar question. I can’t wrap my mind around any of this. Kissing doesn’t make children. Even if my mother tried to use that logic on me when I was in middle school.”
“That must have been a Southern thing. After my first wet dream, Moms bought me a box of condoms and said she wasn’t raising no more kids.” Liam laughed and Logan walked over to the smoker and dropped the semi-thawed wings in.
About an hour later, Logan and Liam were sitting in front of the TV eating wings and drinking more of Liam’s strong brew.
“You know what, I’m going to get you a Christmas gift,” Liam said as he polished off another wing. “I’m going to run a background check on that broad and find out who she really is and see if this is a habit with her.”
“You’re getting soft over there, FBI man?” Logan teased.
“First of all it’s former FBI man. And I’m just drunk. But I want you and Robin to make it. She’s beautiful, and God knows your ugly ass can’t do any better.”
“I’d take my food back if you weren’t telling the truth. Robin is the love of my life and I’d do whatever it takes to get her back.”
“Good to know, because I’m going to do everything I can to make it happen.” Liam laughed. “Being that you kicked my ass across the campus of Xavier because you saw me talking to her, I’m here to make this marriage work.”
“You got what you deserved.” Logan laughed.
“Whatever. Never saw you get that serious about a chick, so I knew Robin was special.”
Logan nodded. “She is.”
* * *
Robin woke up in a cold sweat. Her dream had scared her more than anything she had ever seen in real life. Logan and Kamrie holding their son and taking pictures in a field of sunflowers. She’d called his name and Logan leaned in to kiss the little boy. Tears burned her eyes and she dropped to the floor as the little boy laughed and said, “Daddy.”
Blinking, she drank in her surroundings. She was in Charleston, in her childhood bedroom. Robin picked up her phone. It was Nina’s wedding day, Christmas Day. And yesterday, she’d sent her husband back to Richmond. Did he run into that other woman’s arms? Or had he been telling the truth about this all being a lie?
Robin sat up in the bed, realizing that she couldn’t dwell on what-ifs. She was here for Nina, and after seeing her sister say “I do” she could deal with her reality.
Robin wiped her tears with the back of her hand just as she heard a knock at the door.
“Come in,” she said as she forced a smile on her face. When Nina walked in, she was glad for her fake smile.
Robin rose from the bed and hugged her sister. “You’re up early.”
“I know. I just wanted to talk to you alone.”
“What’s up?”
“Well, I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.”
“Nina, you’re getting married later today. You don’t need to worry about me.”
“Are you sure? I know you saw Logan and . . .”
“Nina, my marriage has nothing to do with what you are about to do. Clinton loves you and you love him. I’m not going to tell you that this is going to be easy, but you can’t look at me and think this is your future.”
Nina reached out and hugged her sister. “Robin, I’m scared. If you and Logan . . .”
“Nina, we are all different and you just need to focus on your love. You and Clinton will be fine.”
Her sister smiled and Robin knew she had to keep a brave face. “I love you, Robin,” Nina said. “And I hope you and Logan can find your way back to each other.”
“So do I,” Robin said in a moment of honesty. “I still love my husband and I’m not ready to give up.”
“And you shouldn’t. Robin, I don’t know what happened, but I don’t believe Logan would do this to you. Maybe he should be here.”
“From your lips to God’s ears. But we’re not going to worry about Logan. You and Clinton are about to get married. And that’s what we’re focusing on. Logan is fine where he is.”
“I hear you. And I love you, but . . .”
“No buts, Nina. We’re celebrating your wedding and that’s it.”
Before Nina could respond, Alex and Yolanda walked into the room. “You two good in here?” Alex asked.
“We’re fine and I think y’all should start knocking,” Robin quipped.
Yolanda fanned her hand. “Whatever. We’re just making sure there is going to be a wedding this evening and we don’t have to go . . .”
“Anyway,” Alex said. “Breakfast is ready and Daddy is waiting for us. Are y’all good?”
Nina and Robin smiled at each other. “We’re good,” Robin said. “Let’s go eat.”
The women headed for the dining room and joined their father for breakfast. Just like the good old days, there was French toast, strawberries, eggs with cheese, grits, and crispy bacon.
“Oh, this smells so good,” Robin said as she crossed over to her father and gave him a hug.
“It’s been a long time since I had all of my girls here for Christmas, so I thought we should have a classic Christmas breakfast.”
Alex and Robin exchanged smiles. “Just like Mom used to make,” Alex said as she walked over to her father and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Sheldon glanced at his younger daughters and saw a wave of sadness.
Robin and Alex had more memories of their mother, Nora, who passed away after a battle with cancer when Yolanda and Nina were super young. But Yolanda and Nina did have some memories of their mother from childhood. Christmas had been the time when Sheldon and Nora focused on the girls. And it all started with breakfast.
“Come on over here, you two,” Sheldon said. “There are chocolate chip pancakes coming out.”
Nina and Yolanda smiled, then joined their sisters hugging their father. Robin wished that she could’ve shared Christmas breakfast with Logan. He’d been a big part of these breakfasts over the years and she missed him.
She wanted to be passing him his plate of French toast and small gift. That was their tradition, small gifts Christmas morning and big gifts around the family that afternoon and making love all Christmas night.
What if he decided that he was going to accept his family this Christmas? What would she return to Virginia and find? Did she have a reason to go back? She shook those thoughts from her head. Today was about her family. And at this moment, that didn’t include Logan Baptiste.
* * *
Logan had been up since five a.m., despite all the drinking he and Liam had done the night before.
He’d dreamed of making love to Robin, kissing her and hearing her say that she believed him. But when he woke up alone in their bed, he knew it had been just a dream. And despite the fact that she told him to come home and they would fix things la
ter, he couldn’t imagine spending Christmas without her. He rose from the bed, still hungover from the night before, but he wasn’t going back to sleep. Logan had to pull his life together and figure out how he was going to get his wife back.
He headed for the shower and decided that going back to Charleston was going to be too much of a distraction. Nina was getting married and he didn’t want to take away from her day. It was times like this when he missed his family. Losing his parents during his senior year of high school changed his life. Logan had been withdrawn and lonely, but then his high school basketball coach took him under his wing. He’d helped Logan deal with his grief and turn his life around.
Logan knew how important family was and the thought of losing his was killing him. Running his hand across his face, he knew that he had to do something, but the problem was knowing what he had to do.
After a quick shower, Logan headed downstairs and wasn’t surprised to find Liam snoring on the sofa. He tapped his friend’s foot.
“Don’t you have people at home waiting for you?”
Liam grunted and turned over on his side. “That’s why I’m here.”
“You’d better go see your people. I’m spending Christmas alone because I have no choice.”
Liam sat up and ran his hand across his face. “I just took on a new case, yours. So, stop trying to guilt me into going home to hear my sister and her kids whining about everything that’s going wrong and make some breakfast.”
“You’re real demanding.”
“After what I found out last night, you owe me breakfast.” Liam pulled his tablet out from underneath a throw pillow. “You are dealing with a stone-cold lunatic.”
Logan folded his arms across his chest. “What do you mean?”
“Do you know why she left that hospital in Atlanta?”
Logan shrugged. “I’m not involved with hiring folks.”
“Kamrie was released from her job because of an affair with a hospital administrator. His wife, who is connected in Atlanta, made it happen. I’m going to go down there and talk to them.”
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