by Jean Oram
But little did the triumphant Paul know, Logan wasn’t truly being arrested or processed, and he’d be released later in the day under the umbrella of “wrong place, wrong time.” That ought to drive the poor, well-meaning officer nuts.
“By the way, who gets married while undercover?” Zach muttered under his breath as he started to close the car door.
“A lucky man, Zach. A very lucky man.”
Ginger had received word that it was okay to return to Indigo Bay. Nadia and Roxie had been rescued and were at the hospital receiving non-urgent care. Logan was fine and would see her in Indigo Bay.
She bought Annabelle a sandwich that served as brunch and herself a coffee before hitting the road, enjoying the palm trees lining the way, the ocean lapping to the east. She helped pass the time by making the girl laugh with her silly jokes as they headed back to the little ocean town that had been Ginger’s home for the past week, as well as the location of her honeymoon.
Honeymoon.
Some deal that was. She wanted to have a real one. One where they consummated their union and said sweet things like “I love you.”
Assuming that was true.
To distract herself from the uncertainty that kept creeping in, Ginger told Annabelle stories about Blueberry Springs, the bears, the mountains, the hiking. The girl was enthralled and her enthusiasm and questions made Ginger long for home.
Home.
What were she and Logan going to do? A long distance marriage would be doomed from the word go and she wanted to give their relationship a real try, with neither of them leaving or pushing the other away, or holding anything back. But if Logan was indeed a spy, there were always going to be things he couldn’t tell her.
Was she okay with that? Could she still let love in, without fears interfering if she didn’t know his entire story?
She pulled up outside the honeymoon cottage, where she’d been told to go. She hadn’t been sure if she was supposed to drop Annabelle off first, so she’d brought her along. It seemed riding in the car made the girl sleepy and she was dozing again. Or maybe it was simply due to their early morning start.
Logan was waiting on the step and he stood as she put the car in Park. She relaxed, knowing he was truly okay.
She watched him come closer, and seeing him move made her whole body awaken. She loved that man. She didn’t have a clue who he really was, only that there was something about him, some part of him that had hooked her.
She would leave Blueberry Springs for a man like him—if he was indeed the real deal that she’d seen and fallen for.
She rolled down the window, not wanting to wake Annabelle by opening or closing the door.
Logan wasn’t wearing black any longer. He was in jeans and a T-shirt, and looking more relaxed and at ease than she’d ever seen him.
He bent down to hold the frame of the window. “So, I quit.”
“What?”
“I’m no longer an agent for a transnational agency that ensures the safety of others.”
“What exactly is that again?” Special police? FBI? CIA? Military? So many options.
“Most people call me a spy.”
“I knew it.” She stared through the windshield, not really seeing the pink cottage in front of her.
“No, you didn’t.”
“I did.”
“Okay, you did.” He grinned.
“So that explains the secrets? The lies?”
“It’s what we spies do.”
She supposed that was true. But that still left the question of how much of the man she knew was a cover and how much was real.
“Are you really Australian?”
“Right-o, mate. Born and raised. Joined the army after my first marriage didn’t work out. Sold the cattle station. Parents are gone.”
She’d married a spy from Australia.
And he cared for her. That part was real, right?
“Why did you quit the agency, Logan?”
“Because I love you and I know it’s difficult being married to a spy.”
Loved her. That felt good.
But could you really just quit being a spy?
And had he really quit for her?
If so, that was really romantic.
“And so now we’re going to act married?” she asked, thinking out loud, trying to envision this sudden new life. “Live together? Do the whole marriage thing for real?”
“If you have room in your life for a man like me.”
Of course she did.
“But how is that going to work?” She glanced at Annabelle, who was now awake. “Are we staying here in Indigo Bay?”
“I have a room with stripes,” Annabelle said.
“I heard,” Ginger said softly. The only way for her to give something a try with Logan would be to stay here and give up her shop. Maybe her grandmother wouldn’t mind running it for a bit so she could stick around and feel things out.
“You know Ginger lives in the mountains,” Logan said, speaking to Annabelle.
“Do you ski?” the girl asked.
“Sometimes,” Ginger admitted.
“Do you live in Australia?” Annabelle’s next question was laced with suspicion.
“No.”
“Do you have stripes on your flag?”
Logan answered for her. “Yes, Annabelle. What do you say? Want to go check out the mountains? Maybe spend a week there?”
The young woman’s eyes lit up and Ginger’s heart lifted.
“Yes, please!”
“What do you think, Ginger? Could we spend a week in Blueberry Springs and see which place suits us all best? We could explore whether you and I are a match worth pursuing, too.”
His face was close to hers, his eyes so soft and kind. This was the man she knew, the one she’d fallen for. The man she’d follow anywhere—the real one under the spy persona. The spy persona that had struggled and succeeded in keeping her safe. The spy persona that had been laid to rest.
“Logan Stone, or whoever you are, I happen to know we’re a very sweet match and that you might just end up staying in Blueberry Springs for longer than a week.”
Epilogue
Logan had spent a fun week in Blueberry Springs with Annabelle and his wife. The small mountain town was lively and quaint, its citizens friendly, nosy and very curious about him. It wasn’t the kind of place where a guy could lie low, that was for sure. Not that there was much need for that now that Vito and his men were in jail and Logan had officially retired from the agency.
And Annabelle loved it. She was ready to move in, and had her eye on a job at a little sandwich shop and cafe called Wrap It Up. She loved the brownies there and was already angling to get Mandy, the owner, to hire her.
It was all perfect except when it came to crime—Logan’s main skill set when it came to an occupation. The problem was that crime didn’t stand a chance with all the busybodies wandering around, minding everyone’s business. They reminded him of the lady who ran Sweet Caroline’s back in Indigo Bay. Well-meaning, but wow. A tad over the top, and making his security skills somewhat redundant. What was he going to do for a living in this place?
Zach had thought Logan could offer some basic home security packages, but Logan figured he’d likely get more business setting up puppy cams. Cameras where owners could peek in on their dog to see how it was doing while they were at work.
That would certainly be better than nothing, since the busybodies currently had the market cornered on protecting their own, nudging out a need for his professional services. Right now, in fact, they were protecting his wife, not letting him into the church where his own wedding was scheduled to take place—this time with his legal name on the certificate even though he’d taken the cover name Logan as his own as it seemed like everyone he cared about called him that anyway.
The issue was a little old woman with a cane who was barricading him from entering. His friends—all of them agents—were waiting on the groom’s side of the aisle
within, and would be laughing their butts off if they knew what he’d come up against.
“I’m Logan. I don’t believe we’ve met.”
“How do we know you’re who you say you are?” the woman asked him, arms crossed.
“Do I need to sneak in a window?” he asked. The church was right there, all grand and beautiful on the gorgeous spring day.
Annabelle was already inside, having spent the morning racing around the small town, oohing and ahhing over the tall peaks that guarded Blueberry Springs. It turned out she loved hiking.
“I’m marrying Ginger.”
“Wrong!” declared the woman. “She’s already married. Now, move along or we’ll call in Scott.”
He was tempted to lift the woman, place her to the side, then skip up the steps to meet his destiny. But he knew small towns. It was best to play nice.
“Who’s Scott?”
“The town’s police officer.”
Just one police officer? That sounded hopeful. Logan would bet there were times when the man could use some backup, and maybe a little added surveillance from a contractor such as himself.
The woman took out a flask, knocking back a sip.
“What have you got there?” Logan asked.
“Sherry.”
“Good choice.”
She considered him, then passed him the flask so he could take swig. “I know who you are. I’m just giving you a hard time.” She held out her hand to shake his. “The name’s Gran.”
“Gran?”
“It’s what everyone calls me, and since you’ll be making this place home I suppose you’ll need to know that. By the way, my granddaughter runs an outreach program from the hospital’s continuing care area. Your girl might get a lot out of it and give you a little more time with your new wife. Plus she’d have more of the independence she obviously loves.”
“You’ve met her?” Logan was surprised. He knew a few of Ginger’s friends had shown AnnaBee around town, taking her in like she was one of their own. It had made both of them love the town all the more.
“She’s a real sweetheart. She did crafts with us at the home yesterday. She has a thing for stripes, doesn’t she?”
“She does.”
“You have good intentions with our Ginger?” Gran asked, the question not so much pointed as curious. He could tell she’d already made up her mind about him and that it was all okay. She was just giving him the gears so he knew Ginger had a town that would side with her if he ever stepped out of line.
Not that he planned to. When you finally found the right woman, you cherished her, loved her and did everything you could to keep her happy.
“I promise to be good,” he replied.
“That's not the first time I've heard you make that promise," said a playful voice. Ginger came up beside him, dressed for the wedding. In her sleek, gorgeous gown she looked even more amazing than in her green dress from Indigo Bay, and because they were sort of already married, he didn’t consider seeing her in her wedding dress as bad luck. Because she was his talisman.
And she was his.
He was one lucky man.
She reached up to give him one of those kisses that knocked his world off its orbit, then asked, "Were you waiting long?”
The question took him back to the moment they’d met while trying to fib their way into the resort’s couples party. The moment he’d become a goner and his whole world had changed for the better.
“I’d wait till the end of the world for you, Ginger. The end of the world.”
Ginger sighed happily from her spot at the head table. A real wedding. For her and Logan, her husband, the love of her life. Across the room he was chatting with his friends. They had to be agents. They all sat with their backs to the wall, their expressions somber, sport jackets tucked and buttoned as though hiding weapons, instead of draped over chair backs like many of the other male guests’ were, as the hall’s temperature increased during the evening.
Sure, she wasn’t certain when her husband’s birthday was, but when you found the right person, you just knew, and that was it. Mates for life, as he’d said in his vows.
Things happened in threes for Ginger. They also happened for a reason, and all those good things, like her grandmother had always promised.
At long last.
“Glad you came to your senses,” Wanda said, joining her.
“You were right. Thanks for putting my head on straight about me and men.”
“I meant with the dress. I like the longer train.”
Ginger smiled at her grandma, knowing that wasn’t what she’d meant. She leaned over and gave her a hug.
She would have lost out on a lot if she’d left Logan. The past few weeks in Blueberry Springs had been incredible. He and Annabelle had stayed at a B and B, since Ginger was basically living in a glorified storeroom. She and Logan had had a few late night “dates” that had been wonderful, and she hoped they’d soon settle into their new lives and she could have him a little more often. But the way they’d been going about things had worked okay, too. Slow, steady. Nothing to freak either of them out.
“I heard you paired up a few people during your week away,” her grandmother said. “I hope you gave them the store’s business card,” she added with a wink.
“Of course.” Ginger glanced around the room. “But a little closer to home I can think of a few people who could also use a little push in that direction.” She waved to her friend Devon Mattson, who she’d gone to university with and was now running for mayor.
“Devon,” she called, “I heard Olivia Carrington is developing a new cosmetics line.”
His expression hardened. He and Ginger’s roommate, Olivia, had had it big during their university days. Big love followed by a big fight. And they were both still single a decade later. That could hardly be a coincidence.
“Did you know the flowers in the meadow that Jill is using for her creams would be a perfect match for what Olivia needs? It might just help your campaign, too.” So far, the old mayor had a definite lead, what with Devon’s devil-may-care demeanor inhibiting his campaign. She hoped he’d win—not just because of the way he talked about small business tax reform for the town, but because he would be good at it.
“I’m not desperate enough to dig up the past,” Devon grumbled, and Wanda gave Ginger a knowing look.
Devon’s expression turned mischievous. “Oh, and congratulations. When’s the baby due?”
“Don’t you dare start that rumor!” Ginger laughed, knowing that a lot of people in the small town suspected that their hasty marriage was actually a shotgun wedding. They would surely be confused when she and Logan celebrated their first wedding anniversary weeks before anyone expected.
Logan rejoined her and her grandmother, giving Ginger a long, sweet kiss.
“Not a bad rumor,” he murmured, kissing her again as Devon slipped away.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. I hear you want ten rug rats.”
“I thought that was you? And anyway, don’t believe everything you hear.” She lightly placed a finger against Logan’s lips.
“Are you really going to set Devon up with someone?” Wanda asked.
“I am,” Ginger said with a nod. It was time he either buried the hatchet with Olivia or moved on.
“Good luck with that,” her grandmother muttered.
“Challenge accepted.”
“I have complete faith in Ginger,” Logan said, kissing her temple. “She sees things others don’t. And I don’t know what the world would do without my sweet matchmaker.”
Want to hear how Zoe and Ashton did with their match-up? Read all about them in Sweet Forgiveness! It’s a heartwarming Indigo Bay book about family, forgiveness, and the power of a love that’s meant to be. Click the link above to add this book to your device.
More from Jean Oram & Indigo Bay
Want more from Jean Oram and Indigo Bay?
Indulge!
Sweet Holiday Su
rprise (Cash & Alexa)
Sweet Forgiveness (Ashton & Zoe)
Sweet Troublemaker (Nick & Polly)
Books by Jean Oram
New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author
Veils and Vows (Set in Ginger’s hometown of Blueberry Springs!)
The Promise (Prequel: Devon and Olivia)
The Surprise Wedding (Devon and Olivia)
A Pinch of Commitment (Ethan and Lily)
The Wedding Plan (Luke and Emma)
Accidentally Married (Burke and Jill)
The Marriage Pledge (Moe and Amy)
Mail Order Soulmate (Zach and Catherine)
Companion to the Veils and Vows and Blueberry Springs world—Indigo Bay:
Sweet Matchmaker (Logan and Ginger)
Sweet Holiday Surprise (Cash and Alexa)
Sweet Forgiveness (Ashton and Zoe)
Sweet Troublemaker (Nick & Polly)
Blueberry Springs
Whiskey and Gumdrops
Rum and Raindrops
Eggnog and Candy Canes
Sweet Treats
Vodka and Chocolate Drops
Tequila and Candy Drops
Companion to the series: Champagne and Lemon Drops (Also available in audio)
The Summer Sisters (also available in audio)
Falling for the Movie Star
Falling for the Boss
Falling for the Single Dad
Falling for the Bodyguard
Falling for the Firefighter
* * * Get the latest news from Jean Oram as well as a free book and other exclusives: www.jeanoram.com/FREEBOOK * * *
Find Jean’s full book list at: www.jeanoram.com