With a slight hesitation in his movement, he took a tentative step toward me. “I want to move forward with you. I pick you, Elle. I pick you over being cautious, being scared, or trying to figure things out alone. I pick you.”

Unguarded, I was hopeless to answer him. I didn’t know what to say, but then I looked up and saw so much pain and regret in his face. I had a choice. I could turn him away or I could take a leap of faith. I didn’t know what to do. What I did know was that I loved him, and of all the crappy things I might have known about love, I knew for certain that it was never perfect. People made mistakes and people hurt each other. Sometimes on purpose, sometimes not. Life didn’t always have a happily-ever-after, but maybe together we could try to make one.

“Am I too late?” Logan asked.

It was then that I realized I hadn’t said anything.

Tears threatened to spill from my eyes as I took one step closer to him. And then another. And one more, and finally my bare toes were touching his wet sneakers. I shook my head and nodded at the same time. “I don’t understand. What’s changed?”

Linking his fingers between mine, he answered, “I want you. Me. Us. I know we have to be cautious but I want to face the future with you, not without you. Will you let me pick you?”

I was finding it hard to breathe. I didn’t know what to do. But the way he was standing there looking so uncertain, I knew there was no way I could turn him away. He needed me. And I needed him like I needed air to breathe. I had to have faith he wouldn’t leave me again, and I did. My heart felt so full. I believed every word he’d just told me. Without any doubts, I smiled and said, “Yes,” and then to make certain he understood me, I repeated myself. “Yes, yes, yes.”

His hands grabbed my face and he brought his mouth to mine. Slow, burning kisses with feather brushes of his lips on mine made my stomach flip, but then when he pressed harder and slipped his tongue inside my mouth, I felt those beloved butterflies take flight.

I thought I might be dreaming, but the cold wetness of his hard body told me I wasn’t. “Take this off,” I demanded, tugging at his T-shirt.

His answering grin was utterly charming and adorable. It was the look that said sex was on his mind. It was the look I had missed so very much.

The blanket slid off my shoulders and impatiently I helped him strip his wet shirt over his head.

When it fell to the floor, he gripped my hips and tugged me flush to his body. “Do you have any idea how much I’ve missed you?”

Every part of me had an idea, because it must have been as much as I’d missed him. “Logan,” I breathed.

His hands roamed my body, over my hips, stopping to finger the elastic of my sleep shorts, up the torso of my camisole, and stopping again to cup my breasts. “Yes,” he responded with a nip at the sweet spot on my neck he knew drove me wild.

“You have to promise me that was the last time you’ll leave me. No matter what. I can’t go through this again.”

He toed his sneakers off. “I can’t either, Elle. And I never want to.”

My fingers went to his waistband and I pushed his wet track pants down. “Promise me, Logan. Promise me.”

Standing in his boxer briefs with his wet clothes surrounding us, he wrapped his arms around me and held me tightly. “I promise you, Elle, I promise.”

The honesty in his voice was all I needed to hear. Words were for later. Right now all I needed was to feel him. All of him. And I was going to start with his mouth. I kissed him until my face was numb. Until my lips tingled and my skin burned from the stubble of his jaw. And even then, that wasn’t enough. I wanted to reacquaint myself with every inch of him from his head to his toes. “Let’s go upstairs,” I said, wanton and breathless.

His roaming hands stopped their movement, but only to pull me closer and hold me tighter.

With my arms around his neck, I rested my head on his shoulder and held onto him just as tightly.

Our hold was fierce.

Warming.

Loving.

Forgiving.

Comforting.

And I hoped everlasting.

I tried to undo myself from his hold, so we could go upstairs. “Come on,” I managed.

He didn’t move. Just held me tighter.

Beneath my fingertips, I could feel his body tense. “Logan, what is it?” I asked.

Finally, after a few moments, he pulled back, and I nervously watched as he picked up the blanket and wrapped it around the both of us. “Let’s go sit on the couch. I have something to tell you.”

DAY 15

LOGAN

“What are you doing here?”

My head jerked up from the stack of papers on my desk. “Um . . . I work here.”

My old man perched himself on the corner of my desk. “Don’t be a smart-ass. I just thought you were taking a few days off to be with Elle.”

I shook the glower off my face. “She had to go with O’Shea to Lizzy’s viewing.”

“Arrangements were made quickly.”

I gave him a solemn nod. Elle had told me O’Shea seemed in a hurry to put all of this behind him. Odd way to put it.

My old man folded his hands together. “And let me guess, by the look on your face I’d say you weren’t invited.”

I leaned back in my chair and pointed my finger at him. “You’re good.”

He shook his head. “Well, I can also guess you’re not happy about it, either.”

“I wouldn’t say that. I didn’t know her and it’s not my place to be there.”

“But?”

I shrugged. “I would have liked to be there to support Elle.”

“And?”

He was smart. “I don’t know. I can’t explain it. Don’t get me wrong. I understand this is a tough time for them both. It’s just weird that they’ll be spending so much time together.”

Understanding sparked in his eyes. “You’re jealous.”

Maybe I was wrong about the understanding. “No, I just don’t like Elle anywhere near him.”

He raised a brow. “It’s okay if you are, son. It makes sense. She’s a beautiful woman and he’s a man. Just remember he’s also a man who just lost his wife. Regardless of the situation surrounding her death, I’m certain he must be grieving.”

I’d decided not to say anything to my old man about O’Shea and my suspicion that maybe he had something to do with Lizzy’s murder just yet, or about the strange messages Elle had received. Only two to date, but that was the real reason I didn’t go today. She just felt they were warnings and had something to do with her relationship with O’Shea. I agreed. Since we had no proof of anything, I didn’t want to add more to the pile of shit my old man was already dealing with, so I answered smoothly but honestly. “Yeah, yeah, I know. I still don’t trust him. The smoke screen he conjured up about his wife’s disappearance has too many holes in it.”

“Logan, listen to me: I know you’re concerned about Elle’s safety and so am I, but I think there are some things better left alone. And at this point O’Shea and Lizzy’s involvement with Tommy and Patrick is one of them. The old saying Don’t poke a sleeping bear might be one that applies in this case.”

I completely disagreed but nodded in agreement anyway. “Yeah, you’re probably right. Well, I had some stuff to get done today, so it all worked out fine.” I looked at my watch. “Where have you been, anyway?”

“I went to an AA meeting down the street and then was going to head home early, but I saw your car when I was walking back so I came in to check on you. What do you say to letting your old man buy you dinner?”

I stood and rounded my desk. “Sorry, Pop, I’ll have to take a rain check. Elle said everything should be wrapped up by five, and I think I’ll try to catch up with her and take her out to dinner. Do you need a ride¸ though?”

He shook his head. “No, I’m good.”

“You sure?”