Healed with a Kiss (Bride Mountain 3)

“I’d like that.”

Alexis then glanced at Logan. “Thank you again for all your hard work, Logan. And please extend my appreciation to your crew.”

He nodded. “I’ll do that. Bye, Alexis.”

She couldn’t seem to return the goodbye. She merely smiled and turned away, instead.

* * *

Alexis opened her front door early Sunday evening and immediately found her arms filled with wiggling, whining dog, her face being bathed by an eager tongue. Staggering backward, she laughed, turned her face to one side to avoid having doggy kisses land on her mouth and fended him off. “Hello to you, too, Ninja.”

Sighing in exasperation, Logan hauled his dog off her. “Ninja, down! Down.”

The dog responded immediately to his owner’s stern tone, but he didn’t look notably abashed when he dropped to all fours. Tail wagging, he ambled over to the couch, where his feline friend waited to greet him with purrs and head butts.

“Sorry,” Logan said as he entered. “I try to teach him manners, but he has very selective memory.”

“He just knows when it comes to me, all he has to do is give me one of those goofy grins and I’ll forgive him anything.”

“You spoil him.”

“Probably. But he’s just so cute.”

“And he knows it.” With a lazy chuckle, he toyed with a lock of her hair. “I’d kiss you hello, but you have dog spit all over your face.”

She laughed and playfully punched his arm. “Watch it, pal. You aren’t quite as cute as Ninja.”

Despite his teasing, he brushed a smiling kiss across her mouth, then raised an arm to display the brown paper bag dangling from his hand. “As promised, I brought dinner.”

He’d texted earlier with an offer to bring take-out Chinese food, and though she’d had several chores to take care of this evening, she’d told him to come on over. She didn’t always drop everything when Logan called; more than once she’d told him it wasn’t a good time. But she’d wanted to see him tonight. After all, she’d be leaving for Seattle in a few days and she’d be hectically busy after she returned. And she had to eat, right?

Shaking her head in response to her own convoluted reasoning, she waved a hand toward the kitchen. “I just need to put a load of laundry in the dryer and then I’ll be ready to eat.”

“I’ll set the table.”

“Thanks. There’s wine in the fridge. I chilled the Riesling you like.”

“Sounds good.” Unerringly, he opened the cabinet that held her plates. As she stepped into the laundry room, which opened off the kitchen, it occurred to her that Logan had become very familiar with her house. He was as at home in her kitchen as in her bedroom.

When had that happened, exactly? He hadn’t been here that many times, had he? She did a quick mental count and was rather surprised by the estimated number she reached. What had started out as an occasional hookup was on the verge of becoming habit.

She should probably do something about that. Later.

Chapter Five

Still distracted by her wandering thoughts about Logan, Alexis opened the lid of her aging washing machine, then groaned when she saw her clothes still sitting in a tub of water.

“Problem?” Logan asked from the doorway.

“It didn’t drain.”

“Here, let me take a look.”

Sighing, she stood back while Logan moved past her. “Looks like a broken drive belt,” he said a couple minutes later. “Is the machine yours or provided in your rent?”

“The washer and dryer are mine, so I’m responsible for their maintenance. I’ll have to call a repairman tomorrow.”

“No need for that. None of the appliance parts stores are open on Sunday evening, but I can pick up a belt for you tomorrow. I’ll come by tomorrow night to put it on.”