By then it was Jamie’s bedtime, and as Logan put his son to bed Kat found herself left alone in the living room. She shifted nervously on the sofa. Should she leave?
Logan had said something about not being too long as he’d ushered his son from the room, but somehow she felt like she was intruding. The sounds of a still happy, exhausted Jamie floated through the apartment to her ears. And Logan, with his hushed, soothing voice, reading a story to get his son to sleep.
Sounds that were as familiar as they were painful. Yet she couldn’t bring herself to stand up and leave. Somehow it was comforting.
Certainly more comforting than returning to her own silent, empty apartment.
And then, suddenly, Logan’s low voice went quiet and all she heard was a soft padding as he made his way back to the living room.
‘I didn’t think that would take long. He’s shattered, poor kid. Now that his darned toy is home, I think he’ll sleep for a week. I don’t know what we would have done if you hadn’t found it.’
‘You’ll have to buy another.’ Kat smiled. ‘If Carrie loved a particular toy, or jumper, or whatever, I used to buy another. Just in case one ever got lost.’
She didn’t realise what she’d said until he frowned at her.
‘Carrie?’
Horror unfurled within her. She stared at him blankly, her heart racing and her stomach flip-flopping.
‘You have a daughter?’ he pressed, his brows knitted tightly, as if trying to work it out.
It took everything she had to calm the slamming of her heart against her ribs and affect an easy smile. Good job she was so practised at it these days.
‘Not mine. I just took care of her a few times.’
It was a million miles from the truth, but it was as close as she was prepared to get right now. Not that she thought Logan was buying it.
He fixed her with that intense gaze again and it was all she could do not to squirm away from the deep, unsettling sense that he was assessing her.
But then, without warning, he released her.
‘I’ll get us a drink.’
She was grateful for the reprieve, and it was insane just how badly she wanted to accept. Still, something about Logan got under her skin, and that made him altogether too dangerous to be around.
‘It’s okay.’ She shook her head. ‘I only meant to return Jamie’s toy. I don’t want to overstay my welcome.’
‘You’re not overstaying. Call it a thank you for coming out of your way for us.’
‘Really, it isn’t a big deal.’ Heat bloomed through her, staining her cheeks pink. ‘I only live five minutes away.’
Plus, if he could have read the not so altruistic reasons in her head for returning the dinosaur, he probably wouldn’t be quite so grateful. Fortunately, he’d already headed into the next room and couldn’t see the traitorous flush.
She really needed to relax.
‘Red, or white?’ he called through.
‘Um...either.’
As long as it was with him.
There was the clinking of glasses and the pop of a cork, and then Logan was heading back through with two large wine glasses and a bottle of red. As if there was nothing more interesting he’d rather do than sit and share a glass of wine with her.
‘I’m guessing that, by now, the ubiquitous hospital grapevine knows I’m coming to Seattle as a new ER doctor?’
She offered a sheepish grin.
‘Actually, that was one of the other reasons I thought I’d return Terrence sooner rather than later.’