Too bad he wasn’t meant to be hers.
“SHE REALLY IS A WONDERFUL girl,” Nancy said as she sat next to her son on the couch.
The sound of the shower turning on in the bathroom let him know for sure they were alone.
Logan gave her a grateful smile and rubbed his hands through his messy hair. The sweet taste of Rachel’s last kiss still lingered on his lips. “I’m glad you guys like her, because I really think she’s the one.”
Nancy squealed and clapped her hands. She planted a kiss on his cheek and then wiped away the lipstick print from his skin.
“You already know for sure?” Ned asked, leaning against the wall. He’d stuffed one hand into his worn jeans under an oversized flannel shirt. “Didn’t you just reconnect with the girl a few weeks ago?”
“Of course, he knows,” Nancy scolded. She took a sip of her coffee and gave him a smile. “You always said you knew I was the one the first time you set eyes on me.”
“Well, it makes for a good story,” Ned replied, a devious grin on his face. “Truth was, I couldn’t stand you at the time.”
“Oh, you.”
She threw a pillow at him which hit the wall next to him. He held up his hands in surrender and then blew her a kiss.
“You know it was love at first sight, baby,” he said. “You’re the only one for me.”
Logan chuckled as he watched his parents fake fight. They always did this. His father loved to pick on his mother until they made up with some mushy declaration of love. As a kid, he used to find it embarrassing. Now, as an adult, he couldn’t wait to have a love of his own like that.
He’d found it in Rachel. She was his match in every way. If the kiss last night had proven anything, it was that they were made for each other. They’d anticipated each other’s needs as if it were second nature. He could still feel the tingle of her lips on his. Happiness engulfed him, making him grin like a fool. He couldn’t believe his luck. She loved him. It felt like a gift from above. Better than any dollar amount in the bank.
“Are you guys still up for flying in next month to check out the restaurant?” Logan asked, the excitement about Mary Prescott firing him up again. “I’ll send my jet to pick you up.”
> “Of course,” Nancy answered, smacking her lips. “I need to see my little boy’s newest brilliant achievement. I want to try everything on the menu.”
“I just don’t think I’ll ever get over having a billionaire as a son,” Ned muttered from across the room. He shook his head in disbelief. “A private jet. A mansion in Napa. A retirement home for his parents. Will the wonders never cease?”
“Never,” Nancy scolded once again. She waved a hand dismissively. “Our boy’s a hard worker and he’s been blessed for it. We’ve been blessed for raising him right. I won’t question where those wonders come from and neither should you.”
Logan pushed off the couch and slipped into the hallway before he could get wrapped up in another one of his parents’ fake arguments. He found the guestroom where his mother had neatly folded Rachel’s clothing and placed her tan leather purse on top. Logan smiled at the reminder that the woman he loved was currently in the other room.
Now, all he needed was a quick shower to start this wonderful day off right. And then he’d show Rachel the entire lake and maybe even take her into town for an evening date. A real date at a stunning restaurant. The kind she deserved.
He grabbed a pile of the fresh clothes he kept stashed in the guest bedroom dresser and sat on the bed to sort through them for something appropriate for the cooler weather. The movement on the mattress caused Rachel’s purse to come crashing to the floor, spilling the contents of it across the carpet.
He cursed under his breath and rushed to retrieve the mess. Shoving it back into the purse, he marveled at women and how much they carried around with them every day. Rachel had three colors of lipstick, a giant wallet, a bag of makeup, receipts, and more stuffed into that thing. It was a wonder she didn’t fall over from the weight of it.
Finally, he went to retrieve a blank envelope that had slid across the carpet and nearly ended up under the dresser. He picked it up, the papers inside spilling out. One word in particular caught his attention: Paris.
He stared down at it, trying to comprehend what he was seeing. It was an airline ticket. One first-class seat to Paris, leaving in two days. No return flight.
His brain went numb. He peered deeper into the envelope and found a check made out to Rachel. It was from her father. The amount was for more than Rachel probably made in five years as a waitress. He didn’t understand why she had it. She’d always maintained that she hated her father’s money. Why was she carrying around a check from him?
Rachel walked through the doorway at that moment, wrapped in a thick, fluffy green towel. The heat of the shower had left her cheeks red and glowing. She tossed her wet hair and gave him a smile that left his knees weak. Even without a speck of makeup, she was devastatingly beautiful to him.
“Hi you,” she said. Her gaze fell to her purse and the envelope in his hand. She stopped in her tracks, her hands clutching at the towel. “Where did you get that?”
“Your purse fell and I was putting everything back,” Logan said, his mouth going dry. He frowned at her. “When were you planning on telling me you were leaving?”
Sorrow filled her eyes and her shoulders drooped. “Oh, Logan, I meant to tell you.”
He closed his eyes, feeling the floor drop out from beneath him. Just thirty seconds ago, he’d been on top of the world.
If only he could reverse time.