“I had an appointment with a doctor across the way. Thought I’d come in and see how you’re doing.” He looked around the restaurant, his eyes wide. “Wow.” He let out a whistle. “This is amazing.”
“Thanks.” Logan inclined his head toward the bar. “You want a drink?”
“I’d love a water. And some juice if you have any. I worked out first thing this morning and haven’t drunk enough since.”
“Sure.” The two of them walked over to the bar. “What was your appointment for?” Logan asked. “Is your ankle acting up again?”
Cam shook his head, leaning on the polished bar as Logan walked around and grabbed two glasses. “Nah, the ankle’s fine. I’ve been having headaches and the team doc wanted me to get some diagnostics done. No biggie.”
Logan looked over his shoulder at his brother. “What kind of headaches?” He passed Cam a tall glass of mineral water, then reached down to the refrigerator for the juice.
“Remember those pressure ones I used to get when we were kids? Like when a storm is coming or something? They feel like those. As though I’ve still got my helmet on when it’s been off for hours.” Cam took a sip of water. “I’m hoping they prescribe the good painkillers and let me get back at it.”
Logan remembered those headaches. He used to get them, especially in the years after their mom died. They’d gone away as he’d got older, and he hadn’t had any since.
“Well let me know what the doc says.” Logan poured them both a tumbler of juice.
“Sure.” Cam smiled at him. “So, are you all ready for tomorrow?”
“As ready as we can be. The decorator arrives early tomorrow to set everything up, and Ryan is already in the kitchen.” He nodded his head toward the heavy metal door. “You’ll also be pleased to hear the booze is here.”
Cam laughed. “I don’t drink. Not during football season. You know this.”
“Yeah, but we can watch Gray and Tanner get drunk. Almost as much fun.” Logan took a sip of his juice. “Even more fun if Maddie and Van start to nag them.”
“Speaking of other halves, I hear Courtney’s coming, too.”
“Yeah she is. Did Grey tell you?”
Cam nodded. “We spoke last night. I’m glad she’s coming. I like her.”
Logan’s gaze met his brother’s. Cam’s approval was important to him. For most of their life, they were the closest people to each other, after all. Logan had told Cam about his plan to leave Boston and head back to Hartson’s Creek to be with Courtney. His stomach had twisted up with guilt at leaving his brother here. But Cam had encouraged him.
“You’re gonna be a dad. Nothing’s more important than that.”
And he was right. Didn’t mean that Logan wasn’t going to miss being in the same city as his brother though.
“Are you bringing someone tomorrow?” Logan asked.
“Probably not.” Cam grinned at him. “I’m not seeing anybody I want my whole family to meet.”
Until a few months ago, Logan had felt the same way. His family and his romantic life were completely separate. Not that he’d had much of a romantic life until Courtney came around. Even so, it took a special kind of woman to cope with meeting all of the Hartsons at once.
“Have you thought about what you’re gonna do back home?” Cam asked him.
“Not yet. I’ll still have a financial interest in the restaurants, but the day-to-day will be done by Paris and the new partner. So there’ll be some work to do from Virginia, but not tons. And my friends, Dan and Ellie who own a restaurant down there have asked for some help with marketing.” He shrugged. None of it sounded particularly exciting. Not compared to opening a glamorous restaurant in the heart of Boston.
“You’ll find something,” Cam said, his voice reassuring. “Though I can imagine it’ll be hard to leave this all behind. It’s been your life for years.”
It had. The restaurant business was who he was. He ate, lived, and breathed it, twenty hours of every day. It was hard to think how he’d deal with all that spare time on his hands.
“Maybe I’ll take up golf,” he said out loud.
Cam laughed. “Yeah, right. You and Dad at the eighteenth hole, the baby in a carrier strapped to your back. I can see it now.”
“Well what are you gonna do when you retire?” Logan asked his brother, turning the tables. “Maybe you can give me some tips.”
“I’m never gonna retire. You’ll have to pull me off the field in a wheelchair.” Cam winked.