It was on the tip of my tongue to ask why, but I didn’t ask.
And it wasn’t Derek who asked, either.
It was Logan.
“Why not go?” Logan asked curiously, leaning on the counter next to where I was standing. Not touching me, exactly, but close enough that I could touch him, or he could touch me, if one of us wanted. “West Texas is awesome. Used to live out there before I moved here. Spent a lot of time there, actually. Great hunting, beautiful land.”
Theo glanced at Logan, then let his eyes trail to me before saying, “East Texas is just my home. I have family here. I hated leaving when I was in the military, and I’d hate leaving more now. I have nieces and nephews that I want to see grow up.”
“Lies,” Derek coughed into his hand.
Nobody besides Rowen and I understood his words.
Thank God.
But, I had a feeling it was me that was keeping him here.
Or, it was.
The more he looked between me and Logan, the more he realized that there was something there.
At least, that was what I thought he was looking at.
It was definitely something I was feeling—a pull that practically pushed me to touch the man at my side.
Hell, my hand was twitching like crazy where I had it tucked into my hoodie pocket.
“You should try it out, at least,” Rowen suggested. “I’m going out there soon myself. I have an internship over there with a very popular attorney.”
Theo looked over at Rowen, and I saw the moment that whatever indecision was keeping him here unfurled.
“You’re right,” he admitted. “I’m not even giving it a shot, am I?”
“West Texas is nice,” Dad said. “We vacationed out there last year for two weeks. It was beautiful, and Logan is right. The hunting there is so much different than it is here.”
“So, if I don’t like it out there, you’ll give me a job when I get back?” Theo teased.
Dad didn’t even hesitate. “As long as you’re willing to join the SWAT team.”
Dad had loved Theo from the start.
Apparently, at one point, Theo had been on the area SWAT team while he was also in school to become a Texas game warden. Something in which he’d excelled at.
“I don’t know…” Theo hesitated.
“You should take it,” Logan said. “Now. He doesn’t let just anyone on his SWAT team.”
All eyes turned to Logan.
“You want to be on the SWAT team?” I asked Logan.
“Once upon a time? Yes, maybe,” he admitted. “But the ex-wife was scared of me getting killed, so she made it real clear that it was either that or her. I chose her, which was a mistake, because now your father wouldn’t let me near his SWAT team if I paid him.”
Dad didn’t contradict that statement, which had me wondering just what in the hell was really going on between those two.
There had to be something more, because there was no way in hell Dad would get that pissed over a fish.
“I’ll try West Texas first,” Theo shook his head sadly. “Wow, that smells great.”
That was when my mother arrived with a pan of lasagna in one hand, and a bowl of salad in the other.
She was struggling to hold the lasagna upright and was quickly losing her battle.
That was when, without a second thought to his safety, Logan reached out and caught the lasagna with his hand and helped steady it.
I took the bowl of salad just as my mother readjusted her grip on the pan.
Logan pulled his hand away with a hiss and curled his hand into a fist.
“Are you okay?” Mom asked worriedly.
Logan nodded once. “Yeah, fine.”
Dad walked over to Logan and slapped him on the shoulder. “Thanks. I really like her lasagna.”
My mother snorted and shoved my father.
Theo shuffled in place.
Logan looked at the door.
Then his phone rang.
He fished it out of his pocket, looked at the call in relief, then said, “I’m sorry, but I have to go.”
With that, he offered his hand to my mother and said, “Nice meeting you.”
My mother took it, looking at his curled fist at his side with worry.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” she asked. “And you don’t want to stay for dinner? I have enough.”
Logan quickly shook his head. “No. It’s my ex-wife on the phone. We have a weekly scheduled time to meet so I can allow her to see my dog. Unfortunately, I’m already late.”
With that, he nodded his head at Dad, me, Rowen, Derek, and Theo then walked out the door without a second glance.
It wasn’t until we were all seated that I said, “Dad, you need to tell me what the hell you have against that man.”Chapter 10I go grocery shopping at four in the morning because I hate humans.
-Katy to Logan
Katy
I opened the door after Logan knocked as I said into the phone, “Well, I gotta go. It was nice speaking to you. Have a nice day.”