She had him there. All of his training and he’d failed to detect one slimy bastard with a camera. He probably deserved to lose his job.
“I would not intentionally ruin your career. I would never do that to you,” she insisted. “You have to believe me.”
He remembered the surprise on her face when she’d run from the house half-dressed and spotted the cameraman. She was driven to succeed. He knew that, but not at the expense of others. Aunt Lou had been wrong about that.
“I do,” he said. “I believe you. Doesn’t change the fact that this was a mistake. This fling.”
“It’s more than a fling,” she said. “Last night—”
“I was wrong,” he snapped.
She took his words like a slap to the face, recoiling, stepping away from him. And, Christ, he hated himself for lashing out. But this mess had exploded, dragging him to new lows.
“No, you weren’t. I was there. We made love last night.”
“Just because you didn’t tie me up doesn’t mean it was love, Sadie.”
“You’re right,” she said quietly. “The sex doesn’t prove anything. I can’t offer you physical proof of how I feel. I like you, Logan.” She shook her head. “No, it’s more than that. I’ve fallen in love with you.”
Logan let out a mirthless laugh. “I’ve been in love before. You don’t ruin someone you love. You don’t destroy them for personal gain.”
He watched as tears welled in her eyes. “You lost your job.”
“Not yet.” But he had a feeling it was only a matter of time before he was told that after years of risking his life for his country and fighting for freedom in places that barely knew the meaning of the word, he was being sent packing with his tail between his legs.
“You know, I thought the worst thing that could happen was losing my wife and then allowing my grief to interfere with a mission and having that story shared with the world. But this is worse. Losing my career over a fucking blow job...” He shook his head.
“I’m going to fix this.” Determination fought her tears and won. “I spoke with my publicist. I have an opportunity to go on national TV tomorrow morning and tell my side of the story.”
“I’m returning to base in the morning. When I get there, I hope to still have a place on my team,” he said. “You know how you can help with that? By doing me a favor and leaving me out of your interview.”
She stepped toward him. “Logan—”
“Goodbye, Sadie.”
He turned and headed for the door. This time, he knew walking away was the right thing to do, even if it felt like he was getting washed out to sea. And this time, he might drown.
21
SADIE SET HER princess wand on her sister’s kitchen table. “I don’t think I’ll be needing this in New York.”
Her bags were packed and loaded into the trunk of her rental car. She’d cleaned Lou’s guesthouse from top to bottom, leaving behind a note and an envelope with cash to cover her father’s stay.
He’d booked a flight right after they’d spoken this morning. She had a feeling he’d been ready for a while, his bags packed, and just needed to find the courage to ask for more money. He was arriving tonight, and she would miss him by hours. Her chance to have her family together, in one place, crushed by her career.
“How long before you have to leave?” Laurel asked, rocking her daughter in her arms. Sadie’s niece had finally learned to sleep like a baby.
“I have an hour before I need to start driving.”
Laurel nodded. “Plenty of time.”
“For what?”
“Apple pie.” Her twin gently set the sleeping baby in her bassinet and opened the fridge. “I sent Greg to The Quilted Quail for this after we saw the pictures.”
“Laurel, you didn’t have to,” Sadie said.
“Yes, I did.” She set the dish on the table with two forks. “Sit. Eat.”