Heartthrob (The Bennett Brothers 3)

Melody comes over, hugging us, with relief of our arrival all over her face.

“Now, can we fucking start this shit?” Logan rumbles, not nearly as excited as Grace.

“Yes!” Grace rushes to the other side of the room and tries to lift a box on top of the new pool table.

“Fuck, Grace! Stop that shit.” Logan is at her side in an instant, taking the box to the middle of the room. Melody joins him, unloading frames.

“Fine, here is the diagram. We need exactly two inches between each frame,” Grace instructs and hands me the sheet of paper. “Is it all right with you, Logan, if Bizzy and I decorate the room now?’ She points her question to him sarcastically. “I swear if this is how all the men in my life act, I’m having an only child.”

“Throw your attitude all you want, Peach Princess, but if you do anything to hurt you or the baby, I’ll never forgive myself,” Logan responds, and there’s a quietness that follows.

There’s a lot of weight behind his statement that has everything and nothing to do with her pregnancy at the same time. It’s one thing to be cautious, but it’s clear he’s thinking deeper. Logan made a poor decision to interfere in Grace’s career decisions, and instead of discussing it with her, he blamed Nick, which resulted in Nick and Grace breaking up. When she discovered the truth about his meddling, she made the choice to leave, stunning us all. In the end, it all worked out and, obviously, now Nick and Grace are deliriously happy. Grace forgave Logan, but he still carries the burden. His overprotective instincts aren’t solely about the baby; it’s his need to take care of her.

Then it happens. The sniffles start, and I jump into action. “Not today! No tears,” I declare on a shout, waving my finger in a circle to Grace, Bizzy, and Melody. “Dry them up, and let’s get to work!”

Melody shoots me a grateful look even with wet eyes. I go to them and try my best to understand what Grace has diagrammed, but it resembles a geometric puzzle, and my eyes cross.

“I got this part, Claire. You and Melody lay out the pictures and line them up by size on the floor.” Logan takes it from me, squeezing my hand as he does.

I do as he says, and an hour later, all picture hangers are hung and ready for the photos. Bizzy and Grace have placed lamps, scooted new end tables, laid rugs on the wood floors, and stocked the bar in the back of the room. At this point, Logan goes to install the hardware for the large screen TV on the wall, and Grace takes over hanging the pictures in the right places.

When it’s time, we help Logan with the television, and he’s done. He stalks to the bar, grabs a beer, and plops into a new recliner before turning on a baseball game.

“How much time do we have until the big reveal?” I question Melody, knowing Nick will be here soon.

“Not too long, Shaw and Mathis were given strict instructions.” I nod, knowing this. The movers are set up for tomorrow, and Grace wanted to show Nick his surprise before the chaos. Grace has arranged for dinner to be delivered right after Seth and Maria arrive later.

My phone vibrates in my back pocket, and I walk to the back of the room to take the call. “Hey, Lora, everything okay?” My shoulders tense, and I brace, knowing she’s on shift today and this call could mean bad news.

“Claire, you are not going to believe this,” she practically sings.

“Is everything okay?” I repeat.

“Yes, sorry, everything is good at work. This is personal.”

“What’s going on?”

“Clint corne

red me this morning and you won’t believe…” she pauses dramatically, taking a breath, “he apologized!”

My shoulders loosen, and I smile knowing Mathis’s conversation with him penetrated. “That’s great.”

“He was really sweet, said that he didn’t regret our night together but did regret his behavior afterward.”

“How do you feel about that?” I ask warily, hoping she didn’t take his apology for more than it was.

“I’m relieved. He even cracked a corny joke, which cut the tension. Clearing the air is going to make working together a lot easier while he’s here.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Dare I ask if he apologized to Tammy?”

“I think so. She was in a great mood at shift change. It’s going to be your job to knock me upside the head if I ever even think about sleeping with someone I work with again. This has been a nightmare.”

I don’t respond, hoping to never be in that position.

“I know you’re busy, but I had to tell you.”

“Thanks, chick. Hope the rest of the shift goes well. Talk soon.”