To Marry McKenzie

Logan could see, by the genuine puzzlement on her face, that she really

wanted to know. Incredible!

'Life, Mother,' he bit out economically. 'Yours,' he added hardly as she

would have spoken.

She shook her head. 'I can't believe that after all these years—Logan, I know

I've made mistakes in the past—'

'Mistakes!' Now he did stand up, moving impatiently to the coffee machine

that stood on a sidetable, pouring himself a cup of the dark steaming brew.

'Your life has had all the stability of a helter-skelter! And during the early

years, after my father died, when I wasn't old enough to have a say in things,

you took me along for the ride!' he concluded disgustedly.

His mother's eyes, as she looked up at him, flooded with sudden tears, and

she suddenly looked very tiny, and slightly vulnerable. Strange, he had

never seen her in quite that light before...

No! His mother was a consummate actress—she had made a living the last

thirty years, both on and off screen, with that acting! He must not be taken in

and manipulated by the role she apparently saw herself in now.

'I know I was far from the perfect mother to you, Logan, after your father

died,' she began huskily. 'But I just missed him so much—'

'I missed him too,' Logan told her coldly.

'I know,' she acknowledged shakily. 'I do know, Logan,' she insisted as he

would have protested. 'But it isn't the same. I had lost the man I loved. I was

lost, seemed to lose all direction in my life. I—I made a mistake when I

married again, I know'that,' she admitted. 'But I was lonely, and— There's

nothing I can do or say now that will take away the past. It's the future we

have to look to now.'

Logan looked down at her. This really was a different role for her. His

mother had never spoken to him in this way before, never confided in him in

this way. And he wasn't quite sure how to deal with it.

'Whose future are we talking about, Mother?' he queried. 'Yours or mine?'

She looked back up at him, her gaze unwavering. 'I love Daniel Simon,' she

told him quietly. 'He's the first and only man I have loved since I lost your

father. And I would like to marry him.'

Logan shrugged. 'The last I heard, that's exactly what you intend doing!'

She shook her head. 'Not without Darcy's approval.'

His mouth quirked. 'Again, the last I heard—and she didn't exactly use these

words, you understand?—there was about as much chance of Darcy giving

her blessing to her father marrying you as there is of hell freezing over!'

'I know,' his mother agreed dully.

Logan gave her a probing look, still unsure of her in this mood. Usually his

mother gave the impression she was totally in control of her world, and the

people in it. Perhaps that was the trouble this time...?

'Dear, dear, Mother, don't tell me that you aren't more than capable of

talking Daniel Simon round to your way of thinking?' he taunted. Goodness

knew there were very few men who could resist his mother's brand of

charm!

'You just don't understand, do you, Logan?' His mother shook her head

sadly as she returned his gaze unblinkingly. 'Daniel is all for going ahead

with the marriage, and dealing with Darcy's feelings later; I'm the one who

won't go j-e^d with the wedding without his daughter's approval.

It's no way to begin our married life together, and I will not come between

father and daughter.'

Now Logan was really puzzled. Could it be, could it really be, that his

mother really did love Daniel Simon, that she was putting someone else's

happiness above her own...? It would be the first time!

His mother gave a shy smile at his obviously stunned expression. 'Not

exactly the way you see me, is it, Logan?' she ventured ruefully. 'Maybe if

we had been closer the last twenty years or so—'

'As you are well aware, Mother, I despised Malcolm Slater, the man you

chose to marry after my father died, preferred to live with Grandfather

rather than with you and him,' he revealed with distaste.

'I despised Malcolm myself by the time we were divorced,' she admitted.

Logan was surprised. 'You did?'

His mother gave a wistful smile. 'I did. Mainly because I lost my son during

the five years we were married. Logan, why do you think I feel so strongly

about having Darcy's approval to her father marrying me? It's because I

know how it feels to lose your child in those circumstances,' she continued

firmly. 'I lost you for that very reason, because of the way you felt about

Malcolm,' she said emotionally. 'And although it may be too late to do

anything to salvage our own relationship, I won't do that to Daniel and

Darcy!'

Logan stared at his mother, wondering, just wondering, if he could have

been wrong about her all these years...

She looked at him with unwavering blue eyes. 'I need your help, Logan. I