Love by Design

“Do I even want to know the details?” he joked.

“Uh, no. That way, if your dad asks you for the particulars, you can answer him honestly.”

Logan let out a robust laugh. “Gotcha.”

“Enough about me. What’s this I hear about you blowing off a date your aunt set up for you?”

The smile slid right off his face. Apparently, Aunt Jeannie had made the rounds. His mother had heard about the potential date and promptly sided with her sister-in-law. Normally, his uncle Heathcliffe would temper his aunt’s plotting, but since he and his father were silver-salmon fishing in Alaska, he was on his own.

“Mom, now isn’t the best time to worry about my love life. I’m in the middle of some transitional things at Belle Cove, and that has to be my primary focus.”

In addition to the corporation, the Montagues owned three resorts in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, Sanibel Island, Florida, and St. Simon’s Island, Georgia. When he took over as CEO of the resorts months before, Logan’s focus was to increase their bottom line, and to position the business for the future to ensure that Belle Resorts stayed competitive. Eventually, Logan realized that to accomplish the goals he had set for himself and the company, he would need to take a different approach. He would need to go outside the confines of the company to get the expertise needed in order to successfully effect a change.

“Are you listening to me?”

“Huh?” Logan realized he’d missed something his mother had said. “I’m sorry, Mom, what did you say?”

“I said, I know you’re finding your way at Montague, but try not to lose sight of the things in life that really matter, honey. Work is constant, and God willing, will always be there. Your personal life can pass you by in the blink of an eye if you’re not careful.”

“Well, that’s an about-face. I seem to recall years ago you both saying that there was nothing more important than business, and it was my personal life that had to take a backseat.”

“Logan, that’s the way it had to be at that time. I know you still blame us for what happened with Dakota, and I’m truly sorry for that. I just assumed that you’d be able to fix everything when you came home.”

“That’s not how it worked out, is it?” Logan said bitterly.

“No. No, it’s not. And your father and I are saddened by it, but at that time, Logan, it was extremely important for you to learn the family business. That was the priority then, but it doesn’t have to be now. You’ll find happiness, sweetheart. I know it. Which is why you should give Jeannie a chance to—”

“Not happening, Mom. Now isn’t the time for me to be navigating Aunt Jeannie’s blind-date circuit. I’ve still got a lot of work to do.”

“Okay, but you need to find a balance between the two,” she warned. “Oh, Jeannie also mentioned you’d hired Dakota to give the place a facelift. How’s she doing? I heard her new company is doing well, and that she’s sure to be a big help revitalizing Belle Cove. I can’t wait to see the finished product. I really miss her. It’s a shame you two weren’t able to reconnect over the years, but maybe now you’ll be able to catch up.”

“I haven’t hired her yet. I’m planning to discuss it with her soon. Hey, I’ve got to run, but I’ll call you later. I love you.”

“Love you, too, Logan. And don’t think I don’t know a redirect when I see one,” she said sweetly.

He hung up the phone and leaned back in his seat. Logan was not good at admitting that he needed help of any kind, but there was more at stake here than just his pride. That was battered and bruised enough, thanks to the choices he had made over the years. Still, coming back to Chicago after such a long absence was bittersweet. It was great being in close proximity to his family again, but that wasn’t the main reason he decided to come back.

One thing prompted his relocation, and he could no longer ignore the all-consuming influence it held over him: rectifying the mistake he had made years ago—losing Dakota Carson. He loved her. Still. He had tried considerably over the years to get over her, and to move on, but all his relationships had failed miserably. To him, it felt as though he were constantly trying to shove a square peg into a round hole. It just was not going to happen. He needed to rework his destiny and win her back. When he left, they were on the cusp of something, and he was convinced that they needed to explore the possibilities. Logan was confident that in time, he could achieve his heart’s desire, and he did not need his aunt’s help to do it.