Page 279 of Sin Bin

When Meadow looked at Logan, he read the question in her eyes and shook his head. “I didn’t tell him about your parents. I think he should hear that from you.”

Her stomach clenched. She knew he was right, but she dreaded another painful rehashing of the worst night of her life.

When Aunt Rosalie arrived, Logan went down to the lobby to get her. When they returned, she beelined for Meadow and gave her a fierce hug.

“You’ve been on my heart. We’ll talk soon,” she whispered before releasing her and hugging her brother, teasing him about his nonexistent gut. As a park ranger, Harris prided himself on staying fit. He exercised regularly and was an avid outdoorsman and hiker. He was in better shape than most men half his age.

Rosalie swept an awed look around the penthouse. “Wow. I need a tour. Pronto.”

While Meadow showed her aunt and father around, Logan ordered dinner from an Indian restaurant. When the food came, they sat at the sleek glass dining table and dug into steaming portions of butter chicken, tandoori chicken, rogan josh and biryani.

Meadow hadn’t eaten much since yesterday, but her appetite was slowly returning. When she swallowed her first forkful and went for more, Logan gave her an encouraging smile. She smiled back shyly. God, he was so good to her.

Halfway through dinner, her father looked around the table and cleared his throat. “There’s something I’d like to share with you all.”

An expectant hush fell over the table.

Harris smiled a little nervously. “I just wanted you to know that, uh, Trish and I are…seeing each other.”

Meadow and Rosalie squealed with joy.

Logan broke into a huge grin. “Hey, that’s great news.”

“Amen! Hallelujah!” Rosalie rejoiced, dancing in her seat. “And who says God doesn’t answer prayers? Thank you, Lord!”

Everyone laughed. Even Meadow. It felt good to laugh again, like glimpsing the sun through dark storm clouds.

Her father’s expression sobered as he looked around at everyone. “Now, obviously, Trish and Wendi were good friends. So things are a bit complicated. But we enjoy each other’s company and we want to be together. So we’re taking things slow.”

Delighted smiles went around the table. Rosalie got up and hugged her brother so hard that he dramatically pretended he was choking, which set off a wave of warm laughter.

After dinner they carried their wineglasses into the living room. The evening temperature had dropped, so Logan built a fire in the two-sided fireplace. It helped ward off the chill seeping back into Meadow’s bones.

With her father and aunt sitting on either side of her, she told them about the devastating night her parents died. They were as shocked and horrified as she’d expected. They hugged her tightly from either side, sharing her tears, comforting her with words that were a healing balm to her wounded soul.

Her parents had been taken from her tragically and senselessly, and there was nothing she could do to bring them back. With the love and support of Logan, her father and her aunt, maybe someday she’d find the strength to overcome her unspeakable loss and finally be at peace.

The rebels lost game five in another overtime nail-biter.

During the postgame interviews, Hunter faced reporters with Zen calm and deflected barbed questions about Logan’s absence hurting the team. Instead of throwing Logan under the bus, the captain promised that his team would regroup, return to Winnipeg and take care of business in game six.

Logan brooded most of the next day, and Meadow gave him his space.

Later that night, she was in the home theater watching Hidden Figures when he came walking through the door with his laptop under his arm.

She stared at him uncertainly. “Hey.”

He plopped down beside her and brushed his lips over hers, a soft butterfly kiss that soothed her frayed nerves. “Hey,” he murmured.

She gazed at him in the semidark theater. “Are you okay?”

He nodded. “You?”

Her throat tightened. “One day at a time.”

He stroked her cheek. “Take all the time you need.”

She nodded and swallowed. “Are you packed and ready for tomorrow?”

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