Page 6 of Whatever You Want

“Yes, but my young nurse has been asking about you.”

He arched an eyebrow. “Really, which one?”

“Kristina, the one that was there when you and Marco brought me that cheesecake from Stock’s Bakery. And stop acting like you don’t give all those young girls something to look at.”

“Sophia.” His eyes darted around the backyard, and he lowered his voice. “Keep the cheesecake on the down low. That was supposed to be just between the three of us, remember? If your daughter finds out we’ve been sneaking you sweets, that will be the end of my leftovers. And I’m a bachelor who doesn’t know how to cook. I’ll have to live on fast food for the rest of my life. Capiche?”

I knew Logan was a player, and flirting came easy to him. He was in his element, and it was strangely comforting and relaxing listening to their banter, despite the mention of the young nurse.

She patted his arm gently. “Maybe it’s time you found yourself a nice girl to settle down with. One that knows how to cook.”

Her eyes darted to mine, but I quickly looked away. Sophia was also a meddling matchmaker. When she set her mind to something, there was no stopping her.

Logan grinned down at her while rubbing a hand over his jaw. “Well, gorgeous, anytime you want to run off with me, I’ll be waiting. I’ve heard Italy is beautiful this time of year.”

She thumped him on the shoulder. “Your flirting is going to get you in trouble one of these days.”

He winked. “It’s a good thing I’ve got you to keep me in line. Speaking of line, I was just explaining to Ava that I’m quite the catch.”

I rolled my eyes. “I swear to God, if you tell one more fish joke, I’ll string you up myself.”

“Come on, Ava. Don’t be a spoilsport. Besides, don’t you have bigger fish to fry?”

Sophia shook her head. “I think you might want to quit while you’re ahead.”

He chuckled while I stared down at the ground. I had to bite down on my bottom lip to hold in my laugh. I seemed to do a lot of that when he was around.

“So, Ava,” Sophia said, taking a big sip from her wineglass. She loved a good Chianti. “I have a picture from a magazine I wanted to show you.” She patted her short white hair. “I want to go for a new look.”

Shit! There was nothing that a hairstylist hated more than hearing those words. Especially from someone like Sophia. She expected things a certain way, and she expected to get her way. While I took pride in what I did, I would never live up to her expectations.

“What are you thinking?” I asked, taking a sip of my water.

She tapped her lip with her finger. “I want something more modern. Maybe grow out my layers. A lot of these young nurses are talking about this technique called, balayage highlights. At least that’s what I think it’s called. It sounds French, so I wouldn’t know.” She shrugged.

“You know what?” Logan started to back away. I think I’m going to check on Brina.”

I shot him a look that said, traitor.

Sophia sat down on a nearby chair and got comfortable. “Logan, before you leave, will you be a doll and refill my glass, please? Now, as I was saying about the color.”

“Um…” Logan looked lost and a little scared. “You drank that one a little fast. Are you sure you’re ready for another one?”

“Logan,” she scolded him. “They don’t allow booze at the nursing home, so I’m going to enjoy this good stuff while I can get my hands on it.” He started to walk away, but she called out, “And don’t be stingy, make sure my glass is filled to the top.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. There was something about being around Marco’s crazy family that always made me happy. My best friend was one lucky lady. And speaking of the devil, here she was now.

Marco and Amelia made their way through the backyard with matching smiles. Marco’s mom rushed over to grab Gia out of his arms, and he quickly pulled Amelia in for a kiss. While I was glad they found each other, my heart felt that familiar longing for a man who was no longer alive.

I pushed a fake smile past my lips. Logan’s eyes caught mine from across the yard. It was like there was an invisible magnet preventing either of us from looking away. Then overwhelming guilt hit me. How could I look at another man like that? My heart still belonged to Drew. I had nothing to offer Logan or any man, for that matter. It wouldn’t be fair to start something with anyone while I was still in love with my husband. Because in my heart of hearts, I was still married. In fact, I don’t know if I would ever be able to move on. And Logan didn’t seem like the type to just sit and wait around for me to put my life back together.

The bigger question was, did I want him to?

“What’s with the face?” My friend Quinn walked up, adjusting the bill of his ball cap. Quinn was a fellow officer and a mutual friend. We used to work the same shift and hung out often until he settled down. Something all my friends seemed to be doing lately.

“Just thinking about how different this scene is from the Friday night poker games and beer pong competitions Marco would throw in this backyard,” I said just as his daughter Emery walked up to grab a drink out of the cooler.

“Uh…” Quinn closed the lid and pointed to the other cooler. “Kid drinks are in that one,” he said, guiding her to the white cooler that was labeled “juice.” Emery rolled her eyes and grabbed a couple of Capri Suns while I silently chuckled.

---