Page 57 of Embattled Return

When they got back to Marshall house, Nancy was puttering in the kitchen. She stopped what she was doing and wiped her hands on a dishtowel when they came in. “What have you young people been up to today,” she asked, grinning.

Logan sat at the kitchen table, looking tired but extremely satisfied. “Grandma Nancy, I met my real grandmother today. Her name is Eugenia and she’s been missing me for a long time. I also met my grandfather Arthur.”

Nancy’s eyes went wide as she sank down into the chair opposite Logan. “Oh, you found your family,” she breathed. “What a blessing that is! We need wine to celebrate!”

They laughed and all took glasses as she handed them out. Marigold grinned at Logan, appreciating that he hadn’t shut Nancy down. Marigold had a feeling that this was the entire reason why the woman stayed up, to take part at least peripherally in their lives.

“So, tell me about them,” Grandma said as they sipped.

Logan related the details of his family. Nancy hadn’t known about Logan’s father stealing the family away. When he told her about it, she reached out and covered his hand with her own.

Marigold watched Logan’s expression. It had been so expressive throughout the day, though she knew he’d tried to control it. When they’d first gone to the restaurant, it had been tight with anxiety, then tense as he’d talked to his grandparents. Eventually it had eased into acceptance, and maybe even joy as he’d dealt with his new family members as they rolled in, all of which seemed to be sane, intelligent people willing to accept him exactly the way he was. Every time he met someone new, there had been a guardedness, but then relief as they all took in his scars and welcomed him as a hero.

“I’m not a hero,” he’d said more than once, but to a family that valued service to their country the way the Showalters did, they’d brushed his words aside and appreciated him for the man he was.

Marigold had been brought to tears several times as she’d watched the interaction between the family. Two of his uncles had been there as well, and they’d fallen into military speak so easily, because they’d all served in the Army. It had been truly a special thing to watch, and she didn’t think Logan felt the full repercussions yet. His life had changed today, and she hoped he saw the value of what had happened as much as she did.

They sat and talked with Nancy for almost an hour before they all headed for bed. Marigold thought that maybe Logan would need a night alone to digest what had happened, but when she started to make her excuses, he waved her away. “Mind if I stay with you tonight?”

“Not at all,” she said softly, her heart warming.

“Let me grab a few things and I’ll follow you up.”

So, she stood there watching him move around his space. He grabbed a change of clothes and his toothbrush, then what looked to be a tablet. Rather than see him struggle she took the items from him and carried them up the stairs as he locked his door. Once inside her room she set the items on the dresser by the bed.

Butterflies tangled in her stomach. They’d slept together and played together, but it was still new enough that she wasn’t sure what to expect. “I’m going to go clean up a little and use the bathroom. Are you hungry? Help yourself to anything in the fridge.”

He didn’t especially seem to be listening, so she turned and went in to do what she needed to. When she returned, he was sitting on the blue jean couch flipping through pages on his tablet. When she sank down near him, he looked up with a tired smile. The ball cap was gone, and his dark curls rested on his forehead. “I’m still buzzing,” he admitted. “Actually, I think you could blow me over, I’m so tired, but my mind won’t stop.”

Marigold grinned. “I know. You have reason to be excited. You have an amazing family.”

“It seems that way, doesn’t it?”

She nodded, reaching out to run her hand down his thigh. He still wore his jeans and boots. Would he mind if she started undressing him?

“I want to talk to Rob and Larry again,” he said, staring off into the distance.

Those were two of his uncles. They were older than his father and full of stories about being kids. Larry had actually been stationed on Fort Benning, where Logan had been most of his career. They’d shared stories and had even known a few of the same people, mostly higher- ranking officials on the base. “One of the guys that used to be his sergeant is set to command the fort in the next couple of years.”

“That’s very cool,” she said, nodding. “I wish I had family like that. My dad was an only child. I knew his parents a little, but not as much as my mother’s. They passed years ago.”

Logan winced and shifted his shoulders toward her. “I’m sorry, Mari. I’m going on about all this and I shouldn’t be.”

Marigold scowled. “Why the fuck would you say that? You have brand new family that is going to love the hell out of you and they already accept who you are. That’s such exciting news. You should be shouting it from the rooftops. At the very least you should let John and Shannon know, and you should bask in that love. No apologies, seriously.”

He nodded once, accepting her point.

“Besides,” she continued. “You had a lot rougher childhood than I did. You deserve this time in your life. Period.”

Reaching out, he looped some of her hair around his finger. “I never expected them to be so...like me, I guess. And I definitely didn’t expect there to be so many of them. Shit.”

She laughed and pulled her hair from his hand. She shifted, going to her knees in front of him. Logan’s eyes narrowed on her with interest, until he realized she was just untying his boots. “You’re a tease,” he told her, smiling softly.

Marigold shook her head as she tugged first one boot off, then the second. “Nope. It’s only a tease if you don’t follow through with it,” she laughed, running her hands up his jeans-clad thighs.

“You have more of those condoms?” he asked her.

“I do.”

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