Page 58 of Challenged by the Single Dad

“I’m gonna ask again,” Clint said, once they’d all hugged their aunt Shirley’s youngest kid, “what are you doing here?”

Logan laughed, but it was a dismissive laugh that was an immediate red flag. “What? Can’t a cousin pop in on his cousins to say hi?”

“He can,” Bennett said, “but you have our numbers, and none of us have received a text from you.”

“It’s also really early. You had to have caught the first ferry over here,” Jagger added. Then he cocked his head to the side. “Unless you’ve been here a while and are onlyjustnow paying us a visit.”

Dom didn’t know much about Logan. He didn’t know much about his aunt Shirley’s family at all. They lived in Boston, and several years ago their mother and aunt had a falling out that never really mended before their mother died. Their mother refused to speak about it, and Aunt Shirley never said a word about it at the funeral either.

Logan’s easy smile faltered. “I … I was at the hostel.”

An icy frisson of dread cascaded down Dom’s spine and into the crack of his ass. Was Logan the motherfucker who used Chloe’s bathroom last night?

A quick glance at each of his brothers said they were all thinking the same thing.

“And?” Wyatt probed gently, but firmly.

“And something weird happened so I bounced. I only got in yesterday, late, and didn’t want to disturb you guys. So I figured I’d come here today.”

“What ‘weird’ thing happened?” Dom asked.

“The front desk guy let some dude from the dorm room I’m staying in, into somebody else’s private room and bathroom. She came back while the guy was still in there and freaked out.”

“The guy in the shower wasn’t you, was it?” Dom asked, hating that he had to. But he needed confirmation.

Logan’s look was pure indignation. “Fuck no.” Now the kid was offended.

Thank fuck.They could breathe a little easier.

“But the whole place was buzzing with frustration about it—particularly the women staying there. Several people checked out—including the chick whose room was used. I didn’t want to stay there after that. Like, what other shit is going down? You know? Are they rummaging through bags and taking pictures of people when they’re in the bathroom? Who the fuck knows.”

Dom nodded. “Okay … what can we do for you, Logan?”

Logan scratched at the back of his neck, then set his enormous backpack down on the floor. “Mom and Dad kicked me out of the house.”

Fuck.

“What’d you do?” Bennett asked.

Logan rolled his eyes and grumbled. “Look, I know it was stupid. But like … college is overrated. Why would I keep going and costing my parents thousands of dollars a year if I hated every minute of it?”

“You dropped out of college?” Clint asked. None of them were buying that that was the only reason Aunt Shirley and Uncle Darren would kick Logan out of the house. “What else?”

Once again, Logan looked offended. But they weren’t going to let him get away with evading their questions. “I also … may or may not have …” he cleared his throat, “knocked up my girlfriend. But she miscarried,” he said quickly.

“You’re an adult. What’s the harm in that?” Wyatt asked.

“She was eighteen. And her dad is a senator.”

Oh shit.

“And then I might have drove, high on ketamine, and wrapped my car around a telephone pole when I found out Leila lost the baby.”

Dom, Wyatt, and Clint all said, “Fuck” at the same time, running their fingers through their hair.

Bennett and Jagger shook theirs heads and murmured, “Jesus Christ almighty.”

“So, I’m here, with my life on my back, begging for a job,” Logan said. “I’ll do whatever. Wash dishes, clean cabins, wax kayaks—do you even wax a kayak?”

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