Page 29 of The Runaway Bride's Vow

And then he walked away with the phone pressed to his ear. Lunch might have ended sooner than she’d hoped for, but it had been a successful lunch. There had been no bickering or disagreements. In fact, it had been a really good lunch.

They’d talked like friends. A smile pulled at her lips. He wasn’t so bad when he let down his guard. Maybe they’d do lunch again—really soon.

Chapter Nine

He was drawn to her.

For the next few days, Logan couldn’t get the conversation with Brooke off his mind. He’d been caught off guard by her surprise, but even more so by the way she’d opened up to him.

She was no longer the annoying woman who had dumped coffee on him or hit him with the door. Instead, Brooke was the woman who had befriended his daughter, not because she had to but because she wanted to. Even though he’d held her at a distance, she was still friendly. Finally, she won him over with that lunch on the beach.

He was relieved when their second week of working together came to an end. Brooke had to go back to the office full-time, and he was back working at the firehouse. He thought for sure the distance would clear his mind. After all, he wasn’t ready to jump back into the dating game.

Wednesday afternoon, Logan was working at the chapel. He had to stay focused because his time was now limited between his shifts at the firehouse and it was his week to have Kaylie. If only there were more hours in a day.

His gaze strayed to the door. He hadn’t seen Brooke since Sunday. Three days ago. And he had no idea when he’d see her again.

It was for the best. He reached in the toolbox for some nails. A sound behind him had him glancing over his shoulder. It was only Henry moving a newly cut piece of wood for the bench.

Only one bench had needed to have some wood replaced. Considering this place was well over a hundred years old and the benches were the originals, he was impressed with the longevity of everything in the chapel.

He approached Henry to help rebuild the bench. Logan had even taken time to carve out the line around the edge of bench—the line that Brooke would add gold paint. That was if she decided to return…

“What’s wrong?” Henry’s voice drew Logan from his thoughts.

“Uh… What?”

Henry’s forehead scrunched up. “What’s going on with you today?”

“What are you talking about?” He looked around but forgot what he’d been doing.

“You were supposed to grab some nails, but instead you picked up the screws. It’s like your mind is somewhere else.”

He glanced down at his hand. He returned the screws and grabbed the nails. There was absolutely no way he was telling Henry that he’d been thinking about Brooke. Just then he heard a car pull into the lot. A smile pulled at the corners of his lips.

“So that’s it,” Henry said. “You’re missing her, aren’t you?”

Logan pretended like he hadn’t heard him. He thought of making an excuse to head out to his pickup, but he couldn’t think of a reason. And he knew Henry was watching him like a hawk.

Instead, Logan grabbed the nails and carefully attached the new board to the bench legs. He wasn’t about to let on to Brooke that he was anxious to see her, but he couldn’t resist glancing toward the open doors.

When he heard footsteps, he paused. He wondered what she’d be wearing that day: one of her frilly outfits that flattered her curves or jeans and a T-shirt with her long hair pulled up into a ponytail. He hoped for jeans because it might mean she would be sticking around.

Bright sunshine streamed in through the doorway into the darkened entryway. He continued to stare. Where was she?

Henry elbowed him. “Go see her. I’ve got this.”

Logan considered ignoring his suggestion, but the desire to see Brooke again won out. “I’ll be right back.”

He set down his hammer and headed for the door. He reasoned that she was probably checking out the exterior. The roof had been replaced, and now the crew was working on the siding. Some of it had to be replaced, most especially on the sea side, with the rest getting a couple coats of bright white paint.

Just as he reached the doorway, Brooke stepped into sight. His mouth opened to greet her when he realized it wasn’t Brooke. He wordlessly pressed his lips together.

“Hi.” Clara smiled at him. “Things are really coming along well.”

Disappointment assailed him. The depth of his emotional response caught him off guard. Was he that anxious to see Brooke? He didn’t have time to consider his answer because Clara was giving him an expectant look.

He cleared his throat. “Yes, they are. We’re right on track.”

---