Page 103 of Seven of Hearts

“I didn’t put her up to it,” Logan said as he walked through the kitchen, then leaned down to give me a quick kiss. “It’s just common sense when you’re this pregnant.”

“Geez.” I clasped my hand to my chest. “What is with everybody sneaking up on me? What are you doing here? I thought you were in your meeting with Will and Bryan.”

Mom straightened and folded her hands in front of her. “Logan.”

“Laura,” he retorted in the same frosty tone. But there was some good-natured humor hiding behind it too.

Never in the history of my life had anyone called my mother by her first name and gotten away with it.

“How’s therapy?” he asked as if he was asking about the weather.

“It’s unpleasant.”

“Good,” he said. “Growth is uncomfortable.”

I glanced between the two of them. “This is so weird. Should I look outside? Are pigs flying?”

Logan pulled up a kitchen chair, facing mine so we were knee to knee, and started unpacking my testing kit. “How are you feeling today?” he asked, paying my mother no mind as he tore into an alcohol wipe and took my hand to clean my finger.

“All right.” I glanced at the clock. Time had gotten away from me since Erica and my mom stopped by, and I hadn’t realized it was time to check my sugar levels.

“What’s the matter?” my mom asked.

Logan leaned forward at the same time I did so that I could rest my head on his shoulder. I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth as he pricked my finger and squeezed out a drop of blood.

“She was diagnosed with gestational diabetes,” Logan said as he waited for the glucose meter to register the droplets.

I released my breath when I felt him dab my finger with a cotton ball.

“But...You can’t stand the sight of needles or blood. You always pass out.” For the first time in a long time, there was panic in her voice. She was having a human moment, but it was one she desperately needed to have. “Don’t you have to do that a few times a day?”

“Yep.” I took a deep breath as I felt Logan press the insulin pen against my thigh.

“Deep breath,” he said gently.

I squeezed the ever-living daylights out of his arm as the needle pierced my leg.

“You’re okay. I’ve got you,” Logan said as he rubbed my back with his free hand. “Just keep your eyes closed for a second. I’m not in a hurry.”

“You have to get back to your meeting,” I choked out as I tried to settle into a normal breathing pattern.

I heard him set the insulin pen on the table. “I have time, so take all of it that you need. And if you need more time, they can wait.”

I rested on his shoulder for another minute, not caring that my mother was watching or that Logan had to get back to work. It was as if we were in our own little cocoon.

Slowly, I sat up and blinked away the haze.

“You good?” he asked, studying my eyes before packing up the testing kit.

I nodded. “Thanks for coming over. I lost track of time.”

“Make sure you get a snack or something. I won’t be over there too much longer. We just have a few more things to wrap up and I’ll be done for the day.”

“Okay.” I met him in the middle for a quick kiss, then smacked his ass for good measure as he stood. “I love you.”

“Love you too, honeybee.” He headed to the door, tossing out, “Catch you later, Laura,” as he slipped out.

My mother looked half amused at Logan’s nonchalance and half concerned at me. “He does that...every day?”

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