Page 79 of Seven of Hearts

I shivered as a chill blew in off the bay. It was bright and sunny, but the wind let the nip in the air linger. I clutched the half-eaten roll to my chest and took another bite.

“Come on, honeybee,” Logan said as he led me across the grass. “Let’s get you a plate of potatoes and put your feet up.”

“Leah,don’t you dare lift that plate!” Kristin shouted when she saw me scooting back in my chair and bracing to stand. She swooped in and grabbed the empty paper plate from my place setting.

“I’m fine. I need to stretch my legs anyway. Can I get anyone anything?”

The ladies packed around the folding table shook their heads. I had just gotten to my feet when strong hands gently squeezed my shoulders.

“I told you to stay off your feet,” Logan murmured as he guided me back to my seat and traded my half-empty glass of sweet tea for a fresh one. “We’re almost done cleaning up. You doing okay?”

Kylie was watching us from across the table, trying to hide her smile.

“I’mfine,” I promised him. “My back’s just a little stiff from all this sitting. I can help clean up, you know.”

“Um, no!” Erica Pelham said from her seat between Kylie and Maddie DeRossi. “The men clean up after Thanksgiving. Don’t ruin this for us, Miss Goody Two Shoes!”

Logan chuckled as he pulled his hoodie over his head, folded it over, and tucked it behind my back for a little more cushion. “You still hungry? Want another piece of pie or a roll or something?”

I tipped my head back and peered up at him. “I’m full. But thank you.”

He left me with a quick peck, then jogged back to Kristin’s house.

“That boy is head-over-heelsobsessedwith you,” Melissa McGrath said with a grin.

“It’s very cute,” Maddie said. Bridget Brannan was beside her, nodding.

“How are things going between you guys?” Hannah Jane asked as she rested her elbow on the table and dropped her chin into her hand.

“They’re . . . going,” I said evasively.

Kylie smirked over her wine. “Don’t hold back on my account. I can handle it.”

“Aww,” Erica cooed as she squeezed Kristin’s arm. “It’s like one big happy family.”

“I might be one of the aunts, but there’s no family discount for my babysitting services,” Zoey joked.

I gave her a little nudge with my elbow. “You’re preaching to the choir.”

Maddie and Hannah Jane laughed.

“I think Gio might be more excited for the baby than you and Logan combined,” Maddie said. “It’s all he can talk about. We get nightly updates on how you’re feeling.”

I dropped my head into my hands and laughed. “He’s so perceptive for his age.”

“I don’t know how we would have survived without you these last few years,” Hannah Jane said.

“Well, you’re not losing me forever. Just a few weeks while I recover and get into the swing of things.”

Bridget took a pull from her beer. “Are you guys going to try to split time between here and Chicago?”

My gut churned. Logan and I hadn’t talked about the elephant in the room. I was blissfully ignorant when it came to how long he planned on staying in Beaufort. He had made no mention of going back. Working remotely like Bryan and Will did seemed to suit him just fine.

But was he planning on leaving?

“All right, ladies,” Chase Brannan said with a clap of his hands as he padded across the grass. “The dishes are done. All the kids are in their sleeping bags in Maddie and Luca’s basement with a movie on, and it is nap time.”

Bridget was the first up. “You don’t have to tell me twice. Maddie, we’re taking the guest room at the end of the hall.”

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