Page 81 of Seven of Hearts

Logan jogged up the porch steps, grabbed a key that was hidden beneath a seashell on the porch railing, and let himself into the house.

I clapped my hands over my mouth to stifle the squeak that escaped. “Gosh, it’s adorable!”

Hardwood floors in an airy pine led to bright yellow walls in the kitchen and Carolina blue in the living room. Retro tile stretched from floor to ceiling in the bathrooms, accenting the pink walls and pink bathtub.

“It’s a three bed, two bath,” Logan said. “Pretty simple floor plan, but it’s close to everything and has a lot of privacy.”

“These colors have to be driving you crazy,” I snickered as I poked my head into one of the bedrooms. It was a sea-foam green—perfect for a coastal beach town.

Logan joined me as I darted from room to room. Each one had its own character.

“What do you think?” he asked when we snooped around a room with salmon-colored walls and a rattan ceiling fan.

“It’s like living in my head,” I said with a laugh. “I’ve never seen a house so perfect. I love the old beach houses around here. They’re so kitschy and colorful. They don’t take themselves too seriously. I hate the modern stuff. It’s all white and sterile, and I am way too messy to live in a white house. I like places that feel like home the second you walk inside.”

“Good,” Logan said as he took my hand and gave it three squeezes. “Because my offer was accepted this morning.”

Those seven words made me dizzy. I grabbed his biceps so I didn’t topple over in shock. “Your what? You...You bought a house?”

“I boughtusa house,” he said gently. “Let’s be honest. No amount of rearranging is going to make another room or more space magically appear in your apartment. And as excited as Kristin is to be an aunt, I don’t think she wants a crying newborn around twenty-four seven.” Logan tucked my hair behind my ears and kissed me. “We need our own space.”

Tidal waves of fear washed over me, one after the other. Waves that I had tried my best to ignore. “Does...Does this mean you’re staying? You’re not going back to Chicago?”

“I’m only going back so I can pack up what few things I have left there, deal with my car, and get out of my apartment.” He pressed a kiss to my forehead. “You two are my home. So if there’s any doubt if I’m in; I’m all in, Leah. All in. Late nights. Early mornings. Diaper changes. All of it. I’m keeping my promise to you. I’ll do better, even if it’s just a little more than the day before.”

“I know it’s not proper to talk about money, but how the hell did you save up to put a down payment on a house here? Prices are insane. I make great money, and I barely qualified for my apartment. And waterfront houses?—”

“Will set up trust funds for all of us years ago. I’ve had access to mine for years, but I’ve never touched it. I wanted to prove to myself that I could save and be responsible with my money. I wanted?—”

“Not to make a mistake,” I said.

Logan nodded. “I felt like I needed to prove myself. That I wasn’t just getting a free ride because my sister happened to fall in love with a billionaire. I’ve never touched it because I couldn’t think of something worth spending the money on.” His kiss was silken, a silent promise of gentleness and tender love. “Until you.”

23

LOGAN

“I’m gonna regret this,” Leah sing-songed with a smile on her face as she reached for a slice of pizza loaded with every meat topping possible. It was a carnivore’s delight.

Maddie DeRossi laughed. “Heartburn?”

Leah groaned. “It’s the worst. But pizza is worth it.”

After Thanksgiving, everything had seemingly fallen into place. The house inspections had come back all clear, and we were two weeks away from closing. Instead of shuffling things around in Leah’s apartment to try to make room for a crib, we were boxing everything up, little by little. Her lease wouldn’t be up until the first of the year, which meant we had a little flexibility when it came to moving. It was nice, considering I wasn’t letting her lift more than a cup of tea.

Leah had come around to how awesome Monday poker nights were. Honestly, it was nice to have someone there with me. Sure, I had known everyone in the poker club since I was a kid, but Leah was my person.

“What can I get you to drink, Logan?” Luca asked from behind the bar as he filled the role of a bartender, mixing drinks for everyone.

A beer didn’t sound half-bad. Then again, I had mostly stayed away from alcohol since Kylie’s wedding. That hangover from hell was enough to make me swear off of the stuff. Besides, Leah couldn’t drink and I didn’t want her to feel left out.

“I’ll have whatever she’s having,” I said.

The ladies in the room swooned with collective “awws.”

I just shook my head.

“Two mocktails coming right up,” Luca said.

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