Page 14 of The Wounded Mountain Man

I grin, before turning serious. "It's fine, really. And don't worry about Jax. I'll have a proper chat with him soon. Oh, and how does Friday night dinner sound?"

She manages a smile even though she looks drained. "That'll be great. I'll cook up some?—"

"No need. When I told Logan about it, he insisted you have the night off. He wants to cookyoua meal. If that's okay?"

Her smile grows, crinkling the soft skin around her eyes. "That would be wonderful. Tell him I'd love that." She looks over her shoulder. There's no sign of the kids. "So, have you guys had a chance to talk? Or have you been too busy giving him an adult version of your finger-growl combo?"

I drop my gaze but the flush on my neck must give me away, causing my sister-in-law to cackle at me. "Okay. That answers that question. Anything you want to share?"

"Maybe. I'll tell you later at the diner."

"The diner?"

"Yeah." I look up, fold my arms across my chest, and declare with a proud nod, "You're looking at your new handyman."

I spend the next few days fixing stuff around Benny's, and in return, Hattie keeps me well-fed and manages to pry every last detail about Logan out of me. It's obvious she's gunning for me and Logan to make it, but she also understands my situation.

How can I even think about starting a relationship when I have no clue what my future beyond the next few days holds?

8

Logan

"I'm so happy to see you," I say to Hattie as I take the casserole out of the oven and set it on the trivet to rest for a few minutes. "It's been way too long." Hattie is someone else I've known for ages and feel comfortable with.

"It has. And thank you for tonight. After cooking all day, I appreciate a night off."

"I bet. And it's my pleasure. More wine?"

She giggles. "Sure. Why not?"

I texted Wade earlier today to get him to suggest to Hattie that we pick her and the kids up. That way she can relax and enjoy a couple of drinks. The woman works hard, and she deserves a break.

I refill her glass with Chardonnay. "Oh, before I forget." I grab a cube of ice from the freezer and drop it into the glass.

She lets out another giggle. "This is so fancy. I feel like I'm at a day spa."

I smile even though it's kind of sad that this is her idea of getting spoiled. I make a mental note to speak to Wade about taking the kids off her hands and gifting her a visit to an actual day spa.

Sofie is sitting in the dining nook doing her homework, optional according to Hattie, but something Sofie never skips on Friday nights, and Wade took Jax outside to have a private chat with him about the way he's been treating Hattie.

"How's the diner going?" I ask, pouring myself an iced tea.

"Slow. It's been great having Wade around to spruce the place up, but…" She catches my gaze then quickly looks away.

"But what?"

"Well, ever since that fancy-ass cafeteria opened at the military rehab center, it's basically wiped out our trade."

I wince, feeling terrible, even though that happened well before I joined. Even if I had been around back then, I doubt I'd have been able to do anything about it. It's privately owned, and it does a lot of good—I know for a fact the center privately sponsors veterans, offering them access to specific programs at no cost—but it also makes occasional dick moves, too. In addition to the cafe, it's built lodging for visiting families and friends, effectively killing off a large chunk of the Thickehead Motel's clientele.

"Yeah. That sucks," I say, hating how pathetic my response is, so I distract myself by arranging the plates on the counter and getting the cutlery ready.

Hattie takes a swig of wine, then rests it on the counter, running her fingers up and down the stem of the glass. "So, you and Wade?"

I stop counting out forks. "What about me and Wade?" I know full well what she's getting at. According to Wade, it's Hattie's number one favorite topic. He's been copping a grilling the past few days while helping out at the diner.

"I know where he's at with things, but what about you?"

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