Page 63 of Counterfeit Connection

He takes my hand and shakes it firmly. It’s tough, strong, and I know immediately he doesn’t take any shit. “Griffin. I’m Samuel Logan. You can call me Mr. Logan.”

Kaitlyn nudges his side. “Daddy.” She giggles and rolls her eyes.

“I’m just kidding, son. You can call me Sam. I wouldn’t be a father if I didn’t embarrass Katie in front of her new beau.”

“Katie?” I look toward Kaitlyn with a raised eyebrow.

“Daddy. I stopped liking Katie when I was like twelve.”

“All right, how about Pixie then? I get one or the other. You can’t expect me to give up both.”

“Pixie? Well then. Should we vote? I know which I’d rather like to be the one that stays,” I add.

“Great. I didn’t realize the both of you would gang up on me so fast.”

“You didn’t? Oh, Kaitlyn. I saw this one coming before you even got on the flight. How are you, sweetheart?” Hilary leans in with a big hug for her.

“I’m good. Glad you’re here for many reasons. Hilary, Griffin. Griffin, this is Hilary.”

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you both. I’ve heard a few stories and can’t wait to hear a few more.”

“You came to the right house, and the right family for that one.” Hilary smiles.

Chapter 19

Griffin

As I expected, and would have insisted upon, Kaitlyn and I are shown to separate bedrooms for our stay, but as she told me she would in the car, she spoke with her father and convinced him we should be allowed to sleep in the same room.

I vehemently told him I would respect his wishes and his home, and that seemed to appease him enough to nod his head in agreement. I’ll be sleeping with Kaitlyn in her childhood bedroom and won’t be touching her. This will be a test in and of itself.

The next couple of hours are spent having drinks on the porch until Hillary calls us in, letting us know dinner is ready. I offered to help her many times, as did Kaitlyn, but she insisted. Who are we to argue?

It’s not until the exact moment I pull Kaitlyn’s dining room chair out for her that I’m hit with the realization I haven’t actually sat at a table, with a family, for a meal in years. I didn’t realize how much I’d missed it.

“I hope you both brought your appetites,” Sam says. “This one put her stethoscope down to take the lead on dinner. Thank you, honey.”

“It was fun. I pulled some old recipes out that I hadn’t made for a long time. I guess I got excited to cook for more than two people.”

“Everything smells amazing, Hilary. I was just thinking to myself, I haven’t sat for a family meal in longer than I can remember.” Kaitlyn reaches over to squeeze my right thigh in a gesture of comfort.

“You aren’t close with your family?” Sam asks while staring across at Kaitlyn.

“My family dynamic is…different, Sam. My parents are divorced and have been so for many years. My brother passed away just after so it’s not something we’ve done. To be honest, I’m very close to my mother.”

“But you work with your father? Isn’t that right?” Hilary asks.

Kaitlyn answers for me. “That’s right, but Griffin is essentially in charge of a whole section of the company.” She smiles at me proudly. Is it real? It feels real. Maybe I’ll tell myself it is, just for now.

“And what is it, exactly, that you do?” Sam asks as he lifts his drink to his lips.

“Orion invests in and sometimes outright purchases property or land, splits it up if necessary, or sells it as a whole to individuals or companies that are looking to build.”

“Residences?” he asks.

“Not usually, no.” I shake my head. “Commercial real estate is our bread and butter, as they say.”

“That sounds so busy and complicated,” Hilary replies as she pops a roasted potato into her mouth. “I’ll take my babies, uteruses, and placentas all day long.”

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