Page 15 of A Dash of You

I snag a blanket from the basket by the couch and slip out onto the balcony. The chairs aren’t the comfiest, but I don’t want to complain. Lana opened her home to me and for that, I am grateful.

The cozy material molds my body as I peer out at the lake and mountains that line the horizon. With the moon reflecting the water, it’s a peace I’ve never experienced. Living in the trailer park growing up, we never had this view. And living with Jason, well, that was an entirely different experience. Suffocation with a side of misery. The only view I had was the gardens closed off by an enormous privacy fence. It was more like a prison.

The door next to me slides open and Logan’s towering body fills the space. Even though we’re outside, it seems smaller somehow. We only have a piece of metal railing separating us and the unknown tension we share is immediate. Is it awkward tension? Angry. Dare I say, sexual. Because there’s zero chance at him feeling that way and I curse myself for thinking insanities.

I straighten my chair, pulling the blanket a little closer. I’m afraid to look over, but I can’t miss Logan sitting with his big thighs and long legs propped on the balcony railings in front of him. He’s got strong thighs. Hell, his whole body looks strong.

I decide to glance over and he’s wearing the same backward hat and a plain T-shirt with sweatpants. Jason never woresweatpants. I suppose he’s too rich for them and he’d never wear something so casual. It was always a suit.

Ah, man. Logan in sweatpants is… wow.

He meets my eyes, beer in hand, and my cheeks flush as he caught me staring. An intense wave of heat melts my insides.

He throws me a casual nod. “Sora.”

“Logan.”

Jacks Mannequin plays softly from my phone, filling the voided silence. I will say, it’s an oddly comfortable silence and not at all awkward.

We continue to sit there without saying a word. A slight breeze picks up and I catch a whiff of spearmint this time.

It’s tantalizing.

We finish our drinks; he beats me to a stand, and I casually peek over as he’s opening his sliding door.

But before he ducks inside, he pauses. “Your brownies were delicious.” His voice is velvety and masculine.

I smile smugly as Logan disappears behind the glass.

New life, here I come.

Five

My alarm sounds like nails on a chalkboard, and I want to chuck my phone across the guest bedroom. Excitement mixed with nervousness had rushed over me last night, forbidding sleep to come. This job is important to me for entirely different reasons. But negative scenarios kept running inside my head like a bad dream. Thinking the worst is my downfall. What if I burn everything? Break something?

Ugh.

After showering, I change into a nice outfit, opting for sneakers which will be good for standing all day. I have a pretty good selection of outfits going on, considering I only made one stop to the thrift store in town.

After curling my hair and tossing it up, I quickly paint on light makeup, then head downstairs.

Lana sits with acongratulationsballoon and a box of donuts. My heart warms. “Surprise. I know it’s kind of lame, but it’s a big day for you.”

I almost tear up. “You cannot make me cry on my first day. I’ll ruin my makeup.” I go over to the table and snatch a glazed donut.

“I’m so happy for you. And Shelby and Frank are the best people in town. They’ll take such good care of you.”

“Have I told you, you’re the best?”

“Maybe. But you can say it again. I don’t mind.” Lana smirks, handing me a travel mug filled with coffee.

“You know I’m going to work at a coffee shop, right? Where there’s coffee.”

“Oh my God. I’m sending you to work on your first day with an enemy. I suck.”

“I’ll be sure to let Folgers know.” We laugh, but before I head out, I ask, “How was last night?”

“It was perfect. Mark is great.” Lana grins, but something tells me it’s not one hundred percent authentic. The smile doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “The balloon was his idea. Which, I’ll admit, is sweet of him.”

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