Page 108 of Whenever You Call

I shook my head and brought a hand to my chest in a pointless attempt to bring my heart under control. “You…” I trailed off, unable to say the things I wanted to say.

I’m so happy you’re here.

I don’t know what that means.

I’m a little scared and a lot nervous, but I’m also excited, ready to claim my life as my own with you in it.

God, you look good, Logan.

But his smile faded quickly, and he took a step toward me. Recognizing his concern, I put my hand up, bringing him to a stop when his attention dropped down to the hand against my chest.

“Nothing’s wrong,” I assured him with a smile.

“You sure?”

I nodded once, swallowing down a swell of emotion in my throat I couldn’t seem to get control of. “I promise.”

Logan slowly glanced over his shoulder to where Bella had disappeared inside the house before bringing his attention back to me. “If I’m getting too involved, tell me. We’re going at your pace, remember? I don’t want to do anything that—”

“Logan, stop.” I shook my head. “It’s not that.”

“But it’s something…”

Eyeing the patio doors to make sure Bella wasn’t around, I swung my legs off the lounger and rose to my feet before I walked over to Logan and ran my hands over his biceps.

“You’re just making it impossible for me because not kissing you is proving so much harder than I thought it would, and seeing the way Bella is with you…” I rubbed my lips together, the depths of my stomach tightening at the look he gave me. It was pure attention and focus. “It’s just hard to believe you’re here, and this is real, that’s all. I’m waiting for the bubble to burst.”

His eyes searched mine, and I wondered if he’d grant me the wish of the kiss, even though it went against everything we’d agreed upon. Instead, he ran a hand through one side of my hair, tucking it behind my ear, making goosebumps scatter down my spine.

“There’s no bubble around us, Hannah. I wouldn’t allow us to live in something so fragile.”

“Say more things like that.”

“I plan to… later,” he said quietly, making my thoughts race ahead to a time when I could be in his arms, listening to his heart beating beneath his chest.

“I can’t wait,” I whispered.

A distant cry of, “Mr. Logan,” had him dropping his hand from me. We stepped away from each other, and Logan cleared his throat before pushing a hand through his wet hair.

“I better go. I have a six-year-old to throw in the pool.”

My brows rose, along with my smile.

“If that’s okay with you, I mean,” he added.

“She started the fight. I trust you to be gentle with her.”Just like you’re gentle with me.

With a twinkle in his eye, he reached out for my hand, letting the tips of his fingers brush against it for only a second before he turned away and cried out to my daughter that the hunt was on.

It was only then that I saw Livia standing by the open patio doors, looking straight at me…

Us.

Logan slipped past her in a light jog as he tried not to slip on his wet feet, his smile in place as though he didn’t have a care in the world other than entertaining Bella.

All I could do was stare at Liv and wait for her reaction to seeing me in that kind of embrace with someone who wasn’t Cole.

Her smile rose slowly, her gaze locking on mine before she finally turned away, and it was at that moment that I truly realized how much her approval meant. It stuck around all through the day, well into the night…afterthe pool wars had exhausted Bella into taking a shower and getting her pajamas on. Every time Livia set herself up to take on a task with Logan nearby, he’d rush over to her and offer to help. Not because he felt the need to impress her, but because that was the kind of man Logan Thomas was. If he could save someone in any way—their lives, their energy, their time—he’d do it. He didn’t see himself clearly at all.

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