Page 90 of Whenever You Call

Livia couldn’t do it. As much as her job meant the world to Bella and me, having a housekeeper wasn’t exactly something my daughter would want parading around in front of her classmates.

Kate wouldn’t be able to schedule it into her busy lifestyle, and like Bella just reminded me… I didn’t actually have a job other than taking care of her.

It made sense for Bella to think of Logan, and I hated how things had turned out even more so than I had before.

“Mommy?” she pressed.

I blinked myself back into the moment, offering her a small smile before I focused on the road. “I… I think he would have, yes.”

“Oh.”

“I’m sorry, bug.”

“S’okay,” she said with a shrug, showing me that it was anythingbutokay.

“I mean… I could still ask him… if that’s what you wanted me to do.”

She pushed her body up in her seat, her eyes wide. “Really? Even though you’re not friends anymore?Ican still be his friend?”

“Whatever makes you happy, Bella,” I said, unable to miss the pinching of my heart. The mere thought of having Logan in my life in any capacity would be too hard, too raw, after everything that had happened. But I couldn’t deny the little shred of hope that tried to gather some strength inside me at the thought of him still being around.

Bella sank back into her seat with a smile on her face. “I’d like him to go to school with me, Mommy. I really would.”

If I hadn’t been driving, I’d have closed my eyes to prepare myself for the onslaught of emotions that ran through me. Instead, I simply said, “I’ll talk to him.”

She didn’t respond, and when I glanced her way, she was staring at me with a look of awe and pure love that made every ache and pain I’d ever suffered disappear in a single moment.

I’d been wrong to think any man could be my salvation.

The only thing I’d ever needed was my daughter.

The daughter determined to keep the man I couldn’t stop dreaming about in my life, whether I wanted him there or not.

Chapter35

LOGAN

Hannah: I’m ready to talk. I’ll be back in Los Angeles Thursday afternoon.

Backin Los Angeles? Where the hell had she been?

The text came in midway through the shift from hell on a random Tuesday. So far, Jerry and I had dealt with a building fire, a concussed teen, a suspected homicide, a break-in gone wrong, and four heart-related emergencies. We hadn’t stopped for a minute. No food, rest, and no time to check our phones until we finally got to go home after a brutal twenty-four hours on the clock.

It wasn’t until I walked out of the station and slipped into my Outback that I finally had time to pull my cell from my pocket, and that’s when I saw it.

Her name.

For a moment, all I could do was stare at it, the temperature in the car rising, forcing me to roll down the window so I could rest my elbow on the ledge and press a knuckle to my mouth as I considered what to do or what the hell to even say.

Weeks had gone by without hearing from her. I’d thought about driving to her house, knocking on her door, and fighting because she deserved to be fought for, but I respected her too much to put my needs above her own.

She had choices.

I had to let her make them.

Me: Just tell me when and where, and I’ll be there.

But fuck, that wasn’t enough! How could I tell her everything I needed to say over the phone? I wanted her to see the sincerity in my eyes when I made a thousand apologies until she forgave me. I wanted to kiss the shit out of her again, but do it right this time, with no guilt or shame taking over. I wanted to show her how a real man could treat her and to press my hips to hers and let herfeelwhat she did to me—to show her the only intention I ever had was to make her feel good.

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