While Seb was grateful the kid’s unexpected appearance interrupted his insane thought that agreeing to dinner with Jade was even possible, much less a good idea, he wondered who this guy was.
Jade stood as Logan reached their table. “You’re early,” she said without preamble.
Logan’s bright grin faded. “I was eager to see you.” He glanced at Seb. “Am I interrupting something?”
“No,” Jade said.
“Kinda,” Seb added. He’d gotten sidetracked in his quest to find out what was so special about her briefcase, but maybe he’d read too much into it. She’d set it on the ground and now didn’t seem concerned about it. Her attention was fully focused on the kid in front of her. Seb’s gaze dropped to her wringing hands.
Mabel showed up with Jade’s tea and set it on the table. She looked at Logan. “Now who do we have here?” she said.
“Logan Mitchell.” He held out his hand. “I’m Jade’s brother.”
Seb hid his shock and saw Mabel’s pleasant expression slip into the tiniest bit of confusion. He didn’t blame her—he was just as confused. He didn’t know Jade had a brother, and from appearances they weren’t fully blood related, although genes were always unpredictable. Not that it was a big deal, just unexpected. Then again, neither of them had said much about their families when they were together. Other than one mention of her mom, she had avoided any discussion of the topic.
“Nice to meet you,” Mabel said, back to her usual hospitable geniality. “Welcome to the Clementine Inn. I’m Mabel, the proprietor.”
“Thanks. I’m glad to be here.” He glanced over his shoulder at the front desk. “Is that where I can reserve a room?”
“For tonight?”
He nodded. “If you have one near Jade’s, that would be great.” He turned to his sister. “We have a lot of catching up to do.”
Jade flinched.
“Oh dear.” Mabel frowned. “We don’t have any free rooms until after Saturday’s hoedown. We booked our last one this morning.”
Logan nodded, looking disappointed. “Is there another hotel I can stay at?”
She shook her head. “Not nearby. The Juniper Arms is about an hour away.”
He turned to Jade. “Guess I’ll have to bunk with you.”
Her eyes widened. “I only have one bed. It’s a double.”
“No big deal, I’ll sleep on the floor.”
“You don’t have to do that.” Seb stepped forward and extended his hand. “Seb Hudson. I’m...” He glanced at Jade. “An old acquaintance of your sister’s. I’ve got a cabin not too far from Clementine. You can stay there.”
That suggestion brought Jade to her feet finally. “But—”
“Really? You have a cabin?” Logan adjusted his backpack. “Cool.”
Jade was shooting quizzical arrows at Seb, but he ignored her. It didn’t seem right for Logan to sleep on a motel room floor, no matter how clean Mabel and Clyde kept their premises. “It’s about half an hour outside Clementine, in the mountains. It’s remote, though. The nearest neighbor is more than two miles away.”
“Sounds good to me. What do you think, Jade?”
Seb looked at her, and he could tell she thought this was a terrible idea. From Logan’s crestfallen expression, it was obvious he could read her thoughts too. “Can I talk to you privately for a minute?” she said.
Logan nodded. “Sure.”
“Not you.” She turned to Seb, her eyes narrowing. “You.”
* * *
Jade tried to control her frustration as she dragged Sebastian by the arm to the patio outside, off the eating area of the inn. She shut the door and faced him, thrusting her trembling hands behind her back. “What do you think you’re doing?”
He lifted his hands. “Giving your brother a place to stay.”
