Heather
The doorbell rings just as I slide a casserole in the oven and set the timer. Cookie yips, jumping from her bed in the living room and runs for the front door. She twirls in three circles before jumping through the doggie door.
It has to be Violet and Logan ready for that walk I promised.
Cookie jumps back in, barks at me—obviously telling me to hurry the hell up—then jumps through again.
I chuckle, snagging her leash off the wall, and walk out, coming to a sudden halt. Violet and Cookie are in a joyful heap on the porch, which is not unexpected. But what stops me in my tracks is the very virile man lounging on my swing, his muscled arms splayed along the backrest and one ankle propped on a knee.
Logan is almost too big for it, but somehow he makes it work. My eyes hungrily run over his physique. He's so much more impressive now in his thirties than he'd been at eighteen, when he'd just been a lanky teen with gorgeous blue eyes, a toe-curling smile, and a curveball that had all the baseball scouts drooling.
After several seconds of silence as I practically eye him like a dessert, he asks, “Is this a good time?”
“Oh!” I blink, coming out of my lustful stupor. “Yeah. It's perfect timing, actually. I just put dinner in the oven, and it'll be an hour before it's ready.”
I hand the leash to Violet. “Would you clip this to her harness?” With a nod, Violet hooks her up. I grin at the way Cookie holds herself perfectly still for the little girl she obviously adores.
“Do you want to walk her?” I ask, noticing the way Violet has wound her hand through the leash's end loop. “I think she prefers you over me right now.”
“Yeah!” She and Cookie are off like a shot, making a beeline for the sidewalk.
“Hold up!” Logan shouts. He and I follow close behind. “You need to stay on the sidewalk, Vi. And don't get too far ahead of us, okay?”
“Okay, Uncle Logan.” Violet and Cookie are several steps in front of us, and it's adorable watching how they match steps. I'd swear those two were made for each other.
“How was your first day?” I ask.
“As good as can be expected,” he answers.
“Uh oh.” I glance at him. “That doesn't sound good.”
“No, it was good. Just a lot of meetings.” Logan smiles at me, and I notice the way the skin around his eyes crinkles. On a woman, it would highlight her age. But on him, it only makes him more attractive and distinguished.
Men could be so annoying sometimes.
“It's just an adjustment.” He lifts his arms to the side. “All of this is, really.”
“I can imagine.” It must have been devastating to have a career-ending injury like he did and lose his sister within the same year. Then becoming the guardian for his niece and moving back home to take over a struggling baseball team. It’smind-boggling how much change he's experienced in such a short amount of time.
“How's Violet handling everything?”
Logan barks out a laugh and points at the two in front of us. “Much better now. Just look at her.”
“Yeah, I think I've lost my dog.”
“Either that or I've lost my niece.” He grins at me. “Who knows, maybe they'll run off together.”
I snort. “Don't worry about that. Cookie would be back before dinnertime. She has her priorities straight. Love is great, but treats are forever.”
He lifts his chin at his niece. “She made a drawing in school today of her on the swing with Cookie. She put it on our fridge and declared it was the first day of their friendship.”
I gasp, holding a hand to my heart. “That's adorable! I want a picture of it, please.”
“Why don't you just ask her to make one for you? She's a pretty good artist.” The corner of his lip lifts in a half-grin. “I think you'll be impressed.”
“I'm sure I will.” We walk several more minutes in companionable silence. “Cookie moped for about an hour after Violet's class left. At first I thought she was just wiped out from all the attention because she usually takes a short nap after the preschool visits. This time, she just sat on a cabinet in my office and stared out the window with a pouty look on her face.”
“I think it's official then.” Logan chuckles. “They're in love.”
