“Nice of you to wait until we were inside,” I teased, letting him push.
“The metal’s still threatening to fuse to my skin. It counts.”
Maddie huffed a laugh, giving Logan Kemp the side eye as he stopped beside us. That was deserved. Honestly, I probably deserved a look for saying yes to him participating in this little venture.
Logan cheated on Sharla while he was at World Juniors. There. I said it. It was nice of him to want to make amends and support Sharla and Rob, but it was going to take more than diapers and freezer meals to scrub “asshole” from his permanent record.
I started toward the cold section. “Should we shoot for quick food that’s edible, preferably not shaped like dinosaurs?”
Maddie fell into step beside me, shimmying out of her peacoat sleeves. “Dinosaur shapes increase compliance in controlled trials,” she deadpanned.
Chase’s mouth tugged. He reached out and slid his hand under her spiral curls, squeezing the back of her neck.
Ugh.He was obsessed with her. Not that I was mad about it, but watching Chase and Rob fawn over Maddie and Shar was getting to be a little much since I was the permanent fifth wheel in our group at this point.
“We could do lasagna or shepherd’s pie. Shar’ll actually eat those.” Logan pulled his ball cap lower over his face. Baby-blond hair stuck out the back, curling around his ears.
I gave him a look. “I don’t think you get to say what Shar will eat or not.”
Maddie’s eyes widened, but I walked ahead before either of them could say anything. I was as surprised as anyone that I snapped. I’d communicated with Logan a few times over the past few weeks and had been more than cordial. But something about seeing him in person again made Sharla’s teary face, her body curled on her bed, pop back up in my mind. Or maybe I was just trying to make it clear to Maddie and Chase that allowinghim to come wasn’t the same as an invitation to make friendship bracelets.
I wasn’t going to treat him like a pariah, especially since Sharla was meant to be with Rob and Logan’s poor behaviour may have helped that happen. But had I been a little too nice?
“I deserved that.” Logan sped up to walk next to me.
“Yeah. You did.” I turned down the aisle for frozen meat. Chase and Maddie trailed behind us with the cart.
The freezer hummed with that constant low drone that made your teeth buzz, and behind the foggy panes, the world of prepared food awaited. Hungry-Man dinners, Salisbury steak, Stouffer’s lasagna, and something called a “complete chicken feast,” which sounded more like a dare than a meal.
I pulled open one of the doors, the cold air spilling out in a rush that made my fingers ache. They still weren’t fully warmed from the parking lot. I snatched two boxes of shepherd’s pie and handed them to Maddie to put in the cart. I wasn’t going to admit Logan was right about that one, but I also wouldn’t withhold one of Shar’s favourites.
“And she likes those Michelina’s pasta bowls,” Maddie said. “Alfredo, not marinara.”
Logan wandered to the end of the aisle. While I loaded pasta bowls, he returned with an armful of juice concentrates. “For Rob. He eats these with a spoon.”
I grimaced.
“Wait, am I allowed to say what he likes?” Logan asked, his eyebrow raised, and I couldn’t tell if he was being serious or not. Logan at Douglas was never serious, and something in my stomach twisted when I realized I hadn’t seen him smile once since he got out of his truck tonight.
“That’s disgusting.” Maddie motioned for him to drop the juices in the cart.
“Shar also used to inhale those frozen spring rolls,” he said, squinting at the next section. “The ones in the yellow box.”
I shook my head. “She switched to red. The sauce packets are better.”
Logan’s mouth twitched. “Okay, then.”
“What? I’m not—I’m just stating a fact.” I marched toward the next door.
“Didn’t realize you were so pissed at me. That’s all.”
“I’m not pissed.” I yanked the door open.
“Feels like you’re pissed.”
I grabbed three red boxes. “Well, I don’t know. Seeing you all . . . like this—” I motioned at his waffle-knit, long-sleeved Henley that made it obvious he’d put on at least ten pounds of muscle since we’d last seen each other.
“Like what?” He threw out his arms.
