The next thirty minutes fly by as Giana and Logan play with baby dolls; it’s a sight to see. The love he has for her is insurmountable.
“Alright, munchkin. It’s time for bed.” Logan pulls her in, and she wraps her tiny arms around him with her face burrowed into his neck. “Don’t forget to say goodnight to Auntie.”
She must be exhausted. Her little hand comes up and waves, “Night, night, Auntie. Don’t let the bed bugs bite.” And with little effort, she’s almost asleep in Logan’s arms. He takes her to bed.
All of my luggage is still in the van, so I walk out and grab it. The last couple of days of traveling are catching up with me. I take a shower, throw on a t-shirt, and hop into bed.
I had every intention of checking on my sister and texting Kai, but my body succumbed to exhaustion and fell asleep before I could.
The bright light streams in through the open blinds. I throw the covers over my head. I was so tired I didn’t think to shut the blinds last night.
I toss off the covers and hop onto the cold hardwood floor. The mission is coffee. I don’t smell any when I open the bedroom door.What time is it?Everyone here is still sleeping. I tiptoe to the kitchen. My sister grinds her own beans, of the brand I recommended. It’s my thing. When I open it up, I take a deep inhale of the aroma. It’s nutty, with hints of chocolate and apples.
I brew the coffee and sit outside on their deck. They need to speed up the search for the Lakehouse. Imagining myself on a deck overlooking the lake…the lake…My mind drifts off to those couple of days in Saxville during my last visit here, his trip to see me. Kai and his crystal-blue eyes, his polo shirts…
And all I can think about now is him ravaging my body, seeing right through me, and the tether that connects us. I sip my coffee, bringing myself back to reality on my sister’s deck overlooking their backyard with the burnt grass Logan complains about. The swing set in the corner, a storage shed in the back, a sandbox closer to the deck, and plenty of toys scattered around.
Peaceful.No one else is awake yet. I take some deep breaths and let them out. Releasing the tension that creeps into my muscles when I think about Kai.
The slider opens, and I turn to see my sister holding a cup of tea. “Good morning.”
“Well, well, well, you decided to join the real world again.” I laugh and tap the seat next to me.
“I’ve been exhausted. Being pregnant and keeping up with a three-year-old is hard. To top it all off, the last few nights, my body decided it didn’t need any of that. Insomnia is ridiculous,” she says as she plops down next to me, pushing her shoulder into mine. “You looked deep in thought out here.”
I stare out into the yard and simply say, “I was.”
SEVENTEEN
Kai
It only took a little over a week to iron out the details of the office lease contract and get it fully executed. I can move in today.
When I walk into the conference room, I’m waving the contract in my hand with a smirk on my face. “Logan…It’s all signed.”
He stands up, shakes my hand, and tugs me into a bro hug. “Congratulations! When are you starting the build-out?”
I nod my head. This is a dream come true. “Tonight. Blake has a project he’s working on during the day, so he can only work a couple of nights this week for me. He also said the permits should all be set. He and Roland have done a few more projects together since Kendall's spa build-out.”
“Well, that’s in your favor. So the next question is, when’s your last day?”
“After reviewing the preliminary plans and my brother’s schedule, if you can spare me, I’d want to work on the space starting next week,”I say, watching Logan scroll his calendar.
“If we can finish up this file, then that should work. Oh, but remember it’s baby shower weekend, so I’m not available to work at all until maybe Sunday night. If Theresa lets me out of the house.”
I chuckle and move to slide into one of the chairs. “Yes, I’ll be there. It’s weird, man. I haven’t ever been to a co-ed baby shower.”
Logan shakes his head and sits. “Me either. Theresa wants a party. I don’t argue with the pregnant woman.”
“Good idea…” I say and whistle while shaking my head.
His face is slightly contorted as he rubs the back of his neck. “I’ve been going back and forth about telling you this…”
“Tell me what?”
“Ava will be at the shower. Actually, she came into town over the weekend. I didn’t want you to be caught off guard.”
When I chuckle, he eyes me with curiosity. “I know. We’ve been talking.” I don’t give him anything else. If he knew I took a day to go down to see her, he’d steer me away. I wanted to keep it here in my heart and not let anyone ruin it. I’ll stay in my denial bubble, hoping she will consider staying in Saxville.
