“It’s complicated, but it has nothing to do with you,” she assured him. “My relationship with my mother is difficult to explain. I just didn’t know how to tell her that I was having your child and not Garrett’s. But it has nothing to do with—”
“Claire, just shut up.” Tightly restrained fury tinged his voice. “I have to go now before I say something I’ll regret.”
“Logan,” she implored, hating to allow him to leave when he was still so angry with her.
He tore his hand from her grasp. “I have to go. Now.”
With that, he slid into his car and slammed the door closed. She flinched, stepping back as he revved his engine and all but peeled out of the driveway. Claire watched him leave. He didn’t look back. Not once.
Claire was utterly miserable. She’d been calling Logan since his departure that morning, but he didn’t answer his cell and it was always Derek who answered the home phone, not Logan. He was avoiding her, and he was doing a good job of it.
Absently, she twirled her spaghetti on her fork and stared down at her plate. She’d completely lost her appetite, quite a feat, given her usual state of constant hunger, and didn’t even bother attempting conversation with Sophie and Trevor anymore. The two were so nauseatingly, disgustingly in love that they even made eyes at each other over the dinner table. It made Claire envious, she had to admit, though she certainly didn’t begrudge her sister’s newfound happiness. She only wished she could procure a little of her own.
At least her mother had left. She’d been in a huff of disappointment, completely ignoring Claire but for the I-am-so-ashamed-of-you look she sent her before climbing into the Volvo. But she was gone and could wreak no more havoc.
“Claire, are you finished?” Sophie asked, cutting abruptly into Claire’s somewhat morose musings.
“Yes.” She dropped her fork and pushed back her chair. “I’m not really hungry after all.”
“Let’s go sit in the backyard and talk for a bit,” Sophie suggested, giving Trevor a look that said he wasn’t invited. “We can finish off the sparkling cider while we chat.”
Claire didn’t really feel like chatting. She felt like moping, and her face must have shown it because Sophie gave her a pointed look. “You don’t really have a choice.”
Claire looked at Trevor. “Is your sister this bossy?”
“Even worse,” he said with a wince.
“Sisters.” Claire shook her head. “You have my sympathy.”
Sophie gave an indelicate snort. “You’re the one who’s going to need sympathy if you don’t get your butt out onto the back porch.”
“Fine.” Since Sophie was right and Claire didn’t in fact have a choice but to obey her command, Claire grabbed the bottle of sparkling cider and two glasses. It was a sister thing.
When the two were comfortably ensconced in Sophie’s patio furniture, Sophie turned to Claire. “Let’s start at the beginning. How did your trip go?”
Claire sipped her sparkling cider and watched for a moment as a moth fluttered about the flame on a nearby tea light. “It was amazing. The trip wasn’t the problem. The part where we got back here and Mom attacked him is where everything went straight to hell.”
Sophie made a face. “It was bad,” she agreed. “But I think he’ll forgive you for it. Eventually.”
“Thanks,” Claire grumbled dryly. “I should have told Mom about it, I know. But I couldn’t ever bring myself to say it.”
“You have to admit, that’s not exactly flattering for Logan,” Sophie pointed out reasonably.
“I know, and it has nothing to do with him and everything to do with Mom. I guess I hated the thought of disappointing her, as juvenile as that sounds.” She sighed. “I didn’t know what to say to her, so I didn’t say anything at all.”
“You could have told her the truth.”
Claire groaned. “It seems so obvious now, but the truth isn’t always easy to say.”
“I know.” Sophie reached out and squeezed Claire’s free hand. “But if you tell her, she’ll understand. Right now, she thinks you’re the one in the wrong. You have to explain the whole thing to her. Believe me, once she finds out Garrett cheated on you, she won’t think him the perfect son-in-law anymore.”
Claire drained the remainder of her drink. “Maybe you’re right,” she grudgingly agreed. “But before I fix things with her, I have to fix things with Logan.”
Sophie tilted her head to the side and considered Claire for a long moment. “I think you really want to make this work with him, don’t you?”
“I do,” Claire said, being completely honest with both herself and her sister. “God help me, but I do.”
“Then go find him.” Sophie smiled. “Don’t let him stew. Believe me, every time I let Trevor stew, it only takes longer to make him see reason again.”
