Chapter Eight
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Gabby insisted theytake their own cars to her duplex. She joked that she didn’t want to have to get up when he did in the morning. Because of his new position in his father’s business, Logan left the house at six-thirty every morning.
However, she was a night owl. Eight was an early wake-up call for her, so there was no way in hell she was getting up that early when she could just drive her car home the night before.
Gabby arrived at her house first and immediately went inside to change clothes. She liked to look nice at work, but cut offs and tank tops or t-shirts were her go-to comfy clothes during the summer.
When Logan knocked on the front door, she was already in a ragged pair of denim shorts and a faded tank top with the Guinness logo across the chest. He grinned when he saw her clothes. He often teased her that she would sell a lot more wine if she dressed like that at the shop.
He held out two white paper bags and a drink carrier with two cups in it. “I stopped by The Burger Barn on the way here. I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.”
Gabby took the bags, stepping back from the door to let him enter. “Starving? You ate eight or nine plates of tapas at the Vine tonight!”
“Yeah, but I also spent half the day helping the crew map out and build a stone flower bed at the job site. Stone is heavy and takes a lot of energy to move. If I don’t keep up my strength, I won’t be able to jump your bones later.”
“Well, maybe I’m too tired for you to jump my bones anyway,” she teased, laughing at the mock expression of horror on his face.
“All you need is a greasy cheeseburger and onion rings and you’ll be fine,” he insisted, using his elbow to shut the door after he came inside the house.
“We’ll see,” she joked, gesturing to the kitchen table. “Let’s eat at the table.”
After locking the door, Gabby carried the bags to the kitchen, settling them on the table.
When she walked to the cabinet to grab plates, Logan asked, “What are you doing?”
“Getting some plates,” she answered, confused.
“We don’t need plates,” he stated. “Come over here and I’ll show you how to eat a Burger Barn burger.”
Shaking her head at his words, Gabby did as he asked. “How do you plan to keep from getting grease and ketchup everywhere? Because I promise you I won’t be cleaning up any mess we make.”
Grinning, Logan tore open his white bag. “See? The bag is the plate.”
With a sigh, Gabby copied his actions, tearing her own bag open. When she took the first bite of her burger, she moaned. “Oh my God, this is so good.”
“You don’t eat at The Burger Barn very often do you?”
With her mouth full, Gabby just shook her head.
“Why not?”
After she swallowed her first bite, she pointed at the grease dripping from the burger onto the white paper. “Because of that. I’d really like to see the age of forty-five and arteries clogged with fat and cholesterol aren’t conducive to a long life.”
Logan chuckled. “Duly noted.”
She gave his burger a pointed look. “Considering your dad just had a heart attack…”
“Shhhh. Ruin Burger Barn for me after I finish this one, okay?”
Gabby laughed. “Fine. I’ll let you enjoy your future cardiac disease.”
He grimaced at her, then took a huge bite of his burger, causing her to grab hold of her stomach because she was laughing so hard.
She marveled at how comfortable she felt with Logan and how comfortable he seemed with her. In a brief time, he was firmly ensconced in her routine. She loved his presence in her house and in her life.
After they finished dinner, Logan gathered their trash and threw it away, dusting his hands together.
