“See, you get it! They are all of the very best things in life,” I beam up at him. Leaning against the counter, he grins as he watches me move around the kitchen filling Penelope’s food and water bowl. He’s wearing a hoodie with my favourite grey sweatpants again, and I suspect he puts them on just to see if he can get a reaction out of me. Well, he has succeeded.
“Oh my god!” I exclaim, clapping my hands with excitement. “Can we decorate your house for Halloween? I always decorate here, but I don’t get any trick or treaters this far from the village. The yellow house has so many awesome possibilities.” Mentally, I am already writing a list of all the things I will need to buyfor his veranda to make it haunting without simultaneously terrifying the neighbourhood kids.
“That will be fun, just let me know what you need me to do. Do you still dress up?”
“Of course I do, that’s one of the best parts.” He shakes his head in amusement as I clasp my chest in mock horror. “If you are very nice to me, we can dress up in couples’ costumes.”
“I don’t know, baby, that seems like a big step in our relationship,” he teases. “Are you sure?”
“I think so,” I nod in confirmation.
“It’s a good thing I am very, very nice to you then.” He winks at me.
Smirking, I move around him to take down matching pottery mugs from the shelf and set them on the counter. The rich, earthy scent of coffee is what pulled me from bed and I’m looking forward to the hit of caffeine that I desperately need.
“Go sit. I’ll make your coffee and bring it over.” He kisses me on the forehead before taking my hazelnut flavoured creamer out of the fridge.
In the living room I find Morgan and Penelope curled up together on the chair sound to sleep. Raising my eyebrows in surprise, I turn to Logan, and I point to our pets. “Did you see this?”
“Weird, right? After Morgan and I came inside from doing his morning business, he climbed into the chair, and she joined him. I took a picture to mark the moment just in case it never happens again.”
Sitting down on the couch, I curl my feet under me and pull down a fleece blanket over my thighs. There is a chill in the cabin, and I’m grateful Logan started a fire when he got up earlier. Carefully handing me my hot cup, Logan sits down beside me.
“Thank you. This is perfect,” I say after taking my first sip.
“So, Thanksgiving is in a couple of weeks, do you have any plans with your family?” I ask. Logan always had some great holiday family traditions while we were growing up. He hasn’t shared much about what’s happened to strain their relationship so badly, and I don’t want to press for information too hard, but it’s becoming difficult. I understand what it’s like to have complicated relationships with your parents more than anyone.
“Nope, no plans.” He takes a sip of his hot coffee before placing his mug beside his phone on the coffee table.
“In that case I thought maybe we could host Friendsgiving together.”
“I would love to, but I have no idea what that is.” He leans back and drapes his arm over the back of the couch.
“A few years ago, our friend group started celebrating Thanksgiving together. There is always the core group of us plus who ever we are dating, sometimes family and chosen family or whoever needs a place to go,” I explain. “It’s always a great time.”
“People you are dating? Does that mean you have brought Danny?” He scowls. This possessive side of Logan is new and I’m not going to lie, I kind of like it.
“He’s celebrated with us a couple of times but not in the last few years. He has family close by so you may see him around the village. He’s not here for me though, so you don’t need to scare him off. I haven’t even spoken to him since that night at Bob’s.”
“Okay.” He nods his head and reaches for me, pulling me closer to him. “You don’t have to sell it to me, I’m in. Do you want to host it at my place? My kitchen is bigger, plus I want to show off all the work I’ve done since buying the house.”
“That would be great, but are you sure you want that many people there?” While this is one of my favourite holidays of the year, I am completely aware that this level of chaos isn’t for everyone. Maybe it’s because I’m an only child and holidays withmy mom could be unpredictable, but I love all of it. The people, the food and even the noise that goes along with it. “Mom and Mason have plans together and won’t be back in time, so they are out.” It feels weird saying that out loud; shaking my head, I continue, “We do it potluck style, so we won’t be responsible for all the food.”
“I want to, I wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t. It will be fun.”
While we have been talking, I have noticed Logan’s phone light, and he’s just ignored it. There is no way he didn’t see it.
“Are you going to check that?” I ask when he gets another notification. It’s obvious by the way his entire body tensed up that the text isn’t welcome.
“No, I already know who it is.” He shakes his head as he rubs the back of his neck.
“Yeah,” I bite my lower lip, “are you going to share with me?” I’m not an insecure woman, but Logan has lived a whole damn life without me. Is there someone he hasn’t told me about?
“It’s just my mom.” Sighing heavily, he squeezes his eyes shut and sinks further into the couch. “She has been texting me since yesterday and I stopped replying.” He sounds defeated and I don’t like it.
“Is everything okay?” I angle my body to get a better look at him.
Opening his eyes, he turns his head and looks at me. “Who fucking knows with him.” He snorts. “I’m sorry, I’m just exhausted.”
