He knows what he wants, and I’m pretty sure he’ll do whatever it takes to get it.
The oven beeps, and I use the distraction of putting the casserole inside to take a few deep breaths and think things through. I can’t improve my situation by feeling sorry for myself. Just hard work, grit, and determination. Logan’s meals will give me some wiggle room with my finances, and I can use that peace of mind to start brainstorming other avenues I haven’t tried yet to find new clients. Preferably people like him who want more than a few meals a week.
Clients with bigger orders are way better than dozens of small deliveries that take up precious time.
“Maybe I could…” Logan taps a finger on the counter when I turn back to him, looking far less confident than he usually does. “The Thunder doesn’t have a nutritionist on staff.”
I scoff. “The team that can’t even pay its players a liveable wage?”
“That’s not by choice. There’s a salary cap set by the league board.”
“Oh.”
“And the Thunder are owned by Cole Evanson.”
That’s a name I definitely know. Eyebrows jumping high, I ask, “Cole Evanson, like the guy who used to play football and is super rich and famous?”
He nods. “That one, yeah.”
“Who’s richer, you or him?”
He rolls his eyes but surprises me by answering, “Him.”
A smile cracks through my anxiety, and I lean on the counter across from him. “Did it pain you to say that, Big Leagues?”
As he nods toward the oven, he can’t fully hide a reciprocal smile. “Aren’t you supposed to be teaching me what to do?”
Ah, right, I am supposed to be doing that. Shrugging, I grab the instruction sheet I made to go with the pie and place it on the countertop between us. “I try to make it as simple as possible, and there are instructions for both frozen and thawed.”
He scans the sheet, nodding as he reads. “Easy enough. What sets you apart from a meal service I can get on the internet?”
I hate that question, but it’s the one I get most often. “Because for the most part I’m not selling batch-made one-size-fits-all. Yes, I also provide basic meal plans like those sites do, but my focus is on the personalization of everything. Making sure you get the right nutrients without sacrificing on taste. Like, one of my clients is vegan but allergic to cashews, so I make sure everything I give her is safe for her to eat.”
His eyes lift to mine, stormy and hard. Gone is the smile he showed me a second ago. “I’m allergic to cashews,” he says in a rough voice that makes me shiver. “Are you talking about Lola?”
My stomach twists. “Uh, yeah. Sorry, I didn’t meanto—”
“It’s fine.” He takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. “I don’t care if you talk about her or say her name. I’m not here to form a relationship with her.”
“Then why are you here?” And why is he trying so hard to get to Mrs. Shafer if he doesn’t want her in his life?
He runs a hand through his russet brown hair. “I have good parents.”
When he says nothing else, I scratch the tip of my nose. “Cool?”
The fingers resting on the counter curl into a fist. “They adopted me soon after I was born and have always loved me like their own son, so I’m not looking for parents. I have those. I need…” He shrugs, like he can’t find the words.
“Closure?” I guess.
“Yes and no. Reckon I deserve to know why she gave me up, but it’s more than that. My parents are…” His eyes narrow slightly, like he isn’t sure he trusts me. He has no reason to. Still, I keep my mouth shut and hold back a smile when he keeps going. “They’re old. And I promised them I won’t be alone when they’re gone. If I go back home without being able to tell them I’ve connected to my family, it’ll kill them.”
That’s a lot for them to put on his shoulders, and my heart aches for him. I’m sure Mrs. Shafer has her reasons for wanting to avoid contact, just as she had her reasons for putting him up for adoption, but I can only imagine how that feels on Logan’s end. And dang it, I think I have to help him. But how? “I’ll do what I can, Logan, but—”
“Get me a meeting with Lola, and I’ll put in a good word for you with Evanson.” He holds out his hand like he just offered me a no-brainer deal.
I keep my hands to myself. “I need more than a good word, Logan. If I’m not careful with how I go about this, I could lose Lola as a client.”
His jaw tightens. “You know how muchI’mgoing to be paying you, yeah? That should be more than enough to cover your bills.”
