“You don’t work here, Glo. I don’t pay you anything,” Emma says.
Gloria huffs. “Exactly. So you see my problem.”
“Maybe I could take on the ideas I pitched about the candy boards and rewards program,” I say. “And leave inventory and stocking to Glo?”
Gloria smiles at my use of her nickname. “Look at you promoting yourself and you haven’t even been here a full month,” she says with humor in her voice. “That’s what I like to see. And darling, if any of this has to do with Logan—which I’m sure it does because even though you haven’t mentioned him by name, seven decades on this earth has made my sense about these things very sharp—so here’s what I’ll say: Trust yourself.”
I listen to my intuition on this one. It tells me Logan’s the one.
It also tells me that Emma and Glo are good people.
I smile. Maxwell’s lessons don’t apply just to Logan. I can apply them to my life, too. Being in the right mindset, saying yes to new opportunities, trusting my gut. Maybe I really can make my own luck.
I continue with another one of his lessons: opening up more to my friends.
I start with the birds.
Chapter 27
HAZEL
Logan’s making breakfast for dinner when I swing by his place after my shift at Sweet Escape. He’s left the door open so I don’t have to knock. So it feels like I’m not a guest.
I slip into his apartment, leaving my shoes in the foyer. He’s taken the time to lay out quite the spread on the counter: eggs three ways on a platter. Homemade sausage patties on a plate. A pitcher of juice. A bowl of sliced bananas, apples, and blueberries. Place mats laid out with forks and knives.
My delight turns to surprise when I look at Logan and he’s hatless. He glances over his shoulder at me as he runs his hand back and forth through his hair like he’s not sure what to do with it. It sticks up in several places, like late afternoon bedhead.
“So that’s what the top of your head looks like,” I tease. “It’s very appealing. You should show it off more often.”
“I think it’s time to give that thing a break,” he says, greeting me with a hug and kiss before handing me a ceramic cup. “Half orange, half grapefruit.”
“You remembered.” I chug half of the bittersweet blend.
“How could I forget? Waffle batter’s resting. I’ll make them when we’re ready to eat. Should be quick. You want whipped cream on top or on the side?” he asks, hand-whipping heavy cream in a bowl. It’stucked between his cast and a towel, snuggling it in place. Nothing will slow this man down, not even a broken wrist.
“Side, please,” I say, admiring the food.
The sight of it all and Logan in his checkered apron cooking for me while Matchbox Twenty plays in the background only deepens my feelings for him. It solidifies the decision I’ve worked through in the past few days.
I can envision future nights like this. Making a home. Building a life together.
It’s what I want. Now it’s time to make that happen.
I walk over to his side of the kitchen. “I have something for you,” he says, right as I say, “I need to make a call.”
“A call?” he asks.
“Yes. And I was hoping you could be here with me during it.” I’m more nervous saying it out loud than I had practiced in my head.
I could’ve made this call alone. It’s a part of my life I’ve hidden from everyone I’ve ever been with. But the thing is, I don’t want to do this on my own anymore.
I don’t want to hide what the realities of my life look like from Logan. I’ve wondered why this is. Why is this relationship different? The best answer I could think of was that, before we knew anything basic about each other, we knew each other’s futures. What an odd thing that is.
“Anything you need,” he says right away, without knowing the context. He pauses his whisking. “Is someone from the press reaching out about the lottery again?”
“No, it’s nothing like that.” I set my phone on the counter. “I need to call my dad. I thought about going to the house, doing this face-to-face. But last weekend was so awful, and I know how the dynamic works.” I shake a list I had tucked away in my back pocket. “And I have notes.”
Because I’m nervous. Because I hate that I even have to do this.
