“Did she tell you who her son’s father is?” I took a swig of my beer.
He shook his head, avoiding my gaze. “I didn’t ask. She gave me a grandson and it was all that mattered until I realized you also needed to live. I watched your heart break after Skye walked out then Ryleigh lost the baby and finally Griffin.” He glanced seaward, his eyes glazing over. “I knew you needed something that would give you a reason to live again. I couldn’t bring the baby or Griffin back, so I brought you to Skye.”
I leaned forward in my seat, resting my folded arms on the table. “How did you plan this?” I pointed to Frank’s house. “The shop?”
He cupped his nape and smiled. “I roped in Paris. Have you met her? Skye’s roommate and the local realtor.”
“Quite the character.” I grinned, remembering the meeting a few days ago in Skye’s kitchen
“Yeah, she doesn’t look it but she’s a pretty smart girl who loves Skye to death.”
“She knows about me and Skye?”
He nodded. “Skye told her, and when I visited, Paris asked me about you. It was when I told her I knew about you and Skye, Paris wanted to help bring you two together. So, I asked her to keep an eye out for me, told her if a house became available, she needed to let me know. As soon as Frank’s place fell into the market, she called me. The idea was to rent this place and get you to move here. That’s were Brax came in. I asked him to help.”
“Yeah. Nearly cost me an arm and a leg for it,” Brax muttered, and I tossed the empty bottle at him. He choked on his drink. “See what I have to put up with, Logan,” he complained, trying to wipe his drenched t-shirt.
Dad and I laughed.
“But you refused,” Dad continued. “So, I met with Frank’s son to ask him for a bit of time because the chances of finding another long-term stay, in this town and especially one on the same road Skye lived, was unlikely. I told him about you and Skye and your refusal to come here. He mentioned his father’s shop. That he didn’t know what to do with it because he didn’t have the time or the inclination to run it and I offered to take it off his hands.”
“At what price?” I asked.
“Brax was right about that part, the man wants nothing. He’s wealthy, doesn’t need the shop and very pro-soldiers, since his father and grandfather were army men, so it’s yours to do with as you please. I have a legit contract declaring you as owner so no shit later. As for the house, you living here, gives him time to decide what he wants to do with it and why it’s rent free for six months. It’s been standing empty for the last two months, waiting for you to agree to Brax’s ploy.”
Leaning back in my chair, I uttered a low laugh. “Quite a team you created there, didn’t you?”
He chuckled. “You’re my son and I wasn’t going to lose you to alcohol, depression or worse, suicide. I did what I had to, and I’d do it again.”
“Thank you.” I released a slow breath, grateful for his interference. “How much of this, does Skye know?”
“Nothing.”
That surprised me. “Not even her roommate’s part?”
“Not even.” Dad’s lips curled in a sly grin. “I’m a stuntman, son, I know how to act.” He laughed. “I haven’t spoken to Skye yet, and she hasn’t called me to ask about you. I’m assuming she thinks it’s a total coincidence you landed here.”
“Can we leave it at that?” I reached for another drink from the cooler.
“You have a plan?” he asked.
I nodded, taking a swig. “I want to woo her back into my life. Remind her who I am and how important she is to me.”
“I don’t think she forgot, son.”
I had my doubts but I didn’t say anything because I didn’t plan on letting her stick to her choice to act indifferent.
“What about Ryleigh?” Brax stood and sauntered over to where we sat. “Skye thinks you two are still together, remember?”
“I’m not interested in what she thinks about Ryleigh. I’ll tell her when the time is right.” I shrugged. At my father’s concerned look, I added, “Skye’s dating a guy named Caleb and while I steal him away from her, Ryleigh will be my scapegoat, my fake wife.” Yeah, I’d become a bastard, but I was still in love with blue, it was my favorite color after all. “Dad, does Skye know you’re here?”
“I was going to visit her later.”
“Can you delay that visit?”
“Why?”
I smiled thinking up ways to gauge Skye’s ability to hold out on me. “Because I need you to do something for me tomorrow and once Skye sees you, she’s going to further retract from me. She won’t want you to find out about me and her.”
