“Now what?” she asked, plopping down into a chair and taking a coffee Alex offered. “It’s not my mom, is it?”
“No,” Faith said quickly. “She’s fine. Going home later today.”
Tess figured as much. Nick would have hunted her down if it were something that important. She picked up a fritter and took a huge bite. “So?”
“I take no pleasure in telling you this…” Faith started.
“Woman,” Tess said around a mouthful of donut. “I’m in no mood for games. Spill it.”
“Remember when I guessed Logan had a secret family?” She paused, and when Tess didn’t say anything, continued. “I saw him at the park across the street with a pretty blonde woman and two little kids. He kissed the woman. On the mouth. And the kids called him ‘daddy.’ I’m sorry, Tess.”
“He’smarried?” Her stomach flipped, and she tossed the donut back into the box. The thought of unknowingly cheating with another woman’s husband made her sick. And angry. At him, and at herself. How had she so thoroughly misread him?
This was the final course, the dessert lie of his full-meal deal of lies. First, he forgets to mention that he’s rich. Then, that he’sbuying the store. And finally, that he’s married! Then again, he’d already lied twice. Why should one more be a surprise?
But this lie didn’t sit right. Logan might be a liar, but a cheater?
“Are you sure?” Tess asked.
Faith shrugged. “I suppose I could be wrong, but I don’t think so. I called these guys to come over right away, and they saw it too.”
“It didn’t look good,” Juliet said, shaking her head.
“Sorry, Tessy,” Alex said.
“This makes no sense,” Tess said. “Why would he bring his familyhere? He knows the town’s too small for it to go unnoticed. He has to know I would find out.”
“Maybe they surprised him,” Juliet said. “And he didn’t have a choice. Like, the kids wanted to play in the park, and he couldn’t very well say, ‘Sorry, my mistress might see us.’”
Tess winced. “But Ijustsaw him this morning at Karla’s. You think he left his family sleeping at the inn to come find me? Why would he do that?”
“What’d he want?” Faith asked.
“I don’t actually know. I let him have it about The Outpost thing before he could say anything. Then I stormed off.”
“Maybe he came to tell you about them before you found out from someone else,” Juliet suggested.
“What if there’s some other explanation?” Alex said. “Don’t suppose he has a twin?”
“Not that I know of.” Tess shook her head.
“What about a doppelgänger?” Juliet said. “Supposedly, everyone has one.”
“And the odds that Logan’s showed up here? Now?” Tess said. “Would be astronomical.”
“I must be mistaken,” Faith declared. “Let’s go to the inn and confront him. If I’m right, we’ll make a big scene. And if I’m wrong, it’ll all be cleared up.”
“No.” Tess stood. “Thanks for the info.”
“What are you going to do?” Faith asked.
“I’m not sure yet.”
Her friends huddled around and mumbled their support, reminding her they were always down to hide a body if necessary.
She left with the inkling of a plan. Since she hardly ever took time off, she had a ton of vacation days on the books. No time like the present to use that up. With everything going on, an impromptu getaway was exactly what she needed. And she knew just the place to go. She called the day-shift supervisor to tell him she’d be gone for a few days. The store would run fine without her.
After a quick stop at home to pack a bag, she ran by her parents’ house to make sure her mom didn’t need her, and then hit the freeway, putting Green Valley Falls in her rearview mirror.
