“I’m looking forward to spending the holiday together.”
About that... She’d planned to wait until they’d finished eating, but he was almost done with his meal. It was time to admit this relationship wasn’t working out. The persistent thoughts of Gray were enough to prove it. Not that she had a future with Gray—that would never happen.
The familiar memory surfaced, Gray’s arms wrapping her up in the hull of the boat. She’d felt safe and cared for. At home. The memory and the feelings it evoked had come to mind too often in the week since it happened.
She pushed the memory away, her gaze skating over to Logan as he took a sip of his drink. Her feelings for Logan were tepid. Even their disagreements had been tepid. She’d been settling—no doubt afraid to engage her heart again after being hurt so badly by Gray. Maybe she’d been doing it since long before Logan.
But what kind of life would she have without true love? She needed a man she felt strongly about. A man she actually thought about when he wasn’t around. And Logan deserved that too.
Shelby set her fork down and wiped her mouth with the cloth napkin.
“Hi, Shelby! Hi!” Daryl lumbered toward their table, beaming. His mother, Jill (essays and short stories), an attractive, slim brunette in her mid-forties, followed in his footsteps. She was a staple at a local insurance company and had worked her way to manager over the years.
“Hi, Daryl. It’s good to see you. Hi, Jill. Do you guys know Logan Shackleford?”
“I don’t think so,” Jill said. “Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise.”
“Hi!” Daryl said. “Do you play basketball like me and Gray? I like to shoot hoops in the park. I’m not very good, but it’s fun anyway.”
Logan’s eyes flitted to Shelby’s and back. “I’m not much of a sports guy really.”
Shelby searched for a change of subject. “Logan works at the bank, Daryl. The one across from the Dairy Bar.”
His blue eyes lit up. “I like the bank. They give me suckers, but sometimes I have to ask. Do you have any work for me, Shelby? I need ice cream money.”
Jill chuckled. “Daryl, that was a little pushy.”
“I was just asking.”
“That’s okay,” Shelby said. “I don’t have any sticker work for you, but the leaves sure are coming down. How’d you like to do some raking for me?”
“Yes! I’ll do it. I’ll come tonight after we eat.”
Jill patted his arm. “I think tomorrow would be soon enough. Does that work for you, Shelby?”
“That would be great. I’ll have all the tools ready for you.”
“We’ll let you get on with your date.”
“Nice to see you both,” Shelby said. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Daryl.”
“Bye, Shelby! Bye, Logan!”
They said their good-byes and Shelby smiled as she watched him go.
Logan took her hand. “Not everyone would take the time to befriend someone with special needs. I admire that about you. You’re a kind person.”
Her heart sank. “Daryl’s a delight. It’s impossible to be blue when he’s around.”
“I can see that.” He squeezed her hand, his steady gaze fixed on her. “You bring out the best in me too.”
Ugh.She braced herself for what was coming. Worked that leading sentence around in her mind as she propped her lips up with a smile. “Listen, Logan, I was hoping maybe we could talk about us tonight.”
His expression shifted as a glimmer of concern flashed in his eyes. “Okay... that sounds a bit foreboding.”
She turned her hand over in his and squeezed.Now or never.“I so enjoy our time together, Logan. We’ve become very close over the past few months, and you’re every bit the kind and bright man I’ve always thought you were.”
