Did it?
I looked at Logan’s face a littlemore closely, wondering if he was teasing, but no. No, he seemed to be serious.
He wasn’t evenwrong. Miles was cute.Ididlike him. Under other circumstances…
I was just about ready tostart dating again. My life seemed stable enough that I could actually have aboyfriend without ruining theirs.
If I’d met Miles the usual way,maybe gotten called for that second hookup…
There would have been coffeedates in our future, I thought. Ihoped. Coffee dates that didn’t comeimmediately after a home invasion.
Except I hadn’t met Miles theusual way, and underthesecircumstances, he was a client. A client whofed me bites of pie and poured his heart out to me and kissed me on the cheekas a thank-you for listening.
But still aclient.
I texted back to repeat thatif he neededanything, anything at all, I was only ever a text or a callaway.
I really hoped it didn’t sound like Iwas offering myself up for a booty call. Although…
No. No sleeping with theclient. If that was the rule for Fox, it was the rule for me.
“You wouldn’t believe me ifI told you,” I said eventually. “But I will tell you later. What’s with thesudden move to Sacramento, anyway?”
Logan snorted, either at thepathetic attempt to change the subject, or his own circumstances. Maybe both.
“You’re not gonna believethis, but… my sister’sgetting hitched to a local. You have to come to the wedding with me, by theway, because I’m not going alone.”
“Sure,” I agreed, grinningat the thought. For someone who wasn’t gay, Logan was all right in terms of hiscomfort around peoplethinkinghe was.
He was all right in mostways, really. One of the last of the good guys, and definitely my best friend.
“Do I know the lucky guy?”
“Girl,” Logan corrected, smilingwryly. “Can you have a thing that’s like gaydar, except everyone youknowis gay and youjust don’tnotice until they’re making out with someone in front of you?”
I shrugged. “Well, if youcan, you’ve got it.”
That had also been how Loganfigured it out with me, though I’d assumed he knew from fairly early in ourrelationship. He hadn’t reacted with more than a surprised pause and a shrug,so it didn’t make any difference. We were still best friends the next day, likenothing had changed.
“That’s nice, though. How’sMia?”
A warm smile spread overLogan’sface at the mention of his niece, who he treated more or less like a daughter.It wasn’t a surprise that he was following them here, now that I knew they weremoving, too. It’d been one of the things holding him back.
“She’s four years old nowand she’s so goddamnsmart. I gave her my phone to play with and shefinishedAngry Birdsfor me while I wasn’t looking. Kid’s gonna bean engineer.”
I smiled back, happy to seeLogan excited for once. He deserved this. More than anyone, he deserved peaceand happiness, and I hoped moving down here would help him find it.
“She’ll have you to thankfor the brains,” I said, meaning that. Logan wasn’t an idiot, but he’d nevergotten much of a chance. He’d talked a lot about going to college when we’dfirst gotten out, but that had never happened.
Maybe I’d give him anudge in that direction, too. Now thatmylife was more orless working, I needed another project, and I couldn’t think of anythingworthier than the guy I wouldn’t have been here without a hundred times over.
Logan smiled down at hislap. “It’sgood to see you in person, Gray,” he said. “I missed you.”
“Missed you, too. Lemme makea phone call and get you set up with those training courses,” I said. “If you’resure this is what you want?”
“I’m sure,” Logan said,sinking back into Fox’s chair and looking around the tiny, dingy, crappy officewe were renting. “This place already kinda feels like home.”
THIRTEEN
