"You don't have to tip everyone," Mara said after the fifth musician.
"They're out here making art. That deserves support." He took her hand as they walked. "Besides, I'm in a good mood. Seems like a good day to spread it around."
"What's got you in such a good mood?"
Logan stopped walking and turned to face her. Right there in the middle of Royal Street with people flowing around them, he cupped her face and kissed her thoroughly. "You. This. Getting to spend a whole week with someone I can't stop thinking about."
Mara felt heat creep up her neck. Six weeks of texts and one incredible date, and he could still make her blush like a teenager. "Keep talking like that and we might not make it to the rest of the itinerary."
"What's next on the itinerary?"
"Lunch. Then the World War Two Museum. Then live music on Frenchmen Street." She leaned into him. "But we could also just go back to your hotel."
"Tempting. Really tempting. But I want to see everything. Want to experience it all with you." He kissed her forehead. "We've got all week."
They had lunch at a hole-in-the-wall place that served the best gumbo Logan had ever tasted. He asked for the recipe and the chef just laughed and said it was a family secret passed down for generations. Logan looked so disappointed that Mara promised to learn how to make it herself just so she could teach him.
The museum was Logan's idea. He'd mentioned wanting to see it and Mara had never been, so they spent three hours walking through exhibits and reading about battles and looking at artifacts that told stories of sacrifice and courage. Logan got quiet in the D-Day section, standing in front of a display about paratroopers for a long time.
"You thinking about your dad?" Mara asked quietly.
"You thinking about your dad?" Mara asked quietly.
"Yeah. He was there. Vietnam. Never talked about it much but sometimes he'd get this look, like he was somewhere else." Logan reached for her hand. "He'd have liked you. Respected what you do."
"I wish I could have met him."
"Me too." Logan squeezed her hand. "He died three years ago. Heart attack. Sudden. I was deployed when it happened. Didn't make it home in time."
Mara wrapped her arms around him right there in the middle of the museum. "I'm sorry."
"Thanks." He held her for a moment, then pulled back with a slight smile. "Come on. Let's get out of here. I need music and dancing and something that isn't heavy."
Frenchmen Street was everything Logan had hoped for and more. Live music spilling from every doorway. People dancing on sidewalks. The energy of a city that knew how to celebrate being alive. They went into a jazz club and found a spot near the stage. The band was incredible, all improvisation and skill and the kind of chemistry that only came from playing together for years.
Logan pulled Mara onto the small dance floor. He wasn't a great dancer but he was enthusiastic, and Mara found herself laughing as he spun her around and dipped her dramatically. When the song ended, he kept her close, both of them swaying even though the next song was upbeat.
"I could get used to this," he said against her ear.
"Dancing?"
"This. You. Us. All of it." He pulled back to look at her. "I know it's only been a day since we met in person. I know we're still figuring this out. But Mara, I don't want this to end when I have to go back to North Carolina."
"Neither do I."
"So what do we do? Long distance? Video calls and texts until I can get leave again?"
"We figure it out. One day at a time." Mara touched his face. "I'm not ready to let this go either, Logan. Whatever we have to do to make it work, we'll do it."
He kissed her then. Soft and sweet and full of promise. When they broke apart, the band had started a new song and people were staring and Mara didn't care even a little bit.
They stayed until closing, then walked along the river. The Mississippi was dark and quiet, the city lights reflecting off the water. Logan had his arm around her shoulders and Mara fit perfectly against his side.
"Tell me something," Logan said. "Something real. Something you don't tell many people."
Mara was quiet for a moment, watching the water. "When I was seventeen, I tried to run away three times. Got caught every time. The last time, I was so close. Had a bus ticket, had money I'd saved. But I got scared at the last minute. Thought maybe I deserved what was happening to me. That maybe I'd asked for it somehow."
Logan's arm tightened around her. "You didn't."
