“Her being here won’t create any problems for anyone,” said Logan emphatically.“I’ll make sure she doesn’t cause trouble.”
“We weren’t thinking trouble for her.Trouble for you,” laughed Rush.“Logan, she’s a woman who has lost everyone in her life.Her parents, grandmother, and her precious little sister.She’s beautiful, smart, and vulnerable.And so are you.”
“I’m not vulnerable,” he sulked.
“Son, you watched all your friends get married recently and commented on how much it sucked.You weren’t having luck finding ‘the one’.Well, the one might have just found you.”Rush gripped his shoulders and kissed his cheek, walking away with a little laugh.Noah nodded at his grandson and kissed his forehead.
“Get cleaned up for dinner,” he said in his deep Scandinavian accent.“You should look nice for her.”
He watched everyone walk away and just shook his head.
“What the fuck is up with all of them?” he growled to himself.
“I think they’re trying to tell you not to let this slip by,” said Irene.Logan whipped around and smiled.
“Mama Irene,” he said hugging her.“I’ve missed seeing you.”
“I’ve missed you too, baby.But don’t worry. I see you all the time.I check up on you all the time.”Logan laughed, shaking his head.
“I kinda thought I felt you a few times.Is that crazy?”
“No, baby.And don’t let that pretty girl slip away.She’s in danger and if she’s goes outside those gates before you get to that evil man, she won’t come back.”
“Mama Irene, what do you know?” he frowned.
“Baby, I know a lot.Sometimes I don’t have the picture perfectly clear but I know what it’s tryin’ to tell me.Keep her here.Make her want to stay here.”
“But I don’t even know how I feel yet,” he said.“I just met her.Why is everyone always in such a hurry about this stuff?”
“Because this stuff doesn’t come around every day,” she laughed.“Go on now.Get cleaned up and then go get your girl for dinner.She needs to meet all the nice doctors and nurses we have here.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he smiled.“Mama Irene?I’m really happy to see you.”
“I know, baby.Me too.”Logan heard a strange sound and stared at Mama Irene.Her face was calm and serene, as if she didn’t hear anything.Then he heard it again.
“Mama Irene?What is that?What do you have behind your back?” he asked.She slowly pulled her arms from behind her back and Logan leaped backwards.
“Well, now,” she started.
“Holy shit!”
“Don’t tell Gaspar.He won’t understand.But this poor little thing lost his mama.He needs to be nurtured back to good health and when he’s grown, we can let him go.”
“Mama Irene, I’m not sure that’s a creature that we’re supposed to hold and cuddle and nurture,” frowned Logan a safe distance away.
“Mama!”
Logan heard the loud cry and knew it was time for him to depart.
“Gotta go, Mama Irene.I’ll see you soon.Hopefully alone.”
“Mama!Mama, don’t you dare think you can hide from me!A skunk!A damn baby skunk!”
She cuddled the small ball of fur, kissing his pink nose.
“Don’t you worry none, Pepe.He’s all bark and no bite.But just you control that tail or he’ll get rid of both of us.Permanently.”
“MAMA!”
