His stomach growled at the idea of home cooking. Before he could stop himself, he said, “Sounds good.”
“Great.” Ellis patted Logan’s shoulder. “I’ll talk to my wife and let you know when there’s a good night. The kids keep our schedules busy with t-ball and ballet, but we’ll figure it out.”
They said their goodbyes, and Logan wandered around the store once more. He grabbed a few more supplies and headed back to Aunt Betty’s. Since theweather was nice and Erin was baking inside the house, Logan decided to start with some of the exterior work. He walked up toward the front porch, careful to keep his body clear of the front window. He didn’t want Erin seeing him working out here—or, more importantly, catch a glimpse of her.
One would think that ten years of not seeing Erin would be enough to cool his attraction for the woman. Nothing could be further from the truth. The two times he’d seen her had done a number on his heart.
Logan approached the porch swing she’d painted and ran his hand over the armrest. Even though it was now a hideous shade of pink, Erin had done an amazing job with the actual paint job. It was obvious that she’d taken the time to sand down the rough patches where the previous layer of paint was chipped, and now the wooden seat looked practically brand new.
Logan turned his attention to the house numbers. The bottom one hung crookedly and when he touched it, it clanked down onto the wooden porch. Logan bent to pick it up when a small hand beat him to it.
Parker.
Logan had been so absorbed in his thoughts about Erin, he hadn’t noticed the little boy join him. He looked at him, struck by how much the little boy looked like his father. Straight dark hair, a narrow nose, wide-set eyes. The only difference was thatinstead of Jake’s dark-brown, Parker’s eyes were the same light-blue as his mother’s.
Parker handed him the house number. “The seven never sticks.”
“Is that so?” Logan grabbed the number from Parker’s outstretched arm.
“It’s because Samantha and I hit it with a baseball.”
Logan’s eyes went wide. “A baseball? You’re lucky that it didn’t hit the window.”
The glass panes weren’t the kind of window you could run down to the local store for. They’d have to be custom ordered, and even then, they might not match completely.
“That’s what Mama said.” Parker put his hands on his hips. “Are you sure she’s not telling you what to say?”
Logan chuckled. He was the last person Erin would talk to if she could help it. “Why do you think she’d do that?”
Parker looked back and forth to make sure no one was listening before peering back up at Logan. He beckoned Logan closer with his little fingers. Logan leaned in. “Mama and Rock Man don’t always agree,” Parker whispered, cupping his hand over his mouth. “I thought maybe she was paying you to agree with her.”
Logan doubted Erin was in any position to pay him off based on the fact she was living with Aunt Betty, but he didn’t dwell on that after hearing Parker mention Rock Man again. Logan had been curious before, butErin had jumped in before he had gotten a chance to figure out who he was. Though he had his suspicions.
“Who’s Rock Man?”
Parker puffed out his chest. “Rock Man is my friend. He keeps me and Mama and Samantha safe ever since Daddy died.”
It felt like someone stabbed Logan in the chest with a knife and twisted. He remembered what it was like to be a scared boy without parents. He’d been older than Parker when it had happened to him. “How does he keep you safe?”
“He watches us when we sleep to make sure no bad guys get us. Plus, if any bad germs try to make us sick, he attacks them with his laser eyes. That way, we don’t get cancer like Daddy.”
“Rock man isn’t real,” a girl’s voice said.
Logan and Parker pivoted toward the sound. Samantha walked up the stairs of the front porch and sat on the swing. An irritated look filled her face.
Parker stomped his foot. “Yes, he is.”
“Then why can’t anyone else see him?” Samantha crossed her arms over her chest and tilted her head at Parker. The smile on her face was tight and mocking.
“Because he has to stay hidden, so the bad guys don’t know he’s here.”
She rolled her eyes. “There aren’t any bad guys in Frostford.”
“Thanks to Rock Man.”
The two children’s voices got increasingly loud asthey argued. The front door squeaked loudly as it swung open. Logan made a mental note to get some WD-40 for the hinges before he came face-to-face with Erin.
“Parker. Samantha.” She put her hands on her hips. “What have I told you about yelling at each other?”
