The latest bid was from someone who only put their initial. W.
Erin’s heart skipped. She really wanted that W to stand for West, Logan West. How amazing would it be if he bought the cake, and they got to enjoy it after all? But it wouldn’t be right to ask that of Logan, and there were plenty of other names that started with W.
William, Walter, Wyatt, and Wesley all came to mind. She was sure there were plenty more if she were to sit down and really think about it. The odds of it being Logan were slim, but there was still a part of her that hoped maybe it would be.
She spent a few more minutes looking at the silent auction desserts, reading the dedications under the descriptions. Each name was a person who was loved and who had a battle with cancer. A battle they either won or lost. Each dessert was made with love, and Erin wiped the tears that slid down her cheeks.
As much as she wanted to continue looking at them, it was about time for her to go sit with her children as they enjoyed their desserts. She turned toward the tables and came face-to-face with Logan.
She put her hand out to stop from bumping into him. “There you are. I was wondering if Ellis was ever going to return you.”
“Hey.” He was breathless as he looked over his shoulder. “I need to tell you something. And I want you to promise you won’t be upset.”
Her smile fell. A feeling of dread settling in her stomach. “What’s going on?”
“I—”
The sound of feedback from a microphone blasted through the speakers. Erin put her fingers to her ears and Logan winced. He reached out to grab her hand, an apologetic look on his face. What was going on?
“Is this better?” Ellis’s voice boomed through the room.
Erin turned to see the man in question standing on the small stage. He held the microphone out in front of him, waiting to see if there would be any more feedback. When Ellis was satisfied that it was safe to speak, he continued, “Let’s get a round of applause for this wonderful evening.”
The room erupted into loud applause, and Erin pulled her hand from Logan’s to clap with everyone else. Logan’s arms remained at his sides, and his back stiffened as the light in the large room dimmed.
Erin’s attention went to Ellis, who now had a spotlight aimed in his direction. “As most of you know, I’m Ellis Wilson. I’m the president of the Frostford Chamber of Commerce, and as much as I’d like to take credit for this evening to give the Chamber a little free publicity, I’m sorry to say that this was not my idea.”
Erin’s gaze slid slowly from Ellis to Logan as her mind struggled to catch up with what was happening. Logan refused to look at her as Ellis’s voice continued over the speakers.
“The idea for this event actually came from someone else, someone most of you probably know ... or at least might remember.”
Erin knew the next words that came out of Ellis’s mouth before he spoke them. Logan finally looked at her. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.
“Logan West!”
Logan had meantto tell Erin before tonight, but every time the opportunity came up, he’d been interrupted. Aunt Betty would walk into the room or Parker would need something or Mr. Humphrey stopped by to ask if people were letting their dogs poop in their yard, and if they should do anything about it.
There was always something that prevented him from letting Erin know that he’d organized the fundraiser, and the longer he’d gone without tellingher, the more difficult it had become. It started to feel like a secret, something he never had intended it to be.
He’d known that he was running out of time, and thought he’d get a chance to tell her tonight. That was before Ellis had come by to talk to him. His new boss had wanted to fill Logan in on one of the buildings they were looking at for a new business. They were figuring out the zoning requirements, and it had been a challenge. Ellis had good news, but Logan wished he would have waited until after the fundraiser to talk about it.
Logan worried that Erin would feel betrayed by his lack of transparency and that his attempts at showing her that he cared would end up pushing her away. The idea of Erin being angry or embarrassed made him sick to his stomach.
“I’m sorry,” he said again as Ellis called his name from the stage. Logan wanted to tell her why he’d done it, along with other details she’d want to know, before he went up in front of everyone. Unfortunately, he was out of time.
He forced a smile on his face as he walked up onto the stage. Ellis pulled him into a hug before he handed him the microphone.
“Good evening. Thanks for coming out.” He paused, giving the crowd a chance to clap. “As Ellis said, my name is Logan West. I grew up here in Frostford, and I recognize many of your faces. There are also quite a few of you I don’t know, but I’m gladyou’re here and I look forward to getting to know you better.”
There was a spotlight shining in his face, but Logan was still able to find Erin right away. She hadn’t moved from the spot where he’d just talked to her. He couldn’t get a good look at her face, but could tell she was watching him, her arms wrapped around her waist.
He took a deep breath. “As many of you know, I was inspired to put this fundraiser together as a way to honor the memory of my friend, Jake Carlisle.”
Logan did his best to smile in her direction, but was sure it came out more like a grimace as he worried about what Erin was thinking right now. He hadn’t prepared her for this. Hadn’t prepared her for the attention. Honestly, it was a miracle one of the many people who had stopped by their table while they ate didn’t say something.
Logan continued with his speech. “Jake was a great man. He was my best friend. From what I hear, he was a great husband and father too. I only wished I was here to see him fill those roles.” He held the mic down for a moment as he tried to collect himself. “It’s an honor to be back in Frostford and see the tremendous turnout and outpouring of love from this community. Thank you.”
Logan paused to allow the crowd to clap again. As they did, his palms began to sweat. He took turns holding the microphone in each of his hands so that he could wipe the opposite in the front of his pants.
