“It was my hope to have very little overhead with this event. I went out on a limb and asked for a lot in a very short amount of time. But, boy, did you guys beat my expectations.” He swept his arm in front of him. “Everything from the use of this space to the spaghetti dinner and the desserts was donated. That means one-hundred percent of the money earned tonight will go to someone in need.”
He took a deep breath and forced his eyes to look out at the crowd, this time away from Erin. “You have eaten your hearts out tonight, and while we’re still waiting for those final bids to come in on our desserts, I’m happy to say we have raised a lot of money tonight. Money that will go to a very deserving family.” He paused. “The Carlisle family.”
The room erupted into more cheers, the loudest of the evening. As they applauded, Logan looked back at Erin. Her hands covered her mouth. Logan so badly wanted to know if she was smiling or crying beneath her hands. With the darkness of the room, he wasn’t able to see her eyes. He couldn’t wait to get back to her and see how she was doing—to know if she was okay.
“I’m so excited to see those final numbers and know the money will go to good use,” Logan said, turning to Ellis, who stood off to the side of the stage. “But I know y’all are probably more excited to see what you’re taking home tonight. So, without further ado, I’d like to ask my good friend Ellis to come back out and announce the winners of our desserts.”
Logan handed the mic to Ellis without any fanfare and raced into the crowd. He was stopped by a few well-meaning people who wanted to ask how he was or to congratulate him on the evening. He tried to be cordial, but was constantly looking over their shoulders for Erin.
Ellis’s voice boomed over the speakers as he explained how to pay for and pick up desserts for those who bid the highest. Logan drowned his words out as he continued to search. He didn’t see Erin, but he found Aunt Betty and the children. He pushed through the crowd to them.
Aunt Betty pulled him into a hug. “Great job up there, sweetie.”
Logan gave her a squeeze before stepping back. His eyes did one more sweep of the room. “Thanks.”
“Did you really do this for Daddy?” Parker asked, pulling Logan’s attention back to those right in front of him. The young boy’s eyes were wide as he looked up at Logan.
This was a big night for their family. It would mean that Erin wouldn’t have to worry about medical bills anymore. Logan hoped it would be a big step in their healing. He crouched down so Parker was sure to hear him when he answered. “I did. I hope that’s okay.”
Parker didn’t give Logan any warning as he leaped toward him and wrapped his arms around his shoulders. Logan nearly fell back from the force of it. When he’d recovered, he put his arms around Parker andpulled him in for a hug. Parker snuggled his head in the crook of Logan’s neck as he tried to nestle in closer, and Logan felt the sting of tears. He squeezed his eyes tightly to keep them at bay.
He kept them closed until he felt a gentle tap on his shoulder. Logan looked over to see Samantha standing beside him. He opened his arm so that she could join them in a group hug. Holding them close, he hoped they knew how much he’d grown to love them during his time in Frostford. He almost told them, but stopped himself.
He needed to find Erin first. To tell her that he loved her and had never stopped. She needed to be the first one to hear those words. Based on how she reacted, he hoped he could say them to Parker and Samantha soon.
He released the children and straightened back up. His gaze met Aunt Betty’s. “Did you see where she went?”
Aunt Betty pointed her chin toward the back doors of the room. “She went out that way.”
“Could you see her reaction?”
She pursed her lips and shook her head. “Sorry, sweetie. It was too dark. But I’ll stay with the children and grab your dessert while you go find her.”
“My dessert?”
Aunt Betty snorted. “You gonna tell me you went through all this and didn’t buy Erin’s dessert?”
Logan handed his wallet to Aunt Betty. “There should be enough cash in here to cover it. Thank you.”
With that, he pushed back through the crowd and out the doors that led to the parking lot. There were a few families walking to their cars, desserts in hand. He didn’t pay them any attention as he scanned the area for Erin.
He spotted her, leaning against her car. He jogged over, but slowed his steps as he got closer, taking the last few steps slowly, cautiously. The light from the lamp post reflected off the wetness on her cheeks. She wiped the tears away with the back of her hands as Logan stopped in front of her.
“Hey.” He shoved his hands in his pockets to keep himself from pulling her close. Her children might be ready to hug him, but he still wasn’t sure what Erin’s reaction was.
“You put this together.” She looked up at him, her eyes still glistening with tears. “For me.”
When Logan nodded, she covered her mouth with her hand.
Logan’s gut twisted. He’d known it was a risk to do this without asking, but after weighing the pros and the cons, he thought that he’d made the right decision. He’d hoped that she would be relieved that she wouldn’t have to worry about Jake’s remaining medical bills.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I meant to and ... ” How did he explain that he did this because he loved her?
She squeezed her eyes tight and shook her head. “I’m not upset that you didn’t tell me.”
“Then why are you crying?” Logan took a step toward her, the gravel crunching beneath his feet. He lifted his hand toward her chin, but dropped it at the last minute. She kept her eyes closed. Logan took another step closer. “Erin, look at me.”
Her bottom lip trembled and she opened her eyes. When her eyes found his, she held his gaze. “This is probably the nicest thing someone has ever done for me, and I’m so thankful, I am.” She took a steadying breath. “But it doesn’t change anything.”
