Chapter Sixteen
Monday, July 18, 2022
Thanks to endless meetings that drained everyspare second of time she had, Mondays usually went by quickly for Sam. Today was no exception. From the moment Logan had walked through the doors of their building, she’d been otherwise engaged, which she figured was a good thing. Work was a way for her to focus her energies and keep her mind from worrying endlessly.
Unfortunately, those meetings only lasted so long, and by four thirty p.m., Sam was ready to leave it all behind and go home, where she could hopefully spend a few uninterrupted hours with the men she adored. Perhaps she could make lasagna. Sierra had sent her a recipe that she swore was foolproof, and since Sam was a disaster waiting to happen when it came to the kitchen, she’d wanted to give it a go.
Maybe she could make some garlic bread, too. How hard could that be?
As she was packing up her things, she dialed Logan’s office, not surprised when his assistant, Deanna, answered.
“Hey, girl,” Deanna greeted with a smile in her voice. “I was about to head your way.”
Puzzled, Sam said, “For?”
“To drop off Logan’s keys?” She sounded confused, too. “He said you’d swing by to get them this afternoon.”
“He’s not in?” Sam asked.
Deanna huffed. “I told him not to forget to call you. He had to go out of town for the week. Urgent meeting. Something about fires that needed to be put out. He seemed scattered when he mentioned it. That’s why I told him to call you on the way to the airport.”
Sam swallowed hard as she eased into her chair, unable to feel her legs, her chest painfully tight.
“He didn’t call you,” Deanna said, clearly oblivious to Sam’s impending panic attack. “Well, don’t worry. I’ll bring the keys over on my way out. It’ll take me only a minute.”
“Mmm-hmm,” she managed before hanging up and staring blankly at the phone.
He’d gone out of town? Worse, he’d gone out of town without bothering to tell her? When had he ever donethat? She was usually his first call, and never—absolutelynever—had he gone out of town without kissing her goodbye.
Sam rubbed the spot over her heart, tried to ease the unbearable ache. She hadn’t felt the urge to curl up into a ball in a really long time, but right now, she was seriously considering it. Shit. She knew there was something wrong, but she hadn’t realized it was quite this bad. Bad enough her husband would disappear without a word?
Her mind went wild with speculation. Was he gone forever? Would he start a new life somewhere else, fall in love with a different woman? Have kids? Live happily ever after?
A sob broke free, but she choked it down, refusing to fall apart yet. There had to be a really good reason for this. Logan wouldn’t just bolt on her.
She swallowed the tight lump forming in her throat, drew in a shuddering breath, and squared her shoulders.
“There’s a good reason,” she whispered, bringing her phone up so she could dial Logan’s number. She took another fortifying breath, prepared to interrogate him about where he was and why he didn’t bother to tell her he was leaving. He owed her that much, right?
She got voicemail.
When she was prompted to leave her message, Sam kept her tone pleasant when she said, “Hey, it’s me. Just thought I’d check in. Deanna said you had an emergency to deal with. Call me when you get this. Please.”
She disconnected, getting to her feet, when she heard the sound of footsteps coming her way. No way would she let Deanna see her on the verge of a breakdown.
“Here you go, honey,” Deanna said, dangling the keys before passing them over. “Oh, hey, what’s wrong?”
Sam met her gaze, forced a smile. “Just have a lot on my mind. It’s nothing.”
Deanna didn’t look convinced, but thankfully, she didn’t press. “Okay, then. Have a good evening.”
“Yeah. You, too,” she said, setting the keys on top of her purse. “Thanks.”
Deanna’s gaze remained on her as she backed out of the room. The moment she was out of sight, Sam clutched her chest again, rubbed the ache. She needed to talk to Elijah. Maybe he knew what the hell was going on.
***
Logan disembarked from the company jet andstrolled to the town car waiting for him. He probably should’ve felt guilty for using company resources for personal business, but he didn’t. Hell, he had far too many other things to feel guilty about at the moment.
