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“Before you get mad, let me explain.”
It was obvious what had happened, and did not need an explanation. Even though Logan and I had not defined our relationship, I was angry, hurt, and more than a little surprised that I was unsure which of them I was most jealous of. “If you're going to bring home a one-night stand, I would prefer if they were gone before I get home."
“It's not like that," he protested. "She lived in the building on Baxter Street—the one that caught fire yesterday. I was writing up my report when she showed up at the scene. She didn't have any place to stay."
“So of course, you brought her here. Logan, this is just like the cat. You can’t bring every stray that crosses your path into our home.”
“I’m sorry. I should have asked you first. But what else could I do? Her car and wallet were stolen earlier in the day."
"That's an awful lot of bad luck for one day," I said, not bothering to hide the skepticism in my voice. "Even if I believed your story, it doesn't explain why she's wearing your t-shirt."
"She lost everything in the fire and had nothing to sleep in, so I loaned her a shirt. It’s no big deal. Nothing happened. Once you get to know her, you’ll see, she's really nice.”
“That’s your problem. You think everyone is ‘nice’ and then are disappointed when their true colors come out."
The bathroom door opened, and we stopped talking. The waitress made her way back to Logan's room. At the door she turned and looked in my direction. "Not that it is any of your business, but just so you know, nothing happened between us. Logan was a perfect gentleman." When she came back out, she was dressed. “Don’t worry, I’m leaving.”
Before she got to the top of the steps, Logan asked, “Where will you go?”
“My first stop is the municipal building. I’m going to need copies of the police report and paperwork from the fire department before I can do anything else.”
“That’s a six-mile walk, and it’s raining.” I was not happy with Logan, but could not help but be sympathetic to her plight. “Stay and have breakfast. Logan can drive you into town when he leaves for work.”
“Are you sure you can stand having another stray in your house for that long?” She glared up at me with her delicate hands on her slim hips. There was something about her I found very intriguing. Maybe it was because, despite losing everything, the flame of defiance still burned in her eyes.
“I think I can manage,” I said.
She did not return my smile but said, “Then why don’t you put on some clothes while Logan and I get started on breakfast?”
When I joined them in the kitchen, Ember was laughing at something Logan said. Despite their reassurances, I couldn’t help wondering just how well they had gotten to know one another while I was at work. Much to my surprise, I felt my cock stiffen at the thought of the two of them entwined in bed. Before I could give it any more thought, Ember sat a plate of food in front of me. I inspected the breakfast burrito carefully and was happy to see that rather than sausage; it was filled with white beans.
As we ate, they gave me more details on how Ember had come to spend the night in our home. “I’m sorry you had to go through all of that,” I said. ‘You must have been exhausted by the time you got here. I guess you went to bed right away.”
“We had some dinner first." Ember said, “Neither of us could sleep, so we watched a couple of episodes of Impractical Jokers.”
“Turns out we’re both big fans.” Logan winked at her.
“I’m glad you have something in common.” Personally, I found the show sophomoric and dangerous.
“When Logan fell asleep in the recliner, I went upstairs and worked on my to-do list for today.”
Her story sounded believable, which eased my jealousy. “What’s on your list?”
By the time she finished, I realized there was no way she could do everything that needed to be done without a car. “Logan has an investigation to finish, so maybe it would be better if I drove you around today.”
“It’s your day off. I don’t want to be an imposition. I’ll walk or take the bus.”
“It’s not a problem. I had nothing planned, anyway.”
“He comes off as a grumpy son of a bitch,” Logan said. “But he’s just a big sweetheart who would give you the shirt off his back.” I stood and cleared the table, hoping neither of them saw the way I was smiling.
Our expedition started out smoothly. I had called ahead, so when we arrived at the municipal building, both the fire and police reports were waiting for us. From there we headed crosstown to the Riverdell Diner, so Ember could pick up a replacement for the paycheck that had been stolen.
When I pulled up to the curb in front of the restaurant, I asked if she wanted me to go in with her. Much to my relief, she said it wasn’t necessary. Unlike Logan, I have a policy of not getting involved in other people’s affairs. It has served me well over the years.
The trouble began when we arrived at Parkland Bank. After 20 minutes of waiting in the car, I went in to see what was taking so long. Ember was in animated conversation with an older man wearing a bow tie and wire-rimmed glasses.
“What part of my license was stolen, don't you understand?”
