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“The women all went to some jewelry party, so Charlie rounded everyone up for beer and darts.”
“Ah, got it. How have you been?”
“Good. Lindy’s been a little hormonal lately, but only a couple more months to go, thank God.”
Logan grinned. “When’s the baby due?”
“November fourth. Some days it feels like it’ll never get here, and others I don’t know where the time’s gone.”
“I know the feeling.”
The whole town knew about the looming foreclosure, and Drew gave him a look of commiseration as Charlie hollered, “Dude, it’s your turn.”
“Where’s Donovan?” he asked as Porter moved into position to throw his darts.
The first dart went wide, and Charlie laughed while Nate hollered at his teammate. Charlie thumped Logan on the back. “Good job—distract him again.”
Apparently, Drew still harbored resentment for the kiss Mike had laid on Lindy at the Valentine’s Day party to make Bernie Mitchell jealous.
“Mike’s doing the family thing tonight,” Chase chimed in. “Bernie invited him and Maddie up to Sturgeon Bay for the weekend.”
Donovan had told him about his little girl, and mentioned the trouble he’d had convincing his former high school flame to give him a second chance. Looked like he’d finally succeeded.
The guys finished up their game, which Drew and Nate managed to win by a point, so Charlie and Wes had to buy the next round. On their way back to the tables with a couple more pitchers, the door opened, and all the ladies filed in from their jewelry party.
Everyone paired up with their significant others, and Logan tensed when he spotted Joy standing off to his right with Tara and Wes. Great. He hadn’t been able to keep his mind off her all day; now, he couldn’t take his eyes off her, either.
Her hair hung loose to her shoulders, curly instead of straight, and the gloss on her lips beckoned him to head on over for another taste. On top of that, she looked absolutely stunning in the multi-toned, gray sweater dress paired with calf-high, black suede boots. The expanse of bare thigh between the hem of her dress and the top of her boots shot the sexy waaay past ten.
She had yet to look his way, so Logan wasn’t sure if she even realized he was part of the group. No more than he considered slipping away before she noticed, her gaze swept around the cluster of tables, and he mentally braced for when those hazel eyes met his.
Except they didn’t. She skipped right over him and offered a bright smile to Nate Cooper, as if Logan was some schmuck not worth even a second of her time. The cold shoulder reception was nothing new considering how the summer had been between them, but after that kiss in the barn, his fingers clenched at his side to keep from going over to punch the answering grin off Coop’s face.
“Listen up,” Tara called above the noise. “Everyone grab a glass.” She waited until they all did as instructed, then turned the floor over to Grant.
“Since we’re all here…” He laid an arm around Jenny’s shoulders to hug her close to his side. “Last night, I asked Jenny to marry me and…”
“And I said yes.” She pulled her left hand out from under the table to show off the diamond sparkling on her ring finger.
Squeals from the women eclipsed all the other noise, drawing the attention of the bar patrons around them. Logan’s gaze shifted to Joy despite his best efforts to not look at her with that reminder of their conversation in the barn.
She smiled at the happy couple, but sadness shadowed her expression. Does she miss her ex? he wondered. The cheating bastard who apparently looked so similar her grandma kept thinking Logan was him?
As the congratulations of hugs and back slaps wound down, Charlie stepped up into the middle of the group, glass held high. “Raise ’em up to the future Mr. and Mrs. Walker.”
Amidst the toasts, Grant drew Jenny close for a heated kiss that had Charlie and
Drew letting out wolf whistles. Color infused the brunette’s face, but she wrapped her arm around her fiancé’s neck and pulled him in for another round.
Logan sat back with a smirk. Didn’t that just drive home his earlier point.
This time, he purposely sought out Joy’s gaze, but she was nowhere to be seen. Disappointment eclipsed satisfaction, and he realized his entire reason for getting out of the house had been a total bust. Time to get the hell out of there.
To avoid explaining why he was leaving so early, he muttered to Rick Wilde about taking a leak, and headed for the door. On his way past the hall for the bathrooms, he caught a flash of movement the second before a body slammed into his side. Height and perfume told him it was a woman, and he reached out to steady her stumble.
In the middle of his “Whoa, sorry,” he recognized Joy.
Her bright hazel gaze jerked up to meet his a second before she wrenched free and continued for the door. Logan registered the tears in her eyes and let out a frustrated sigh.
