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“Is there anything else you need me to do?” he asked.
“Nope.” Sam picked up a napkin and dabbed her mouth. “I think we’re good to go.”
Not the answer he wanted to hear. He preferred to stay busy. With nothing to do, his mind tended to wander, and it never strayed toward good memories. Not anymore.
Though he wasn’t a fan of idle conversation, he forced a tense smile and asked, “How are the boys?”
Thankfully, Samantha loved to talk about her children. She went off onto an entertaining tangent about the latest potty training adventures with her youngest. “The kid’s almost four years old,” she said, completely exasperated. “At this rate, I swear, he’s going to graduate from college in diapers.”
The image actually induced an amused grin to quirk one side of Logan’s mouth.
When another girl arrived, Sam stole one more muffin and meandered to the circle to greet her while Logan lingered by the refreshment table, helping set food out whenever someone brought more in.
Just about everyone who arrived called a friendly greeting to him. He waved an acknowledgement back but didn’t engage anyone in conversation. It was nice they all knew him as Logan—not Dave—but he purposely kept himself a step removed from the other members of the group, mainly because he was a fraud.
He felt guilty he hadn’t shared a personal story the way everyone else had shared theirs. Then again, he didn’t have a story of loss to share, so that was never going to happen anyway.
The truth was he was using them, using their personal accounts to heal himself while he gave nothing in return. And that made him feel vile. Just not vile enough to leave and never come back. Without them, he knew he’d be worse off than he was. So he kept returning each week, complete fake that he was.
“Anything good to eat tonight?” a voice asked beside him.
Logan glanced around to spot Kevin Lloyd, who’d lost his dad when he was eight.
“I’ve been eyeing those wrap things,” Logan answered. “Jamie just brought them.”
Kevin took two for himself. “Oh, God. These are amazing.” He moaned between bites. “Jamie sure can cook. But then, she’s a culinary major, isn’t she?”
Logan eyed the blonde they were discussing as she sat in the circle talking to another girl. “English,” he corrected.
Kevin frowned. “Really? Well, she should have a culinary degree.” He licked his fingers clean and reached for another wrap when something caught his eye on the other side of the room. “Whoa! Dude, check it out. New girl.” He hitched his chin toward one of the many doorways leading into the Crimson Room.
The back of Logan’s neck prickled. A strange warmth spread through his veins. Before he even turned, he knew. When he glanced around, he wasn’t at all surprised to see Paige hovering shyly in the entrance. A powerful jolt of shock passed over him. Or maybe it wasn’t shock.
Ducking his chin just enough so she wouldn’t immediately see his face from underneath his ball cap, he clenched his teeth and gave a silent curse. He should’ve known she would show up to one of these meetings sooner or later. Why hadn’t he thought of that?
God, she looked good. He loved her silky dark hair, her dark soulful eyes, the way her clothes accentuated her lithe frame.
Kevin nudged his arm. “Smoking hot, huh?”
Logan cleared his throat and jerked his attention away from Trace Zukowski’s little sister.
Her presence was a total disaster. Panic leaped into his veins. If she saw him, she could cut him off from his only line of emotional support with one sentence.
She might as well cut off his air supply.
“Uh…yeah,” he mumbled, scanning for the nearest escape route. “She’s…cute.” Cute for a girl about to destroy him.
“Cute?” Kevin’s jaw dropped. He stared at Logan as if he was insane. “Puppies are cute, man. That goddess is flat-out gorgeous.”
Logan silently agreed, his gaze locking on a doorway to his left. But gorgeous or not, she was going to flay him alive. He couldn’t make any sudden movements and outright dash for the exit; she’d see him. He’d have to be stealthy about his escape.
Keeping perfectly still, he held his breath and waited for an opening. His insides tightened as he prayed she wouldn’t spot him. She didn’t seem to be aware of his presence yet but she hadn’t moved from the doorway either.
“Looks like she needs a friendly welcome,” Kevin murmured.
Logan and Kevin both glanced at Samantha, the one who usually welcomed fresh recruits to the group. But buried in a one-on-one conversation with some guy, she hadn’t noticed Paige’s arrival.
“Well.” Kevin breathed into his palm to check his breath before he straightened his shirt and stepped away from Logan. “I guess that’s my cue.”
