Page 92 of Tattered (Lark Cove 1)

I forced my shoulders to remain relaxed so he wouldn’t feel my cringe. “Sure.”

Logan had invited me to a gala tomorrow night for his family’s foundation, so today I was charged with finding a ball gown. I could handle buying a nice dress. But to get one for Charlie? He had no idea the challenge he’d presented.

“I’d better get to work.”

“See you tonight.” I let him go, tipping up my chin for a quick kiss.

His shoes clicked on the marble as he walked to the door. When it shut behind him, I took my coffee out to the terrace and sank into a wide chaise lounge.

Besides his bedroom, this terrace had become my favorite place in Logan’s penthouse. His gardener had planters and pots everywhere. Green leaves and bright flowers spilled over the edges of stone and concrete. It was as close to my cottage porch as I could get, minus Hazel and her cigarette smoke, which I missed more and more every morning.

I sipped my cup, watching as the sun rose higher. There were people who loved the city skyline, but this place had nothing on the lake view from my backyard.

And today, we’d be thrust out of the penthouse and into the madness, for shopping of all things.

All I wanted to do today was hang out with Charlie and show her parts of the city she might actually enjoy, like Central Park. Because so far, she was unimpressed with New York. And while I had my reasons for not liking the city, I did want Charlie to enjoy it here, for Logan’s sake.

But nothing about this trip had gone well.

The first day, Logan’s assistant Sean had taken us shopping for her room. We’d gone to a large department store to find some toys and books, but it had been a zoo and she’d been completely overwhelmed. After an hour of wandering through the store, bumping shoulders and squeezing through tight spaces, she’d only chosen one stuffed lion to bring home.

When Sean had offered to take us shopping somewhere else, she’d refused, saying her room didn’t need anything else.

The next day, I’d taken her to the Empire State Building, where the warp-speed elevator ride had scared her. Then yesterday, we’d gone to Rockefeller Center and Times Square. It had been an improvement, but she’d still been out of her element with the crowds and bustle.

It hadn’t helped that she’d spent so little time with Logan. He left before she woke up each morning and returned in time for a late dinner and to tuck her in. We’d both gotten a firsthand look at just how hectic his schedule was here.

Shopping for dresses today, something she refused to wear at home, meant I’d get to ruin another day of her not-so-fun vacation.

“Mommy, are we done yet?” Charlie grumbled. She was sitting in the corner of a dressing room, kicking the wall.

This was the final stop on our shopping day from hell. After two stores to find cocktai

l dresses for me—one for dinner tonight, and another for dinner with Logan’s parents—we’d gone shopping for Charlie. Three tantrums in three consecutive dressing rooms had left my patience threadbare. But the shopping fun hadn’t stopped there. Now we were in a fancy boutique trying to find a ball gown for tomorrow night’s gala.

“Don’t kick the wall,” I hissed, trying to zip up the back of my gown.

“Can I help you in there?” the saleswoman called from the other side of the curtain.

I sighed and dropped my hands, then held the bodice of the gown to my chest. “Could you help me zip this?”

The gold curtain whipped open and in she came with a seamstress in tow. She gave the zipper a quick tug, cinching the dress tight around my ribs.

“This is just lovely.” She took a step back, scanning me up and down. “You have to choose this one. It’s da-vine.”

She’d said that about the last five gowns, all of which I’d hated. But since I hated this dress slightly less than the others and I was desperate to be done with our shopping marathon, this would have to do.

I gave her a tight smile and nodded. “Yes, let’s get this one.”

The saleswoman snapped her fingers, causing a flurry of activity outside the dressing room. An hour later, after the gown’s hem had been pinned and the saleswoman had been given instructions on where to deliver the dress, shoes, jewelry and lingerie, Charlie and I escaped the boutique, finally done with shopping.

Logan’s credit card had been swiped more today than I’d swiped mine in a month.

“Are we done shopping yet?” Charlie whined as she slid into the back of Logan’s town car.

“Yes.” I breathed with relief, fastening my seatbelt, then hers. “Should we do something fun? Do you want to go to the park? We could take a walk around and feed some ducks.”

She shook her head. “No, thanks.”