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I knew what she was getting at right away, and I was pretty sure everyone else did too. The awkward tension was thick around the table.
“Um, no…I don’t.”
“Hmm.” She finished off the last of the wine in her glass. “So, what was it that attracted you to Logan in the first place? His good looks, or his bank account?”
“That’s enough,” Logan replied before I could swallow down my outrage enough to come up with a civil response to that. “Mia isn’t after my money, and I won’t allow anyone to say she is.”
“You won’tallowit?” Linda’s face was flushed, but I wasn’t sure if it was because of the alcohol or if she was angry.
“And neither will I,” Patrick added.
He spoke softly, but there was a firmness in his voice that shut down the potential argument more effectively than I would have thought possible. But the words had already been spoken, the accusation was out there.
Linda suggested I was a gold digger, and there was no pretending that she didn’t.
What she didn’t know was that her words got to me more than they should have. I wasn’t using Logan for money, the way she was suggesting, but Iwasgoing along with this scheme because I was going to be paid well for it.
“Why don’t you have an engagement ring, Mia?” Logan’s mom asked.
I froze, looking down at my bare finger. I didn’t even think of that.
“We’re going ring shopping tomorrow,” Logan answered her, reaching over to brush a strand of hair out of my face in a loving gesture that made my heart skip a beat, even though I knew it wasn’t real. “I want to let her pick it out herself, so that it’s exactly what she wants.”
“And what about the wedding?” Hayden asked, holding Logan’s eyes. “Have you started planning yet?”
“We’ll probably just elope,” Logan said, shrugging.
I could tell by the way that Hayden’s eyes lit up that he was up to no good before he even responded.
“I think you should go big,” he said with a trouble-making grin. “Over-the-top, even. Only the best for the woman you love, right?”
There was a thud, and Hayden grunted before glaring at Dylan, who’d obviously just kicked him under the table. I couldn’t help smiling at the sibling dynamic. Logan looked annoyed at Hayden’s teasing, but it lightened the mood, and I needed that.
“Going big isn’t really my thing,” I said, which wasn’t necessarily the truth, but I knew that we were on a tight timeline for this, and an elaborate wedding would take too long to plan. Besides, it was way too unnecessary to go to so much trouble. “But I’d be happy to have a small ceremony with just family there.”
“Well? What do you say, Logan?” Hayden asked cheekily. “Are we all going to be allowed to celebrate your happy day?”
Logan’s smile was tight, but he nodded. “Of course. The wedding will be very soon so that Grandpa can be present, as well.”
I wondered how soon he was talking about. Things were already moving so fast that it wouldn’t surprise me if it was within weeks. My life was going to be unrecognizable before I knew it.
“Well, I can’t wait to see you get married,” Logan’s mom said, and she sounded sincere.
I had a feeling their relationship was complicated, but I didn’t think it was my place to ask him about it.
We all finished our dessert while listening to Logan’s mom tell us about her upcoming charity events. It seemed to be almost a job for her, and I couldn’t fault her for that. It sounded like she gave a lot of money away to noble causes.
It seemed that the dinner, which started off awkward and got worse, was at least going to end on a high note. The maid, who’s name I hadn’t learned yet, started to clear the table, and we all stood. Dylan and Hayden were arguing over who had the better fantasy football league while Logan’s mother checked her phone for any missed messages and Linda steadied herself with a hand on the back of her chair.
There was nothing special going on, but I was still too distracted to notice that something was wrong with Logan’s grandfather until he collapsed onto the floor. Everyone moved at once, rushing forward to make sure he was okay.
Logan got there first, kneeling at Patrick’s side as he started to shake and convulse uncontrollably. His eyes rolled back in his head, and his shoes thumped against the floor, creating a haunting sound that I was sure I’d remember forever.
“What the hell is happening?” Hayden asked, stark fear in his voice.
“He’s having a seizure,” Logan said, rolling his grandfather onto his side. He pulled off his own suit jacket and rolled it up, sticking it under Patrick’s head.
“Come on, everyone. Let’s give him some room to breathe and recuperate without all of us huddled around him,” Logan’s mom said, ushering us out of the dining room and away from where Patrick was so vulnerable. “Hilda, get the after-dinner coffee. We’ll have it in the living room.”
