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He stiffened. If she hadn’t been sprawled along his length, she might not have noticed.
Her heart leaped to her throat. “Did something go wrong?”
“No, everything went smoothly.” He sighed, his body still tense. “But she was a bit flirty.”
Gabby’s heart sank. Of course she was. Every woman wanted to flirt with Logan. He was too damn gorgeous. And how was she supposed to compete with a cute twenty-something who didn’t have a pregnant belly or rollercoaster hormones?
“I told her before I left that I’m seeing someone,” he said, when she didn’t respond. “She seemed to take it in stride. Maybe she thought flirting would get her on the boss’s good side.”
“Maybe,” she murmured. Or maybe the bartender just wanted him. Plenty of women did, and he’d always been happy to indulge them. Gabby needed to remember that. He wouldn’t be here if not for the babies. He’d already made that clear. He might be trying a relationship on for size, but she couldn’t count on it sticking. She wasn’t anyone’s first choice.
20
Poker night wasa much-needed opportunity for Logan to catch up with his friends. He had something to run by them, if only he could figure out how to say it. He was afraid Shane would lose his temper, but he also knew that raising it with the group was a way of announcing his intentions publicly, and maybe then Shane would realize he was serious and meant well.
He'd intended to get straight to the point as soon as they sat down, but then Shane started talking about how Faith and Charity seemed to be up to something, and he and Kyle had no idea what. Apparently, they’d caught the sisters having a hushed exchange and they’d been making secretive phone calls.
Logan wondered whether other men might think they were having affairs. Possibly. But Shane and Kyle knew better. He did too. Nobody who looked at those couples could deny the love between them. But the gossip did make it more difficult to raise his own situation. Forty minutes into the game, the conversation petered out and he took his chance.
“I want to move in with Gabby,” he announced.
Seven pairs of eyes turned to him, with more than one set of eyebrows raised.
“Isn’t it a bit early?” Sterling asked. “She must be, what, four or five months along?”
“I know it’s early.” He glanced at his cards in an attempt to ignore their scrutiny. “But we’ve been… involved… for the last few weeks.”
“Involved?” Jack teased. “Do you mean sleeping together?”
Logan shot him a look. He didn’t want anyone speaking of Gabby disrespectfully, especially when Shane was at the table and he was trying to make a good impression on him. “It’s more than that.” He huffed. “I know you’re all going to mock me, and I don’t blame you, but the truth is, I just want to be around her all the time.”
“Aww.” Kyle smiled goofily. “I never thought I’d hear you say something so sweet.”
“Yeah, what happened to being the last happy bachelor in the bay?” Tione asked. “What happened to, ‘I’ll settle down when I’m dead’?”
He shrugged. “Things change.”
Jack grinned. “You’re an old dog. You really think you can learn new tricks?”
“I’m willing to try.”
“But are you willing to give up all those pretty tourists?” Jack asked.
“Yeah. I am.”
They laughed. Except for Shane—and Kyle, who looked uncomfortable.
Tione clapped him on the shoulder. “Best of luck, mate.”
Logan’s heart sank. They were just ribbing him, the way he’d done to them a hundred times before, but he couldn’t help wondering if they were right. None of them believed he was capable of being a good, faithful partner to Gabby. Why should he?
He glanced at Shane. His friend was watching him thoughtfully.
“I mean it,” Logan told him. “I care about her. On the nights when I stay here after work instead of going to see her, the place feels too quiet. I never expected it, but isn’t that how the best things happen?”
“She’s been hurt enough,” Shane said. “If you think there’s even the slightest chance you might hurt her too, just leave her alone. Things are complicated enough already.”
Logan bit the inside of his lip to avoid spitting out a knee-jerk response. He didn’t like Shane’s lack of faith in him, but he understood it. His friends had had front row seats to his many, many short-term romances over the years.
