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“It’s a hard subject.”
“You don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to. But I have to admit, I’m curious about where you came from.”
Logan shifted his weight from one foot to the other, a sign that he wasn’t entirely comfortable with the topic.
“I was just thinking about the time when we’d learned that Marianne had a talent for art. We had this old dog named Jasper, this mangy mutt that my dad had adopted before Mar was born. One day, when she was about eight, she just stared at him for hours, following him around the house and not taking her eyes off of him, as if she wanted to burn every detail of him into memory. Then, she sat down and drew him, this damn near perfect depiction. Mom was blown away, convinced that Marianne was destined for great things in the art world.”
“And your dad?”
He chuckled. “The old man… he was always more practical minded, art wasn’t really his thing. But over the years, as her skill grew and the nature of her uniqueness came to light, he came around. One day, I went into his office to grab something for him and saw that old picture of Jasper, framed and hung over his desk.”
He took in a slow, deep breath. “Just thinking about how they’d feel to know how far she’s come.”
I couldn’t help but reach over and take his hand, squeezing it tight.
“I’m sure they’d be thrilled, especially since her big brother is so supportive of her.”
“I hope so. I’ve had two responsibilities in my life—first the company, then after my parents passed, Marianne. Back when I was a younger man, I used to bristle thinking about all of the responsibilities that would eventually be placed on me. But now that I’m older, I realize that such things are what give life its meaning.”
“What happened to your parents? If you don’t mind me asking.”
“Car accident. They were in California on the 405, someone pulled into their lane and sideswiped them and that was that. I was on active duty in the Marines when I got the news that would change my life forever.”
“The Marines… that explains the hero complex.”
He smirked. “That’s right. Anyway, after the funeral, I finished my tour then came back and took over the company while going back to college and watching over Marianne. And that’s been my life for the last nearly two decades.”
“It’s quite a life.”
“It is. Funny thing is this life of mine always has a way of surprising me.” He glanced over and offered a small smile that I returned.
A buzz sounded out, Logan drying off his hands and reaching into his pocket for his phone.
“Roberto wants to talk about security for the trip.”
“Go ahead,” I said. “I’ll finish up here.”
He leaned over and kissed me on the forehead before heading out to meet Roberto.
Once Logan was gone, words he’d spoken came to mind, the ones about responsibility. I placed my hand on my stomach, knowing there was a damn good chance my child,our child, was in there. It’d be another responsibility on top of all the others. And, perhaps, one more surprise to change both of our lives forever.
Chapter 27
Logan
The jet engines roared as we took off, Roberto seated across from me in the plane’s back office.
“This is my favorite part!” Marianne called out. “Feels like you’re flying into space!”
I chuckled. Marianne had been on cloud nine since the beginning of the day, having woken me up at six in the morning like a kid on Christmas. After a few minutes we were up and on our way. I clicked off my seatbelt and sat back.
“What’s the plan?” I asked.
Roberto nodded, leaning over and lifting his briefcase from the ground. He set it on the table and opened it, taking out a manilla folder of information.
“It was tricky to get this all sorted out with only twenty-four hours to spare, but I have an itinerary that should work.”
“Excellent. Let’s hear it.”
