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Abby filled her plate and took a seat where she could see Logan. She knew she wouldn’t be able to force down any dinner; occasionally she rearranged the food in front of her in a pretense of eating.
Sitting where she was, Abby could observe Logan covertly. Every once in a while he’d glance up and search the room. He seemed to be waiting for someone. Abby would’ve liked to believe he was looking for her, but she could only speculate. The tension flowed out of her as she witnessed again the strength and vitality he exuded. That experience on the mountain had changed him, just as it had changed her.
Unable to endure being separated any longer, Abby pushed her plate aside and crossed the room to his table. Logan’s eyes locked with hers as she approached. Someone was speaking to him, but Abby doubted that Logan heard a word of what was being said.
“Hello, Logan,” she said softly. Her arms hung nervously at her sides. “Welcome home.”
“It’s good to see you, Abby.” His gaze roamed her face lovingly. He didn’t need to pull her into his arms for Abby to know what he was feeling. It was all there for her to read. Her doubts, confusion, and anxiety were all wiped out in that one moment.
“I’m sorry about what happened at the airport.” His hand clasped hers. “There wasn’t anything I could do.”
Their eyes held as she studied his face. Every line, every groove, was so familiar. “Don’t apologize. I understand.” Who would’ve believed a simple touch could cause such a wild array of sensations? Abby felt shaky and weak just being this close to him. A tingling warmth ran up the length of her arm as he gently enclosed her in his embrace.
“Can I see you later?”
“You must be exhausted.” She wanted desperately to be with him, but she could wait another day. After all this time, a few more hours wouldn’t matter.
“Seeing you again is all the rest I need.”
“I’ll be here,” she promised.
Dick Snyder tapped Logan on the shoulder and led him to the front row of tables. After a few words from Dick about their adventure, Logan stood and thanked everyone for their support. He relayed part of what he’d seen and the group’s close brush with death.
The tables of friends and relatives listened enthralled as Logan and Dick spoke. Hearing him talk so casually about their adventures was enough to make Abby’s blood run cold. She’d come so close to losing him.
Abby stood apart from Dick and Logan while they shook everyone’s hand as they filed out the door and thanked them for coming. When the restaurant began to empty Logan hurried across the room and brought Abby to his side. She wasn’t proud of feeling this way, but she was glad Patty hadn’t come. Abby was also grateful that Tate had called to say he couldn’t make it. In an effort to assure him he’d be welcome another time, Abby invited him to the team picnic scheduled that Sunday in Diamond Lake Park. Tate promised to be there if possible.
Logan led her into the semidarkened parking lot and turned Abby into his arms. There was a tormented look in his eyes as he gazed down on her upturned face.
“Crazy as it sounds, the whole time we were trapped on that mountain, I was thinking that if I didn’t come back alive you’d never forgive me.” With infinite tenderness he kissed her.
“I wouldn’t have forgiven you,” she murmured, and smiled up at him in the dim light.
“Abby, I love you,” he said. “It took a brush with death to prove how much I wanted to come home to you.”
His mouth sought hers, and with a joyful cry, Abby wrapped her arms around him and clung. Tears of happiness clouded her eyes as Logan slipped his hands into the length of her hair. He couldn’t seem to take enough or give enough as he kissed her again and again. Finally he buried his face in the slope of her neck.
He held her face as he inhaled a steadying breath. “When I saw you across the restaurant tonight, it was all I could do to be polite and stay with the others.”
Abby lowered her eyes. “I wasn’t sure you wanted to see me.”
“You weren’t sure?” Logan said disbelievingly. He slid his hands down to rest on the curve of her shoulders. His finger caught on the delicate gold chain and he pulled it up from beneath her blouse.
Abby went completely still. Logan seemed to sense that something wasn’t right as his eyes searched hers.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
His eyes fell on the chain. “This is lovely and it’s far more expensive than you could afford. Who gave it to you, Abby? Tate?”
Ten
Abby pressed her lips so tightly together that they hurt. “Yes, Tate gave me the necklace.”
“You’re still seeing him, aren’t you?” Logan dropped his hands to his sides and didn’t wait for her to respond. “After everything I’ve said, you still haven’t been able to break off this relationship with Tate, have you?”
“Tate has nothing to do with you and me,” she insisted, inhaling deeply to hide her frustration. After the long, trying days apart, they couldn’t argue! Abby wanted to cry out that she loved him and nothing else should matter. She should be able to be friends with a hundred men if she loved only him. Her voice shaking, she attempted to salvage their reunion. “I know this is difficult for you to understand. To be honest, I don’t know how I’d feel if you were to continue seeing Patty Martin.”
