After his dad became ill, all that was put on hold. Then when his dad died, none of that seemed to matter, anymore. He had the bar, a chance to make something of it, and a duty to preserve and make a success out of the thing his father had loved most in the world.
Truth be told, he was happy to shelve his college plans. Logan didn’t really know what he wanted at that age, and when he found he could make good money here at Jackson’s, he’d snatched at it. But somehow, it seemed to put Harriet in a different league to him. Friends was one thing, but as he watched her over the years, dating guys with flashy suits and even flashier cars, or men with job titles that commanded five figure salaries; he knew her world only overlapped with his and he couldn’t be part of it, not really.
He squatted next to her on the sofa and brushed the hair from her face. Harriet really was beautiful, and she was a fantastic friend. Over the years, she’d been there for him, a constant when he lost his way, someone to laugh with and share the good times when they came around. He’d been there for her, too. Like when she had a falling out with her brother, Miles, and it ate away at her.
Harriet stirred, and her eyes flickered open, her smile lit up her face, and at the same time made his heart soar. Sarah had got it right about him. Things had definitely changed on his side. “You’ll get a crick in your neck if you sleep here all night.”
She stretched out and her tee rode up, revealing a nipped in waistline and a sexy flash of flesh. Harriet tugged it down. “Huh, what time is it?”
“Late. Bar’s all closed up. Can I get you a hot drink? I was going to make something to help me sleep.” He stood up and increased the distance between them, conscious he might be crowding her.
“When did you get back? It must have been a while ago.”
“Yeah, it was, but I couldn’t sleep, and saw you still on the sofa when I came out of my room.” The lie rolled off his tongue.
“Well, thanks for waking me, I was out cold. Mmm, a hot drink does sound good. I wouldn’t say no to one of your hot chocolates.”
In the kitchen, he set about heating the milk, and she came over and sat on a barstool at his kitchen counter. She looked down at her phone and sighed.
“More matches on Tinder?”
She shook her head and chewed her lip. “He super liked me.”
“Who?”
“That L.J. guy.”
“Cool.” Logan’s chest constricted. While he sat in the park, they’d shared a number of ‘this or that’ questions, firing them back and forth to each other. They’d stayed on neutral ground—favorite foods and teams, things he already knew the answers to, but somehow, he felt like he was discovering her anew.
He selected a bone china mug from the cupboard for her, and his chunky dark blue team mug for himself. He always knew she liked that mug, but she’d confirmed it in one of the messages they’d shared on Tinder; she’d explained it cooled the drink faster so she could enjoy it quicker. He watched her now sipping from it while his was still too hot to drink.
Her eyes went to his cup, and she frowned. “Why do you always choose that mug?”
Logan liked its size and weight, the handle fit comfortably in his big hand. “Because it’s always at the front of the cupboard.” He shrugged, “Actually, I hadn’t realized I did.” He couldn’t use the answer he’d written in their messages, Harriet would figure him out straight away.
She pressed the screen on her phone again and after checking her messages, she turned it off.
“Expecting something?” Logan sipped his cocoa and leaned back against the counter.
She shrugged. “No, he went to bed.”
“Who?”
“Logan, don’t you listen? The guy I told you about earlier…”
“Oh, right, the one on Tinder?”
“Yeah. It’s ridiculous, I know, but he gave me a super like, so I sent him a message and we’ve been talking all night.”
“You going to meet him?”
Harriet pushed her phone away. “I don’t know. It’s early yet. Is it stupid that I get a teensy bit excited when he messages me?”
Okay, that got Logan’s attention! “Isn’t that the way it’s supposed to work?”
“I’m not sure.” She blushed and lowered her eyes to her drink. “I don’t know anything about him, but it feels nice when he replies.”
Oh, you know a lot more than you think! “Well, that’s why you are messaging each other, isn’t it? To find out more, find out if there’s chemistry there.”
“I guess. Honestly, I don’t know what to think. There is something about him that… jeepers, it sounds so stupid, but he gives me butterflies in my stomach.”
It was all Logan could do to keep sipping on his drink and keep his expression neutral. Part of him wanted to come clean, then if she didn’t slap his face, he’d take her into his arms and kiss her.
Instead, he changed the subject. “You get anyone on MatchMate yet?”
She wrinkled her nose. “Don’t tell RoryLynn because she thinks it is the best place to meet someone because of her and Rob, but I don’t think it will work for me. It just feels so… clinical. Analyzing all that stuff for the questionnaire, huh, where’s the spontaneity? You know, I
