He nodded. “Let’s check our calendars and work on something.” He pulled his keys from his pocket and held the door open for her. “Come on, let’s get you home.”
Courtney swallowed hard as they walked out of the doctor’s office, trying to stop the tears that were threatening to form. She was so aware of Logan standing next to her, his hand pressed lightly against the small of her back. And yes, she knew he was just being gentlemanly, but it didn’t stop her from remembering the way he’d stared at her in the ultrasound room, his eyes piercing, his lips parted. It had made her feel warm inside. And for the first time in a long time she hadn’t felt alone.
His stare had told her they were in it together. Or at least that was how it felt.
But it had been an illusion. Wishful thinking, maybe. He was only in this because he had to be. He was a good man who’d be there for his child and nothing more.
And he’d made it perfectly clear that their child would need to be part of his life in Boston, not Hartson’s Creek. Something about that made her stomach tighten.
She rubbed her stomach, shaking her head at her own thoughts. The important thing was that the baby was well. Perfect, even. Nothing else mattered.
“I don’t want to bring you down,” Logan said, his voice low. “But we’re attracting some attention.”
Courtney blinked out of her thoughts to see two older women staring at them from the diner. Then she turned to her left and her heart almost stopped beating.
Carl was standing next to his cruiser, his eyes narrow as he stared at her and Logan.
She swallowed hard. “That’s my brother-in-law.” Her worried gaze met Logan’s, but he didn’t seem perturbed at all.
“You want to say hi?”
She shook her head. “I want to go home.”
“Okay.” Logan clicked the button on his key fob, and pulled the passenger door open.
“Is that him?” Carl called out, striding toward them. Courtney looked from her brother-in-law to Logan, then back again, her stomach dropping at their expressions.
“Carl, I have to go. Can I talk to you later?” she asked, her voice urgent.
“You’re one of the Hartsons, right?” Carl said to Logan, completely ignoring her. “You’re the guy that knocked Courtney up?”
Logan tipped his head to the side. “I’m the father of her baby.” He didn’t look intimidated by Carl at all, despite the angry look on his face and the gun on his hip. “Can I help you?”
Carl’s jaw was tight as he stopped only a few inches from where Logan was standing. Carl was shorter and stockier, but it didn’t stop him from squaring up. His expression was sour, his jaw tight.
“You know she lost her husband? You took advantage of her, you asshole.” He stepped closer, but Logan didn’t flinch.
“I’m sorry you feel that way.”
“Carl, please stop,” Courtney said, her voice urgent. “People are looking.”
Instead of stopping, Carl reached for Logan’s shirt collar, wrapping his fingers around it and jerking. Logan’s head lurched forward, and he reached out to push Carl away.
“Don’t fucking touch me,” Carl told him, his voice tight. “Just keep away from her, you hear?”
“We’re having a baby,” Logan reminded him, his eyes darting to meet Courtney’s gaze. “I can’t keep away from her. She’s carrying my kid.”
Carl’s fist met Logan’s jaw with a sickening crunch. Logan’s head jerked backward, hitting the side of the passenger door. His legs buckled as he slid down against it.
“Stop!” she cried out, rushing to stand between them. Logan stood, his hand rubbing his jaw and mouth. His bottom lip had split from the impact, and he looked down at his fingers, frowning when he saw the blood.
“Carl, you need to go,” Courtney hissed. “Before I call your boss.”
Carl shook his head, his brows knitted together as though he wasn’t sure what the hell he’d just done. “I’m sorry… I…”
“Just go, please,” she told him. “Before you do something even worse.”
Logan was watching them both silently, his hand still touching his injured mouth. Carl was shaking, as though he was in shock. He shot a final, lost glance at Courtney, then turned and walked back to his cruiser, his shoulders stooped.
“You okay?” she asked Logan, turning to him.
“Yeah.” He nodded, his fingers gingerly touching his face. “You?”
No she wasn’t. Not at all. There were people dotted around the square, standing in shop doorways. And all of them were watching the most awful scene unfold in front of them.
“I’m okay,” she lied. “But we should go home. I need to check that your lip is okay.”
“It’s fine.” His gaze was soft. “A little painful but fine.”
“All the same, I’ll feel better if I can take a look at it.” She sat on the passenger seat. “Come on, let’s go home.”
Chapter Fourteen
“I’m so sorry.” Courtney dabbed at the split in Logan’s lip with an antiseptic wipe. When she pulled it away he could see it was stained pink with his blood. “He shouldn’t have touched you, let alone hit you.” She sighed. “You could report him to the department if you want to. I wouldn’t blame you.”
“He’s your brother-in-law,” Logan said. “I wouldn’t do that to you.” The whole sorry mess in the town square felt like a blur. He was relieved he’d had the good sense not to hit back. Maybe he really was growing up.
The side of his head was pounding where it had slammed into the car door. Then there was the déjà vu he kept getting. Him sitting in this kitchen chair while Courtney leaned over him, her touch gentle as she tried to take away the sting. It reminded him of the first day they met, when she’d cleaned up the scrape he’d gotten from holding her chicken.
The draw to her was still overwhelming. His body hummed with electricity as she rubbed ointment onto his lip. It took everything he had not to kiss
