It was so strange how she’d gone from feeling lonely, to being surrounded by a crowd of people who wanted to be part of this new life. Ellis and Mary, Logan and his family, Lainey and Maddie… even Carl in his own strange way.
Over the sound of Bing Crosby’s crooning, she heard Ellis’s deep voice coming from the kitchen, followed by Mary’s giggle. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d heard Mary laugh.
Blinking back the tears, because there had been way too many of them in the past few years, she carefully folded the quilt and rested it back on her lap.
She only wanted happy thoughts from now on.
Chapter Twenty-One
“So I’ve been thinking,” Cam said, as he and Logan walked toward the airport departure zone.
“Always dangerous,” Logan said, biting down a grin. Cam glared in return.
It was the morning after Christmas, and Cam had to catch a flight back to Boston for his game the following day. Logan had offered to drive him to the airport. It wasn’t often the two of them got to spend any time together, especially during football season. With the restaurant, and now the baby coming, Logan’s own spare time was virtually non-existent.
It was good to have an hour to sit next to his twin brother.
“Okay, I’ll bite. What were you thinking?” Logan asked as they walked through the large revolving door, Cam wheeling his case behind him.
“You should definitely buy a place here.”
“In Hartson’s Creek?”
Cam nodded. “Yeah. You said yourself you’ll be spending a lot more time here after the baby’s born. And I can’t imagine you’ll want to stay with Dad and Aunt Gina, or Tanner or Gray every time you visit your kid. Plus it will give the baby some stability, you know?”
Logan blinked at his brother’s words. Cam wasn’t the advice giving type. He’s always said he was too busy making his own way to comment on anybody else’s life.
“Was this your idea?” he asked Cam, suspiciously.
“I might have been talking to Gray and Tanner.” Cam shrugged. “But it makes sense. And it’s a good investment. Look at Tanner, he’s buying places all over town.”
“Tanner has a lot of time on his hands,” Logan pointed out. “And a lot of money.”
“You’re not exactly wanting for cash,” Cam said, his voice teasing as he looked up at the monitors overhead. “I need to go to desk twenty-eight,” he said, grabbing his case again. “You wanna say goodbye here?”
“I’ll come with you.” Logan’s mind was ticking. Cam was right, he did need a base in his home town. Somewhere big enough for the baby and maybe some room to grow.
Maybe even big enough for Courtney to stay with him, too.
“Lemme go check in,” Cam said as they reached the first class desk. “I’ll be five minutes.”
“Okay.” Logan watched his brother walk over to where a smiling man in uniform was waiting to welcome him, though his mind was still on other things. He’d called Courtney late last night to make sure things were okay, and she’d been upbeat, telling him she was shopping with Maddie this morning,
It was weird how happy it made him that his family seemed to like her almost as much as he did. Even weirder that he kept picturing her and their baby in the kitchen of his non-existent house.
“I’m all set.” Cam walked back to Logan, his papers in his hand. “You got that look on your face, bro.”
“What look?” Logan asked, his brows knitting.
“The one where you’re making plans. I know it too well.”
Logan ran his finger along the line of his jaw. “Do you think Tanner will do some house hunting for me?” he asked.
Cam smiled. “He’s already doing it. You should have a shortlist this week.”
It was impossible not to laugh at his brother’s shit-eating grin. Logan shook his head. “I should have known.”
“Yep you should’ve. And be thankful I persuaded Gray not to build another house on his own land. I figured you’d like a little privacy from our damn family now and again.” Cam shrugged. “Though I’m hoping to use your place when I visit.”
“Mi casa es su casa, bro. You know that,” Logan told him. They’d reached the line for security. The fast-track was empty, a man standing in front of the exclusive cordon. “I guess this is where we say goodbye.”
“Take it easy.” Cam hugged him. “And I’ll see you at the restaurant opening, if not before.”
“Yeah, you sure will.” Logan gave his brother a grin. “Kick some ass on the field tomorrow.”
“I’m planning on it.” Cam lifted his hand in a wave, then turned and walked toward the security gate. Logan watched him for a moment, then turned to walk back to the parking lot where he’d left the SUV.
His head was full of house buying, babies, and opening his restaurant. Not to mention a certain farm girl with a wicked smile that made him want to be inside of her all the damn time.
He had a lot to think about.
“Whoa, who knew babies needed so many things?” Courtney asked, staring at the app on her phone. She and Maddie had been wandering around the baby store at the mall outside of Maple Cross, adding things to the registry Courtney had created. “Will I really use a wipe warmer? Isn’t that setting the poor kid’s expectations too high?”
Maddie laughed. “When I was pregnant, Gray insisted on buying this amazing baby bath. It has lights and jets and all these things that nobody needs. The first time we used it, Presley cried so much I promised him I’d never
