Logan Read online

His eyes narrowed slightly, but his smile never wavered. “True, but I like to think of this place as always being popular. The restaurant is just a perk.”

  “And the gift shop?” she asked with just a hint of sass.

  He slid the first two drinks her way. “Just good business. Why just come in and enjoy a drink when you can take a little something home to enjoy later?”

  And damn if she couldn’t take that more than one way.

  Clearing her throat, she knew she was blushing so she took a moment to turn away and compose herself while he finished making drinks. Once everything was on her tray, she thanked him and walked away–making sure she put a little extra sway in her hips just in case he was watching.

  Ugh…what am I doing?

  It was really quite busy for a Wednesday night and Piper had several more opportunities to interact with Logan. With each appearance at the bar, they talked a little more, but it was obvious he still had no idea who she was–a point that was becoming more and more humorous with each interaction.

  “So…how long have you lived in King Harbor?” he asked after her fourth trip to the bar.

  “Longer than you, Ace,” she said with a grin and a wave as she walked away.

  At her next turn at the bar, he leaned in before taking her order. “Now that’s not possible, beautiful,” he said smoothly. “The Blackthornes have been here almost since the beginning of this town’s existence. And believe me, I know everyone in King Harbor.” Then he turned and made the two drinks she needed before placing them triumphantly on her tray.

  “Clearly you don’t know as much as you think. But it’s cute how you pretend to.”

  Okay, that one was a little on the snarky side, but she heard his deep, husky laugh as she walked away and considered it a small victory–and a lot of fun.

  As the night wore on, he got a little bolder in trying to figure out who she was, and in return, Piper grew sassier.

  “Now if you’ve lived here all your life,” he began at one point, “where’ve you been all of mine?” And there was that smile again, but it was amusing her more than it was making her knees weak.

  “That was pretty cheesy, Ace,” she said, placing drinks on her tray. “I would have thought you’d be a little smoother with the lines the older you got.” With a wink, she made her way through the crowd and back to serving.

  As the night began to wind down and the crowd began to thin, Piper was a little surprised to see just late how it was and realized she’d never even taken a break. The time had flown by and rather than feeling tired or ready to leave, she felt a little invigorated. It had been a great night–not only because of the bantering with Logan, but all of her customers were super sweet.

  And the tips were fantastic!

  As she cleared off her last table, the place was almost empty. Everyone was scurrying around cleaning up and maybe it was just her imagination, but it felt like Logan was watching her. Turning fully toward him, she lifted her heavy tray and made her way back toward the bar. As soon as she placed it down, Logan slid another tray toward her–one that was filled with food.

  “Um…”

  “You didn’t take a break all night,” he said with a smile.

  She shrugged. “Not a big deal. It was busy.” Looking down at the food, she saw a couple of crab cakes, an order of fries, a bottle of water, and a brownie. She looked at him and smiled. “I didn’t realize brownies were on the menu.”

  He shrugged. “Charles’s wife always makes them for me because she knows I’ve got a sweet tooth. I figured I could share.”

  And how freaking adorable was that?

  “Why don’t you sit and relax and I’ll take the dirty dishes back to the kitchen?” he said, already in motion.

  “You really didn’t have to do this. I just planned on making a sandwich when I got home.”

  “Now you won’t have to.” This time he was the one to wink before walking away to the kitchen.

  Piper took a minute to get comfortable at the bar and contemplated taking the food over to one of the tables. “I’m too hungry to move,” she murmured and took her first bite of crab cake. There was nothing like seafood in Maine. She’d lived in the mountains of Virginia while away at college and missed having fresh fish. “Damn, that’s good.” She was finishing the first crab cake when Logan stepped back out of the kitchen.

  “How is it?” he asked, grabbing a rag to wipe down the bar.

  “Fantastic. Seriously, the best I’ve ever tasted.”

  “Well, that’s the perk of living near the water.”

  “I know. There’s nothing like it. I just didn’t realize the menu here was so extensive or that the food was so good.”

  He nodded. “Surprised you don’t know that considering you’ve lived here your whole life.”

  Ah, so he was back to fishing. Taking another few bites of her meal, she reached for the bottled water and twisted the cap off. “I haven’t lived here full time in years. I’m just back visiting family for a little while.”

  His eyes narrowed and she thought for sure he would recognize her now.

  “So your family still lives here?”

  Okay, maybe not.

  “Yup!” She took a long drink of her water before returning her attention to her meal. There was no way to look attractive while eating french fries so she gave up and opted to just be herself.

  Salty fingers and all.

  “So how long have you…”

  “Hey, Piper,” Charles said as he approached them. “Will you be able to work this same shift tomorrow?”

  She nodded and glanced toward Logan who looked mildly perplexed. “Piper,” he repeated softly.

  “Absolutely, Charles,” she replied. “My schedule is wide open so you tell me what shifts you need filled and I’ll put them on my calendar.”

  “You’re the best, Piper. Your timing for coming home couldn’t have been better!” Charles said as he looked down at the tablet in his hands.

  “Piper,” Logan said again and this time both Piper and Charles looked at him.

  “Is there a problem?” Charles asked.

  Logan looked at him, then at Piper, and then back again. “Um…”

  She was fighting the urge to laugh so she put her focus on Charles instead. “I’ll just jot down the shifts on my order pad and transfer it to my phone later. So what have you got?”

  It turned out she would be working the next four nights in a row. She wasn’t complaining, but she hoped she was up for the late-night hours and being on her feet for so long. Working on game design had her sitting at a desk all day and all night, so this was going to be a bit of a challenge for her.

  “Got it, Charles,” she said, reaching for the brownie.

  “Oh Logan, you gave Piper one of your brownies. I know Marie will be pleased. She always sends a plate of them to Connor too.”

  And that’s when the lightbulb went on.

  Logan’s eyes went wide. “Piper?”

  Frowning, Charles looked at her. “Why does he keep saying your name?”

  “I think…”

  “Oh, my God. As in Connor Stewart’s daughter?” Logan blurted out.

  With a grin, she said, “The one and only!”

  Holy. Crap.

  How was it possible that the woman he had been essentially flirting with all night was little Piper Stewart? Hell, he remembered her as a kid–even as a teenager! But the woman sitting at the bar did not resemble the girl he remembered.

  And you’ve been hitting on her all night, jackass!

  Someone called out for Charles and he excused himself, leaving Logan and Piper alone.

  “So…uh…how’ve you been?” he asked and was surprised when she started to laugh. “What? What’s so funny?”

  “All night you’ve been Mr. Smooth and Suave, and now you sound all awkward and prim,” she said, her dark eyes twinkling with amusement.

  “Yeah, well…I kind of feel like a jerk because I didn’t realize who you were sooner.”<
br />
  She shrugged and took another sip of her drink before responding. “I’ll admit, I thought it was kind of funny. I was wondering how long it was going to take.”

  “If you had just told me your name sooner…”

  “And miss out on all this fun?” she teased. “No way! Bantering with you and watching you try to figure it all out was one of the highlights of my night.”

  There was a part of him that felt like he should be offended, but looking at the sassy smile on her face had him pushing it aside. “Fine, you’ve had your fun,” he said, trying to sound wounded. “And now that we’ve established how we know each other, catch me up on what’s been going on with you. You know, other than the fact that you’re back in town visiting your father.” He paused. “How long are you here for?”

  “Honestly, I’m not sure,” she said before taking a bite of the brownie. There was a small dollop of chocolate on the corner of her mouth that made him want to reach out and gently wipe it away, but he figured it would be a little bold.

  And possibly creepy.

  “I’m sort of on the fence about what I’m going to do next,” she explained. “I just finished getting my master’s in game design back in May and now I’m looking at job offers and trying to figure out where I want to go.”

  “Game design?” Leaning against the bar, he studied her. “That…that wasn’t something I would have expected.”

  “Why?” She sounded a little defensive.

  He shrugged and straightened. “No offense, but…”

  “But…?”

  “I don’t know. I just always thought it was kind of…you know…a guy thing.”

  Her gaze narrowed and she picked up a napkin to wipe her hands. “Are you saying women can’t design video games?”

  “Um…”

  “Because I am so tired of hearing that sort of thing! It’s not only a man’s field, Logan. Gah! So closed-minded! There are tons of talented women gamers and designers and while, yes, there are a lot more men working in the field, there are also plenty of women. And let me tell you, we kick ass at every component!”

  He held up his hands in surrender because clearly this was a sensitive subject for her and he hated how he’d put his foot in his mouth. “Honestly, I had no idea. It’s not something I ever gave much thought to. I just assumed it was more of a guy thing.”

  “Yeah, well…you assumed wrong.”

  “Clearly.” He was silent for a moment and watched as she finished off the brownie and then the water while doing her best not to look at him. “I really am sorry, Piper. I didn’t mean to offend you and I’d love to know more about what you do. I’ve never met anyone who worked in the gaming industry.”

  She finished her meal and slid the tray back in his direction. “Thank you for dinner, but…I should finish up. It’s late.”

  Logan glanced around the room and saw how the place was already cleaned up and he had noticed a few of the employees leaving while Piper was eating. There wasn’t anything left for her to do and he really did want to keep talking to her.

  She hopped down from the barstool and was about to walk away when he stepped out from behind the bar and stopped her. “Look, there’s nothing for you to do here tonight. It’s already done. Almost everyone’s gone already, so…”

  “So…?” she prompted and he could see she was a little less hostile than she’d been a minute ago.

  He took another moment to study her and now that he was standing right in front of her, he noticed she was easily six inches shorter than him. Her dark hair was pulled back, but he knew when it was down, it would be long and wavy. It was crazy for him to have such a strong reaction to her–they’d known each other for most of their lives so…what gives?

  “Uh…Logan?”

  Oh, right. He was in the middle of asking her to stay and talk for a little longer.

  “I just thought it would be nice to sit and hang out and catch up. That’s all,” he finally said. “Plus, I really am curious about the whole gaming thing.”

  Her immediate response was to just stare at him and he wondered if he was being a little too forward. No, he was simply being neighborly and was curious about her life. As old friends, there wasn’t anything wrong with that, was there? And if she really didn’t want to–if she really wanted to go home–he wouldn’t stop her.

  “Have you tried any of the new Blackthorne cream? It’s a little like an Irish cream and tastes great in coffee. We’re just testing it right now, but I can make you a cup and you can check it out,” he suggested and then wanted to kick himself because clearly he wasn’t quite ready to let her leave.

  Her smile was slow and sweet. “Thanks, but…I’m really not an Irish cream kind of girl and it’s a little too late to have coffee. I’ll be up all night.”

  “And then we can catch up without you falling asleep,” he said smoothly, winking.

  Piper’s laugh was a little low, a little husky and a whole lot sexy. “Wow, you really are persistent, aren’t you?”

  He shrugged and tried to come off like he was being bashful. “Part of my charm.”

  She didn’t look even a little bit impressed.

  “Okay, so no coffee. Are you still hungry? We can whip up anything you’d like!” And yeah, he knew he was coming on a little strong but…

  “Logan,” she began, taking a small step back. “It’s been a really long day and I’m kind of beat. I’m sure we’ll be running into each other while I’m here in town. Plus, I’m working for you, so…yeah. We’ll definitely be seeing each other,” she corrected with a laugh. “But for tonight, I really need to get home.”

  The disappointment he felt was sharp and unfamiliar. It wasn’t like he always got his way but…it was rare that he didn’t. Just like it was rare for him to be this bothered.

  “Can I at least walk you to your car?” he asked, grasping at straws to find ways to keep talking with her.

  He caught the slight eye roll before she shook her head. “I’m sure you have things to do, Logan. Besides, I’m going to go in the back to grab my stuff from my locker and head out the back door. My car is parked right there. I appreciate the offer, but…I think I’ll be okay.”

  “Oh yeah?” he said as he fell in step with her as they walked to the employee break room. “Well, you haven’t been around in a while. Maybe King Harbor has become a hotbed of criminal activity. It could be dangerous for a beautiful woman to go walking around by herself. Even if it is just a short distance from the building to her car.”

  Piper stopped in her tracks and looked at him as if he were crazy. Crossing her arms over her chest, she asked, “Really? That’s what you’re going with?”

  “Well…”

  “I am sure the Blackthornes have state-of-the-art security cameras on all their properties. As a matter of fact, I noticed several of them when I parked earlier. Second, I know for a fact that King Harbor is one of the safest places in Maine, if not the country, to live.” She leaned in a bit closer. “There was an article on MSN about it.”

  “Oh.”

  “And considering I know everyone in this town, I greatly doubt I’m in any danger of anything happening to me. Plus, I’ve taken my fair share of self-defense classes so…I’m even more sure I’ll be fine. If a group of ninjas came out from behind the dumpster, I might have a problem. Other than that, I’m good.” And with a smile and a wave, she walked away.

  Well, she certainly told him.

  For a moment, he was a little too stunned to react. He watched her walk away and stayed where he was long after he heard the break room door close. Honestly, Logan had no idea how long he stood there–one minute? Five? It wasn’t until Charles came out and broke into his train of thought that he finally moved.

  He knew they talked about sales figures.

  And he knew they talked about orders Logan was going to have to call in tomorrow.

  He nodded when he needed to and asked all the pertinent questions since tomorrow was Charles’s first day of v
acation, but he couldn’t quite stop thinking about Piper.

  She had grown up to be a beautiful woman. And just from their conversations tonight, he knew she was intelligent and had a wicked sense of humor. What she was doing waiting tables here at the Vault was beyond him. He may not know a lot about the video game industry, but he knew it involved a lot of computer skills and coding and a crazy amount of talent. If she had a degree in it and was fielding job offers, why bother working part-time here? Why not just come home and visit with her father?

  “So if you call the restaurant supply company,” Charles was saying, “you can get more of the cloth napkins and tablecloths for the private dining room. I think we should have a separate stock just for that.”

  It took him a moment to grasp what they were talking about.

  “Oh, um…yeah. Put it on the list and I’ll make the call,” he said, pulling out one of the barstools and sitting down. “Can I ask you something?”

  Charles looked up from his tablet and smiled. “Sure.”

  “What’s the deal with Piper?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean…why is she working here? If she’s only home for a visit…”

  “Well, I don’t think she’s just home for a visit. She’s trying to figure out where she’s going to go–and this is just my opinion–but I think she’s struggling with all of it.”

  “In what way?”

  “She mentioned how a lot of the job offers would put her on the West Coast and she’s not sure she wants to be that far away from her father.”

  “Ah…”

  “Yeah. So I don’t think this is just a quick stop for her.”

  “How can you tell?”

  “I’ve known Piper almost her whole life. She and Connor are tight; they don’t have anyone but each other. If she decides to move to the other side of the country, it’s not going to be a decision she takes lightly.” He let out a long breath. “Poor kid. I imagine it’s causing her a lot of stress.”

  All Logan could do was nod. Honestly, he had no idea what that was like. He came from a big family–three brothers and his three cousins who came to live with them when their own parents passed away. To him, it always felt like they were all brothers. And as such, there was always someone there–always someone to talk to. He couldn’t imagine what his life would have been like as an only child.