24- Do I look different?

But the need to keep him close went deeper than a simple attraction. Maybe it was the life or death situation she’d been through that had bonded them together. He’d certainly been wild eyed enough when he came into the back yard earlier. Almost like he’d seen a ghost.

It had been somewhat flattering, his freaking out over her not answering her phone. After the cold shoulder she’d gotten, any sort of attention felt nice.

The front door opened, and Charlie hustled into the coffee shop, putting her musings to an abrupt end. Bustling over, he gave her a firm hug.

“Look at you.” He took a step back to study her.

“Do I look different?”

“You’re tanner. Thinner.” He frowned. “Not in a good way. They don’t have carbs in Europe and Asia?”

“Trust me,” she laughed. “They have plenty, and I tried them all. This is just what walking and biking everywhere in place of sitting at a desk all day does to me.”

“Well, you look happy.” He took the seat across from her.

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

She fingered the corner of her lips, looking for a smile she might have missed.

“You look the same,” she decided.

At five eight, Charlie stood about an inch shorter than her. While she was lanky and with black hair, he had always been stockier and sporting light brown locks. They’d received very different genes.

“I don’t know where to start,” he said. “I have a ton of questions about your trip, but you said you have something important to tell me. Are you okay?”

“You asked me that already, and yes. I’m okay.”

She pressed the tip of her tongue against her teeth. Shit. She really should have rehearsed this. Now that they sat across from each other, she had no clue how to bring up Logan, Bryce, or the trafficking ring.

Best to start with Bryce, she decided. He was the target. She could bring Logan into the story as the hero.

Even if he was more an antihero.

Before she could say a word, Charlie’s phone started ringing.

“Sorry. I’ll silence it.” He pulled it from his back pocket but paused when he read the screen. “It’s Mom.”

“O-kay.”

Why was that a big deal?

“She already called me on my way here,” he said. “And I didn’t answer. Maybe I should.”

“Okay,” Terri repeated.

“Hey, Mom,” he answered. “I’m here with Terri.” He blinked, listening to whatever her response was. “Oh.”

The way both his voice and face fell sent Terri on high alert.

“What is it?” she demanded.

Her brother acted like he didn’t hear her. Or maybe he really didn’t.

“Right,” he said. “I’m going to come out there today… I can make time. It’s fine… I don’t know…” His gaze slid to Terri. “I’ll ask her. Anyway, I’ll leave within the hour. See you soon. Try and rest, okay?”

The second he hung up, Terri launched questions across the table.

“What’s up? Is something the matter? Why are you going to Girard?”

“Dad had an accident,” he sighed. “He fell off a ladder. He’s not seriously injured, but he could be in the hospital for up to a week.”

“Oh my God,” she gasped. “That sounds serious.”

“Well, Mom insists it’s not.” His lips pulled into a grim line.

“Of course she made it sound like it’s no big deal. She’s that way with everything. You’re going out there? I am, too.”

“Are you sure? We both don’t need to go.”

“Yes, I’m sure.”

He stood from the table. “Don’t you have settling in to do?”

“I have nothing to do.” She stood as well, making sure to grab her tea. “I’m coming.”

“We can ride together, if you want. I’m just going to get home and… Oh, wait.” His face pinched. “I can’t leave right away. I have this meeting, and I—”

“It’s okay.” She waved her hand. “I’ll go now. You get there when you can.”

“Thanks. See you there soon.” He gave her a quick hug. “Hold on. What’s the important thing you had to tell me?”

“It’s…” She bit her tongue. “You know, it can wait till tonight or tomorrow. Let’s make sure Mom and Dad are good first.”

“Sure,” he said, though she noticed his gaze lingering on her for an extra beat.

They went separate ways outside the coffee shop, thank goodness. That meant no risk of Charlie seeing her get into a car with Logan.

As she walked down the block, Terri noticed her hands shaking. Her mom was notorious for downplaying situations. It was just the tough Midwesterner in her.

Which meant it was hard to say how Dad really was. And she wouldn’t have called if…

Terri bit her lip. She wasn’t exactly close with her parents. It had always seemed like Charlie was their favorite child. After he left for college, the emptiness had been palpable.

But she knew her parents loved her, even if it wasn’t in the way she would choose to love a child. So she cared. And she was going to Girard. The whole Bryce matter would need to be put on hold.

“That was quick,” Logan said as she got into the car.

She drew a deep breath.

“Hey.” He turned in his seat to face her. “What’s wrong? What happened?”

“We barely got a chance to… to talk. I didn’t get to mention you or…”

How long had his hand been on her shoulder for? Or what was that flickering in his eyes? Concern? It seemed more than that.

She closed her eyes. She was imagining things again.

“Did you see someone?” Logan asked. “Or Bryce?”

Right. That’s what his worry was about. Bryce.

“No.” She opened her eyes. His hand was still on her shoulder, but the touch didn’t seem that significant anymore.

“What happened?” he pressed.

“Charlie got a call. Our dad took a spill from a ladder and is in the hospital. We’re both going out there today.”

She stared at him, daring him to tell her she couldn’t leave Chicago.

“I’m sorry.” He finally removed his hand. “How bad is he hurt?”

“It’s uncertain. My mom isn’t the most upfront about things, but if she’s calling then this doesn’t mean it’s a light situation.” She pinned him with another hard look. “I need to go.”

“Of course.” He nodded.

She cocked her head. “Really? You’re not going to argue and say I have to stay in Chicago, under your watchful eye?”

His lips twisted. “Well…”

“If you say that, I might…” She bit her lip to stop herself from finishing.

If she let herself become aggressive she could lose all control and just let him have it. She certainly had enough resentment built up.

“Here’s an idea. What if I came with you?”

She let that sink in. It was really hard—no, impossible—to imagine Logan in Girard. He’d be a spectacle with his ten-thousand-dollar outfits and commanding attitude.

“Why would you want to come with?” she asked.

“We said we were staying together through this. It’s safer that way.”

“My parents’ house doesn’t have a high-tech security system like yours. If you’re worried about Bryce—”

“I’m worried about you. If something happened to you, I wouldn’t survive it.”

She opened her mouth, only to find she’d been knocked speechless.

Logan turned red. “I mean…” He turned to look through the front window. The car was on, air-conditioning blowing, but they still sat in the parking spot.

“If you don’t want me to come,” he said in a quieter voice, “I won’t. But I do think we should be together. No matter where we are. And if we’re taking back roads, it will be easy to tell if we’re being followed. So there’s that.”

“Okay. Come with. I mean, please.” She made a face. Why was this conversation so damn hard?

“When do we need to leave?”

“As soon as possible,” she said, surprised he was being so agreeable. “Are you not busy?”

“I can work remotely, and I can make the time.”

“Okay.” She relaxed into her seat and buckled up.

It felt a bit like she should thank him, but that would be odd. He wasn’t coming with her as a friend offering support during a difficult time. He was making sure she didn’t get killed and leave him without a witness to help take Bryce down.

Right?

Because what was that part where he said, ‘If something happened to you, I wouldn’t survive it’?

Either Logan was an expert at sending mixed signals, or she had more of an overactive imagination than she’d ever thought possible.