Chapter Twenty-Two
T he shock was overwhelming and I couldn’t tell you how much time passed before I moved again. When reality sunk in, I rushed across the room, throwing my arms around Logan in a hug so fierce I knocked the air out of my own lungs.
His arms came around me as well and he let out the breath he’d been holding. “I was so scared how you would react.”
“What do you mean? This is wonderful! I had no idea. I thought Riley passed away in the car accident with her mother.”
“Exactly, I… I lied to you last night.”
“That is ridiculous, you didn’t lie to me.”
“Maybe, but I didn’t tell you the truth either. I could have many times. I just… I don’t know. I wasn’t able to find the words. Riley… has been in a coma since the night of the accident.”
I pressed my cheek to his chest and hugged him tight again, my emotions racing. I was so happy to find out Logan still had his little girl but then my heart broke for him all over again, knowing he’d gone through years of only having her while she was asleep.
“Stop.” I brushed a tear away. “You didn’t lie. You kept a part of yourself where you have been for years; hiding your pain and guilt and carrying the weight of it alone. I don’t think this is about being truthful. I think it’s about being ready to open yourself up to let others in, maybe to help you heal and carry a little of the pain and heartache with you.” I looked back at Riley in awe. “Thank you for trusting me with this.”
Logan squeezed me against him. “Thank you for not being angry with me.”
I shook my head sadly. “I know who did a serious number on you, Logan.” I stuck my finger against his chest. “Forgive the bastard.”
I felt the tension in his body dissolving. “Would you like to meet my daughter?”
I swallowed my emotions. “I would love to.”
We sat in a pair of chairs beside the bed and Logan picked up Riley’s hand.
“Hi, baby girl,” he said softly. “I brought my friend Madison to meet you today. She is really nice; I think you would like her a lot.”
It felt surreal speaking to the girl for the first time. “I’m so happy to meet you, Riley.”
I listened to Logan’s soothing voice as he kept talking; telling his unconscious child little details about things that had happened since he last visited .
He told her about having dinner at Tides, that he missed watching her try to crack her crab legs and making a buttery mess, and that they still had the tea and orange ice cream she loved.
He talked about a surfing lesson that morning and how he hoped someday he could teach her.
When he ran out of things to say Logan asked Riley what story she would like to hear. He reached around to the bookcase, picking a Winnie the Pooh tale.
“She loved her bedtime story. I tried to get home most nights to tuck her in and read with her.” He opened the book and looked at me. “You don’t mind?”
“Of course not.”
As I listened to Logan read, I thought about the times I’d seen him look at his watch and then rush off to do something in the early afternoon. He hadn’t been taking off for something related to business at the cafe or shop, or to fix something at the condos. Logan was dropping everything to come to the hospital to talk and read to his little girl. Making sure that if she could hear his voice, she knew she was loved and not forgotten, not alone.
It blew my mind that he thought he’d let this child down. Based on what little information I had, I knew Logan had always been an amazing father.
I was a bit wonderstruck by him for multiple reasons.
He was such a good-hearted person. He came here and spent time with lonely souls whose faces lit up when he walked in. I’d seen their pained bodies and minds temporarily forgotten as he’d visited with them. He was someone carrying a mountain of pain on his shoulders, choosing to help take a little off theirs for a while.
I watched the beautiful man, inside and out, while he softly read about the Hundred Acre Woods, and felt lucky he’d allowed me into his world.
Logan glanced over at me as he turned another page and smiled. As he continued reading, the one I’d given him in return faded as I chewed my lip. Completely falling for him would be so easy.
Logan finished the story and leaned down to kiss Riley’s temple. “Sleep well, baby girl. I’ll see you tomorrow. I love you.”
I stood and walked to the doorway as he put the book away before joining me. I glanced back at the sleeping child over my shoulder before I left the room. “Goodbye, Riley. I hope I can visit you again soon.”
We were quiet, in our thoughts, as we made our way back down the hall. Passing the nurse’s station, the group of ladies saw us and called out greetings to Logan. One noticed our joined hands and casually pointed at them. I saw eyes widen and the women started talking in hushed tones among themselves as we continued to the elevators.
I recognized one of the nurses. She was the woman Logan had stopped to talk to when he ran into her at Tides. Suddenly, the uneasy look he’d given me at the restaurant made complete sense .
I pulled my hand from his and rubbed my arm, feeling guilty. “I just realized we might be turning this whole wing of the hospital into a bunch of gossips considering everyone knows you so well. Maybe we should cool it a little?”
Logan pulled me into his arms for a kiss, still in full view of the nurse’s station then smiled at my blushing cheeks. “I already know you’re completely worth any whispers, Crash.”
When we were back in the car, I started asking questions about Riley.
Logan told me she suffered a severe head injury in the wreck. She stabilized, but while her bruises faded and the swelling in her head went down, she still didn’t wake. Her brain activity was completely normal so as weeks passed, it was determined Riley was deep in a coma.
Logan first moved her to a hospital in Chicago where dozens of specialists were available. None had found a reason for or solution to her comatose state.
After six months, Logan had lost patience with the doctors and his family smothering him out of concern. He quit his family’s law firm, transferred Riley to the hospital here, and shut himself away. He’d done little more than the bare minimum to survive and waited for her to wake up for another six months. Eventually, he’d had to accept what was happening .
As far as Riley’s prognosis, not much had changed. Her brain activity continued to be monitored as normal. She was treated to physical therapy daily to keep her muscles active and had around-the-clock monitoring and care.
Logan paused his narrative and his brow furrowed.
“The last few months, her doctor has had concerns over some of her organ functions. Nothing too serious, but her heart rate and blood pressure keep going up without a clear reason why and some of her blood work numbers have been off. They are keeping a close eye on the changes, trying to figure out what is happening.”
I tried to hide my worry when he glanced at me. “I hope they fix whatever it is quickly.”
“I won’t stop until they do.”
Logan reached over and put his hand on top of mine where it rested on my thigh. I smiled out the window as we drove back into Ormond.
“I owe you a dose of happiness after springing what I did on you today. Do you need to go back and work or are you free to do something more fun with me?” he asked.
I did have work I needed to catch up on considering I’d unexpectedly spent a big chunk of yesterday with him and now this afternoon.
I was also behind schedule on finishing my uncle’s room before his new furniture arrived tomorrow afternoon. It could wait a few more hours though …
I turned my hand over to squeeze his fingers happily. “What did you have in mind?”
Logan pulled up to a stop light and his mouth spread into a sensual grin as he looked over at me. His eyes traced a path down me, my skin heating up everywhere they touched.
“All I can think about is wanting you back in my bed. Naked and underneath me.” His velvety tone about had me melting into the leather seat.
He pulled his fingers from mine and curved them over my thigh possessively.
“I’ll let you decide if we do that first… or last.”
I almost didn’t recognize my voice, dripping with desire, as I held his intense stare and responded without hesitation, confident Logan would be happy with my choice.
“Let’s do both.”