31. Logan
logan
Hopping out of my truck, I run my hand through my hair and put my hat back on, checking in the side mirror for any stray hairs.
It’s opening night for Lue’s play, and I was picking up Thea now.
The last time I saw Thea, she and I had admitted our true feelings for each other. Other than a couple of phone calls and some texts, we haven’t had a single moment alone.
I knew that she was at the school a few hours ago, helping Lue with her hair and makeup for the play. The thought that she went out of her way again to take care of something important to my daughter makes my chest ache with happiness. It wasn’t hard for anyone to see that Thea loved her.
I head up her stairs, taking a breath on the landing before her door before I knock on it. I hear some shuffling on the other side of the door and smile at the curse I hear.
Swinging the door open, she smiles broadly at me, and I can’t hold myself back. Stepping into her space, I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her to me, tipping my head just so to avoid hitting her with my hat and taking her lips with my own.
I barely hold back a moan at the feel of her soft lips under mine. Her hands raise to my shoulders, and I feel her fingers go to their favorite spot, curling into my hair at the nape of my neck.
I’ll never be allowed to get my hair buzzed.
After a moment, we part, and she spins before I’ve fully taken her in, rushing back toward her bedroom.
“I’m almost ready! Make yourself at home. There’s that beer you like in the fridge,” she calls behind her, making me smile.
I’ve only been to her place a handful of times, we usually convene at mine, but I take the few precious minutes I have alone to snoop.
Unfortunately, she’s a sparse decorator, with no pictures on the walls or even small frames on her coffee table. Which I was told Ophelia bought for her while she was staying here.
I was bummed to hear that her sister left, it was much more comforting to know that Thea wasn’t here alone. The thought of that asshole taking advantage of that made me see red.
I head back toward the door, noting her mail there on a small table along with her keys. I’m about to call out to her when a letter catches my eye. My body tenses as I see the return address is the prison where her ex is.
It’s already open, and I know I shouldn’t do it, but I snatch it up and open the letter before my conscience can stop me.
I read through it quickly—it’s pretty straightforward.
I’m still looking it over when Thea and all her gorgeous self enters the room. She pauses, giving me a happy twirl .
I allow myself to look her over and grin at her. “Absolutely beautiful.”
She walks toward me then, her eyes snagging on the letter, and her smile immediately drops. Slowly, she takes it from me.
“He’s going to get it.”
“Why do you say that?” I ask, referencing the letter that says her ex is up for parole.
“Gut feeling, mostly.” She shrugs, slapping the letter back onto the table. There’s no anger in her words, more like dejection. “Not enough sustainable evidence, his lawyer found proof of tampering. They’re manipulating it somehow.”
“They can’t just let him out.”
“No.” She shakes her head, her hair falling over her shoulders. “But I know his people. I know what lengths they’ll take for one of their own.”
“You said you saw it happen?”
For a moment, her eyes glaze over. “Yeah.” She blinks, and whatever memory she was recalling is gone. Looking back at me, she gives a forced smile. “That’s a story for another time. Ready to go?”
I bite my tongue, my eyes straying to the letter again. “No.”
“No? What do you need?”
“I need you to pack.”
Surprise flashes across her face, and she lifts a confused eyebrow. “Pack? Pack what?”
“Anything you need to live with me comfortably for the next few weeks.” At a minimum, I think.
“Logan.” Her voice sounds tired and worn out, like she’s just living with the fact that some guy is allowed—still—to have this hold over her. “I don’t need to live with you. I’ll be fine.”
But under the edge of her bravado is fear. I can see it plain as day. Knowing she doesn’t want to be called out on it, I shrug my shoulders.
“I have a guest room.” Though I’d rather you be in my bed . “And I won’t be able to rest easy knowing you’re here, and I’m there where I can’t protect you.”
Her eyes drop, but I grip her chin lightly, making her look up at me. “I know what you’re thinking?—”
“It’s not your job to protect me.”
I nod, still holding her chin. “That’s where you’re wrong. I know you may not like it, but you’re my wife. It is my job to protect you.”
“Logan,” she sighs, reaching out and grabbing my hand. “I don’t like being taken care of, not exclusively. When is it going to be my turn to take care of you?”
Leaning forward, I press a kiss to her lips, wishing we could stay here and savor this all night. “You already do.”
I didn’t come tonight thinking I would be so mesmerized by a play. I’ve seen a few since Lue started showing interest, and she makes me watch anything recorded and put on TV.
But maybe it wasn’t just the play but watching my girl up there on stage absolutely killing it.
I lean forward, my elbows resting on my knees. Mom sits on one side of me while Thea sits on the other, and I let myself become fully immersed in what’s unfolding on stage.
I knew Lue was going to be good, that she would blow the rest of the cast out of the water—not that I’m biased—but my daughter completely transformed into her character, and it was a sight to see .
The whole town was here tonight, and that made me even more thrilled for her.
My mom and brothers are here, even Mitch, who will barely speak to me even though I’ve tried. He’s not in much mood to talk unless it’s to Lue, and I doubt she’s asking the tough questions.
Then again, knowing my daughter, she very well may ask them.
CT and Dani came, Cal was here, and Graham and Quinn and their kids, too. Though I’d seen Quinn leave with the baby a couple of times.
It felt amazing to have this kind of support, and when I looked to the back, sitting near the doors, were Thea’s sisters.
Showing up for family, that’s what you did. And if her sisters were here for my daughter like this…
I’m fully immersed in the scene in front of me, Lue in all her beauty as Helena, standing there arguing with one boy from her school who plays Demetrius.
The director of this play, Mrs. Beaumont, had offered to dull down some of Lue’s lines to make them slightly more fit for an almost fifteen-year-old. I’d run it across with Lue, and she had begged me to leave it as it was, saying changing Shakespeare was blasphemy.
So I relented slightly.
Lue was so passionate on stage with her monologue with this kid that I didn’t even realize what they were talking about for a moment. I sit up straighter, mumbling “Damn” under my breath, and Thea’s hand comes over to rest on my knee.
Both Thea and I have run lines with Lue so many times that I nearly knew the dialogue myself, but seeing her on stage, arguing with that boy, seeing her passion and strength in her character, it blew me away.
Lue’s eyes are glistening with unshed tears, and my hand curls into a fist at the blasé manner the boy on stage has.
He stalks off, and Lue is left to look out over the audience, her hands wringing together and her emotions on the edge.
She continues her dialogue then. “We cannot fight for love as men may do. We should be wooed, and we’re not made to woo.
I’ll follow thee and make a heaven of hell, to die upon the hand I.
” Lue takes a beat, swallowing against her emotions, and a new determination comes over her features. “I love so well.”
Then, she’s off the stage, and it moves onto another scene.
“You were amazing!” I scoop my daughter into my arms, spinning her around for a minute before setting her back on her feet.
“Thanks, Dad,” she says, almost shyly. But just like my daughter, her shyness fades as fast as it comes. “I can’t believe the first show is over.”
I hold out the flowers I got for her, and she takes them, thanking me before looking behind me. “Where’s Thea?”
“She’s waiting for you whenever you’re ready. She wanted to give you a minute.”
Lue frowns like she doesn’t understand this concept, though I know my daughter fully understands what I mean.
“She should be back here with us. She helped me get ready. Plus.” Lue shrugs. “She’s like family.”
I bite my lip and nod my head. I wasn’t planning to bring this up right now, but she was leading me toward the conversation so naturally that I’d be a fool not to take the offer.
“Speaking of that,” I start, wondering how I should really go about this. “Thea’s apartment is having issues.”
“Issues?” Lue smiles at a castmate as they walk by. “What kind of issues?”
“Issues that need her out of her apartment to fix them,”
“Oh.” She looks at me with a shrug. “Is she gonna stay at our house then for a few days?”
I sigh in relief, wondering why I’d gotten myself all worked up when my very loving and generous daughter is offering up the solution without question.
“Would you be okay with that?”
Lue eyes me in confusion. “It’s just Thea, Dad. What’s the big deal?”
I laugh at her answer and nod my head. “Okay then, it’s settled.”
“Okay.” Lue looks at me like I’m being embarrassing, and I’m realizing for the first time that we may just be entering into embarrassing territory for her.
She was about to turn fifteen, we were going to have to start doing driving lessons, and she was probably becoming interested in…boys.
I shudder but keep it to myself.
“I’ll go change and then come out front,” she says, dashing off to do just that.
I make my way back to Thea, and she notices the uncomfortable look on my face. Her own expression shows concern, and she makes her way to me, grabbing one of my hands, her other clutching the bouquet of roses she got for Lue .
“What’s wrong? Is she okay?” Her concern nearly guts me, she really loves my daughter.
“My daughter is becoming a woman.”
Thea’s eyes widen, and she looks back to where I just came from. “Oh no, does she need help?”
I frown at her. “What?”
Thea looks back at me in confusion. “You said she’s becoming a woman…” The words trail off with an unasked question.
“She said you should stay with us, and she’s going to start driving soon. Also, boys are going to start asking her out, and I don’t know if I can handle that at all.”
Thea blinks. “I’m so confused right now.”
“She’s…growing up.” My throat, damn it, starts to clog with unwanted tears and emotion.
“Oh honey,” Thea says consolingly. She pulls me into her arms, and I let her, then she whispers in my ear, “So, she didn’t start her period, right?”
I rip away from her, horror threatening to seize me. “Dorothy!” I scold under my breath. “No!” Oh god, that was coming…
“Well.” Thea shrugs. “That’s what becoming a woman means, Logan.”
I rest my hand on my knees and breathe. Thea lays her hand on my back and just rubs it until I can breathe again.
I’m not sure I can handle this.