His Surprise Return

Chapter 11

11

“ W hoa,” Samantha said as they walked into the community center.

“Whoa is right,” Erin said, rooted in her spot as she took in the scene.

The fundraiser was that night, and the inside of the building had been transformed for that evening’s event. The large multi-purpose room had tables lining the walls, and each one was covered in delicious-looking desserts. In the center were more tables covered in red and white checkered tablecloths for the spaghetti dinner. Several people were sitting and eating while others walked around the room.

Erin saw many people she recognized and waved at someone from church as they walked by. This was a great turnout and Erin was happy that so many people had come to show their support for families who had gone through what she and her children had. She might not have had this support when she lost Jake, but it was great that something like this existed now.

“Are we going to buy a dessert?” Parker asked, his eyes were wide as saucers as he took it all in.

Erin laughed gently. “We’ll see. After we eat dinner, we’ll have to walk around the room and see what looks good.”

“It all looks good,” Logan said from behind her. “But nothing looks as delicious as your strawberry shortcake cheesecake.”

As promised, Logan had been the perfect kitchen assistant. He’d helped Erin with dishes and other mundane tasks as she made Jake’s favorite dessert. It was a three-layer cake. The top and bottom layers were lemon sponge cake, and the middle layer was strawberry cheesecake. Then it was covered in whipped cream frosting. It was the perfect dessert for summer, filled with all the flavors of the season.

Erin had poured all of her love into the dessert and had even debated keeping it—especially when Logan had jokingly suggested eating it as soon as she’d put the finishing touches on it. Seeing it on display next to the tables made her happy she hadn’t actually cut into it at home.

She turned to face him. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He smiled at her. “Jake would be really proud.”

Erin’s heart warmed at the thought of her late husband, and the feeling caught her off guard. She was used to the ache that came when someone mentioned Jake’s name. His death had been a painful loss, and rightfully so. They’d been married for almost ten years and had two children together. Before that, they were friends. Jake was a big part of her life for a long time, and it was right for her to grieve his loss.

The fondness she felt now was a welcome change from the weepiness she was used to experiencing with the mention of his name. She hoped that with time, she’d be able to dwell on the happy memories they’d shared, instead of the hole he left when he died. Embracing the way she felt now, she said, “Yeah, I think you’re right. Jake would be proud, but he’d probably also be jealous that someone else gets to eat it instead of him.”

Logan chuckled as they pushed through the crowd toward the ticket line for dinner. “I can’t imagine he has any complaints, now that he’s in the presence of Jesus. Your cake might be good, but it’s not that good.” He gave her a playful wink.

She liked how casually Logan mentioned Jake’s name, the way he reminded her that her husband was where he didn’t feel pain or sorrow anymore. She decided it would be okay for someone else to get to enjoy the cake after all.

When they reached the front of the line, they were greeted by a middle-aged woman from church. “How many tickets? ”

“Two adults, two children, please,” Logan said. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet.

“No, you don’t have to get it,” Erin said, reaching for her purse.

He shook his head. “You already made the cake. This is the least I can do.”

“You helped with the cake.” She raised her brows.

Logan laughed as he fished his wallet out of his back pocket and pulled out a few bills. “Hardly. You did all the hard stuff.”

Erin dropped her wallet back into her bag. “Fine, but if we get any desserts, I’m buying them.”

He looked like he wanted to argue, but he eventually nodded. “Deal.”

Erin reached down for Parker’s hand after they got their tickets and moved toward the tables in the center of the room. She craned her head to get a better view of the tables. “Do you see Aunt Betty?”

No sooner had she asked than she spotted the older woman. Aunt Betty had insisted on leaving early to beat the crowds. She waved her arms wildly in the air as they approached. “Hurry up. I’ve been saving this table while I waited for you to show up.”

This woman and her punctuality for saving seats. There were plenty of seats, but Aunt Betty insisted on saving this table, and even put a few fundraiser handouts on the table to hold their spots while they went and got their food.

They moved down the line of food together as volunteers loaded Styrofoam plates with pasta, tomato sauce, meatballs, and garlic bread. Logan helped hold Parker’s plate, so that there weren’t any spills. When they’d successfully loaded up, they went back to the table Aunt Betty had staked a claim to.

They enjoyed their meal, though it took a little longer than usual since people kept stopping by their table to greet them or tell Erin how delicious her cake looked. The compliments gave her the confidence boost she needed after the disaster with the wedding cake. Logan was right, one bad experience wasn’t a good reason to give up. She’d been putting one foot in front of the other for the past year, and she was finally beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Things were changing for the better, and she was thankful that she hadn’t given up.

Erin had just taken a huge bite when Ellis walked up to the table. He gave Logan’s back a hearty pat. “Everyone having a good time?”

Erin nodded as she quickly swallowed her bite. “This is amazing. Whoever organized this event did an amazing job.”

Ellis’s smile faltered. “Yeah, they sure did.”

“I was wondering if maybe you could help me connect with them?” Erin asked, setting her plastic fork down. “I would love to be involved with future events.”

“Weren’t you involved with tonight? I thought I saw your name on a lovely cake over there.” Ellis turned and pointed at one of the dessert-filled tables.

“Yes.” Erin wiped the content of her mouth with a napkin. “But I mean in a bigger capacity. I’d love to help with planning or decorating or ... ” She waved her hand in front of her. “Whatever they need.”

Ellis chuckled and gave Logan a look. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thanks.”

“In the meantime.” Ellis gave Logan’s back another smack. “I’d like to talk to this guy, if you don’t mind?”

“I guess so.” Erin looked over at Logan. They’d fallen back into a comfortable friendship during the last few weeks, but nothing so close that Ellis needed to ask her for permission to talk to Logan. Still, she was sad to see him go, and it reminded her of just how painful it would be when he left for good.

“Great.” Ellis stood back to give Logan room to get up.

Logan pushed his chair back and stood. “Why don’t you guys go check out all the desserts while I talk to Ellis?” He leaned down toward Samantha and Parker. “Pick me out something really good?” He smiled when they both nodded and turned his attention to Erin. “I’ll catch up in a bit.”

She watched the two men as they walked away. Seeing them together made Erin wish, not for the first time, that Logan would have taken the job at the Chamber. Part of her had thought that was the reason Logan had visited Ellis a couple of weeks ago—the visit when he’d found the flier—but he hadn’t said anything to her about taking the position, or about changing his mind about leaving Frostford.

It was confusing. And painful.

Their friendship was as strong as it had ever been. Erin looked forward to the nightly dinners around Aunt Betty’s dining room table, and Logan’s company as they cleaned up together afterward. He’d started helping with the kids when he wasn’t working on things around Aunt Betty’s house, or going off to meetings about it, presumably about permits.

As they rekindled their friendship, Erin began seeing Logan in a more romantic light. Her heart skipped when she saw him. She smiled more now than she had in a long time. Logan had started praying with her and the children before bed and had gotten Samantha to pray again.

There was no denying the shift. The idea of falling for someone new was both exciting and terrifying. Whenever she imagined anything more than friendship with Logan, Erin was also hit with guilt from the idea of betraying her husband. Not that Logan had ever tried to erase Jake’s memory or shoo him under the rug. In fact, he’d done the complete opposite. He asked about Jake, looked at family pictures from the last decade, and had always encouraged Erin to share memories. It was like he was trying to show Erin that there was room for both of them .

That was assuming Logan still looked at her that way. There were times when she thought Logan might still harbor feelings for her, but she worried she was seeing things that weren’t there. Maybe she imagined the way his gaze lingered on her when they were together or the way he seemed to work his schedule to spend more time together. He hadn’t said anything else about his feelings for her—not since the night he’d confessed his reasons for leaving. If he still loved her, he would have said something by now, wouldn’t he?

This was neither the time nor the place to sort through those thoughts. She forced herself to look away from Logan’s retreating form and smiled at her children. “What do you think? Should we go look at all the amazing desserts?”

“Yeah!” they both squealed in unison.

She smiled as she turned to Aunt Betty. “Would you care to join us?”

The older woman leaned back in her seat. “Oh, honey. I’m still too full to even think about dessert right now. Give me a few minutes, and I’ll find you.”

“Sure thing.” Erin gathered the plates from the table and tossed them in the trash. And then let her children lead the way as they explored each of the tables.

The way the fundraiser was set up gave people two ways to purchase desserts. There were the standard things you would see at a bake sale—cookies, brownies, and cupcakes. These could be purchased throughout the evening and enjoyed right away. Then there were bigger items—cakes, pies, cheesecakes. These were all part of a silent auction that would be ending soon. The highest bidder for each dessert would take them home at the end of the night.

“Look at this,” Parker said, pointing to a cupcake display. Each cupcake was topped with a picture of a man in a cape. Even though he hadn’t mentioned Rock Man for a couple of weeks, Parker still loved superheroes.

“Would you like one?” She waggled her brows at him.

He jumped up and down. “Yes.”

Erin had been careful with her money, but this was such a special fundraiser, she wanted her children to enjoy it. Plus, it was for a good cause. She paid for the cupcake, and they continued their perusal of the dessert tables. Samantha found some cake pops decorated like unicorns, and Erin bought one of those as well. Happy with their purchases, the children ran back to Aunt Betty’s table to show off and eat their desserts.

Erin continued to walk around the community center, looking at all the desserts. She hadn’t found anything for herself. Nothing jumped out at her for Logan either. When he returned from talking to Ellis, they could possibly do the rounds together and see if they could find the right thing.

While she waited for the silent auction to end, and for Logan to return, Erin decided to go look at the auction items. She was curious about how her cake was doing and really hoped that it sold for a lot of money. Even though she wouldn’t see a penny of that money, the idea of it blessing another family filled her with happiness.

Erin picked up the paper in front of the cake. On it was a description of the cake, with a dedication to Jake. She looked at the list of prices underneath. They went up in ten-dollar increments, and it was really getting up there.

The latest bid was from someone who only put their initial. W.

Erin’s heart skipped. She really wanted that W to stand for West, Logan West. How amazing would it be if he bought the cake, and they got to enjoy it after all? But it wouldn’t be right to ask that of Logan, and there were plenty of other names that started with W.

William, Walter, Wyatt, and Wesley all came to mind. She was sure there were plenty more if she were to sit down and really think about it. The odds of it being Logan were slim, but there was still a part of her that hoped maybe it would be.

She spent a few more minutes looking at the silent auction desserts, reading the dedications under the descriptions. Each name was a person who was loved and who had a battle with cancer. A battle they either won or lost. Each dessert was made with love, and Erin wiped the tears that slid down her cheeks .

As much as she wanted to continue looking at them, it was about time for her to go sit with her children as they enjoyed their desserts. She turned toward the tables and came face-to-face with Logan.

She put her hand out to stop from bumping into him. “There you are. I was wondering if Ellis was ever going to return you.”

“Hey.” He was breathless as he looked over his shoulder. “I need to tell you something. And I want you to promise you won’t be upset.”

Her smile fell. A feeling of dread settling in her stomach. “What’s going on?”

“I—”

The sound of feedback from a microphone blasted through the speakers. Erin put her fingers to her ears and Logan winced. He reached out to grab her hand, an apologetic look on his face. What was going on?

“Is this better?” Ellis’s voice boomed through the room.

Erin turned to see the man in question standing on the small stage. He held the microphone out in front of him, waiting to see if there would be any more feedback. When Ellis was satisfied that it was safe to speak, he continued, “Let’s get a round of applause for this wonderful evening.”

The room erupted into loud applause, and Erin pulled her hand from Logan’s to clap with everyone else. Logan’s arms remained at his sides, and his back stiffened as the light in the large room dimmed .

Erin’s attention went to Ellis, who now had a spotlight aimed in his direction. “As most of you know, I’m Ellis Wilson. I’m the president of the Frostford Chamber of Commerce, and as much as I’d like to take credit for this evening to give the Chamber a little free publicity, I’m sorry to say that this was not my idea.”

Erin’s gaze slid slowly from Ellis to Logan as her mind struggled to catch up with what was happening. Logan refused to look at her as Ellis’s voice continued over the speakers.

“The idea for this event actually came from someone else, someone most of you probably know ... or at least might remember.”

Erin knew the next words that came out of Ellis’s mouth before he spoke them. Logan finally looked at her. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

“Logan West!”

Logan had meant to tell Erin before tonight, but every time the opportunity came up, he’d been interrupted. Aunt Betty would walk into the room or Parker would need something or Mr. Humphrey stopped by to ask if people were letting their dogs poop in their yard, and if they should do anything about it.

There was always something that prevented him from letting Erin know that he’d organized the fundraiser, and the longer he’d gone without telling her, the more difficult it had become. It started to feel like a secret, something he never had intended it to be.

He’d known that he was running out of time, and thought he’d get a chance to tell her tonight. That was before Ellis had come by to talk to him. His new boss had wanted to fill Logan in on one of the buildings they were looking at for a new business. They were figuring out the zoning requirements, and it had been a challenge. Ellis had good news, but Logan wished he would have waited until after the fundraiser to talk about it.

Logan worried that Erin would feel betrayed by his lack of transparency and that his attempts at showing her that he cared would end up pushing her away. The idea of Erin being angry or embarrassed made him sick to his stomach.

“I’m sorry,” he said again as Ellis called his name from the stage. Logan wanted to tell her why he’d done it, along with other details she’d want to know, before he went up in front of everyone. Unfortunately, he was out of time.

He forced a smile on his face as he walked up onto the stage. Ellis pulled him into a hug before he handed him the microphone.

“Good evening. Thanks for coming out.” He paused, giving the crowd a chance to clap. “As Ellis said, my name is Logan West. I grew up here in Frostford, and I recognize many of your faces. There are also quite a few of you I don’t know, but I’m glad you’re here and I look forward to getting to know you better.”

There was a spotlight shining in his face, but Logan was still able to find Erin right away. She hadn’t moved from the spot where he’d just talked to her. He couldn’t get a good look at her face, but could tell she was watching him, her arms wrapped around her waist.

He took a deep breath. “As many of you know, I was inspired to put this fundraiser together as a way to honor the memory of my friend, Jake Carlisle.”

Logan did his best to smile in her direction, but was sure it came out more like a grimace as he worried about what Erin was thinking right now. He hadn’t prepared her for this. Hadn’t prepared her for the attention. Honestly, it was a miracle one of the many people who had stopped by their table while they ate didn’t say something.

Logan continued with his speech. “Jake was a great man. He was my best friend. From what I hear, he was a great husband and father too. I only wished I was here to see him fill those roles.” He held the mic down for a moment as he tried to collect himself. “It’s an honor to be back in Frostford and see the tremendous turnout and outpouring of love from this community. Thank you.”

Logan paused to allow the crowd to clap again. As they did, his palms began to sweat. He took turns holding the microphone in each of his hands so that he could wipe the opposite in the front of his pants .

“It was my hope to have very little overhead with this event. I went out on a limb and asked for a lot in a very short amount of time. But, boy, did you guys beat my expectations.” He swept his arm in front of him. “Everything from the use of this space to the spaghetti dinner and the desserts was donated. That means one-hundred percent of the money earned tonight will go to someone in need.”

He took a deep breath and forced his eyes to look out at the crowd, this time away from Erin. “You have eaten your hearts out tonight, and while we’re still waiting for those final bids to come in on our desserts, I’m happy to say we have raised a lot of money tonight. Money that will go to a very deserving family.” He paused. “The Carlisle family.”

The room erupted into more cheers, the loudest of the evening. As they applauded, Logan looked back at Erin. Her hands covered her mouth. Logan so badly wanted to know if she was smiling or crying beneath her hands. With the darkness of the room, he wasn’t able to see her eyes. He couldn’t wait to get back to her and see how she was doing—to know if she was okay.

“I’m so excited to see those final numbers and know the money will go to good use,” Logan said, turning to Ellis, who stood off to the side of the stage. “But I know y’all are probably more excited to see what you’re taking home tonight. So, without further ado, I’d like to ask my good friend Ellis to come back out and announce the winners of our desserts. ”

Logan handed the mic to Ellis without any fanfare and raced into the crowd. He was stopped by a few well-meaning people who wanted to ask how he was or to congratulate him on the evening. He tried to be cordial, but was constantly looking over their shoulders for Erin.

Ellis’s voice boomed over the speakers as he explained how to pay for and pick up desserts for those who bid the highest. Logan drowned his words out as he continued to search. He didn’t see Erin, but he found Aunt Betty and the children. He pushed through the crowd to them.

Aunt Betty pulled him into a hug. “Great job up there, sweetie.”

Logan gave her a squeeze before stepping back. His eyes did one more sweep of the room. “Thanks.”

“Did you really do this for Daddy?” Parker asked, pulling Logan’s attention back to those right in front of him. The young boy’s eyes were wide as he looked up at Logan.

This was a big night for their family. It would mean that Erin wouldn’t have to worry about medical bills anymore. Logan hoped it would be a big step in their healing. He crouched down so Parker was sure to hear him when he answered. “I did. I hope that’s okay.”

Parker didn’t give Logan any warning as he leaped toward him and wrapped his arms around his shoulders. Logan nearly fell back from the force of it. When he’d recovered, he put his arms around Parker and pulled him in for a hug. Parker snuggled his head in the crook of Logan’s neck as he tried to nestle in closer, and Logan felt the sting of tears. He squeezed his eyes tightly to keep them at bay.

He kept them closed until he felt a gentle tap on his shoulder. Logan looked over to see Samantha standing beside him. He opened his arm so that she could join them in a group hug. Holding them close, he hoped they knew how much he’d grown to love them during his time in Frostford. He almost told them, but stopped himself.

He needed to find Erin first. To tell her that he loved her and had never stopped. She needed to be the first one to hear those words. Based on how she reacted, he hoped he could say them to Parker and Samantha soon.

He released the children and straightened back up. His gaze met Aunt Betty’s. “Did you see where she went?”

Aunt Betty pointed her chin toward the back doors of the room. “She went out that way.”

“Could you see her reaction?”

She pursed her lips and shook her head. “Sorry, sweetie. It was too dark. But I’ll stay with the children and grab your dessert while you go find her.”

“My dessert?”

Aunt Betty snorted. “You gonna tell me you went through all this and didn’t buy Erin’s dessert? ”

Logan handed his wallet to Aunt Betty. “There should be enough cash in here to cover it. Thank you.”

With that, he pushed back through the crowd and out the doors that led to the parking lot. There were a few families walking to their cars, desserts in hand. He didn’t pay them any attention as he scanned the area for Erin.

He spotted her, leaning against her car. He jogged over, but slowed his steps as he got closer, taking the last few steps slowly, cautiously. The light from the lamp post reflected off the wetness on her cheeks. She wiped the tears away with the back of her hands as Logan stopped in front of her.

“Hey.” He shoved his hands in his pockets to keep himself from pulling her close. Her children might be ready to hug him, but he still wasn’t sure what Erin’s reaction was.

“You put this together.” She looked up at him, her eyes still glistening with tears. “For me.”

When Logan nodded, she covered her mouth with her hand.

Logan’s gut twisted. He’d known it was a risk to do this without asking, but after weighing the pros and the cons, he thought that he’d made the right decision. He’d hoped that she would be relieved that she wouldn’t have to worry about Jake’s remaining medical bills.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I meant to and ... ” How did he explain that he did this because he loved her ?

She squeezed her eyes tight and shook her head. “I’m not upset that you didn’t tell me.”

“Then why are you crying?” Logan took a step toward her, the gravel crunching beneath his feet. He lifted his hand toward her chin, but dropped it at the last minute. She kept her eyes closed. Logan took another step closer. “Erin, look at me.”

Her bottom lip trembled and she opened her eyes. When her eyes found his, she held his gaze. “This is probably the nicest thing someone has ever done for me, and I’m so thankful, I am.” She took a steadying breath. “But it doesn’t change anything.”

His brows lowered. “I don’t understand.” He’d done all of this to change everything.

“That money is enough for a down payment on Aunt Betty’s house, but I know she met with someone to sell it. And even if I somehow was able to convince Aunt Betty to let me have it instead, you’re leaving soon. You’ve made me fall in love with you and you’re leaving.” Her words came quickly through her sobs and Logan wasn’t sure that he’d heard her correctly.

His heart skipped a beat. “What did you say?”

Tears streamed down her cheeks. “I said you’re leaving.”

“No.” Logan took a step toward her. “Before that.”

Erin closed her eyes and shook her head. She winced as she said, “I love you. ”

She loved him? There were still so many things they needed to sort out, but he couldn’t even think about all that when Erin, the woman he’d loved for so long, finally felt the same way. He took a step forward. “I love you too.”

“Please.” Her eyes pleaded with him. “Please don’t say you love me when you’re leaving. It hurts too much. I don’t think I can take it.”

“I’m not leaving.”

Erin’s eyes, still glistening with tears, went wide. “What?”

He took another step toward Erin. His fingers itched to touch her cheek. He certainly was close enough to, but he kept his hands at his sides as he hurried to explain. “I took the job at the Chamber. I’ve been doing new-employee paperwork and learning the ropes with Ellis when I’m not working on the house.”

Her brows lowered. “What about your job in Florida?”

He shrugged. “I love you. I love Samantha and Parker. I realized I couldn’t leave.”

She took a shaky breath. “And the house? I bumped into Ms. Reynolds the day I went looking for a job. I heard you and Aunt Betty talking about her.”

“Aunt Betty was meeting with Ms. Reynolds to put me on the deed.” When Erin’s mouth popped open, Logan hurried to explain. “Just in case something happened. You can live there for as long as you want. You can buy it with the money you earned tonight. Whatever you want. She was just worried about what would happen in the unexpected event of her passing. She didn’t want you to be homeless. No one is kicking you out. I’m going to stay in the guesthouse.”

Erin’s face flickered quickly through different expressions. He was sure everything he’d just said was very overwhelming, and he wished, not for the first time, that he’d had a chance to ease her into all of this.

Logan raked his fingers through his hair. “I’m sorry to put all of this on you all at once.” “It’s a lot.” She reached out and touched his arms, pulling them from his hair and bringing them to his sides. “You’re really staying?”

Logan lifted his arms and cupped Erin’s face in his hands. “I’m not going anywhere.”

She bit her lip. “You promise?”

He held her gaze, hoping to convey the earnestness in his answer. “I promise.”

“Good,” she said, her cheeks turning pink. “That means I can do this.”

Logan opened his mouth to ask what she met, but before he could, Erin lifted up on her toes and pressed her lips against his. Logan lowered his arms and wrapped them around her back to pull her closer.

This moment was something he’d never imagined happening beyond his dreams. There were years of pent-up feelings that Logan hoped to express without words. As he deepened their kiss, he told Erin how much he loved her. How he’d made his fair share of mistakes, but he was done running. Logan wouldn’t break his promise. Now that he was given a second chance, he was never leaving Erin again.

He was there for her, no matter what. He would wait for her, no matter how long.

When they finally broke apart, Logan pressed his forehead against Erin’s. He closed his eyes, and his breathing slowed and returned to normal. “I’ve been waiting a long time for that.”

Erin giggled. “I hope it was worth the wait.”

Logan stepped back and put his finger under her chin, lifting her eyes to his. “It was better than I could have ever imagined.”

Erin’s blush was back. “It was pretty amazing.”

Logan tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “I’m serious when I say I’m not going anywhere. I’m in this for the long haul.”

Erin pressed her lips together. “Even if the long haul means we take things slow?”

“Whatever you need.”

She smiled. “Good, because I love you, but I’m going to need some time to sort my emotions out. I want to make sure I’m not rushing things just because I miss Jake.”

Hearing Erin talk about Jake should have made Logan burn with jealousy—there was a time it would have—but Jake would always be a part of Erin’s life. The woman standing before him wouldn’t be the woman she was without her marriage to Jake. Samantha and Parker wouldn’t be here without him.

Jake’s memories would live on, and Logan wanted them to. “Slow is good. I’m happy to wait.”

“Speaking of waiting, we should probably go back in.” Erin ducked her head. “I’m sure Aunt Betty and the children want to know where we are.”

“I’m sure you’re right.” Logan reached down, grabbed her hand, and looked at her for approval. “Is this okay?”

“Considering we just kissed in the parking lot?” She gave him a sly smile. “I think I can handle a little public hand-holding.”

Logan squeezed her hand. “Good. Then let’s go find them.”

They walked back through the doors of the community center and found Aunt Betty and the kids waiting for them with Erin’s cake. Logan couldn’t wipe the smile from his face the entire night. They might be taking things slow, but the best things in life were worth waiting for.