CHAPTER TWELVE – LILY
I’ve half-risen to my feet, the tang of burned sugar still thick on my tongue as Ellis flees the premises like his ass is on fire.
I look at Leo to see if he noticed his hasty departure but he’s playing with the melted ice cream at the bottom of his glass.
His shoulders are tight, but when I catch his eye, he shrugs, like he's not surprised Ellis left with barely an explanation. His sudden wariness pinches my heart. Does he think Ellis has left for good? Can I promise him that he’ll be back, when I barely believe it myself?
“Hey,” I murmur, plucking his sticky spoon from his hand. “Want to go see Logan at his gym?”
His eyes light up, and he waves at Kaysie who is watching us from behind the counter.
I know I’ll have her blowing up my phone later, but for now I just give her a quick wave and follow Leo out the door.
Cooper falls into step behind us, and as his alpha musk wafts over me, I try to ignore the huge shadow at our back.
It’s not like we haven’t walked these streets a thousand times before, but if it makes Ellis feel better to have someone guarding Leo, I can put up with it for a day or two.
But what if he claims him publicly? As Ellis Castle’s son, will Leo need this kind of protection forever?
I frown, too overwhelmed to dwell on where that worry might lead. Until I know more about Ellis’ intentions, I can only focus on the here and now. And more than anything, I need to make sure that Leo feels loved and wanted.
The best way to do that, I’ve learned, is to surround him with his favorite things.
Like Logan, who is chatting with three other alphas as we step into the gym.
It isn’t officially open yet, since he’s in the process of rebranding the exterior and refitting the locker rooms, but they seem to be in the middle of a workout, and I pause just inside the door.
Pine air freshener swirls around me, chasing away some of Ellis’ burned scent from my nose, but there’s no hiding the pheromones that have soaked into the walls from countless alphas lifting heavy things.
One of the alphas nods in our direction as Leo bounds towards them, his sling flapping like an injured wing. I follow more sedately, although the smile on Logan’s face makes me feel warm down to my toes.
“Hey! Guys, this is Lily and Leo, two of the best folks in Knotty Falls. And this is Clay, Bridge, and Tex.” He points to each alpha in turn, who all look at us with interest. “I’d say they were the best guys in the unit, but no one would believe me.”
“Not even us,” one of the alphas jokes, and the others nudge him, protesting loudly.
“Hi everyone.” I say when they’ve settled down. They seem like nice guys, but their names are already mixed up in my mind. “Thanks for keeping Logan safe over there.”
“He did his share of safe-keeping, ma'am.” I think it’s Tex who speaks, although that’s only because he has a Southern drawl and I’m good at jumping to conclusions.
“I’m glad. If there's ever anything you need, you can find us right next door.” They all glance at the wall which backs onto an auto garage, and I laugh. “I mean, Logan’s house. Leo and I live at Rosie’s Blooms, a flower farm out near Highway 6.”
“We might take you up on that,” one of the other alpha’s says, their gazes jumping between me and Logan. I’m not sure what they’re thinking, but the tips of Logan’s ears go pink, and the third guy bursts out laughing.
“Sorry,” he tells me, his grin so wide I can practically see his molars.
“It’s just that we’ve been hearing about the dazzling Lily Percy for years.
This guy can’t open his mouth without singing your praises or sharing another funny story about Leo and Bloomer.
” He shoots Leo a wink. “In fact, I feel like I know you all better than these chuckleheads, and we’ve been dick-deep in the desert together for three tours… .”
“Okay!” Logan slaps his friend on the back of the head while Leo giggles. “Watch your mouth, Bridge.”
The guy gives me a sheepish shrug, but there’s no missing the affectionate way he watches Logan as he bobs down to inspect Leo’s sling.
Leo rests his good arm on Logan’s back, their heads close together as they discuss his injury, and all three alphas watch the interaction like it’s the best thing they’ve ever seen.
When Logan stretches back to his full height, he ruffles Leo’s hair and looks at his blond friend. “Clay, can you show Leo the new boxing gloves we got in? I’ve just gotta chat to Lily real quick.” When I glance at him in surprise, he gives me a reassuring nod. “He’ll be okay with them, I promise.”
“Oh. Yeah, of course. It’s just that Ellis asked Cooper to watch out for Leo…”
I nod in the direction of the bodyguard looming in the doorway and a slow grin steals over Logan’s face.
He keeps a hand loosely cupping Leo’s shoulder as he calls out to the other alpha.
“Hey, Cooper! You want to provide backup for my brothers while Lily and I have a chat? Since your boss asked you to play nice with the jarheads, and all.”
“What?” Cooper takes a few steps closer, his mouth hanging open a little. “How did you hear that? We were in the car, doors closed.”
“Lip reading 101.” Logan’s mouth stretches into a taunting grin. “You should practice mumbling, brother, if you don’t want jarheads to learn all your secrets.”
Cooper rolls his eyes but Tex pats Logan’s back. “Take your time, Cap. Leo's in safe hands, ma’am.”
“He really is,” Logan tells me as he leads me up the metal staircase to the second-floor office.
It looks down on the gym through a large window, and I watch as his friends fit a large boxing glove on Leo’s uninjured hand.
“They're good guys, honestly. They're just getting back on their feet, so I've given them the apartment next door while they help me get this place off the ground.”
“That’s great, Logan. I’m glad things are working out for you all.”
“Working out for us,” he insists, drawing me between his legs as he perches on the edge of his desk.
It’s not a big office, with a couple of filing cabinets, an old leather sofa, and a fridge packed with healthy snacks and sports drinks, but it already smells like Logan, and I relax into his embrace.
“But something is bothering you, I can tell.”
I sigh and press a hand to his chest, feeling the steady thump of his heart under my palm. “Leo knows who Ellis is. He just came out and said it while we were having sundaes at Kaysie’s.”
It’s not like I wanted to keep the truth from Leo, but I was hoping to find the right moment to explain it to him properly. But Leo, as usual, got the jump on me.
Logan presses his hand over mine and rubs a circle on my knuckles.
“You mean he called him dad?” His lips quirk in a lopsided smile.
“It’s okay, sweetheart. I mean, I’m not gonna lie; it kinda burns.
But it's good, too.” I bite my lip, and his arms tighten, pulling me closer.
“Leo's super smart and tough as hell. I bet he's gonna work all this stuff out faster than the rest of us.”
“He said you’re his dad, too. He wanted Ellis to know that.” I lean forward and nuzzle his cheek, soaking up his scent. “Plus, he said his movies are good because he has Marines working on them.”
“Oorah.” Logan gives a soft chuckle as he strokes the back of my head. “I've trained him up good, then.”
I snort. “He worships you. I’m pretty sure if you said the moon was made of cheese, he’d run to get the crackers.”
Logan makes a pleased sound, but when he pulls back, his eyes are serious. “And you know it doesn’t change things between us, right?”
I want that to be true, but it doesn’t feel like I can be certain about anything anymore.
“I want us to be a family, but I want you for myself, too,” he says, his voice dipping to a deeper octave.
Ellis might have a pitch-perfect baritone, but Logan has one of those voices you feel more than hear.
A rumbling wave of authority that he doesn’t have to strain to get your attention.
And right now, all that attention is fixed on me.
“I’ll play nice with Ellis so Leo knows he’s got both of us, whenever he needs.
But I need you to know that I’m here for you.
Those knuckleheads weren’t lying when they said I’ve been obsessing over you for years. ”
I smile as I stroke the short hairs at his nape. “Really?”
“It’s always been you, LeeLee. From the moment I saw you sitting in the fields, singing lullabies to the sunflowers.”
“Jeez, not sure how that became a core memory for everybody.”
He chuckles. “Because you do it so often and look so damn cute in the process.”
I smirk and his hands slide down to my ass, cupping me through my jeans.
His arousal blooms between us, an amber musk that makes me weak at the knees.
I feel my nipples tighten in my shirt and his pupils dilate as he stares into my eyes.
“I wish there weren't a bunch of big-eared assholes right downstairs.”
I rub a thumb over his pouting lips. “Plus a pint-sized tornado who could come whirling in here at any moment.”
“Yeah, shit.” He edges me back a step, his hands slow to leave my hips. “You make it really hard to let go, Lily Percy.”
He’s told me that before, usually right before he deployed again, but this time it doesn’t trigger the usual rush of disappointment.
Because if things keep working out for us, then this can be forever, and Logan is mine for keeps.
“If we’re doing this, you need to be all in Logan.
That means we parent Leo equally, and you support my rules, just like I’ll support yours. ”
He sucks on his bottom lip. “No more hanging-by-a-thread rope swings?”
I shudder. “Or motorbike rides. At least until he’s old enough to respect the danger involved.”