After The Rain (One Pass Away #1) Page 12

  Trina didn’t say anything. She didn’t have to. Ron could read her thoughts in her sweet, brown eyes. He lifted her hand to his lips. Every heart in the bar, women and men, sighed.

  “You have our blessing and more.”

  “More?” Rhonda and Pug exchanged interested glances.

  “A dance with the bride and groom. At your wedding. Think of it as this old, happy couple passing the torch.”

  “I think I’m going to cry.” Rhonda rushed over, giving Ron and Trina a hug.

  “I’m feeling a little choked up myself,” Pug whispered to Logan.

  “Right there with you, buddy.” Logan slapped Pug on the back.

  “I have decided they are officially my favorite married people.” Claire joined Logan behind the bar.

  “Where have you been?” Logan asked. He draped an arm over Claire’s shoulder, kissing her temple.

  “To put it delicately, I needed to go to the ladies’ room.”

  “Since when are you delicate?”

  “Thanks a lot.” Claire dug her elbow into Logan’s side.

  “Hey, I like strong, bruising types.” Rubbing his ribs, Logan grinned at Pug over Claire’s head. “Arms like steel, Pug.”

  “Brains like mush, Pug.” Claire tapped Logan’s head with the finger before moving away.

  “Now you’ve done it.” Pug watched as Claire pulled Rhonda aside. “You’ve pissed her off.”

  “Nope.” Logan knew his woman. “That’s our form of foreplay. Just watch. In a few minutes, she’ll be pulling me into the back room. The woman can’t keep her hands off me.”

  “Jesus, Logan.” Pug shook his head in amazement. “Do you really talk to her like that? And Claire likes it?”

  “We understand each other.” Logan felt the now familiar warmth spread through him when he thought about how well she suited him. “Have you ever seen The Awful Truth? Or My Man Godfrey?”

  “Never heard of them.”

  “Banter. Fast and furious, my friend.” Claire and her movies. It seemed they were seeping into his brain whether he liked it or not. Unstoppable osmosis. “Every now and then, we become Cary Grant and Irene Dunne.”

  “Whatever works.” Pug had no idea what Logan was talking about, but he seemed happy. In the end, that was all that mattered.

  “Enter the world’s biggest buzz kill.”

  Hearing Logan’s mumbled comment, Pug looked over his shoulder. Rafer Macafee and his cronies stumbled through the door.

  “Looks like they started drinking before they got here,” he said, frowning.

  “Which means I can refuse to serve them, right?”

  “Legally, it’s the only way to go.”

  “Well, Deputy, it sounds like the law knows what it’s doing.”

  Practically rubbing his hands together in anticipation, Logan started over. Better to let the idiots know how things stood before they entrenched themselves at a table.

  “Why don’t you let me handle it, Logan?” Pug nodded toward his friends. “I have plenty of backup if they get rowdy.”

  “You want to deprive me of my fun?”

  “Logan—”

  Logan gave Pug a reassuring look. “I promise. I won’t be the instigator.”

  Pug shook his head. Logan knew damn well when it came to Rafer Macafee, his mere presence set the other man off. Quickly, he circled the room, stopping by Rhonda and Claire.

  “Stay out of the way.”

  “What way? What are you talking about?” Rhonda demanded when Pug kept moving. Rhonda scanned the room. “Oh, crap.”

  “What?” Claire asked.

  “Logan and Rafer.” Rhonda sighed. “Or as we used to call them in high school, Beauty and the Beast.”

  “Logan must have loved that.” Claire kept her eyes on the other side of the bar, ready to jump in. Logan could handle himself. However, one against five? She didn’t like the odds.

  “Logan never knew. Rafer found out, though.” Rhonda shuddered. “He beat up the poor guy who was stupid enough to tell him to his face. And when I say beat up? Cory Dodd lost two teeth and limped for a month.”

  “Was he arrested?”

  “Nope.”

  “Are you kidding?” Claire’s eyes blazed blue fire. Outraged didn’t begin to describe how she felt.

  “Cory wouldn’t tell his parents or the police who was responsible.”

  “So the psycho got away with it.”

  “I didn’t say that.”

  Still watching as Logan blocked Rafer from sitting down, Claire said, “Spit it out, Rhonda. What happened?”

  “Logan.” Rhonda grinned at the memory. “He never knew what set Rafer off. He did know that Rafer outweighed Cory by over a hundred pounds. Justice was swift and brutal at Denville High. At the next football practice, Rafer ended up on the bottom of every pile.”

  “Ouch.” Claire said it with a grin.

  “He was punched, kicked, gouged. If you were next to Rafer, you took your shot. Coach Bradshaw had no idea anything was going on until Rafer crawled off the field.”

  “Did Rafer squeal?”

  “No.” Rhonda shook her head. “I’ll bet he wanted to. I guess he wanted to stay on the team more. If he had said anything, the other guys would have made that impossible.”

  Claire felt a rush of unease. When a man hated him that much for so long, there was no telling what might happen.

  It seemed that everyone in the room was aware of Logan and Rafer. Pug’s friends looked ready to intervene at a moment’s notice. The bar wasn’t silent, but the noise level had definitely diminished.

  Some of the patrons hoped for a fight – what better way to liven up a dull evening in Denville? Others, like Claire and Rhonda, hoped that Logan wouldn’t prod his old nemesis too hard and that Rafer would for once be the bigger man. By the set of their shoulders, it didn’t seem like either was going to back down.

  “Well, I’ll be damned,” Rhonda breathed.

  “Rafer is leaving? Just like that?” Claire glanced at Rhonda.

  “Miracles do happen. Now I’m waiting for the pigs to fly by.”

  Logan waited until the last of Rafer’s crowd had left the bar. He was as surprised as everyone else. In all the years he had known Rafer Macafee, he couldn’t recall a single conversation that hadn’t been a war of wills. Tension crackled in the air. Insults flew. The hatred was palpable. Never once had Rafer walked away without at least a verbal confrontation.

  “What happened?” Pug asked.

  Logan kept his eyes on the door, expecting Rafer to suddenly change his mind. After a solid minute, he finally gave in to the fact that for once, there would be no blowback.

  It was a relief – mostly. Twisted as it might be, a little part of Logan would always enjoy a possible brush-up with Rafer. Call it part of the Denville experience. Every small town had its bully. Putting him in his place was satisfying on so many levels.

  “He’ll be back,” Pug reassured Logan. “Next time, he’ll be twice as ornery.”

  “Am I that obvious?” Logan had the good grace to look embarrassed. Enjoying Rafer’s idiocy was supposed to be his dirty little secret. Apparently, the secret part was only in his mind.

  “I’ve watched the two of you go at it for most of my life. I know you could live without the drama.”

  “But it does spice things up.”

  “As long as nobody ends up with worse than the occasional split lip, what’s the harm?”

  “What’s the harm?” Rhonda demanded. “Pug, I thought you were sworn to uphold the peace. Now I hear you encouraging Logan?”

  “Rhonda…”

  “Do you ever wish there was an alternative to men?” Rhonda asked Claire. “At this moment, I would cheerfully become a lesbian.”

  “Cheerfully?” Claire understood the sentiment. However, when one loved the feel of a man’s body over hers, it was hard to give it up – no matter how annoying he could be.

  “I think you’re hot.” Rhonda looked Claire up and
down, then sighed. “Oh, who am I kidding? I like men. I love this one. When it comes to my sex life, I guess it will always be dicks before chicks. Sorry, Claire.”

  “Maybe in another life,” Claire chuckled. The smile left her face when her gaze met Logan’s. “I don’t know what to say.”

  “This is Oklahoma.”

  “What the hell does that mean?” Claire threw up her hands. “Not everyone who lives in the state is one brain cell away from an asylum. Doesn’t Trisha Yearwood live in Oklahoma?”

  “Trisha Yearwood?” Logan looked to Pug for help. The other man wisely refrained from commenting.

  “Come on, Rhonda. The testosterone in the air is giving me a headache.”

  “First fight?” Pug asked.

  “Was that a fight? Claire has yelled at me. Punched me in the arm. One time, I barely missed being beaned by a tennis shoe. Those things I could understand. I’ve never seen Claire so… irrational.”

  “Shh,” Pug lowered his voice. “Never say that about a woman when she’s within hearing distance. That is one of the words guaranteed to have you doing without for at least a week.”

  “Really?” Logan didn’t like the sound of that. “What are the other words?”

  Pug laughed. “Hell if I know. With Rhonda, it’s a crapshoot. I think the last one that set her off was girl. As in did you just call me a girl?”

  “She isn’t a girl?”

  “Woman, my friend. Stick with woman. Claire might not be as sensitive about that as Rhonda, but why chance it?”

  Logan felt like he had been dumped into a foreign world where he no longer understood the language or the customs. Girl? Woman? He had known Claire since December. Four intense, emotional months. They worked together. Shared their meals. Played. Made love.

  If they had met under normal circumstance and started dating, how long would it take to know her the way he did now? A year? Two? It had been a crash course in Claire – Logan, the enthusiastic student.

  There were plenty of mysteries left to discover. Up until now, Logan hadn’t worried about words that would trigger potential blow-ups. Why start? He wanted to discover everything he could about Claire. Hopefully, it would take the rest of their lives.

  “Looks like Claire wants to see you.”

  Looking over his shoulder, Logan saw Claire pointing toward the office. He nodded.

  “I’ll see you later, Pug.”

  “Hey, Dad,” Logan called out to his father who was manning the far end of the bar. “Can you take it solo for a few minutes?”

  Jonas gave Logan a thumb’s up.

  “Claire?” Logan called out.

  The office was dark. He flipped the light switch. Seeing her standing across the room, her back to him, Logan frowned. What was wrong?

  “Are we fighting?” Even if he didn’t know the reason, Logan wanted to at least be in the loop.

  “I feel like a fool.”

  “Okay.” Logan approached her, his arms sliding around her waist. “That happens so seldom. Want to share?”

  “You can take care of yourself.”

  “Most of the time.”

  “You’ve dealt with Rafer for years.”

  “More than I care to remember.”

  Claire turned in his arms. She wasn’t crying, but Logan could see a trace of moisture in her eyes.

  “I’ve never worried about anyone the way I worry about you.” Claire shook her head. “No. Strike that. Worry isn’t the right word. I care what happens to you.”

  Logan felt his heart skitter. Care wasn’t love, but he’d take it. For now.

  “I care about you, too.”

  “I’ve been flying solo for so long, Logan. I have friends. Gaige is a big part of my life.”

  “But…?”

  “They all come and go.” Claire rested her head on Logan’s chest. The faint beat of his heart was reassuring to her oddly frazzled nerves. “I’ve gotten used to spending most of my time alone. I like it that way.”

  “I crashed into your solitary life.” Logan smoothed back her long, bright, blond hair. So soft. He breathed deeply. Lemons. He loved the way she always smelled fresh and clean.

  “You weren’t supposed to be anything but a job, Logan. A means to an end. The next step.”

  “I won’t say I’m sorry, Claire.” Logan put a finger under her chin, tilting it to look into her eyes. “Do you regret coming here? Are you sorry I’ve come to mean more to you than another rung in what’s been a very long ladder?”

  “So long.” Claire sighed. “I’m not sorry, Logan. That said, I don’t know if I know how to do this – us – once we’re back in Seattle.”

  “Do you want to try?”

  Logan held his breath.

  “Yes, but—”

  “Stop right there.” Logan kissed her parted lips. Mmm. So damn sweet. “Yes. I like that. I can work with yes.”

  “You can, huh?” Claire smiled. “You think I’m worth the trouble?”

  Logan threaded his fingers through her hair. “You’re the best kind of trouble I’ve ever known, Claire. Why wouldn’t I want to take a chance?”

  Claire knew she should have a logical answer to that. However, Logan’s kiss made arguing seem like a waste of time when she could be enjoying the feel of his lips against hers. They would have plenty of time to figure this out.

  Claire wrapped her arms around Logan, sinking into his heat. Hot kisses. Sexy man. A man she grew closer to every day.

  “That couch looks awfully inviting,” Logan whispered.

  “You father will figure out what we’re doing.”

  “My father and everyone else.”

  “That doesn’t bother you?”

  “Nope,” Logan said. “But I know it bothers you.” Taking her hand, he started toward the door. “Later?”

  Claire squeezed his hand. “You can count on it.”

  “Oh, I am.”

  Logan counted on a whole lot more. Claire would see how good they could be. Not just here in Oklahoma. Back in Seattle. Anywhere. They worked. Together.

  IT TURNED OUT to be one of those lingering crowds.

  The mood turned mellow and friendly. Ron and Trina stayed later than usual. The jukebox played some old favorites. Fast for toe tapping. Slow for dancing.

  Rhonda and Pug took advantage of the moment. They got their wedding dance with Ron and Trina early. Logan smiled. Watching the older couple give a master course on gliding across the floor in another person’s arms.

  “They are amazing.”

  Claire set the tray of dirty glasses by the sink. Logan drew her close. He rested his cheek on her hair.

  “Want to take a spin?”

  “This isn’t the first time you’ve offered to take me dancing. Is there a frustrated Fred Astaire in there trying to get out?”

  “No.” Logan laughed. “I like the idea of holding you in my arms. In private. In public. Any place.”

  “Why, Logan Price. You are a romantic!”

  “Would it be too corny to say you bring it out in me?’

  “Maybe.” Claire pretended to consider her answer. “Nope. I’ll take all the romance I can get. As long as it’s from you.”

  “Oh, good. We can be corny together.”

  It was almost an hour later when Logan locked the door.

  “That was so much fun,” Rhonda sighed. “But my feet are killing me. Note to self. Change shoes at the reception. I’m not dancing the night away in the four-inch stilettos I bought to walk down the aisle.”

  “Why do you need that high of a heel?” Pug asked. He stuck around to drive Rhonda home. In the meantime, he helped her bus tables. “Who is going to see them under your dress?”

  Tugging on his ear, Rhonda pulled Pug down to her level. “I love that you’re tall, sweetheart, but I don’t want all the pictures to either have your head or mine. Four inches should just about lift me to an acceptable photograph level.”

  “Who knew there was so much to think about?” Pug grinned. “
Should I be doing more?”

  “All you have to do is show up. That’s the most important thing of all.”

  “While you two make googley eyes, I’m going to take these empties out to the recycle bin. The pick-up is tomorrow morning. I don’t want to miss it again.”

  “Sorry, boss,” Rhonda called out. “I’m not used to Denville joining the twentieth century. Those trucks are still a shock to the system.”

  “Yah, yah, yah,” Logan muttered good-naturedly.

  “Need some help?” Claire called out.

  “Stay and enjoy your coffee. I’m good.”

  Claire watched Logan back his way out the side door, two big rattling bags in his hands. An unexpected shiver ran down her spine.

  “Is something wrong?” Jonas asked from across the bar.

  “I don’t know. I just feel… something.”

  Unable to let it go, Claire slipped off the stool. If she met Logan on his way back, fine. No harm done. However, if something was wrong, she didn’t want to wait around to find out.

  LOGAN FROWNED WHEN he noticed the broken outdoor light over the door. It wasn’t like that a few hours ago. Probably some kids getting their kicks. He made a mental note to replace it as soon as he got to work tomorrow.

  As Logan hefted the bags of bottles into the bin, he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. That one flash of warning was all that saved him from a baseball bat to the knee.

  Jumping to his right, Logan hit the ground and rolled. A loud thud from the bag hitting the hard plastic bin was followed by a string of curse words.

  “Goddamned slippery bastard. Stand still.” Rafer took another swing, this one so wild it almost took out the two men standing next to him. Logan didn’t take the time to identify Rafer’s cohorts. He assumed they were part of the same group that always ran together. All that mattered was that this wasn’t going to be a fair fight. Rafer, a Louisville Slugger and at least… one, two others. Logan wasn’t going to stick around to find out how many he could take down before they downed him.

  “He’s heading for the door. Stop him, Wade.”

  Wade Eaton. Another ex-football player at Denville High. Back then, they took sides. Pro-Rafer. Pro-Logan. All these years later, nothing had changed. Except Rafer’s friends spent their free time swilling beer and eating anything fried. By himself, one was no match for Logan’s speed. He was around Wade before the other man could do more than shift his bulk a few meager feet.