Two Times as Hot (22 page)

Logan laughed. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Emma and I are still getting to
know each other. I don’t want to rush things.”

“Dude, we’re way past worrying about that. Believe me.” Tyler slapped Logan on the
back and then bent to grab one of the boards. “Tuck. Grab the other end of this for
me?”

“Sure.” With one final glance at Logan, Tuck dipped his head and moved to take the
board. No yelling at Tyler to shut up. No comment at all about Tyler’s strange statement,
leaving Logan to wonder what the hell they knew that he didn’t. It was a feeling he
didn’t like. Not one bit.

T
he atmosphere at the Jenkins breakfast table was the strangest Logan had felt in a
long time. It was as if everyone seated at the table was watching him and Emma, waiting
for something. What that something was, he didn’t have a clue. Still Tuck, Tyler,
and Becca all kept shooting him looks.

He glanced sideways at Emma, trying to see if maybe during yesterday’s encounter by
the lake he might have unconsciously given her another hickey and that’s what they
were all intrigued by. There were no marks on Emma that Logan could see. At least,
not from this angle. Then again, he couldn’t get a good look at her from the other
side.

This was too crazy. To be dealing with this shit at this point in his life felt ridiculous.

Mrs. Jenkins stood at the stove in her usual position, flipping pancakes today instead
of bacon. She seemed normal. Happy. Chatty. Mr. Jenkins had already left for work.
Whatever this involved, it was limited to the younger members of the family.

Maybe Emma had confessed to Becca what had been happening between them? That would
explain Becca and Tuck’s strange behavior, but not Tyler’s. And honestly, Logan and
Emma were two single consenting adults. They could choose to engage in a physical
relationship if they wanted to. Hell, it was allowed, unlike Tuck and Becca’s relationship
had been when they were blatantly breaking OSU’s faculty non-fraternization rule by
dating last year.

Damn. He was dying to get Emma alone and ask her what was going on. But his father
was coming home today and there were still things to do . . . And that was the perfect
topic of conversation to break the tension hanging in the air.

“So right after we eat, we’ll finish up that ramp? It shouldn’t take too long, right?”
Logan glanced from Tyler to Tucker.

“Shouldn’t take more than an hour or so.” Tyler nodded. “After we’re done, I’m gonna
have to leave and get to the ranch. We’re moving some bulls today.”

Tuck eyed Logan. “What are your plans for the rest of the day?”

Why did Logan feel as if he was being interrogated? “I guess I’ll check in with my
mother and see what time they’ll be releasing my father. That way I can drive over
to the rehab facility and help her get him and the wheelchair into the car.”

“I talked to her this morning, Logan. She thinks they might not let him go until after
lunch.” Mrs. Jenkins walked over and put a platter stacked high with pancakes in the
center of the table. “Everyone help yourselves while they’re hot. Don’t be shy.”

She walked back to the stove and started cleaning up. Logan swore, in all his years
hanging out in this kitchen, he’d never seen the woman sit down and eat herself.

Tyler glanced around and when no one made a move, he stood and stabbed three pancakes
with his fork. “Don’t mind if I do. Somebody pass the syrup.”

Becca handed him the bottle of maple syrup and then lifted the platter of pancakes.
She took two for herself, and handed it off to Tuck. “If your father gets released
this afternoon, that will leave all morning free. Logan, why don’t you and Emma go
to the store and see how the signs look?”

“You started painting the signs already?” Logan turned to Emma, surprised. “When?”

She glanced up from the plate of pancakes as she passed it to Logan. “Don’t forget,
I’m used to east coast time. I’m usually awake a good hour before the rest of the
household. I sketched the lettering out with a pencil, and then found some old paint
in the garage. Here, I have a picture.” Emma pulled her cell phone out of her pocket.

Logan glanced over and looked at the screen. “You’re amazing. Some old wood and leftover
paint and you turned it into that?”

“Don’t be too impressed. I only did that one, but I’m almost done with the second.
I’ll be finished by the time you guys are done with the ramp. You should look at what
I’ve got so far. Make sure you like them.”

Logan smiled. “I’m sure I’ll love whatever you do.”

He glanced up from his breakfast to find he was the subject of scrutiny again and
stifled a sigh. Maybe it was obvious to everyone else that he had feelings for Emma.
So what? What should be obvious to his supposed friends was that his relationship
with Emma, no matter what it might or might not be, was none of their business.

“Here’s an idea.” Tuck, laden fork poised over his plate, turned to Logan. “You go
to the store with Emma and get it all fixed up with the new sign and everything. I’ll
help your mother with your father, and we can bring him over to the shop on the way
home as a surprise.”

Again Tuck was pushing Emma and him together. If Mrs. Jenkins’ pancakes weren’t so
damn tasty, this family would have already ruined Logan’s appetite. “I don’t know,
Tuck. That seems like a lot for Dad to handle on the first day.”

Tuck shrugged. “How about we play it by ear? See how he’s feeling. If he’s too tired,
I’ll call and let you know that your mom and I are bringing him straight home. Then
you and Em can meet us at your house.”

Logan glanced at Emma, not missing how Tuck had once again included her in his plans
without asking either one of them. “What do you think?”

“It won’t hurt to go over and make sure the place is all put back together, even if
your father can’t make it over today. And not to sound selfish, but I’d love to see
how my new signs look with the displays.”

“You’re anything but selfish, Emma.” Logan looked at this amazing woman next to him
and resisted reaching out to grab her hand. “All right. I guess there’s no reason
we can’t go to the shop. I still have to screw in the grab bars in the bathroom, but
I can do that quick. We’ll go over right after the ramp is up.”

“Sounds good.” Emma smiled. The sight warmed his heart, until Logan noticed the satisfied
look on Becca’s face, the relief on Tuck’s, and the interest on Tyler’s.

Something was going on here, and he’d be damned if he didn’t get to the bottom of
it before day’s end. Enough was enough.

Logan put his plan to figure out what was up with everyone into action the moment
he left the Jenkinses’ kitchen. Thinking like the military leader he was, he chose
the target he judged would be the easiest to break—Tyler.

He waited until Tuck went to the garage to cut some two-by-fours to length. As the
whine of the table saw filled the air, Logan turned to Tyler. “What was going on at
the breakfast table this morning?”

Tyler’s brows rose. “Uh, we were eating breakfast?”

“I know that.” Sometimes Logan had to wonder if this young smart ass who joked about
everything was really Tuck’s brother. They were such opposites. “What else? Why was
everyone acting so strange and staring at me and Emma? And why is it so important
to Tuck and Becca that I take Emma to the store with me?”

“Uh, I don’t know.” The way Tyler avoided eye contact with Logan now was in direct
opposition to his casual shrug.

“Tyler. You know something. Spill it.” Logan employed the no-nonsense tone he used
to reprimand his troops and his cadets.

“Oh, no.” Tyler shook his head. “I’m very happily a civilian so you can’t pull that
army officer shit on me. You can frown at me all you want, Logan, but I can’t tell
you.”

“You can’t tell me because you don’t know? Or you
won’t
tell me, which means you do know something?”

“Stop trying to trick me.” Tyler’s frown deepened. “That’s it. Discussion closed.
I mean it, Logan. Drop it or I’m out of here. I love your father like he’s my own,
but if you don’t ease up, you can finish this ramp your own damn self.”

Wow. Logan had never seen the smooth talking, easygoing Tyler so agitated. There was
something going on, and judging by Tyler’s reaction to his questioning, it had to
be bigger than just a bunch of interfering friends and relations sticking their noses
where they didn’t belong.

Tyler whipped out one end of a tape measure. He shot Logan a glance over his shoulder.
“Don’t you have a grab bar to install or something?”

Maybe Tyler wasn’t the easiest target to pick off after all. Logan cocked a brow at
Tyler’s attitude. “Yeah, I do.”

And he would get to it right after he interrogated Tuck. Logan spun toward the garage
and stalked his way to his next victim. By the time he reached Tuck, Logan found him
frowning down at his cell phone. When Logan walked farther into the garage, Tuck shoved
the cell into his pocket and turned back to the board on the workbench.

“What’s up?” Tuck asked the question without looking at Logan. Instead, he concentrated
solely on the wood.

“You tell me.” Logan folded his arms across his chest.

“Just measuring.” Tuck shot Logan a glance over his shoulder and then went back to
focusing on his work. “You know what they say. Measure twice, cut once.”

“Yes, so I’ve heard.” Logan drew in a breath and moved closer. “Now, put that pencil
and tape measure down, turn around, and tell me why you and Tyler and Becca are throwing
me and Emma together.”

One brow cocked high, Tuck asked, “Is that an order, sir?”

“No. You know damn well it’s not, so stop with the attitude.” Logan blew out a breath
filled with frustration. “Tyler wouldn’t spill. Now you won’t. Do I have to go to
Becca next? Is that what you want me to do?”

“Logan, leave Becca out of this.”

“Fine. You tell me what’s up and I will.”

Tuck turned to face Logan. “Here’s a suggestion. Go talk to Emma and leave the rest
of us out of it.”

“Emma. Why? What can she tell me?” All this time Logan had assumed he and Emma were
in the same boat. Both in the dark as to why everyone was acting so strangely. But
here Tuck was insinuating Emma was the key to getting the answers to Logan’s questions.

“That’s all I’m going to say.” Tuck shook his head, and then leaned again over the
board.

“All right. If that’s the way you want to play this.” Resigned, Logan let out a huff.
“I’ll talk to Emma right after I finish what I have to do to get the bathroom ready
for Dad.”

Tuck glanced up from beneath the brim of his hat. “Tyler and I will handle all of
that. You go find Emma.”

What the hell?

“Fine.” Logan turned on his boot heel and headed next door to find Emma and, hopefully,
the end of this mystery.

After the short walk, which felt inordinately long today, Logan crossed the back yard
and found Emma in the Jenkins kitchen. She’d covered the kitchen table with newspaper,
and held a paintbrush poised over the barn wood.

She looked up at the sound of the door opening, and smiled when she saw him. “Hi.
I’m just finishing this one. Are you done already at your house?”

“No, they’re still working over there. Um, can we talk?”

As Logan asked the question of Emma, Becca walked into the room. She stopped just
inside the doorway, wide-eyed. “Uh, I just remembered, I forgot something.”

Turning, Becca fled the room as if her life depended on it. There was definitely something
going on here.

Emma watched her sister leave. She turned to Logan and put down her paintbrush. “Sure.
What’s up?”

“Can we sit?” Logan pulled out a chair for Emma. She’d been standing to work on the
sign.

“All right.” Looking baffled, Emma perched in the chair, watching him.

Logan pulled out a chair for himself, sat and leaned forward. “This may seem crazy,
but there’s something going on around here. It feels like everyone knows something
I don’t and—” The expression that crossed Emma’s face made Logan cut his sentence
short. She was hiding something. He took both of her hands in his. “Emma. What’s going
on?”

She swallowed hard and drew in a deep breath. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Of course.”

“I heard that you were engaged once. I know it’s none of my business, but what happened?
How come you didn’t get married?”

That’s what this was about? An engagement that had lasted a week? Just long enough
for his mother to announce it to the neighborhood and in church before he had to go
through the embarrassment of telling everyone it was off? “Emma, that was years ago.
Like twenty years. I was just out of high school. I hadn’t even left for boot camp
yet.”

“Okay.” She nodded. “What happened?”

Logan had to wonder why it mattered. To her, it obviously did. Maybe she was so traumatized
by Jace acting the ass with his ex-girlfriend that she needed to know Logan wouldn’t
do the same thing? But the situations were so different, it was almost laughable.

“It’s not something I talk about. Tuck and Layne don’t even know all of it. I was
only eighteen, which made them about eight or nine at the time.”

Emma shook her head. “Logan, I don’t need to know. I was foolish to even ask. It was
so long ago, it doesn’t matter—”

“No. You’re concerned enough that you asked, so I want to tell you. This girl and
I were young and stupid, and careless. And she got pregnant.”

All of the color drained from Emma’s face. Concerned, Logan squeezed her hand in his.
“Emma. You okay?”

She swallowed again, looking a bit ill. “Go on. What happened?”

He shrugged. “I guess she got scared. She and her friend drove to a clinic an hour
away, and when she came back she told me there was no more baby. I was angry. Sad.”
Logan let out a short laugh. “And relieved. We weren’t in love. Hell, we weren’t even
dating, which made it extra stupid we weren’t more careful.”

It had felt as if his life had been turned on end, not once but twice in a week’s
time. First, when he’d learned he was going to be a husband and a father when he was
about to leave for basic training. Then again when he learned that without his knowledge,
she’d made the decision to change all that. She gave him his life back, but at a cost
he wouldn’t have condoned had he known. And it all happened just weeks before he turned
nineteen.