When Love Breaks (13 page)

“Logan...” she starts, then sighs into the phone. “I’m not sure it’s a good idea. I mean, I’d love to but…”

“I know. I understand. I had to ask again, and let you know the offer still stands. I won’t hold it against you, should you decide not to come.”

I’m disappointed, I’ll admit, but I don’t want to push her into doing something that could potentially make her uncomfortable. That’s the last thing I want. I want her to come because
she
wants to be there.

“Can I think about it a bit longer?”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s fine. Michael’s going too. I’ll just hitch a ride with him. Although, I might get a crash course in driving afterward, just to save us all from a DUI.”

She giggles. I sigh silently at the sound.

“So, it’ll just be you and Michael then?” she asks, and for some reason, this question strikes me as odd.

“Yes. Well, the two of us and his date, Cindy.”

“Oh,” she simply says, but I can’t help but wonder if there’s something else.

“Why do you ask?” I say bravely.

“No reason. I just thought that maybe…you found a backup date.”

What?
Why would she think that?

“If I had, I wouldn’t be asking you to come, would I?”

“I guess not,” she says, then laughs at herself. “I don’t know what I was thinking.” She laughs again, but it sounds forced. Another awkward silence paralyzes the conversation. Neither of us says a thing for several seconds. “Well, I guess I’d better go.”

“Okay. Um, I guess if you decide to come, I’ll see you then. If not, well…”

“Yeah,” she says with an eerie finality. “Goodbye, Logan.”

“Bye, Elora.”

I push the end button and hold the phone to my chest. Closing my eyes, my mind goes blank. I don’t want to hope. I don’t want to pray. I don’t want to think or talk about it anymore. What’s done is done, and I’ve said all I can. It’s up to her to decide what to do now, and I’m helpless once again.

11

LOGAN

W
ith a drink in my hand, I stand against the wall of the reception hall. I’m keeping a silent watch over the entryway that’s across from me, as if I’m some sort of guard. Is she coming, or did she decide not to? My heart sinks each time someone enters who’s
not
her. Maybe, she’s not coming after all. I take another sip of my drink and wait.

“Any sign of her?” Michael asks on his approach.

“Not yet,” I say.

He places his hand on my shoulder.

“Stay positive. Give her time. She might show up.”

“I know. I’m trying.”

“Hi, Logan. It’s nice to see you again,” Cindy says as she saunters over to hang on Michael’s arm. He wasn’t kidding about her dress. Holy shit. It doesn’t leave much to the imagination.

“Hi, Cindy. You look lovely,” I say with a small smile.

“Thank you. Is your date here yet?”

I want to roll my eyes. The more they ask, the more frustrated I become. Clearly, she’s not, otherwise she’d be standing next to me.

“No. But, I’m sure she’ll be along soon.” I smile politely again.

They look at each other, and the expression that passes between them is sympathy. God, I wish they’d just leave me alone.

“Let’s go find our seats,” he says to her. “We’ll see you at the table, Logan.”

I nod and take another sip.

The frequency of the guests coming into the hall has dwindled greatly now, and my hope for her arrival has all but vanished. The dinner music begins, and the DJ asks everyone to find their seats, as the bride and groom have just arrived.

Shit. She’s not coming.

“I’ll ask you all to rise, so I can introduce to you, the bridal party!” the announcer says, and the crowd rises and cheers. “First, we have junior bridesmaid, Lacey Masen, and her date, who happens to be one of the groomsmen, Joshua Underwood!” The crowd erupts again with applause and a few
awws
at their cuteness. They enter holding hands and take their place in the reception line. Jeez, even the eight year olds have a date. I clap politely. “Next, we have bridesmaid, Sarah Underwood, with Groomsman, John Everett.”

The announcer continues introducing the bridal party, but I tune him out. I’m half paying attention, when Ryan and his new wife, Sydney, enter to wild applause and whistles. Again, I clap politely, but all I really want to do is go home. They walk through the doorway to take their place in the lineup, when someone behind them, in a blue dress, catches my eye. I crane my neck to get a better look, when my grateful eyes land on the wide eyed expression of Elora Foster.

My heart stops.

“Oh, my God. She’s here,” I whisper to myself, but apparently it’s loud enough to catch Michael’s attention.

“Where?”

“In the doorway,” I say, not wanting to take my eyes off her, for fear she’s not really there.

“She looks hot,” he says.

“No, she’s breathtaking.”

Everyone at our table sits down, but I remain standing. I’m mesmerized by her beauty and at the fact that she’s here.

She’s really here.

She’s looking around, no doubt trying to find a familiar face, when at last our eyes meet. A shy smile graces her face, and I can’t contain my face splitting grin.

“Excuse me,” I say to the group, then start walking toward her.

ELORA

I
finally spot Logan, and my nerves are electrified. He’s stunningly dashing in his black, well-tailored suit which hugs his muscular physique. His hair is perfectly styled and has just enough wave to make me want to run my fingers through it. He looks wonderful. His chest falls, and his lips part, as if a breath he’d been holding has finally been released, and I watch as a slow, crooked grin creeps into his face. He makes his way over to me.

“Elora, you look…beautiful,” he says, as his eyes sweep across my body. He doesn’t even try to disguise his awe.

I blush furiously at the compliment and cover my heated cheeks with my hands. He then takes one of them and plants a soft kiss on the back. I almost fall off my high heeled pumps at the contact.

“Thank you. You clean up well yourself.” He smiles broadly.

“Thanks. Our table is…well, you already know.” He chuckles nervously. “Come on. Let’s get a drink and settle into our seats.”

Still holding my hand, we begin walking toward the bar, when I suddenly stop.

“Logan, you’re walking unassisted,” I say in amazement. He looks down at his legs.

“Yes. I was hoping to surprise you.”

“That you did,” I whisper, hoping my pride is obvious. “It’s wonderful. I’m so proud of you.” I shake my head and smile, knowing I can claim my part in his recovery, but I’m unwilling to take any credit for it.

“So, what happened to your eye?” I ask, assuming he fell at some point while trying not to use his crutches or cane.

“Oh, this? Let’s just say that my brother and I don’t always see eye to eye.” He smirks ironically.

Hmm. I wonder what they fought about.

We get our drinks and head back to the table. I place my white wine on the table, then he pulls out my chair, and I sit.

“Elora, it’s so good to see you again,” Michael says as he holds out his hand for me to shake. “Your guy was a nervous wreck before you showed up.” Logan shoots his brother a
back off
look and he wisely backs down.

“Was he? I wouldn’t know it to look at him. But then, he’s always so calm and collected.” Logan sputters into his drink from the thick layer of bullshit I just laid out there. I smile at him and wink. I also notice a rather large bruise on the side of his brother’s face and giggle inwardly. Secretly, I’m proud that Logan had a bit of success in their fight, and I feel the need to let him know I noticed. “Nice bruise,” I whisper, and Michael’s mouth twists with humor.

“Thanks,” he says and narrows his eyes at Logan, who then beams back at him.

“I’m Cindy, by the way, Michael’s date.”

I shake her hand, and my eyes widen as I instantly notice her dress. There’s not much to it.

“It’s nice to meet you, Cindy.”

“Did you have any trouble finding the place?” Logan asks.

“Not really. I got a little lost when I had to follow a detour, but I’m here now.”

“I’m glad.” He smiles at me, and looks as though he wants to say more, but he doesn’t.

The wait staff comes around and places salads in front of us, then soon after, the main course. We all make small talk as we dig in.

“You know, this is good,” Michael says, “but, I like the way you cook it better.”

I’m a bit shocked by his compliment and blush just a bit.

“Well, thank you. I’ll make it again for you sometime,” I say.

“You can come over and cook for us anytime you want.”

I smile and nod then look at Logan, and his eyes are hopeful. It’s then I realize I’ve just promised to see him again, and I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not. I look down, determined to be more careful of what I say from now on. These waters are difficult to navigate, and I certainly don’t want to get his hopes up.

Around 7:00, the DJ’s music changes tempo, and the modern rhythms of today’s top forty comes blasting through the speakers. The bride and groom are the first to step onto the dance floor, followed by the maid of honor and best man. The party is in full swing when Logan leans in.

“Do you want to dance?” he asks.

“Are you serious?”

“Yes, why?” He laughs.

“I don’t know. I guess I thought I’d have to pry you out of your seat to dance with me.”

He scoffs.

“Elora, you made a real effort to be here for me today. The least I can do is dance with you. Besides, isn’t that why we practiced?” His smile is genuine, but my mind can’t help but wander to our kiss that day and what it meant for us afterward. I sigh and smile, trying to shake the memory of me leaving his house for the last time out of my head.

“Yes. Let’s dance,” I say.

He stands, then offers me his hand. I take it and rise from the chair. But, before walking me to the dance floor, he searches my face.

“Thank you for being here,” he says softly. “It means more to me than you know.”

Oh, Logan. I wish I could wave a magic wand and make all the complications go away.

But I just smile and nod, and we head toward the pounding beat.

“We’re going to slow this down a bit now, so all you couples, get ready to sway,” the DJ says, just as we reach the floor.

“Slow dance,” I say, then laugh nervously.

“Don’t worry. I had a great teacher.”

I feel his hand at the small of my back while his left hand holds my right. The shock waves that pulsate through my body keep me on edge, no matter how much I tell myself it’s just a dance.

“You know, if you step on my foot, I may not feel it, but my whole leg could come off, and then you’ll have to hold me up while trying to pick it up,” he says. I’m in shock.

“What?”

“Just kidding. You had such a serious look on your face that I thought you could use a little humor.”

I giggle.

“You’re something else, you know that?”

“That’s what they tell me,” he says with a cocky smile. I just roll my eyes.

“Well, if I step on your foot, it’s your own fault. Your foot shouldn’t be on my side of this dance space.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

His mouth twists, and I smile, awaiting his comeback.

“So, what’s been going on in the life of the best dance teacher, slash, caregiver there ever was?”

“I don’t really want to talk about that stuff right now. Can we just enjoy the time we have together on this night and worry about everything else some other time?”

“Absolutely,” he says. Then, suddenly, he twirls me out and back in. I squeal in surprise. “Now, watch this.” He pulls me in tight against him, and we spin quickly in a circle. I can only see his face, as the background blurs from the speed of our spin. When we slow, we’re both grinning from ear to ear.

“You’ve really gotten good at balancing.”

“I told you, I’ve been working hard. I’m hardly ever in my chair anymore.”

“That’s great, Logan. That’s really great. I can’t believe how far you’ve come.”

“I know. When I met you, I was this grumpy person who could barely function.”

“And now, look at you,” I say. “It’s been quite a transformation. I wonder what you’ll accomplish next.”

“The sky is the limit,” he says.

The music changes again, to a faster beat, so we decide to mingle a bit.

“I’m going to visit the ladies room.”

“Okay. Come find me when you’re done.”

I nod and begin my trek.

When I arrive at the bathroom, several of the bridesmaids are hovering around one stall. It’s then that I realize they’re assisting the bride with bustling her train.

“You missed a button, Georgia. Actually, you’ve missed several,” Sydney says.

“Well, if you’d quit moving around so much, I could see them.”

“Here, let me help,” says a woman who I remember being introduced as Sarah. She must be the groom’s sister.

They finally get her all put together, and she emerges from the stall.

“Oh, hi. Elora, right?”

“Yes,” I say, confused as to why she would know me.

“Logan mentioned that you might be coming. He speaks very highly of you.”

“Oh.”

“He’s such a great guy. Too bad about his accident, eh?”

I wonder how much she knows about it.

“Yeah, he really is. It really threw him for a loop.”

“I feel awful for him, but he seems to be recovering nicely. I hear that’s, in part, because of you.”

I shrug.

“He gives me more credit than I deserve.”

“That’s not what I was told. Ryan said you saved his life just as much as he did.”

Huh?

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that Ryan saved Logan’s life initially, but you saved it somehow as well. Maybe, by helping him recover?”

Ryan saved his life?

“I guess so. If you want to look at it that way.”

I want to ask her for more details, but I feel like I might be prying. After all, if Logan wanted me to know, he’d have told me about it already.

“Well, it was nice to finally meet you. The two of you should come over sometime.”

“Sure,” I say automatically, and she exits the bathroom.

I lean against the sink, trying to imagine how Ryan saved him. Was he a doctor in Logan’s platoon? I’ve got to get to the bottom of this somehow.

As I walk out, someone is grabbing my arm. It’s Michael, and we’re headed toward the dance floor.

“What are you doing?” I ask.

“Shh. I want to dance with you, but we’ll have to be quick before Logan interrupts us.”

We arrive at our destination and assume the position. Hm. This might be a great opportunity to pump his brother for information.

His hold is much looser than Logan’s, but I’m glad for that.

“I wanted to ask you something,” he says.

“Okay.”

“What are your feelings toward my brother?”

“Um—”

“I don’t mean to come right out and ask like this, but I need to know if there’s a chance for the two of you. If there isn’t, then I need to stop, um, encouraging him.” He points to his injured face, and now I understand what their fight may have been about.

“Well, that’s sort of a personal question, Michael. I’m not sure how to answer that.”

“I know, and I’m sorry. Just tell me, is there a chance at all?”

I contemplate my answer.

“How about you answer a question for me, then I’ll answer yours?”

“Okay. Shoot.”

“Sydney said that Ryan saved Logan’s life initially. How so?”

“That’s all you got?” He scoffs. “That’s easy. When Logan had his accident, Ryan happened to be right behind him. He saw the whole thing. Ryan, being a vet, knew what to do. He wrapped make-shift tourniquets just above Logan’s knees and called the ambulance. If it weren’t for Ryan’s quick thinking, Logan wouldn’t be alive today.”

“Did they know each other before that day?”

“They’d met a few times before, but Ryan was
my
friend from college, so no, they really didn’t.”

“Who’s they, and what didn’t they do?” Logan asks, as he reaches us. “And why are you dancing with my date?”

My heart speeds up. Did he hear us?

“We were just talking about—”

“Nothing important,” I interrupt. “Are you cutting in?”

He smiles smugly at Michael.

“Yes. I am.”

Michael hands me over, but before he leaves us, he directs a statement at me.

“You owe me another dance.” Then, he winks.

Ah, yes. I never did get the chance to answer
his
question.

“What was that about?”

I shake my head.

“Nothing to worry about,” I say. “Let’s dance.”

The cake has been cut, the bouquet and garter have been thrown, and all the typical wedding reception traditions are over. Now, as the guests begin to leave, I realize my wonderful night with Logan is almost done. Although I’m glad I came, I’m sad it has to end.

“Are you sure you want to give me a ride home?” he asks.

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I?”

He shrugs.

“Thank you,” he says appreciatively. “I’m going to find whatever corner Michael and Cindy are making out in, and let them know we’re going.”

“Okay,” I giggle. He touches my arm just before walking away. I sigh and smile wistfully.

He’s on his way to the opposite side of the hall when a young woman walks by. She smiles at me, so I smile back.

“So, you’re Logan’s new girlfriend?” the woman asks.

“Um, no,” I snort. “I’m just a friend.”

“Mm,” she says, looking me up and down. “Does
he
know you’re just friends?”

I can’t hide my puzzled expression.

“I’m sorry, who are you?”

“My name’s Bethany. I didn’t catch yours.”

“I didn’t throw it.” I smile sarcastically. There’s something I don’t like about this woman, though, I’m not sure what it is. “I’m Elora.”

“Elora.” She repeats my name, but the tone she uses puts my body on high alert.

“Can I help you?” I say, thrusting my brows toward the bridge of my nose.

“I’m so glad you asked. Can I ask you a question?” I nod, subtly. “What are your intentions with Logan?”

What?

This seems to be a popular question today.

“That’s really none of your business,” I say, peeking over her shoulder to get a glimpse of Logan.