That the idea of Logan being married made me feel like I would vomit.
Like I said, selfish, but I didn’t know how to stop it.
Logan ruffled his fingers through the child’s hair.
Affection poured from the man.
A tenderness I’d been convinced had gone missing.
“Oh dear, young Gage, do you forget you’re with the coolest uncle of all time? Come on, man, you shouldn’t even have to ask. I am the raddest of the rad, after all. Are you trippin’?” he teased.
A giggle slipped from the boy. “No tripping here, I got really super steady feet because I do the ballet classes with Mommy. See?” He did a little jig in his checkered Vans. “And I already know you’re pretty rad. Just don’t tell Uncle Jud I said so because I’m not picking no favorites. Never, no way. That’s not even nice, and I don’t want to make Uncle Jud sad.”
Awareness spun.
Gage had to be Trent’s son.
Trent who was Logan’s oldest brother. The brother who was going to take the entire family away from Los Angeles where they would build a better life. I’d wondered too often where they had gone.
Logan tsked, his demeanor easy playfulness, the hard, rigid lines from our last two interactions nowhere in sight.
“Uncle Jud is just jealous he’s not as awesome as me.”
“You’d better watch it if Uncle Jud even hears it. He’s gonna give you a one, two, three kapow.” Gage threw a punch at the air.
“Pssh…Uncle Jud is the one who’d better watch it. He might be big, but he knows I’ll take him down.”
“Because we’re speedy quick and sly as a dog, right, Uncle, right?”
“That’s right, little man, that’s right.”
Then the boy sobered into seriousness. “But we love everyone the same. Because we’re family and we got to stick together no matter what.”
Logan chuckled, a soft swell of love rippling from his mouth.
I didn’t know how I remained standing.
The way my spirit clutched, and affection tried to become the reigning emotion.
“That’s right, Gage. Because we’re family, and we stick together. No matter what.” He touched Gage’s chin.
I swore the barista swooned as the customer in front of them took his coffee and walked away.
Oh, wait.
It was me.
Get it together, Aster. Otherwise, this was going to be a suicide mission. My mangled heart no longer fit to beat.
Logan tossed the barista one of those cocky smiles that could melt a glacier. “Good morning, beautiful. It seems we need a hot chocolateanda doughnut. Large black coffee for me.”
Her smile was edged in interest as she punched in the order, her eyes raking him with a wash of familiarity. “Sure thing, Logan. Anything else I can get for you?”
“My uncle is pretty cool. You want to marry him? He doesn’t got a wife and my daddy says it’s a sad, sorry state of affairs, way he’s out tappin’ about everything that walks.”
Logan choked and moved to clamp his hand over Gage’s mouth. “Um, you’ll have to excuse my nephew. He’s a pathological liar.”
Gage squirmed out of his hold. “Liar? Lies are bad, Uncle Logan. Don’t you know nothin’?”