Chuckling, Logan reached over and ran his hand over the back of Juniper’s head. “Fine. That was a bad word, Juni, I’m sorry. You probably shouldn’t say it again even though it was completely valid.”
The last he tossed out with a grin at Salem.
She scowled at him, though I was pretty sure it was riddled with affection.
“It’s okay. You’re forgiven. But you still gotta put some dollars in the swears jar. My mimi already gots it half full.” Juni’s tone was pure disappointment.
Logan dug into his wallet and pulled out a five-dollar bill. “How about you do it for me the next time you go to your mimi’s?”
Juni snatched it. “Or I might keep it. Payback.”
Logan’s mouth dropped open. “For what?”
“For your birthday.” She gave him a look that said,obviously.
“I have to pay you for my birthday?”
“It was a lot of hards work, Uncle.”
Amusement pressed at my chest.
Logan laughed. “Little swindler.”
“Seems she learned from the best.” Jud winked at me when he said it.
Redness flashed.
Clearly, they’d heard how Logan and I hadruninto each other.
Logan slipped his arm around my waist, his heat so sweet, his mouth so tempting. “Come on.”
“It was nice to see you both again,” I murmured, overcome, swept away, unable to keep the smile from taking to my face.
A real one.
Not forced or faked.
Because I wanted this. To celebrate Logan’s birthday with him. With his friends and his family. To experience what it would have been like if life weren’t so cruel.
If it didn’t steal our hearts and souls.
Crush every part of us that was good.
If it didn’t make uschoose.
Logan introduced me to a few people around the room. His office manager. A couple friends he golfed with. A mechanic named Brock from the custom bike shop, Iron Ride, that Jud owned.
He led me to three intimidating men drinking beers in the corner. They had their massive, tattooed arms crossed over their chests and gave off the vibe any one of them could be currently standing outside guarding Jarek’s house.
Logan fist bumped each of them. “I can’t believe you’re here and my brother actually thought to give you the night off. It’s a Christmas miracle.”
“Birthday miracle,” the first one said. A gleam lit in his eyes when he looked at me. “Guess there are a ton of birthday miracles going around considering you walked in with a woman that looks like this. I’m Sage, beautiful.”
A blush hit my cheeks. “Aster.”
Logan curled his arm around me, and I thought he was going to pop off a razzing insult, but he tucked me close and muttered, “You’re right, Sage, it’s a fucking miracle.”
My heart thrashed.