Carl was standing next to his cruiser, his eyes narrow as he stared at her and Logan.
She swallowed hard. “That’s my brother-in-law.” Her worried gaze met Logan’s, but he didn’t seem perturbed at all.
“You want to say hi?”
She shook her head. “I want to go home.”
“Okay.” Logan clicked the button on his key fob, and pulled the passenger door open.
“Is that him?” Carl called out, striding toward them. Courtney looked from her brother-in-law to Logan, then back again, her stomach dropping at their expressions.
“Carl, I have to go. Can I talk to you later?” she asked, her voice urgent.
“You’re one of the Hartsons, right?” Carl said to Logan, completely ignoring her. “You’re the guy that knocked Courtney up?”
Logan tipped his head to the side. “I’m the father of her baby.” He didn’t look intimidated by Carl at all, despite the angry look on his face and the gun on his hip. “Can I help you?”
Carl’s jaw was tight as he stopped only a few inches from where Logan was standing. Carl was shorter and stockier, but it didn’t stop him from squaring up. His expression was sour, his jaw tight.
“You know she lost her husband? You took advantage of her, you asshole.” He stepped closer, but Logan didn’t flinch.
“I’m sorry you feel that way.”
“Carl, please stop,” Courtney said, her voice urgent. “People are looking.”
Instead of stopping, Carl reached for Logan’s shirt collar, wrapping his fingers around it and jerking. Logan’s head lurched forward, and he reached out to push Carl away.
“Don’t fucking touch me,” Carl told him, his voice tight. “Just keep away from her, you hear?”
“We’re having a baby,” Logan reminded him, his eyes darting to meet Courtney’s gaze. “I can’t keep away from her. She’s carrying my kid.”
Carl’s fist met Logan’s jaw with a sickening crunch. Logan’s head jerked backward, hitting the side of the passenger door. His legs buckled as he slid down against it.
“Stop!” she cried out, rushing to stand between them. Logan stood, his hand rubbing his jaw and mouth. His bottom lip had split from the impact, and he looked down at his fingers, frowning when he saw the blood.
“Carl, you need to go,” Courtney hissed. “Before I call your boss.”
Carl shook his head, his brows knitted together as though he wasn’t sure what the hell he’d just done. “I’m sorry… I…”
“Just go, please,” she told him. “Before you do something even worse.”
Logan was watching them both silently, his hand still touching his injured mouth. Carl was shaking, as though he was in shock. He shot a final, lost glance at Courtney, then turned and walked back to his cruiser, his shoulders stooped.
“You okay?” she asked Logan, turning to him.
“Yeah.” He nodded, his fingers gingerly touching his face. “You?”
No she wasn’t. Not at all. There were people dotted around the square, standing in shop doorways. And all of them were watching the most awful scene unfold in front of them.
“I’m okay,” she lied. “But we should go home. I need to check that your lip is okay.”
“It’s fine.” His gaze was soft. “A little painful but fine.”
“All the same, I’ll feel better if I can take a look at it.” She sat on the passenger seat. “Come on, let’s go home.”
Chapter Fourteen
“I’m so sorry.” Courtney dabbed at the split in Logan’s lip with an antiseptic wipe. When she pulled it away he could see it was stained pink with his blood. “He shouldn’t have touched you, let alone hit you.” She sighed. “You could report him to the department if you want to. I wouldn’t blame you.”