“I do. Though my father-in-law takes care of most of the livestock.” As soon as she said it, Courtney knew she’d made a mistake. Both Jorga and Paris whipped their heads around to stare at her.
Jorga’s brows knitted together. “Logan’s dad runs a farm?”
“I didn’t know you were married,” Paris said almost at the same time.
“I’m not.” Courtney inhaled sharply. “I mean, I was. But my husband died, a couple of years ago.”
“I’m so sorry.” Jorga sounded genuinely sad. “That must have been awful.”
“It’s okay. It was a while ago.” Courtney glanced at the kitchen door, willing Logan to come back.
“But still, losing a husband like that must have had a huge impact,” Paris added, her eyes narrowed as she took Courtney in. “And now you’re pregnant. Another big thing to deal with.”
“Yeah, I guess it is. But I’ve had time to get used to it,” Courtney told her. “I’m ready to be a mom.”
“Well that’s good,” Paris said, giving a little laugh. “Because I can’t see Logan being the best dad.”
Her words felt like a slap to the face. “What do you mean?” Courtney asked.
Paris grimaced. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. It’s not my place.”
“She’s right though,” Jorga leaned in. “He’s such an alpha male. So in control of his life. I can’t even picture him holding a baby.” Her eyes widened. “Imagine spit up on one of his designer suits. It’ll drive him crazy.”
“He’s a neat freak,” Paris agreed.
“Right? Have you seen his apartment?” Jorga asked Courtney. “It’s like a double page spread in Boston Life.”
Courtney tried to ignore the twist in her gut. They weren’t saying anything she hadn’t already noticed. “Babies change us all, I guess.” She pressed her lips together. “He’ll get used to it.”
Paris plastered a smile on her lips. “Of course he will. It’s just a shame that he has to leave this behind. He’s worked so hard to build up these restaurants. I’ve never seen a guy who loves his job so much. He eats, drinks, and lives the hospitality business.” She sighed. “There’s going to be a huge hole in his life.”
Courtney closed her eyes for a moment, remembering the excitement on his face as they walked inside this restaurant. He looked so alive it had warmed her heart.
Could he really leave all this behind to move to Hartson’s Creek?
“Can I get you a drink?” one of the wait staff asked her. “We have a wonderful Cabernet Sauvignon I can recommend.”
“I’ll just take some water please,” Courtney told him.
“Sure. We have sparkling, semi sparkling, still, and still with a twist of lemon?”
“Just tap water is fine.”
“You can’t have tap water,” Jorga protested. “Not with food like this. Bring her a Perrier on ice and a slice of lime.”
“It’s okay. I don’t really like fizzy water.” Courtney wrinkled her nose.
Jorga bit down a smile. “I haven’t heard it called fizzy for ages.”
“I’ll bring a bottle of still and sparkling for the table,” the waiter said, as though he felt sorry for her. “Then you can decide.”
Courtney nodded. “Thank you.”
“Everything okay?” Logan asked, walking up from behind. She hadn’t heard the door to the kitchen open, or his footsteps as he approached. No wonder she jumped when he pressed his lips against her cheek.
“Everything’s fine,” she told him, her voice low.
“Great.” Logan smiled, pressing his palm to her shoulder. “We should be bringing out the first courses in a moment. I want you to try a taste of everything. Be honest about what you think, okay? The feedback’s important. We need