An old-fashioned phone ring came from inside Noah's suit jacket. He pulled it out and frowned at the screen. “I'm terribly sorry, I need to take this. Excuse me.”
He stood and put the phone to his ear as he stepped toward the rear of the building. I sat quietly watching Tyler and Izzy interact until Logan returned. He had the lobster claw I was thinking of getting. I decided that I didn't actually need it and instead stood up to get a drink from the bar. I was sure the bartender could make me a virgin-something.
“How's your head?” he asked, cracking open the shell. I winced at the sound, especially combined with the mention of my head.
“It doesn't hurt anymore, but I'm definitely tired. Exhausted, really. I'm going to go get a drink.” I hoped he'd take the hint that I wasn't up for conversation.
“I'll come with you,” he said, pushing away his plate and standing. I turned and hurried to the bar. I wished he would just leave me alone. I heard him follow behind me, and it took all my strength not to sigh.
“Virgin strawberry daiquiri, please,” I requested once I reached the ornate wooden counter. The bartender quickly started mixing ingredients.
“One for me too, if you don't mind,” Logan chimed in. The bartender nodded and added more juice to his blender.
“You know there's no alcohol in this, right?” I asked, crossing my arms against the countertop.
“I happen to be a fan of virgin strawberry daiquiris.” He leaned back against the bar, looking completely at ease. His jacket hung open, and I could see the definition of his muscles under his thin white dress shirt. Damn him for looking good without even trying. It messed with my head that he could look like an angel but be such a devil.
He continued to talk. “I always thought it was a cruel joke that after all the excitement of a concussion that you aren't allowed to nap.” The bartender handed us our drinks and he took a big sip before continuing. I really wished that the daiquiri had alcohol. It would make this situation so much more bearable.
“Is that so?” I glanced around the room to see if I could escape, but Noah was still on the phone, Tyler and Izzy were deep in conversation, and Maddy was busy talking with one of the other guests. No easy outs.
“With all the adrenaline and movement that comes with an accident, it's only natural to want to sleep after,” he continued. “If it was your ankle instead of your head, no one would think twice about letting you pass out and recover. But, since it's the head, no nap. So, not only are you exhausted and injured, you have people poking you and telling you not to sleep.”
“You sound like you've had this happen to you once or twice,” I replied before realizing I was engaging him in conversation. Now I had to talk to him.
“I used to play football. Even played in college. Plus, having an older brother kind of predisposes kids to injuries,” he said with a laugh.
Football certainly explained his broad-shouldered physique. He was easy to imagine out on a field in pads and a jersey, and I found my body responding favorably to the image. I really wished he wasn't such a jerk, because there were things I would enjoy doing to that body.
“What position did you play?” I asked, taking another sip of my drink and trying not to think of what he looked like without his shirt on.
“Usually wide receiver, though sometimes I'd play tight end.” He smiled his movie star smile at me and I couldn't look away. I wished I didn't find him so damn attractive. I hated him and what he did to me, but one flash of that mega-watt grin and my knees went to putty. It wasn't fair. My body and my mind definitely had very different opinions of the man.
“Were you any good?”
“Not really,” he said, shaking his head. “I tell people I played in college, but it was mostly on the bench. I have a feeling dad helped get me on the team. I loved the game, but I don't have much natural talent for it.”
“Logan Hayes admitting that he's not good at something?” I turned and exaggerated looking out the nearest window. “I don't see any pigs with wings out there...”
“It's dark out, and they tend to fly higher up in the atmosphere,” he replied. “Don't tell anyone, though. Could ruin my football reputation.”
I laughed, and was surprised to find it was genuine. I could barely believe I was enjoying his company, and not just because of his looks. He was being wonderful and sweet—not only me, but Tyler. I took a sip of my drink and wondered if I hit my head harder than I thought. I had sworn I would stay away from him.
“What about you? Anything you aren't good at?” Logan asked. His brown eyes focused on me, absorbing my every detail as if it were terribly important, and it made my heart speed up. I hadn't had a man look at me like that in a very long time...since the last time he had looked at me like that, in fact.
“Jet-skiing,” I answered with a straight face. His laugh filled the room and I grinned. “Actually, I want to thank you again. You were great with Tyler.”
“He's a good kid. He actually reminds me a lot of myself when I was his age.” His eyes went distant as he remembered his own gawky years. I tried to think of him as a scared, skinny boy and couldn't reconcile the image. He oozed too much charm and self-assurance for me to see him as anything but the man before me.
“I really do appreciate it. You didn't have to stay with him while I was with the doctor, but I'm really grateful that you did,” I said. I hoped he knew how sincere I was. Despite my dislike for him and his business tactics, he had done the right thing that afternoon. “Thank you for all your help today.”
“It was no trouble. I wasn't going to just abandon the kid.” He took a sip of his drink and shrugged like heroics were an everyday occurrence for him. “I'm just glad you're okay.”
A genuine smile etched its way onto my face. Maybe I had misjudged him. Maybe he had changed from the sneaky conman who had almost ruined my business and broken my heart. I wasn't quite ready to trust him completely. But today he had not only saved my life, but also made someone who I cared about very happy. I glanced over at Tyler. Izzy was busy telling two men from another travel agency of Tyler's heroics. Tyler was smiling and basking in the attention. I hadn't seen that side of him since before the move. That a
lone was worth giving Logan another chance.
“Thank you.” I smiled and really meant it.