Bayside Destinies Read online

  Logan leaned over and rubbed her shoulders. “I know it’s a stressful situation. I’m furious with him, so I can’t imagine how much worse it is on you.”

  She turned to him, her eyes wide with surprise.

  He continued rubbing. “You’re really tense.”

  Audrey shrugged. “It’ll go away once Bryson’s out of my life.”

  Logan held her hand and kissed the back of it. “I’ll be here for you until he does.”

  She met his gaze and held it. “I really appreciate it.”

  He could get lost in those green eyes. “I’m just glad I can do something to help.”

  “I’m sorry I dragged your family into all of this. Now they all think you’re really engaged. They’ll probably hate me after we fake break up.”

  Logan traced her chin with this thumb. “How could anyone hate you?”

  “Well, if they think I broke your heart, it would be easy.”

  He shook his head. “I’d never paint you in a bad light. Come on, we should go inside.”

  Once outside, Logan drew in a deep breath of fresh air and held onto the scent of freshly cut grass. He really needed to get control of his feelings. Spending time with Audrey was making him act like they were really in love—he was too talented an actor for his own good.

  He took one more deep breath before opening the passenger door for her. She slid her soft, slender hand into his and they walked up to the house.

  The front door flung open before they even reached the steps.

  “What were you two lovebirds doing in the car so long?” Dakota teased. “Everyone’s eager to meet you, Audrey.”

  “Everyone?” Logan asked. “She’s already met everybody other than Nico, Sullivan, and Haley.”

  “Let’s fix that.” Dakota grabbed Audrey’s arm and pulled her inside.

  Logan gave her an apologetic glance. Inside, his family swarmed him and Audrey, offering congratulations and asking questions. He worried they were overwhelming her, but Audrey seemed to be enjoying herself. Or at least fake enjoying herself.

  His sisters and sister-in-law pulled her into the living room, all talking over each other excitedly about weddings.

  In the kitchen, Logan grabbed an orange, but his mom shooed him away. “Dinner’s almost ready.”

  “This’ll hardly ruin my appetite.” He peeled the orange and made his way to the family room, where the guys were gathered around the TV, watching the baseball game.

  “Who’s winning?” Logan asked.

  They all groaned.

  “Atlanta, now.” Dad leaned back and shook his head. “I don’t know what’s gotten into these guys lately.”

  Mom called everyone in for dinner. The table was even more cramped than usual with an extra chair.

  Logan held a chair for Audrey. “Can I get you anything?”

  She sat and shook her head. He took the seat next to her.

  Conversation around the table was lively as everyone caught one another up on their lives over the past week. Logan kept glancing over at Audrey. She smiled at him each time she caught him looking.

  Before long, the food had been devoured and most everyone moved into the family room for games.

  Logan took Audrey’s hand. “I’ll be in there in a few minutes. It’s my and Shale’s turn to clean up.”

  “I can help you.”

  He kissed her cheek. “No. You’re a guest.”

  “Let her help if she wants.” Shale carried a pile of plates to the sink.

  Logan shook his head and turned back to Audrey. “Enjoy a board game. I think it’s Sullivan’s choice tonight. Hope you like Scrabble.”

  “And losing,” Shale said. “If Scrabble was in the Olympics, Sully would be the reigning champion.”

  Audrey grinned. “I’m pretty good at it. We’ll see who wins tonight.”

  “Take him down.” Logan kissed her forehead and turned to the dishes.

  Once they were done, Shale wiped his forehead and arched a brow at Logan.

  “What?”

  Shale glanced around and spoke in a low voice. “You sure your engagement is fake?”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Logan frowned.

  “I saw the way you two kept looking at each other during dinner.”

  Logan stood taller. “We have to be convincing.”

  “You kissed her twice when I was the only one in here. Twice, and I know it’s fake. Or at least that it’s supposed to be.”

  Logan glared at him. “It is.”

  “I was looking for signs that it is, but I didn’t see any. I just saw two people acting like they think the other was the best thing ever.”

  “We are friends—we genuinely like each other. You’re reading too much into it.”

  “Whatever you have to tell yourself.”

  “I don’t have to tell myself anything. I’m helping a friend out, end of story.”

  “Okay.” Shale’s tone told Logan that he didn’t believe him.

  “That’s the truth.”

  “I said, okay.”

  Logan walked away from his brother, but he couldn’t deny his feelings for Audrey were stronger than he felt for any other friend. Even so, it didn’t matter. Once he returned to work, that would be his only focus.

  Twenty-One

  Audrey high-fived everyone around the game table. Everybody other than Sullivan was thrilled that she’d beat the reigning champion of Scrabble.

  He narrowed his eyes and gave her a playful grin. “Care for a rematch? The real champ is the winner of two out of three?”

  “Oh, let her have the win.” Freya waved him off. “You can’t win them all.”

  “I can, and I do.” Sullivan pressed his palms on the table and kept his attention on Audrey. “Up for a rematch?”

  She thought about it. “If I do, what’s in it for me?”

  Dakota gave Audrey another high-five. “You’re going to fit in with this family perfectly.”

  Sullivan tapped his chin, appearing deep in thought. “You won’t, but how about this? If you win, I’ll be your realtor and you won’t have to pay any of the realtor fees. That’s some serious savings.”

  “And if you win?” Audrey asked.

  “You treat my wife to a spa day. I’ve been promising Haley one for months now, but business hasn’t slowed down at all yet. She needs it more than ever.”

  Audrey’s finances were already tight, but she was up by one point and all of Logan’s siblings were looking at her eagerly. They wanted Sullivan to go down, and only she could do it.

  “Okay. I’ll accept your friendly wager.”

  They cleared the board and set up the pieces for two. Audrey’s pulse picked up speed as the Hunters cheered for her.

  Halfway through the second round, Logan came over and put his arm around her. “Why’s it so intense in here?”

  “Don’t distract her.” Freya pulled him away and explained the wager.

  The game was growing more intense as the board filled with squares. Once the round was over, Sullivan threw his fists into the air. “I won!”

  Audrey stared at him. “By one point. I was going easy on you to keep it interesting.”

  “Sure you were. Next round determines the winner.”

  Logan rubbed her shoulders. “You’ve got this. None of us have ever beaten Sully at Scrabble.”

  Audrey closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of Logan massaging her aching muscles.

  “You ready to go down, Hughes?”

  She opened her eyes. Her opponent’s expression was both serious and friendly. “I think you mean to ask if you’re ready to go down.”

  Sullivan rolled up his sleeves. “Dream on.”

  Logan kissed Audrey’s cheek and brushed his mouth against her ear. His breath tickled her skin and sent a shiver down her spine.

  “Don’t distract her.” Dakota pulled Logan away.

  Shale gave Logan a funny look. Audrey wondered what that was all about, but she didn’t have time
to try and figure it out. It was time to beat a Scrabble champion.

  The third round was even more intense than the last. Everyone other than Haley cheered for Audrey. She probably wanted the spa day as much as she wanted her husband to win. Audrey had to admit it sounded fun, so if she lost, at least she’d get a day of pampering out of it. But she also wasn’t one to back down easily. She would either win or make it as difficult as possible for Sullivan to take the victory.

  Letter squares filled the board quickly. With all the excitement in the air, Audrey would’ve thought it was the Super Bowl. Maybe this was the Hunter’s version of the big football game.

  She picked up two more pieces and looked around the board. She’d gotten a Q, allowing her to make the word quiver. It would be enough to secure her win, assuming he didn’t have a high-scoring word also.

  “Can’t make any words?” Sullivan asked.

  “Just one little one.” Audrey set each piece down, taking her time and saving the Q square for last.

  Shouts of joy sounded all around her.

  “She hasn’t won yet,” Sullivan said. “We need to double-check the score—after I put down my last word.”

  He turned the word able into enable.

  It wasn’t enough for the win.

  High-fives and cheering burst out all around after Nico double-checked the scores and declared Audrey the winner.

  Though Sullivan was clearly disappointed, he held out his hand to Audrey. “Good game.”

  She shook his hand. “You too.”

  “You have three years to take me up on the offer. Not a day more.”

  Haley shoved him. “You didn’t tell her that before.” She turned to Audrey. “There’s no time limit. I’ll be your realtor if he decides to be a poor sport.”

  Sullivan shrugged. “I can’t see Logan giving up his house, anyway. Can’t see them moving anytime soon.”

  The group split up as the guys went outside to play basketball, leaving the women inside.

  Dakota headed for a shelf with a devious grin. “Want to see some embarrassing pictures of Logan? We’ve got a lifetime of them.”

  Audrey laughed. “That sounds like fun.”

  Dakota and Freya both pulled out armfuls of photo albums and set them on the table, then sat on either side of Audrey.

  Haley sat next to Dakota. “This’ll be fun.”

  The sisters shared funny stories to go along with plenty of hilarious photos. As a teen, he’d gotten himself into countless predicaments, and someone had always been there with a camera.

  He’d gotten stuck up high in a tree while pulling a prank on Sullivan. Another time, he’d gotten buried up to his waist in mud after a botched joke on Shale.

  Then, to her surprise, Freya turned to a page with a couple pictures of Logan with Audrey. In one of them, Logan had his arm around her in front of the bay.

  “There are pictures of me in your family albums?” she exclaimed.

  Dakota bumped her shoulder against Audrey’s. “He liked you even then.”

  Her face warmed. “He did?”

  The wedding planner sighed dreamily. “Look at his face. That’s the look of love, if I’ve ever seen it. You two are meant to be.”

  Audrey studied Logan’s expression in the picture. Sure, he seemed happy enough, but calling that the look of love was a little over the top.

  Or was it? That had been the summer he’d agreed to the marriage pact.

  Half a lifetime ago. It was no wonder he was so hard to read now though, so much had changed. Even if he did have feelings for her back then, it didn’t mean anything in regard to now. And besides, everyone was looking at the old picture through the eyes of a current fake engagement they believed to be real.

  Dakota turned the page, and everyone burst into laughter at another picture, but Audrey’s mind was too far away to pay attention to the newest photos.

  Before long, everyone started to leave for their own homes. A wide range of emotions ran through Audrey. She felt both happiness and loss over feeling part of a family.

  The Hunters had welcomed her in as one of their own, and it had been one of the best nights of her life. Unfortunately, just like every other time she’d felt at home with someone else’s family, it was only temporary.

  She didn’t truly belong anywhere. Once the Hunters learned about the fake engagement, their warm welcome would end.

  Logan put his arm around her as they walked to his car. “My family really likes you.”

  Tears stung her eyes. Exactly—they were his family. She nodded. “I had fun, too.”

  He squeezed her shoulder. “About that spa day…”

  “There isn’t a spa day. That was only if Sullivan won.”

  Logan smiled. “I think both you and Haley could use one. I’d like to treat you guys to that spa day.”

  “You would?”

  He nodded and opened the car door for her. “You and Haley pick a day, then tell me. I’ll take care of everything.”

  Audrey climbed into the car without a word, her heart swelling. Logan certainly hadn’t had to make that offer.

  Could there be more to their fake engagement? And more importantly, did she dare hope there could be?

  Twenty-Two

  Logan pulled up to his driveway and cut the engine, but he didn’t get out of the car. His mind reeled, replaying everything from the night.

  His family adored Audrey—not that he could blame them. She was wonderful, and would one day make a real fiancé very happy. His stomach squeezed at the thought.

  Why did that upset him? She deserved a good man. Someone who was the complete opposite of Bryson. Unfortunately, Logan wasn’t the man for her. He couldn’t give Audrey everything she deserved. Not when he wanted to continue being the most sought-after attorney in Enchantment Bay.

  It really was too bad he couldn’t have both. The time he was spending with Audrey was everything he’d once dreamed a relationship could be. But it wasn’t real. They were only engaged to trick Bryson into leaving, and no woman had ever been happy with the time and attention Logan gave to work. As soon as they saw how dedicated he was to his long hours, they all ran screaming.

  Logan needed to ignore Shale’s comments. They both knew the engagement was a farce, and his brother probably just liked having Mom and Dad’s attention on Logan. It kept Mom from asking Shale when he was going to start dating again.

  He tapped on the steering wheel. He’d just enjoy what he and Audrey had over the summer, and then the two of them could go back to their lives.

  But what would Audrey go back to? She’d left Bryson, and he would be out of her life—hopefully in jail where he deserved to be after everything he’d done. What would she do? Would she return to Spokane or stay in Enchantment Bay? She did have a job and an apartment.

  Despite their relationship being fake, he couldn’t help hoping she’d stay. Could they be friends after the fake engagement? Logan could hardly spend any time around her without wanting to kiss and protect her. Would that change when she no longer needed protecting?

  The more he thought about not being with Audrey, the worse his stomach felt. As selfish as it was, he didn’t want to see her leave or find love elsewhere.

  What was he supposed to do? He couldn’t give her what she deserved, but at the same time, he didn’t want anyone else to, either.

  Could he offer a real relationship? Just because it had never worked out with anyone else didn’t necessarily mean it couldn’t with Audrey, did it? He’d never felt anywhere near as strongly about any other woman.

  Maybe for her, he could make career and love work. Most of the other partners in the firm were married, so clearly it could be done. Though how happy their marriages were was up for debate. Perhaps what he couldn’t give Audrey in terms of time, he could give with nice things. Would that be enough?

  Her face had lit up when he’d offered to give her the spa day with Haley.

  It might actually be possible if she understood that his l
ong hours weren’t a reflection of his feelings for her.

  Logan’s heart warmed, and it spread throughout his body. The more he thought about trying a real relationship with her, the more he liked the idea.

  Even though they were already engaged, he would try to win her over. His heart soared into the air at the thought.

  He wouldn’t tell her what he was doing, he would just see what happens. Worst case, they’d end the fake engagement once Bryson was jailed and hopefully still be friends. Best case, he wouldn’t need to tell anyone else the engagement had ever been a farce.

  His heart raced at that thought. Imagining bringing her to his home after the world’s most romantic honeymoon brought him more happiness than winning any court case ever had.

  Logan grabbed his keys and headed for his front door, unable to feel the ground beneath his feet.

  Sirens sounded down the road.

  He turned around to see two police cruisers slowing as they approached his property.

  “What’s going on?” Logan demanded as soon as they climbed out of the cars.

  “Stay back. We received a call about a break-in here.”

  “What? This is my house.” Logan pulled out his phone. The company was supposed to notify him as soon as anything was wrong.

  There were three texts from his security company, but he hadn’t heard any of them come in.

  His phone had turned itself on silent. Again. It was definitely time for a new one, but first he needed to figure out what was going on with his home.

  Logan stuffed his phone into a pocket and followed the officers to his house.

  One turned to him. “Stay back, sir.”

  “This is my house!”

  “We need to make sure everything is secure. Go to your car.”

  Logan grumbled, but did as he was told. If only Nico was on duty, then he would probably let Logan check out his own house.

  He squinted, trying to see any signs of a break-in. The texts hadn’t been specific, only letting him know that the alarm had been tripped and that they were going to alert the authorities.

  “What’s going on?”

  Logan turned to see Mildred Montgomery, a neighbor from a couple houses down. The little old lady wore a white scarf over her silver hair and had on a green flowered dress.