“Believe me, I know,” he said grittily. “I’m still kicking myself for not doing terrible, illegal things to you last night.” He released her hair and cupped the side of her neck, thumb caressing the hollow beneath her ear. “But this is where you drive me nuts. You act tough enough to make me believe it, but now I know how easy it is to hurt you and I won’t do that again.”

She pulled away. “I’m not eighteen anymore.”

“It wasn’t being young that made it easy for me to hurt you, Soph.”

She bit back a gasp, surprised how deeply that struck.

“We can hurt each other,” he said with a squeeze of her shoulder, as if that was some kind of consolation. “I don’t want us to do that again. So I’m going to go put another coat of paint on the office. Tomorrow, I’ll just be putting my desk together so unless you get a call-out, you don’t have to come in.”

“Sure. Thanks.” She crossed her arms. “Good night.”

He hovered an extra few seconds before he exhaled and walked away.

Chapter Fourteen

“Mom!” Biyen knew the rule she had set from the first time they’d come to visit Raven’s Cove. No standing on the seabus unless it was tied up and you were ready to get off. He was barely keeping his butt on the seat, though, as he waved hard enough, he ought to be steering it off course.

“Did I leave my sunglasses at your place last night?” Logan asked as he came to stand beside her on the wharf. He was squinting at the water. “I just looked through the office and couldn’t find them.”

Her heart took a lift and a dip and a swerve. Was she mad that he’d shut her down last night? Not exactly. Embarrassed? Enough that she hadn’t gone upstairs when she had been called out to fix a bent rudder, staying in the machine shop.

“They’re by the sink. I meant to grab them when I left this morning. I was in the garden, then I got talking to Gramps and forgot.”

She had almost called Logan to take the call out. Gramps had been complaining of a headache when he got up. He hadn’t been coughing or running a fever, just moving slow and looking pale. She’d offered to stay home when the phone rang, but he’d brushed her off.

“I’m going to nap in my chair. Call me when Biyen gets in. I’ll come truck him home,” he had said.

“I’d call Gramps to bring them, but I just called to remind him Biyen’s on his way. There was no answer, so he must have left already.”

“No problem. I’ll walk down later. Hey,” he greeted everyone as the seabus came close enough.

They both stood back to let the tourists off.

When Biyen’s feet hit the wharf, he hugged Sophie so hard, he squeezed an “Oof” out of her.

“I missed you, too.” Her heart finally felt as though it had settled back into its place after being stretched and searching for him all these days he’d been gone. “Did you have fun?” She smoothed his hair and planted a kiss on his head, drinking in the smell of her sweaty boy.

“Uh-huh. Except I cried a little bit when we had to say good-bye to Immy and Coop. Emma cried the most, though.”

“I did,” Emma admitted sheepishly, disembarking with Storm in her arms. “It was so much fun, though. Thank you for letting us bring him. It was such a nice way to end the trip for the kids. And you kept Storm entertained on the flight, didn’t you?” Emma said to Biyen. “I really appreciated that.”

“I just read books to her,” he said with a shrug.

“Dinosaur books?” Logan guessed. He accepted luggage from Reid and set it on the wharf. “Got any new facts for me?”

“A baby has a bigger brain than most dinosaurs. Thanks.” Biyen took the backpack Reid handed him and threaded his arms through the straps.

“I’m willing to bet that Storm’s brain is bigger than the average adult man’s,” Logan said dryly.

“Speak for yourself,” Reid said, stepping to the wharf with the diaper bag. He nodded out at the water beyond the cove. “Look who else is coming. That’s good. I had questions for him.”

“Do you mind if I take Storm home?” Emma asked. “She’s ready for her nap.”

Storm was rubbing her eyes.

“Yeah, I’ll see you up there.” Reid gave her a distracted kiss before he started quizzing Logan on whether he had anything to report.

Sophie picked up the car seat and joined the rest of them carrying luggage to the truck.

“Mom, can I see inside the Storm Ridge? I never did and Immy and Cooper said it’s really cool.”

“We’ll ask Trys once all the guests are off. Gramps might like to see it, too. Then we can go see Logan’s new office. It will be like a Sunday drive, except on foot. How could you have ever wanted to leave?” She asked Reid, since he happened to be beside her. “Given this level of weekend entertainment?”

“It’s something I ask myself every day,” Reid drawled as he set the car seat into place. “Especially now I’m back.”

“Where’s Gramps?” Biyen looked around.

“He should have been here by now.” Sophie frowned.

“That Gator is older than he is,” Logan said. “I’ll drive Em home, then walk down to see what’s keeping him. I need my sunglasses anyway.”

Emma’s brows went up and Reid turned his head to send a questioning look at Logan.

“Are you that starved for entertainment?” Logan said with significantly more bite than their idle curiosity warranted. He held out his hand to Biyen, saying more gently, “I can take that, too.”

“Thanks!” He slipped free of the backpack.

Logan set it next to where Emma had strapped Storm into her seat.

As Logan drove away, Biyen gave Sophie a hopeful look. “Ice cream?”

“I don’t know.” She put on her most skeptical look, even though she could really use an ice cream. “Do you think he behaved well enough to earn an ice cream?” she asked Reid.

“I do,” Reid said without hesitation. “I think I did as well.”

“For outstanding valor during trying circumstances?”

“For putting down a towel and sleeping where Cooper wet the sheets.”

“For being a parent, then. Fair enough. My treat.”

*

“It was dinner,” Logan grumbled the minute he was away with Em. “With her and Art. Don’t turn it into more than it was.” We kissed, though. It was fantastic. She wanted to come home with me. I hate myself for saying no.

“I didn’t say anything,” Emma said blandly. “You’re the one acting like it was more than that.”

“Because I don’t want anyone making her uncomfortable when we’re finally—”