Page 33 of Consuming Logan

Chapter 11

“Ienjoyed today, Logan,” Ava angled her head, briefly resting it on his bicep. “You’re a natural with the kids.”

Like teenagers they strode hand and hand up the cobblestone driveway to the side entry door. The drive home had been an exercise in self-control. His right hand ached. Their two-story Avondale home, situated on a sprawling one-acre lot, glimmered like a desert mirage to a dying man. A couple of Percocet, straight, no water chaser, would be a dream made reality right about now. But first he needed his legs to lose the ‘metal stakes in the ground’ feeling. Every step jarred his injury.

He knew what she hinted at. The connection with that kid — Thady, had been instantaneous. The mental energy generated from the interaction still hummed in his veins. But there was a very real physical side effect, exhaustion. Three hours of constant motion and rapid-fire questions had Logan ready to sag against the wall like a champion couch potato sentenced to a 30-day triathlon training camp. He’d caught Ava watching him with Thady more than once, a concerned expression on her face. She had suggested they cut short their visit to the Second Chance house, but no, he had to be the best at everything. Gritting his teeth against the rock band drumming on his fingers, he’d pressed past the discomfort. Now he knew he’d made a mistake. Why hadn’t he listened to Ava?

Logan had been watchful too. He knew his woman, could feel her on a soul deep level. How had he missed how great she was at caring for everyone? She was excited about the pregnancy, and her joy was infectious. If ever there was a woman ready for motherhood, it was his Ava. He felt like a rookie-freshmen after his first keg party.

“It was a good day,” he said. “The kids loved you.” The instant his butt hit the passenger seat, he’d powered down faster than a generic D-cell battery. Those things never lasted more than a few hours.

“Think so, huh?” He liked that something he’d done had pleased her. It was a feeling of satisfaction he wasn’t familiar with before Ava. Maribelle constantly changed the rules on his father and her sons. He’d never figured out why she seemed to prefer misery as a companion.

Lazily pulling her along Logan gave Ava’s fingers a squeeze. Man, he loved this woman. Which meant he would do just about anything to make her stay. He wasn’t an easy man to love. But when Ava looked at him with adoration in his eyes, his chest nearly burst open from the sheer magic of having her love.

“I love this kid-friendly version of you.”

Was she trying to stroke his ego because she knew he wasn’t daddy material? As it stood, they’d have the first child in the next generation of Masters offspring one month after the wedding. That’s if Ava carried till full-term. Even though the pregnancy had surprised them both, she was all about the next generation. Okay, Star Trek’s Next Generation musical score popped into his head. Man, he really needed to get this pain under control. Even though he was the pediatrician, it was because of Ava that he participated in community programs like the Second Chance House. He’d been trained to fundraise, campaign, and donate to the programs that financially supported such initiatives. With Ava, she invited him to roll up his sleeves and become an active member engaging with families.

Even Thady, with his quiet steely resolve, held a soft spot for her. The six-year-old had almost single-handedly erected a model helicopter, disabled hand be damned. The kid wanted to be a pilot. The possibility of his acceptance into a flight-training program was close to zilch, but Logan admired Thady. Years from now, that kid would reap the rewards of defining his own destiny beyond what others expected of him.

“Are you implying I’m questionable in the daddy department, sweetheart?” Fatherhood at this juncture in his life would change all his plans. As the primary male figure, Robert Lee had been attentive, patient, and present. Had Logan inherited his father’s parenting abilities? He wasn’t sure he could measure up to the example.

“No,” she drawled. “I’m used to seeing you in doctor-mode with your patients. It was nice, watching you have fun with a child. I like it.”

It amazed him how quickly his brain had crossed circuits to include the new addition. But there were many unanswered questions. Could Logan be a great father and a world-renowned surgeon? How was he going to keep Ava safe, protect his unborn child, and build a career? He cut a glance to his aching hand. But first, he needed a fully functional limb. That black hole in his psyche spread another nanometer, advancing into new territory. Logan refused to give voice to his fear. To do so would unlock a box that had never been airtight.

“What’s not to like? I’m smart, handsome, and have great taste in women.” Rifling through the keys on the Lexus fob, Logan reached for the doorknob with his injured hand. Pain sliced through each finger before shooting a piercing arrow off into the center his palm. Taking a step back, he gestured for Ava to enter.

“Because you’re probably in pain, I’m going to ignore that last comment.”

Ava glided past him, her step light. In the past, he had a terrible habit of leaving the side entry open. That ended when his then pseudo-girlfriend, Rebecca Lynn, misled Ava into believing an intimate relationship had developed in their family alliance.

“Who said that?” he questioned, discounting the agony that gripped his body. When he moved to retreat, she stayed his hand, stroking across his knuckles. Even the slight touch felt like a sledgehammer. Now he was just playing tough guy.

“Real men cry, daddy.”

“The hell they do,” he scoffed. Before Logan could close and lock the door behind them, he heard footsteps on the second floor. A rush of adrenaline flooded Logan’s bloodstream. Someone had entered their bedroom.

Instantly, Ava stumbled back, causing him to slam into her. He moved to push her behind him and winced.

“Careful, your hand,” Ava whispered.

Logan reached in his pocket, withdrawing his phone. Before putting it in her hand. “Go back to the car. Lock yourself inside.”

No way would he allow her to be hurt, ever.

“I’m not leaving you,” she said.

Beneath the layer of blatant defiance, at the most inopportune time he might add, there was an overflow of another powerful emotion he felt from Ava — fear, but not for herself. With the phone pressed tight against her belly, she reached in her purse, searching for something. Did she have a weapon? Her fingers must have hit pay dirt because a black handle appeared, and then spokes and a swirl of pleated nylon fanned out before collapsing on itself. It took Logan a second to recognize the intruder slayer. An umbrella.

Really, an umbrella.

“Put that away,” he scowled. “Even with one hand I defend you better than a damn umbrella.” The woman he loved resorted to rain gear.

“I know that,” she said with a lift of her chin. “We fight together.”

Something crashed to the floor. Logan gripped Ava’s shoulder. The time for debate had ended. He needed to take action before it was too late.