Page 49

“Hola, Olivia. How are you today?” With a hand to the side of my face, she leans in, kissing my cheek as well. “Big day for you.”

A nervous laugh rumbles in my throat. “Yes, it is.” How does she know that?

“It’s going to be great!”

“Thanks, Maria.” But most of my thanks go to Logan—I never would have remembered her name without him.

“Ahh,” Maria coos while patting my cheek. “Such a nice girl.”

She hands us each a menu and leaves us to look through. “I’ve probably met every person in this place.” I hold the menu up to hide most of my face from the ogling eyes.

“Yeah, looks like it,” Logan says, scrubbing away the kiss mark on his face with his linen napkin.

A bead of sweat slides from my forehead to my ear. If the day continues this way, I’ll soak through my blouse by lunchtime.

Logan hands me his napkin, reminding me of my own kiss mark from Maria. “Don’t worry. They’re good people. Just assure them you know you’ve met but that you’ve forgotten their name. They don’t expect you to remember them.”

“You’re sure of that?” I lay my menu down and muster a smile for a tall man in a Stetson cowboy hat waving to me.

We order, and soon my giant stack of blueberry pancakes is offering me all the buttery, sweet comfort I need.

“So, when do you want to work on the hardwoods?”

“Oh, well…” I hiss, wrinkling my nose. Do I want to work on the hardwoods? Not really. In fact, I haven’t thought about the flooring since I found Amelia’s secret box. “I’m not sure. I might give it a year. You know, think about it, see how much it’ll cost.”

“Really?” Does he have to look so skeptical?

“Yeah, now that I’m living here with multiple new expenses, I think maybe I’ll hold off on the flooring.” I shove another bite in my mouth.

But Logan is unconvinced. His eyes narrow and he drops his fork. “Am I missing something?”

I gulp down my half-eaten bite. “What do you mean?” I ask while guilt fills up my insides.

Logan grins, but it doesn’t reach his dimple. “You’re not telling me something. Days ago, you were ready to rip out that carpet with a butcher knife. Like the stuff had personally offended you. You stabbed it, Liv.”

I don’t speak. What would I say? I can’t deny any of that.

“Liv…” And just like that, his dimple appears.

Across from me sits a person who genuinely loves Amelia. He knows her better than I ever will, maybe even more than Dad. It’s an insane realization, and it makes me decide rather than overthink. “I have a secret.” I pull in a sharp breath, then slap my hand over my mouth.

His brows lift with my response. “Okay…”

I lean in, using my napkin to once again block out the rest of the café. “I haven’t told another soul,” I whisper.

He leans over the table too, until his forehead almost touches mine, and the scent of his soft musk fills my lungs. “Does this secret have anything to do with Amelia’s floors?”

“Yes,” I squeak, my heart rate picking up.

“Are you going to tell me?” His whisper mocks my own.

“Not here.” I nibble on my bottom lip and peer over my shoulder.

“Oh, no, La Familia isn’t safe,” he says, teasing me.

I sit back, my eyes skirting the center of the café. He can tease all he wants. I’m serious. “I’d feel more comfortable doing this in private.”

“Livy, you don’t have to do this at all. I’m confused about the carpet, but that doesn’t mean you owe me an explanation.”