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“Don’t say I never get you anything,” she says over her shoulder as she waltzes over to the bar.
Shaking my head with amusement, that’s when I noticed Logan in the distance. When he started walking my way, I couldn’t help myself from watching him securely behind the safety of my sunglasses.
Admiring the way his t-shirt clung to his muscles, my eyes devoured the width of his shoulders and strong pecs. Tracing each bump of his defined six-pack, it wasn’t lost on me the way his blue and black boardshorts hung off his hips.
With a lazy smile, Logan tipped his chin. “Morning.”
“Morning,” I replied.
“Mind if I join you for a minute?” He asked, motioning towards the lounger Jade had recently abandoned.
“Of course. Jade won’t be back for a few minutes anyway,” I offered, peering around him.
Taking up the lounger at my side, Logan sits on the edge.” What are you ladies up to today?”
“I don’t know. We’ll probably get a massage, maybe go for a mani-pedi. That kind of thing,” I shrug. “What about you?”
“I just finished a workout, so I’m going to grab some brunch before I’m needed at Opa’s.”
“At Opa’s?” I asked, pushing my glasses into my hair to get a better look at him. “Wait. Do you mean the restaurant here on the ship?”
Logan nodded.
“Is that who you were having dinner with last night?” I asked, curious to know more.
His brow rose. “You saw that?”
Drawing my lips together, I wetted them. “You’re kind of hard to miss.”
Amused by my honesty, he continued. “Turns out my Opa was a huge fan of Leon Stark’s, so when I found out he had his restaurant here on the boat, I jumped at the chance to come aboard.”
“Wait. Back up. I thought you were here because of your book?”
“I am,” he smirked, the corner of his lips twitching. “But even before my heart episode, I’ve been looking for an alternative career path. Opening the restaurant was one of them.”
“I knew you cooked on Sundays for family dinners before the team drafted you, but I had no idea you were so passionate about it?”
“Spending my Sundays in the kitchen with Opa was always a highlight of my week,” he admits. “Knowing I won’t have the opportunity to do it anymore, I miss it,” his tone turned sad.
“So, what drew you to Opa’s restaurant?”
“When my grandfather passed, he left my sister and I both a letter. In my letter, he talked about the Sundays we spent together in the kitchen and what that time meant to him,” Logan said, becoming emotional. “Turns out my grandfather followed Leon Stark’s career and always dreamed about meeting him one day, but never got the chance.”
“So, meeting Leon would be like fulfilling Opa’s dream.”
Logan nodded. “Not only fulfilling his dream, but cooking alongside the man who inspired my grandfather would be life-changing.”
Hearing Logan talk about something so passionately other than hockey was eye-opening.
“Spotlighting in his restaurant would not only be an honor but it would be an amazing way to draw attention to myself as more than just an athlete.”
Logan’s expression transformed. “More than just an athlete?” I asked, confused by his statement. “I thought hockey was everything to you?” I questioned, my eyes shifting elsewhere so he wouldn’t see the tears I was holding onto.
“It was,” he replied, his tone trailing off. “But it seems as if life is leading me towards another passion entirely.”
“Cooking?”
Logan responded with a nod.
