Chapter One: Logan

Chapter One

Logan

“That is disgusting, sis,” I tell Quinn, shaking my head as I watch her pull maraschino cherries out of a glass of vodka with a spoon. “You know I can make you a real drink, right?”

She pops one in her mouth and nods. “I do, but I kinda like this. Actually, go ahead and make me one. You still owe me for filing your taxes.”

“You want another drink on top of that?” Dean raises his eyebrows. “Haven’t you had enough?”

“Fuck, you’re so lame,” Owen quips, clapping Dean on the back. “Drink as much as you want, Quinn. On the house.”

“Don’t tempt me,” Quinn laughs, getting another cherry out of her cup. “I have a very small window to enjoy alcohol before Archer knocks me up again. Like tonight.”

Dean wrinkles his nose. “That’s even more disgusting than the vodka-cherries.”

Quinn laughs, enjoying poking at Dean. I go back around the bar, making drinks for a few customers before bringing Quinn a Jack and Coke, trading it for the glass of cherries. It’s a weekday night, but the bar is busy, as it always is. I go back and forth between filling drink orders, cleaning up spilled booze, hassling Owen to do his fucking job, and talking with Quinn and Dean, who are waiting for Archer to get off work to join them.

A storm is blowing in, and the power flickers. We have a generator, but it’s still a pain in the ass to deal with. Though storms always seem good for business. People still come in despite the weather, but those who are already here tend to order an extra drink and wait out the rain.

I’m wiping down the bar top when a clap of thunder booms overhead, rattling the windows. I look up at that exact moment, and the door to the bar swings open. Danielle walks in, and a feeling I try to ignore bubble in my stomach. Her long, brunette hair is down today, hanging in waves around her face. The white t-tank top she has on is speckled with raindrops. Immediately, my mind goes to what she’d look like if her shirt were completely drenched.

She looks through the crowd, meets my eye, and smiles as she makes her way over. The whole world stops when she’s around, and looking at her now isn’t much different than looking at her for the first time. Her sea-green eyes shine no matter how dim it is in the room. The energy around her is magnetic, drawing you in even if you try to resist.

And trust me, I’ve resisted.

I push all feelings aside, trying to convince myself Danielle is just one of the guys, and smile back.

“You must really miss me,” I quip, raising my eyebrows as Danielle comes up to the bar. “I mean, to come in on your day off just to see me.”

Danielle snags a seat at the bar and rolls her eyes. “Busted. Those secret photos I have of you weren’t doing the job. My plan was to ‘accidentally’ leave my phone out and hope you’d take the hint I need a dick pic or two.”

I laugh as I reach under the counter for a glass. “I’m sure I can get you at least a dozen dick pics. Can’t promise it’ll be of mine. You can’t handle all that.”

Laughing, Danielle makes a show of running her eyes up and down me. It’s meant in fun, but her smile starts to fade and a flush comes to her cheeks. Blinking rapidly, she looks away, reaching up for a strand of her hair to twist around her fingers.

“What are you doing here?” I pour whiskey into her glass and slide it over.

She brings the glass to her lips and takes a big sip. “My grandpa has a lady friend over.” She shudders. “And Adele doesn’t like to drive in the rain so she’s staying the night.” She takes another sip of whiskey and slowly shakes her head. “I didn’t want to risk overhearing anything.” She sets the glass down, looking up at me with wide eyes. “And it also made me realize that even dear old gramps has a better love life than I do.”

I hate that I like hearing that. I don’t want her to have a love life with anyone who’s not me. I laugh again and set the bottle of whiskey on the counter in front of her.

“You need this tonight. Drown your sorrows. And Quinn is here. Maybe you can take one of her cats and slowly start living out your fate as a crazy cat lady.”

“Thanks, Dawson,” she spits and takes the whiskey. Snickering, I step to the side, taking a drink order from one of our regulars. I give Mr. Fenton his beer and lean on the counter in front of Danielle again.

“Your sister would never give up one of her cats.” She finishes her whiskey and pours a little more in her glass.

“Never hurts to ask.”

Danielle cocks an eyebrow. “I’d rather keep my head.”

I laugh again and see Archer walk through the door of the bar. “Ask him first. He’ll gladly give you two or three.”

Danielle turns and sees Archer. She shakes her head and turns back around. “He’s so whipped. He’d come home with another two or three if Quinn really wanted them.”

“Sadly, I think you’re right.”

Archer looks around the bar for Quinn and Dean but sees us first. Danielle waves and he comes over, saying hi before going over to join the others. Danielle pours another splash of whiskey in her glass and gives the bottle back to me, and then goes over and sits by Quinn as well.

I’m nonstop busy for the next half-hour or so, and for the life of me can’t find Owen. He’s probably in the office hooking up with someone, making me not even want to go looking. Danielle’s not the only one lacking in their love life.

Owen has set me up on more dates than I can count over the last few months. We even went out with another set of identical twins. I ended the night early and Owen took them both home. He still won’t let me live that down.

But they don’t measure up.

“You just gonna stand there with your dick in your hand?” Owen comes up behind me.

I turn, cocking an eyebrow. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“It’s basically what you’re doing.” Owen runs a hand through his hair, trying to smooth it out. He was hooking up, that fucker. “If she wasn’t so damn good at telling us apart, I’d make a move, have her think it was you, and force your hand.”

I shake my head, opening my mouth to say some smartass comment back when Danielle stands and waves us over.

“It’s not too late to go trade clothes,” Owen tries.

“You smell like a cheap hooker. Even Scarlet could tell us apart tonight.”

Owen chuckles and attempts to fix his hair again. We both have a cowlick on the back of our heads, making our hair naturally messy. It bothered me when I was younger, but now I know how to make the rugged look work for me. Owen grabs a beer and pops off the top.

“You’re drinking away your paycheck again.”

Owen ignores me and goes over to the table, grabbing a chair from another and sliding it over.

“What, no more whiskey?” Danielle holds up her empty glass.

I give her a look. “You work here.”

“Not tonight,” she reminds me with a laugh.

I pull up another chair and crowd around the table.

“Owen will agree with me,” Quinn says, green eyes wide.

“Probably,” Owen says with a shrug. “What am I agreeing to this time?”

“Service cats.”

“Service cats?” Owen takes a drink of beer.

Quinn nods enthusiastically. “Service cats are the thing of the future.”

Archer gives Quinn a look. “They’d just knock shit over and make you trip. On purpose. And then feast on your flesh.”

Quinn narrows her eyes and Archer shakes his head, laughing.

“Fine. Cats are majestic creatures,” he says in a level tone. “I’m so lucky we have six of them.”

“Don’t act like you don’t like them,” Quinn quips. “I’m not the one who ordered that six-foot cat tree off A****n last night.”

“It looks like a palm tree. They’re going to love it.”

Danielle nudges my leg under the table. “Told you it’d be a death sentence asking for one of them,” she whispers, and I laugh.

Thunder booms outside and the power flickers. Someone orders a round of shots, making Owen and I get up and back to work. About an hour later, Quinn, Archer, and Dean leave. Danielle stays and helps close down the bar. She’s had a few more drinks and is more than a little tipsy when it comes time to leave.

“Want me to take you home?” I ask her, sticking the register drawer in the safe.

“And risk hearing two old people…” She smashes her hands together. “You know.”

“The elderly need love too. Miss Ladyfriend Adele will take her teeth out and everything.” I wiggle my eyebrows.

“Stop.”

“Your gramps is a good-looking guy. I’ve seen the way those church ladies look at him. And didn’t you say he’s been volunteering more at the church? I bet that’s code for all the pus—”

“Seriously stop!” She laughs and throws a damp bar rag at me and almost loses her footing.

“You’re drunk.”

“The floor is slippery.” She pushes herself up and crosses her arms, holding my gaze. It’s something we do quite often, and she’s always the first one to lose the little staring contest and start laughing.

I lock up the office and grab my keys. Owen has been wiping the same table for the last few minutes, doing a shitty job trying not to get caught watching us.

“So…do you want me to take you to a friend’s house?” I ask, though the few people Danielle hangs out with are Quinn, Scarlet, and her cousin Rebecca, who has four kids and teaches first grade at the local elementary school. I can’t imagine she’d be very happy to come unlock the front door right now. “Or do you want to come back to my place?”

This could play out a million ways, but I’m only interested in it ending in one.

“You wouldn’t mind me crashing on the couch?”

“You can have my bed and I’ll take the couch. I’m pretty beat so I’ll pass out as soon as I lie down,” I say, hating myself as the words leave my mouth.

Danielle wrinkles her nose, and I have no fucking clue how someone can look that damn adorable and sexy as fuck at the same time. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Owen shaking his head.

“That’d be great then.” Danielle pushes off the wall, teetering on her heels a bit when she walks. “I’m going to use the bathroom first.”

“Seriously?” Owen says once Danielle is out of earshot. “You’re going to pass out as soon as you’re on the couch? She’s drunk. Now’s your chance to make a move. If she rejects you, there’s a good chance she won’t remember it in the morning.”

“I’m not making a move when she’s drunk,” I deadpan.

“Right. Because you’re never going to make a move at all.”

“Shut up,” I tell my twin, giving him a warning glare. We push each other’s buttons like no one else can, perks to being an identical twin, and no one else is allowed to mess with us the way we mess with each other. But even Owen knows there’s a line to cross and the heckling over Danielle is inching toward it.

I’ve had feelings for Danielle since the moment I met her. Sometimes I think the feelings are mutual, but Danielle’s made it clear she has no intentions of settling down in Eastwood. Making a move might complicate things, and I don’t want to risk what we have.

I’d rather have her in my life as a friend than not at all.