Page 72 of Bittersweet

Naya climbed in the car and kissed the man, and they drove away.

Logan stared after them in disbelief. He had upended his life. He’d moved to this side of the state, partly to be closer to her for Kayla. Why was she doing this?

When he went back inside, Kayla was sitting on the floor where he had left her, crocodile tears streaming down her cheeks.

“Oh, Kay, don’t cry.” He dropped to the floor beside her and gathered her into his arms.

Her little arms wound around his neck. “Mommy left.”

“I know. I’m sorry, sweetie.”

“Is she coming back?”

He paused, not wanting to give her any false hope. “She’s going to call me later to talk about it.”

Kayla lay her head against Logan’s chest, and he held his daughter close, softly running his hand up and down her back. His heart broke for her. All she wanted was to know her mother, and she’d gotten the briefest moments with her. And who knew how much more time Naya would decide to give her.

“I love you, Daddy,” her sweet voice melted his heart.

“I love you, Kayla.”

Logan’s cell phone rang just then, and Kayla’s little eyes lit up. “Is that mommy calling?”

Logan shook his head as he saw an unknown number on the screen. “She’ll call later, sweetie.” He put her down and stood, walking into the kitchen as he answered the call. “Hello, this is Logan.”

“Yes, Mr. Riggs, it’s Detective Seifert.”

“Oh, hey, Detective. What’s the word?”

“We’ve arrested the person responsible for the damage to your truck.”

29

Harper had gone over the conversation in her head a hundred times. She had the pepper spray Savannah had given her tucked in her purse. Her cell phone was at the ready. The plan was to meet at Mad Cap Coffee downtown. A public place. Plenty of people around. She would be safe there. She’d informed Ginny where she’d be, just in case. She’d be fine—at least that’s what she kept telling herself.

Truthfully, she wasn’t sure what to expect. She couldn’t shake the moment Brett had smashed the vase of flowers against the wall or the way he’d grabbed her arm that day. But a part of her wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. His anger had been brought on by her unexpectedly breaking up with him. But had he really hired someone to destroy Logan’s food truck? She didn’t want to believe it.

As the hour approached, she could feel the nerves taking over. She tried to remain calm as she set out for the coffee shop. Brett wasn’t there when she arrived, which actually made her feel better. She ordered a latte, wishing it was one of Logan’s instead, and took a seat on a stool by the window.

Customers came and went. Minute after minute passed by. She tried to sip her coffee slowly, not wanting to finish before he arrived. But forty minutes later, when her cup was empty and he still hadn’t arrived, she decided to abandon the plan.

Just as she walked out the door, her phone signaled a text. She smiled at the sight of Logan’s name.

Logan:

They made an arrest. I’ll call later with the details.

A rush of panic shot through her body.

So that’s why Brett stood me up.

Harper needed another cup of coffee. It didn’t matter that she’d already had one earlier. Coffee made her feel closer to Logan, and she wished he was there with her now.

Maybe she shouldn’t have been surprised by the news, but she was. She wanted to believe the best about people, and it saddened her that she hadn’t really known Brett after all.

She put a K-cup in her Keurig, brewed a mugful, and had just settled in on the couch when there was a sudden knock at the door.

She moved slowly and peered through the peephole. Brett?

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