Logan
A bit. We won.
You know, townies just call it the Grudge.
His response was immediate, like he’d been waiting for me, and my stomach flipped.
Logan
Don’t make me beg, Sweetie Pie.
Sweetie Pie? Gross. Keep trying.
Logan
Noted. I also need to talk to you about coming to another game.
Because I’m lucky?
Logan
Because I like having you there. (Also yes, I would like to test my theory.)
I rolled my eyes, suppressing a grin. I couldn’t let him have the satisfaction of thinking he had me wrapped around his finger.
I might be there, if only to disprove this ridiculous theory of yours.
Logan
The only thing ridiculous is you snuck out without saying goodbye.
Goodbye, Logan. (Happy?)
His last reply came as I was putting my phone away and hustling toward room seventeen.
Logan
See you tonight, Pumpkin.
I chuckled, pocketing my phone with a feeling I didn’t want to name.
* * *
It was Saturday night,so not at all surprising that the Grudge was crowded. Despite the fact that the height of tourist season was over, the Grudge was the place for people to grab a bite to eat or a few drinks. I walked in with Sylvie and Annie by my side. I scanned the open bar and smiled.
It wasn’t all that long ago that the Grudge was distinctly separated. The Sullivans, and those who aligned with them, on one side. My family and ours on the other. Since Duke and Sylvie crossed the invisible divide and even had a baby, Kings and Sullivans were mingling in the middle. It was a strange, but happy, mixture of my small town’s rival families.
I waved to a few distant cousins huddled in the corner while a band was just starting their set.
Annie leaned toward me. “Lee is coming by once his shift is over. He said he could drive us all home if we needed it.”
Sylvie smiled. “A goofball with a heart of gold.”
Annie laughed. “That’s my man.”
I turned to my sister. “No Duke?” I teased.
“You mean my house husband?” she joked. “Not a chance.”