Page 67 of Riding the Sugar High

“We’re all used to this. Which means you’re officially part of the family.”

I smile a little sadly, fidgeting with the hem of my dress. “Sounds like Aaron and Logan have a lot of history, huh?”

“Yes. They care about each other very much, and when there’s that much love...” She brings the bottle to her lips and takes a big gulp of wine. “Conflicts hit hard.”

Nodding, I look away.

“How’s he doing?”

I meet her concerned gaze and ask, “Logan?”

“Mhm.”

“Oh, he’s fine.” Actually, he seems to be the very opposite of fine. Isolated, lonely, distrustful. But I guess she knows that already. “He works hard.”

“Yeah?”

She almost seems surprised, which has me rearing back. He’s a farmer, possibly the most hard-working occupation I can imagine. And besides, Logan is all work, no fun. He wakes up at five in the morning, goes out for deliveries, stays in the fields until six in the evening, and is asleep by nine. Do these people know him less than I do?

“Good for him. Farming has always been his passion, but you know how he is.” She shrugs, smiling affectionately. “A little irresponsible.”

I nod, because I’m supposed to be his girlfriend, and his girlfriend would undoubtedly know that. But “irresponsible” does not sound like him. Maybe some version of his past that Aaron and Josie are familiar with, but not the Logan I’ve been getting to know these last six days.

“Sadie is gorgeous,” I say in an effort to tread safer waters.

“Thank you. She just turned four a month ago.” With an exhale, she shakes her head. “Crazy how time flies.”

“How long have you and Aaron been together?”

She turns to me, her brows arched over her eyes, and her mouth opens in a surprised little O. “Uh, five—four years and ten months.”

“Oh.” Does that mean—“Oh, okay.”

She huffs out an awkward chuckle. “I assumed Logan had told you.”

Nice. I’m already blowing our cover. “He doesn’t talk much about Aaron.”

“Right.” Hugging her knees to her chest, her black dress billowing out, she says, “It was supposed to be a one-time thing only. Then Sadie happened, and we made it work.”

With a nod, I look away. I don’t mean to sound judgmental, but that’s the least heartfelt way I’ve ever heard someone talk about their relationship. “Well, you look like a great couple.”

“So do you and Logan.” She grabs the wine, takes another sip, and settles the bottle between her legs. “An interesting couple for sure.”

There’s a little resentment in her words, probably due to a mix of wine and, from what I can sniff out, personal dissatisfaction. And she must recognize it too, because she gives me an apologetic smile.

“I want him to be happy.” The corners of her lips now seem hesitant, as if carrying the burden of long-buried sadness. “Both of us do. I just wish he could be happy with us in his life. Aaron misses him so much, and occasions like this, when we’re all back together, make me hopeful and then...they just crush me.”

Placing an elbow on my thigh, I rest my chin on a fist. “I’m sorry. I don’t know much about what happened, but I can see there are a lot of emotions involved. I’m sure they need time. Eventually, they’ll talk it out.”

“Maybe. Or maybe some scars are just too deep to fix.”

I let the silence spread until with a sigh, she reaches into her pocket and takes out a transparent bag. “Look, Prim. I’m not even supposed to tell you, but we found his keys in the small forest between his and Derek’s property.”

My jaw slacks, my mouth turning as dry as sand as I look down at the keys.

“We’ll find more evidence.” Her eyes are cloudy, and her voice soft, as if she’s speaking out of worry for her brother-in-law and not as a cop. “And then there’ll be nothing you or I can do to help him.”

Lowering my gaze, I try to breathe through the crushing sensation on my chest. Of course, I can’t tell her that I can’t say a word without incriminating myself, but I wish she knew that I’m not just being careless with Logan’s future.

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