Page 124 of Sapphire Sunset

When Connor’s mother had requested Logan and Connor’s presenceat an off-site lunch to celebrate Rodney’s second arrest, Logan had expected toend up in the draperied dining hall of some exclusive beach club. Instead, theywere in a rowdy chain restaurant with bright yellow furnishings and walls ofglass looking out on to the adjacent shopping mall’s crowded parking lot. Theplace rivaled Sapphire Cove for hustle and bustle, but without its recent burstof gun play and frantic search for a missing child. With Rodney in jail, Loganwas breathing more deeply than he had in days.

And not simply because he loved California Pizza Kitchen,even though a few hours earlier, he would have been willing to bet the Harcourtshad never dined at one in their lives. Not true, apparently. Janice knew the menuby heart. The drink menu, at least.

“I can’t drink,” Connor said. “I’m working.”

“I clocked you out,” Logan said. “Go ahead. Knock one back.”

“I didn’t know the security director had that kind of authority,”Connor said.

“He does. And I think everyone at Sapphire Cove would agreeyou’ve done more than enough on behalf of the hotel in the past forty-eighthours. Do you disagree, Mrs. Harcourt?”

“Not one bit,” she said. “But call me Janice.”

“See?” Logan said. “Your mother’s spoken. You’re done forthe day.”

“Okay, well then, so are you,” Connor said. “I actually amyour boss.”

“Until it’s shower time.” Logan waggled his eyebrows.

“Don’t traumatize my mother. She’s been through enough.”

“Oh, I already know you’re a huge bottom,” she said with awave of her hand.

“Mother!”

“I’ve had gay friends all my life. There’s nothing you cansurprise me with. I mean, I was the one who told you about poppers, forChrist’s sake.”

When the server came to take their drink orders, Connorasked if they had any cyanide pills on the menu. The server, to her credit,told him they’d sold out that morning.

“I don’t use poppers,” Connor hissed once the server hadleft.

“And I know, Logan, guys like you send him into orbit,”Janice continued, undeterred. “When he was in high school, he had this box ofcollages where he’d cut all the images together so it looked like Matt Damonfrom those Jason Bourne movies was making out with Mark Wahlberg from that moviewhere he played the sniper.”

“Shooter. Please stop, Mom.”

“Relax. I’m not going to tell him how I found out you weregay.”

“He used to make you sit through his plans for fantasyweddings and stuff?” Logan said. “I heard about it. The night we met. Right?”

Janice Harcourt’s eyebrows went up. “Oh, isthatwhathe told you? Oh, no. It was so much—”

Connor’s hands covered his ears. “What do I have to do tomake this stop?”

“How about you give me that inheritance you won’t touch?”Janice said.

Connor turned red. “Mom, really?”

“What inheritance?” Logan asked.

“His inheritance from his grandfather and his father.They’re both sitting in the bank. I bet they’re calling you all the time tryingto get you to invest it. Must be driving them insane it’s not earning them anyfees. My endowment could use it if you ever decide to let go of it. God knows,you’re not spending any of it.”

So Connor had a massive inheritance collecting dust, andpresumably interest, in the bank. Logan was tempted to ask how big it was, butthat would imply Connor’s value to him was based in dollar signs. Their worksituation was already complicated enough. One thing was clear — the very topichad Connor glaring at the table, lips puckered, cheeks aflame.

“Iwill tell Logan the story later if you never somuch as say the wordinheritancein our presence again. I will alsogive you permission to go back to talking about me like I chase military menaround in a white van with a cage in the back.”

“Agreed. However, I’m allowed one last mention of theinheritance before our deal takes effect. And it’s this. If you plow your inheritanceback into the hotel to save it, I will disown you. There.” She turned to Logan.“He’s a big fan of the armed services, Mr. Murdoch. Why, I remember the first timehe went out with a Marine in college, he came home and said he was going to geta Semper Fi tattoo on one of his butt cheeks to surprise the guy with duringsex, and I told him that was great and that he could pay for college.”

“Mom, is this how you’re processing Rodney’s break-in?”Connor asked.

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