Page 55 of Savoring Christmas
Patty nodded. “I know. Mr. Stratton appears to be a very decisive person. I made sure he understood I had children and that they would live with me on the property, but he didn’t seem to mind. He said they would liven the place up. Although, his eyes got kind of sad, which makes me think he’s lost someone. I didn’t want to ask too many questions, so I don’t know much about him. I looked online but couldn’t find anything about him. Hopefully he’s as nice as he seems. He even said I could use one of his cars. He has like seven of them.” Patty’s voice wavered just slightly, her gratitude raw beneath the cheer. “It’s more than I could ever have hoped for.”
“I couldn’t be more pleased for you and the kids,” Logan said.
Patty’s smile was as wide as her face. “We’re all going to have a wonderful new year. I just know it.”
Charlie led Patty and Mia over to the bar for a drink, but Logan stayed behind, just watching. For a minute, he let himself sink into the warmth of it all—the food, the music, the easy flow of conversation. His brothers and their wives and children filled the room with laughter, but, as he watched them from his corner, something twisted in his chest. He'd wanted so badly tomake Mia part of this family, and only now, when he might lose her, did he realize exactly how much.
Max drifted over to Logan, handing him a glass of wine. “What’s up? Is everything okay with you and Mia?”
Logan glanced at him, then took a sip. “I thought so. Until yesterday. She got an offer for a job in New York. A big one. The restaurant of her dreams.”
Max studied him for a moment. “Does she want to go?”
“She says she’s happy here. But the way she talked about it on the way here, I’m pretty sure Sugarville Grove and I are toast.” Logan stared into his glass. “I can’t fault her for being excited. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime.” He shook his head. “I can’t shake the feeling I’m going to lose her.”
Max clapped a hand on his shoulder. “You’ve got a good thing, Logan. Don’t borrow trouble before it’s here. And don’t underestimate Mia. She’s surprised you so far, hasn’t she?”
Logan gave a short laugh. “Every step of the way, yeah.”
Max smiled, but there was understanding in his eyes. “Then you hold on. But give her a little space. Don’t push too hard or you’ll drive her away.”
Logan huffed out a laugh despite the tightness in his chest. “Given who I am, that’s easier said than done.”
Across the room, Mia caught his eye and smiled at him. All he could think was how badly he didn’t want to lose her.
The driveback to Mia’s started out quiet. Not the good, comfortable kind they sometimes had, but one charged with everything not being said. Mia kept her gaze fixed out the window, hands clasped tight in her lap.
He’d spent the whole night pretending he wasn’t thinking about her offer. He couldn’t pretend anymore. His need to talk it through outweighed his desire to have a fun evening.
“Can we talk about your job offer?” His tone was even but it felt like a coiled snake lurked in his belly.
Mia glanced at him, wary. “I told you, I’m thinking it over for a few days.”
“But you know already, don’t you?” His voice sharpened. “How can you pass up your dream job? People like us—we don’t choose love over ambition.”
Her shoulders stiffened. “That’s not fair to say.”
“Isn’t it? The only reason you came here is because you were desperate. Now, you’re not.” He looked at her briefly, his jaw tight. “There’s no way you’re saying no.”
Her chin lifted, that spark of independence flashing in her eyes. “I haven’t made any decisions yet. And I don’t appreciate being told what I’m going to do or not do.”
“Can you really sit there and tell me you’re not going to jump at the chance?” Logan shot back. “You don’t have to sugar coat it for me. I know you’re leaving. The shiny thing’s too tempting.”
Her voice cooled. “That ‘shiny thing’ is something I’ve worked for my entire career. I won’t ask you to understand, but I’d hoped you’d support me enough to let me think about it without making me feel guilty.”
Logan’s hands flexed on the wheel. “Iambeing supportive.”
“Sure doesn’t sound like it.”
The words hung between them, razor-sharp and heavy. They drove the rest of the way in silence, the tension crushing his soul. When he pulled up in front of her cabin, Mia hesitated before unbuckling her seatbelt. “After this conversation, it seems clear I need some space from you. I need to think about what I truly want without feeling pulled in a certain direction.”
His chest tightened. He wanted to argue, to demand she let him in. Instead, he just nodded. “If that’s what you need.”
“It is. However, that doesn’t mean my feelings for you aren’t deep, because they are. You’ve brought me back to life these last few weeks—and that’s no small thing. That said, you have to think of all of this from my point of view. I had everything taken from me, and now I have a chance to get it all back.”
“You may have had everything taken from you four years ago but I thought you saw what you had here as being equal or better to what you had back in the city. But clearly you’re willing to give it all up, which means your feelings about me can’t run that deep.”
He saw her flinch. Saw her eyes harden and then dull. “Yeah, okay, well, thanks for the support, Logan. I’ll see you at class.”
