Page 7 of Everything Has Changed
“Good, this will make this that much easier,” Mom pats her mouth with a napkin before turning to Gwen. “How do you feel about planning this year’s Harvest Festival?”
Gwen sits up straighter, her eyes going wide. “What? Me?” Her mouth gaps open a couple of times in disbelief. “I would be honored. Anything you need, I’m your girl.”
“That’s the spirit,” Mom beams at her. “Sounds like we have a plan. I trust you and Logan to set up some time to go over ideas.”
I watch in silence as Gwen’s mouth snaps shut, a small frown marring her face. “I’m sorry, you mean you want Logan and me to work on it? Together?”
Dad nods his head. “That’s exactly what we are saying. Logan’s got a lot to prove, and my wife seems to think you’re the perfect person to help guide him through this as he acclimates to the town again. Now, let’s move this meeting along.” He glances at his Rolex quickly. “I only have a few more minutes until I need to be in another meeting.”
I more or less zone out the rest of the time as Dad drones on, asking for confirmation of information from the members around the table. But my attention is mostly on the beauty across the table, who is busy keeping her sights on anywhere but me right now.
3
Gwendolyn
As soon as Mayor Spencer wrapped up his speech about budgets for the rest of the year, which was ultimately spurred by his wife waxing poetics about the town beautification project that was underway in preparation for the fall festivities, I was booking it out of that conference room. I heard my name called when I pushed open the front doors of Town Hall and exited to the fresh mountain air. Which I sniffed in copious amounts to rid myself of the fresh scent of spice and pure man that stuck in my nostrils ever since I walked by Logan earlier.
“Gwen, damn woman, have you taken up recreational speed walking since I last saw you?” A huff of laughter comes from directly behind me as I step down onto the sidewalk. I don’t make it another step further because the reason for my fast pace is suddenly right in front of me.
I skid to a stop so I don’t ram right into him. From the looks of his broad chest, that face plant would be right into solid muscle. I take a deep breath to relax my own muscles before lifting my chin to take him in again. Even though we already came face to face not half an hour ago, I’m still in shock as I look him over.
The tousled unruly dark brown waves that once flopped over his forehead as a teenager were now styled in a more intentional wind swept look—something I had only ever seen in movies or on the cover of romance novels. His naturally sun-kissed skin I always envied still set off his hazel eyes. It all felt so familiar, but at the same time it wasn’t. He was so much more than my memory recounts.
I always thought he was a cute kid that grew into a hot teen boy, but now there was no denying he is a gorgeous man. And if he doesn’t stop with the panty-melting grin he’s shooting down at me with his one-sided dimple on display, I was going to die on the spot.
“What, Logan?” I don’t mean it to come out so snarky, honestly. But it happens quicker than I can take the words back.
His lips start to fall from their lift, a small falter that has me internally cringing and scrambling for better words. Because even if he hurt me before, I can’t really find it in me to want to hurt him now.
“Sorry,” I wince, pushing hair behind my ears to buy a moment of time to figure out how to be nice again. “That was rude. What I meant was, hi. What are you doing back in Willow Grove after all this time?”
His expression pinches before he can catch it and smooth the practiced easy going face I have seen too many times before. It’s the one that says he doesn’t quite want to be here, but knows he doesn’t have a choice. A look that has never actually been directed at me in the two decades we’ve known each other, but that I’ve seen many times previously directed at others.
“Duty calls,” he says with a nod toward the building we both just left. “We always knew this is where I would end up.”
“But it’s not what you wanted.” Again, I was speaking before thinking, but it was the truth. Logan and I might have grown apart from the kids that played outside until the streetlights came on. And we might not have had the deep relationship I dreamed of as a teenagegirl, with a crush on the most popular guy in high school. But that one semester we had to be partners, I got to see a side of him that many people didn’t. I learned there was more to Logan than meets the eye.
It’s his turn to wince. “Things change, I guess.”
I hum in agreement. My fingers pick at the edge of my sweater sleeves, unsure where to go with this conversation. He continues on without encouragement, though, probably sensing the cloud of uncertainty and anxiety building around us.
“Nice to have a friendly face, especially if I’m being tossed to the wolves with this event.” The laugh he releases is humorless. It’s more sad than anything.
“You don’t have to do it, you know.”
Logan shakes his head, his eyes meeting some place over my shoulder for a blink before coming back to me. “You and I both know I don’t have a choice when it comes to something he wants.”
There’s no explanation as to whoheis. I knew all too well about the dynamic between Logan and his father. Something I used to pray to whoever would listen when we were kids for it to get better between them. I would have given anything to have my father like Logan had his, but not at the expense it cost the man standing in front of me.
“So,” Logan claps his hands between him, rubbing them together like a villain planning a heist. “Shall we start planning this thing? Probably best to start sooner than later.”
I was excited to help with the Harvest Festival. It’s the biggest event our little town hosts, and it is something I always dreamed about being able to assist with. But actually heading the planning of our town’s biggest event? That felt unreal.
Mrs. Spencer floated the idea of having me take a bigger role this year and I was giddy with anticipation coming into this meeting today. That was the whole reason I brought so many of our beloved pastries.A tactic to sweeten everyone up. Never in my life would I have thought she would hand over the reins completely.
This was my chance to shine, to leave a lasting impact on this town. Something I always wanted but never knew how to make a reality. Only, it’s not exactly how I ever pictured it to happen, as I look over at Logan again.
How was I expected to work side by side with him? Did he even want that? Or did he want me to do all the work while he took some of the credit? I didn’t know this man, only the boy he once was, so my thoughts are all over the place with how to handle this. How to handle him.
