His brow furrows. “Who interrupted us that first night?”
I nod.
“So you’re going to go back to New York for her funeral?”
“I assume I’ll be there for the funeral too. I mean, if her daughter even has one.”
“Who called you?”
“One of her caretakers. The one who was there the most. Sofia. She’s a friend of mine.”
“This is the woman who got you evicted, but you’re going to run back to New York to help her?”
I release a long breath. “I know it doesn’t sound like it makes sense. She was a hard-ass, but she was my hard-ass, you know? I don’t think any of it was done in spite. She was ... kinda like a really strict, bitchy grandmotherly figure to me.”
Logan nods like he’s trying to understand, but I’m pretty sure he doesn’t truly get it. “Okay. You gotta do what feels right.”
“I know it seems weird, but this is definitely what’s right.” Tears trickle over the edges of my lids. “She was crotchety and mean, but she ... she cared. You know? Like she was the only one who would bother to scold me for coming home late or skipping work. Maybe I’m reaching here, but when you’re in a city of a zillion freaking people, that kind of stuff matters. At least, it did to me.”
Logan’s expression softens as he reaches up to swipe the tears off my cheeks. “Then you go and do what you need to do. Gold Haven will still be here when you get back.”
“Thank you for understanding.” I straighten my clothes and start looking for a flight on my phone.
Of course, the first one I find is a sixa.m. flight out of an airport that’s fifty minutes away. I look at Logan, not wanting to ask him to get up at the ass crack of dawn to take me when I know damn well he’s got a ton of work to do.
“What?” he asks, looking over at me as he cleans up the mess we made on the counter.
“Is airport parking expensive?” It’s not something I’ve ever had to worry about before.
He gives me a look that clearly says I’m on crack. “Banner, I’m driving you, and I’ll pick you up. It’s not a big deal.”
“I have to be there by five a.m.”
“Doesn’t matter, babe. We better get back to your place so you can pack.”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell him that I love him, and the words feel so freaking natural, they almost slip out. But I remember my promise to myself, and I lock them down.
“Thank you,” I say instead.
He leans in and presses a kiss to my lips. “No thanks necessary.”
I fall asleep two hours later with a carry-on packed and Logan wrapped around me in my tiny bed.
I’m going to miss this, even if I’m only gone for a few days. Who would have thought I’d be dreading going back to New York because of what I’m leaving behind in Kentucky?
Namely, my heart.
Chapter 42
Logan
Ihate dropping her off at the airport. Watching Banner walk through those sliding doors, knowing that she’s getting on a plane and heading back to a life she could easily want to reclaim, has me tied up in all sorts of knots.
Sure, right now she says she’s coming back, but what if she changes her mind? She’s not like any woman I’ve ever met before, and part of what I love about her is her spontaneity and lack of impulse control.
Both those things could easily work against me if she decides that she’s had enough of her small-town adventure.
Shit, she wouldn’t even need to come back for her clothes; it’s not like she left many behind after she was finished packing. How a woman can fit so much stuff in such a small suitcase will forever boggle my mind.