Beyond Layers: Layer Series Book Four (Layers Series 4) (14 page)

“Not on purpose.”

“Whatever. I’m trying to make a point. Since Luke died, things haven’t been easy for you and I just—”

“Do I miss him? Every fucking day. Every fucking minute. Every fucking second.”

“I’m sorry,” she says softly.

“How I feel about Sam has nothing to do with Luke,” I lie. “Has nothing to do with my heart. Let me ask you this. When was the last time I chased a woman?”

Big frown. “Never.”

“I know you think I’m crazy, Al. And I know you think you’re protecting me. But, I’ve never wanted anything, anyone, more than I want Sam. I am going to find her. I am going to find my angel.”
I have to find her, Al; she’s the only one who can make me whole.

“All right, I give up,” she says, throwing up her hands—again. “What’s your plan and how can I help?”

I kiss her on the cheek. “Thanks, Al. I have a meeting on Monday with a PI.”

“Have you thought about hiring a sketch artist?”

“No, but that’s a great idea.”

“Maybe this PI could help you with it?”

“Maybe.”

Matt joins us. “Okay, I’m ready. Did you pack a bag, Al?”

“Yes, while you were in the shower.” She gives me a covert wink. “I’ll go get it.”

Allie leaves us. Matt gets out another beer and leans against the counter. “What are you two up to?”

“Who says we’re up to anything?”

He lifts a brow.

“Okay, we’ve been talking about Sam. I told her I was going to hire a PI and she suggested a sketch artist.”

He takes a healthy sip of his beer. “How is that going to help?”

“Maybe the PI can show it around or something.”

He shakes his head. “Maybe. I think the whole thing is crazy.”

“Maybe.”

“If you do find her, I hope she proves worthy of your efforts.”

“Bear, when I find her, and you see her, you’ll understand.”

Two days later…

Krissy tugs her dad’s hand. “Daddy, I’m hungry.”

He picks her up. “What do you want to eat?”

“I want a muffin, like the ones Mommy likes.”

As we exit Central Park, I bring the empty stroller to a stop

He looks over at me. “Do you know what she’s talking about?”

“Joe’s. It’s just a few blocks away.”

“Okay, princess. Let’s put you in your stroller.” He places her on the sidewalk.

“I don’t want to ride in the stroller.” She pouts. Folding her arms over her chest, adding a stomp of her tiny booted foot, she says, “No stroller. You can’t make me.”

“I’ll carry her.”

Matt frowns at me.

“What?”

“Al and I are trying to teach her that she doesn’t always get her way.”

I lift a brow. “And how’s that working for you?”

“All right. It’s not.”

I pick the princess up.

“I love you, Uncle Logan,” she says, giving her dad a triumphant grin.

Matt huffs, grabs the stroller, and folds it up.

Soon we are off and making our way down the sidewalk. It doesn’t take us long to make our way through the late morning Manhattan crowd. Matt is so big and tall people seem to part like the Red Sea in front of him. Krissy and I follow in his wake.

A few minutes later, we find ourselves across the street from Joe’s Coffee. When I snooped around, looked into Sam’s things at the beach, I found a receipt from Joe’s. So, it being my only clue to finding her, I’ve been stopping by whenever I can.

I look across the street and freeze. Everything around fades out, as if I’m making a movie, my camera lens slowly narrowing, zooming in, until she’s the only thing in focus, the only thing I see.

Matt waves his hand in front of my face. “What the hell, man?”

“It’s her.”

He looks across the street. “Who?”

“At Joe’s.” I point. “The blonde with long hair, in the blue jacket, sitting at the table by the window. That’s Sam.”

“The blonde with the long ponytail?”

I nod.

“She’s hot, man. Like holy-hell hot.”

“She looks just like Cinderella,” Krissy says. “Is she a princess like me?”

“She’s an angel.”

“She’s from heaven?”

I kiss her on the cheek. “Yes, princess. She came from heaven to save my soul.”
And warm my bed, and body.

“The blonde with her is smokin’ too,” Matt says.

I didn’t even see the blonde with her until then, having eyes only for my angel.

“So what’s the plan, dude?”

I shake my head. “I don’t know, man.”

Krissy whispers loudly in my ear, “Go talk to her, silly.”

Matt nods.

I take a deep breath. “Okay, let’s do it.”

We walk across the street. When we reach the entry to Joe’s, Matt unfolds the stroller and parks it with all the other strollers that sit just outside. When we enter the coffee shop, it’s crowded, barely standing room. But I notice the table Sam and the other woman are sitting at has room for two more chairs.

“Go find two chairs,” I tell Matt.

He nods.

I stand and watch her for a few seconds as people move around us. “What are you waiting for?” Krissy asks me.

“I’m nervous, princess.”

She puts her little hand on my shadowed cheek. “Don’t be nervous, Uncle Logan. I’m with you.”

I kiss her on the cheek. “And I’m so glad you are, Princess.”

We make our way to Sam’s table, each step feeling like a mile. Standing before her, I’m struck dumb, just like the first time I saw her on the beach.

“Don’t just stand. Say something, Uncle Logan.”

Sam looks up, her face flushing, her eyes growing big. “Logan,” she says, just above a whisper.

The blonde sitting across from her grins widely.

“Logan, what… what are you doing… here?”

“Looking for you, silly,” Krissy tells her.

Sam looks up at Krissy. “This is Krissy,” I tell them.

“I’m a princess, just like you.”

Sam opens her mouth but no words come out.

Matt joins us, sitting two chairs next to their table. I make the introductions. “Sam, this is my friend Matt, Krissy’s dad.”

Her shoulders visibly relax and she holds out her hand. “Hi, I’m Sam, and this,” she gestures toward her companion, “is Jules.”

Jules shakes his hand. “The pleasure is all mine,” she purrs.

Matt blushes.

Sam shakes her head.

“Please join us,” Jules says.

Sam looks at Jules, but says nothing.

“May we join you?” I ask her.

There’s a long pause before she nods. “Yes. Of course.”

We sit.

“I want a blueberry muffin, Daddy,” Krissy tells him.

“Okay, princess.” He looks at me.

“I’ll take a coffee, black.”

“Ladies?” he asks. They both tell him they’re good and he leaves us.

Jules sits back in her chair. Grinning like an idiot, she scans over me, not even trying to be discreet. “So this is Logan.”

Sam frowns.

Jules shakes her head and laughs.

I give her a tight smile.

“Jules,” Sam warns her.

“What? I’m just lookin’.”

“All the girls like to look at Uncle Logan. All my mommy’s friends say he’s sex-on-a-stick, and they want to eat him up,” Krissy tells them, matter-of-factly.

“Well, your mommy’s friends are right. I wouldn’t mind taking a bite out of him,” Jules teases.

Sam rolls her eyes.

“That’s funny,” Krissy tells her. “Ms. Jules, you look like my Barbie dolls.”

Sam laughs and it sounds… like heaven.

Jules grins. “You know who my husband looks like?”

Krissy giggles, shaking her head. “Who?”

“Like Ken, of course, you silly princess.”

Krissy snort-giggles. “That’s funny. I like you, Ms. Jules.”

“Well, I like you too, princess,” Jules tells her, giving her tummy a tickle.

Matt joins us, handing Krissy a muffin and placing my coffee in front of me.

He sits down.

“Matt,” Jules says, “Do you play hockey?”

He blushes.
What the hell?
I’ve never seen him blush, ever.

He nods. “Yeah, I play.”

“My Daddy’s the goalie for the Rangers. Everyone calls him Bear.”

“Do they now,” Jules purrs, as she leans back further in her chair, folding her arms over her ample chest. “And why is that?”

He turns redder. “They call me Bear because I’m as big as a bear.”

Jules lifts a brow. “Is that so?”

Matt stutters. “I meant… I mean… I’m….”

We all laugh.

“What’s so funny?” Krissy asks us.

“Nothing,” we answer simultaneously, and laugh harder.

There’s a long pause after we stop laughing.

I look at Sam.

She looks away.

Jules looks at Sam and frowns. They communicate something wordlessly, making Sam shake her head.

Jules rolls her eyes and looks at Krissy. “Krissy, I know a princess store just around the corner. Would you like me to show you and your daddy?”

She nods, her mouth and hands stuffed with blueberry muffin.

Jules looks at Matt who is staring at Sam, his eyes wide, mouth gaping.

It makes me want to preen like a peacock around the coffee shop, yet pisses me off. “Matt.” I nudge his shoulder.

He turns. “Huh?”

“Ms. Jules wants to show us a princess store,” Krissy tells him.

“What?”

I lift a brow.

“Oh.”

Jules holds out her arms. “Come here, Krissy. Let’s go find that store.”

Krissy squeals, all but jumping into her arms.

Sam’s mouth falls open.

“What?” Jules says.

She shakes her head. “Nothing.”

“I need the practice,” Jules tells her. “I’ll be just around the corner.”

Sam nods. “Nice to meet you both,” Sam tells Matt and Krissy, holding out her hand.

Matt stands and takes it. “The pleasure was all mine,” he says, lifting her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles.

I growl. Yes, I fucking growl.

Jules laughs and looks at Sam. “Remind you of anyone?”

Sam nods.

Jules flings a gigantic purple purse over her right shoulder and places Krissy on her left Barbie hip. She smiles and reaches for Matt’s hand. “Coming, Bear?”

He flushes, taking her hand. These two have turned him into the village idiot.

“I’ll call you later,” I tell him.

He leans over and whispers in my ear. “You better not fuck this up, Romano. By God, she is an angel.”

I nod and we watch them walk out the door.

I move to Jules’s vacant chair. We say nothing to each other for a minute, the air around us thick with anticipation and that unknown force that pulls us together, tethering us like puppets to string.

“Logan, this is a bad idea.”

“What’s a bad idea? We’re just drinking coffee, talking.”

She sits back and sighs. “Logan…”

“I’m not leaving until you talk to me. I’ve been looking all over the city for you; the least you can do is talk to me.”

She bites her lip and shrugs. “Okay, just talk.”

I take her in. God, she’s so beautiful, stunning. My dreams haven’t done her justice. I feel my gut tighten as my cock stirs.

Not wanting to scare her off, I try to keep things neutral, light. “So, your friend Jules, she’s pregnant?”

She laughs. “God, no. Why would you think that?”

“She said she needed the practice. I just assumed.”

“My sister is having girls.”

“Oh.”

“Logan, I…”

To hell with keeping things neutral, light. “God, Sam, I’ve missed you like crazy. I can’t get you out of my head. It’s driving me fucking mad. Please tell me you’ve thought of me.”

She looks down, playing with her empty coffee cup, moving it around the saucer.

Shit!
You’ve scared her, you stupid idiot.
“Sam, please say something.”
Say anything, angel. Please talk to me
.

She looks up at me, her beautiful eyes clouded over.

“God, Sam. I’m sorry, I just—”

She shakes her head. “No, Logan. Please don’t be sorry. I’ve missed you so much. I’ve tried not to. I have no right to, but I have. I can’t tell you how many times I wanted to find you, go to one of your games. But I stopped myself.”

I blow out a breath. “Seventy-two days, angel. The longest seventy-two days of my life.”