Risky Business (12 page)

She shook her head. “I’m sorry I was mean. I don’t know why I said that.”

“Don’t you?”

She frowned
.

“You’re mad at me.”

“No, I’m mad at the situation. In any case, I’m going to Luke’s to take care of the
kids.” She explained Lexy’s illness.

He moved away from the desk then. His stomach was in perpetual knots these days and he had to control his temper. “I see.”

“It might help for us to be away from each other for a while.”

“I didn’t agree to stop seeing you. I said I wanted to think this through.”

“And I need time to think it through, too.”

“What does that mean?”

“I’m not
sure I’ll be on board, giving in to her demands. Anyway, Luke needs help. After all he did for us girls when we were little, it’s a small thing to do for him.”

“You’re right. Once again, I’m not thinking clearly.”

She crumpled the paper she held. “I won’t need to leave this.” She checked her watch. “I’ve got to get going.”

“I hate the thought of you alone on the roads. You don’t drive
often.”

“I’ll be fine. I’ll do it all in daylight.”

“Can I call you?”

“Yes. If I’m not ready to talk, I won’t answer.”

That pissed him off and he had to grit his teeth not to respond.

She crossed the distance between them. “Take care of yourself, Logan.” Standing on tiptoes, she kissed his cheek
.

She made it to the doorway before he strode across the room, slapped his hand
on the door and shut it. “Not so fast.”

He grabbed her by the arms, turned her and lifted her up and pressed her against the door. Then he kissed her, hard. She was his and he wasn’t going to let her go.

All day long, Logan worried about Magdalena driving to Binghamton. He should have told her to call him when she got there, but he was so angry and frustrated that he hadn’t
thought of it. Now, at three, he stared at the phone. Should he or shouldn’t he?

“It’s like watching a pot boil. The more you stare at it…”

Thomas was in the doorway. Just what he needed. For the hundredth time, he wished they were closer, that he could confide in Thomas. But at the very least, no one at work knew of the change in their relationship and how it might affect their jobs,
so he couldn’t. Still, it made him sad.

“Not watching the phone. Daydreaming.”

Coming into the room, Thomas dropped down in a chair in front of Logan. “Now, that’s a lie if I ever heard one.” He swept the office with his gaze. “Where’s the Beauty Queen? Is it a call from her you’re expecting?”

“She went out of town to babysit her brother’s kids.”

“And you didn’t go?”

“She didn’t
ask.” The confession was out before he could stop it.

“Trouble in paradise?”

“Lay off the sarcasm, Thomas. I can’t handle it today.”

For a moment, his brother didn’t say anything. Then he leaned forward and spoke. “You know, we used to talk about important things.”

“Not for a long time.”

“What happened, do you think? Is it me and my insecurities? I swear, I’m more of a jerk
around you than I am anywhere else.”

“Partly, but it’s me, too. And you’re right, in the last seven years, I’ve had Magdalena.”

“In some ways, she took you away from me.”

Logan couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen Thomas so introspective. “It started long before that. But you know what, Thomas, if that has any truth to it, then I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have let her come between
us.”

“So, fix it.” Thomas shrugged. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

“My relationship with Magdalena
has
changed. And Teresa’s pregnant.”

“Holy shit! That’s a mouthful.”

Logan hoped he didn’t regret the confidence
.

Thomas stood. “Come on. I’ll take you to Teddy’s downstairs and you can tell me all about it. I probably can’t help, but I can listen. Sounds like you need to get this out.”

“Maybe I do.” He stood, too, feeling a bit lighter and glad he wasn’t alone. “Let’s go.”

Kelsey came to the door of their home in the hills of Binghamton and encompassed Magdalena in a huge hug. “How can I ever thank you for this?”

“No thanks necessary. Luke did so much for us while we were growing up, I’m glad I can do this for you two, Kel.” She touched Kelsey’s middle.
“You have a baby bump that wasn’t there when I last saw you.”

“No bikinis on the beach for me.”

Just then, her brother came down the stairs. Wearing heavy socks and jeans and a thick sweater, he made Magdalena smile. “You’re beautiful pregnant.” He hooked his arm around Kelsey’s neck and nuzzled. “Always, to me.”

Magdalena felt hollow inside. The tender intimacy of the two of them
made her long for that with Logan
.

Luke said, “Come sit in front of the fireplace.”

“Not me,” Kelsey told him. “I need a nap while Lexy’s sleeping. I told Amy she could lie down with me, too. You two go ahead and chat.”

When they were seated on the couch, Magdalena looked at her brother. “What’s going on? Why does she think we need to talk?”

“Because we do.”

“Oh, God, Luke,
nothing’s wrong with her pregnancy or with the kids, is it? After Opal’s incident, I worry like crazy.”

“No, everybody here is good except the cold patient. I’m concerned about you.”

She sank against the couch cushions. “Me? Why?”

“Do you remember when you were seven and you climbed to the top of the tree you weren’t supposed to. I knew you were lying when you told
Matka
you didn’t.
Then the first time you did the nasty with Carl, I came home that weekend and sensed something was different with you.”

Magdalena giggled. “You bought me condoms.”

“Baby, what’s wrong now?”

“It’s Logan.”

“Is he all right?” Luke’s dark blond brows furrowed. “
He
isn’t sick, is he?”

She shook her head. “No, but things have changed between us.”

“How?”

“We’ve…the nature
of our relationship has changed.”

“To physical?” She nodded. “Well, hell! It’s about time.”

“What do you mean?”

“I think you’ve been in love with him for years and haven’t even known it. I gave him more credit than I should have because I expected he’d bring you around quicker.”

Staring up at the beamed ceiling above, the skylights that were covered with snow, she sighed. “Yeah,
he saw it first.” Her insides curled into knots. “But there’s more.”

When she finished, he sat back and whistled. “That’s quite a story. I’m sorry for the complication, but it doesn’t have to be any more than that.”

“Luke, you thought lying to Kelsey for weeks about your identity, then having the audacity to ask her to accept you, was a
complication
.”

His eyes twinkled, reminding her
of when he was a boy. “It worked, didn’t it?”

“For you.”

“Then do it for yourself.” Reaching out, he grasped her hand. “Make your own future based on what you want now. If you don’t, you’ll regret it. Believe me. I can’t imagine my life without Kelsey.”

Luke was still watching out for her, as he always had. His support gave her the courage to consider what he’d said.

Logan entered his place, dreading the night ahead. He was so tired he wasn’t sure he had the stamina to deal with Teresa’s moods. She’d taken more time off from the play to move in with him. “Teresa, I’m home.”

He heard rumbling on the stairs. Then she appeared in the foyer, walked to him and kissed him on the cheek. “Hi, honey, how was your day?”

Christ, what did she think they were
doing, playing house?

“Not so hot.” He glanced up the steps. “Did you get settled?”

“Uh-huh.” She took him by the hand. He wished she wouldn’t touch him as if they were intimate. “Can I fix you a drink?”

“No, that’s okay, sit.”

He poured a double Scotch, then took the chair by the fireplace instead of joining her on the couch. She seemed happier today, healthier, rested. Maybe
this wasn’t going to be such a nightmare. “You look better.”

“I told you if I moved in things would be fine. I already feel safer, more sure I want to complete this pregnancy.”

“Well, that was the point of all this.”

She lifted her chin. “You never told me what Magdalena said about not seeing her anymore.”

He’d lie. Plain and simple. “I haven’t told her anything. Remember, I agreed
to you moving in but not your demand to stop seeing her. I haven’t decided if I will.”

Her brow furrowed. “I don’t remember that.”

Probably because she’d been yelling at him
.

He stood. “We’re not going to rehash this now, Teresa. You got your wish to move in so be happy with that. If you’ll excuse me, I’m going up to change.”

She didn’t protest. Which was a surprise. But he was
glad. He couldn’t live in a battle zone for months. He entered the bedroom and stopped short. Something seemed different, but at first glance, the big bed, the teak dressers were the same. He shrugged off his suit coat and threw it on the chair, then kicked off and removed his pants. He went to the closet for jeans and a sweater. When he opened the double doors, he found half his clothes inside.
The other half of the space was taken up by Teresa’s things. What the hell? He checked the dressers. Four of his drawers were crowded with things he didn’t keep together. So he wasn’t surprised to see she’d filled the other two with her underwear. He found the same kind of thing in the bathroom. Her toiletries were scattered throughout: on the vanity, in the shower, even on the back of the toilet.
The scent of Teresa lingered here. Goddamn son of a bitch! She knew she was supposed to set up her space in the guest room, where she’d slept last night.

He dressed and was about to leave the room to go back downstairs and deal with this when he saw the wastebasket was full. Bending over, he picked up the four copies of
TIME
he’d bought. The ones with him and Magdalena on the front, emblazoned
with The Power Couple. For a minute, he just stared into those hazel eyes that he’d seen fill with desire—for him. He ran his hand down the curve of her hair, hair that he’d fisted his hand in. He liked how they fit together in the photo, back to back, matching in color, similar expressions on their faces. He glanced at the wastebasket. And then the anger came. Fuck! He didn’t know what he was
going to do about Magdalena, but he knew one thing about Teresa. This subtle sabotage stopped now.

Crossing back to the closet, he yanked her clothes off the bar and walked down to the guest room. He hung them in there, returned with his own clothes, which she’d left in that closet, cleaned out two drawers, deposited those things down the hall, then swept the bathroom of every trace of her.
After he’d transferred all her stuff, he went back downstairs and strode to where she sat.

“It didn’t work, Teresa.”

She looked up from the magazine she held. “What didn’t?”

“You know what I mean. You can stay here if it makes you feel more secure, and I’ll be kind about it, but don’t ever do anything like that again.”

At his harsh words, she burst into tears. Logan turned on his
heel and went into the kitchen to get another drink.

Since it was a winter break for the schools, the kids didn’t wake up in time to say good-bye to Luke and Kelsey. Her dad, Reynolds Cunningham, who’d moved to Binghamton to be close to his daughter, picked them up to take them to the airport. “I’m available to watch the girls anytime you need me to,” Ren told her. “You might
want to take Amy somewhere since Lexy’s cooped up.”

After they left, Magdalena curled up on the couch to wait for Luke’s girls to greet the day.

Someone was shaking her. “Aunt Mags. Aunt Mags. Wake up.”

Magdalena bolted up. “Oh.” Amy stood beside her, dressed in princess garb, right down to the tiara and wand. “Your Highness, I didn’t know you were awake. May I get you something?”

Amy giggled. “It’s me, Aunt Mags.”

“I thought you were Princess Amalja.” Her given name.

A demonstrative child, with Luke’s coloring, Amy threw herself in Magdalena’s arms and pink crinoline tickled her nose. The feel of her solid little body whisked away remnants of her dream about Logan. “Want some breakfast?”

“Uh-huh. I checked on Lexy. She’s still asleep.”

“That will help
her to get better.”

“I hope we can go to the movies still.”

“I promise we will. Your grandpa said he can stay with Lexy if we want to do something.”

Amy frowned. “I don’t want her to feel bad.”

“Aw, that’s so sweet.”

Lexy woke up at ten, warm to the touch, with a scratchy throat. If this illness was bacterial, the antibiotic should kick in tomorrow. Magdalena sat on the edge
of her bed. “Hi, baby. I brought a cold cloth for your head.”

Lexy perked up. “Hi, Aunt Mags.”

Magdalena bathed her face, feeling a swell of love for this girl and her sister. Then she fed and bathed Lexy, and the child went back to sleep
.

For most of the day, she and Amy played board games; they also dressed up her dolls three times. They all had dinner in Lexy’s room, hot chicken
soup and crusty bread that Luke had left for them.

By nine, Magdalena was exhausted. The kids were both down for the night, so she collapsed on the couch. And immediately thought of Logan. He’d called today, and she hadn’t answered. She couldn’t tell him anything new, any great epiphany that had come to her, so she let the phone go to voicemail and just listened to his message. “Hi, sweetheart.
I guess you’re not ready to talk. I want to hear your voice, but I respect your privacy. I miss you so much I can barely tolerate it
.
”

She whispered into the dark space, “I miss you, too, Logan.” To quell the urge to call him back, she punched in Ana’s phone number. When her sister answered, “Hi, Magdalena,” she was glad she called. Ana’s voice was full of apprehension
.

“Hey, sweetie.
How’s it going?”

“Living under the same roof as my ex-husband? Just peachy.”