He was a business owner. He’d carved out success for himself, despiteeverything. I’d seen him here and there over the last couple of years, but our communication always stayed tucked inside of a safe zone—always very surface level. It hadn’t felt natural to me, and I was sure it didn’t to him either, but I had been more focused on keeping Logan at a safe distance so that I could protect my heart. Plus, I was with Noah, and I honestly didn’t know how to approach a friendship with Logan that stayed within certain boundaries.
I vowed, right here in the car next to him, to never let myself stray from our friendship like that again. Regardless of what happened now. Even if we didn’t succeed with this chance to be together. Even if it broke my heart and ruined me. Logan was anything but malicious, and I knew I couldn’t keep blaming him for things that didn’t work out the way I wanted them to. He deserved unwavering love and support, and I cemented it into my heart that I would always give that to him. No matter what.
It only took ten or so minutes before Logan was pulling up to a large brick building that sat along the main road. Floor-to-ceiling glass windows showcased a dark front lobby, and six black rolling doors lined along the side of the building, giving access to the numerous vehicle bays. “Holy shit, Logan. This is huge.” A large sign hung proudly on the building above the bays, and though the light behind the sign was turned off, I could still make out the words. LOGAN’S AUTO SHOP. The sight of it caused the corners of my eyes to burn with welling tears. I looked toward Logan in the driver’s seat and saw that he was watching me.
“I’ll help you out.” He nodded to my passenger door before he opened his own. When he got to me, he held out his hand for me again. I took it and briefly reveled in the familiarity of his skin against mine. The comfort of it.
I saw my breath as I stepped out of the car and into the freezing night air. “Let’s get inside where it’s warm,” he said, intertwining his hand with mine as he led the way. He unlocked the deadbolt with the keys in his other hand and opened the glass door, letting me past him to step inside first.
Inside, the shop was warm from a heater still running. The smell of motor oil flooded my nose. It was thrilling to think about the hard work that went on here every day—a whole team of smart and capable mechanics who, under Logan’s supervision, worked together to make things better for people.
“Logan.” I could hear the wonder in my own voice. “This is amazing!”
I watched as he, too, looked around the lobby that we stood in, absorbing the environment as if he didn’t spend most of his time here already. “Thank you. I’ve been working really, really hard to make this place meaningful.”
“Meaningful?” I asked.
“Yeah . . . I have the privilege ofemployingpeople, Mills. Guys who don’t have a lot of other options—real good guys. I get to provide them with a stable opportunity. A stable income. And our customers, we really help them here. This is an honest garage, we do good work.”
I could feel my heart fluttering for this man, this incredible man, who was such a light in the world. “I’m really fucking proud of you, Logan.” I reached out to hug him, sliding my hands underneath his arms and pressing my cheek to his chest. I craved the feel of him, in this moment of raw intensity. “I’m not at all surprised that you’re having success here. You’re an amazing person with integrity, and this is what you were made to do.”
I felt his arms wrap around me in a firm embrace. “Thank you, Mills.” His lips came down to kiss the top of my head in a way that was casual but deeply intimate, causing butterflies to soar throughout my chest and stomach.
He pulled away from me, taking my hand again as he led me behind the counter. “Come on, I’ll show you around.” Logan proceeded to give me a tour, showing me the various bays that were dedicated to different services. There was a car lifted up high in one of them, allowing easy access for work to be done from underneath. In another, a car’s motor had been removed from the front. “This one’s been a hell of a project trying to figure out, but one of my guys, Manny, finally found the problem in one of the condensers,” he explained, as if I had any idea what a condenser was.
He then took me to a small room in the back that served as his office. There was a computer on a desk with a second monitor showing what was obviously security camera footage. A small, black sofa sat along the wall, and filing cabinets stood together along the opposite wall. “I don’t spend a whole lot of time here—I’m usually out working with the guys—but this is where I handle all of the accounting and other admin stuff.”
I pictured him sitting at the desk in here at the end of a long, hard day, processing invoices and crunching numbers and keeping the foundation of this place strong. Finding words that adequately described the pride I felt for him was nearly impossible.
“Are those yours?” I asked, pointing to a pair of gray coveralls that were hung on a wall anchor.
Logan looked to where I was pointing, confusion flashing on his face. “Yes . . .” he replied, looking back at me.
“I’m going to need to see you with those on”—I raised my eyebrows at him—“like, really soon . . .”
Logan let out a bark of laughter. “Behave, Amelia.” His smile was bright, reaching the amber of his eyes. Golden circles shined from his irises. He really was a beautiful man, I thought, as I watched his face turn more serious. “You know, I’m so grateful for everything I’ve been able to do here. I know it’s where I’m supposed to be, professionally speaking, and it’s an amazing feeling to be able to do what I love and call it a job. But . . .” He hesitated for a moment before continuing again. “I feel like a piece of my life is still missing. And as much as I’ve always tried to fight it—” He took in a breath. “I know damn well that piece is you.” I could hear the splintered edges in his voice, the emotion seeping out roughly from his throat.
A new wave of tears stung my eyes. “Logan . . .”
He reached out to take both of my hands into his. “Thank you, for everything you’ve done for me, for everything that you still do to make me feel confident in chasing my dreams. I wouldn’t be here, standing inmyoffice, inside of a business thatIown, if it weren’t for your support every single time that I’ve needed you.” He was studying me with intensity. “And I’m sorry . . . I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you in the same way. I’m sorry that I tried so hard to convince myself that my feelings for you weren’t worth pursuing.
“I was scared—I’mstillscared—of what it would mean if things don’t work out. I’m not sure that I could take losing you.” He began shaking his head, as if to ward off his pestering fears. “I can’t lose you.” His voice was much quieter. A desperate plea.
I saw the shine of tears form in his eyes, and the pressure squeezing my chest became almost too much to bear. Logan had just broken my heart into a thousand pieces with his words, and then sealed it all back together again with pieces of his own, permanently welding himself to me.
Closing my eyes, I stepped closer to him, breathing in his scent of cedar and citrus. “Logan, I believe in this.” I kept my voice as strong as possible, despite the wild emotions surging through me. “I believe that we can do this, and I’m so thankful to finally have this chance with you. I know that it’s scary . . . I’m scared too. But . . .” I looked up into his eyes, willing him to hear my words. Willing him to see straight into my soul. “We can’t let fear stop us from trying our best to be happy. Or stop us from what could be the best experience of our entire lives. We already have a foundation of love and trust between us, and I think that, no matter how this shakes out, none of that will ever falter.Wewon’t let it, okay? Promise me that, moving forward, we tackle our fears together. As a team.”
Logan nodded, and I watched as his eyes dropped to my mouth. “Okay, Mills. I promise.” There was a rasp in his breath that tugged low in my belly.
And then I was rising to my tip toes, desperate to close the gap between us. Pressing my lips against his, I felt his hands rise to my waist, sliding around to my back. He pulled me in closer, deepening what I’d only meant to be a soft, quick kiss. His tongue slid against my lips before I opened them for him, and the groan from the back of his throat sent lightning strokes through me.
He pulled away from me, his breathing rapid, and pressed his forehead to mine. “I already want to cancel the no sex rule,” he said, his voice gritty like sandpaper.
“Then do it,” I encouraged, pressing my hand to his cheek. I knew I should support his rules, but right now—I could only hope he’d be willing to break them.
He groaned again. “You’re going to be the death of me.” He pressed another hurried kiss to my lips before taking a step back, creating half a foot of space between us. He studied me for a moment, his chest still lightly heaving from the pull of our bodies. “This is a risk we take together. You’re right, we do this as a team, through the highs and the lows.” He nodded, as if he were speaking more to himself than to me. “The only way this really works is if we go all in. I won’t hide my feelings from you—not anymore. I promise.”
“Thank you.” I smiled, prying my eager mind away from the curve of his throat, the broadness of his shoulders. “Now, tell me more about this place. How many employees do you have?”
