Finding Him: Second Chance Billionaire Romance (Finding Love Book 1), page 24
We wander down to the Western Boardwalk at the Sydney Opera House for brunch after our shower. “Hmm,” I say, looking over the menu. “I’m not sure what I feel like.”
“I could eat a damn horse,” Logan replies, making me laugh.
“I don’t think they have horse on the menu.”
“Very funny,” he says. “After the amount of calories I burnt off this morning, I need something with sustenance. I might have the big breakfast, or the pancakes … maybe both.”
“You ran a kilometre, not a marathon.”
“That’s huge for me.”
“Not for me,” I say, shrugging. “I might have some fruit and yogurt.”
He shakes his head. “I don’t know how you survive on that shit, especially with the amount of exercise you do.”
“It’s not shit; it’s good for me.”
He looks at me over the top of his menu and smiles. “I know babe, and I love that you look after yourself.”
The waitress approaches our table. “Are you ready to order?” she asks. My gaze moves to Logan to take the lead, but when he looks up at her, his face pales. “Logan!”
“Mandy.” His eyes dart to me before moving back to her. I have no idea who this woman is, but I can tell by his reaction that she’s somebody to him.
“I can’t believe it.” She’s beaming as she speaks. “How are you?”
“I’m doing great. How are you?”
“Things are okay with me, I guess,” she says with a shrug. “You look amazing by the way, but you always did.”
He clears his throat, as he shuffles uncomfortably in his seat. “How’s Brent?”
“We’re not together anymore.” His eyes don’t leave her as he reaches across the table to take hold of my hand. “You of all people know what he’s like. He left me and the kids a few months ago. He’s shacking up with some nineteen-year-old he met at the gym. Hence why I’m working here. Somebody has to pay the bills.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Logan says, but his tone sounds anything but sincere.
“Are you still working with your dad?”
“No, he retired years ago. I’m running the company now.”
“Wow. Good for you.” She reaches out, placing her hand on his arm, and I don’t like it. “You always were a hard worker; you deserve all the success.”
He tugs at the collar of his shirt. I’ve never seen him like this before. My eyes move to her and take her in. She’s beautiful, with a tall, slender figure, large blue eyes, and long blonde hair. She’s so fixated on him that I don’t even think she realises I’m sitting here.
“Have you decided what you’re having, Hot Stuff?” I ask, not only as an attempt to break this moment they appear to be having, but also to alert her to my presence.
Her head snaps in my direction as a fake smile graces her face. “Hot Stuff—how cute. And very fitting, I must say.”
Bitch.
I force myself to smile as my attention moves back to Logan. The corners of his lips turn up slightly when our eyes meet.
“Amanda, this is my girlfriend, Brooke. Brooke, this is Amanda.”
I feel somewhat relieved when he introduces me as his girlfriend, but it doesn’t escape me that he greeted her as Mandy. They must be close if he has a pet name for her.
“Girlfriend, wow.” I don’t miss her condescending tone as she eyes me up and down before giving Logan her full attention once more. “I thought you’d be married with children by now.”
He intakes a large breath and averts his gaze down to the table. I wait for him to reply to her comment, but he doesn’t. Instead, he just sits there fidgeting with the napkin in front of him. It’s painful seeing him like this.
“Can we get the fruit platter with a side of yoghurt and the big breakfast please,” I say, picking up both menus and passing them to her. Hopefully, she can take a hint.
“Of course.”
“How would you like your eggs?” Amanda asks, her eyes moving back and forth between us.
“Not fussed,” Logan says, flicking his hand slightly.
“Sunny side up,” she replies, writing it down on her pad. “I remember how you like your eggs, Mr. Cavanagh.” She gives him a sweet smile as she taps her pen on his shoulder.
I roll my eyes. I remember how you like your eggs, Mr. Cavanagh. When I notice the deliberate sway in her hips as she walks away, my eyes move back to Logan. I’m almost expecting him to be fixated on her arse, but instead, he’s looking at me.
“Who is that?” I ask.
“My ex.”
My eyes widen. “The one who ran off with your best friend?”
“The very one.”
“Wow,” I say, sitting back in my chair as a sickly feeling settles in the pit of my stomach. That feeling only intensifies when Logan runs his fingers through his hair and sighs as his gaze moves back down to the table. I reach for his hand. “Are you okay?”
“Of course.” But I know him well enough to know he’s anything but okay.
My worries are confirmed when the food finally arrives. I watch him push his food around on his plate.
“I thought you said you could eat a horse.”
He shrugs as his eyes remain cast downwards. “I’ve lost my appetite.”
Chapter 39
Logan
“Kiddo,” my uncle says when I enter his hospital room. He’s recovering well and has been moved out of ICU and into a ward. “It’s good to see you.” His head manoeuvres to the side as he looks around me, but it’s a fruitless move because I came here alone. “Brooke’s not with you?”
“No, she’s downstairs with the doctor having her stitches removed.” It’s the truth, but I don’t have the heart to tell him that she didn’t want to see him. Hopefully, in time she’ll open up to having some kind of relationship with him.
“How’s she doing?”
“She’s doing great.” I reach for the chair by the wall and drag it closer to the bed. “She’s going back to work on Monday.”
“Are you sure she’s ready for that?”
“It’s what she wants, and I’m not going to stand in her way. Besides, she loves her job. It makes her happy.”
“What does she do?”
“She’s a dance teacher and choreographer. You should see her; she’s amazing.” I feel myself smiling as I talk about Brooke.
“You’re really taken with her, aren’t you?”
“I’ve never felt like this before—ever. I’m going to marry this one.”
“That’s exactly how I felt about her mother. She captured my heart the moment I met her. I’ve never loved anyone or anything as fiercely as I did Maree, and I doubt I ever will again.”
“That’s how I feel about Brooke.”
“Her likeness to her mother is uncanny. The moment I saw her at Lara’s party I knew she was my daughter.”
“That sounds so foreign.”
“What?”
“You calling her your daughter.”
“Like it or not, it’s the truth.”
“So, you’re adamant Brooke is yours?”
“Yes. And when I get out of here, I plan on righting the wrongs I committed all those years ago, including telling Kathleen.”
“You know you’re liable to end up back in here if you do that.”
He grabs hold of his side as he laughs at my response. I pity him; she’s not going to take this news well.
“You’re probably right, but she needs to know. I should’ve told her years ago.”
“You’re a braver man than I am.”
“I’m also going to ask her for a divorce.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yes.”
Those words make me happier than they should. “I feel like I’ve waited my entire life for you to say that. Despite everything, you deserve better. You know I’ll help you out any way I can.”
“I know you will. It’s been a long time coming. Having a near-death experience has given me clarity.” He sighs. “My life would’ve been so different if I had followed my heart from the very beginning.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“Come on, you know what Kathleen’s like. It would’ve ended badly for everyone involved.”
“The alternative wasn’t much better. From what Brooke tells me, life was really tough for her and her mum.”
“For years I searched for them—well, for Maree. I wasn’t even sure if she’d gone through with the pregnancy.” He bows his head, and I can feel his shame from here. “Especially after what I said to her.”
“After you told her to terminate it?”
“Yes.” He clears his throat. “I panicked.”
“Because you weren’t ready to be a father, or you were worried about what your wife would do?”
“My marriage to Kathleen was never based on love; it was more of a business relationship, but that still doesn’t excuse what I did.” His gaze moves back to me, and I can see the pain in his eyes. “I could’ve handled whatever backlash she handed me because I deserved it, but it was what she would’ve done to Maree that worried me most.” He pauses briefly and then a smile tugs at his lips. “She was so sweet and innocent, a lot like Brooke. You know as well as I do how brutal your aunt can be. She would’ve crucified her.” He pauses, adjusting the pillow behind his head. “I really fucked things up, and not a day goes by when I haven’t regretted my actions.”
I’m still struggling to wrap my head around all of this, and I can’t help but worry about Brooke and how this is going to affect her.
“Do you know when they’re going to let you out of here?” I ask, changing the subject.
“Soon, I hope.”
“You had us all worried. What possessed you to jump into the path of a bullet?”
“I heard screaming while I was waiting outside, but when neither you, nor Mike emerged, I knew something was wrong. That’s when I decided to enter the house. When I saw Brooke bleeding and unconscious on the floor and the gun trained on you, I had to do something.”
“You were willing to sacrifice your life for us?”
“Absolutely. You’ve always been like a son to me, and Brooke, well …” He pauses briefly before continuing. “I’ve let that poor girl down her entire life, so giving up mine in exchange for hers was the least I could do.”
“She’s really struggling with this you know.”
“I know.”
“She’s fiercely loyal to her mother.”
“Rightly so. I’m a stranger to her, but hopefully, she’ll allow me in so I can at least rectify that. If I could only just explain …”
“Give her some time. She’s been through enough.”
“The last thing I want to do is hurt her any more than I have.”
“Thank you,” I say.
“Have you met her?”
“Who?”
“Brooke’s mother?”
“No. She passed when Brooke was still in college.”
When John’s face pales I know that news has shocked him. ‘You didn’t know?”.
“No. No, I didn’t.”
I feel like a prick for just blurting it out like that. He turns his face away from me, and when I see him wipe his eyes with the back of his hand, I feel even shittier.
“I’m sorry.” I wait for him to say something, but he remains silent. “Would you like me to leave, so you can be alone?”
“Please.” I don’t miss the crack in his voice as he speaks.
Standing, I shove my hands into the pockets of my jeans. “I’ll call you later.” I briefly place my hand on his arm. I came here in the hope of cheering him up but have failed miserably. He nods, but doesn’t turn back to face me. I turn to leave, but when I reach the doorway, a strangled sob escapes him. I pause for a moment because I feel torn. “Are you sure you want me to go?” I ask, eyeing him over my shoulder. When he nods again, I begrudgingly walk away.
“Are you okay?” Brooke asks, reaching across the centre console and placing her hand on my leg.
“Yes,” I lie, as my eyes briefly leave the road to focus on her. “Why?”
She shrugs. “You’re just quiet. You seem off.”
“I’m fine.” I remove one of my hands from the steering wheel and place it on top of hers.
“Was your uncle okay when you went to visit him?”
I let out a long breath. “He’s doing much better. They’ve moved him out of intensive care and into a ward.”
“That’s good.”
“How about I take you somewhere nice for lunch?” I ask, trying to change the subject.
“I’d like that. Maybe we could go back to that revolving restaurant at the top of Sydney Tower. That’s if you want to, of course. I’m happy to go anywhere.”
“Sure.” Putting the indicator on, I turn and head in that direction. “I promised to take you back there anyway.”
We’re both silent as we come to a stop at a set of traffic lights. My thoughts are still on my uncle. I feel awful for leaving him. I should’ve stayed.
As I wait for the green light, I spot a large poster taped around a pole: World Famous Russian Ballet Company—Sydney Opera House. My gaze moves to Brooke, but she’s looking out her window at the people passing by. Hopefully I can get tickets. I bet she’d love to see that.
I drive into the underground parking garage close to Pitt Street Mall. “I’ve just got to send a quick text,” I say once I switch off the car.
Logan: Claire, can you see if you can get two tickets to the Russian Ballet that’s performing at the Opera House?
By the time I exit the vehicle, she replies.
Claire: Sure, any particular seats?
I quickly respond.
Logan: The best they have. I want to surprise Brooke.
Walking around to the passenger side, I open the door and extend my hand to her. Fingers crossed they’re not sold out. Although ballet isn’t my thing, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do to see my girl smile.
“It’s only eleven,” I say, looking down at my watch. “How about a little retail therapy before lunch?”
“Sounds good. Is there anything, in particular, you’re after?”
“I was thinking about you.”
“I don’t really need anything,” she says. But I’ve seen how sparse her wardrobe is.
“I was thinking formal wear. I have some work functions coming up.”
“Oh.” She goes quiet.
“You don’t want to come with me?”
“Of course, but money is tight right now.”
“I didn’t say anything about you paying.”
“And I’d rather you didn’t.”
A smile tugs at my lips. “Come on,” I encourage. “It won’t hurt to look.” She gives me a dubious expression, but doesn’t argue.
“This is nice,” I say when we walk into the first store and I eye a red dress. I love that colour on her.
“It’s okay.” When she screws her face up, I chuckle. “The colour’s nice, but I’m not keen on the style.”
“Show me what you like then.”
“This,” she says, taking a baby blue dress off the rack and holding it up. “It’s so pretty.” I love how unspoilt and unpretentious she is. She’s gone without her entire life and deserves all the pretty things. “I love, love, love this one.” She picks up an emerald green dress and eyes it. “Oh, and that black one over there.”
“Can I help you with anything?” the sales assistant asks when she approaches us.
“We’re just looking,” Brooke replies.
“Actually, she’d like to try on a few dresses.” I have to fight my smile when I see Brooke’s eyes narrow. “It won’t hurt to try them on.”
“But—”
“Come on, humour me.”
“Fine,” she says with a sigh.
“What size are you?” the assistant asks.
“A ten.”
She takes the emerald dress out of Brooke’s hands and grabs the right size. “The fitting rooms are this way.”
Brooke follows her, but I hang back. Once they’re out of sight, I grab a size ten in the other two dresses she admired.
Heading towards the back of the store, I hand them to the sales assistant. “She’d like to try these on too.”
I stand there and watch as she knocks on the changing room door, where Brooke is. “Your husband would like you to try these on too.”
Brooke pops her head through the slightly ajar door. When she sees the dresses, her eyes dart to me. “He’s not my husband,” she grumbles, making me laugh.
“I’m her future husband,” I state. Her eyes narrow and my amusement grows.
“Let me know if you need a hand,” the assistant says to her before turning her attention to me. “You can take a seat there.”
My phone chimes the moment I sit down. Pulling it out of my pocket, I see it’s from Claire.
Claire: All the good seats are sold out for the weekend shows, but I can get box seats during the week.
I’m not concerned about what day we go; I just want her to have the best experience possible.
Logan: Box seats sound good, just make sure you keep my schedule open that day.
I can’t wait to surprise her with these tickets. She can wear one of the dresses she’s trying on.
Claire: Okay, I’ll purchase them now. The contractor got back to me earlier too. He can meet you at the site tomorrow afternoon at two. Do you want me to confirm that time?
Time isn’t on my side, so I’ll have to arrange for someone to come to the penthouse to sit with Brooke. I only have a matter of weeks to get this warehouse converted.
Logan: Two’s perfect. Thanks, Claire.
When I hear Brooke clear her throat, I look up from the phone. “Jesus,” I say as my breath hitches in my throat. “Babe, you look stunning.”
“It’s pretty isn’t it?” Her face lights up as she admires the dress in the mirror.
