Charade (Heven and Hell #2)(50)
Author: Cambria Hebert

I stilled. Did he finally seem to grasp what I had been feeling all along about his brother?

I think he might be sick. I think his body is rejecting the hellhound gene.

Is that even possible? I asked, sitting up and pushing my hair behind my ears. So Sam wasn’t thinking what I was, but if he was right, then I felt incredibly guilty for ever thinking anything bad about Logan.

I don’t know. He shook his head, his face grim. I need to keep an eye on him. I’m going to bring him back here with me this morning. Do you think you could stay here at the house with him while I go train with Gemma and Cole?

Of course. He can have breakfast with us.

Sam visibly relaxed. Thanks, Hev. That makes me feel better.

I smiled. He pressed a quick kiss to my lips and then went to the window, pulling up the blind. You’ll be able to stay awake?

Yep. Wide awake. I peeled my eyelids back with my fingers and stared at him.

He grinned. I’ll see you in a little while.

I blew him a kiss and watched as he jumped out of the window. I hadn’t exactly planned to spend my morning with Logan. I had planned to follow Sam and Cole to training and make Gemma include me. I climbed out of bed and gathered some things for a long, hot shower. Maybe it would be good to spend some time with Logan. Maybe it would give us a chance to get to know one another better.

I just hoped I liked what I got to know.

*   *   *

Gran was already in the kitchen when I went downstairs. She was drinking a cup of coffee and reading the newspaper.

“Wow, I thought I would be the first one up,” I said, heading for the coffee.

“You were, but I didn’t have to do my hair.” Gran laughed.

Normally I wouldn’t have either, but I felt like looking nice. “I have to work this afternoon.”

“Well, you look wonderful.”

“Thanks,” I said, taking a sip of hot, sweet coffee.

“It’s such a shame,” Gran said, gazing at the newspaper.

“What is?” I asked, leaning back against the counter while I thought about making something special for breakfast.

“There seems to be a rash of vandalism in town lately. Did Sam say anything to you about it?”

“No… should he have?”

“Well, no, but it says here that the second-hand store that is below his apartment was one of the victims of the vandalism. Everything in the store was destroyed. All the money was missing too.”

“That’s awful!” I exclaimed. “Maybe he doesn’t know.”

Gran nodded. “That wasn’t the only place vandalized and robbed either. Just two blocks over, that little bakery was destroyed too.” Gran made a tsking sound. “She made such good cupcakes.”

“Did the police find who did it?”

Gran shook her head. “No. There was one eyewitness who said that, around the estimated time of the bakery vandalism, they were driving on the street next to it and saw a man with a mask run into an alleyway.”

A shiver raced up my spine. “People can be so cruel.”

Gran made a sound of agreement and flipped to a new page. “Enough with that. I think I will enjoy the crossword puzzle.”

I handed her a pencil, added more coffee to my mug and sat down across from her as we tried to solve some of the harder clues. A little while later, there was a knock on the door. Before I got up to answer it, the door opened and Cole stuck his head in. “I smell coffee.”

“Cole!” Gran said, smiling and waved her hand. “Come in, come in.”

I gave him a wave and motioned for the coffee. “Coffee’s fresh.”

He headed straight for it.

“What brings you by so early this morning?” Gran asked.

The coffee pot froze halfway to his cup. Clearly, he didn’t think about needing a cover story for training. Then he seemed to recover and as he poured he said, “Woke up early and decided to come see two of my favorite ladies.”

“Well, let me get some pancakes and bacon cooking,” Gran said, jumping up from her chair. Cole passed her and laid a kiss on her cheek. Her aura flared with pink, a shade so pure and clear that my breath caught. It meant so much to her to have her long lost grandson—the child she thought she would never know—here.

I smiled at Cole when she turned away and mouthed thank you.

He shrugged like it was nothing. I don’t think he realized what he meant to her. To me.

But maybe he did because his aura was blooming with pink too.

Before the pancakes were even finished, I heard footsteps on the porch and I got up to open the door for Sam and Logan.

“Well, Logan!” Gran said. “So good to see you! Just in time for some breakfast.”

Logan smiled as I looked him over, trying not to be obvious. He looked okay. He didn’t look sick.

“Why don’t you come over here and help me flip,” Gran said, holding out a spatula to Logan. He grinned and grabbed the utensil.

Logan was still putting down the pancakes when Sam got up from the table. “I need to get to the chores. Lots to do and I have to work this afternoon.” He put his plate in the sink and turned to Logan.

“You go on, Sam. Logan can stay here and finish eating.”

“I’ll keep him company.” I smiled.

“I’ll give you a hand,” Cole said and got up from the table. “It’ll go faster.”

Sam nodded. “I’ll warn you. I have some stuff in the orchard that I need to do. Think you can handle it?”

Nice, he just gave them both a reason for going out there.

“Bring it on,” Cole said cheerfully and I wondered if he was thinking about Gemma.

“I’ll feed the horses,” I told Sam as he was heading out the door.

He winked.

After the dishes were done and put away, the crossword filled in, and the coffee was long drunk, I slipped on some shoes and grabbed the door handle. “I’m going to go feed the horses.”

Gran had Logan busy chopping up strawberries for a strawberry pie, so I figured it was a good time to get away. After I volunteered to feed the horses, I realized that I didn’t really want Logan in the barn because that’s where the Treasure Map was buried. Not that I thought Logan would know it, but it still made me edgy to have him in the same place that it was.

After the horses were fed, I was in the tack room, putting away the bag of carrots that I fed the horses for treats when I heard the horses begin to stir. Jasper made a sound that he only made when he was distressed. I slammed the refrigerator door shut and rushed for the door, only to run right into Logan.