When She Falls (6 page)

“Get out of here. I only teach them a lesson when they deserve it.”

At that, Logan charged at the man and swung his fist. The drunk moved slower because of the booze in his system so he had little time to react. The impact of fist into his jaw sent him staggering backward against the dirty refrigerator. Slowly, he slid down to the floor and his head bowed forward.

Logan wasn’t sure if he’d passed out drunk or been knocked out. “Get up and fight like a man. This is pathetic.”

There was no response.

“You are a sorry excuse for a human being.” He grabbed Candice’s ex by the hair and lifted him
to standing.

With effort, the drunk’s eyes fluttered open. “She ain’t worth the trouble. Candy is white trash just like me.”

“No.” He shoved the man away causing him to trip over a chair and fall once more. “She’s a girl that turned to you when she was hurting and you almost broke her spirit completely. You’re lucky I’m letting you live. At the rate you’re going, you’ll be dead soon enough anyway.”

“I figured she’d be
running back to me by now. She probably still will.” He stayed sitting on the floor, looking up at Logan.

This made a grin spread across Logan’s face. “
She has the world at her fingertips now.” He turned to leave, decided against it, and instead sent another fist into the abuser’s face before exiting.

“Was work okay?” Candice asked when Logan returned. She was reading a book while soaking in a huge bubble bath.

“Fine.” He smirked. “Took me forever to find you.”

“It’s because your house is too big. Well, not
too
big. Awesomely big.” The book was tossed aside when he came closer and sat on the edge of the tub.

“Glad to see you’re enjoying yourself without me. I am feeling a bit left out, though.” His lips curled into the sexiest man pout she’d ever seen.

Candice gathered up a handful of bubbles and blew them toward his face before breaking out into laughter. “Sorry, that was rude.” She told him before splashing him with water. “I wouldn’t leave you out.”

“You’re in trouble now, little girl.” He took off his shirt, but jumped into the tub with the rest of his clothing on.

Squeals and giggles long left unheard spilled from her as he tickled her underneath the water. “Oh god, you’re crazy. Stop it! Help!” She said, all the while laughing so hysterically it hurt.

“I can’t. I love all the sounds you’re making too much!”

“I love you, but I can’t breathe!” She screamed, not realizing what she’d said. Logan stopped and stared at her. “What?” She asked.

“Nothing.” He said before planting a kiss on her lips without warning.

The romance was a whirlwind mismatch of two people of different social status, but the truth behind their affection could not be denied.

Those two full weeks had passed before the first real upset to their world. The deal had been for him to prove himself to her during those first fourteen days. Logan had done that way ahead of schedule. Unfortunately, in the thralls of love, he’d forgotten his father’s request to take his friend’s daughter, Maria, on a date.

“Someone’s at the door, baby. Can you get it?” Logan called out. “I need to finish this call.”

“Sure!” Candice said and opened the door without even checking to see who it was first.

A tall woman with a perfect figure and long legs was standing on the porch. Her dress whipped in the wind, along with locks of flowing blonde hair. “Hi. You must be the maid.”

Offended, Candice looked herself over. Sweatpants and a t-shirt hardly constituted maid, but she did feel very inferior next to the stranger. When she didn’t answer, the woman stood on her tiptoes and peered into the house.

“Where is Logan? Surely, he didn’t forget about
our night together!”

Before
Candice could compose her thoughts on the situation, Logan came downstairs. “Who is it?” He paused when he saw the woman and smiled. “Maria! It’s been like twenty years!”

Candice took a few steps back and the woman walked into the house, immediately wrapping her arms around Logan and kissing his cheek. “I can’t believe it’s been that long.”

“I guess you two have a date? Apparently, you forgot.” Candice said accusingly.

“Date? Shit. Father set this up.” He
carefully removed himself from Maria’s hug. “This is Candice, my girlfriend. Maria is an old friend.”

Maria rolled her eyes. “Our parents are playing matchmaker. Wonderful. I should have known.”

“It’s fine. I was just leaving anyway.” Candice said.

“What the hell are you talking about? You live here.” Logan chased after Candice who was practically stomping up the stairs. He turned back and offered a brief apology to his old friend. “Sorry. Make yourself comfortable.”

At the top of the stairs, Logan grabbed Candice by the wrist and she jerked away. “Leave me alone. I’m not here for your entertainment while you date hookers.”

“Candice, stop it. Let me explain. It looks bad, but she’s
a childhood friend. I swear. My father set this up. I’m not going out on a date with her.”

“And why would your dad do that?
I suppose you haven’t told him you’re dating someone else.” She said.

Logan
didn’t yell, but he couldn’t hold his tongue either. He did speak calmly, though. “You don’t understand. He wants me to marry a high class, rich girl. Not someone like….” His words trailed off and he shook his head to correct himself. Candice interrupted before he had the chance.

“Someone like me.”

“That’s not what I meant. You’re amazing. He’s just an idiot.”

“So are you.” She turned her back on Logan once more and headed toward the room that had been hers the first night she’d stayed.

He frantically ran past her and blocked the door, stretching his arms out wide across the wooden frame. Candice rested her hands on her hips and shot a hateful glare to hide the hurt behind it.

“I’m sorry.”
Logan said.

“I need to be alone.”

“You can’t give up so easily. I’m not going to let you hide in this room and cry over something stupid. I love you.”

She bit her lip, trying to keep her composure. It wasn’t giving up. It was realizing that something would tear
them apart, whether it was now with another girl or someday soon by his disapproving father.

“Marry me.” He said suddenly.

“We can’t get in a fight and you propose. Who does that? People don’t get married after two weeks.”

His hands took her
s as he fell to his knees. “Now that I’ve known you, I can’t live without you.”

“You really are crazier than I am. Let’s just go talk to your friend like adults.” Candice gave a tug to urge him off the floor. “I forgive you
, idiot.”

They headed back downstairs hand in hand. Maria spoke
first when they returned. “I’m going to call a cab to take me to the hotel. I didn’t mean to cause trouble.”

“Maybe we could all do something together. Bowling, maybe?” Candice offered, still quite shaken by the
unexpected visit and strange, impromptu proposal.

“Great idea.” Logan said in agreement.

“If you’re sure it’s not an inconvenience.” Maria said. “I don’t know why my father won’t get it through his head that I’m gay.”

“You’re gay?” Candice and Logan both said in unison.

Maria laughed. “Yes. That’s why Logan’s advances always failed when we were kids. He also had a terrible looking mullet.”

“Shut up, geez.” Logan groaned.

Candice was relieved and laughing. “I’ll have to see a photo of that sometime.”

First tragedy averted.

A few months went by without incident. The proposal had been
shrugged off. Logan had promised to do it right someday. Life was going great until a call from Maxwell Harworth forced Logan to make some decisions and stand up to his father.

“I don’t understand why you have to leave for a month to work somewhere else.” Candice said.

“It won’t be that bad. I will do my job and then visit my father to tell him I want to make this my permanent residence. He needs someone to keep an eye on the stores in this area.” Logan told her reassuringly.

The comforting tone did little to relieve her concern. She paced back and forth in the kitchen while her boyfriend watched on shaking his head. Her index finger went to her mouth, but remembering the recent manicure she refrained from chewing on the nail. “You are coming back?”

That had Logan off the barstool and he wrapped his arms around her from behind. “Have I ever let you down?”

“No. Of course not.” She sighed.

He kissed her cheek before releasing her from his embrace. His hands deftly flipped open the black leather briefcase on the counter. “Good. To soothe your concerns and make sure you never end up living in a car again, I did something.”

Candice tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and stepped closer to Logan. “This should be interesting.” She watched curiously, half-expecting a real marriage proposal.

“I put little by my father. He’ll do most anything to get his way.” He unfolded the paper in his hand and gave it to her. “This house is yours. Paid for and in your name only.”

It was true. She was holding the deed
in her hand. “Logan, I don’t understand.”

Next, he handed her a checkbook and debit card which were in her name. “For all I know the plane could crash and I’d die. What would
happen to you then? I want to be prepared. There’s always the chance of being disinherited, too.”

“I still have most of the five thousand dollars you gave me in my purse.” Candice said. “Please don’t talk of dying. All the money in the world won’t save me if that happens.”

He smiled. “I’m not going to die, but it’s better to be prepared. This checking account,” his finger tapped against the card in her hand, “has five hundred thousand dollars in it.”

“Holy shit.”

“Don’t get too extravagant while I’m away or leave me or anything crazy like that.”

Her arms went around him and she hugged him tightly, never wanting to let go. “I may be a bit nutty, but I will never leave you.”

“Kiss me. If I stay much longer I’ll miss my flight or lose the will to leave at all.”

Standing on her tiptoes, Candice pressed
her lips against his several times before pulling away. She straightened his tie a little. “I will go to the airport with you even though crowds like that send me into a cold sweat.”

“One goodbye is hard enough. Besides, we’ll be in touch everyday through texts and video calls. Right?”

“Yep.” It was the only word she could manage. Her bottom lip was quivering.

“I love you, Candice.”

“I love you more.”

He’d closed his briefcase and headed for the door. His luggage had already been loaded into the limo. “Never could.” Logan gave a wink before walking quickly down the walkway and sliding into the backseat of the car.

She stood waving from the doorway until the limo was well out of sight. Alone. It was one thing she’d never wanted to be again.

“Mr. Harworth. Your son is here.”

“Send him in,
Wendy.” Maxwell said as he leaned back in his office chair facing the window away from the door. He steepled his fingers, feeling rather satisfied with himself.

Logan entered the office in confident stride, walked right up to the desk, and set his briefcase down loudly on
it. His father didn’t flinch.

Eventually, after an amount of time Maxwell deemed appropriate to unnerve his son, he slowly spun his chair around to face the boy. “Son.”

“Father.”

The room fell silent again as they stared each other down in a small contest of male dominance.
Maxwell leaned forward, opened a box, and handed his son a cigar. “To what do I owe the privilege of this visit? Aren’t you supposed to be promoting a grand opening?”

“I am going
to after I leave here. I needed to tell….” He was cut off by his father.

“Good. You’re so photogenic and all. It’s great for the papers.”

Logan groaned. “Yeah, I know. Listen, I wanted to tell you that after this event I’m going to settle down. I can supervise the district I was just in.”

Maxwell’s eyes slanted. “Settle down? You’ve had
more pussy than I have. Wait, did things go well with Maria?”

“I have not… well, maybe I have
had more pussy, but I’m done with all that partying. It’s time for me to finally grow up. It’s not Maria. She is gay, by the way.”

“Gay? What a waste. Then again, I wouldn’t mind watching that.” The old pervert grinned and popped his cigar into his mouth.

“Focus. This is important. I’m in love with this crazy, funny girl and she needs me as much as I need her.”