Logan
He couldn’t stop smiling and Andrea finally called him on it.
“All right, what’s going on? You’ve been grinning for an hour and we don’t even have any patients. Not since the hamster, anyway. I’m bored out of my mind.”
“I have a…well, not a date, but plans with…well…” He leaned against the front counter. What was he supposed to call Sunday? A get-together? The cute dad hadn’t invited him, but Logan wasn’t blind, he’d seen the man’s interest. Hell, he was interested, too. He hadn’t reacted to a guy like that in a long time.
Shawn was sexy. Probably about six inches shorter than his own six-four. Even through the heavy jacket, it was obvious the guy was in good shape. Add in the light blond hair, a little on the shaggy side, matching stubble on his jaw, and the sky blue eyes, and Logan was in lust.
But it was the way Shawn acted with his daughter that pulled at his heartstrings. The love between them was strong and apparent in everything they said and did. Clementine was adorable and clearly adored her dad. And Charlie? He chuckled. That was one for the books. He’d never had someone bring in a hamster for descended testicles before.
Andrea cleared her throat.
He laughed. “Sorry. Got a little lost in my head there for a minute.” He shrugged, then told her about little Clementine basically setting him up with her dad. By the time he was done, Andrea was laughing along with him.
“That’s the cutest thing ever, though.”
He had to agree. And finding out they lived on Poplar Lane was an interesting bit of information, but he was new to town and wasn’t exactly sure how the streets ran. Shawn’s house could be across town from where he was thinking.
The wind whistled through the front window and he looked outside. Branches waved in the air from the grove of trees across the road, and the skies had darkened. He turned back to Andrea and thumbed over his shoulder. “Snow’s definitely coming. We don’t have any appointments, so how about we close up a little early? Greg already called and said he’s coming in soon.”
When Logan had first started at the clinic, he’d taken a few night shifts himself, but once Greg started and the man made it known he was a night owl and preferred the evening shifts, they’d mostly been given to him. While they weren’t open evenings, someone stayed with the animals overnight. Right now, they had only one dog and two cats, all three to be picked up by Monday. The guy had a way with animals, and since he was in college, he said it gave him time to study, too.
Logan’s own dog, Bailey, was at the clinic every day, too, because he couldn’t leave him at the hotel, but he left with him each night. Logan couldn’t wait to move into his new home. He hoped the coming snow didn’t delay the moving van tomorrow. He was anxious to finally get settled. Living out of a hotel was getting old.
“Logan?” Andrea stood watching him.
He shook his head, scattering his thoughts. “Sorry. So, closing early?”
Her eyes sparkled and she smiled. “No argument from me. I’m ready to get out of here!”
“Big plans tonight?”
She grinned and did a little standing-in-place kind of jig. “Yes. Me. Sherry. A bottle of wine. Pizza. And we’re going to binge on Doris Day movies.”
He laughed. He’d been working at the clinic only for a couple of weeks, but he’d already come to think of Andrea as a friend. She was warm and honest and passionately loved the animals.
She picked up a couple of fortune cookies from her desk. “We never ate these after lunch. Want one?”
Usually he passed. They weren’t his favorite, but he was a little hungry. “Sure.”
She handed it over, and he tore open the clear plastic package and broke the cookie in half as she did the same.
“Woo-hoo.” Andrea held out the little slip of paper. “Says I’m going to win the lottery if I play these numbers.”
Logan rolled his eyes. “Seriously?”
“Why not? Might be worth a shot,” she said with a shrug. “What does yours say?”
He pulled the slip of paper from the broken cookie pieces and his eyes widened in surprise. The words were so tiny, he had to squint as he brought it closer to his face and read it out loud…
“Among the sweets and colors blue
Your destiny waits for you
Among the poplars and the snow
Three hearts meet and love will grow.”
“What the hell? Let me see that,” she exclaimed, and he handed it over. “I’ve never seen a fortune like this!”
Poplars? It had to be another coincidence. A shiver ran down his spine and he shook his head, laughing. He wasn’t going to read anything into it. Not even when the image of Shawn’s blue eyes came to mind.
“Three hearts? Something you want to tell me Logan?” she teased.
Heat flooded his face as he shook his head. Nope. Not mentioning any of his threesomes from his younger days. Never gonna happen.
Her laughter bounced through the room as she shut down her computer and cleaned up their mess. “Well, I’m still going to play the lottery. Want to go in on it with me?”
Logan pulled out his wallet and handed her a few dollars. “Might as well. Never know, right?”
* * * *
Ten minutes later, he was locking the door, and trying to balance a new bag of dog food while Bailey wagged his tail and tugged hard at his leash, eager to go for a ride in the truck. The air smelled of snow and he wondered how much longer it would hold off. Dark gray clouds loomed over the town, and all he’d heard throughout the day was the biggest snowstorm of the year was on the way.
Bailey settled into the passenger seat of the Silverado and Logan stored the dog food behind his seat. Soon, they made their way to Poplar Lane and his new home. The real estate agent had texted to say he’d had to run out of town, but he’d left the keys with Logan’s next door neighbor. Since Logan’s house stood on the corner, he had only one neighbor on the east side.
As he pulled into the subdivision, he smiled. The neighborhood wasn’t new, but it was well-kept. Lots of ranches and two-stories. Tree-lined streets. A small park and pool for the residents was only one block from his new home. It was a family-friendly place and most of the homes had fencing around the backyards. He was thrilled the house he purchased had one and couldn’t wait to let Bailey out in it.
“You’re going to love our new home,” he told the Golden Retriever currently staring out the window at the passing homes, mouth open, tongue lolling out. Logan rubbed the dog’s head. “Such a good boy.”
Bailey side-eyed him and gave a quiet woof of delight before he turned back to the window.
Logan pulled into the drive of the house, unable to suppress the smile spreading across his face. The two-story needed a good paint job and he had a lot of ideas for upgrades inside, but the wrap-around porch was what had sold him. The moment he’d laid eyes on it, he’d known he was going to buy the house and install a porch swing. A vintage-styled swing, large enough for two or more people. He dreamed for the day he would be rocking there, wrapped up in a cozy blanket with the man of his dreams. Maybe sharing cocoa.
Oh, God. Get a grip, Logan. When did your dreams turn into a Normal Rockwell painting? He laughed at himself and climbed out of the truck, Bailey close at his heels but ready to sprint.
He tightened the grip on the leash. “Stay with me,” he ordered.
Bailey wagged his tail in response.
Logan led Bailey along the sidewalk toward the ranch next door. He noted the pink bicycle leaning against the garage door and smiled. He loved kids. Someday he hoped to be in a committed relationship with a man that wanted to have children.
Bailey stopped to sniff the bike and give an appreciative bark before Logan managed to get him to the door. He rapped his knuckles against the wood and waited as he heard footsteps growing louder.
When the door opened, Logan’s breath whooshed out as he found himself staring into gorgeous blue eyes.
“Dr. Copeland?” Shawn’s eyebrows rose. “Is everything okay?”
Logan dropped the leash and Bailey, never one to miss out on a chance to make a mad dash, did just that, charging into the living room and running circles around the sofa.
Shawn’s mouth dropped open and Logan rushed forward to collect his dog. “Bailey! Bailey, stop it right now!”
The dog barked, lowering his head to his paws, his big tail fanning the air.
“No, Bailey, we’re not playing,” Logan warned. Please don’t break anything!
At the sound of a loud squeak, he and Bailey turned in unison to see Charlie watching from his cage, currently sitting on a round coffee table, while Shawn disappeared into another room.
Logan’s heart thudded as he pictured Bailey knocking over the cage. “Bailey! Come here.”
The dog barked and ran away, Logan hot on his heels until they reached the kitchen. Shawn stood at the back, the door wide open. Bailey spied the yard and practically flew out onto the deck and down the few stairs to the yard.
“Don’t worry. It’s fenced and the gate’s locked,” Shawn assured him.
Logan peered out over the yard, watching his dog tear around the perimeter like he owned the place. He chuckled and finally ripped away his gaze to smile at Shawn. “He’s in heaven out there. A whole new yard to smell? He’d be busy all night.”
A blush spread across Shawn’s face and Logan grinned when he saw him swallow hard. He really wanted to nip that silky skin, then lick away the burn. God, the man was sexy. Compact body, in good shape—easier seen now that he wasn’t covered by a large jacket. The navy blue Henley fit the guy like a glove—not to mention the painted-on jeans. He had a feeling Shawn would fit like a glove in his arms as well.
Logan’s eyebrow rose as he took in the whole outfit. “You going out?” he asked, his voice husky.
Shawn’s blush deepened and Logan’s dick twitched. Shit, the guy was sexy and cute. It was going to be fun being neighbors.
“Originally, yes. But the meteorologist on Channel Five is now saying we might get more snow than they thought, so my friends and I decided to skip the club.”
A vision of Shawn dancing in those painted-on jeans had Logan hard in a heartbeat. Heat flashed through him and he let his gaze roam over Shawn until their eyes met. He recognized the desire and stepped forward, unconsciously reaching for him, but Shawn took a step back. Logan dropped his arm and they stared at each other for a moment, the room filling with awkward silence.
“I-I need to get Charlie,” Shawn stuttered, racing past him.
Shit. Just screwed that up. He had a habit of going for what he wanted…and he wanted Shawn. He shook his head and got his bearings. Clearly, Logan needed to go slow with him. He breathed in deep and strolled into the living room, as if he had all the time in the world. And he really did. Hell, he was moving in next door. He could get to know Shawn slowly, even if that wasn’t his usual M.O.
Shawn emerged from a room off the hallway and smiled, sending warmth through Logan. Shit, the man had a gorgeous smile.
“Get Charlie taken care of?”
He nodded, ran his hand through his hair, slightly messing it up. “Still can’t believe I thought the damn thing was dying.” He chuckled low.
Logan laughed. “Gotta admit, your visit will definitely go down in the legend books.” For more than one reason.
Shawn shoved his hands into his front pockets and rocked back on his heels. “Shit. When Clem started screaming, I didn’t even think. Just got her into her coat, put Charlie in a box, and headed to your office.”
Logan smiled. “I’m glad it wasn’t anything else. Clem seems pretty attached.”
He nodded solemnly. “She is. She wants a dog. I’ve…never had a dog before,” he admitted, his voice softening. “I like dogs. Just never had one. My mom was horribly allergic.” He shrugged. “So I gave Clem Charlie at Christmas. Well, Santa gave her Charlie.”
“She seems pretty happy with him.”
“I know, right? And he’s the laziest little thing. Does nothing but eat.” He stopped and cocked his head. “Wait…why are you here?”
Logan had nearly forgotten what the whole visit was about, what with the whole Bailey-running-crazy thing. He chuckled. “My realtor said my keys are here.”
Shawn’s eyes narrowed, confusion flashing across his face.
“I’m your new neighbor.”