Not Quite Married Read online

  “Julia,” Logan called just as she glimpsed her face in the mirror: the ugly stitched-up cut, her swollen brow, and a nice bruise around her eye. It was kind of scary.

  “You’re right, that looks bad,” she said to Dawn, who was standing beside her with her long hair pinned back by two barrettes, nodding in agreement.

  “Julia, come here,” Logan called again, this time reaching out his hand for her. When she took in his expression, her alarm bells started ringing.

  “What is it?” she asked, taking his hand as she stepped to the door, her legs starting to shake. Trinity was standing on the other side of Logan, staring up at the light-haired man at the door, who was a little round in the middle and was wearing dark glasses.

  “Julia Cooper?” he said.

  “Yes,” she replied, unsure whether he had been asking. Before she had to time to think, the man slapped papers into her hand.

  “You’ve been served,” he said.

  She stared at the folded papers, her heart kicking up as Logan took a step outside. The man who’d served her was, of course, hurrying the other way, and Logan was obviously making sure he left.

  “Mom, what is it?” Trinity asked.

  Both of her girls were beside her, and she just shook her head as she unfolded the papers, her heart in her throat. She could feel Logan watching, and he stepped closer and somehow ushered them back into the house, closing the front door. All Julia could see from the stark black ink on white paper was that her ex-husband, Kevin Cooper, wanted full custody of the twins. The man had cheated on her the entire time they had been married, and he now lived with his new wife down in California and saw the girls only twice a year. He had never once been a true father, and now he wanted her girls?

  She couldn’t speak. All that squeaked out was a gasp. Logan took the papers from her hands, and she just watched as he read. He looked up, taking her and the girls in before folding up the papers and holding on to them.

  “Let’s have dinner” was all he said. “Come on, girls. Let’s give your mom a break and finish cooking.”

  “Well, what’s in the papers? What did that guy want?” Trinity asked.

  “It’s nothing for you to worry about,” he said. “Come on, let’s focus on dinner. Dawn, set the table. Trinity, let’s finish the chicken.”

  The girls started into the kitchen, but Julia found that her feet wouldn’t move. She was absolutely numb, and her head…well, she couldn’t even begin to make sense of this. Logan must have known, as he pulled her into his arms, where she could rest her cheek against his chest. He pressed his chin on top of her head and just held her as if trying to keep everything bad from her. She was angry, furious, and she finally pushed away. Even Logan couldn’t make her feel better.

  “How could he do this?” she snapped. “He’s never been there for the girls. I raised them, and when he showed up here when Trinity disappeared, accusing me, saying it was my fault… I guess I should’ve seen this coming. He’s despicable. He doesn’t want to be a father, he just wants my girls for that tart he married. He humiliated me. I couldn’t even stay in Boise because I couldn’t believe how stupid I was. Why, Logan? I can’t understand. Why would he do this?” She couldn’t keep her hands still, so she fisted them and then ran them through her hair before noticing that the girls were watching. They were scared and worried, of course. They didn’t know what the hell was going on except for the fact that their mother was freaking out.

  “Dad wants to take us away?” It was Trinity who spoke, and Dawn looked so sad. So they had overheard.

  “No one’s taking you anywhere,” Logan said. He slid his arm around Julia’s shoulder, leading her into the kitchen. He slipped his other arm around the girls as if he was their anchor, holding them together.

  Julia wondered whether Logan had any idea what was at stake. After all, they weren’t even married yet. He had no rights to the girls. What did he think he could do?

  Chapter 5

  Lock the doors, check the windows, make sure everything was turned off. That was Logan’s nightly routine before bed. The girls were tucked in, both in their own rooms, sleeping softly. Julia, too, had finally fallen into a fitful sleep. Logan decided he would check on Trinity again before bed, as he could always tell when a nightmare was taking hold.

  Trinity had been doing so well. For the past six nights, she had slept peacefully—no nightmares. Logan had seen her worry tonight, though. She hadn’t been able to hide it as she picked at her dinner. Trinity normally ate everything and then rummaged through the fridge every night for a snack to tide her over until morning. Not that Dawn didn’t do that, as well, but Trinity could out-eat her sister any day of the week, and tonight was the first night she had ever skipped her snack. These were just the little things he recognized, because he understood, all too well, what it meant to live with a nightmare.

  Even Dawn had spent the evening glancing from Logan, to her mom, to Trinity. Dawn held everything in, always so happy and smiling, and she was always trying to make everyone else happy, too. He’d seen her anxiety and how she had tried to lighten Julia’s mood by cleaning the kitchen after dinner and then helping put leftovers in the fridge. She was worried, too.

  Julia had worn a tight expression all evening. She had re-read the legal papers half a dozen times after demanding Logan give them back. She had been all worked up, and no amount of reasoning would have appeased her. Logan, of course, wanted to have a word with Kevin—man to man, not via this cowardly bullshit he was pulling. Logan knew Julia was an amazing mother. From what he’d seen, he figured Kevin wasn’t a bad man, but that didn’t mean he had to like him.

  Logan didn’t like cheaters, and the fact was that Kevin had made Julia feel like a fool and had hurt her so badly. There were deep scars inside of her, and Logan could still see how she struggled each day to trust. After losing her father, a soldier, to suicide, relationships meant a lot of challenges for Julia to overcome. Oh, he knew she tried to pretend she was okay, but she had major trust issues, and even though she wanted a relationship with Logan, wanted to get married, he could see the shadow of doubt that had been put there by another man.

  He glanced at the papers again and thought of his little brother Samuel, who was finishing up law school and still had to take the bar exam. He needed some advice, and although he’d always watched over his brothers, he realized that with something like this, he wanted family—his family—to help him find the answers. He didn’t think of the time as he dialed the phone and listened to a sleepy Samuel answer.

  “Samuel, it’s your brother,” he said. “Did I wake you?” He could hear rustling in the background over the line.

  “What’s wrong?” Samuel replied, instantly awake.

  “I’m getting married,” Logan said. He wondered how lame that sounded, since he hadn’t told anyone in his family—well, except his brother Ben, the oil executive who’d used his company chopper to help search for Trinity when she went missing. Had Ben told anyone? It was hit and miss as to what he’d say and what he wouldn’t, but Logan was betting he hadn’t said a word.

  “No shit,” Samuel said. “Seriously? Didn’t know you were seeing anyone. Tell me about the woman who managed to snag my big brother! Hopefully she’ll be able to keep your nose out of our lives.”

  “Ha ha, aren’t you the comedian?”

  Samuel laughed on the other end. “Really, I want to know about this woman. I was starting to wonder if you’d ever meet anyone.”

  “Julia, well…she’s amazing, beautiful—and she’s the reason I’m calling,” Logan said, pacing the kitchen and then glancing down the hall to make sure no one was stirring. He moved deeper into the kitchen and lowered his voice. “We have a legal problem, or rather she does, with her ex.”

  “What kind of problem?” Samuel said, and Logan didn’t miss the caution in his voice.

  “She has twin girls, Trinity and Dawn,” he explained. “Her ex, who lives in California, just served her with papers last n
ight for full custody. She’s had the girls alone since they were small, and he only sees them a couple times a year.”

  “Well, family law really isn’t my area of expertise, but I do know Julia should have an advantage here. I’ve got to ask, though: Are you sure getting involved with a woman with this kind of baggage is what’s best for you?” Samuel said. “I have to tell you, things like this can get really ugly, and everyone gets dragged into the middle of it.”

  This was exactly what Logan didn’t want to hear. He squeezed the phone, wanting to shake his brother. “You know what, Samuel? Julia is decent and honest, and you’re not exactly one to be giving advice on women,” Logan snapped, remembering the family drama that had ensued when Samuel, nervous because his girlfriend was getting too serious, had hit on another woman in front of her at a bar. Jill had dumped him and left the bar with their youngest brother, Jake, and as far as Logan knew, Jake and Samuel still weren’t on speaking terms. He moved the receiver away, staring at the phone, then pressed it back to his ear. “Look, if this is going to make you start badmouthing Julia—”

  “Point taken,” Samuel snapped. “You don’t need to be an asshole about it, Logan.”

  Logan took a minute and just waited while Samuel let out a hard breath. Logan had obviously pushed his buttons, but he never hesitated to call his brothers out. He may have overreacted, but he was on edge. He didn’t much like the things Samuel had implied about Julia. He didn’t know her kindness, her good heart, her honesty…or how much Logan loved her.

  “Look, I don’t know this lady,” Samuel began. “I’m just giving you advice based on what I’ve seen coming through the office and how these family cases usually turn out. I guess I should know that you, of all people, wouldn’t be one to walk away. So what’s her ex-husband’s reason for doing this?”

  Logan flattened the documents Julia had been served with, reading the words Unfit parent again. He couldn’t believe Kevin had used Trinity’s abduction as a reason to take the girls away. “He’s said she’s an unfit parent,” Logan snapped. “I can’t believe I’m even reading this. He said she brought a dangerous man around his children, but that’s not true. I met Julia here in McKay when I started as sheriff. She owns a small café, and I…” He stopped himself before he could explain how he had spooked her during a PTSD flashback by shooting out her coffee machine. He couldn’t share that with Samuel, even though Ben knew and had forced him to get help. He was now seeing a shrink over in Arco, a retired military doc who specialized in helping soldiers suffering from PTSD, but he wasn’t planning to share that information with anyone else. Even Julia didn’t know, but he also knew he would need to tell her at some point.

  “I’m still here, Logan. So you met her, and then what?” Samuel said.

  “Well, there was a new math teacher here in town. No one knew about his past, and the school didn’t do much of a background check, either. This guy took her out on one date, and then he set his sights on her, but Julia and him weren’t going to happen, so he abducted Trinity. I found her, and the guy’s now in jail, but Julia’s ex is apparently blaming her as if she would knowingly have let a scumbag around her children. He was their math teacher, for God’s sake, and Trinity was taken right from school. It’s just a whole bunch of garbage. Kevin was angry, and he lashed out at Julia with all kinds of accusations. He said that the school isn’t good enough for the girls, this backwoods town has no security…you know, that kind of bullshit.”

  “Hmm” was all Samuel said.

  “She’s an amazing mother, Samuel. She doesn’t deserve this. This ex of hers, he’s not all that great of a guy. He cheated on her the entire time they were married”—Logan could hear papers rustling in the background—“with the same woman he’s now married to.”

  “Well, Logan, I hate to tell you this, but being a dirty dog isn’t a crime, and being remarried, for him, actually looks better. It looks stable, and judges rarely take cheating into account on custodial matters. Things can be twisted, Logan, so you need to stop and think about whether any truth can be found in what he’s said. Be objective, Logan, because you can’t help Julia if you’re not.”

  “There’s not a shred of truth there,” Logan said. “The girls walk home from school like every kid in this small town. Julia owns and runs a small lunch café. She works hard, she’s there for her girls. They’re her whole life! She’s been the sole parent, so she worries, and when Trinity didn’t show up that day, Julia was on top of it right away. I found Trinity, and when her ex showed up here, I had words with him when he was about to start trouble. I can’t believe that cowardly bastard is pulling this.”

  “Logan, anyone with any sense would have run the other direction when you got in his face. No one likes to go up against you, not to your face. From his point of view, he probably thought this was way safer. Hell, you’re my brother and I’m smart enough not to take you on.”

  “What the hell, Samuel? That’s bullshit. Since when have you ever been a coward? You’re always mouthing off to me.”

  “Look, maybe so, but I never really took a minute to think it through before I opened my mouth with you. You’re a hard man to stand up to, Logan. I know you and how far I can push you before I’m likely to get your fist in my face, but other people…I’m just telling you the effect you have.”

  Logan still couldn’t get his head around Kevin pulling this, and listening to Samuel tell him how he was…well, he didn’t much like it. “Listen, Julia and I are getting married in a week,” he said. “I don’t want this hanging over her head.”

  “I hope you’re not rushing to marry her because of this custodial problem,” Samuel said. “That’s not a great basis for a marriage.”

  Logan pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at it, shaking his head. “You’ve sure become cynical,” he said. “And no, we’ve been planning to get married for a while. Actually, we were supposed to get married this weekend, but Julia was in an accident this morning.”

  “Is she okay?” Samuel interrupted. “Wait, what? Were you getting married without telling us? We’re family, Logan.”

  “No, I would have let you all know,” Logan said. “Julia’s fine. It’s just been a hell of a day. She got served by her ex tonight. Look, I just want to know how to handle this.”

  “Who’s his lawyer?”

  Logan glanced at the papers. “Hamilton Reid,” he said. There was silence on the other end, and something about the silence didn’t sit right with him. He always knew trouble, and this felt like trouble. “What do you know about him?”

  “Enough to know you may have a problem. He’s good, one of the best in family law in Idaho. Her ex did his homework. I’ve seen this guy. I shouldn’t be saying this, but he took a case for this client who was a total scumbag with tons of money, and Reid spun things so the guy came out smelling like a rose. He got custody of his kids even though they did not want to go with him. I interned on that case, and it never sat right with me,” he said. “My advice to you, Logan? Whatever Julia or you have in your pasts, this guy will find it and use it to his advantage. Get a better lawyer.” Samuel paused, and Logan could hear him muttering in the background. “I’ll see who I can find for you,” he said.

  “So what do we do in the meantime?”

  “Have a talk with Julia. Find out if there’s anything on either of you that could be used to this guy’s advantage,” Samuel said. “And congratulations on the wedding. You’re going to let me know when you set a date, right? ’Cause I wouldn’t miss it. First Joe, now you!” Samuel started laughing again.

  “Hey, Samuel?” Logan leaned against the counter, rubbing his head.

  “Yeah?” Samuel muttered.

  “Thank you.”

  His brother let out a rough chuckle. “You’re welcome, big brother.”

  Logan put the phone down. He took a breath and let it out, thinking for a moment of his own past and what this lawyer would find. He folded the papers, tucking them in the drawer when he heard
a whimper from down the hall. He hadn’t taken more than one step before Trinity shrieked.

  He ran.

  Chapter 6

  “It’s okay, he can’t hurt you. You’re safe. I’ve got you,” Logan murmured. He was holding Trinity in his arms, and she slid onto his lap, trembling as if she couldn’t get close enough. She pressed her face into his chest.

  “Trinity!” Julia called breathlessly. She paused in the doorway and then sank onto the bed beside Logan, running her hand up her daughter’s back. “She had a nightmare?”

  “Yeah,” he replied. He was rocking her daughter, holding her just like he had when her nightmares first started. She tucked her head under his chin.

  “Hey, baby, did you have another nightmare?” Julia said.

  “Mom, what happened? Did Trinity have a nightmare?” Dawn was in the doorway now, her blue nightshirt draped to her knees. She rubbed her eyes sleepily.

  “He was here in the doorway! I saw him, and he started rubbing my back. He was going to take me away,” Trinity cried out, bawling against Logan.

  Julia looked at Logan, who was so calm, holding her daughter in a way that let her know she was safe.

  “No one’s here, honey,” he said. “It was a dream. No one will take you away. Do you want me to walk you through the house and show you how everything is locked tight? I promised you no one can sneak past me, and Mister Maloney is locked up. He can never hurt you again.”

  Julia reached for Dawn, and they all huddled together on the bed—a family.

  “It’s okay,” Logan whispered to Trinity, but his gaze met Julia. Maybe he was trying to reassure her, as well, that everything would be fine.

  “It wasn’t Mister Maloney, it was Dad! He’s going to take me away, isn’t he?” she cried. She pulled away from Logan. Her eyes were red rimmed as she looked to him and then Julia.