Julia sat at the end of the table, across from Logan. “Smells great, and looks just like Grandma makes it.” She peered up at me while spooning some stew into her bowl. “How are you feeling, Cassandra?”
“I’m good. How’s school going?” I went to grab a roll at the same time as Miss Redhead. I withdrew my hand, allowing her to take the last one.
Logan let out an irritated sigh. It wasn’t a big deal—the girl could have it—all that mattered was that my man was on edge.
One way to fix that.
I placed my hand under the table and settled it on his thigh, drawing his focus off the girl and over to me, where his irritation melted away.
“School’s school. It keeps me busy, but it’s impossible to get much studying done at the dorm.” She swallowed a spoonful, then turned to Oliver. “Perfect, buddy!”
Oliver raised his shoulders proudly as he continued his meal.
“There’s a library for that, you know,” Jax said.
“What do you know about libraries?” Julia cracked.
“Plenty.” The wicked grin he boasted said enough.
“Gross.” Julia puffed out her cheeks and let out a mock gagging sound.
“You okay?” Oliver asked, looking unsure if he should laugh at her expression or be concerned.
“That’s enough! She’s fine. Aren’t you, Julia?” Logan said, the mature voice in the room.
Julia only nodded with a grin, wriggling her nose at Oliver. He laughed, happy in his own little world. Lucky kid.
“And I’m sure you can find plenty of places to study,” Logan continued. “There’s more than enough room here anytime you need.” He threw a quick glance at me out of the corner of his eye, but I still caught it before he looked back at her, his expression as serious as before.
“During the day, anyway,” he said.
I slid my spoon back into my mouth, fighting the blush stinging my cheeks.
“Thanks, but I’m still holding out hope that my dear, sweet, generous brother will look into getting me my own apartment for next semester.” She was all innocence and puppy-dog eyes when she finally lifted her head from her food and gazed at Logan.
That’s where Oliver gets it from!
“We’ll see,” was Logan’s only response, and it had me wondering how far into the furnishing he was at the house he was going to surprise her with over spring break. I hadn’t asked, as I’d honestly forgotten about it over the past week. I made a mental note to ask about it the next time we were alone.
Julia appeared placated by his reply. I watched her subtly, my hand tensing on Logan’s leg as she took another bite of stew before slowly training her sight on Jax’s date. I wasn’t sure ‘date’ was the correct term to use, but anything else seemed too crude even in my own head.
“So, I’m guessing you’re a friend of Jax’s?” Julia asked, disdain heavy in her words.
The girl nodded, nibbling on the bread.
“Do you have a name?” Julia prompted.
“Leave her alone,” Jax chimed in.
I hid my smile, relieved to see him defending the girl but just as surprised as Julia appeared. Her jaw actually dropped.
“Courtney,” the girl answered after a pause. She turned her head, looking back at Julia.
“Lovely name.” Julia took a drink, then lowered her glass. “So, how long have you and Jax been…” She glanced warily at Oliver, who was happily in his own world, humming to himself. “…seeing each other?”
Oh, here we go. That question could lead nowhere good.
I fidgeted in my seat, uncomfortable with the tension building around the table. I lifted my glass and chugged a mouthful of water to settle my flittering nerves, painfully aware that Courtney was sitting on the wrong side of the table at this family dinner.
“We’re just friends, nothing more,” Courtney explained, and the liquid in my mouth caught in my throat, causing me to choke.
Just friends? My hands flew to my mouth as I attempted to swallow, my lips closed tightly to keep from spitting water all over the table. All eyes were on me, which didn’t help.
“You ’kay?” Oliver asked, sitting up taller.
I nodded and offered a tight smile, unable to seize control over my awkward cough. I took one glance at Logan, and the concern in his eyes erased my embarrassment instantly.
Logan spoke up for me, explaining away my reaction. “Jax rarely has friends for dinner.”
“He never has anyone for dinner,” Julia muttered.
“What? Logan can have friends over…” Jax looked to me. “…but I can’t?”
Julia’s face contorted into an Uh oh expression that I knew reflected what she was seeing from Logan’s. I chose to focus my narrow eyes on Jax. Obviously, his flippant statement wouldn’t sit well with Logan.
With my nerves on fire, I’d fixed my attention down on my food when I heard a low growl in the back of Logan’s throat, followed by him barking, “Cassandra is much more than a friend, and this is my house. Watch it!”
An uncomfortable silence hung over us for several minutes. It wasn’t until the tickling vibration from my phone in my pocket that I was reminded life outside the cloud over us still existed.
I pulled it out discreetly, hiding it under the table, and saw a text from Hilary.
I’m sorry about how I left. I’m just confused & scared. I’ll call u soon.
“Everything all right?” Logan asked, staring down at my phone.
I tucked it back in my pocket, nodding. My heart clenched. I needed to talk to her. With what she was going through, I knew she needed me.
Julia’s scornful voice shattered my worry with her next snide remark to Jax.
“What happened to the twins?”
I rolled my eyes. Was every meal they shared like this, or was today special because of Courtney?
“I have twins in my class,” Oliver boasted, always the ray of light in the room. The tightening of Logan’s grip on his glass, however, caught the corner of my eye. A natural need to protect Oliver from Jax’s scandalous reputation consumed me.
“So you and Caleb play a lot of poker, huh?” I blurted out. “He says you’re ruthless.”
“At one time, perhaps,” Logan replied dryly.
I chuckled. In fact, it was less a chuckle and more a cackling of air forced from my lungs. Still, I expected to see an appreciative smile for the subject change growing on Logan’s perfect lips instead of the deep frown that had materialized there.
“I’m sure you have at least one fun story to share?” I prompted, desperate to shift the conversation from his siblings. It wasn’t a stretch for me to imagine him controlling a game.
“Logan, Caleb, and poker? You kidding? He has plenty of fun stories to share,” Jax said with a snicker.
Logan shot him a sidelong glare while I sat nervously, unaware of what Jax was implying. Did I want to know? Probably not.
“Is that a game?” Oliver asked, curious.
“Yes, one with cards,” Logan told him. “I’ll teach you when you get a little older.”
“I remember the one game you had where you came in late carrying an entire bag of clothes.” Jax chuckled, looking from Logan to me. “He’d literally taken them off the guy’s back! Ruthless, and I’m sure Caleb was no better.”