Page 45 of Break the Barrier

“Well, yeah,” she relents slightly. “But they’re not my mom.”

Her words hit me in the gut, creating all sorts of havoc in my brain when I realized that she’s probably been keeping this to herself for a long time, hiding that it bothers her that she didn’t have a mom.

Was she always feeling this way? Every holiday and Mother’s Day, was she feeling like she was left out in some way because she didn’t have a mom for those events?

I work hard to provide her with a good life, supporting her dreams and making sure that no matter what, I would always be with her, no matter what happens in life.

I didn’t want her to ever know what it was like to be abandoned by a parent. I’d had it happen to me, but I never felt the loss of our dad in our lives because my mom was such an amazing mother.

For me, I tried to emulate that for her, being a super dad so she’d never feel like something in her life was missing. But maybe I missed the mark. Maybe I should have tried harder to fill that role all of these years when she was clearly yearning for something like it in her life.

Just then, Thea pops her head out of the back where the doors to the kitchen are. Her hair is up in a large bun, and there’s a slight sheen of sweat coating her skin.

She looks like she’s glowing, and it gives her a look like she’s an angel.

My heart thuds in my chest, and I look to Stetson, making sure he’s got Lue. He nods, already knowing where I’m heading, and I stand up to make my way over to the bar, catching Thea off guard when I step into her path and take the box from her, setting it on the floor.

“What the—” Her gaze catches mine, and she blinks in surprise. “Logan, you’re here.”

“I’m here,” I confirm, giving her a grin that I hope is flirty and not a grimace. Picking up that box hurt, but I’m not about to let her know that.

“What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be resting at home?” The concern on her face makes my smile widen, knowing that she was genuinely concerned about me makes me think that this thing between us could actually blossom into something real.

I was terrified by how much I wanted that.

“I needed a break from home, and it is Friday night anyway.”

Her brows meet in confusion. “Friday night? What happens on Fridays?”

“I take you for a spin around the dance floor,” I reply, trying to be smooth. I don’t think I’ve ever had to try before. “It’s tradition.”

Her lips start to tilt upward until she catches herself. Damn, she was tricky. “We’ve done that once. I wouldn’t exactly call that a tradition.”

“Well, guess we better keep at it. We have many Fridays ahead of us.”

Reluctantly, she lets me take her by the hand, and together, we weave in and out of tables until we’re back on the dance floor again. Three times I’ve held her in my arms like this, and every single time, I wish it didn’t have to end.

As we’re dancing, with her holding my right shoulder and my right hand resting lightly on her hip, I catch her trying not to look me in the eyes.

Finally, after another twenty seconds of her purposefully not looking at me, I bend a little to grab her attention.

“You don’t like what you see or something?”

Her cheeks burn at my question, and I almost feel bad. “No. I just…” She sighs and finally turns all of her attention to me. “What do you remember from Monday?”

Ah. She wonders if I remember spilling my guts to her. I did, but I wasn’t about to tell her that. “Well, shoot. I remember you helping me in the bathroom.” She nods, her gaze fixated on my face. “I remember you loading me into your car and feeling like a clown.” Her eyebrows drop, and she gives me a “ha, ha, very funny” look. “After that, I remember you in a room with me and a doctor coming in.”

“And do you remember saying anything?”

I frown, pretending that I have no idea what she’s talking about. “No, I don’t really remember saying anything. I think I remember you saying something to me, though.”

Her eyebrows furrow deeper. “What? No, I didn’t.”

“Yeah, you definitely did.” I pause, drawing out the anticipation and absolutely loving how rattled she’s getting. Is it fair? Not really. Is it good, clean fun? Absolutely. “Yeah, what was it that you said…something about a crush from three years ago? Oh, and I was the best kiss of your life.”

Thea gasps, and her eyes flare. “I didnotsay that!Yousaid that!”

I lift my brows in surprise. “Oh, really? ’Cause I distinctly remember you saying something about a kiss.”