Page 89 of Break the Barrier

“You said you saw it happen?”

For a moment, her eyes glaze over. “Yeah.” She blinks, and whatever memory she was recalling is gone. Looking back at me, she gives a forced smile. “That’s a story for another time. Ready to go?”

I bite my tongue, my eyes straying to the letter again. “No.”

“No? What do you need?”

“I need you to pack.”

Surprise flashes across her face, and she lifts a confused eyebrow. “Pack? Pack what?”

“Anything you need to live with me comfortably for the next few weeks.”At a minimum,I think.

“Logan.” Her voice sounds tired and worn out, like she’s just living with the fact that some guy is allowed—still—to have this hold over her. “I don’t need to live with you. I’ll be fine.”

But under the edge of her bravado is fear. I can see it plain asday. Knowing she doesn’t want to be called out on it, I shrug my shoulders.

“I have a guest room.”Though I’d rather you be in my bed. “And I won’t be able to rest easy knowing you’re here, and I’m there where I can’t protect you.”

Her eyes drop, but I grip her chin lightly, making her look up at me. “I know what you’re thinking?—”

“It’s not your job to protect me.”

I nod, still holding her chin. “That’s where you’re wrong. I know you may not like it, but you’re my wife. Itismy job to protect you.”

“Logan,” she sighs, reaching out and grabbing my hand. “I don’t like being taken care of, not exclusively. When is it going to be my turn to take care of you?”

Leaning forward, I press a kiss to her lips, wishing we could stay here and savor this all night. “You already do.”

I didn’t come tonight thinking I would be so mesmerized by a play. I’ve seen a few since Lue started showing interest, and she makes me watch anything recorded and put on TV.

But maybe it wasn’t just the play but watching my girl up there on stage absolutely killing it.

I lean forward, my elbows resting on my knees. Mom sits on one side of me while Thea sits on the other, and I let myself become fully immersed in what’s unfolding on stage.

I knew Lue was going to be good, that she would blow the rest of the cast out of the water—not that I’m biased—but my daughter completely transformed into her character, and it was a sight to see.

The whole town was here tonight, and that made me even more thrilled for her.

My mom and brothers are here, even Mitch, who will barely speak to me even though I’ve tried. He’s not in much mood to talk unless it’s to Lue, and I doubt she’s asking the tough questions.

Then again, knowing my daughter, she very well may ask them.

CT and Dani came, Cal was here, and Graham and Quinn and their kids, too. Though I’d seen Quinn leave with the baby a couple of times.

It felt amazing to have this kind of support, and when I looked to the back, sitting near the doors, were Thea’s sisters.

Showing up for family, that’s what you did. And if her sisters were here for my daughter like this…

I’m fully immersed in the scene in front of me, Lue in all her beauty as Helena, standing there arguing with one boy from her school who plays Demetrius.

The director of this play, Mrs. Beaumont, had offered to dull down some of Lue’s lines to make them slightly more fit for an almost fifteen-year-old. I’d run it across with Lue, and she had begged me to leave it as it was, saying changing Shakespeare was blasphemy.

So I relented slightly.

Lue was so passionate on stage with her monologue with this kid that I didn’t even realize what they were talking about for a moment. I sit up straighter, mumbling “Damn” under my breath, and Thea’s hand comes over to rest on my knee.

Both Thea and I have run lines with Lue so many times that I nearly knew the dialogue myself, but seeing her on stage,arguing with that boy, seeing her passion and strength in her character, it blew me away.