Page 68 of Here We Go Again

“Uh, like four hours ago…”

“Joe literally ended up in the ER with heartburn from eating food like this!”

“You promised we would never speak of that again!” Joe is already unbuckling himself. “And I’ll get something healthy. Like chicken.”

Rosemary winds herself up to argue, then deflates like an old balloon. “Fine. Whatever. I’ll wait out here with Odie. Can you just get me a salad?”

“Rosemary. The Big Texan is no place to order a salad.”

The Big Texan is a saloon-style restaurant with a balcony overlooking the dining area, and oh-so-many animal heads mounted on the walls.

“Wanna share a seventy-two-ounce steak with me?” she asks Joe as they get in line to order at the counter.

“No, I’m ordering fried chicken.”

“I guess I’ll just have to share it with Odie, then.”

“Did you and Rosemary have sex?”

“Jesus!” Logan screeches, completely caught off guard by the non sequitur of all non sequiturs. “You can’t ask me that in a BBQ line!”

“Did you?” Joe presses, staring up at her with that intense stare.

“No! What the hell, you perv?”

Joe slowly rolls himself forward in line. He’s clearly still recovering from his health scare. “Sorry, but I’m getting… vibes.”

“There are no vibes.”

They get to the counter and order. Logan snatches up the small flag with their number on it and sulks over to a table. “When would Rosemary and I find time to have sex? We both slept in your hospital room last night!”

“I happen to know you’ve had sex in some very creative places.”

This is on her, really, for choosing to talk about her sex life with an old man. “Well, I haven’t had any creative sex with Rosemary Hale, okay?”

“Good.” He gives a curt nod of approval.

“Good? You wanted to fist-bump me when I almost kissed her.”

Joe considers this as a man wearing an absurd cowboy hat shouts something at the table next to them. “Rosemary isn’t like you,” he finally says when they can hear each other again. “Sex would mean something to her.”

Logan feels like she’s been stabbed by the overabundance of spurs in this restaurant, because the implication is clear: sex means nothing to Logan. Rhiannon’s words come back to taunt her.Apathetic asshole who doesn’t care about anyone or anything.

“Damn, I get it,” she says as flippantly as she can. “Rosemary is sweet and earnest, and I’m a slutty fuckboy.”

Joe tries to reach out to grab her hand. She’s already pulling away. “That isn’t what I meant at all.”

“It is basically what you said, though.”

“Then I’m sorry.” Joe doesn’t give up easily, and no matter how hard Logan tries to put distance between them at this table, Joe keeps wiggling forward in his chair until he can reach her. “I love every damn hair on your head, young lady. Even the slutty ones.”

Logan studies the serious expression on his lined face. “You… you’ve never said you love me before, Joe.”

“Then I have two regrets in this life,” he says, fiercely clutching her hand. “Of course I love you. Why else would I have wanted you on this trip with me?”

Logan blinks rapidly. Her dad is the only person whose ever said those words to her. She is not going to cry inside the Big Texan. She’s fucking not. “We didn’t have sex, but we did… kiss. At the hospital yesterday.”

Joe breaks into a grin. “I knew it!”