Page 11

There are two things I've realized as I've been fixing things around the diner these past few weeks.

One, the more I look, the more I find other things that need attention—broken floor tiles, the strange noise coming from the exhaust fans in the kitchen, the old plumbing, the parking lot that needs resurfacing. I could go on, the list is endless.

And two, most of those issues require more than just one set of hands.

That's where Tex, Lance, Cliff, Mitch, and Bronson come in. I was telling them about the sorry state of the diner, as well as the lack of clients, when Tex offered, and the others unanimously agreed, to help out. So that's what we've spent the day doing. We closed the diner for a day and started with the easy fixes that we can do quickly and that don't require parts being ordered in, and we're working our way up.

"Whoa. What's going on here?" Logan asks, loosening his tie as he steps into the diner. He's fresh from work and in the sexy corporate clothes I love ripping off him. "And why is there a Closed sign on the door?"

"Impromptu working bee," I answer, tipping my head toward Tex. "All his idea."

Logan smiles. "He's such a good guy."

"He is." I nod, proudly admiring our paint job—we went for a vintage American vibe with soft teal, cream, and cherry red. "They all are."

"How did Hattie take it?" Logan asks.

"I knew that if I asked, she'd likely be too proud to accept the help. So I didn't ask. She's kept us well-fed all day, and the guys have made it abundantly clear to her that since she's a military spouse, she's family, so there's no way they couldn't help her."

Logan beams as he stares into my eyes, looping his arms around my shoulders. "I'm so proud of you."

"Oh, yeah." I lower my voice to a husky whisper so none of the guys overhear. "Do I get a reward?"

His eyes glimmer. "You do. Name it."

"Okay." I lean in until my lips are a breath away from his ear. "Tonight, we ditch the timer."

He shakes his head, chuckling. "Fine. But if your face is in pain, and not the good, sexy kind of pain, we're stopping."

"Deal."

"Deal."

"I'm so excited for you," Logan says, clutching my hand tightly.

We've just submitted the necessary applications for me to start a vocational training program at the center in the fall. I could have asked Logan to hand the paperwork in for me, but I wanted to come in and do it myself. This is a major step forward, and I feel it's the right path.

"I still can't believe the center is willing to cover all the costs," I say as we make our way to Logan's office.

"They do great things sometimes," he replies.

"And you have no idea who the owner is?"

He shakes his head. "Nope. The official owner is an LLC, but the actual owner of the LLC remains a mystery."

"Any ideas?"

"None. I've done some digging, spoken to staff, even asked Tex about it. No one actually knows who owns the place. Wild, huh?"

"Totally. About as wild as me starting school again."

"Ooh." He claps his hands together excitedly as we reach his office. "That means we get to do some back-to-school shopping."

I chuckle. "I don't think that'll be necessary."

"We could drive down to LA, take the kids, make a day of it."

"You want to drive two hours just for school supplies?"

"Come on. It'll be fun."

"We'll see. We still have some time left before we need to make concrete plans."

"Okay. But I'll keep pushing."

I give him a kiss goodbye. "Oh, I have no doubt you will."

"You off to the diner?"

"Yep. Replacement motor for the exhaust fans arrived yesterday. Tex and Lance are giving me a hand installing it."

"I really am so proud of you."

"Stop saying that, or I'll get a big head."

He snorts. "Any bigger, and I'll be permanently walking like a penguin. Alright, go. Say hi to Hattie for me."

"I will. I love you."

He sits down and looks so sexy at his desk I make a silent vow to fuck him in here one day. "I love you, too."

As I drive the short distance to the diner, I can't help but think how much my life is changing.

Helping Hattie out with the diner and being involved with the kids is making me feel like I'm part of a family again.

Enrolling in a business administration course gives me hope that I can have a decent career. I'd love to end up working at the center. If I can't serve my country, I'd like to do something that helps the brave men and women who have.

When I'm hanging out with Tex and the gang, I feel like I truly belong. I don't know if I'll ever truly believe I'm a real vet like they all are, but I've stopped beating myself up as much about something I can't change.

But the best thing of all would have to be my relationship with Logan. All my fears that we'd ruin things, or that we weren't on the same page, were alleviated by taking Hattie's advice and just talking.

I'm so glad we have. He's the best person I know, and I'm going to do everything I can to be a man worthy of his love.

For the first time since the accident, I'm actually looking forward to the future.