Kathleen Y'Barbo - Their Unexpected Love

He grinned, and her stomach did a flip. Oh.

Making a face at Pippa’s prolonged silence, Leah continued. “Logan, you remember Pippa Gallagher from Vine Beach High, don’t you?” Now she smiled directly at her friend. “Pippa, this is Logan Burkett.”

Pippa reached to shake his hand and found his grip firm, his hands showing the calluses of a working man. “Welcome back to Vine Beach,” she said, an absurd statement considering she herself had just returned a few months ago.

“Well, thank you,” he said, “but we’ve already met.”

“No,” Pippa said quickly. “I would have remembered.” The words, once out, made her cringe.

“B and B Construction?” He shook his head. “Surely you remember the guy you’ve been emailing with for the past month.”

“LB?”

As in Logan Burkett. From ninth grade. The guy whose head probably still bore the scars of her skateboard falling out of the locker above his. The one with whom she had debated everything from ambient lighting and reclaimed floor tiles to low-flush toilets?

“Yes, that’s me. Guess I should have spelled out my whole name, but I don’t have much patience for emails.” A shrug. “Besides, with Vine Beach being such a small town, I figured you knew.”

“Wait a minute,” Leah said. “You’re her...”

“Construction foreman on the remodel? Yes, that’s me. I’ve sent her a construction update email every Friday at noon for the past four weeks.”

“Punctual,” Leah whispered when Logan looked away. “I like that in a man. And, girl, he is cute, too.”

Pippa nudged her friend and then gave her a look that, of course, Leah ignored. “Behave,” she added as a useless afterthought.

Leah would never behave. Not when it meant giving up a chance to find a man for Pippa. Just because Leah was happily married to the handsome fire marshal, she did not have a license to send Pippa toward the altar.

The music on the sound system switched to a Beach Boys tune, a distraction that lasted only a second. Pippa’s eyes narrowed as she thought back over the series of emails regarding the renovation of the building in downtown Vine Beach.

In a previous conversation, Granny had mentioned something about the foreman being a changed man. About finding his faith and going off to build churches in Africa and then losing it over some life tragedy, though the details on both were a bit vague. Perhaps she should have paid more attention.

Had Pippa known Granny was rattling on about Logan Burkett, she certainly would have.

“Pippa?” Leah nudged her. “You’re staring,” she whispered. “Stop it.” And then she turned to Logan. “So, tell me what you’re doing for my silent friend here. Rumor around town is the old bakery is going to be Mrs. Gallagher’s showplace. I can’t even get Pippa to tell me what the plans are.”

“There’s nothing to tell because the plans haven’t been finalized yet,” Pippa said as she found her voice.

“About that,” Logan said. “I had an idea on the way over that I’d like to talk to you about when you get a chance.”

“Before our meeting with Granny?”

A shrug. “Doesn’t have to be.”

“All right. I’ll check my schedule and email you.” Again she fought the blush that should have gone with such a ridiculous statement. Until Granny’s art gallery opened on the first floor of the building Logan was remodeling, Pippa’s schedule was light at best. Except for planning this event, the only actual work she’d done was over at the skate park.

Not that she considered building a ministry where kids could come and in-line skate or skateboard in a safe environment work. That was pure fun.

“It looks like the church will get its senior center after all,” Logan said.

Leah grinned. “With Pippa in charge, there was never a doubt. Did you know she was quite successful in her former career as a corporate events planner and fund-raiser?”

Pippa felt the heat flood her cheeks. What was wrong with her? This was her building contractor, not a potential prom date.

“Really, Leah,” Pippa said. “I doubt Logan is interested in all that.”

“I can see my friend doesn’t want to brag,” Leah said. “And as much as I would love to fill you in on all the details of her illustrious career, as owner of the company chosen to offer sushi to the masses this afternoon, I should circulate and do a little quality control.” She eyed Logan before resting her attention on Pippa. “I’ll call you later.”

Before Pippa could comment, Leah was gone, blending into the crowd. Slowly Pippa met Logan’s impassive gaze. Goodness but his eyes were a beautiful shade of green.

“You planned all this?” He nodded toward the crowd. “Impressive.”

“It’s what I do.” Pippa reached out to snatch a festive-looking glass of pineapple-orange punch from a passing waiter. “Or rather what I did before Granny decided she needed me closer to home.”

“So you’re taking care of your grandmother now?”

“Taking care of Granny? No,” she said with a chuckle. “Hardly. If anything it’s the other way around. I think she was lonely and wanted me home.” Her gaze traveled around the room, then settled back on Logan. “She has plenty of friends but I’m all the family she’s got here in Vine Beach.”

“Well, it’s nice that you’re back anyway. It takes someone special to put a career on hold for a family member.” Logan gave her a direct look. “About high school. I have to ask. Was I awful to you?”

His question caught her off guard. It was almost as if he had changed the subject deliberately. Being ignored in high school wasn’t awful if the recipient wished she were invisible. And Logan’s claiming back then to hate skateboards was fair since he had been hit enough times as they fell from the locker above.

So she said, “No,” as she twirled the drink’s pink paper umbrella with her index finger.

“Good.” Relief punctuated the statement. “On the way here I saw kids dressed like they were up to no good. Reminded me of myself at that age. Not a good feeling to know I was one of them.”

One of them?

Pippa bristled at the statement she’d heard far too often in relation to the kids at the skate park, kids who loved Jesus but looked different. As she once did.

“What do you mean exactly?” she asked carefully.

“I’ve spent a whole lot of years apologizing for the jerk I was back then.”

Not the answer to her question. “I would hate to be judged by what I did in ninth grade. Or what I looked like.” The latter was a carefully aimed dig at his assumption that kids’ clothing somehow reflected their hearts.

“You look like sunshine right now,” he said, then glanced away. “Sorry, that sounded really stupid. Anyway,” he added abruptly, “I appreciate the invitation today. I don’t usually go to these things, but your grandmother can be persuasive.”

The oddest sensation came over Pippa as she watched Logan Burkett’s obvious discomfort. Apparently anyone could feel out of place given the right set of circumstances. Even the most popular boy at Vine Beach High School.

The silence between them lengthened until Pippa felt compelled to fill it. “I don’t know too many people in Vine Beach anymore. Just a few old friends are still here. Most have moved on.”

“Seems that way.”

Another conversational dead end. Pippa’s eyes swept the crowd and then stalled on the town veterinarian and his wife, both good friends since her teen years. Eric made no pretense of not watching the two of them, although he seemed more concerned with Logan and what he might be doing here. Just as it appeared the veterinarian was headed her way, Granny waylaid him and they began conversing.