Luck Be a Lady - Cathie Linz [44]
“I did.”
“So what changed?”
“Everything, boy-o,” Buddy said morosely. “Everything.”
“Care to be a little more specific than that?”
“I will if you will.”
“Meaning?”
“Why did you take off with Megan like that?”
“It’s complicated.”
“I wrote the book on complicated.”
“You sure did. Which is why you need to concentrate on clearing up your own affairs and not worrying about other people’s problems.”
“Problems?” Buddy instantly latched onto that. “You have problems?”
Logan shrugged. “Everyone has problems.”
“Work-related problems?”
Logan just gave him a look.
“Fine.” Buddy shrugged. “Don’t confide in me. Are you the only one with problems or does Megan have problems too?”
“Like I said, everyone has problems.”
“I knew it.” Buddy slapped his hand on his thigh. “I knew something was up. You wouldn’t just take off with her like that.”
“You make it sound like I kidnapped her or something.”
“That’s what Megan’s dad and uncle thought.”
“That’s ridiculous. Why would I want to kidnap her?”
“Money. They always think about money. I mean, that dad of hers is a numbers guy, after all. So you and Megan just took off for some alone time? Time to explore the chemistry you claimed didn’t exist?”
Logan gave him another look.
“What?” Buddy said. “You don’t think I can put two and two together?”
“You can put two and two together, all right. And come up with five.”
“If that’s not the reason, then what else is going on?”
Logan wasn’t about to tell him. The whole point of this exercise was to keep his grandfather out of Megan’s drama. But he knew Buddy well enough to know that if he didn’t say something, his grandfather would just start digging on his own. So he chose the lesser of two evils. “Fine. It was the chemistry.”
Buddy slapped his knee. “I knewit! I told you the two of you would be a good match.”
“Yeah, well, we’ll see about that.”
Now it was Buddy’s turn to give Logan a look. “Don’t you go breaking her heart now. I’ve got enough trouble with Ingrid without having you alienating her by hurting her beloved granddaughter.”
“Which is why we shouldn’t get involved any further.”
“Balderdash.”
Logan wasn’t sure if it was a good sign or not that Buddy had reverted to his customary selection of arcane expressions instead of cursing. Hopefully it meant that things were returning to normal. Which would be a good thing. The past weekend hadn’t been normal. But then, he hadn’t seen normal in some time.
“Don’t let the fact that your dad has been unlucky in love turn you off a good relationship,” Buddy said.
“I’d call three divorces more than just unlucky.”
“So he’s made mistakes. We all have. Like your marriage to Angie. I don’t know what you were thinking. Well, I do know. You were listening to the wrong part of your anatomy. I know that situation was tough on you, her cheating on you that way. And with an EMT, of all people.”
Logan held up his hand. “Don’t start.”
“From your own district. Is that why you transferred? You shouldn’t let a woman get to you that way.”
“Like Ingrid hasn’t gotten to you.”
“She’d never cheat on me. And besides, she’s my soul mate, not a badge bunny.”
“I didn’t know Angie was a badge bunny when I married her.”
“I know Megan doesn’t have a thing for men in uniform,” Buddy said. “You wouldn’t have to worry about anything like that happening with her. She wouldn’t cheat on you. She’s as honest as the day is long. I mean, look at that face.” He pointed over Logan’s shoulder.
Logan glanced over his shoulder. Megan was walking from the gate agent’s desk toward them.
“I thought you’d be on your way back to Chicago by now,” she said when she was standing in front of Logan and Buddy.
“I thought so too,” Logan said.
“Our earlier flight had mechanical trouble so we were transferred to this one and now it’s delayed,” Buddy said before glancing behind her. “Where’s Ingrid?”
“She’s in the ladies’ room.”
“And the rest of your family?”
“They’re around.”
“We were just talking about you,” Buddy said.
“You were?”
“Yes. Logan told me why you two hooked up this weekend.”
Megan prayed that Buddy