Luck Be a Lady - Cathie Linz [45]
“Logan finally admitted it was the chemistry between you two that did it.”
She exchanged a look with Logan. Even though it had only been a few hours since she’d seen him, she’d missed him. She was only now realizing that. She shared a connection with him, a bond that showed no signs of abating, despite him dumping her at the Venetian like unwanted baggage. That really should have cured her of whatever it was she had going with him. “What exactly did you tell Buddy?”
“To mind his own business.”
“He didn’t say those words exactly, just gave me one of those looks. You know.”
Megan nodded. She knew. She’d been on the receiving end of a number of looks from Logan. From that intensely sexual stare while waiting for the elevator shortly after they’d first met to his look of impatience when she and Fiona talked about local history, to his visual seduction when she put on that jumper and white shirt. “Would you mind if I talked to Logan privately for a second, Buddy?”
“Not at all. You two lovebirds go right ahead.”
Once she and Logan were a safe distance away, she said, “What did you tell him?”
“I didn’t say anything about you looking for your mother, if that’s what you’re afraid of.”
“I’m not afraid of that. I could use his help.”
“Hey, the agreement was that I help you and you don’t drag my grandfather into your mess.”
His words stung. Here he was again, making her feel like a nuisance. “Then what did you tell him?”
“I let him think . . . you know . . . that there was something going on between us.”
“You did what?”
“It seemed better than the alternative.”
“To you, maybe. Not to me.”
“News flash: The world doesn’t revolve around you.”
“It doesn’t revolve around you either,” she retorted.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You’re a detective. Figure it out for yourself.”
“Are you upset that Buddy thinks we have a thing going on?”
“A thing? Is that what you called it?”
“I didn’t label it exactly. What’s the problem? We can use that as a smoke screen for a few days.”
So he thought he’d only have a “thing” with her for a few days? Sounded more like a fling to her. She supposed she should warn him about her earlier verbal flubs. “My relatives think we’re doing more than just dating.”
“Why?” he said suspiciously. “What did you say?”
“I let a few things slip.”
“What kind of things?”
“Um, I may have mentioned visiting the brothel and . . . um . . . sharing a bed.”
“You what?”
“And I let slip about the shotgun wedding, but pointed out that we didn’t get married.”
“So you told your relatives that I took you to a brothel, bedded you and then refused to marry you. Great. I’ll bet that went over well.”
“My uncle was pretty upset,” she said. “I had to make up a reason for visiting the brothel.”
“I’m afraid to ask.”
“I said you were helping me.”
“Right. Helping you. By taking you to a brothel.”
Megan nodded. “Because I was interested in the history of prostitution in Nevada.”
Logan rolled his eyes. It was an expression she was coming to know quite well.
“That’s the best you could come up with?” he said.
“I didn’t have a lot of time to think about it.”
“I can’t believe they bought that.”
“They didn’t really, but I’ve been avoiding them since then. Except for Gram.”
“Talking about me?” Gram said as she joined them. Turning to face Logan, she added, “Megan told me how you helped her in her mission to track down her mother,” she said. “I appreciate you looking out for her.”
“Gram is sworn to silence,” Megan added.
“And I know that I can count on you to continue looking after her once we’re back in Chicago,” Gram said to Logan.
“I don’t need ‘looking after,’ ” Megan said.
“That’s a matter of opinion,” Logan said.
“Hey, I’m not the one whose car broke down in the middle of the dessert, stranding us in Last Resort. That was not my fault.”
“It wasn’t my fault either,” he said. “It’s not like I wanted to be marooned there any more than you did.”
“Right. You never want to see me again. I get that.”
“I never said that.”
“You didn’t have to.