she noticed he was heading in the wrong direction.
He ran a hand through his hair. “I want to apologize for Vivi Dunn’s interrogation. You didn’t have to answer her questions.”
“Really?” Her palms turned face-up in her lap. “What choice did I have?”
He fell silent for a minute. “You grew up surrounded by world-class talent. Can you sing?”
“To myself, in the car. Or in the shower. That’s as far as my vocal talent stretches.”
“So what else don’t I know about you that I should. Did you hula-hoop with Pavarotti? Play hopscotch with the Phantom of the Opera?”
A snort of amusement escaped her. “I wish.”
“I never noticed you talk with an accent.”
“Wherever we went, I learned how to blend in. That’s why I speak so many languages. When I came to America, I adopted the news anchors’ speech I heard on the nightly reports.”
“Makes sense.” He sprayed windshield fluid and hit the wipers to scrape away grime kicked up by the car in front of them. “You’ve spent your life in constant state of change. You’ve had to adapt like a chameleon.”
She’d never thought of it that way. “You do what you have to do, to survive.”
“I understand. More than you know.” He sent her a meaningful look, and she saw the compassion in his eyes. If Logan’s military experience was anything like her ex-husband’s, the Special Forces had sent him all over the world to meet with heads of state or hide out in hovels undercover. Always vigilant, prepared for anything. They were wanderers, both. “Were you ever onstage?” he asked.
“I had a few cameo roles, but no one took the time to teach me more than the basics.”
“Must’ve been lonely. Never staying in one place long enough to get to make friends. Never hanging with kids your age, playing kick ball or freeze tag.”
A pang of regret echoed in her chest. “You do grow up fast. When I was young, it was dazzling. Bright lights. Roaring applause. Egos bigger than the European Union. I can see why my parents craved the glitz and fame.” Her forehead pinched. “I begged my parents to send me to boarding school. But applying to an academy required money, entrance exams, paperwork. Things they couldn’t be bothered with.” Old disappointment surfaced. She stared out the passenger window, watching streetlights reflect off damp trails streaming down the glass.
“Listen,” he said finally, “I should’ve cut off Vivi when I had the chance. Won’t happen again.”
“You’re right. In six weeks I’ll never see those people again. Even if I did, I can fend for myself. You’re not my keeper.”
“Still—”
“Chalk it up to a bad night.”
“It wasn’t supposed to be that way.”
“What did you expect, Logan?” she shot back.
“Not what happened. I didn’t think things would go downhill like that.”
With an acidic tone, she replied, “Then we’re even. I didn’t expect your coworkers’ wives to share the juicy tales about your past love life. Awkward doesn’t begin to describe it.”
Logan took his eyes off the road to shoot her a glance. “They wouldn’t dare.”
“Those people couldn’t wait to show me how insignificant I am. Just another one of your conquests. Here today, gone tomorrow.”
His grip flexed on his steering wheel. “What the hell do they know about us?”
“Logan, there is no us .”
He went quiet. He took his foot off the gas as they eased up to a red light. “Now I get the rumors.”
She said nothing.
“I want to think of us as…‘us.’”
“Trust me, you really don’t.”
He let out an exasperated breath. “Haven’t you thought once about that night? Am I the only one who sees where this can go?”
She stared at her lap. “What if I have? It doesn’t change my situation. I’m not at a point in my life where I can have a relationship.”
“So you keep saying,” he said angrily.
“Then why are we discussing it?”
Logan punched the gas when the light
He ran a hand through his hair. “I want to apologize for Vivi Dunn’s interrogation. You didn’t have to answer her questions.”
“Really?” Her palms turned face-up in her lap. “What choice did I have?”
He fell silent for a minute. “You grew up surrounded by world-class talent. Can you sing?”
“To myself, in the car. Or in the shower. That’s as far as my vocal talent stretches.”
“So what else don’t I know about you that I should. Did you hula-hoop with Pavarotti? Play hopscotch with the Phantom of the Opera?”
A snort of amusement escaped her. “I wish.”
“I never noticed you talk with an accent.”
“Wherever we went, I learned how to blend in. That’s why I speak so many languages. When I came to America, I adopted the news anchors’ speech I heard on the nightly reports.”
“Makes sense.” He sprayed windshield fluid and hit the wipers to scrape away grime kicked up by the car in front of them. “You’ve spent your life in constant state of change. You’ve had to adapt like a chameleon.”
She’d never thought of it that way. “You do what you have to do, to survive.”
“I understand. More than you know.” He sent her a meaningful look, and she saw the compassion in his eyes. If Logan’s military experience was anything like her ex-husband’s, the Special Forces had sent him all over the world to meet with heads of state or hide out in hovels undercover. Always vigilant, prepared for anything. They were wanderers, both. “Were you ever onstage?” he asked.
“I had a few cameo roles, but no one took the time to teach me more than the basics.”
“Must’ve been lonely. Never staying in one place long enough to get to make friends. Never hanging with kids your age, playing kick ball or freeze tag.”
A pang of regret echoed in her chest. “You do grow up fast. When I was young, it was dazzling. Bright lights. Roaring applause. Egos bigger than the European Union. I can see why my parents craved the glitz and fame.” Her forehead pinched. “I begged my parents to send me to boarding school. But applying to an academy required money, entrance exams, paperwork. Things they couldn’t be bothered with.” Old disappointment surfaced. She stared out the passenger window, watching streetlights reflect off damp trails streaming down the glass.
“Listen,” he said finally, “I should’ve cut off Vivi when I had the chance. Won’t happen again.”
“You’re right. In six weeks I’ll never see those people again. Even if I did, I can fend for myself. You’re not my keeper.”
“Still—”
“Chalk it up to a bad night.”
“It wasn’t supposed to be that way.”
“What did you expect, Logan?” she shot back.
“Not what happened. I didn’t think things would go downhill like that.”
With an acidic tone, she replied, “Then we’re even. I didn’t expect your coworkers’ wives to share the juicy tales about your past love life. Awkward doesn’t begin to describe it.”
Logan took his eyes off the road to shoot her a glance. “They wouldn’t dare.”
“Those people couldn’t wait to show me how insignificant I am. Just another one of your conquests. Here today, gone tomorrow.”
His grip flexed on his steering wheel. “What the hell do they know about us?”
“Logan, there is no us .”
He went quiet. He took his foot off the gas as they eased up to a red light. “Now I get the rumors.”
She said nothing.
“I want to think of us as…‘us.’”
“Trust me, you really don’t.”
He let out an exasperated breath. “Haven’t you thought once about that night? Am I the only one who sees where this can go?”
She stared at her lap. “What if I have? It doesn’t change my situation. I’m not at a point in my life where I can have a relationship.”
“So you keep saying,” he said angrily.
“Then why are we discussing it?”
Logan punched the gas when the light
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