Chapter 3
Because he tended to be a fairly quiet man, few people knew that Wyatt Logan had a temper. It wasn't something he was proud of. During his reckless teen years growing up in Texas, he had spent numerous hours in detention at his small high school as a result of his hotheaded behavior. He still struggled with it from time to time, but the strict discipline of over a dozen years' military service had been very effective in tamping down his temper and keeping it in check, but today, apparently all bets were off.
As he drove to the Baumgardners after picking up Jamie at school, he struggled to contain his simmering anger at the teacher's unexpectedly snippy attitude towards him (he didn't feel like he had been that late getting to the school) and tried to concentrate on his son's happy chatter. Julie had planned a cookout to celebrate Jamie's first day of "big boy" school, and while Wyatt was glad to get out of supper duty for a night, he wasn't feeling very social at the moment. All Julie had to do was look at him to figure out he was pissed off about something. He loved her like a sister, but she was like an old hound dog with a bone if she thought Wyatt was keeping something from her. Plus he didn't want to disappoint Jamie, who always looked forward to spending time with his second family.
Breathing deeply through his nose in an effort to calm his thoughts, he forced himself to focus on Jamie's rapid-fire questions. "Daddy, did you like Miss Preston? Do you think she likes pizza? I love pizza, well, I only like pepperoni pizza. Do you think Miss Preston is pretty? I do, really pretty. Her hands are soft. Did you know that Miss Preston likes worms? We saw a worm in the grass and Miss Preston said it wasn't a worm, it was a cat-a, cat-a, well, I think it looked just like a worm. Did you know that Miss Preston is from San Frisco, Daddy? She just moved here. Do you think Miss Preston smells good? She smells like flowers and I like flowers. Do you like flowers, Daddy?" Jamie finally ran out of air and paused long enough to take a breath.
Slightly bemused at the boy's enthusiasm, Wyatt was surprised to realize that Jamie's teacher had already made a very big impression on his son. The only other adult female that Jamie had spent a significant amount of time with and had any kind of attachment to was his "Aunt" Julie, who was practically his surrogate mother, and he had to admit he was surprised at how quickly the little boy had taken to this "Miss Preston." Between trying to manage his anger and respond in a coherent manner to his son's seemingly endless questions, Wyatt was starting to get a pounding headache, and (dammit) that was just the icing on the cake as far as he was concerned. He suddenly wished he hadn't agreed to Julie's invitation to supper so that he could fume quietly at home (all night if he wanted) about the teacher's rude behavior.
A tiny gleeful voice in his head though just wouldn't shut up about his surprisingly strong first reaction to the woman. The sight of the slim brunette kneeling beside his son, both looking down at something on the ground, and the way that soft-looking dress hugged her very shapely rear, not to mention those big dark eyes blinking up at him as he hauled her to her feet (it was kind of cute the way she fell on that sexy bottom when he accidentally startled her) and how her slim fingers had felt cool in his big rough hand had stirred up something he thought had died when Jess had been taken from him. "Jesus, Logan, get your act together!" he berated himself. Wyatt was more than a little dismayed at the direction his thoughts were heading. He and Jamie were doing just fine by themselves, thank you very much. He had no intention of getting interested in, let alone involved with, the young teacher, no matter how hot she was (what?) or how much Jamie seemed to like her. That was that, end of story. He sighed, rubbing at the frown that had settled between his eyebrows. All he had to do was get through this cookout with his dignity intact.
A few minutes later, Wyatt parked his old Jeep in front of the Baumgardner's house, and together he and Jamie walked up the driveway. Almost immediately, their front door opened and they were greeted by Bam Bam and Julie's daughters, Annie and Sadie. Both were the spitting image of their mother: long, curly blonde hair and green eyes. They were bossy like their mama, too, although Jamie never seemed to mind. The little girls were like sisters to him (the only siblings his son would likely ever have, Wyatt often thought guiltily), and he was very close to them, especially Annie, who was only a year younger. Little Sadie, who was turning three next month, launched herself at Wyatt. "Up, Uncle Wy, up!" she ordered. "Yes, Ma'am," he complied with a grin. Yep, she was just like Julie, and not for the first time he marveled at how happy Bam Bam was living with his three demanding females.
Now, personally, as much as he loved the Baumgardner sisters, he very much preferred the quieter "bachelor" life he and Jamie had. No females necessary, no sir. Unbidden, Lucy Preston's big brown eyes with those ridiculously long dark eyelashes popped into his head. "Dammit," he growled under his breath. "Uh, oh, Uncle Wy, you said a swear! I'm telling Mama," Annie shrieked, and she ran into the house with Jamie right on her heels. Sadie put a small hand on his cheek and sadly shook her blonde head, looking uncannily like her mother. "Are you gonna get a time out, Uncle Wy?" she asked solemnly. "No darlin', your mama will have to catch me first," he replied. And then he pretended to drop her a few times just to make her squeal with laughter.
With Sadie clinging to his neck, he went in the house and down the hallway into the kitchen, where his hostess was in the middle of cutting up a watermelon. "Sadie Jane, stop hanging on Uncle Wy's neck before you choke him," she scolded. Wyatt set her down on the floor and she ran outside to play. He supposed that Jamie and Annie were already outside since he didn't see them in the kitchen. As Wyatt went to follow Sadie out the door, Julie asked in a deceptively casual way, "How was your day, Wyatt? Anything interesting happen?" He stood completely still, knowing he was busted (double damn). Honestly, he had been through years of torture training in the service, and no one was as good as getting him to confess to almost anything as Julie.
As he started edging closer to the back door, he tried to divert her attention. "Are you wearing your hair a new way? It looks really good." But she wasn't having it. "You might as well tell me, Wyatt, you know you want to." "Actually, I really don't," he replied, resigned to his fate. "But I know you won't let me alone until I spill my guts out to you." Julie smirked, "And that's why you love me, right?" He shook his head at her while taking a seat at the kitchen table. Jamie must have run straight to Julie and told her all the juicy details of his encounter with the teacher. He should have expected this would happen, and made a mental note that he and a certain five-year-old were gonna have words on the ride home.
He asked cautiously, "What did you hear?" "That you made Jamie's new teacher fall down. I know I raised you better than that, Wyatt Logan," she replied, jokingly. "Ease up, Mom," he retorted, rolling his eyes. "I didn't mean for her to fall on her backside, it's not my fault she's apparently one of those skittish female types!" Julie's green eyes narrowed at him. "I also heard that she's really pretty and smells like flowers, but you probably didn't even notice!" He mentally squirmed at the realization that he actually had noticed how attractive Lucy Preston was, at least before she pissed him off. And Lord help him if Julie Baumgardner ever caught on to that–she'd have him hitched to the teacher and a baby (or two) on the way so fast he wouldn't even know what hit him.
She softened at the look of discomfort on his face. "Wyatt, you know aside from Dave and the girls, I love you and Jamie more than anything. I just want you to be happy." "I am," he protested. With a skeptical look, she warned, "Well, we will continue this conversation later, cause I have to finish supper right now." Sighing in relief at his chance to finally escape, Wyatt waved as he went out the back door in search of Bam Bam. He found his best friend manning the grill while wearing a goofy-looking apron that proclaimed him "King of the Castle!" "Yeah, right," Wyatt thought in amusement, deciding he'd let Master Sergeant Dave Baumgardner keep on thinking he was actually the boss around this place.
Shortly after eating, the Logan men headed home. Wyatt didn't really feel like giving his son a lecture, but he also didn't care for the idea of Jamie telling tales to his Aunt Julie. A man needed to keep some things to himself, he thought, and while Julie had seemed to ease off lately on practically throwing women at Wyatt, he knew she wouldn't hesitate to encourage (yeah, more like harass) him into making a move on Lucy Preston if she had even a vague hint that Wyatt might be interested in a woman he had just met. So many times over the past couple of years she had proclaimed, "Go ahead, you bullheaded man, keep on telling yourself you don't need a someone of your own. But one of these days when you aren't paying attention, a big ole bolt of lightning is gonna knock you down, and you'll be done for." Wyatt had always told himself that everyone knows lightning never strikes the same place twice, and that was good enough for him.
He cleared his throat and started to talk to Jamie about over sharing, but a glance in the rearview mirror revealed that the little guy was already fast asleep. He had missed his chance for tonight, and sighed at the thought of having to wake up his cranky child when they got home.
As he'd predicted, his son was downright fractious, overtired after his big first day of school and running around the Baumgardner's back yard. He managed to get Jamie through a very hasty bath and teeth brushing with some stern language and a few tears (from both of them), after which the little boy was tucked in and out like a light.
Alone with his thoughts at last, Wyatt could feel his earlier anger building up again, to the point where for the first time in a long time, he really wanted a strong drink. "Knock that shit off right now, Logan," he told himself. He decided a quick shower and a good night's sleep should be enough to subdue his brooding thoughts. He was determined not to waste another second thinking about Lucy Preston. But in spite of his best efforts, he was dismayed (and maybe a little bit aroused) to recall when he woke the next morning that a certain dark-haired teacher had flitted in and out of his subconscious while he slept. He groaned aloud at the thought and then got out of bed to get Jamie ready for school. It was going to be a long day, and he damn sure was gonna put Lucy Preston completely out of his mind. Yep, that was his story, and he was sticking to it.
