Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Chapter 14 – The Light of Day
The bright red digits of the alarm clock stared at him, mocking him. "I can't believe I'm awake," thought Kevin. "It's barely the first day of summer vacation and I'm awake…at 7:46 in the morning." Kevin groaned, frustrated at the fact he wasn't going to get any more sleep and annoyed with the knowledge that no amount of time spent lying in bed would bring him any peace of mind. He knew what he needed to do. He needed to talk to Rory. He needed to settle things with her and he needed to do it sooner rather than later. The problem was he did not want to have the conversation. He did not want to talk about her and Logan. Kevin could have lived the rest of his life pretending his little sister didn't have a love life, but now thanks to Logan, that really wasn't an option.
His feelings about his best friend dating his sister were still unclear. On the one hand, there were moments when he was ok with it. In fact, after seeing them together last night, there was a split second when he was almost happy for them. On the other hand, when he didn't hear Rory come home from her date until after 1 AM, he wanted to throttle Logan. "I want to be ok with this," he told himself. "I have to be ok with this. I want them to be happy. I want this to work out. Don't I?" He shook his head and sighed realizing he didn't know the real answer to that question.
To take his mind off the situation, Kevin forced himself out of bed and decided to go for a run. It was early and it's not like he was going to get any more sleep. Maybe a run would help clear his head. He threw on some shorts and sneakers, grabbed his iPod and was climbing down the stairs just as his mother was heading out the door.
"Morning, babe," greeted Lorelai cheerfully. "I didn't think you'd be up for hours."
"Couldn't sleep," he mumbled.
"You ok?"
"Just peachy," he answered dryly.
Lorelai looked at his troubled expression and asked, "What time did she get home last night?"
"Shouldn't you know the answer to that question? She's your daughter after all." That came out much harsher than he'd intended. Lack of sleep combined with a degree of frustration made him a little crabby. "Sorry," he apologized immediately. "I didn't mean to snap at you, Mom. I'm just tired."
Lorelai understood how much the situation was affecting him. "It's ok, Kevin. I know how unhappy you are about the two of them and..."
"It's not that I'm unhappy," he interrupted. "I'm just...It's like...I can't...I don't know how I feel, Mom. The whole thing is a little surreal. I mean come on Rory and Logan together? Did you in a million years see that coming?"
Lorelai couldn't help but laugh. "It's new," she admitted, "but not entirely unexpected. I mean considering Rory's been in love with Logan since she was 12..."
"WHAT!!"
"Damn! I forget he didn't know that," thought Lorelai, silently cursing herself for having only three cups of coffee that morning. A fourth cup would have sharpened her senses enough not to have let that comment slip. "What I mean is…Rory and Logan have known each other all their lives. And they're young and have a lot in common so eventually something was bound to happen."
"That's not what you said," argued Kevin. "You said Rory's been in love with Logan since she was 12."
Lorelai felt like a deer caught in headlights. She was trapped. Kevin was upset and unfortunately, he inherited her stubborn streak. He wasn't going to let this go. "Kevin," she began slowly, "I'm really not at liberty to discuss this with you."
"Mom," he said getting annoyed.
"Your sister swore me to secrecy," said Lorelai with pleading eyes.
"Mom," he repeated in a firm tone.
"I took an oath."
"Mom," he said louder.
"On coffee," she added.
"Mom," he practically yelled. "Please. Just tell me."
Lorelai looked into his troubled face and sighed. Smiling weakly at her first born child, she said, "It's not my place to say, but I'll tell you this much. Rory's feelings for Logan aren't something new. They go back a long, long way and run really deep. I know the situation is uncomfortable for you. I know it puts you in an awkward position, but Rory's been through a lot recently. And right now, she's really happy."
An image of Rory and Logan smiling at each other from across the table flashed through his mind. "I know she is," Kevin admitted. He'd never seen her look as happy as she did with Logan last night. It was why he insisted on leaving the restaurant.
"Can't you try to be happy for her?" asked Lorelai. In truth, she felt a little guilty about the request. She felt like she was choosing sides.
"I'm trying, Mom. I really am," insisted Kevin. "The whole thing is just weird…really weird."
"Talk to your sister, honey. It will be good for the both of you to clear the air. Our family is finally all under one roof again and I would really hate for there to be any awkwardness between you two. I know it's a lot to ask, but as her brother, as her older brother, I'm asking you to try to keep an open mind about her and Logan."
Kevin gave a curt nod.
"I know you're not comfortable with the idea of Rory dating anyone so I can only imagine how strange it must be for you to picture her with Logan."
Kevin winced and Lorelai did her best not laugh.
"But Rory's not a little girl anymore," she continued. "She had boyfriends in London and she was going to have boyfriends here. Aren't you glad that her boyfriend is someone you know? And trust?"
Kevin remained silent. The jury was still out on that one.
"You and I both know that Logan is a good guy."
He nodded in agreement.
"He'll be good to her."
Kevin didn't want to hear any more. He put on his headphones and said, "You should get going, Mom. I don't want you to be late for work."
"Don't worry about me, Kev. I own the place, remember? I'm the boss and no one yells at the boss," she said with a cheeky smile. Lorelai kissed his cheek and opened the front door. "Talk to your sister," she told him before closing the door behind her.
Kevin cranked up the volume on his iPod before he set off. While exercise was an activity both his mother and sister abhorred, he and his father were not the least bit opposed to it. In fact, Christopher and Kevin spent most of their quality father-son time running or playing basketball. While he was growing up, no matter how busy his father was, Christopher always made time to attend Kevin's Little League games or shoot hoops with him. It was something his friends envied about him. Kevin was always a son first, and an heir second.
He took off on his normal route heading west so the sun was at his back. It felt good to be out there. The wind hit his face as he ran, cooling his skin while his feet pounded the pavement. Before he even realized it, he was standing outside the Huntzberger mansion. It surprised him that in his state of unrest, he involuntarily headed towards Logan. It was then that he realized part of the reason he was unhappy about the Rory-Logan situation was because he was worried he would lose his friend. Kevin would never admit it, but part of him was bothered by the idea of having to share Logan with Rory. Logan was his best friend. But now he was also Rory's boyfriend.
Kevin looked up and studied the mansion in front of him. He never realized how intimidating the Huntzberger estate looked from the outside. From the inside, it was worse. He knew Logan hated growing up in that house. It was cold. Mitchum was far from the caring father Christopher was. He never supported or encouraged Logan the way Christopher did with him. In his quest to make Logan the next CEO of The Huntzberger Group, Mitchum had successfully made his son both fear and resent him. Kevin could recall the countless times Logan came to him to vent after Mitchum lectured or berated him about how he wasn't living up to his potential. He knew it was part of the reason Logan acted out as much as he did. Why strive to achieve something when what you did was never good enough? At that moment, Kevin truly felt sad for his friend. He couldn't imagine not growing up in a happy home. He couldn't remember ever seeing Logan look happy while inside that house. The only times he ever saw Logan look truly happy were when he was with him, Colin and Finn. "And last night, when he was with Rory," he whispered to himself. Kevin shook his head at the sad realization. He knew then that as Logan's friend, he needed to get over any awkwardness he felt about him dating Rory. Logan deserved some real happiness.
"Do you really think I'll ever do better than her?" The words Logan spoke yesterday wrung in his head. There wasn't a girl in the world better than Rory. There wasn't a guy in the world that deserved her. "She would be good for him," he admitted. "And he would be good to her." That he knew. "Logan's going to treat her like a princess," thought Kevin with a smile. At that moment, he felt a huge weight lifted off his shoulders. "I can get used to this," he said aloud to himself. And for the first time, he believed it. Kevin turned around and started running back toward his house. With each step he felt better and better. By the time he made it back to his house he felt ready to have the dreaded conversation with Rory. In fact, he really wasn't even dreading it anymore.
Kevin turned into his driveway and saw a figure standing at his doorstep. The person had his back to him and was stooped over. He slowed down to catch his breath and after a few seconds, his eyes cleared and he was able to recognize who the person was. "You've got to be kidding me," he muttered angrily. Kevin cleared his throat to get the visitor's attention and then asked in a very authoritative voice, "Can I help you?"
Tristan stood up and turned to face his ex-girlfriend's older brother. Wow did he look pissed. Determined not seem at all intimidated, Tristan straightened his stance. He was at least two inches taller than Kevin, but the older boy definitely had a more muscular physique. Tristan was tall and lean, but Kevin, though shorter, had much broader shoulders. "I was just leaving these for Rory," said Tristan indicating the bouquet on the doorstep. He'd intended to drop off the flowers and go. He didn't want to run into anyone and from the look on Kevin's face, he wasn't happy to see him either. "Could you make sure she gets these?" he asked in a firm tone.
Kevin chuckled slightly not believing the nerve of the boy in front of him. "You have got some serious balls showing up here again," said Kevin threateningly.
Tristan stood his ground. "I don't want any trouble. I just wanted to leave these for Rory," he said not taking his eyes off Kevin.
"Well you left them," said Kevin brushing past him. "Feel free to leave now." Kevin would have loved nothing more than to punch the smug bastard. How this guy had the nerve to show up at his house for a second time was completely beyond him. But he promised Rory he wouldn't lay a hand on him.
Tristan gave him a forced, but polite nod.
With his arms crossed over his chest, Kevin watched as the tall blond walk to his car and drive away. As soon as he was out of sight, he picked up the flowers and carried them into the house. He set them on the side table and without a moment's hesitation he opened the card.
Dear Rory,
I know I don't have any right to ask and I know I don't deserve it, but I need to talk to you. These last few weeks without you have been hell for me. I hate myself for what I did, for what I put you through. Please give me a chance to explain and apologize in person. Please call me. I'm not leaving Hartford until you do. I miss you so much, Mary. Please call.
All my love,
Tristan
Kevin read the note for a second time before he folded it up and stuck it in his pocket. He walked into the kitchen to dispose of the flowers and was surprised to see Rory sitting on the counter waiting for her coffee to brew.
"Morning," she said in a sleepy voice.
"Hey," he said. "You're up early."
She shrugged her shoulders. "Jet lag. Nice flowers," she commented.
"Damn," thought Kevin. He hadn't wanted her to see these. "Oh…umm…they're for you," he said handing her the bouquet. "Logan sent them," he lied.
Rory took the flowers from him as a huge smile lit up her face, something that did not go unnoticed by Kevin. "Awww. He's so sweet. When did they come?" she asked. "I didn't hear the door bell."
"The delivery guy didn't ring the bell. He showed up right when I was coming in from my run."
"I can't believe you run in the morning…or at all," she said with disgust giving her brother a playful smirk. "Exercise. Yuck!" she exclaimed as she searched her bouquet for a card.
"What's wrong?" asked Kevin.
"Was there a card or a note? I don't see one," she answered continuing to look in between the stems.
"Maybe it fell," offered Kevin.
"If there's no card, how do you know they're for me? Daddy might have sent them for Mom?"
"Shit why didn't I think of that? I should've said they were for Mom. Man I suck at lying." He had to think fast. "The delivery guy said that Logan sent them for you," he answered quickly. "There. She couldn't argue with that." He reached to pour her a cup of coffee hoping to distract her. "You want some coffee?"
Rory brought the flowers close to her face inhaling the scent and then put them down on the counter. They smelled sweet, but couldn't hold a candle to rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee. "Thank you," she told her brother as she eagerly accepted the cup. "Nothing like your first cup of the day," she said with a dreamy far off look in her eyes.
Kevin laughed lightly at her expression. Her love affair with coffee was almost as intense as their mother's. He grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and said, "Finish your coffee and then get dressed. Franny's off today so I'll take you out for breakfast."
"Pancakes?" she asked excitedly.
"Whatever you want, Ror," he said with a smile.
"Yay!" she cheered as she finished off her first cup and reached to pour herself a second.
"I'm going to take a quick shower. Make sure you're ready in twenty minutes, Rory. I'm starving," he told her before heading towards his room. Kevin sprinted up the stairs to get to his cell phone. He needed to talk to Logan before Rory called to thank him for Tristan's flowers.
"Hello," he answered on the first ring.
"Logan," said a slightly out of breath Kevin.
"Hey, Kev, what's up?"
"If Rory calls to thank you for sending her flowers, just play along ok?"
"What?" asked a confused Logan.
"Look, I'll explain later. Just trust me ok? If Rory calls to thank you for sending her flowers, just act like you did."
"I don't understand."
"Just trust me ok?" yelled Kevin.
Logan sighed. "Ok. Calm down, Kevin. Whatever you say." He didn't know what was going on, but he did trust Kevin. "What kind of flowers did I send her?"
"I don't know…white ones."
"White ones? Where they roses? Lilies? Daisies? Tulips? What?"
"I don't know. They were white."
"What do they look…oh shoot, that's my other line." Logan checked his caller ID. "It's Rory," he told Kevin.
"Ok. I have to go anyway. I'll call you later. Bye." Without waiting for Logan to respond, he snapped his phone shut.
"Kevin, wait…." But he'd already hung up. He silently cursed Kevin and clicked over to his other line. "Morning, Ace," he said trying to hide the anxiety in his voice.
"Hey, you," she greeted. He couldn't see her, but he knew she was smiling. That made him smile.
"Did you sleep well?" he asked, his tone much more relaxed. It was amazing how just the sound of her voice eased his tension.
"I did. Thank you so much for the flowers. They're beautiful," she gushed.
He didn't want to lie to her, but he'd already promised Kevin. Besides, Kevin must have a good reason for asking him to do this. "You're welcome, Ace. But there's no need to thank me," he told her truthfully.
"Of course there is. You take me out on the best first date ever and then you send me flowers. So I ask again, are you sure you've never been a boyfriend before?"
He chuckled. "Beginners luck," he assured her. "Speaking of boyfriends, do you think you'll have time to see yours today?"
"Maybe," she answered playfully.
"Maybe?"
"Yeah, if he has time to see me, I'm sure I can make room in my schedule to see him."
"What are you doing now?" he asked. It had only been a few hours since he'd seen her last, but he already missed her.
"Kevin's taking me out to breakfast. I'd invite you along, but he and I haven't really had a chance to talk about…well us, so..."
"It's ok, Ace. I was just heading out for a run anyway."
"Ugh…don't tell me you're another one of those people who exercises," she teased.
"Sorry to lower your opinion of me, Ace, but I do enjoy a good work out. You should come running me with sometime. It's very relaxing."
"Sorry, Logan. That's something I can guarantee I'll never do with you."
"Never say never, Ace. Remember, I did get you to try that salad yesterday," he reminded her.
"Hey! I thought we agreed never to bring that up again! If my mother ever found out, she'd disown me so that never happened, got it? Cone of silence, Logan."
He laughed. "All right, Ace. That stays between you and me, but I'm not giving up on this running thing. Given enough time, I'm sure I'd be able to convince you."
"Is that really what you want to use your powers of persuasion on? To get me to strap on some sneakers and go running with you?" she asked suggestively.
His trademark smirk graced his handsome face. "Now that you mention it, Ace. No, that's not what I want to use my powers of persuasion on. I'm sure I'd be able to come up with a much more entertaining recreation activity, one that was mutually enjoyable," he said in a husky tone. "And one that required far less clothing than running."
She giggled. "Oh really?"
"Yes. If I recall correctly, you already me owe me a moonlight skinny dip."
"I never said I would do that," she declared. "I said I wouldn't be opposed to it, but I never promised I'd do it."
"Mere semantics, Ace. I'll get you in that lake yet. It'll be great, I'll pack a picnic and I'll let you drive my car up to our spot."
"Our spot?" she asked shyly.
Logan was surprised, and a bit embarrassed, by the question. He'd never shown anyone his little sanctuary and it shocked him that after only one night, he already considered it theirs. "Yeah, Ace. Don't tell me you forget already," he teased. "It's a pretty little spot on my family's property, very quiet, very cozy, secluded enough so I can strip my girlfriend naked without having to worry about anyone bothering us. Remember?"
"Yeah, I remember," she answered shyly. He couldn't see her but he knew she was blushing. He loved that he knew that.
"So, do you think I can see you today?"
"I'd love to. Maybe you could come over and watch a movie?"
"That sounds fun," he said. He thought for a moment and then added, "But maybe I could pick you up and you could come over here."
"To your house?"
"Yes. We have a screening room. Dad had it built for Honor when was going through her movie phase."
"I remember that room," she assured him. "I have been to your house before."
"I know, but you haven't been here in a while. You should see my mother's new draperies. They're just divine," he said in a perfect Emily Gilmore voice.
Rory laughed at his antics while speculating what was really behind his desire to have a movie night at his house instead of hers. "Does hanging out at your house have anything to do with the fact that my father's coming home today?" she asked playfully.
It had everything to do with the fact that her father was coming home today. Not to mention the fact that he didn't want to be afraid to touch her, which he would have been if Kevin and Christopher were around. "Is Christopher coming home today?" he asked feigning innocence. "Hmm…I'd forgotten. Oh well, I'm sorry I'll have missed him."
"I'm sure."
"So I'll come by and pick you up around lunchtime?"
"Sounds good. I should go. I told Kevin I'd be ready in twenty minutes. That was eighteen minutes ago and I'm still in my pajamas."
"Ok, Ace. I'll see you later."
"Bye, Logan." She hung up the phone not being able to stop herself from smiling.
By the time Rory was dressed and headed downstairs, Kevin had already been waiting for about half an hour. "I'm ready. I'm ready," she chanted as she hurriedly descended the stairs.
"I said twenty minutes, Rory," pointed out a clearly impatient Kevin. "You're worse than Mom."
"I didn't take that long," defended Rory. "Besides aren't I worth it, Kevin?" she asked batting her lashes at him.
"Hey, I'm not Dad," he pointed out. "Those don't work on me," he said referring to her Bambi eyes.
Rory only pouted at him and continued to attack him with her doe eyed expression.
Kevin laughed as the look on her face dissolved any anger he was feeling. He could never stay mad at Rory. No one was immune to those eyes. "Let's go," he said giving her hair a playful tug. "I'm starving."
"Where are we going?" she asked.
"I'm in the mood for diner food," he told her as he opened the passenger side of his black Porsche for her. Kevin waited until she was sitting comfortable before shutting the door and walking around to the driver's side.
"Can we go to Luke's?" asked Rory in an excited tone. It had been years since she'd eaten at Luke's, a small diner in Stars Hallow, the town where her mother's inn was located. She loved the food there and her mouth watered at the mere thought of one of Luke's cheeseburgers.
"That's thirty minutes away," Kevin pointed out. "I don't think I can last that long. I'm starving and I already had to wait half an hour for your slow ass to get dressed."
"Thirty minutes? Come on, Kevin, in this car? This baby has six cylinders," she said patting the dashboard as if the car was alive. "You can go from 0 to 60 in 5.2 seconds in this finely crafted German automobile. We could make it to Stars Hallow in ten minutes easy."
Kevin looked at her as if she'd suddenly grown a second head. "Where did you learn that?"
Rory blushed. "Logan told me. We were talking about what kind of car I should get and he was trying to sell me on the idea of a Porsche."
"Really?"
"Yeah, he even offered to teach me how to drive a stick shift."
"Really?" asked Kevin.
"Yeah."
"He offered to teach you to drive a stick? Using his car?"
"Yes," answered Rory calmly. "That's how the subject came up. He asked me if I wanted to drive to the restaurant last night, but I couldn't since one, I don't have a license yet; and two, I can't drive a stick."
"He was going to let you drive his car? His Porsche?" That really surprised Kevin. Logan didn't let anyone drive his car, not even him.
Rory nonchalantly shrugged her shoulders. "Yeah."
"Hmm, that's interesting," said Kevin. "He must like you more than I thought," he added with a small smile.
Rory blushed at his comment and returned her brother's smile. "Thank you."
"For what?"
"For not hating me," she said truthfully.
"I could never hate you," he said genuinely shocked. "I was surprised…and a little hurt, but I never hated you."
"Did you hate Logan?"
"Yes, still do."
"Really?" she asked deeply concerned.
"No," he answered with a playful smile. "I was pissed…enraged even. But…no, I never hated him."
Rory felt relief wash over her. The last thing she wanted to do was cause any trouble between Logan and her brother. "I'm sorry for upsetting you. Be mad at me all you want, but don't take it out on Logan…at least not any more than you already have," she added referring to the bruises on her boyfriend's face. "He never wanted to keep us a secret, especially not from you. In fact, he was the one that insisted we tell you right away."
"Really?" he asked, surprised again.
"Yeah," answered Rory. "If it was up to me, I would have kept you in the dark for much longer," she said with a smirk.
"Thanks, Ror. It's good to know who I can trust around here," he said sarcastically.
She giggled and slapped him playfully on the arm. "Are you going to start this car anytime soon? I'm dying of hunger over here," she said overly dramatically.
"Porsche or no Porsche, Luke's is still too far. Your stomach will never survive."
"Good point, but next time we have to go to Luke's," she said. "Just head to the nearest place that serves pancakes."
"Yes ma'am," he said as he revved the engine of his beautiful German sports car.
Less then ten minutes later, the siblings were seated at a small diner off the interstate. It wasn't Luke's, but they did serve pancakes. The two placed their order and received a strange look from the waitress. She asked them if they were expecting more people because there was no way the two of them could eat that much. After Kevin reassured her it would only be the two of them, the bemused woman left them to put in their order.
"So," began Kevin, "can I ask you something?"
"Sure," replied Rory taking a sip of her coffee.
"Mom let something slip this morning."
"Uh-oh," she said putting her cup down.
Kevin gave her a small smile. "She said she really wasn't surprised about you and Logan getting together, especially since you've been in love with him since you were 12. Is that true?"
Rory turned a deep shade of red and buried her face in her hands. One would hope that after nearly six years, this would no longer be embarrassing…apparently not. "Oh my God…what did she tell you?"
"Not much," he insisted. "I had to drag that much out of her. She was going on about you making her swear on your 'oh so precious' coffee beans not to tell anyone."
Rory couldn't help but laugh at the memory of that day. "I can't believe she told you."
"So it's true?" he asked with a cocked eyebrow.
"I wouldn't say I was in love with him. I had a crush on him," she muttered trying to keep herself from blushing and failing miserably.
"Since when?"
"Since Christmas six years ago."
Kevin sat back and eyed his sister. Six years? How did he not know about that? How could he not notice that? He let his mind wander back to that Christmas trying to recall what if anything happened that would explain this. And then it dawned on him. "He kissed you under the mistletoe."
Rory turned an even deeper shade of red. "Yeah."
Kevin shook his head and suddenly his mind was bombarded with dozens of memories of Logan and Rory after that day. The way his sister seemed to clam up whenever Logan was around. The way Rory blushed at the drop of a hat when Logan sent a smart comment her way. He remembered how sensitive she was to Logan's teasing and how annoyed Rory looked whenever he and his friends talked about girls. All these things he'd attributed to Rory's shyness, but now he saw them in an entirely different light. "Wow! I can't believe I never noticed."
"Mom said the same thing. I got pretty good at hiding it."
"When did you tell Mom?"
"I didn't. She kind of figured it out the day I left for London."
"You didn't tell her?" he asked, surprised yet again. There were very few things in Rory's life that Lorelai wasn't privy to.
"I was embarrassed," she admitted. "I still am. You remember what I was like back then. I was so shy. And I'd never really liked anyone before…I didn't know what to do…or say. And it was Logan."
Kevin chuckled. If there were two people in the world that were complete opposites, it was Rory and Logan, especially Rory and Logan six years ago. "Did he have anything to do with why you were so insistent on going to boarding school?" It was a question that had been in the back of his mind since the conversation started.
Rory looked down, embarrassment apparent on her pretty features. "I think you asked me that question the night before I left," she reminded him.
"Yeah, I did," recalled Kevin. "And you denied it. In light of recent evidence, I think it's fair that I should get to ask it again."
"You sound like a lawyer," she teased.
"Don't say that too loud. No need getting grandfather too excited."
"He was on the list," admitted Rory.
"Pro or Con?"
"Both," she answered truthfully. "After what happened on the bridge that day…"
"Wow," interrupted Kevin. "I'd almost forgotten about that day. Oh my God! I'm so sorry. That day must have sucked for you."
She nodded. "It did."
"Does Logan know?" Kevin asked. "Does he know how you felt about him back then?"
Rory's eyes popped out of her head. "God no! And don't you dare tell him!"
Kevin flashed a devilish smile, "How much is it worth to you?"
"Kevin!" she yelled jumping out of her seat.
"Relax, Rory," he said laughing at the look of panic on her face. "I'm teasing. I promise I won't tell him. It'll be way more fun lording this over your head for a while." He said it sarcastically, but she knew he wasn't completely insincere.
"You suck," she said playfully.
"You love me though."
She smiled. "I do, Kevin."
He returned her smile. "I love you too, Rory. And I'm really happy to have you home."
"Even though I'm Logan's girlfriend now."
Kevin winced only slightly. "Especially now that you're Logan's girlfriend. This way I can keep an eye on both of you."
"So you're really ok about him and me?"
"I'm more ok now than I was this morning and I'll be even more ok tomorrow. It's still a little surreal for me, but I'm getting used to it. Besides, you'll be good for him."
"Thank you," she replied touched by the compliment.
"And I know he'll be good to you. I've known him my whole life and I've never seen him look at anyone the way he looks at you."
Rory got out of her seat and walked to her brother's side of the table. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed his cheek. "You're the best brother in the world you know that?"
"I do actually," she said smugly.
"I love you."
"I love you too."
The waitress arrived shortly with their very large breakfast orders and the two continued to talk as they ate. By the time they left the restaurant, Kevin felt completely at ease with the situation. He didn't know how he would react if he ever saw them together, but he was comfortable with the idea…at least in theory.
A few hours later, Logan rang the bell at the Hayden house. Kevin, who was in the den at the time, greeted him at the door. "Well hello, Mr. Huntzberger," he said in a phony British accent. "I wasn't expecting you. My, my that's quite a shiner you've got there. What, pray tell, could have happened to you?"
Logan rolled his eyes and pushed his way in, shoving right past Kevin. "Out of the way, jerk," he said happy to see Kevin in such a good mood, especially considering he was there to pick up Rory.
Kevin laughed, happy that things seemed to be back to normal between them. "I'm not kidding, Logan. You're face doesn't look too good. If I were you, I wouldn't step foot outside until the bruising healed a little more. I wouldn't want the ladies to see me like that."
"I'm not worried. Besides it makes me look dangerous…chicks dig that," he said smugly.
"Who told you that?" challenged Kevin.
"Your mother," answered Logan with a confident smirk.
Kevin gave him a pointed glare. He wanted to be mad, but based on the expression on Logan's face it was something Lorelai had actually said. "Anyway…I'm glad you're here. I wanted to show you something." He led Logan into the den and pointed at the white flowers sitting in a vase on the coffee table.
"I take it those are the flowers I took credit for sending?"
"Yes."
"Who are they from?" he asked seriously, although he already had a pretty good idea.
Kevin reached into his back pocket and handed him the note. "Asshole actually delivered them himself. I came back from my run this morning and he's there standing on my doorstep."
Logan's face turned red with anger a scowl marred his handsome face. "Please tell me you kicked the crap out of him?"
"I wish. But I promised her I'd stay out of it."
"I can't believe this guy," spat Logan. His jaw clenched as he read the note over once more. "He's not going anywhere near her."
"You got that right," agreed Kevin.
"What do you think he's after?"
"I don't know, and I don't care. I don't want him within a hundred yards of Rory. I figured between you, me, Colin and Finn, we'll be able to keep him away."
"He's going to be in Hartford all summer," said a very irritated looking Logan. "This ass has a lot of nerve."
"I know. That's why I thought we should take her away for a few days?"
"What?"
"Well, we were planning to go the Vineyard anyway. Let's just go. We'll take her with us. It'll put some distance between him and her and it'll be fun. Besides it's summer. We should be on a beach somewhere, not rotting away in Hartford."
"That's a great idea. I'll call up to the house and make sure it's ready for all of us."
"You mean for you, Colin, and Finn."
"What?"
Kevin laughed. "Sorry, Romeo. There is no way you and Rory will be sleeping under the same roof, at least not while I'm breathing air. Besides, my Dad will never let her go if he thinks we're all staying at your house."
"What do you propose then?"
"I already called my grandparents and as we speak, Emily Gilmore has a small army of servants prepping their beach house for our arrival. It should be ready by this weekend. The guys stay with you and I'll stay at my grandparents' with Rory."
"Fine," muttered Logan, slightly put off by these arrangements.
"Don't look so sad. We'll only be six houses down the beach from you."
"Beach? What beach?" asked Rory. She was standing in the entryway and had caught the last sentence of their conversation.
"Hey you," greeted Logan with a smile. He covertly handed Tristan's not back to Kevin as Rory wrapped her arms around him.
Rory stood on her toes and lightly kissed his lips.
"Hey! Hey!" warned Kevin. "What did I tell you?"
Logan kept his arms firmly around Rory and sent Kevin a playful smirk. "There was no tongue," he said with a face of pure innocence.
Rory laughed out loud and buried her face in Logan's chest. Kevin sent a disgusted glare his way. "Don't push your luck, Huntzberger. I highly doubt you want two black eyes."
Rory then turned to face her brother. "What beach?" she asked hoping to shift his attention to a different topic.
"We're planning a big trip to the Vineyard. I already talked to grandma and grandpa, they said we could use their house."
"We?"
"Yes, we," said Logan leaning down to kiss her head. "You didn't think I'd leave you alone even for just a few days did you?" Logan knew it probably wasn't a good idea to flirt with her as much as he was in front of Kevin. But he couldn't help himself. Besides, how else was Kevin going to get used to the idea of them being together?
"I get to go," she said with the excitement of a child. "Yay!" She turned around and wrapped her arms around Logan's neck.
"Ok, that's enough!" declared Kevin. "Huntzberger, I swear you better keep your hands to yourself."
Logan held his hands up in surrender. "I'm not touching her," he defended.
Kevin knew that was true. It had been Rory that initiated all the physical contact. Even now, it was Rory that was draped all over Logan. "You're standing there and letting her touch you. In my book, that makes you just as guilty."
"Maybe we should get going," Logan said to Rory.
"You're leaving?" asked Kevin.
"Yeah," said Rory. "We're going to Logan's to hang out and watch movies."
Kevin didn't like that idea. "And you can't do that here?"
"We could," said Rory. "But do you really want us to spend the afternoon here watching movies and snuggling on the couch?" she asked putting particular emphasis on the word 'snuggling.'
"Ok then. I'll walk you two out," said Kevin ushering the two towards the door. He didn't think he could handle an afternoon of the two of them being so cutesy with each other. It had only been a few minutes and he was ready to throw up. "Man, I can't believe Logan. I am never going to act that way because of a girl." He opened the front door and practically pushed them out. "Have her home by six," he told Logan.
"Kevin!" challenged Rory.
"Dad is supposed to be home at 6:30," he informed them.
"Six it is then," said Logan. "Let's go, Ace. Let's not waste any more time. Thanks, Kev. I'll call you later about the Vineyard."
"Ok. Have fun, you two."
Rory sent him a dirty look, but Kevin just smiled.
"Relax, Ace," said Logan in a comforting tone. "We're swimming in time. It's only 12:30," he whispered into her ear as he led her to his car. "Which means we've got almost five and a half hours to do whatever we want," he added dropping his voice to a husky whisper.
Rory leaned against his car, much like she did the night before. She grabbed his shirt and forcefully pulled him towards her. Before he could react, she claimed his lips in a passionate kiss that left him breathless. "Do you really think that will be enough time?" she whispered seductively against his lips.
Logan was completely mesmerized by the look in her eyes. Right now, five and a half hours didn't seem like any time at all. In fact, at that moment, he doubted if five and a half days would have been enough time to satisfy his needs. He reached down and opened the door. "Get in the car, Ace. I don't want to waste another second."
Rory kissed him once more, a kiss that spoke volumes of what she desired. She pulled away, far too soon for Logan's liking, and got into the car.
Logan closed the door for her and ran a hand through his already messy hair. He couldn't believe how his body reacted whenever she kissed him. He got into his car and started the engine, intent on making it back to his large empty house in record time. As he backed out of the driveway, he couldn't help but smile because for the first time in his life, he couldn't wait to get home.