Achieving Goals-Chapter 37

Rory and Honor were able to go shopping in peace. She found a beautiful gown for the Gala. A strapless Gathered Tulle Gown with Cape Overlay by Reem Acra. While they were out shopping, she bought Logan a bow tie to match her dress. She couldn't wait to see him in his tux.

Logan tried to hide the gossip section of the paper. It said the rumor was the Huntzburger Heir was in London with his girlfriend. The article quoted some of the gossip magazines from the US. He was trying to spare Rory.

It didn't work. Rory overheard one of the staff talking about it. This caused Rory and Logan to fight. He was just trying to protect her. She was mad because she thought he should have told her. Honor and Josh had to run interference for a day. Rory finally calmed down.

She and Logan retired to their suite early. Rory told Honor and Josh that she understood what Logan was trying to do, but she needed to stand on her own two feet.

"Logan!" Rory called from the balcony. "How long before you will be finished in the office? I want you to come sit out here on the balcony with me."

"Ace," Logan said as he stepped out onto the balcony. "Aren't you cold?" She shook her head.

"That's why I want you to come sit with me on the balcony. So you can keep me warm." she told him. He shook his head and walked to the wood heater that was set up on the balcony and put another log on it. He went back inside, only to return a few minutes later with another blanket. She scooted over and he sat with her on the chaise lounge. After they snuggled up and got comfortable, Rory wanted to talk.

"Logan," she started. "I appreciate you trying to save me any embarrassment. I know you were only trying to protect me"

"But?" Logan said.

"But," Rory continued. "I want to be that woman Grammy Fran sees. I can't be that woman if you are always protecting me."

"Rory," Logan interrupted. This shocked Rory because he called her Rory and Not Ace. "I understand what you are trying to say, but if you think I am going to stand by and let you get hurt when I can prevent it, you are sadly mistaken." He started off with his arms around her and her leaning into him. He was now sitting up, and both arms crossed.

"That is not what I am asking. I am asking you to let me handle it while you stand by my side." Rory told him.

They went to bed thinking about what the other had said. Logan understood, but it was going to be hard. He had to allow her to grow up and stop running. He could do that, as long as he got to take her home at the end of the day.

The HPG Christmas Gala in New York was this week. Mitchum once again tried to get Logan and Rory to attend. Logan told him he had enough to worry about on this side of the pond. He will attend the HPG Christmas Gala in London only this year. Mitchum agreed, although he wanted to show him off. Logan had matured, and Mitchum was proud of him.

Honor, Mrs. Chadwick and Rory were working hard to make the Gala on this side of the pond the best it had been. Rory was not brought up in society, but she understood how this Gala would reflect on Logan. She was determined to make it the best it could be. She overheard Honor and Logan. It seems Shira called and was coming to help with the Gala, but Honor put a stop to it. As much as she would like to protect her father and have Shira on this side of the Atlantic, she refused to put Rory in the middle. Logan and Honor both told her not to come.

Logan was working at the Huntzburger Estate. He still had a week before the Gala. The New York Gala is tonight. He and Mitchum talked several times. He was just finishing up a report when his phone rang. He picked it without looking at the caller ID. It was Shira.

"Huntzburger,." Logan said, answering the phone. "Hi, Mother. What can I do for you?"... No, I will not… Mother, you and Dad are divorced. How you wangled an invitation to the New York Gala, I will never know, but you are not invited to this Gala."... Logan looked up as Honor entered his office. She was standing in the doorway.

"Is that Mom?" she mouthed. Logan nodded his head. She rolled her eyes.

"No, I will not send a plane for you." Logan told her. "Honor is here. She is helping, but it doesn't matter. You are no longer a Huntzburger. If I want to throw a hoe down instead of a Gala, that is not your concern." Logan listened angrily for a few more minutes.

"Enough," He told her. "I will not keep listening to you tell me that my girlfriend is not capable… bye Mom." Logan hung up the phone. He put his head in his hands.

"She will not come if you don't send a plane." Honor said. She was asking a question more than making a statement. Logan just nodded his head. He picked up the phone and called his dad. He told him about his mother's call, insisting that he send a plane for her. He told Logan that he would take care of it.

Rory heard Honor and Logan talking. She wished there was something she could do to show Shira she could work and take care of Logan.

Logan and Rory took a walk around the Estate. They stopped when they got to the gardener's shed. Logan asked her if she wanted to take a ride on the golf cart.

"Ace" Logan said. "I want to show the lower end of the property." She nodded, but was lost in thought.

Rory began. "I lived in a shed like this until I was 9 years old" Logan wasn't sure if she was serious or this was the beginning of a joke. She continued after he didn't say anything.

"Mia," she began, "She was the owner of the Independence Inn. She allowed us to stay in the shed while mom worked as a maid at the Inn." She smiled. She remembered some of the good times. "Mom made a curtain for the bathroom so it would look like we had two rooms. I remember all the good times we had in that shed, but I also remember snuggling up to momma when it was so cold my teeth were chattering. At the time, I just accepted it. When I look back, I realized my mom was just being stubborn. I am sure we could have stayed with Sookie or even in one of the rooms at the inn when it was cold." Logan was watching her talk. He was driving the golf cart. He wanted to show her the pond. She could see it from the balcony and she had been asking about it. She had stopped talking. Logan was watching her. They were almost at the pond. When he stopped the golf cart, Rory began talking again.

"I don't want to be like that. I always admired my mom. She gave up so much to have me….. I am glad she decided to have me, but she didn't have to sacrifice as much as she did. She was stubborn. She would not let anyone help her. Everyone needs help. She was and is an extraordinary woman. I just wish sometimes she would have realized her stubbornness deprived me of knowing my grandparents until I was 16." She turned to look at Logan.

"I don't want our children to fear their grandparents. Even if one of them is Shira. I want them to be loved…. Do you think your mother is capable of loving a child that I bore?" She asked him. Logan was watching her. She was serious.

"Ace," Logan said, and took her hand. "She will love any child that I am a part of. I will make sure she knows that to be able to have a relationship with our children, she will have to have a good relationship with their mother." They sat like that for a few minutes. Just holding hands and looking into the future.

"Ace," Logan broke the silence. "You said children. Do you want to have children with me?" Rory smiled at him.

"The question is do you want to have children with me?" Rory asked.

"Yes, I would love to have children with you. I would like to continue to practice for a while before we actually try, but yeah. I can see that." Logan told her.

"What if I told you we have practiced enough?" She asked him. He was smiling at her. Thinking about all the practicing they could do..

"Wait," He said, "What did you say?" He had a confused look on his face. She smiled at him.

"I have a present for you." She told him. She pulled a small box from her purse.

"Wait, I want to finish talking about practicing enough." Logan said. He was getting worried.

"Open your present." She told him. She got off the golf cart and moved to a bench that was sitting by the pond. "You know, I can see this bench from the balcony. I was thinking the other day how nice it would be to sit out here, watch our children play."