February 2nd
Veronica disembarked the plane, weary as all get out. The strap of the bag she'd found in her trunk—thank goodness she kept an extra suit and toothbrush at the office—dug into her shoulder and she had to readjust several times on the jetway alone. She wished she'd taken the time to go home to Neptune to collect her real luggage, but somehow this seemed fitting. The carrying of a crappy bag, the running through the terminal after arriving at the airport with only twenty minutes to spare…the fact that she was an emotional mess and using her job as a lifeline…it was all indicative of how this trip was as much of a shit show as everything else in her life. Tunnel vision and compartmentalization were the keys to success these past few weeks.
The trip had been a last minute decision. If she were being honest with herself, it was totally unnecessary. When a phone conversation with her current client had gotten frustrating, Veronica had jumped on the opportunity to get the hell out of Dodge and booked the next flight up to Seattle. Sure, she'd been there the week before. And of course most things could be taken care of remotely these days, but she'd had to get away. She'd chosen to avoid reality for a little longer. Logan's voice was still in her head. Logan's…Lilly's. All of them. And the night on the boat!
Everything? That night had meant everything to him? Well, one thing was for sure, he'd never said anything about it.
But then neither had she.
Shit.
How dare he? How dare any of them. Logan had trapped her into being a captive audience, brought back old memories—old, buried memories—which had resulted in her spilling all her family secrets to him. Things she'd never even told her father. It had been nice…and then it had all gone to shit. As usual.
The mess just kept getting bigger and bigger.
But everything could be interpreted many, many ways. And he could have just been trying to make her feel better. Logan Echolls had always been broody and overly dramatic.
She didn't want to think of Logan anymore. She'd been thinking about him for the past two hours and forty-four minutes straight. Though she'd intended to spend the flight working, she hadn't gotten anything done except to alternate between scenarios in her head of 'what could have been' and explaining to herself why Logan Echolls was totally unacceptable for her. He was taken. That was a biggie. And so was she. Another biggie! He was a jerk! There was that. Which just further proved to Veronica that Duncan was the right choice. Sweet, dependable—sometimes high-handed, but that was beside the point—Duncan.
Oh, crap! Duncan! She hadn't even bothered to tell him she'd left. Or that she'd planned to leave. Had she planned to leave? This was going to take some explaining. But not now…later. Later was better.
Veronica retrieved her phone from the purse dangling from the arm not currently being strangled by a bag strap and swiped down to search for Uber. She struggled to type in her destination—the hotel she'd stayed in last week—with the one hand as she made her way through the baggage claim area toward transportation. It hadn't crossed her mind until that moment that she hadn't actually reserved a room, but she'd figure it out.
Ooh! There was a driver nearby. She rushed out of the automatic doors and a blast of cold, moist air hit her, sending a shiver to roll through her body from head to toes. She'd thrown a coat in her bag, right? The Uber seemed more important. Just as she reached her thumb as far as she could without dropping the phone to hit 'confirm' the phone in her hand began to ring.
"No, no, not now," she spoke aloud to the phone, certain that talking to herself didn't make her appear any more crazy and frazzled than she already did at that moment. She gave up and slid the offensive bag down her arm, letting it plop onto the damp sidewalk outside the arrivals terminal with a loud thump.
When she saw Duncan's name flash across her screen, she laughed out loud. Guess there was no time like the present, after all.
"Hey, baby," she cooed into the phone.
Duncan cleared his throat. "Baby?" His words sounded like a cross between a chuckle and admonishment. "We're both adults here, Veronica."
Veronica screwed up her face and took a deep cleansing breath. She was far away from Neptune and determined to be happy. "Lighten up, Buster, we're mere weeks away from getting hitched. I think nicknames are in order."
"Yes, of course. But in private," Duncan's words were muffled as if he was cupping his mouth to the phone as to not be overheard.
Veronica chose to ignore it because she had bigger fish to fry at the moment.
"I have my final suit fitting Thursday. Logan will be there." Duncan's voice sounded hesitant, his words cautious.
Silence followed.
Veronica wasn't sure what he was getting at. She didn't want to think about Logan anymore. It was most of the reason she was keeping herself so busy.
"Oh good. It'll be a relief to have that done." She couldn't help but hope. "Is Casey coming too?"
"No, he has something or other to attend to Thursday," Duncan replied. "He went today."
Veronica's heart sank. She didn't want Logan getting his claws into Duncan. "Oh. Well, that's too bad. It would have been nice—"
"Just as well, really. It's long past time for Logan and me to have a talk."
"Duncan, don't—"
"It'll be fine, Veronica. I should have done it weeks ago. I did talk to him once after the Madison dinner, but I've let it go too long. He's been singularly unpleasant through this whole…affair."
Affair? Veronica's head dropped forward in frustration. Duncan…well, he wasn't one for words, but he made up for it with his thoughtfulness. It was nice that he wanted to defend her.
Just then a loud announcement came over the speaker system. "The white zone is for the immediate loading and unloading of passengers only. Do not stop in the zone," boomed in surround sound.
"Veronica, are you at the airport?" Duncan asked. "Where are you?"
Veronica winced slightly and closed her eyes tightly. Timing was everything, and apparently, she had no luck where it was concerned. "Sea-Tac," she responded wearily.
"You're in Seattle?" he asked, incredulously."Again?"
"I meant to tell you, but—"
"When was this decided?"
"About four hours ago. I was going to call you when I got to the hotel," Veronica lied. Well, she would have remembered to eventually.
"The firm sent you again?"
"Something came up. A misunderstanding with the client. It will all be solved much more quickly in person, so I—"
"Veronica, they need to start delegating these things to someone else. You'll be gone soon, and—"
"Yeah, about that…" Veronica began. She really hadn't wanted to have this discussion with him at the airport, standing outside in the drizzle with her bag on the ground and the Uber not even ordered. But, she hadn't wanted to have it at home or in San Diego or…anywhere really.
"You did resign, right?" Duncan's voice was soft, tempered.
"Duncan, it's freezing here. Can I call you back when I get inside the car?" she asked.
"Not until you answer the question," he persisted.
There was a pause and Veronica fought for the best phrasing. It was all in the phrasing.
His next words were laced with frustration and disappointment. "Please tell me you resigned, Veronica."
Veronica scooped up her bag by the crappy strap and dragged it over to a covered bench outside the terminal. She let out a long breath as she sat down. She was suddenly shivering from cold and exhaustion.
"I'd like to finish this case," she tried to explain.
"I thought we'd agreed—" Duncan's voice was raised more than she'd ever heard it. Instead of making her feel guilty, it reminded her of everyone choosing everything for her lately. Of Logan and Lilly's bullying. It made her angry.
"No, you agreed. You and Celeste agreed. I want to see this through." Veronica worked hard to show just enough vehemence to convey determination rather than appear childish.
"Veronica—" Duncan cut in, but Veronica refused to be dissuaded.
"I honestly don't understand what the big deal is, Duncan. With the honeymoon in a holding pattern, I don't see any reason to rush—"
"You don't see any reason?" Duncan's words were callous, cold. "Kane women don't work, Veronica."
"I like to work, Duncan," she interjected. "I've worked since I was in high school. You know this—coffee shops and libraries."
"I thought it was because you had to," he responded, sounding genuinely surprised.
"Partially, it was," she admitted. "But I like having my own autonomy. I worked my ass off through law school to be a lawyer," she informed him, exasperatedly leaning back against the airport's cold window. "And I'm a good one."
"But you have me now," Duncan reasoned, still missing the point.
"I know that," she responded, her eyes landing down near her shoes, she began obsessively studying the cracked, wet sidewalk.
"I can give you everything you could want or need, Veronica."
That put her back on the defensive again. "What if I need a job? A purpose? An identity of my own?" she argued.
"You'll have an identity of your own. Charity work. A household to run. A family to—"
Veronica couldn't listen anymore. She did want all those things, but not now. Not with... Duncan as a father? Now? "I'll tell them, Duncan."
"When?" he pressed.
"When I get back. But after we've had some time to talk," Veronica replied. "Really talk. About everything. I'd like to see this case through. Think about it, okay?"
After a brief silence, he spoke. "Yes. Yes, I can do that," he said.
Veronica breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Duncan." After another pause, she spoke again. "It really is cold out here. Can I call you when I'm settled in? We can chat about our friends? Bridesmaid-zilla and….whatever you call a difficult Best Man?"
Duncan let out a soft chuckle. "Yes, we can do that too. Though I'm sure Logan will back down. Especially after our talk on Thursday."
Did he even know Logan? The only thing that Veronica could ever be assured of in regards to Logan was his defiant nature. Sure he'd changed, but you couldn't fight your personality forever. But what was the point of arguing right now?
"I'm sure he will," Veronica murmured. "I'm gonna find an Uber. Talk to you soon."
"Bye, Veronica," Duncan said and then she heard the line go silent.
"Bye," Veronica replied to no one. She took a moment to collect herself, happy that she'd brought up the job issue and stood up for herself. Duncan would understand her feelings eventually. He always came through. It's what she liked best about him.
February 4th
Logan made a point of arriving everywhere fifteen minutes early. It was his thing. It gave him time to center himself before a meeting or presentation. It let him have time for some meditative breathing exercises before barging ahead recklessly. But this was Duncan and the damn tuxedo shop. He refused to walk in there early. He refused to be there one minute longer than necessary, so he'd pulled up to the swanky shop right on time. It was late morning on a Thursday, so parking was easy, he realized with resentment. He wouldn't have minded running a little late. Rather than take his usual time to collect himself, he exited the car and slammed the door behind him.
He was still frustrated that Veronica had run again. She seemed like she was always running from him. He'd had a business meeting in San Diego the previous afternoon and had stopped by her work around lunchtime only to find out she'd left town. It was all very convenient. Now he had a few days to pull himself together. He'd planned to return to LA for a few days to clear his head. He was tired of crashing in the second bedroom of Phil's suite at the Neptune Grand. He needed some peace and quiet, and some hustle and bustle of anonymity. He needed to surf and do yoga without running into Neptunites.
Logan cursed the bell that was hanging from the shop's door handle. At its shrill cry, every shop worker stopped what they were doing and instantly took notice of him. Duncan appeared in front of him looking uncomfortable. His perfect posture made Logan want to slouch just to spite him. Logan almost laughed at himself and his own defiance. Some things never changed.
"Duncan," he smiled, taking his old friend's hand in his to shake it awkwardly. When had things gotten so formal? "You ready to get this going?"
"Can we talk for a moment?" Duncan asked, indicating a burnt orange sofa farther into the store.
Logan wasn't interested in a heart-to-heart.
"Veronica's mad at me," Duncan admitted.
Logan almost spit out 'join the club,' but he stopped himself. Veronica mad at Duncan was welcome. Duncan definitely had his attention.
"She hasn't resigned yet," Duncan admitted. "And I don't know why. I confronted her about it and it didn't go as I'd planned."
Logan turned on Duncan, invading his personal space. "Why should she resign? Why would you even ask that of her?"
Duncan took a step backward. "Kane women never work outside the home," Duncan stated as if that settled everything.
"Veronica is a Mars. She grew up differently than we did," Logan argued. "She went to Stanford to become a lawyer. She has loans because she wants to pay for it herself. She clerked day and night for no pay at a firm in Palo Alto. She loves it."
Duncan looked surprised. "But when we were kids all she and Lilly did was talk about marrying someone and them carrying them off to the Mediterranean."
Logan wanted to punch Duncan in the face. "They were thirteen, Duncan." He wanted to scream. "You're trying too hard to fit her into some mold that you have in your head. She's not a pink-sweatered Stepford wife. That's not Veronica. How do you not know that?"
Duncan looked taken aback, and Logan didn't have the time to do this right now. Or the patience.
"Don't you have a tux to be fitted?" he snapped. Dare he hope the wedding was called off?
"I just finished," Duncan replied.
Of course, he'd just finished.
"Well then don't wait around for me," Logan made a sweeping gesture toward the front door. "I'm sure you have somewhere to be. Some errand to run for Mommy Dearest, perhaps? A bogus retiree to wine and dine?" Oh God, why couldn't he stop his own mouth? Logan closed his eyes tightly, frustrated with himself.
But Duncan was used to Logan's tone and ignored it.
"Yeah, I've been meaning to talk to you about all this…hostility," Duncan said, gesturing again at one of the couches.
"Lucky me!" Logan did a quick snap-clap with his hands and followed Duncan, rolling his eyes once Duncan had turned away.
"That, right there," Duncan pointed out. "What's going on with you?" he asked. "I haven't seen you like this since high school."
"I thought you'd appreciate the nostalgia factor," Logan replied smugly, sitting down on the ugly sofa and stretching his long legs before crossing them at the ankle. He leaned back and folded his arms behind his head as if he didn't have a care in the world. "You don't like change. Though apparently lately you're all about the surprises." Logan uncrossed his arms and splayed his fingers out in front of himself like fireworks.
"I don't like friction either. And you're all about causing friction," Duncan stated, turning to face Logan square on. "Between me and Veronica."
Duncan was blaming Veronica being mad at him on Logan? Maybe the plan had worked better than he'd thought. Logan felt Duncan's eyes boring into him, and he didn't like the scrutiny. Part of him did feel bad about the friction. Kind of. Maybe only a little bit. Not between Duncan and Veronica. He didn't feel anything about causing stress in Duncan's world, but at the time he'd felt like he could shake Veronica back into reality. Back into herself. Back to him. Now he'd lost her.
"Well, now no one is speaking to me, so it appears that you won, yet again," Logan replied bitterly, picking up a show shoe that was sitting nearby on the arm of the couch and flipping it repeatedly in his hands. He didn't like the nervous tick that kept him moving when he was uncomfortable, but even though his mind was telling him to stop, he continued.
"I didn't know this was a competition. You and I haven't ever been competitive," Duncan insisted, his own hands rubbing his temples. "It was the best part of our friendship."
Logan wanted to shout that they'd never been in competition only because Duncan had never had anything Logan had wanted that much.
"And by 'no one', I assume you're speaking of my fiancé?" Logan cringed inwardly at Duncan's words but hoped he hid it well. "If Veronica's not talking to you, maybe you should examine your own behavior."
It was a fair point. And a valid one. Logan had done nothing but regret his behavior from the moment she'd marched up the dock to her car. Well, except for that moment dancing on the boat. He'd really thought he'd gotten through to her for a moment there. Then his mouth had ruined it, of course. He remained silent but dropped the shoe he'd been fiddling with onto the carpet.
"Logan if you have something to say, I wish you'd be man enough to just say it," Duncan hissed.
Armondo had the misfortune to appear at that very moment claiming to be ready for the final fitting. Logan wanted to strangle him with his damn suit, but he refrained.
"Would you give us a moment, Armondo," Duncan requested, though it wasn't a question at all.
Armondo retreated hastily, clearly sensing dissension.
Logan counted to ten and then began to speak. "You want an adult conversation?" he asked, the evenness of his voice a surprise even to him. "You want to speak man-to-man?"
"That would be a nice change, yes," Duncan replied testily. Logan didn't like it.
"You're both my best friends. I came out here to a party only to find that my best friends had been keeping a secret from me." Duncan opened his mouth to interject, but Logan continued, "And not some little secret. A colossal, mountain of a secret." Logan turned to look Duncan in the eye. "You're engaged? To my best friend, and you didn't think to tell me. How's that for being a man, Duncan?"
"Veronica wanted to tell you herself. She kept putting it off until eventually I told her that I was going to call you. But she insisted that she wanted to be the one. She assured me that she would take care of it."
"Take care of it?" Logan mocked.
"That came out wrong," Duncan admitted sheepishly. "But we've been through this. I've explained this to you. It doesn't explain why you're so hostile. It doesn't explain the sneaking around."
Logan couldn't explain all that. Not without spilling everything, and he wasn't ready to do that. "I didn't set up the dinner with Madison, Duncan. I'm not the one who lied to Veronica."
"Logan, we've been through this," Duncan groaned, looking heavenward and throwing his arms wide. "And if we're going to get into who's been lying to Veronica—"
"Lilly lied," Logan insisted, though it was only half the truth.
"Yes, I've had a talk with her as well," Duncan replied unhappily. "She seems to understand."
Logan scoffed. Lilly understood? Sure, she did.
Suddenly Duncan looked as if a lightbulb went off. His eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. "It can't be…could it be?" Duncan asked, incredulous.
Logan didn't like where this was headed.
"Is the great and powerful Logan Echolls, jealous?"
Logan felt his face tighten up and he had to force himself not to curl his hands into fists. "I'm worried about her. I'm worried about my friend."
"Well, she's not yours to worry about anymore," he stated crisply. "She'll be married soon, to me. And she will adjust. That's what marriage is all about."
"Oh yeah, what adjusting are you doing, Donut?"
Duncan stood up without warning and waved Armondo over. "I think we're ready," he spoke across the shop. His voice lowered then, "That is assuming you're still willing to be a part of this wedding."
Logan bristled. He wanted to slug Duncan, but he stood as well, forcing his hands to remain calmly at his sides. He lashed out in the most socially acceptable way he had available to him as an adult: with his words. "I wouldn't miss the happy union for the world." His words were laced with sarcasm.
Duncan strolled out of the shop without a backward glance, and Logan happily watched him go.
Veronica needed to adjust? Tamed was more like it. The thought made Logan's blood boil. It was time to up the ante, Logan decided. He kept his eyes on the door and pulled his phone out of his back pocket.
"Melanie," Logan began when his assistant answered the call. "I'm going to need you to clear my schedule for tomorrow. Looks like I'm staying in Neptune one more night after all."
February 5th
The station hadn't changed much over the years, Logan noted as he walked up the front steps of the old building. He adjusted the weight of the brown bag he held to his left hand and let himself in through the glass double doors. He wasn't surprised to see Inga at the front desk, though she had changed—her hair was greying at the roots and the worry lines around her eyes had deepened. She spotted him and a genuine smile spread across her face. She'd recognized him right away—which both flattered him and made him cringe a little. He hadn't been that bad in high school, had he?
"Logan Echolls!" she cooed. "What a lovely surprise."
"Inga," he returned with a shake of his head, "It's been a while."
"I haven't seen you in ages. How long has it been?" Inga's accent was as thick as it had ever been. Logan opened his mouth to answer, but apparently Inga's question had been rhetorical because she continued. "Are you in town for the wedding? Isn't it wonderful?"
Logan paused, hoping that these last questions were rhetorical too because he didn't think he could muster up much enthusiasm about this topic. His ability to bullshit about being happy at the prospect of his friends' nuptials had long since vanished. Veronica had been so hurt when she'd left the yacht the other day that he'd vowed not to interfere anymore. He was hoping that talking to Keith today would help him move on.
When Inga didn't speak up, he figured he'd have to respond. "It's a…" He tapped his lips together, trying to come up with something…anything. "It's…something." He knew his nod and smile were overkill, but they'd have to do.
If Inga was intrigued by his vague response, she didn't give any indication. She smiled eagerly. "Well, it's so good to have you all back home again. The sheriff put on a good face while Veronica was up north, but I know how much he missed her. He seems younger now that she's back." Inga reached forward and put her hands on the counter, leaning into him. "Did you hear that—"
"Inga, are you interrogating our visitors again?" A jovial voice asked from behind her. Logan looked up to see the sheriff approaching from behind her. "Isn't that my job?" he asked playfully. He moved around the counter to Logan and said, "Logan, having you here feels like old times."
Logan gave Keith a friendly handshake/back-pat and then stepped back. He didn't know why, but being there in that building with the sheriff made him feel seventeen again. He shoved his free hand into his pocket before he thought better of it and pulled it out again.
"Sheriff—Keith—" he corrected, "it feels the same to me." Unsure what to do with himself, and suddenly uncharacteristically self-conscious about the sandwich he'd brought, Logan decided on snarky small talk. "I see you've done a lot with the place," he said, indicating the room around them with a sweep of his free arm.
"Well, we're on a tight budget. You could always move back here, you know?" Keith twinkled. "Balboa County would be just as happy as LA to take your well-earned tax dollars." Keith rubbed his hands together greedily.
That didn't seem a likely prospect with the impending wedding. Accepting was one thing, but what Logan wasn't ready to do was sit by and watch Veronica and Duncan nest. And Veronica hadn't spoken to him in over a week.
"Is that for me or are you here on official business?" Keith asked, indicating the bag with Juice Joint Deli written on the side in bold lettering.
Logan decided to take a chance. "Oh, this?" Logan asked coyly, holding up the bag. "You didn't think—no, I brought this sandwich for Lamb. He still works here right? Don't disappoint me now, Sheriff."
Keith laughed heartily, which boosted Logan's morale a bit. This was exactly what he'd been hoping for—an in. He'd have to butter Keith up for him to open up to him.
Keith motioned for Logan to follow him and began walking toward his office in the back. "I hate to be the one to break your heart, but Deputy Lamb relocated to Beaverton, Oregon just over five years ago."
Logan couldn't suppress a very real grin at the news. "I'll be sure to have my assistant update the database to make sure his fruit basket gets to the right place next Christmas," he deadpanned.
Logan preceded Keith into his office and was a bit surprised when the older man closed the door behind him. Sheriff Mars always kept the door open when they had lunch so he could keep one eye and ear on the office. Logan set the shopping bag of food onto the chair next to him as Keith took his own seat behind the desk. Logan's bravado suddenly faded again, and he was happy to busy himself with the cardboard boxes of sandwiches. He took his time determining which was which even though they were clearly labeled on the top.
Keith surprised him by speaking up. "Well, lunch or no lunch, it's great to see you, son."
Logan damn near choked up a little at the familiarity of it all. At Keith's words. He knew that the man before him could have no clue how much those lunches all those years ago had meant to him. But now wasn't the time to tell him. He handed Keith's container over to him with a crooked smile.
"Here ya go; BLT on sourdough with extra bacon, as per usual."
"What? No smoothie?" Keith raised his eyebrows in mock complaint. "And here I was reminiscing—" he cut his words short when Logan placed a plastic cup on the desk between them.
"You know I'd never forget the smoothie."
Keith smiled and reached for it, opening his mouth to speak.
"No, I won't tell Veronica."
Keith closed his mouth again. "You know me too well. And her. She wants me to watch my sugar…always worried," he mused with a shake of his head as he took a long drink. "It's just as good as I remember it; thank you, Logan."
The segue Logan had carefully prepared in the car seemed too impersonal now. Too forced. He had no idea how to back into the conversation he wanted to have with Keith Mars, so he took a large bite of his own sandwich to buy himself time. A comfortable silence fell between them as they both ate. Moments later it was Keith who broke it.
"So, Logan…to what do I owe this pleasure?"
Logan stopped chewing, swallowed what was in his mouth and put his sandwich down into the box on the desk.
"Did you know you and this office are the reason I'm doing what I'm doing? The reason I started this whole foundation?" Logan asked though he had no idea why.
Keith leaned forward, looking intrigued. "How so?"
Logan leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "One day I visited you here…I brought lunch just as usual. Veronica was off at grad school. Duncan was far away. Lilly was off…being Lilly. Everyone was doing their own thing and I was headed nowhere fast—stagnant in Neptune while everyone moved around me." Logan found himself fiddling with the cuff of his shirtsleeve. "Some kid came in. He was in trouble, and his mom…well, the particulars don't matter now, but it got me thinking about all this money I had that I wanted nothing to do with. I don't know; it just got me thinking."
Logan paused and looked at Keith who had set his own sandwich down also.
"I never knew that," the older man said plainly.
Logan just shrugged and looked down at his hands. "You couldn't have."
"Logan you were always going to be something. Everyone stagnates. Everyone gets where they need to go in their own time. I wasn't ever worried about you." Logan threw a skeptical look up at Keith and saw the sheriff roll his eyes. "Oh sure, you had some rough years—some rebellious years—but your moral compass was always pointed north. Your parents…I know it was hard, but you were always going to do something great. Not because of your background...despite it. Don't let me or anyone else take credit for all this good you've done. It's all you."
Logan decided to take the compliment and remind himself that what Keith Mars didn't know about Logan's 'moral compass' during those turbulent years wouldn't hurt him.
"But why do I get the sense that this isn't why you came to see me today?" Keith asked. He'd picked up his sandwich again and had almost polished off the one half.
"Because it's not," Logan answered plainly, honestly. He brought his gaze back to Keith's and gave him a rye smirk. "I was easing in," he admitted.
"Consider me eased," Keith replied evenly. He used a napkin to wipe his mouth.
Logan closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, hoping to keep himself steady. Level-headedness seemed the best course of action.
"I assume this has to do with Veronica," Keith prompted. "She mentioned it was a shock. I don't think she intended for you to find out the way you did, and—"
Logan's guffaw was harsh even to his own ears.
"Veronica and Duncan—"
Logan couldn't stand to hear their names together. They sounded wrong. Everything about this was wrong. Before he could help himself, he bolted upright in his chair.
"How are you okay with this?" So much for level-headedness. "There's no way that you can be okay with this."
"What's not to be okay with? They're engaged."
Logan snorted. "More like she's shackled."
"Veronica knows her own mind," Keith responded quietly.
"Then why did she keep it a secret?" Logan countered. "Why the rush?"
Keith sighed and leaned back in his chair. "I don't know," he admitted, turning the straw in his cup around and around as he did so.
"When did they even begin dating?" Logan asked pointedly. He knew that Lilly and himself had been kept in the dark, so maybe—just maybe—Keith could shed some light on the situation.
"I didn't know they were dating," Keith admitted quietly.
Logan's eyes widened and he was momentarily struck dumb. But only for a moment. "Then why aren't you…" Logan stood up and began pacing, "…doing anything about it."
"Logan, I know it was a shock. I wasn't thrilled about the rush either at first. But this is Veronica. I have to trust her. She isn't impulsive. She doesn't jump into things without thinking about them first—"
"But she's changed. He's changed her," Logan defended.
"It's Duncan Kane," Keith insisted.
Logan wished people would stop saying Duncan's name as if it were the answer to this enigma of an engagement.
Keith continued, "He's a little boring, but he's harmless. He's—"
"He's practically comatose unless he's dressing her and parading her around like his personal Barbie doll," Logan hissed, his hands balling into fists as he whirled around to walk the length of Keith's tiny office again.
"Now, Logan—"
"Why are you defending him?"
"I…I don't…know," Keith finally admitted with a throw of his arms. "I don't know," Keith said again, more quietly this time. Suddenly Keith seemed very interested in his cup again. He seemed to be contemplating everything as well.
Logan finally ceased pacing, but he stopped in place, facing away from Keith, and leaned his head against the wall. "Is this what you want for her?" he whispered.
"She's an adult. It's about what she wants for herself," Keith insisted.
"That's not an answer, Sheriff," Logan pressed, turning back to face Keith, who looked as deflated as Logan felt.
"Sit down, Logan," Keith commanded, not unkindly. The older man gestured to the chair that Logan had recently vacated, and Logan fell into it, boneless and exhausted.
"I don't understand them. Either of them," Logan mumbled. "I mean the rush, the secrecy…her job—"
Keith's eyebrow perked up at that. "What about her job?"
"She's leaving the firm," Logan informed him, shocked that Veronica hadn't told him.
"She's what?" Keith asked, stunned. "When did she say that she—"
"You didn't know?" Logan asked, unbelieving. Veronica usually told Keith everything. And he hadn't wanted to be the one to break that kind of news.
"No," Keith admitted, leaning forward as well. "No, I didn't know. It's…why wouldn't she tell me?"
"Probably the same reason she didn't tell the rest of us she was engaged. Because something isn't right," Logan exhaled. "He almost chastises her in public. He's really pushing her to quit her job. He has opinions about her clothes and behavior…" Logan trailed off, feeling suddenly guilty for all he was revealing. They were adults, after all.
Keith looked contemplative. "I haven't been around them much," he admitted. "I can talk to her and see where her head's at, but, Logan, this is still her choice. I can't tell her whom to love. And if she loves Duncan…"
"Is this what you want for her, Keith?" Logan repeated, hearing the desperation in his own voice.
If Veronica's father could get onboard with this wedding—if he was Team Kane, then Logan would concede.
Probably. Maybe. Maybe not.
After a moment of silence, Keith shook his head. "Honestly? No," he answered cautiously. "At first she seemed happy and excited by the engagement. It seemed sudden, but they've known each other for years and I know the family well; we get along. I thought she'd set up a life for herself that she could be happy with. She'd never have to struggle for money. I know money isn't everything, but loving a rich man from a good family wasn't the worst she could do. I was concerned about the timing, but she seemed fine." Keith took a long sip from his cup and then appeared to be studying it carefully. "Lately she's been tired…less happy. I assumed it was because you and Lilly were in town grilling her. Meeting Philippa threw her for a loop."
"Phil's just a friend," Logan felt the need to justify. It was a risk, and maybe Keith would tell Veronica, but it didn't matter anymore anyway.
"Does Veronica know that?" Keith asked.
Logan shook his head and Keith let out a long sigh.
"Why is nothing ever easy with you two?"
"Never was, never will be," Logan grumbled. "If she were happy, I'd let it go. But I don't think she is, Sheriff."
"You're right, though; she's different. I know she's got a lot on her plate, but quitting her job—that's not Veronica."
"Then, with all due respect, why aren't you doing anything about it?"
Keith looked up and met Logan's gaze square on. "I think the real question here is why aren't you?"
"Me?" Logan was surprised.
"You're right when you say this isn't what I envisioned for Veronica. There are a lot worse places she could end up, but it's…unexpected." Keith paused for a moment, tossing his empty smoothie cup into the wastebasket in the corner. "You know, there was a time when I thought…" Keith trailed off and then cleared his throat. "It's silly," he dismissed.
Logan's chest lurched at Keith's words. At what he wasn't saying. "You thought what, Sheriff?" Logan kept his tone even, but he swore that the whole office beyond the door could hear his heart beating out of his chest. This was important.
Keith scratched his bald head idly and then looked at Logan pointedly. "I guess I thought she'd end up with…someone else."
The air suddenly was sucked from the room. He'd never had an inkling of what Keith had just admitted to him. It changed everything. If Keith was on Team Logan…
"So, my question to you, Logan, is why haven't you done anything about this engagement?"
Logan was tongue-tied. Keith Mars was right. Logan didn't want to admit it, but he was right. Everyone—Lilly, Phil…and now Keith—was telling him the same thing. Telling him to fight for her. "I tried. Lilly and I…we both tried."
"You tried?" Keith's sardonic tone irked Logan.
"I did. I—" Logan sputtered, unused to being in the hot seat in this way. Unused to not having the upper hand. "I made everything worse. Now it's too late."
"It's never too late," Keith corrected.
Logan was slightly breathless. This is not where he had intended this conversation to go. He'd come here to have Keith change his mind, but now he only felt gutted and bare. His shirt was suffocating him. He began pulling at the collar around his neck, tugging and clawing. He needed to breathe. He needed…space.
"Son, it's never too late," Keith repeated.
"I waited too long. I thought I had more time. And then I missed it. I tried to talk to her but nothing's going right, and now…" Logan trailed off.
"Now you have to go left." Keith's voice cut through the fog. The older man was sitting in the chair next to him now. Logan was unsure when he'd moved.
"Go left?" Was he supposed to understand what that meant?
A bottle of water was thrust into Logan's hand and he mindlessly brought it to his lips, not realizing that it was still sealed. He shook his head, uncapped it and took a long pull, downing all sixteen ounces in five long gulps.
"You don't give up; you find another angle," Keith clarified. "Another in. In situations like these, when nothing's going right, sometimes all you can do is go left."
"When nothing goes right, go left." Logan clarified, regaining his composure and, with it, his clarity. He could do that. He could go left.
Veronica was worth it. But how? She wouldn't even take his calls.
February 6th
"There she is, the bride-to-be!" Lilly screamed from inside the dress shop.
Veronica, who had just crossed the threshold, jumped a mile, dropping the cute little hand-embroidered ballet slippers she'd so carefully brought with her to this final fitting. She'd been so intent on wearing heels to look taller, but in the end practically had won out. She'd chosen cute ballet flats for the wedding, height difference be damned. But currently her 'practicality' was sitting in a pile on the floor near the door.
"Lilly, you scared the shit out of me," she chastised playfully.
"Back in sunny SoCal where you belong. I don't know how you can spend so much time in Seattle, V."
Philippa, clearly the only one in the vicinity with any sort of class, moved hastily to help Veronica retrieve her slippers. Veronica threw her a grateful smile and embraced them both.
"I'm back! Thanks for almost giving me a heart attack though, Lil." Veronica's words were muffled as she was squeezed almost breathless in between her exuberant bridesmaids.
"What Lilly meant to say was 'I'm sorry'," Philippa told Veronica, taking her by the shoulders and looking her square in the eye. "We both are."
Veronica blushed, uncomfortable with this kind of attention. "It's fine," she finally managed.
"It's not," Philippa said. "We shouldn't have lied to you and left you alone with Logan." Philippa turned to give Lilly a long look. When Lilly remained passive, Philippa elbowed the other girl in the side.
"Right," Lilly echoed. "I'm not sorry for caring about you, but I am sorry for tricking you," she admitted.
"I got the flowers," Veronica said. "They were lovely."
"Flowers?" Lilly questioned.
"From all of us," Philippa said tightly through clenched teeth. "Remember?"
Lilly shrugged.
Philippa groaned.
Veronica snorted.
"It's good to know who cares around here," she laughed. She really was over it. Mostly. In fact, as long as she didn't have to see Logan, Veronica had decided to have selective amnesia for the whole incident. She needed her friends. She needed Lilly's antics to get her through this craziness, and Philippa's good sense to keep her sane.
And Duncan had handled the 'Logan situation' on Thursday, he'd assured her. She wouldn't have to deal with him today at least. Today was only Lilly and Philippa. Despite her role in all this, Veronica knew she could handle Lilly Kane. Logan Echolls…well, she wasn't even going to go there.
"We all care," Philippa insisted. "Logan too," she stressed.
Veronica chose to ignore that comment, but apparently Philippa wasn't going to let it go.
"He said he tried to call you…" Philippa strung the end word out, but Veronica wasn't sure what she was getting at.
"So, are the dresses in?" Veronica sidestepped. "I know mine is here, but what about yours?"
Philippa sighed deeply but relented. "They're here," she informed her before turning and walking to find someone to help them.
Apparently that was Lilly's cue.
"Veronica, I really wish you'd at least talk to him," Lilly began. "Let him explain, or—"
"Logan's actions don't require explanation, Lilly."
"He feels terrible," she whined.
"He should!" Veronica snapped, her jaw set. "I'm getting married. To his best friend. Next weekend! And he still wants me to justify my choice. My choice." Veronica was fuming now. "He's engaged. What business is it of his?"
"He's just concerned. We're all a little concerned."
Veronica bit the inside of her cheek until she tasted blood. She couldn't, no wouldn't, justify again why she was marrying Duncan Kane. Veronica held her hand out warningly. "Then I guess you're all going to have to just get the hell over it!" Veronica snapped.
She turned away from Lilly and took a deep, cleansing breath. "Please, Lilly, let this go."
"Oh, V, I didn't want to make you cry," Lilly leaned into Veronica and Veronica almost lost it all over again. Why did this have to be so difficult?
Veronica decided that she could only do what she did best. Fake it. She blotted her eyes with her fingers, straightened her shoulders, set her jaw, and fixed a tight smile on her lips. The kind of smile that said she wasn't going to back down, but that she was finished with the conversation.
"Let's go see about those dresses, shall we?" she said crisply, all business.
Veronica turned to see Philippa standing nearby watching them. Next to her, a worried-looking shop worker held two beautiful lavender dresses, one in each arm.
"Everything all right?" Philippa asked nervously, her eyes darting between Lilly and Veronica.
Veronica softened her demeanor, realizing that lightening the mood was key. "Everything's peachy!" Veronica announced. "Now let's see those on you guys. And, Lilly, before you even ask, yes, you must wear a bra."
Lilly sputtered.
"Neptune High homecoming was fun, but you're pushing thirty now, and this is a PG affair," Veronica quipped. "Harness the twins."
"Veronica Mars," Lilly gasped, "I knew you were still in there."
Veronica ignored that remark too. Compartmentalization. It was her friend.
February 8th
"Phil, what else did Lilly say I should try?"
Silence met Logan.
"Phil?" He turned around to see her grinning like an idiot at her phone's screen. She typed something at turbo speed using both thumbs and then giggled slightly. "Philippa!" he chastised. That got her attention. The smile slid from her face as she looked up at him guiltily.
"Sorry!" she murmured. "I was listening, I swear."
"What did I say?" he tested.
"Erm…" Philippa rolled her eyes back into her head, desperately trying to come up with something.
"Ha!" Logan raised his eyebrows triumphantly. "Caught you. Now, why are you grinning that way?"
"What way?"
"That way," he insisted, pointing at her mouth. "Like you're twelve and you're practicing kissing using Robbie Williams on the cover of Popstar magazine."
"I should have never told you about that!" Philippa huffed, blowing the bangs that had fallen in front of her eyes out of the way.
"Agreed. I lost so much respect for you that day," Logan deadpanned. Then he looked up. "Who are you texting, anyway?"
"I'm texting no one," she insisted, shaking the smile off her face and moving to slide her phone into the back pocket of her jeans. "Just…someone from home."
Logan wasn't fooled by the faux nonchalance. "Bullshit," he challenged, reaching around and swiping it from her pocket. The name he saw on the screen made him guffaw. "Casey Gant?!" Logan didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "What the hell?"
"He's cute. He's sweet," she whined dreamily, a smirk stretched across her lips.
"You're engaged to me," he complained. How had a few weeks back in California turned his world upside down?
"You're chasing another woman to stop her wedding!" she threw back at him.
Ignoring the fact that she had a point, Logan remained annoyed. "It's the principle of the thing."
An exasperated third voice cut in from the doorway. "Geez, you two. You're not really together!"
"Butt out, Lilly. That doesn't mean that she can—"
Suddenly Logan realized the extent of his frustration. His talk with Sheriff Mars had left him single-minded in his determination to figure out what the hell Duncan had done to Veronica. It had him on edge. Not to mention the fact that it had taken years of concentrated effort to get his own life in order and in a week's time it had all gone to shit. He hadn't meant to take things out on Phil, but it happened. They'd played so many roles over the past few weeks that reality had gotten blurred somewhere along the way. It was hard for him to wrap his head around the fact that the one that was the least likely scenario—Veronica engaged to Duncan—was true. He ran his hand through his hair and forced himself to keep his eye on the ball.
"Well text Loverboy later, we're on the clock here," he chastised, immediately regretting it.
Philippa frowned deeply. "I'm going to let that go because you're stressed, and I'm almost as invested in this whole conspiracy as you guys are now. But, watch it, Echolls," she warned.
Logan nodded noncommittally and turned back to the task at hand, Duncan's computer. They'd abandoned any hope of coming between Veronica and Duncan using conventional methods. Now it was time to dig up some dirt.
"Anyone else find it ironic that Veronica would be the best one of everyone we know to get this job done?" Lily asked the group.
Logan only grumbled. "If I put in one more wrong password, I'm locked out for another five minutes. Duncan's not creative, Lil," Logan insisted, "there has to be something."
"I've already tried everything I could think of," she hissed. "We need help. We need some hacker software or something."
Logan felt the world lift off his shoulders. "You're brilliant!" he announced, grabbing his phone off the desk next to him and pulling up a number.
"Naturally," Lilly replied with a huff, "but why this time?"
Logan didn't miss the eye rolling between the girls as he held up one finger to silence them. He thanked his lucky stars as he connected the call and pressed the speaker button so his hands would be free to type.
"Well, Logan Echolls, as I live and breathe. To what do I owe this honor?"
"Hey, Mac," Logan breathed a sigh of relief at the sound of his old classmate's voice. He'd gone to high school with Cindy Mackenzie, but it hadn't been until he'd been paired with her at Hearst for a class project that he'd ever spoken to her. Now he called on her from time to time for any off-the-books work he needed.
"I take it you're back in the States? Back for the wedding of the century, I'd guess?"
Logan swallowed past the lump in his throat. "You could say that," he replied evenly, determined not to snap at her too.
"I know they're both your BFFs and all, but the thought of Neptune's finest tying the knot kind of makes me nauseated. It's so cliché. My friend Wallace swears she's knocked up. That's the word going around the teacher's lounge at Neptune High anyway, and—"
Logan didn't have time to rehash the bullshit. "Sorry, Mac, this is kind of time-sensitive, so—"
"Yeah, yeah, sorry. What'll it be this time? More sex traffickers? Another deadbeat dad on the run?"
"No, something much simpler," he countered. At least he hoped so. "My buddy can't remember his password to log in to his computer. What can he do?"
Mac sighed. "I'm disappointed; this isn't even a challenge. Your standard PC shouldn't have very heavy encryption. Try using the password hints."
Logan shook his head. He didn't want to tell Mac more than he had to. "We—he—tried that; no luck."
Mac took the group through a few options that didn't work. "I can try to hack onto the network, but I'm going to have to know where you are," she said. Logan could hear her tapping away on the other end of the line.
This time it was Lilly who spoke up. "No need to break in. I can get you on," Lilly said and then began rattling off the information for the home network.
They heard a gasp from the other end of the line. "Was that Lilly Kane? You're at the Kane house? I can't break into my boss' boss' boss' computer, Logan. What're you doing?"
Logan rubbed his face a few times vigorously in an attempt to wipe off his guilt, but he finally relented. He had to keep Mac interested for her to continue. "You didn't break in. Lilly let you in. And technically speaking, it's not your boss' boss' boss' computer. It's his son's."
There was a brief pause followed by a sharp whistle through the phone. "Duncan Kane's computer. You're gonna be in a heap of trouble, and now you're dragging me along for the ride!"
"C'mon, Mac," Lilly whined. "Help us. It's an emergency."
There was another pause. "A hacker emergency? They own Kane Software, you know. This is good encryption software. I helped make it," she groaned.
"So who better to break it?" Philippa piped in.
"Logan Echolls, exactly how many people have a front row seat to me breaking into my boss' boss' boss' son's computer? You're going to get me fired."
"Just three," he groaned, dropping his head into his hands and then pounding his fist on the desk. "But we're desperate, Mac."
"If it really is an emergency, I could try to get into the database of passwords here on my end since it's a company laptop. Seriously though, this is Duncan Kane we're talking about here, not a criminal mastermind. You should be able to guess his password."
"We've tried everything we could think of. He must have changed it recently," Lilly groaned.
"Yeah, everyone in the company had to, so I'm sure he had to too. People try to hack us all the time. But, again, consider the source. Did you try adding a '1' to the end of the password he had before?"
"Even Duncan wouldn't be stupid enough to—" Logan chastised as he practically pounded in 'thenaturalchoice1'. He was cut off by a collective gasp from all three of them. "Holy shit, Mac. It worked," Logan gasped.
"Told ya!" Mac chimed, unamused.
"I should have known we could never underestimate how douchey my brother is," Lilly breathed.
"Thanks, Mac." Logan murmured a brief goodbye before he disconnected the call. Logan looked at the desktop before him. It was orderly with file folders alphabetized in perfect columns and rows. For the umpteenth time that week, he was overwhelmed. He'd been so intent on getting in that he hadn't thought to have a plan for when he got in. "I don't know what to do. Where do I start?"
Philippa swatted at his shoulder and motioned for him to get out of the chair. "Well, the smoking gun isn't going to jump out and bite you," she informed him as she took his place and began clicking through folders. "Lilly and I have work to do. Be a dear and fetch us some tea," she said without taking her eyes off the screen. "You know what I like."
Logan complied, knowing it was best to let her have a turn, and the break would give him time to regroup. There was once a time in his life where he'd thrived on chaos, but he'd grown accustomed to the peace that stability had provided. He had to tap into the old, impulsive Logan while maintaining the shrewdness he'd learned in this business world. Honestly, if this didn't work—if he didn't turn up anything to explain what was going on with Duncan in regards to this whirlwind engagement—he didn't have a plan B. Or were they all the way to plan D already? He wasn't ready to admit defeat, but it would take time. And time was something they were short on.
Logan sipped on his tea and listened to the girls' chatter.
"I don't see anything interesting on this computer," Philippa lamented. "Does he just use this for work?"
"No, he uses this for everything. He doesn't even really work per se," Lilly replied. "He's just a figurehead."
"And they pay him for this?"
"Very, very well," Lilly informed her. "It's what was expected of him. The company and politics. Duncan plays their game and they hand him everything," Lilly explained bitterly.
"What about you?" Logan asked.
"Me they pay to keep away as to not ruin their perfect image." The distinct chipperness in Lilly's tone didn't fool him. An undercurrent of bitterness laced Lilly's words. "Duncan and I are close because of the shared experience of being their children. That and he's a decent person who loves me. But past that, we don't have much in common."
"You should try harder," Philippa said distantly as she clicked out of all the folders she'd opened. "You're lucky to have a sibling. I'd kill for another day with Sarah."
Logan placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently. "That's why you have me," he reminded her.
"And me!" Lilly leaned forward and gave the brunette a squeeze.
"And now Veronica," he added.
When Phil turned to face them head-on her eyes looked a little glossy. "I'm pretty sure she'll never speak to me again after this little stunt, but since we haven't found anything, I guess we're safe."
"You've checked everything?" Lilly asked.
"Nearly." Philippa let out a long breath as she closed all the windows she had open. "All that's left is his email. Maybe some Google docs." She swiveled the chair she'd been monopolizing and rose. "Tag, Logan, you're it. Lilly and I will go make some lunch."
"Don't mind if I do," Logan said as he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before pressing his hands into her hips and swirling around so their positions were reversed. Her giggle eased his mind a bit about the unspeakable act of treason he was committing, so he played up the moment, making a big show of sitting down in the chair with purpose, cracking his knuckles and smoothing an invisible mustache. He ignored Lilly's eye roll.
"Stop stalling," Philippa's knowing voice warned, and with a wink and a pat on the top of his head, she followed Lilly out of the room.
"Alone at last," Logan snarked to the computer, feeling guilty. Duncan had really brought this on himself, he reasoned. And the sheriff had encouraged him. The thought of Keith Mars spurred him ahead. "It's a means to an end," he chanted to himself over and over as he double-clicked on Chrome and then opened Duncan's Gmail account from the Bookmark Bar.
Nothing stuck out. It was typical boring shit, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Logan spent at least twenty minutes combing through emails about board meetings and political garbage. There were a few emails from Veronica that he couldn't bring himself to open. They wouldn't help his case any. When Madison Sinclair's name popped up a few times, Logan was intrigued. He still wasn't convinced that that dinner between Duncan and Madison had been as innocent as Duncan had made it out to be. Just the thought of Logan's botched attempt to come between them made him clench his jaw. Logan quickly clicked on the search bar across the top of the screen, typed the name MADISON SINCLAIR, and hit enter. Instantaneously, the inbox filled with emails from Madison…to Madison. Logan opened and scanned one. It was filled with Madison ranting about not being a bridesmaid 'after all she'd been through'. Logan read through the chain and found nothing really of note. Madison being a bitch wasn't news. Duncan had basically apologized for the timing of Philippa's arrival and explained to Madison how important Veronica felt it was to befriend Logan's fiancée. It made Logan smirk that at least he'd caused a little discomfort for Duncan. He'd be sure to tell Phil when she returned with lunch.
Bored with the chain, Logan backed out to the search results and started to scroll his way down, temporarily flagging the messages he thought he might want to open later.
About three-quarters of the way down the list, one message on the list popped out amongst the others. It was from Celeste. Logan couldn't pinpoint what about the email drew him to read it, but his hand moved to open the message immediately and he began reading.
A lump formed in Logan's throat as he scanned the email. It was a train wreck. He didn't want to read it, but he couldn't stop himself either. It was a list. A long list. About marriage. About Veronica…and Madison. He kept reading, and on the third email in the chain, he found what he'd been looking for all along. And his blood began to boil. Bile rose from his stomach and he had to swallow it back. He blinked a few times, suddenly unable to focus.
It couldn't be real. His eyes jumped back to the top and to Celeste's name. To Duncan's. How could they? This was more than even Logan had thought them capable of…he couldn't tell Veronica about this. It was all too much. It would hurt her. He'd meant to win her over, not destroy her heart.
Unsure of what to do next, Logan mechanically moved the cursor to the top of the screen until it hovered over the print symbol. He needed to think. He wasn't ready to share it with the girls. He needed time to…something.
He pushed the icon to print before he could change his mind. It would buy him valuable time to come up with a plan. When the printer roared to life beside him, Logan pulled the papers off of the printer one-by-one as they came out, folding each one and stuffing it haphazardly into the back pocket of his jeans as he paced back and forth in front of the machine. He couldn't risk them seeing the papers
Voices echoed down the hallway, signaling the girls' return. Logan threw a panicked look at the printer that was still humming with work. He moved to head them off in the hallway, but the printer went silent. Breathing a sigh of relief, Logan plopped back down into the chair and closed the offensive email, scrolling as far down the list as he could to deter the girls from looking.
Deflection. He could do that. He clicked opened a random email as Philippa and Lilly appeared in the doorway.
"Hope you're hungry. We couldn't decide which Pinterest-inspired sandwich to make, so we made them all," Philippa said cheerfully.
Logan let out a harrumph but didn't turn around. He didn't trust himself yet.
"Mock all you'd like, but you might consider checking Pinterest out for yourself. I reckon there might be some helpful hints on how to break up a wedding or steal your best friend's gal," Philippa teased in her best attempt at an American accent. "And you won't be grumpy for long once you try the fruits of our labor."
Logan turned to face them and saw that the girls were holding trays of drinks and sandwiches. He saw the proud grin on Philippa's face and thought of how happy she'd been earlier when he'd caught her texting. Now she was studying him curiously and he watched as the smile slid from her mouth. It made him even sadder. How had everything gone to shit? His whole world had been turned upside down again. Neptune had seen to that. He should have never come back. But Philippa…things could be better for her. Maybe Neptune held something different for her.
"We thought we'd bring the lunch to you. Save time and all," Lilly announced, pushing past Philippa who was staring at him suspiciously.
Philippa, much to his dismay, wouldn't be deterred. "What is it?" she asked quietly, concerned.
Logan kept his features schooled and did his best to appear bored. "I was just thinking," he began slowly.
"You're flustered. You're never flustered. Did you find something juicy?" Lilly asked.
"Nothing that doesn't confirm everything I always knew about Duncan. Your brother is boring as shit, Lilly." Logan kept his tone even and his words as truthful as possible.
"He always was a donut," she confirmed, setting her tray down on the desk near him and stealing a slice of apple off of a plate.
"No, there's something else," Philippa said knowingly, her intense green eyes fixed on his face. "Is it bad? You can tell us."
Logan shrugged noncommittally. "I was actually thinking about you."
"Me?" Philippa questioned.
"You," Logan's kept his eyes on hers as he spoke. "You should call Casey." Philippa opened her mouth to respond, but he cut her off with one hand. "Like you said, life is short. If you like him you should go for it. You should go get your happily ever after."
"Is that all? It's a date, Logan," Philippa reminded him with a soft sigh as she set her tray down beside Lilly's. "A first date. No need to put pressure on it. He and I can wait till after the wedding when things aren't so…complicated."
"Maybe I'm the only one making things complicated." Logan stood up, keeping his movements unhurried. The girls were suspicious enough already.
"Speaking of complicated," Lilly interjected, "it's kind of crunch time, so if you didn't find anything on the computer, we'll need to make another plan to—"
Logan didn't like where this was going. He wasn't ready to put all his cards on the table, but he couldn't sit through more scheming when his head was already spinning. All at once, it was too much to keep him in his seat. He stood up and turned to close the laptop. "I actually have to run."
"You're leaving? Now?" Philippa's eyes nearly popped out of her head.
"Can Lilly take you back to the hotel? I'll be a few hours. I just got a call about something I need to take care of with the foundation."
"But Duncan's computer," Lilly whined. "You're not just giving up? The wedding is five days away. I thought you were all rah-rah expose Duncan."
Logan shoved his hands in his back pockets before remembering that one was full of folded papers and letting that hand drop lamely to his side. "Nope, not giving up. Just going to plan E. Or is it F?" Logan shook his head and gave them a weak smile. "I think you should talk to Celeste and see what you can figure out on that end. I'll talk to the sheriff again, and Philippa…go make your phone call," Logan smiled at her.
"Are you sure? What if someone sees us?" she asked.
"It'll be fine. Go to Riverside. No one from Neptune would ever be caught dead in Riverside," he told her with a playful roll of his eyes and a grin.
Beside her, Lilly smirked and pulled her friend in close. "He's right, you know. They say there's a resurgence there, but I'm not going to risk it."
With a wan smile and a tip of his chin, Logan made his way to the door.
"Logan—" Philippa began.
Logan could see her reluctance and it bothered him. The last thing he needed right now was for her to follow him. To ask questions. To probe. "I'm fine, Phil," Logan insisted. "I'll see you back at the hotel."
To seal the deal, he pulled out his phone and dialed his assistant. He left the house without saying goodbye to either of them.
February 12
"I'm so happy that Wilshire Spa opened up a Neptune location. This is the life." Lilly's voice was wistful but muffled from under her cucumber-and-orange soaked washcloth as she floated naked in the Jacuzzi, arms splayed. She truly had no shame.
"I don't know what you're talking about. This is your life, Lilly. You go to spas at least once a week," Veronica countered.
"It's your life too now," Lilly reminded her. "We can have spa days twice a week together."
It was just like Lilly to think that was what things would be like. Not that it didn't excite Veronica—not having to worry about money wasn't a bad thing, but having Lilly as a sister was the best part of this deal. And Duncan too, of course, she reminded herself.
"I have to admit, I've grown fond of you, ladies." Philippa turned to grin at her. "You have to promise to come out to see me at least twice a year." Her voice came out as a whine.
It wasn't until that moment that Veronica realized she'd miss Philippa too. No one could diffuse a situation like Philippa Winthrop-Scott. She was counting on it for the rehearsal dinner. Things between Logan and Duncan seemed quite unsettled still, and Veronica hadn't had any contact with Logan other than a quick text accepting his apology last week. She'd ignored the new fury of texts the past few days asking to speak to her. Nothing good would come of anything he needed to say.
"Of course we'll visit you," Lilly piped up, letting her feet sink to the bottom of the tub, her eyes glued to Philippa's. "We promise, right V?"
Veronica eagerly piped in, "Absolutely! And once you and Logan set a date, there will be another wedding to plan. How exciting."
Veronica hoped that she sounded sincere. She was sincere. She wanted her two friends to be happy. And that little contraction that her heart did, that was nothing. The Jacuzzi water was just a little too hot. Veronica stepped out of the tub and wrapped herself in a robe. She filled a glass of mint-infused water for herself and sat on the side of the Jacuzzi, letting her feet dangle into the bubbling water.
When no one responded, Veronica studied her friends carefully. Something passed between the other two but it was gone in an instant.
"What?" Veronica prompted, downing the drink in several long gulps.
"Nothing." Philippa's bright, ever-present smile was back in place. "I promise that when Logan and I plan a wedding, you'll be the absolute first person to know."
Veronica couldn't help but smile back at her. There went that pang in her heart again. She must be dehydrated. She needed some more water.
"Who's ready for a massage?" she asked as she slid over to the jug for a refill. "We've gotta keep this show going; I've got a business dinner meeting inland that I can't miss."
"Veronica, it's the eve of your wedding," Lilly complained. "Can't you take a night off?"
"It's the eve of the eve of my wedding," Veronica corrected. "And it's just a few hours. I'll be in and out!" Veronica promised. At least that was the plan. Too much idle time in Neptune wouldn't end well, and working would ensure she didn't beat up the Best Man before the wedding day. All would be well. She'd make sure of it.
That was a long chapter, and the next one is even longer. At least you got the reason for the title in there.
I never know what to say anymore...I never know how people are going to react. There will be a happily ever after, and the main story only has two chapters left, so we will be rolling faster from here on in. Chapter nine is finally complete, but I have to write all of chapter ten. Hopefully, I will get a whole day next week to work on it like I did today, but that all depends on my family. Now I clearly see (writing as I post is NEVER my forte) that I will need an epilogue, so that will take a little time, too. I'm doing my best :)
Thanks to brit, kmd0107, and lisawolfe for the read-throughs. So many typos, so little time...they make it all better.