Logan woke up with Veronica tucked tightly into his side. He buried his nose in her hair and inhaled deeply.
"What do you think you're doing, mister?" Her sleepy voice startled him.
"You caught me. I was sniffing your hair," he replied shyly.
"Do I smell good?"
"The best," he said sincerely, taking another deep breath with his face buried in her hair.
Veronica laughed softly. "What's on the agenda for today?"
"Mmm…naked time. Followed by naked shower time. Then maybe some food…and more naked time," Logan teased, pretending to not be serious…but if she'd go along with that plan, he was completely game.
"So what you're saying is: I packed all those clothes for noth—"
Logan pounced on Veronica. "I love you," he said from his position hovering just above her. "And yes, you shouldn't have packed anything. Though I am a fan of some of that lingerie you picked up last time we went shopping." He dipped his hips, teasing his body along hers. "One piece, two piece, red lace, blue lace."
"You don't play fair do you?" she giggled.
"All is fair in love and war…don't you think?"
"I do. In fact—" Veronica's legs wrapped around Logan pulling him in tight. "I think we have a little of both going on right now. And didn't you say you were a fighter?"
"Mmm, sure did, Bobcat," Logan agreed, getting caught up in the sensations of being naked and on top of Veronica.
Two loud knocks on the door to their private bungalow caused Logan to drop so that he was covering all of Veronica with his body.
"Are you two up yet? Get dressed. We have company arriving in ten. And yes, Veronica, there is coffee and a whole breakfast spread." Ratner's voice came though the door.
"Cock block!" Logan shouted and got elbowed in the ribs for his trouble.
"Were they up?" Mac asked Jeff, her voice hesitant, much to Jeff's surprise. In the last few months Mac had shown herself to be confident, savvy and mischievous, much to Jeff's delight. He was surprised to see her so reticent, especially in regard to Veronica and Logan.
"In a manner of speaking." He smirked. "Logan yelled 'cock block' at me as I was leaving…so I'm pretty sure they were awake but perhaps not ready to leave their room just yet."
"Oh," Mac squeaked as a blush colored her cheeks. "I guess now I understand why Logan wanted detached bedrooms."
"Yes, Mac, that is precisely why. My little Bobcat has one hell of a growl—umph." Veronica elbowed Logan hard in the ribs, much to Ratner's delight.
"Hey, Mars, maybe you should join Logan and I for krav maga. In fact, you and Mac both should. You two are about the same size; you'd be good sparing partners." Ratner smiled.
"Now that's something I'd love to watch." Logan leered at Veronica and winked at Mac.
"Perv." Veronica glared at Logan, and then looked to Mac. "Take me to the coffee, Mac-attack. Let's get away from these two leches."
"If you thought that was bad, Mars, you'd better steel yourself. Our guest is Vinnie," Ratner called out to the retreating the girls, trying not to laugh.
"He has an update already?" Logan asked.
"Apparently. And he insisted on delivering it in person."
"Okay kids, after several hours spent at The Boobie Trap, I deserve a medal. Why couldn't these people at least hangout at Crazy Horse?"
Logan busted up laughing. "Please tell me you showered and have had all your shots."
"Yuck it up, rich boy. I was there on your dollar."
Logan continued laughing until he saw Mac's confused face. "Strip club. Supposedly haunted. Not the sort of place you want to spend a lot of your time."
"And you know this, how?" Veronica asked, her cute little face drawn in suspicion.
"Terrible bachelor party. The girls looked miserable. Not that most strip clubs are super happy places, but…"
"That one is particularly disconcerting," Veronica interrupted. "It's been under investigation for years for labor and sex trafficking. Strip clubs make particularly good fronts for the trade because you see what you expect to see and the employee turnover rate is very high so no one suspects anything when people leave."
Logan stared at Veronica, completely taken aback. "How do you know…you know what? Never mind," Logan backed off, remembering Veronica's source's real target.
"She knows so much because of her other source; am I right, or am I right?" Vinnie sing-songed.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Veronica shot another glare at Logan.
"Whatever, VMars. You don't have to admit it. Saw it myself; the place screamed 'front', as did the lack of enthusiasm when I tipped with twenties. Low rent place like that, Jackson usually gets you attention. Those two bozo agents you outed spent most of last night there—in and out of the manager's office. End of the night they both left angry and empty handed, and you'll never guess where I followed them to."
"Where…?" Logan prompted.
"Here. Well, not here here. But just outside of Napa. Now it could be a total coincidence or…"
"Or they may have followed us up here." Ratner stood and began walking back and forth in front of the fireplace. "I wasn't thinking about concealing us from more than just paparazzi. We're going to have to reconsider our security plan."
"You want my opinion?" Vinnie asked.
"It's what I'm paying you for," Logan said, his irritation quickly moving to anger. Veronica's hand appeared on his leg and she smiled softly up at him. Logan felt his anger recede a little. He leaned forward, kissed her on the lips, then the cheek and whispered, 'Thank you' in her ear.
"Here it is. Blondie's other source…let it go, Mars. I know you have one, gotta be government something."
It was Logan's turn to calm Veronica. He wrapped an arm across her shoulders and pulled her closer.
"As I was saying," Vinnie continued. "Your other source must be looking into human trafficking, maybe drugs, too. But that wasn't in your article. So there must not be enough evidence, yet."
Veronica remained perfectly still next to Logan. From what she had shared with them the previous night, that was exactly what had happened.
"I'm pretty sure these two guys, Donald and Daniel Lamb, ATF and ICE respectively, are at the very least, aware of what's going on in the back rooms at the Boobie Trap. So here is the question you really need to ask yourselves: who turned you onto the Lambs? Your mob source or your government source? Oh, and one other thing, did your government source know you were going to be outing the Lambs, or just the mob people?"
Veronica nodded. "Thank you, Vinnie." She turned to Logan and leaned in, "I have a few phone calls to make. I'll be back in a few minutes." She kissed him, and Logan watched her head out of the room.
"I got something else for ya. My source at the PD said they're questioning D'Amato about the video. He viewed it without permission, or something along those lines. I don't have the full picture yet, but what do you think? I know that wouldn't really fit with our current theory but he knew Veronica from before, right?" Vinnie asked.
"Yeah, she knows him. And he has motive, but I still can't picture it. I don't think he would expose Veronica like that." Logan pictured Leo's angry face when he had stormed away from their home a few days before. "No, he was mad but I really don't think he'd do that."
"Okay, well it's something to think about." Vinnie stood up. "I'm going to keep an eye on our two idiots…that is, if you want me to keep going?"
Logan nodded. "Yeah, if they did follow us here, I want to know. I'll have more money sent this afternoon."
Vinnie saluted. "Thanks, kid." He turned to Ratner. "I'll be in touch."
Vinnie walked out of the living room, leaving Logan with Mac and Ratner. It was time to deal with the next disaster. The previous night, Veronica had convinced Logan that he should give Mac at least some warning before Dick's imminent arrival, but it was the last thing he wanted to do.
"Hey, Mac, could you go check on Veronica?" Logan asked.
Mac arched an eyebrow skeptically. "Sure. Anything in particular you want me to check on?"
"Um…no, just her you know…well her." Logan fumbled; Mac smiled sweetly and nodded her head. Logan felt like even more of an asshole. Once she was out of the room and the door shut behind her, Logan turned to Ratner. "I did something really stupid."
Mac knocked firmly on the door to Veronica and Logan's bungalow and stood back. Moments later, the door swung open revealing Veronica, still on the phone, and the bed covered in papers. Mac waited, listening to the one-sided conversation.
"I don't care, Tom. This is not at all what we discussed. You're putting people I love in danger." Veronica sounded frantic, and she paced while listening to the voice on the other end.
"You know what? Fuck you. I don't give a shit about your case."
"Of course I care about those girls!"
Veronica sighed heavily. "I just don't know anymore."
"Well, a little warning might have been nice."
"Yes, yes, we have security."
"Bodyguards? No."
"That would just confirm what we're trying to deny."
"Okay, we'll talk again tomorrow." Veronica snapped shut an older model flip phone; not the phone Mac had seen Jeff give her earlier.
"Sorry, Mac. That was…well, you know who that was." Veronica threw herself into a chair in the sitting area of the large suite.
Mac was at a loss. There were so many things she wanted to ask about, but she was pretty sure she didn't want the answers. Instead she decided to go with the simplest thing she could thing of. "Logan asked me to 'check' on you." Mac held up quote fingers.
Veronica laughed, "Oh I'll just bet he did. He's in big trouble, too. I can't decide if I should throw him to the wolves to distract you all from how stupid I've been or if I should jump on the grenade."
"What are you talking about? What grenade?" Mac felt her stomach flip, explosion euphuisms and metaphors always made her queasy.
"Dammit, I did it again. Can I just have my foot surgically attached to my mouth?" Veronica huffed. "You know what? Fuck it!"
Mac stared at her friend, surprised at her lack of decorum. Veronica was usually so controlled and levelheaded. She almost didn't recognize the person in front of her.
"Mac, Logan did something unbelievably stupid."
"Oh come on, it can't be that bad. Logan's a great guy. I'm sure you can forgive him for making a stupid decision." Mac held up her index finger. "Unless he cheated on you. If he did that I'll help you destroy him." Mac grinned and rubbed her hands together maniacally.
"NO! No. Logan is a one-woman kind of guy. He um…well he…so you know how he and Dick, from your high school…well, they're still pretty close."
"Yeah. I know that Veronica. What does that have to do with me?" Mac asked, becoming frustrated with the lack of explanation in the conversation.
Veronica stood abruptly and then bounced back and forth on the balls of her feet; if Mac didn't know better, she'd think Veronica was about to sprint out of the room.
"Dick is on his way here." Veronica blurted out and cringed.
Mac stared at Veronica, who appeared to be shielding herself. "What do you mean, 'here'?"
"Here–here. Like, Dick invited himself to stay with us here, at Meadowood, in one of the extra rooms."
"You have got to be FUCKING KIDDING ME!"
"You have got to be one of the stupidest people I have ever met," Jeff sighed.
"You think I don't know that? I just–well, I thought it might be good. For both of them." Logan tugged at his hair.
"How do you like it when people make decisions for you, Moneybags?"
"Not so much. Unless it's Veronica. Any chance there's any of the shellfish still in the kitchen?" Ratner shook his head. "Damn Veronica and her attention to detail. The only way I'm getting out of here alive is if there is an ambulance waiting to take me to the hospital for anaphylactic shock. Mac is going to kill me."
Jeff's mouth opened to respond when Mac's voice thundered through the open window, "FUCKING KIDDING ME!"
"I guess that means Veronica decided to tell her." Logan threw himself onto the couch, defeated.
"Well, the good news is I don't think Mackie would punch Veronica. By the time she gets–"
"Logan Fucking Echolls! Did you invite Dick Casablancas here?" Mac stormed through the door, Veronica in her wake.
"No, I didn't invite him here…he kind of invited himself," Logan answered with a bleak smile.
"Why, Logan? You know how I feel." Logan took in Mac's trembling form and stood.
"I'm so sorry, Mac. I–well, I just thought that maybe…" Logan trailed off.
"Mac, he thought that maybe the two of you could have a breakthrough like you and Logan did. Do you understand?" Veronica asked, her arms wrapped around Mac.
Logan watched them, amazed at how Veronica could offer so much comfort and support while under the gun herself.
"I understand, but I'm so mad at you, Logan. This should have been my choice. You can't make these decisions for me!"
"I really am sorry. You and Ra-Jeff should get out; you're not nearly as recognizable without Veronica and I. Go have fun, on my dad." He tried to smile. "By the time you're back, I'll have Dick comfortably settled and you'll be ready to deal with him. And by deal, I mean I expect you to be a little—or a lot—drunk. And then we can deal with this together. I won't leave you to do this alone. But Mac, he's…Dick's still so broken. I want to help. Maybe it could help all of us." Logan shrugged.
"Damn you, Echolls. You are so lucky that Veronica loves you and I love her. Hell, I'm even starting to care about you," Mac mumbled before stomping out of the room.
"Um…Logan, someplace calming and beautiful?" Ratner asked.
"Mumm, it's just up the road, champagne…well, sparkling wine. I'll call so they're expecting you."
Ratner nodded and left the room.
"That could have been worse," Veronica said as her arms wrapped around his torso.
"Could have gone better, too." Logan grasped her hands and pressed them to him tighter.
"Eh…I don't think so, no. I think that was about as good as it was going to get." Logan felt Veronica press a kiss to his shoulder. "Come on, Baby Cakes, I think you promised me lots of naked time before Jeff interrupted us."
"You made a call?" Logan asked, concerned.
"Later. Right now all I want is you. And maybe a really big lunch. But first, you." She moved around to face Logan, her expression thoughtful. "On second thought, let's order that lunch first, and we can have some fun while we wait for it to arrive." Veronica smiled.
"You've got yourself a deal, Bobcat."
Jeff took a tentative sip of his champagne and watched Mac apprehensively. She'd been very quiet since the blowout with Logan. And while Mac wasn't prone to unnecessary conversation, even this was a bit much for her. Her gaze was intent on the view, row after row of vines, golden hills on the far side of the valley, and a gentle breeze ruffling her hair. Jeff felt his mouth go dry; she was so beautiful.
It was funny; in the time since he'd started seeing Mac, they had taken it fairly slow. Getting to know each other and building a friendship as well as a physical connection. But when he compared it to Logan and Veronica, who seemed to be moving at light speed and was emotionally and physically intense, what he and Mac had seemed almost casual. Which was not what he ultimately wanted. Foolishly, he'd thought this getaway might be a good opportunity to talk to her about the future.
Mac turned away from the view and met Jeff's eyes. "You're thinking too hard."
"Professional hazard." He smiled, happy that she was returning to the moment.
"I may be putting some of that training to use later. Any chance you would consider working as a hit man? I have two marks." Mac scowled.
"Sorry, Mac, I've always been more of an intelligence gatherer and go-between sort of guy. But I'm sure we could find someone." He winked, hoping she really was kidding.
Mac snapped her fingers in faux disappointment, her expression shifted from playful to defeated, "I'm not sure I can do it."
Jeff reached for her hands. "Talk to me, maybe I can help." He knew there were things she hadn't shared with him, and he had mostly respected her privacy. He'd probed Logan a few times to see if he'd let slip any details, but Logan was more tight-lipped than some of the spooks Jeff used to work with.
"I dated Dick's little brother—Cassidy—he killed people. None of us knew. It was terrible. I recently found out some more about the night Cassidy was caught. Logan was there." She took a shaky breath.
Jeff moved his chair to be closer to her, hoping to offer comfort. "Logan thinks it could help you all to talk about it," he offered.
"Dick isn't like Logan." Mac shook her head.
"Are you sure? You didn't think Logan was worth much before you gave him a chance."
Mac turned sharp eyes on Jeff. There she is, he smiled.
"You really think I should talk to him?" she asked, very seriously.
"I think you should do whatever you're comfortable with. I don't know what went on between all of you. But I do know that since you and Logan talked that last time you both seem better around each other. And if this Dick guy is an ass…well, I'll take care of it."
Mac leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. Jeff reached up and stroked her cheek. "More champagne?"
"Sparkling wine," she smirked, "and yes, then lunch?"
Jeff nodded, tucking some hair behind her ear. Maybe they'd get to have that talk after all.
Logan collapsed back into the pillows, exhausted. "Bobcat, you've killed me."
"It's only 2:00 p.m., Logan. I believe it was your idea to have naked time followed by more naked time," Veronica said, still catching her breath.
"I stand by my idea, we just need more fuel." Logan rolled out of the bed and stumbled over to the phone. He picked up a room service menu and glanced at it before remembering that the kitchen had been restocked. "Come on, love, let's go see what we can throw together," he said, picking up Veronica on slightly shaky legs and heading for the door.
"Logan! Someone could see us!" Veronica giggled as he made a break for the shared living space across a short stretch of deck.
"No one's looking. Anyway, it's the middle of the afternoon, everyone's out wine tasting." Logan kissed her on the tip of the nose and set her down at the entrance to the kitchen. "Okay, let's see what we have." He glanced around the kitchen and checked the refrigerator making a mental list of things they could make.
He turned to give a few options to Veronica but found himself completely distracted by her leaning against the doorframe, naked and taking a bite of an apple. "You look like sin." He grinned and moved into her personal space, wrapped an arm around her waist as he took a bite of the apple.
"Careful, wouldn't want you to get expelled from paradise."
"As long as I'm with you, I don't care." Logan pulled Veronica closer and started kissing his way down her neck, his hunger the last thing on his mind.
"Hello! Dude, where you at?" A familiar voice yelled out as a door shut loudly.
Logan dropped his head to Veronica's shoulder and sighed. Cock blocks, all of them, he thought. Then he realized that Veronica had tensed up.
"Logan," she hissed, "we're naked!"
"Crap. Dick, can you give us a minute? Maybe go back out to your car and we'll meet you in like five minutes?" Logan called out.
"No can do man, I came in a limo. Got everything I need." Dick's voice was getting closer.
"Dick, hold on," Logan turned to Veronica. "Um…stay here, and I'll go grab a blanket and keep Dick out in the living room." Veronica nodded, her face bright red.
Logan took a deep breath and stepped out into the living room. "Hey man, you caught us at kind of an awkward moment." Embarrassment about nudity wasn't real high on Logan's list, and it wasn't like Dick hadn't seen the show before.
"Whoa, man! Guess I should have called first. You got your special lady friend hiding back there?" Dick leaned out to try to catch a glimpse.
"Yes." Logan grabbed a throw off the couch and wrapped it around his waist. "Now, let me show you your room and then we can all meet back in here in like ten minutes."
"Spoil sport," Dick pouted as Logan grabbed a second throw and quickly walked to back to Veronica. Logan gave her a quick kiss.
"See you in just a minute."
Logan got Dick situated in the bungalow on the opposite side of the house and met Veronica in their room. She was already in the shower, and as much as Logan wanted to join her, he decided that she might not appreciate it at the moment. He pulled on jeans and a t-shirt and then headed back to the living room.
Veronica dashed from the kitchen straight to her and Logan's room, relieved not to encounter anyone on her way. That's what I get for trying to be more open about Logan's mild exhibitionism.
Try as she might, she couldn't summon more than basic embarrassment. She decided that a shower would put a little more time between now and when she'd have to actually face Dick. And maybe Logan would have had a chance to explain about Mac before Veronica joined them. She frowned; that was not a conversation she was looking forward to.
Veronica turned on the shower and got in once the water was the right temperature. She went through the motions and continued to think about the cluster-fuck that was going to be taking place in the lovely living area of their hideaway. She was sure that Logan could handle it, but Veronica was also certain that she and Jeff should probably not be a part of it. Maybe it would be a good time for Jeff and I to discuss what happened this morning?
Logan's stomach rumbled, reminding him why he and Veronica had been in the kitchen to begin with. He headed back in to start putting together something to eat. There was a package of fresh raviolis, pesto, marinated artichoke hearts and little cherry tomatoes. He put on a pot of salted water to boil and opened a bottle of sauvignon blanc that claimed to be bright and lemony. If tempers were going to be high, they might as well enjoy a light meal.
Logan poured himself a glass and continued the little bit of prep necessary. He'd just finished halving the tomatoes when his cell phone started ringing. He hastily wiped off his hands and saw that it was Jake calling.
"Hey, Jake," Logan answered happily.
"Logan. Deidra said you all got in yesterday and were settled in. She might have mentioned another guest joining your party. Is Dick there with you now?" Jake asked.
"Yeah, he was a last minute addition." And hopefully a good one, Logan thought, a little nervous about the upcoming confrontation.
"That's great. I know you two don't see as much of each other as you'd like. It's a shame Duncan isn't around. I know he'd like to see you both." Jake's voice had turned melancholy.
Years earlier, Logan and Jake's son had been close, but things had never been the same between them since Lilly's death. Logan mourned the loss of the friendship, but he'd had so many other things to mourn that losing Duncan's friendship hadn't been a priority.
"Maybe next time he's in California," Logan replied noncommittally. Duncan spent most of his time on the East Coast and in Europe for Kane Software.
"Maybe. Anyway, I actually called to invite you all up for dinner."
Logan looked at the pot of water that was just starting to pre-boil, "What time? We got kind of a late start so we're just now having lunch."
"That works great, let's say eight then? I can grill some steaks and open up a nice cab, or I've got a couple of bottles of Solari that should be perfect. Are your friends wine drinkers?" There was a little hesitance in Jake's voice.
"You know Dick and I are. Veronica's palette is really good, and I'm honestly not sure about the two friends we brought. They've both enjoyed the things Veronica and I have had with them. Oh! I almost forgot—one of our friends is a vegetarian. Will that be okay?" Logan asked, glad he'd remembered. The last thing he needed was to screw up another thing with Mac today.
"No problem at all. I have some great Portobellos here if you think that would work? And I'll make sure the sides are all vegetarian."
"Thanks, Jake. I'd better go and check on Dick; he hasn't made any noise in a few minutes."
"See you tonight, Logan."
The water was at a full boil, so Logan turned the heat down a bit, added the ravioli and set the timer. He had five minutes to make sure Dick hadn't gotten into any trouble. Maybe I'd better finish cooking first…
"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE!?"
Too late.
The sound of yelling drew Veronica out of the bedroom and into the living room. Clearly, Mac and Jeff were back and Logan hadn't warned Dick.
"Calm down, Dick." Veronica heard Logan say.
"Is this some kind of a joke? What is she doing here, Logan?" Dick asked, no longer yelling.
"I'm right here," Mac said defensively.
Veronica hurried into the room and moved to Mac's side. "Mac and I work together."
Dick's eyes widened. "And you must be Veronica. Nice, dude!" Dick held up his hand towards Logan for a high-five.
Veronica was a little offended, but from the look on Logan's face, this was a good sign. Logan slapped Dick's hand. "Right. That's my Ronnie. Veronica Mars, this is my oldest friend, Dick Casablancas. Dick, you know Mac, um…Cindy. And this is Jeff Ratner, her boyfriend, and my and Veronica's friend."
Veronica was happy to see that Dick seemed to have calmed a bit. He held his hand out to Jeff. "Nice to meet you, man. I guess you know the three of us have some history," Dick said awkwardly.
"Yeah, it was mentioned," Jeff smirked.
"Veronica, I started a late lunch for all of us. The pasta should be just about done. Maybe you and Jeff could go get that set up for us to eat out on the deck." Logan leaned in closer to Veronica, "And open more wine." He kissed her on the cheek and turned back to Dick and Mac.
"Come on, Jeff, let's give them a little space." Veronica headed into the kitchen. From the ingredients set out she had a pretty good idea what Logan had planned. The timer dinged, so Veronica quickly plated the ravioli using a slotted spoon so they wouldn't break. She then shredded the tomatoes and artichoke hearts.
Jeff joined her at the counter and drizzled the pesto and lemon juice over each plate, "Do you think this is going to be okay?" he asked in a soft voice.
"Oh yeah, Logan and I have made this before. I think everyone will like it," Veronica replied, checking the plates.
"I didn't mean lunch, though it does look really good. I meant this thing with Dick. Mac has been pretty upset all afternoon; better than this morning, but still not happy."
"I honestly don't know. Confronting bad memories isn't something I'm very good at. In fact, you saw how good at it I am. I moved to avoid, rather than face, one of mine head-on. And what did that get me?" Veronica quirked a brow at Jeff.
"Um…a great friend, a boyfriend I'm pretty sure couldn't live without you, and well, I'm not quite sure what we are, Mars, but I know I'm glad you're part of my life." Jeff's cheeks pinked.
"When you put it like that, it sounds pretty good, huh?" Veronica smiled, more than good really.
"Yes, it does." Jeff picked up two plates and led the way out to the deck.
Mac took a deep breath. You can do this Mackenzie. You've got this. She felt Logan's hand settle on her shoulder.
"You okay, Mac?" he said softly, while a still fuming Dick, paced the deck.
"I'm fine. I'm more concerned about him. Is he talking to himself?" she asked.
"Don't worry about it. This is part of his process," Logan answered and moved to be in Dick's eye line.
"Dude! A little warning," Dick said petulantly before he continued pacing.
Mac decided that it was now or never. "He didn't tell me either. Well, not until this morning," Mac offered.
Dick whipped around and stared at Mac as if he'd only just noticed her. "But you're still here." He stared at her in confusion.
"Yes, I could have left but I didn't. Don't you want to know why?" Mac did her best to keep her tone even; she had decided to give this a try, and the only way to do that was to not be a total bitch, at least at first.
"Honestly, no. I don't want to see you. I don't want to think about him. I've been doing fine," Dick said, but his words lacked conviction. If what Logan had told her was true, Dick was anything but fine.
"We all thought that, Dick, but I'm telling you, talking to Mac about Cassidy…it's helped. I really think you two should give it a chance," Logan said, leaning gracefully against the railing. Mac hoped that Dick didn't blow a gasket and throw him over; it was a long drop.
"What would I be agreeing to?" Dick asked.
Logan met Mac's eyes, his intent clear. This was her decision. Mac considered Dick. "A conversation. And I think a lot of alcohol. Logan?"
"I can referee if necessary. And we can send Veronica and Jeff out while we work through it. I know they both have some research they'd like to do. How about after dinner with Jake? Until then we can all act like we're old friends and avoid the mines?"
Mac nodded her head. "I think I can do that."
Dick had stopped pacing and was staring out at the view of the trees and the swimming pool below. Mac heard him take a deep breath. "Yeah, okay. Guess it can't make things worse."
Logan stepped closer to Dick, clapped him on the shoulder and leaned in, whispering something Mac couldn't hear. She decided to give them some privacy and headed in to check on Jeff and Veronica.
She didn't have to go far; as she almost bumped right into Jeff as he exited the kitchen.
"Hey, how'd that go?" Jeff asked.
"So far, okay. Dick agreed to stick around and for us all to talk tonight after we have dinner. I guess we're all heading up to Jake Kane's," Mac said, barely able to contain her glee at meeting the software mogul. The sour look on Veronica's face stopped her from gushing further. "Do you not like him, Veronica?"
"I don't know him," she said noncommittally.
"That wasn't an answer. You've met him," Mac pushed.
"I don't know. He kind of rubbed me the wrong way. But I'm sure it was just the circumstances. Anyway, why don't you help Jeff set out the silverware and stuff; Logan wanted me to open more wine," she said, effectively changing the subject.
Mac watched as Veronica disappeared, in the direction of her bedroom bungalow, then turned to Jeff. "What do you know about that?" Mac asked.
"Nothing." Jeff was quiet, then his brow scrunched in the way Mac had learned it did when he was connecting information. "I did a background check on Mars back when she and Moneybags were first together…" Mac raised her eyebrows at him. "Oh, it was totally routine, he found out she was a reporter, and you know how he is about the press. The point is, I remember something from it…" His face scrunched again. "I'd better discuss it with Veronica before I say any more."
Mac smiled, privacy was something they all valued above almost anything else. She took the forks out of Jeff's hand and set them on the table. Then she turned him to face her. "I love it when you're in confidential mode," she said sotto voiced.
"Is that so?" Jeff swallowed.
Mac nodded and took his hand. "This is more of a pasta salad, right? Meant to be eaten cold?"
Jeff nodded.
Mac took his hand and pulled him out of the room. "Good. Veronica can finish setting the table."
Logan led Dick to the front golf cart. Dick had been fairly quiet throughout their late lunch, even though Mac and Jeff hadn't rejoined them. Logan chuckled to himself, thinking about Jeff and Mac sneaking off. He was really happy for them. They were both so reserved most of the time that it was nice to see them relaxed and enjoying each other's company.
"Hey, man, who you got running the shop? Dick asked, bringing a smile to Logan's face. Dick always took a while to work through things. "I was surprised you were willing to leave it for so long."
"Heather, when she can, and then you remember Silvia, the woman that I bought the place from when she retired?"
"Sure, hot for a grandma."
"Um…right, anyway. She's in town and covering for me. I only had a couple of small orders since we're pretty much past wedding season," Logan explained, trying to put Dick's comment out of his mind. "Um…Dick, I wanted to ask you something," Logan said, steering the golf cart down the narrow service road.
"Shoot."
"So you know what I asked you about Gory Sorokin and Chip Diller?"
"Yeah, I remember. What about them? I haven't talked to either of them in…" Dick got quiet, seeming lost in thought for a few moments. "Must have been the last alumni event. Of course, that was just Chip."
"Has he ever asked about me? Or maybe mentioned Veronica?" Logan asked, checking Ratner, Mac, and Veronica's progress in the cart behind him.
"You? Veronica? No, dude. I don't remember either of them ever mentioning you in more than passing back in our college days. Nothing recent. And why would they ask about Veronica? She didn't go to Hearst—I'd have remembered her."
Logan chuckled. Yes, Dick would have remembered a girl like Veronica, and probably gotten his balls crunched for the effort. "Veronica's way too much woman for you."
"Sassy—she reminds me a little of..." Dick trailed off. "You seem happy man. She treating you right?"
Lilly. The name floated through his mind. Logan smiled, and glanced in the side mirror at Veronica again. Maybe she did remind him a little of Lilly, but only on the most surface of levels. "Very happy. Happier than I think I've ever been."
Veronica turned her gaze to the moon, which hung clear in the sky. There wasn't nearly as much light pollution here as in the city and she enjoyed taking in the stars and night.
She turned and saw Jeff and Mac enjoying the same view further down the long balcony, their arms wrapped around each other. And then down by the pool, she saw Dick; he, too, seemed to be occupied by the view. It's a hell of a night for reflection, she thought, letting her mind wander back to her earlier conversation with her source. She still hadn't talked to Jeff or Logan about what had come of it, but she knew she would soon, if for no other reason than that they needed Jeff to get some bodyguards here. Good thing we have that extra bungalow, she laughed to herself as she heard the door open softly.
"I'm really glad you all came over tonight. Let's do this again before you all head back to the city." Jake's voice startled Veronica out of her thoughts.
"That sounds great, Jake. Thank you so much for recommending we come up here. I'd forgotten how nice it is, even if Veronica and I can't really leave the resort. At least your place is just around the corner." Logan's comforting voice drifted over to Veronica as she heard him and Jake approaching where she stood on the upper deck.
"This'll all blow over, Logan. Aaron's already got them spinning it."
Logan sighed as his hands landed on Veronica's shoulders, squeezing gently. "Yeah, Aaron's spinning it all right. And spinning me right back where he wants me. I just don't want to have to deal with him anymore."
"I know, Logan. But life doesn't always work that way. And anyway, a little birdy told me you're sitting on the start of a novel that could be a best seller."
"Wow, Casey has such a big mouth." Logan's arms wrapped around Veronica from where he stood behind her. "I don't know about best seller, but hopefully it's the start of something that could make me more financially independent from Aaron."
"Oh, honey, don't be so modest. I think everyone will love Vivian," Veronica teased, turning around to join their conversation. Jake had made her quite uncomfortable during their previous meeting but he'd been nothing but polite this time. She'd been surprised, though in retrospect, it seemed obvious that Jake and Mac had completely hit it off, spending most of the evening discussing some new thing that Kane Software was developing. Veronica had been relieved that Mac and Jake's obvious connection took some of the pressure off of her.
"Vivian?" Jake asked.
"Oh, my heroine's name. She's a tenacious little reporter who's always getting herself into trouble." Logan leaned down and kissed her temple.
"Is that so? I take it Veronica helped to inspire her?"
"Something like that." Logan's tone was playful, but Veronica could feel him tense up. She turned to look up at him again and followed his gaze down to Dick. Just a few minutes before, Dick had been looking up at the sky, but now he was staring down the steep retaining wall where the swimming pool ended. And while she couldn't be certain, it looked like Dick was shaking.
Veronica stood and stepped into Logan, "Is he okay?"
"Um…I'm not sure. I'll be back. You two play nice." Logan placed another gentle kiss on Veronica's temple and headed back inside.
"So, Veronica, I feel like we haven't really gotten to talk this evening. How are you dealing with all of this?" Jake asked.
"I guess all right. I never expected…well, I guess I didn't expect to have to deal with such a personal attack," Veronica answered honestly.
"Being as in the public eye as you and Logan both are requires a certain amount of…detachment."
"Detachment?" Veronica asked confused.
"Maybe desensitization would be a better way to put it. This is probably more than you would normally have to deal with, but Veronica, Logan will always be part of the public eye, whether he wants to be or not. And, well, if you are going to continue to pursue such, let's say, high profile stories, you need to get used to it. Scandal is not going to be a stranger to either of you. And now that Aaron—"
Jake stopped speaking as one of the house staff appeared in the doorway a phone extended, "Mr. Kane, Ms. Ren—"
"Yes, yes. I'll take it in my office." Jake frowned. "Please excuse me, Veronica." Jake turned and headed back into the house, leaving Veronica even more confused about Jake Kane than she already had been.
Logan walked down the short hall and past the entryway toward Jake's office, which was situated up a small spiral staircase. He hated to go so soon, but Dick wasn't handling things as well as he had hoped. Logan had just stepped up the first stair when he heard Jake's familiar voice.
"It's not like I could say she couldn't come…Yes, I know what the terms of your divorce are—obviously."
Logan heard the sound of pacing steps, as he waited out of sight.
"What do I think?" Jake barked, his laughter bitter. "What do you think I think? She's everything you always described. Though I can't say she particularly reminds me of…" Jake sighed heavily. "You've met Logan. He's growing into a great man."
The pacing had stopped and Logan could just barely hear the sound of a female voice but couldn't make out any of the words.
"Jesus, Lianne! I don't know what you want from me here…Fine, we'll discuss it when I come back for Thanksgiving…I love you, too."
Logan heard what must have been Jake putting down the phone. He slowly backed away from the stair, and as soundlessly as possible, moved away from Jake's office and toward the bathroom located just down the hall.
Once safely behind the door, Logan took a shaky breathe. What did I just overhear? Logan thought back to a few years earlier when he'd joined Jake for a ski trip in Aspen and met a woman named Lianne. He'd been pretty sure there was something between her and Jake, but hadn't asked. Celeste wasn't exactly the warm and cuddly type, and while Logan wasn't okay with it, he also knew it wasn't any of his business.
Logan washed his hands and stepped out of the bathroom, heading back to the deck where their party was enjoying port and the warm fall weather. Logan tried, unsuccessfully, to put the strange conversation out of his mind. He struggled with it a bit more until the moment Veronica turned to meet his eyes and smiled brightly. Immediately all thoughts of anything that wasn't Veronica were pushed from his mind. That is, until he remembered why he had been headed to speak with Jake.
"Hey, love, we need to get Dick back. He's…well, I think the time has come for him, Mac and I to sit down," Logan said softly to Veronica.
"Of course." Veronica stood. "I'll go get Mac and Jeff," she said before taking off down the long deck. Logan watched her hips swinging and wished they were heading back for more alone time instead of to referee a Richard Casablancas breakdown.
"You've got it bad, huh?" Jake asked quietly from just behind Logan.
"Is it that obvious?" Logan turned to face Jake and rubbed the back of his neck.
"To someone who had been similarly afflicted, yeah. I fell in love with a woman I didn't think I could ever live without…and then things changed. Unfortunately, I was right—I couldn't live without her," Jake said, melancholy tingeing his words.
"Celeste?" Logan asked, but didn't believe.
"No, Logan. Not Celeste. Someday I have a feeling I'll have to share the whole story, but until then...well, anyway, take good care of her. I made so many mistakes; I have so many regrets, and I don't want that for you. I know Lilly didn't treat you like you deserved…" Jake trailed off and Logan was almost certain he saw a tear trailing down Jake's cheek.
"You know I loved Lilly. But Jake, that was a long time ago, and Veronica…she isn't Lilly. I'm just sad we didn't get to see who Lilly would grow up to be."
"Me too, Son. Me too." Jake cleared his throat, "I almost forgot. Before you leave town, there's a fundraiser for some cause or other at the winery I'm part owner of; I'd love it if you all came. There's a silent auction, and a dinner. They'll be opening some really nice bottles."
"Oh, that's nice, but you know we can't really be seen in public," Logan said sadly.
"While that would normally be true, this is going to be a very private event. No press and lots of security. I have an extra table, and I'm sure you and Dick could make a nice contribution. Then you could all get out and have a little fun."
A little night out might be just what we need.
A/N: There it is the long awaited chapter 5! Thank you everyone for your wonderful comments and supportive messages. This one ended up being pretty pivotal as far as some down the line things go. I need to give thanks to my wonderful betas Bondopoulos and Marshmallowtasha - you're both awesome and this chapter wouldn't have been possible without all your help while I worked through my writers block and plotting issues. And more thanks also needs to go to Irma66 - Jake Kane just wouldn't cooperate and her insights really helped me to workout how he fits into this mess of a world I've created. So thank you to all of you!
Notes about places and things mentioned: Mumm Napa is real - you've probably even seen their California sparkling wine in the grocery store. It's nice and if you find yourself in the Napa Valley it is definitely worth a visit, the view really is lovely. And I mention a wine—Solari—it is not something you can just buy but again if you find yourself in the Napa Valley head up north to Calistoga and check out Larkmead (appointment required) the place is lovely, the wine is truly top tier, and if you're lucky they'll let you sample Solari (you have to be a member to purchase it). Check out their website and don't let the pretentiousness get to you the wine makes it worth it :)