The Family Man

He swore.

At her.

Thea’s cheeks filled with color. “I shouldn’t have pried. I’m sorry.”

“You’re sorry.” His muscles tensed again.

“I was just trying to help. It’s like you’re wearing this sign that says go away, and yet underneath it you’ve written don’t go—”

“Like hell I did.”

“And I’m such a sucker for strays.” Her bells echoed on the porch, mocking his indignation.

What right did Thea have to be upset? Logan’s body began to shake. “I’m not asking for help and there’s no sign on me, clear?”

“Perfectly.”

“I could have sent you on your way first thing.” He should have brawled with Spider in Sun Valley. At least then he’d have taken the edge off.

“I appreciate it.”

She was almost infuriatingly polite. Logan flexed his fingers.

“Did you also try to fix Wes?”

Thea blinked, barely pausing. “No.”

She was cooler under fire than Logan would have thought for someone emitting all that color and noise. “So, based on a few hours with me, you’ve decided I need some therapy?”

“I think you need to talk about your feelings.” She straightened, looking aside. Her cheeks turned pink. “Yes.”

“And Wes didn’t.”

“No.” Her gaze rose to the stairs at his booted feet.

“Did you know that Wes can’t keep his wallet or his dick in his pants? He’s always broke and sleeping around. And you didn’t see any signs on him?”

She paled, looking at a point near his knee. “No.”

His throat threatened to close, but he forced the words out anyway. “Did you know that Wes Delaney is a heartless, selfish, son of a bitch who doesn’t care for his girls and didn’t care for my sister?”

“No.”

“Did you know that he left the day Deb was diagnosed with cancer, took all the money out of their bank account and disappeared? Leaving them no choice but to move in with me?”

“Or that when he showed up months later and took the girls that I didn’t raise a hand to stop him?” Logan leaned forward and raised his voice. “Knowing what I do about him, I still let them go. I’m just as low as him. Signs? I’ll tell you what you can do with your signs.”

“Is that true? About the girls?” Thea didn’t back down, but she wasn’t in his face, either—surprising, because most women didn’t let the door hit them on the way out after he unleashed just a hint of his temper.