Between You and Me

“Oh my goodness,” Tess murmured, obviously touched. “I feel the same way about you.”

“Thank you for making my son smile again,” Annmarie said, her voice catching. “Thank you for making him happy.”

Logan felt his heart drop to his stomach. He almost swayed where he stood.

“If I’ve done that, that’s wonderful,” Tess said quietly. “He’s an incredible man, your son. I adore him. Thank you for sharing him with me.”

At that, Logan’s breath caught, emotions ravaging him.

And as he recalled it again now, he felt his eyes prick with tears. Jesus, what had he done? He’d perpetuated a lie to make his mom happy, and justified it as granting a dying woman her wish. But now . . . Annmarie had grown to care deeply about Tess, and vice versa. Was that fair, to either of them? He didn’t know anymore. He didn’t know anything anymore. There were no lines, much less blurred ones . . . only chaos. In such a short time, everything had changed. He had changed.

But he held all that inside. He made sweet, tender love to Tess to wake her up. They showered together, they ate breakfast together, and he helped her pack up the last of her things. He carried her suitcases to the car and helped her with Bubbles. They drove to the airport in silence. She held his hand the whole way there, and he savored the feel of her soft, warm fingers intertwined with his.

At the airport, he unloaded her stuff and took it to curbside check-in, then offered to wait with her . . . but Tess shook her head. When he saw tears in her eyes, his heart stuttered and his stomach started to churn.

“My God,” she whispered huskily, “I’m going to miss you so much.”

He tried to swallow back the lump in his throat. “I’m going to miss you too. More than you know.”

She flung her arms around him, holding tight as if her life depended on it. He held her close, breathing her in, memorizing her scent and the lines of her body and the thick softness of her curls between his fingers . . . and trying not to let her tears pierce his heart. He failed. Every moment ripped his heart out a little bit more.

“This isn’t goodbye,” he whispered, echoing her words to his mother the night before. “It’s just goodbye for now.”

“I know,” she said, sniffling and trying to compose herself. “I know. I’ve just gotten so used to seeing you, being with you . . .” She pulled back to look up at him, and the tears streaked down her face. “Thank you for everything. Everything, Logan. This winter with you . . . I’ll cherish it for the rest of my life. I need you to know that.” She grabbed his face and kissed him hard.

He yanked her in tight, kissing her back with all the passion and love in his heart. “I will too,” he choked out between kisses. “You’re my Long Island Lady. You’re amazing. So don’t disappear, okay?”

“Not a chance.” She pulled back, leaning her forehead against his, stroking his beard, her eyes closed as the tears rolled down her face. “I have to go,” she finally whispered raggedly.

He watched her go to the truck and lift Bubbles out of the backseat. Ah man, he’d even miss that cute little dog. He scratched her behind the ears and said, “You take good care of your mama, okay?”

Tess gasped out a sob. He cupped the back of her neck and pulled her in for one long, last kiss. “Take good care of yourself,” he commanded in a rough murmur. “Let me know how you’re doing. I know it won’t be every day like it’s been here, and that really, I have no right.”

“We’re close now,” she said staunchly. “Of course you have a right.”

“Well, then. Just let me know once in a while that you’re okay.” He stepped back before he lost it and asked her not to go. “If you need anything, you let me know. I mean it.”

“I know you do.” She smiled sadly, wiping away her tears with her free hand. “You too, please. If your mom takes a bad turn, if you need to talk, if you need anything . . . please call me. Text me. Anything.”

He nodded, staring back. “Goodbye, sweetness. Safe flight.”

Her eyes welled again, but she smiled through it one last time. Clutching Bubbles close, she turned away to walk into the terminal.