All of Me, Leeanna Morgan [cheapest way to read ebooks .txt] 📗
- Author: Leeanna Morgan
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Tess looked at the stubborn frown on Logan’s face. “I’m not going anywhere,” she growled. “And I don’t appreciate you going behind my back and organizing what you think is best for me.”
“I know what I’m talking about.”
“So do I. It’s my life, so butt out.” Tess was so angry she couldn’t sit still. She paced backward and forward across Logan’s living room, wondering what she’d ever seen in him. Molly and Annie had woken her out of a perfect Sunday sleep-in to ask her what she thought about going to Seattle. They had everything planned out, too planned out.
“You could be in danger. I don’t know who supplied Senator Gibson with drugs. They might not like one of their high profile clients being investigated.”
“I don’t care about any of that. I’m not running away to Seattle with your mom.”
She could see Logan reining in his temper, trying to plaster an understanding expression on his face. “I know you don’t want to go with Mom, but it makes more sense than staying in Bozeman.”
Tess threw her hands in the air. “Only to you. You’ve got no right to tell me what to do. You knew what would happen before you wrote your story. Now you tell me your friend is publishing another story tomorrow. You’re ruining my life and you want to tell we what I should do? Forget it. I’m not listening.” She turned to stomp out of the door. If she stayed a minute more, she’d say something she’d really regret.
“I’m only doing this because I care about you.”
“Care? You care about me?” Tess turned around and glared at Logan. “I can’t believe you even mentioned that word. You pushed yourself into my life, made out you were a nice person. All the time you were digging into my past, writing a story that would put you on the front page of every newspaper in the country. I bet you even took notes after you left the café. I was stupid to think you were different from other reporters.”
“I am different,” he bellowed. “I wrote the story because I wanted to stop the senator doing the same thing to someone else.”
“As if I really believe that. You wrote the story because Jilly was going to beat you to the front page.”
“I had to print the story before she made a mess of everything.”
Tess planted her hands on her hips. “How do you think that made her feel? She’s your friend and you still wrote your story. What kind of person does that make you?”
“A person who cares about you.” Logan turned his back on her and stared out of the window. “I couldn’t let her write the first story.”
Tess took a deep breath. She knew better than to trust anything Logan said. He was a low-life reporter who’d stumbled onto a story. A front page story that could win him another award. “I don’t believe you. You could have gone straight to the police, but you chose to write your story. You’re no better than Jilly. You just had more facts to back your story up.”
She picked up her jacket and keys.
Logan turned around. “Where are you going?”
“Home.”
“You can’t go. We haven’t finished discussing this.”
“Yes, we have. I’m not going to Seattle and I’m not talking to you again.” She walked out of the living room and headed toward the front door.
“Tess, wait.”
She wasn’t waiting for anything Logan Allen might or might not say. She closed the front door and walked out of his life. Forever.
“What are you doing?” Annie stood beside Tess, staring down the same stretch of sidewalk Tess had been looking at.
“I’m waiting for the newspaper to be delivered.”
Annie looked at her watch. “It’s usually here by now.”
“That’s what I thought. Did Logan tell you to hide it again?”
“Not this morning. Why are you so annoyed with him? He’s only trying to help.”
Tess stalked back into the kitchen. “He’s not helping. He’s created a huge mess, all because he wanted his story on the front page of the newspaper. He doesn’t care about who he steps on to get there.”
“That’s not true. He wouldn’t have sent you to Yellowstone with his mom and Dylan if he was like that. He didn’t even mention your name in Saturday’s story.”
“I don’t care, not anymore. I just want today to be over so that we can go back to everything being normal.”
Annie washed her hands in the sink. “Depending on what’s in today’s newspaper, I don’t think your life will ever go back to what it used to be.”
Tess looked at the bowl in front of her. “I thought I’d left all of this behind three years ago.”
“Life has a funny way of catching up with you.” Annie glanced at her watch again. “Why don’t you ask Becky or Emily if their newspapers have arrived?”
“I’ll go and see Becky in a few minutes. I don’t think Emily will be at work yet.”
Annie tied her apron around her waist and frowned at the list on the wall. “What time did you arrive this morning?”
A column of green smiley faces sat beside most of their usual Monday morning dishes. “I turned on the ovens at four-thirty. I couldn’t sleep.”
“No kidding. Did Logan stop by the café?”
“I told him I didn’t want to see him again.”
Annie shook her head. “I love you lots, Tess, but sometimes you’re so stubborn that you can’t see what’s in front of your nose.”
“I see plenty.” Tess added another cup of flour to the scone mixture on the counter.
“Only when you want to.”
Tess reached for the sugar, then changed her mind. “I never used to stand up for myself. I didn’t want to hurt people’s feelings or make them feel bad. Maybe I have been overcompensating. But I’m so angry with Logan that I don’t know what else to do.”
“What are you so angry about?” Annie asked softly.
“He used me. All this time I thought he liked spending time with me, but all he wanted was a story.”
“You don’t really believe that, do you?”
“I’ll tell you after today.” Tess’ head shot up when someone knocked on the front door of the café. She looked at Annie and started moving quickly out of the kitchen.
Molly stood in the doorway waving a newspaper in the air. “I’d normally say good morning, but I know you’re looking forward to reading this as much as I like going to the dentist. It was sitting beside your front door.” She handed Tess the Monday edition of the Bozeman Chronicle.
Annie joined them at the front door. “I’ve got two questions for you. What are you doing up so early and do you want a cup of coffee?”
“I’d love a cup of coffee and I’m up early because my sister needs help. The Hillcrest Community have planned some special events this week. They want a dozen flower arrangements delivered by ten o’clock this morning.”
“I didn’t know you knew how to arrange flowers.”
Molly grinned at Annie. “When we were teenagers, Becky and I helped our nan in her florist store. We made bouquets and boutonnieres by the dozen each weekend.”
A horn tooted from the street and Molly turned around. “I have to go. Harry’s arrived with the flower delivery. I hope the article’s not too bad.”
Annie looked at the newspaper in Tess’ hands. “So do we. I’ll bring a couple of cups of coffee across for you and Becky in a few minutes.”
“That would be grand. I’ll see you soon.” Molly left the café and met Harry, the delivery man, at the back of his truck.
Tess carried the newspaper to the front counter and carefully laid it flat.
Annie watched her. “Are you going to turn it over and look at the lead story, or read the sports section for the rest of the morning?”
Tess straightened the paper, glancing at a picture of the Bobcats rodeo team. “Do I have a choice?”
“Of course you have a choice. If you don’t want to read the article you don’t have to. But don’t ask me to give you clues about what Logan’s friend wrote.”
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