Yo Ho Ho, page 14
Logan looked at her again and decided maybe he needed to pay her back for the night he gave her. He thought about waking her up, picking up where they had left off the night before. Then his stomach growled. He would need food and coffee before he could do anything else with her.
He grabbed his phone off her night stand, where he had left it the night before, and looked up a local coffee shop. There was a small one nearby, only about a 10-minute walk. That wasn't too bad even with the cold. He slowly slipped his arm away from her, trying hard not to wake her up as he pushed himself off her bed. His clothes were in random places on the floor but luckily seemed to be confined to Max's room so it didn't take long for him to assemble everything from the night before. Sure, he may be doing the walk of shame, but it was for coffee for Max so how bad could it be?
Of course, without a key to her apartment, he would have to knock on her door if he wanted to get back in, but he figured that wouldn't be so bad if he was coming back with food and drinks.
The air outside was cool but not too cold. He was used to it by now after years of playing hockey and being out in the winter with his friends. Besides, this was a good morning. The winter sun was out, the snow on the sidewalk was melting. He had just spent the night with a beautiful woman. Plus, it was Christmas Eve, and it showed as he walked down the street lined with wreaths and evergreen garland. Main St. had strings of lights hung all over the trees and light poles.
As he reached the coffee shop, he found the window out front decorated with twinkling lights and a huge red bow over the door. The inside was just as inviting. It was your typical local coffee shop with cushy couches and tables with people typing on their laptops. Logan stared into the case of baked goods, trying to decide what to take back with him. It all looked so good, but he wasn't sure what Max would like.
"What can I get for you?" the cashier asked from behind the counter.
Logan started picking a few things — a croissant and two different kinds of muffins and a piece of banana nut bread. He figured that Max would find something appealing and whatever she didn't want, he would take with him.
"And what about drinks?"
"A medium black coffee and a medium vanilla latte."
He handed his card over to the cashier and she stared up at him. "Do I know you from somewhere?"
Ugh. He was trying to avoid someone noticing him this morning, but he had forgotten a baseball hat, which was usually his go-to if he wanted to have some anonymity while walking around Detroit. He could avoid this whole production most days with just a baseball hat, but today was not going to be one of those days.
"Well, I—"
"You're Miller's brother."
Logan gave her a perplexed look. "Miller's brother?"
"Yeah, we met at that bar a few weeks ago. I know Miller from college."
Logan shook his head. "Nope, sorry. I actually don't have any brothers."
The cashier looked disappointed as she ran his card through the reader. "That's a bummer," she said. "Miller looked hot the other night. I wish I had his number."
Logan chuckled and took his card back, stuffing it in his wallet. "I can't help you with that. Sorry."
"Oh well," she said. "Your drinks will be ready over there and I'll get your food."
He walked over and waited for the coffees. He couldn't help but smile about the exchange. Someone recognizing him but confusing him with someone else happened on occasion too. Logan figured he had a memorable face but not "Jordan King memorable," for example. People would think they knew Logan from somewhere else, and he wouldn't tell them who he really was so as not to create a scene.
Miller's brother. He would have to share that with Max.
The idea made him smile. Telling Max about something trivial from his day may sound boring, but it was something he never had with anyone else. He didn't tell women he slept with about his day or share something about his everyday life. Max was the first woman that he wanted to stay with the next morning and buy coffee for her and tell her a stupid story.
He was getting in deeper than he expected, but he wasn't sure if that was a problem. Hell, he felt like he wanted that to happen, like it was OK. Sure, Max had rejected him once before. Her job was still going to be an issue for another week and she didn't know what would happen after that. What if she decided to go back to writing again and her new job would have an issue with Logan?
For now, he wasn't going to think about that. He wasn't going to care. He was just going to enjoy this time with Max and hoped he wouldn't have to over think any of it for now.
The cashier handed over his bag of pastries, which he tucked into the large inside pocket of his leather jacket, and he picked up the two warm cups of coffee for the trek back to Max's apartment. It was even easier walking back to her place than it was to walk over. Maybe it was because he knew what was waiting for him when he got there.
He figured out how to open the door into the lobby without spilling the coffee cups, but getting back into Max's apartment was going to be an issue. No keys, hands full with warm cups, pastries tucked into his coat. He was just going to have to do the kicking-the-door routine he reserved for Alex when they were on the road.
Logan got to Max's door and stood there, staring at it. This was bad. He was starting to over think this. Was Max going to be weirded out that he got coffee? That he knew what she liked? Was she going to be awake enough to even answer the door? He had the whole walk back to worry about this and only realized these were issues when he arrived here. He finally just took a deep breath and gently tapped the toe of his boot on Max's door. He waited, hearing footsteps on the other side, before she opened it and gave him a surprised look.
"Hey, you're here."
He smiled. "I'm here and I brought coffee."
Logan walked past her as she closed the door behind him. Then he turned and handed her a cup. "Vanilla latte." He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the bag of pastries. "I didn't know what you would like so I got a little of each."
He offered her the bag, but she just stood there staring at him. It was then that he finally got a glimpse of her. Dark blue jeans with purple socks, a black long-sleeved shirt with "Detroit" in block letters. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail.
"You're dressed already?"
"I have to go to work." She grabbed the bag and held on to it without looking at what was inside. "I woke up when I heard the door closed behind you."
"I didn't mean to wake you up," he said.
"I didn't expect you to come back."
He stuffed his empty hand in the pocket of his jeans. "I thought you would like some coffee."
"How did you know what I wanted?"
He shrugged. "You usually ask for the vanilla syrup at breakfast when we're on the road."
She gave him a little smile and took a sip of her coffee, closing her eyes as she swallowed down the first sips.
"I really needed that after last night."
He couldn't help but smile. He knew exactly what she meant because he felt the same way, which is why he went out to get coffee for them in the first place.
"When do you have to leave for work?"
"About 10 minutes," she said before taking another sip of coffee.
"Can I stay until then?"
What? Holy crap, that sounded whiny or desperate or pathetic. Why did he say that? And yet, Logan knew exactly why. He wanted to be with Max — not just in her bed but with her. Listen to her talk, tell her something about that morning, even just sit quietly on her couch as they drank their coffee together.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to invite myself over like that," he stammered.
"No, it's OK."
She gave Logan a warm smile, a wordless invitation to stay. He gently grabbed her arm, which still held the bag of pastries, and led them over to her couch. Taking the bag from her hand, he gently set it on the coffee table and sat down.
"I got a little bit of everything." He started pulling things out and placing them on her table. "And you should know I had to dodge the cashier, who recognized me."
Max rolled her eyes and sat down. "Did she want an autograph or a picture from the amazing Logan Moore?"
She put her coffee down on the table and picked up the banana nut bread. He would have to remember that for the future.
"Actually, she thought I was Miller's brother."
She gave him a skeptical look and swallowed down her banana bread. "Who is Miller?"
He shrugged and grabbed the croissant. "Hell if I know," he said. "Apparently, I have one of those faces."
"Apparently," she replied teasingly.
She grabbed her coffee again and drank as a silence surrounded them. He took a bite of his croissant and looked over at her. She seemed comfortable and content, her legs folded up under her as she stared at the wall and quietly ate. She took her hand and pulled her feet tightly under her, her purple socks almost disappearing from view.
"No bunny slippers?"
She gave him a small smile. "Those are just for the road," she said. "They make me feel comfortable when I'm away from home. Plus, I get weirded out by the gross carpet in hotels. You never know what's really on those things that they haven't cleaned off."
"Wait, are you a germaphobe?"
"No, I'm a realist," she said defiantly. "Plus, I like the slippers."
"They are cute," he said. "Just like their owner."
Max's eyes narrowed. "Did you just call me cute?"
Logan stuffed a big piece of croissant in his mouth. "Maybe," he mumbled with a smile.
Yeah, he had definitely just called her cute, and she knew it. So what? She was cute and sexy and smart and gorgeous and tough. He liked all of it.
"Hey, can I ask you a question?"
He looked up to see her staring intently at him. By the look on her face, he assumed their teasing had come to an end. Logan could only nod, wordlessly telling her to continue.
"The other night in the hotel, when we were walking back from getting ice, why didn't you try and come to my room?"
Well, this was actually something he had thought about, something he had questioned himself. She was so close. All he would've had to do was follow her in. She might have stopped him or asked what he was thinking. But more than likely, she would've let him in. He knew it and he was sure she did as well. But there was something that had held him back. Something that he never would've thought about if it were any other woman. But this was Max, and Max was not any other woman.
He stared down at the half-eaten croissant in his hand. "You said you had to write your final column, and I didn't want to bother you."
"Really?"
Her voice was quiet and when Logan looked up at her, she had a genuinely surprised look on her face. It made him feel awkward, like maybe he had revealed too much. But at this point, there was no going back.
"Really," he told her. "I thought about it, and I wanted to — really wanted to — but I also know how important your job is to you right now."
"The job I'm not going to have for much longer," she said bitterly.
Logan moved closer to her on the couch and reached for her hand. "The job you're going to on Christmas Eve because you're that dedicated to it."
She turned and smiled at him. "I would have been happy to just stay here with you all day instead."
He pulled his hand away and reached for his coffee. "You can't tell me things like that."
"Why not?"
"If you want to get to work on time instead of me having my way with you right now on this couch, you can't tell me things like that."
Max nodded in understanding. "Noted," she said. "I'm just going to get my shoes and head out if you want to walk with me."
"Yeah, I would like that."
Logan followed her lead as they both stood up from the couch. But as he was about to walk out, Max turned and put her hand on his chest.
"Just for the record, if I didn't have to work today, I would've been happy to have you stay," she said.
He leaned over and gently kissed her, her lips a delicious mix of vanilla and banana. Yep, he definitely would've been happy to be with this woman all day if he could.
Max gently pulled away from him, giving him a wistful look before taking her hand away from his chest, which immediately felt cold without her touch. Then she headed for her front door, and Logan couldn't help but watch her ass in her tight jeans as she walked away. He had to give himself credit for even being somewhat coherent enough to grab his half-finished coffee cup off of her table.
"So what are your plans for Christmas?" she asked as he followed her.
"Hanging out with Alex," he said. "I'm doing Christmas with my family in three weeks when we're back in Winnipeg for our road trip."
Logan could see a flicker of sadness in her eyes and he immediately understood why. He would be back on the road with the team in the new year — and without Max. It was going to be weird without her, but he didn't want to think about that just yet.
"What about you?"
She slipped on her tennis shoes and headed for her red coat hanging on the back of her kitchen chair.
"Hanging out with my family," she said. "My brother and I are staying at my parents tonight. Ever since we were kids, my mom bought us pajamas and had us open them on Christmas Eve so we could have nice new ones for all the pictures on Christmas."
Logan thought about what he wished would be under Max's tree for her tonight. Maybe something lacy or red. Definitely something skimpy. Hopefully, something that he could easily slip off of her body.
"Logan?"
He snapped back to reality to see Max staring at him. "Sorry, my mind wandered."
"I'm sure it did," she said sarcastically as she slipped her arms into her coat. "And for the record, my mom buys us plaid pajamas so get your mind out of the gutter."
"My mind wasn't in the gutter."
Max put her hands on her hips and stared at him. He was going to stay strong. He wasn't going to let her scathing look break him. But he didn't stand a chance against her.
"My mind was totally in the gutter."
Max laughed in a way that went straight to his bones, and Logan knew he would do anything to get that kind of laugh out of her again sometime.
"Let's go," she said.
She grabbed the coffee she had set down along with a large purse, and they headed out together. After she closed the door behind them and made sure it was locked, Max slipped her hand into Logan's. It was just a quick move but felt so natural that he couldn't help but hold on to her. Maybe things would change. Maybe their jobs would cause too many barriers. Maybe it just wouldn't work out. But in this moment, as the two of them walked down the hall of her apartment building with coffees in hand, Logan refused to believe this wouldn't work. This relationship just felt different and special, and the fact that it was Max just made it that much better.
They walked out into the freezing cold, and Max pulled them over to her car in the parking lot. She opened her door and threw her purse in the passenger seat and her coffee in her cup holder before standing back up to look at him.
"Well, I guess I'll see you later."
"I'll see you later," he replied. "How's your schedule for the next few days?"
She gave him a sad smile. "Busy, unfortunately," she said. "There's a lot I have to wrap up before the end of the year."
He nodded and pulled her close, feeling the warmth of her body against his. He didn't fully understand how tough the next few days must be for her as the paper closed up, but he refused to try and push too hard. They could get through the next few days however they needed to. Once that was over, Logan would have Max to himself, and they could worry about what the future held for them then.
"I'll still see you at the next few games, right?" he asked.
"Yeah," she said quietly. "I'll be there."
"Good."
He gave her a kiss on the top of her head and squeezed her a little tighter before finally letting her go. She stood up on her tip toes, giving him a kiss in reply. She didn't seem to care if anyone saw them, which was fine because he didn't care either. So what if someone saw them? A beautiful woman was kissing Logan Moore. He would never complain about that.
She pulled away and smiled at him. "Merry Christmas, Logan."
"Merry Christmas."
Logan reluctantly stepped away from her and waited for Max to get in her car before gently closing her door. He waved as she drove away, taking a sip of his warm coffee to replace the warmth she had taken with him. Then he trudged back to his own car and climbed in. Thankfully, the engine started up quickly and he pulled out of the spot, heading home alone. But he honestly didn't feel alone, at least not the alone he felt when he left his apartment last night.
Now things were different. Now he had Max.
Chapter 19
The game clock was ticking down in the third period with the Pirates up by a goal. As it stood, the potential game-winner was still Logan's goal from last period. It was a beautiful break away with Alex and Logan working together, sprinting down the ice. Alex slipped a no-look pass around a New York defender to Logan, who one-timed it into the goal. Screw football. That was definitely going to make it the Sunday night highlight reels.
What probably wouldn't make it is the quick glance Logan made towards the press box as he skated to the bench after receiving congratulations from his team. Max knew he couldn't see her all the way up here, but it didn't matter. She knew he was looking up to her.
It sucked that she hadn't been able to see him since Christmas Eve. They had exchanged a few texts, but nothing more than to check in with each other. After spending Christmas with her family, Max dove into her work at the Herald. She had stories to write and emails to answer. A few of the media guys asked for her contact information and told her they would keep an eye out for any job openings.
Her final column ran this morning. She had taken Logan's advice and written a piece about her and her time with the team. It was an ode to the players she covered every night and the fans who read her stories every morning. Most important, it was about her love for hockey, which was something she would carry with her after the paper shut down.
