Eclipse of the Heart (32 page)

She shook her head. "You were a busy boy this
summer."

"I was a lonely boy." He pulled her back down to
nestle against him. "Come here," he said. "I have a lot of
cuddling to make up for."

"And you do it so well." Amanda pushed her nose
into his hard chest, inhaling that all-male scent she'd never get tired of.

"Anyway," Logan continued, "don't worry about
the Molloys. I had Phoebe write them a letter of apology."

"What?" Amanda's head jerked up again in surprise.
"I was going to go after Phoebe when I got back to New York."

"You think I didn't know that? I decided to get it done
for you."

"How'd you track her down?" Red and gold-leafed
trees rushed by as they sped down Route 95. Amanda thought sometimes her life
was rushing by at the same pace.
 
It
seemed a long time ago that Phoebe's treachery had caused her so much trouble.
She hadn't forgotten about it, but she'd had to put aside her determination to
make Phoebe confess. Her pregnancy had been more important and now, as Amanda
gazed at her baby sleeping peacefully in her car seat, she knew she'd made the
right choice.

She picked up Logan's hand. "Thank you for doing that.
I guess you had Phoebe's address from the company's files."

"It only took a phone call." He pressed a kiss to
the top of her head. "You remember my friend David, from the
wedding?"

She nodded.
"David and June.
I
liked them."

"He's an assistant district attorney. I had him call
Phoebe."

"You didn't! Is that even legal?"

"He didn't threaten her. Of course, he didn't have to.
I believe he mentioned the illegal escort business and then he mentioned a
mysterious forged email that needed to be accounted for."

"That email wasn't exactly illegal, was it?"

"Who knows?" Logan shrugged. "I needed relief
from the discrimination lawsuit more than I needed to sue her for the escort
business. I offered Phoebe a deal through David and she cut her losses. You and
the Molloys got the apology you deserved."

"They dropped the discrimination lawsuit?"

"Of course.
They got a good
offer for their company, and that's what they wanted."

"That was nice of David to intervene for you."

"Yeah," Logan said absently. He used the hand that
was resting on her shoulder to lift the top of her shirt and take a peek.
"We have an invitation from June somewhere at the house."

"The house?
We left it on the
Cape?" She thought she'd been careful to pack up everything, but it was
too late now. The beautiful fall scenery had given way to the hard edges of a
crowded urban landscape. They'd reached the city.

"No." Logan glanced out the window as the limo
glided to a stop.
"This house."

Amanda bolted upright, wondering where they were. She hadn't
really been paying attention, but now she could see they were on one of the
narrow side streets of the
upper East side
.

She grabbed Logan's thigh. "Where are you bringing us?
Why aren't we at the condo?"

"I bought a home for us." Logan waved to a
beautiful brownstone tucked in among a row of equally well-maintained homes.
"This is my surprise."

"What?
When?"
She didn't
even know what to ask. "Where did you get the money?"

"In all the excitement, I didn't get to tell you that I
was able to have the public offering for part of my company. It was very
successful."

"In all the excitement?"
What was he talking about?

Logan lifted Laura gently from her car seat. "The
offering took place on the same day Laura was born."

"While you were at the hospital with
me?"
Amanda's brain didn't seem to be functioning properly.
"You left New York and came to the Cape when the public offering was
taking place?"

"Are you kidding?" Logan frowned, looking
genuinely confused. "Nothing on earth could have kept me from your side
once Mrs. MacDonald called me."

He exited the car with Laura and held out a hand to Amanda.
"I gave the condo to your mother."

Amanda halted with one foot on the concrete sidewalk and the
other still in the limo. "My mother accepted your condo?" Her mother
had always been fiercely independent.

"She was a tough sell." Logan grabbed Amanda's
hand and pulled her to her feet. "I finally managed to convince her that a
family was more important to me than more money in the bank."

"But—but—" Tears sprang into Amanda's eyes. She
didn't know what to say. A cool breeze lifted her hair, and she heard the muted
sounds of city traffic from the busy avenue that crossed the end of the block.
She was happy to be back in Manhattan, and even happier to learn that her
family would be so near.

Logan pressed Laura to his shoulder and wrapped his free arm
around Amanda. "Honey, nothing I can ever give you can compare with the
gift you've given me."

He gestured toward the top of the steps, where people were
emerging from the house.
Her mom, beaming with joy.
Julie, sparkling and energetic, now that she could breathe easily.
Julie twirled on the top step. "Look what Rosie made me!" Her hot
pink dress had skinny gold zippers zigzagging all over it.

"Are there any zippers left in Manhattan?" Amanda
called back. Now was not the time to be teary-eyed, even if they were tears of
joy.

Rosie grinned. "That dress is sold out, I'll have you
know."

Mrs. MacDonald waved cheerfully.

Logan leaned his head down to speak into Amanda's ear.
"Our home.
Our family.
Let's
go greet them."

###

Note from Carly Carson
: Thank
you so much for reading this story! I hope you enjoyed it.

Other books by Carly Carson:

Baby, It's Cold Outside (Novella)
:
Amazon:
http://amzn.com/B006FD0LZK

Don't hoax a man if you're going to be trapped with him in a
blizzard.
Especially if he's too hot to resist.
A
blizzard is brewing outside, but it's nothing compared to the storm heating up
inside the apartment.

Excerpt here:
http://www.carlycarson.com/mynewblogwp/bookshelf-2/baby-its-cold-outside-2/

Short Stories by Carly Carson in the
Love Charm Series
:

Love Charm for Ashley:
http://amzn.com/B009RZ8YXY

A lonely teacher casts her homemade love charm into the cold
waters of Boston Harbor. She wants desperately to believe in her unique magic
ingredient to win her a "forever after" love. The hot Special Forces
soldier who appears is desperate for her. But the world is his stomping ground,
and nothing lasts for more than a night.
Does the love charm have enough power to create the magic of true love?

Excerpt here:
http://www.carlycarson.com/mynewblogwp/bookshelf-2/bookshelf/

Love Charm for Brenna:
http://amzn.com/B00A72G096

Brenna casts her love charm at a ritzy Venetian masquerade
ball. She knows exactly which guy she wants to win. But two intriguing men
appear at the ball. Can she see beneath the disguises to her own true love,
even if he's the unexpected one?

Excerpt here:
http://www.carlycarson.com/mynewblogwp/bookshelf-2/love-charm-for-brenna/

Love Charm for Carlotta:
http://amzn.com/B00AHJN4ZW

 Carlotta doesn't believe in love charms.
Especially not when the bad boy hockey player from her past
suddenly re-appears in her life.
But the small town island atmosphere of
Martha's Vineyard conspires against her when she tries to escape him. Do people
change, or will she be courting heartbreak again if she succumbs to her high
school sweetheart?

Excerpt here:
http://www.carlycarson.com/mynewblogwp/bookshelf-2/love-charm-for-carlotta/

Copyright Notice for Love Charm for Ashley: Copyright 2012
by Carly Carson. All rights reserved.

This
ebook
is licensed for your
personal enjoyment only. This
ebook
may not be
re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book
with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you
share it with. Thank you.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places,
and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used
fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locations or persons, living
or dead, is entirely coincidental.