Tess parked her car outside Logan's home. She hadn't called him, hadn't done any of the things a normal, sane woman would have done. She didn't know whether she was more worried about him not helping, or what she'd do if he said he would.
As soon as everyone left the café, she'd put two muffins in a bag and driven across town. Logan's home was different from what she'd expected. She'd thought he'd live in an apartment, a bachelor pad he could leave at the drop of a hat when he raced off to report on a story somewhere in the world.
The two-story house in front of her didn't look like the type of home you'd be away from for long. With its wide front porch, steep gabled roof, and pretty garden, it looked like a home someone spent time in.
She picked up the muffins and the newspaper article. If she could have thought of an alternative solution, she wouldn't be here. But Logan was the only person who knew who the bride and groom were. The only person who could help them.
She couldn't let Sally, Molly, and Annie down. She couldn't let the bride down.
With her shoes clicking against the stone driveway, Tess walked toward Logan's home. She recited the words she'd practiced in the car. The ones that would make him realize how important it was that they find the bride.
With a pounding heart, she pushed the doorbell.
When the door opened, she plastered a polite smile on her face. With a frown, she looked down and tried not to stare. A little girl with short red hair stared up at her.
"You're tall."
"Stacey, I don't think..." Logan looked at her. "Tess? What are you doing here?"
"I..." She couldn't remember what she was going to say. She moved her hands and remembered the muffins. "These are for you. I'm sorry for intruding." She turned to go.
"You're not intruding," Logan said quickly. "My sister and niece have been staying with me for the last week. They're about to head home."
"Uncle Logan helped Mom pack the car," Stacey said. "We're going to the airport."
"Logan, have you seen my wallet?" A pretty young woman stood beside Logan. The family resemblance was so strong that anyone seeing them together would know they were related.
Logan nodded at Tess. "Jacqui, this is Tess. Tess, Jacqui."
Jacqui held out her hand. "Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you, too." Tess bit her bottom lip and tried to think of an excuse to leave. "Have a safe flight. I'll come back another day."
Jacqui looked at her brother, then back at Tess. "Don't be silly." She grabbed Tess' arm and pulled her inside. "Logan never introduces us to any of his friends. I was beginning to think he didn't have any."
"Oh, but I'm not—"
"Our secret's safe with Jacqui." Logan put his arm around Tess' waist and hauled her close.
She tried to step away from him, but he was every bit as strong as he looked. "What do you think you're—" His mouth landed on hers and she almost bit his lip. Until she remembered what she was here for, then she kept her teeth to herself.
Turning her head sideways, she ignored the zap of electricity that almost made her forget she didn't like him.
"Uncle Logan kissed you."
The words were said with such awe that Tess wondered if Stacey had ever seen her uncle kiss anyone.
Under the circumstances, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand seemed a little rude. So she pulled out a tissue and pretended to blow her nose.
Logan choked back a laugh.
Tess glared at him.
"I can't believe Logan left it until now to introduce us," Jacqui said. "Mom will be disappointed she didn't come to Bozeman."
Tess sensed a chink in the white knight's armor. At least she hoped he was a white knight. After his lip-smacking deception, he'd better be something useful.
She'd come here to find out where the mystery bride lived, not kiss Logan. But if she said the right thing, he might feel as though he had to help her.
Dredging up everything she'd learned from her years on the catwalk, Tess smiled at Jacqui. "Your brother is such a sweet guy."
Jacqui glowed with happiness. "We think so, too." She glanced at her watch. "We have ten minutes before we need to leave. Come into the living room."
A look of panic crossed Logan's face. He must have sensed he was on the losing end of a bad joke. "Tess just stopped by to say hello."
Tess smiled sweetly. Stepping forward, she ran her finger along the side of his jaw. "It's okay. I can stay for a few minutes." Call her perverse, but she got such a kick out of seeing a blush creep along his cheeks that she leaned in even closer. "I'd like to get to know Jacqui. You've said such lovely things about her and Stacey."
"I'll get the lemonade," Stacey shouted as she ran down the hallway.
"We don't have time to drink anything," Logan shouted back, with a hint of desperation in his voice.
Jacqui rolled her eyes. "Ignore my brother. He's so secretive about his life that it's a wonder he told us he was moving to Montana. Do you live in Bozeman, Tess?"
"I moved here a few years ago. I own a café in town." After they were seated, Tess made sure she sat thigh to thigh with Logan.
He smiled as he put his arm around her shoulders. He didn't look embarrassed now. He looked as though he was settling in for a cozy chat beside the woman of his dreams.
Except Tess didn't want to be his dream girl. All she wanted was the name and address of the bride who'd been burgled.
Stacey proudly carried two tall glasses of lemonade into the room.
Jacqui took them out of her daughter's hands before they sloshed over the floor. "It's just as well you enjoy cooking, Tess. Logan is such a dweeb when it comes to food. If the barbecue hadn't been invented, he'd starve."
"Tess taught me how to cook blueberry pancakes," Logan said with pride. "She's great with her hands."
Tess nudged him in the ribs. Hard.
Logan coughed and pulled her toward him. He seemed to be getting into the boyfriend groove really fast. She didn't know what had happened to the threat of his mom's interest in his life, but it was taking second place to getting close to her.
If Jacqui noticed Tess' attempt to break one or two of his ribs, she didn't say a word. But she did give her brother another confused stare. "How long have you been dating each other?"
Tess wasn't going anywhere near that question. It could lead to disaster, high expectations, and a Mom who might have wedding bells on her mind.
"I met Tess when I first moved here. The dating thing is recent."
Tess smiled. If Logan could read her mind, he'd move his arm about now.
"I'm just happy he's found someone special. After what happened in Afghanistan, I never thought he'd be happy again."
Tess felt Logan retreat long before he moved his arm. Jacqui had touched on something important and her brother had gone into shutdown mode. She put her hand on Logan's leg and smiled at Jacqui, hoping to take some of the sting out of his sister's words. "Bozeman has been good for both of us."
"We need to leave for the airport," Logan said. "Otherwise, you won't get home."
Jacqui stood and held Tess' hands. "I wish my brother had introduced us sooner. You're exactly what he needs."
Tess knew she was the exact opposite of what he needed, but she returned Jacqui's hug and even managed a smile. "It was nice meeting you." She turned to Logan and touched his arm. "I'll see myself out. Bye."
Before anyone said another word, she left Logan's home. After what had just happened, Tess didn't know how she was going to ask him about the newspaper article. Or how she'd be able to speak to him again.
* * *
"How did it go with Logan?" Sally stood in Tess' doorway with a dog that was bigger than most Shetland ponies. "Sit, Max."
Max obediently sat beside Sally. His shaggy coat and big floppy ears were kind of cute if you didn't stand too close to him. Max loved a cuddle, and he'd wiggle his way toward anyone who looked like they might have a soft spot for a giant canine.
"Come inside." Tess held the door wider so Sally and her walking buddy could get through.
"I don't know if that's a good idea. Max can be a bit of a problem in close quarters."
"It's okay," Tess assured her. "If something gets broken, it doesn't matter. Why are you walking Max in town? You usually exercise him at the shelter."
Sally looked down at Max. "I thought a little socializing might do him good. No one wants a big dog, but he's so lovely."
"You're hoping someone will see you and fall in love with Max?"
"He needs a home." Sally didn't have to say what would happen if he didn't find somewhere to live.
Tess patted Max's head and looked into his big brown eyes. "I hope it works out."
"So do I." Sally sighed. "Tell me about Logan. You didn't send us a text."
Tess walked into the living room and sat on the sofa.
Sally followed, with Max at her heels. The big dog collapsed on the wooden floor with an enormous doggy sigh.
Even though Tess felt as though she'd let everyone down, she couldn't help the smile that slipped across her face. "It sounds as though you've been walking Max for most of the day."
"He's a big boy. It takes a lot of energy to move all his weight around." Sally scratched behind Max's ears and earned herself a lick on her hand.
"I didn't ask Logan about the bride's address," Tess said softly.
Sally looked confused. "Why? Wasn't he home?"
"He was home, but his sister and niece were with him."
"I don't understand. Why wouldn't he want to discuss the story in front of them?"
Tess dropped her head onto her chest. "It got a bit strange," she muttered. "Logan kissed me."
Sally's mouth dropped open. "I didn't think you knew him that well."
"I don't. He was playing a joke on his sister, pretending he was my boyfriend."
"And you didn't tell her the truth? That doesn't sound like you."
Tess knew it wasn't like her, which made it so much worse. "I thought if I played along, he'd owe me a favor and have to tell me who the bride and groom are. But then Jacqui started talking about Afghanistan and it all got too complicated."
Max yawned and Sally patted his head. "I didn't know Logan was in Afghanistan. Was he in the military or there as a reporter?"
"I think he was there as a reporter. We didn't talk about what happened. I left a few minutes later."
"So where does that leave us?" Sally sat back in her chair.
"With an unknown couple who are getting married in two weeks' time."
Sally walked to the kitchen. Max lifted his head off the floor and followed her with his eyes. "We need coffee and we need cake. Grab your notebook and we'll see if we've missed any clues that could help us."
"Logan's our best bet."
"And you still might need to see him but, if you do, I'll go with you. He can't kiss my friend under duress and get away with it."
"I don't think duress is the right word." Tess found her notebook and opened it to the information they needed.
"What are you talking about?"
"Logan didn't kiss me under duress. I was just as bad as he was."
Sally put her hands on her hips. "Who kissed who first?"
"Logan kissed me, but it was only one kiss. I didn't kiss him back."
"Well, there you go," Sally said. She looked as though all evidence pointed to a guilty verdict for Logan. "He kissed you first and, therefore, all blame can be directly laid at his feet."
Max looked up expectantly.
Sally sighed. "Sorry, boy. I meant that figuratively, not literally. You're not going near anyone's feet except mine."
Max's head dropped back to his paws.
Sally patted his enormous shoulders. "If Logan can't keep his lips to himself, then we need to send you in with a decoy. I like kissing tall, dark-haired men who look like they belong in a movie."
Tess threw a cushion at Sally. "You're as bad as he is."
"I can be worse." Sally grinned. "I can also teach you all I know. Growing up in a house full of brothers can do that to a girl."
"We'd be safer with my notebook." Tess looked down at the list and tried to see something they'd missed. But each time she thought about the mystery bride-to-be, she thought about Logan.
And that's when she wondered if being an only child had stunted her emotional development. Especially when it came to dealing with stubborn, irritating men.