Two Times as Hot (5 page)

Okay, that was mean. Emma mentally took the nasty comment back and waited for Becca’s
answer.

“Looking back, I think I did feel it then, but I didn’t realize it. At least, I didn’t
admit it to myself. I sure tried to keep it casual. Just a one-night”—Becca’s gaze
moved to Tara as she cut herself off—“um, just a casual meeting.”

Emma smiled at how Becca scurried to not tell Tucker’s little sister how she’d planned
on one night of hot sex and nothing more.

Tara leaned forward in her chair. “So then how did you and Tuck end up together?”

“Once we saw each other again and I discovered we both worked at OSU—”

“You couldn’t keep it casual anymore,” Tara finished.

“No, we couldn’t. I guess it was inevitable we’d end up with each other. I just was
too . . .” Becca searched for the word.

“Stubborn?” Emma had no problem supplying it.

“Yes, thank you.” The look Becca sent her was not at all grateful. “Too stubborn to
realize it.”

“That’s how I think it is with me and Logan. I can tell he’s trying to keep it casual,
probably out of respect for my parents or something, but it’s inevitable we’ll end
up together. I know we will. Hopefully by the end of tomorrow night.” Tara looked
confident in her prediction.

Unable to take any more of Tara’s youthful exuberance when it came to the topic of
Logan, Emma stood. “I’m going to get us another round. We all ready? Maybe some shots,
too. What kind do we want?”

 

The room tilted slightly to the right, which made Logan’s decision for him. He’d considered
standing up, but on second thought it might be best to stay sitting right there. Possibly
all night.

“Dude, another Alabama Slammer?” Tyler stood before him holding a glass shaker of
something red in his hand.

“No. Thanks.”

“You want a different kind?” Tyler asked. “I’ve got Jaeger if you want.”

“No. I’m good.” The four shots Logan had been talked into doing had been a bad idea
to begin with.

Shots—and sweet, red-colored ones at that—were for college kids and young guys like
Tyler. Not for a man about to turn forty. Logan could handle his liquor, just not
so much of it in so short a time and definitely not Alabama Slammers. Give him some
straight bourbon or whisky. Or hell, even tequila. That Logan could metabolize. But
sticky, sweet crap? Not so much.

He probably should have eaten more at the party at the Jenkinses’, too. If he hadn’t
been so busy drooling over Emma, and being pissed that Jace was doing the same, he
might have enjoyed the food and had more.

Not enough dinner, sugary sweet shots, and a belly full of beer—the perfect storm
for one hell of a hangover tomorrow. Crap. Logan groaned when his fuzzy brain remembered
what tomorrow was—Tuck’s wedding day.

Jace and Tyler had gone all out in their planning for this shindig. A hotel room crowded
with old friends, an exotic dancer—who had come and gone so fast that maybe they’d
be able to get away with not telling the bride a stripper was ever there—beer and,
of course, the infamous shots. But it was getting late.

Logan frowned at his watch and realized it was harder to read than it should be. Damn,
he was drunk. This party needed to break up. Or at least Tuck needed to quit drinking.
The groom couldn’t crawl down the aisle reeking of booze and looking like death warmed
over because he’d been out drunk all night. He scanned the crowd for Tuck and found
him talking to Jace.

Drawing in a deep breath, Logan braced a hand on each arm of the chair and hoisted
himself up. He stood for a second until he knew he could walk without stumbling, and
then made his way over.

“Logan. You need a drink?” Jace glanced down at Logan’s empty hands.

“No, thanks.” Logan eyed the big red plastic cup in Tuck’s hand. “What are you drinking?”

“Pop.”

“Really?” He glanced into Tuck’s cup and saw it did indeed look like cola. “With bourbon
in it?”

Tuck laughed. “No. Just plain old soda pop. Becca would kill me if I was hung over
tomorrow.”

Well, crap. Logan had been trying to keep in the party spirit. As one of the groomsmen,
it was his duty to participate in all the activities, but if the groom hadn’t even
been drinking, then why the hell had he?

Logan shook his head. “Then she’s not going to be too happy with me.” Good thing the
wedding was later in the day or he’d be in big trouble.

“You’ll be fine. She’s so happy this day is here, she won’t even notice that all the
men are moving a little slow.” Tuck grinned.

“And wearing sunglasses,” Jace added. “Nothing worse than a sunny day after a long
night.”

True that. Logan cringed at the thought of the headache he’d suffer from in the morning
and glanced at Jace’s drink. “What’re you drinking?”

“Unlike the groom here, my soda pop comes with bourbon.” Jace grinned and raised his
cup. “I couldn’t handle any more of that red shit Tyler’s pouring.”

Jace had been smarter than Logan, and that knowledge didn’t sit any better in his
gut than those shots. At least Jace was drinking something alcoholic so Logan would
have company in his hangover misery tomorrow. He should probably find some water and
get home. Sooner rather than later.

He glanced at the desk. There must be a phonebook in here somewhere. Hotel rooms had
two things, a bible and a phonebook. He’d get his dose of the first at the church
tomorrow during the ceremony, but right now he had to find the second because he really
needed to call a cab.

“So, Tuck. I asked Emma to be my date tomorrow and she said yes.” Jace’s declaration
brought Logan’s head around from his visual search for the phone directory.

Tuck glanced at Logan before saying to Jace, “Really? I didn’t know you were planning
that.”

“I didn’t know it myself, until I got a look at her in that dress.”

Logan set his jaw, trying not to punch Jace in his grinning mouth for talking about
Tuck’s sister-in-law like some piece of ass he’d picked up at a bar.

“You do know my parents invited Jacqueline’s whole family to the wedding, right?”

“Uh, what?” Jace looked ready to vomit up his bourbon at Tuck’s news.

Logan sifted through his alcohol-soaked brain and retrieved a fuzzy memory. Jacqueline
was the girl Jace had dated for years, until they broke up a year or so ago. Judging
by how Jace had paled at the mention of her name, the breakup hadn’t been all smooth
sailing.

“They belong to our church, so my parents invited them.”

“And are they coming?” Jace swallowed hard. “All of them?”

“Yup. You gonna be okay with her being there?” Tuck eyed Jace, probably afraid there
could be trouble with the two ex-lovers in the same room.

“Sure. Why wouldn’t I be? We’re still friends. We talk. She’s called me a few times
when she needed help with something or another.”

If that were all true, then why didn’t Jace look happy? Could it be because his former
girlfriend who still called him would be there while he was on a date with another
woman? Logan got the distinct feeling Jace had hoped to have his pie and eat it, too.
Have what fun he could with Emma while she was in town, all without Jacqueline ever
knowing. That way after Emma left town, Jace could go back to whatever post-breakup
dance he and his ex-girlfriend were doing together.

If that had been Jace’s plan, Logan took great satisfaction that it had been ruined.
Emma deserved better than that. She deserved a date to the wedding who would be focused
solely on her. Logan could definitely have been that guy. The army was the only other
commitment in Logan’s life, and this weekend he was on official leave, so even Uncle
Sam wouldn’t demand his attention.

Still looking disturbed, Jace took another big swallow out of his cup and then glanced
at the desk where the booze was spread out. “I need another drink.”

Logan would bet he did. He couldn’t help his smile as stone-faced Jace made a beeline
for the bar. “Hmm. Interesting turn of events with Jace’s girlfriend being there tomorrow.”

“Isn’t it?” Tuck laughed. “So . . . did I kick that door open wide enough for you?”

“What door would that be?”

“The one Emma’s behind. Now that Jace will be worried about Jacqueline being there,
you and she might get that walk through the rose garden after all. That is what you’re
hoping for, no?”

So much for his poker face. Logan laughed. “I can’t fool you, can I?”

“No more than I could fool you.”

Logan shook his head. “Guess not. But damn, open door or not, I’m going to be useless
tomorrow if I don’t get home, find some water and aspirin, and get some sleep.”

“Come on, I’ll drive you. I need to get out of here, too. Knowing Becca, she’s waiting
up for me.”

Knowing Jace, and that he was partially in charge of this bachelor party, Logan didn’t
blame her. “Can you drive?”

“Yeah. I only had one beer here. I switched to this hours ago.” Tuck raised his cup
of pop.

“Okay. Then let’s go.” His own bed, or at least the bed in his old room at his parents’
house, sounded very good to Logan about now.

“Just let me tell Jace and Tyler I’m leaving.”

Logan leaned against the door as Tuck said his goodbyes, amid plenty of protest from
the guests that the groom shouldn’t leave his own party.

Most of the guys were so drunk, Tuck was able to skirt the issue and get away. “All
right. We can go.”

“Good.” Because the sleepy stage of being drunk was starting to creep up on Logan,
and he could hardly keep his eyes open.

“It was good to see you loosen up tonight.” Tuck grinned as Logan stumbled out the
hotel door and toward the parked truck.

“Don’t get too used to it.” Good chance Logan wouldn’t be drinking again for a long
time. And once the semester began and they were surrounded by ROTC cadets, he’d have
to act more like Tuck’s superior officer than his friend.

“Believe me, I won’t. But it was nice tonight.” Still wearing a smile, Tuck clicked
open the door locks.

 

The truck ride lulled Logan into a hypnotic state. Before he knew it, Tuck was jostling
him.

“Wake up, Sleeping Beauty.” Tuck’s voice came from across the dark cab. “You want
me to drive you right to your door?”

Logan dragged himself up from sleep and realized the truck was parked in the Jenkins
drive. He straightened his spine, stretching sore muscles. It hadn’t been a long drive
from the hotel to the house, but it had obviously been long enough for him to fall
asleep, or pass out, and for his back to get stiff. “Nah. Thanks. I can walk home.”

“You sure? It’s dark. Don’t want you to trip and fall.”

“Yes, smart ass. I’m sure. I’ll be fine. It’s almost the full moon.” Logan glanced
over and saw the swath of illumination from the floodlight outside his parents’ house
next door. “And Mom left the porch light on for me.”

This felt like he was a kid again. Hanging out at the Jenkins house until after dark,
and then walking home across their lawns by the glow of a single bulb.

“All right. Don’t want you to break something before tomorrow.” Even in the dimness
of the truck, Logan could see Tuck’s cocky grin.

“I won’t.” Logan reached for the handle and swung the passenger door wide. Before
he stepped down, he turned back to Tuck. “Have fun explaining the late hour and that
stripper to your bride.”

Tuck groaned. “Thanks.”

With a smile of satisfaction, Logan got out, slammed the door shut, and aimed slightly
wobbly legs for home. He did pretty well. The path he walked wasn’t exactly straight,
but he didn’t trip and end up facedown in the grass so Logan was feeling real proud
of himself as he neared the mecca that was his bed.

“Logan! Wait up.” Tara’s voice had him stopping in mid-step before he’d crossed the
property line.

“Tara?” He turned and saw her jogging toward him. “What are doing creeping around
in the middle of the night?”

She came to a stop in front of him and swayed a bit. When she reached out and regained
her balance with a hand braced on his chest, Logan figured it out. Tara was drunker
than he was. Or at least more unsteady. “I was sitting on the back porch and heard
you and Tuck in the drive.”

He grabbed her hands to stop her as she moved them down his sides. “You shouldn’t
be up. It’s late and tomorrow is a big day.”

“I know. My big bro is getting married.” Tara was dressed in a shirt he’d never seen
before, and it allowed him to see much more of her than he wanted to.

He yanked his eyes up and away from her cleavage. This girl was and always would be
in the sister category in his mind. “What I meant, Tara, was that I think we both
need to get to bed.”

“My thoughts exactly.” Wearing a sly smile, she took a step closer.

As she pressed against him, Logan stepped back. “Tara. You’ve had too much to drink.”

“Don’t sound so judgmental about it. Everyone else was drunk, too.” She dropped her
hands and folded her arms across her chest.

This was good. He could handle an angry Tara much better than an amorous one. Now
that the immediate danger of her fondling him had passed, what she’d said struck him.
“Everyone else is drunk, too? Like who?”

When he and the guys had left the party to go to the hotel for Tuck’s bachelor party,
there’d been friends and relatives milling around drinking coffee and eating cake.
What could have possibly happened after that to get everyone drunk? Shots of after
dinner cordials? Doubtful.

“We girls went out for drinks for Becca’s bachelorette party. It was Emma’s idea.”

The mention of Emma got Logan’s attention. He pictured how different things might
have been if Emma had appeared out of the darkness and wrapped her arms around him
instead of Tara. That thought had his body starting to wake up, just when he’d assumed
it was as drunk as his brain and ready for sleep.