Can't Let Go(31)

Martin paused, looking down at the table for a moment before meeting Logan’s eyes once more. “I thought I knew what you were all about. But I saw the way you looked at her, Logan. And it was not at all what I had expected.”

Just then, the waitress came over to take their order. Logan ordered his usual, without looking at the menu—eager to continue the conversation. He wanted to know where this was leading. The older man followed suit, not taking any longer than necessary to order exactly the same thing as Logan.

“You were saying?” Logan asked, trying not to appear too eager.

“You really love my daughter.” Martin told him.

“Without question.” What would be the use in lying?

“You didn’t really stop, did you?” Logan shook his head. He was sure it would be impossible to, even now. “I wish I’d known that sooner, Logan.”

“I didn’t want to intrude on whatever life she had made for herself. When I left her—I wasn’t doing it because of anything that she had done. I was just…” He paused, searching for the words, trying to explain to the man why he had left Abby in the first place. It had nothing to do with not loving her enough—in fact, it was just the opposite. He had loved her too much, and that had frightened him for far too long. “I was terrified. I didn’t think I deserved her.”

“I’ve had a hard time finding someone I thought did.” Martin told him and Logan wondered if he spoke of Eric—the man his daughter was soon to wed. Did he really think Eric deserved Abby? “You could have found her again.”

“By the time I had finally figured it all out, I couldn’t imagine she would ever be able to look at me the same way.” Logan told him.

“But she does.” Abby’s father replied. But Logan shook his head, leaning back into the seat.

“No—I really don’t think that’s the case, sir. Marty.” Wouldn’t she have stayed if she did?

“Forgive me for being frank, Logan—but are you blind?” Logan looked up, somewhat stunned. Martin’s eyes held his. Logan recognized that look—he’d seen it on Abby’s face so many times before, whenever he’d done something incredibly stupid. “I’ve never seen my daughter look at any man the way she looks at you.”

Logan couldn’t find his voice for several moments.

“But she hasn’t called me. She hasn’t tried to find me.”

“Because she’s afraid, Logan. She’s spent so much time trying to let you go—so much time and energy trying to push you away. And she’s afraid to let you back in. I saw what she went through, when she came home from Hawaii. ”

“But she has to know that I would never—”

“Plus, she’s a woman bound to her commitments. If she gives her word, she does everything she can to stick by it. She’d sacrifice almost anything.” It was true. Logan knew this from experience. She was as stubborn as they came.

“Even her own happiness?”

“That’s what I’m here to try and prevent, Logan.”

“So you didn’t just happen to be in the neighborhood…” Martin Lewis chuckled, shaking his head.

“Well, no, it wasn’t entirely by chance.” He leaned forward. “Eric is a good man. He really is. I know that he loves Abigail to the best of his abilities. But he’ll never be able to put her wants and needs first. I want someone who will be there for her, Logan. Someone who can take care of her, even when she doesn’t think she needs it.”

“What are you asking me to do, Marty?”

“I’m not asking you to do anything.” The man reached into his pocket, pulling out a thick envelope. “I’m here to give you this.” He slid the heavy stationary across the table. It only took one glance to realize what it was. “I think your invitation must have gotten lost in the mail. I decided I would personally deliver it—just to make sure it made it into the right hands.”

Logan stared down at the expensive looking cardstock, wondering what he was supposed to do with it. “The wedding is this Saturday.”

“Saturday?” Logan questioned—knowing exactly what he was meant to be doing on Saturday.

He had a plane to catch.

“I’m not asking you to do anything you don’t want to do, Logan. Please understand me. I’m not asking you to storm in there and make a scene. I just want you to think about it. Think about what she’s about to do and see if there’s—if you think it’s the best choice for her. And if it isn’t, maybe you can come up with some way to talk her out of it.”

“Have you tried?” The older man shook his head, settling back into the seat.

“I don’t know how much I can say without crossing a line. I can’t tell her not to do it—she’ll think I’m only trying to control her life. I can’t tell her I think she’s making a mistake, because if she does decide to go through with it—she’ll always think that I disapprove. I’m caught between a rock and a hard place.”

“But you think it’ll be easier for me?”

“You’re not her father.”

“No, but I’m probably a little bit biased.”

“It’s worth a shot, Logan.” Logan ran his fingers through his hair, uncertainty coursing through him. “You don’t have to do anything—remember that. I just wanted to give you the opportunity, just in case you had anything to say.” It was obvious that Martin Lewis loved his daughter. He wanted only the best for her—and he’d come to Logan. That seemed worth considering.

“It’s something I’ll have to think about.” He didn’t want to be her father’s puppet, but something told him the man was speaking from his heart. He really was worried about his daughter’s future happiness—and he was only doing what he could.

“Enough serious talk—what’s on your agenda for the day?”

“Actually—packing,” Logan revealed as the waitress arrived with their food.

“Oh?” Martin asked, genuinely intrigued. Logan wondered if his news would alter Martin’s wishes at all.

“I’m moving back east—I bought some property there awhile back and I’ve been going back and forth, building my house. I finally finished a few weeks ago.” After he’d taken an extended vacation to deal with everything that had happened recently.

“Abby always did love the east coast.” Obviously, it wouldn’t make a difference in the slightest. “I was never much of a fan of the winters, myself. Never really knew what to expect.”

“Cold,” Logan responded, smiling. “You can always count on the cold.”

“What about work?” He asked before taking a large bite of his burger.

“Oh, my firm is opening another branch out that way—I’m actually taking a bit of a promotion, going out there.”

“Sounds like pretty much everything is going your way, Logan.” Logan nodded, swallowing the bite he’d taken of his own food.

“Pretty much everything.” He agreed, knowing exactly what it was he was missing.

“You deserve happiness, too. I hope you find everything you’re looking for. You’re a good man.”

“Thanks, sir—I mean, Marty. It really means a lot, coming from you.” Logan knew, in that moment, that the two men had made peace with the past. Logan no longer could blame Martin for his own choices, and Martin knew the role he had played. He had assumed he knew exactly what kind of guy Logan was.

He’d assumed wrong, though. And maybe, if Logan would have stuck around a bit longer—just maybe the older man would have seen it.

Both were guilty, in their own ways. Logan knew Martin was trying to atone for his mistake—and Logan knew that, like Martin, he should, too.

They continued on through lunch, talking about various different topics. The weather, Logan’s job, his years of schooling. Here and there, they would talk about the past—his past with Abby, Hayley and Blake. Logan could tell that Martin had heard little of this—but that he enjoyed the knowledge. The opportunity to know his daughter just a little bit better was one that Martin took with complete sincerity.

When they parted ways, Martin wished Logan happiness. Logan knew, of course—as did Martin—exactly what his happiness would rely on.

He found that he was unable to return to his office and so he wandered around the city, not seeing the beautiful buildings surrounding him—some he’d even contributed to the building of. He was lost among his thoughts, uncertain of what to do.

Abby was a big girl—she was fully capable of making her own decisions. And that would be exactly what she would tell him.



~*~



She stood in her bathroom, the morning of her wedding. She wore nothing but her underwear, staring into the mirror. She wasn’t sure how she had missed it before—a tiny bump now protruded from her normally flat stomach. It wouldn’t be obvious that she was pregnant for at least another month, she guessed—but she could tell now.