Mad Enough to Marry - By Christie Ridgway Page 0,48

can call for carry-out," he suggested, then hesitated. "If you're still here, that is."

Her silver-blond eyebrows rose. "Why wouldn't I be?"

He cleared his throat. "I thought maybe you would be going back home today."

She shook her head. "Not yet."

Logan sighed, a headache starting to pulse at his

temples in time with the splinter in his hand. *'Mom, what the heck are you doing here?"

She looked down at her hands, twisting her wedding set around and around. **rm trying to get your father's attention."

**I think you have that. He's phoned you every night, but you refuse to take his calls."

'*I need to shake him up a Uttle more. Like you did."

**Like/did?"

She nodded. **When you left the family company you really threw your father for a loop."

Logan grimaced again, regretting having started the conversation. '*Mom, I'm sor—"

**Don't be sorry. I'm proud of you for taking charge of your life. You shouldn't wait as long as I have to get what you want."

Logan grimaced again. '*I didn't realize you've been so unhappy."

**Oh, don't get me wrong. I've been quite content letting Jonathon have his way for many of the years we've been married. He's a fascinating, challenging man, Logan, and I've enjoyed quietly supporting him as he's built the business. But once Griffin came back to Strawberry Bay, and especially now that he's married, I expected your father to give more of the responsibility to him. I want Jonathon to start making some plans to ease up, if not retire altogether. But he won't listen to me."

'*Mom, he's never listened to anyone."

Her laugh sounded a Uttle bit sad. **You're right.

But I think it's because none of us have demanded he hear us. We've let him have his own way for too, too long."

But his father was more stubborn than any person he'd ever met—save one. **I hope you know what you're doing."

She half smiled. '*Me, too." Then she turned to make her way upstairs.

Logan started poking at his sliver, now welcoming the distraction. At least this was an issue—^unlike his parents' marriage, unlike his murky relationship with Elena—^with a clear-cut solution.

About three hours later, the two solution-hazy problems arrived at the Victorian together. Logan was in the parlor, scraping the last of the wallpaper layers when the front door opened and Elena arrived, Jon-athon Chase in her wake.

Her footsteps faltered when she caught sight of Logan. '*Oh. Hi." Her gaze bounced off his face to settle somewhere in the vicinity of his left shoulder.

"Hi." He crossed his arms over his chest, his temper only needing her obvious discomfort to start burning. *'Seven voice-mail messages I left you. Didn't you get one of them?"

"Uh...well, I've had a very busy day."

Damn this awkwardness! If she hadn't escaped this morning without talking to him, if she had returned just one of his phone calls, he could have prevented this. But no, she'd done her best to avoid him and avoid giving them a chance to establish some sort of new order after their intimacy.

**We need to talk," he said through his teeth.

Elena swallowed, then nodded toward his father. '*But Mr. Chase, I mean, your, um, your father's here."

Jonathon adjusted the knot of his silver-and-black tie. **rm here to see Laura."

**0h!" Elena said brightly. '*Why don't I take you up to her?"

Before Logan could protest, she was linking her arm with his father's and towing him up the stairs with her, chattering all the way. Shaking his head, Logan lounged against the wall and watched the little sneak ride off.

But no, no way, was she going into the sunset without him. Not until he made sure she didn't think they'd had a one-night stand, which was just what a woman as stubbornly wary as Elena would think. Tamping down his frustration, he slowly headed after them.

The scene in the upstairs hallway did nothing to improve his mood. Elena had disappeared—^presumably she'd already scurried into her apartment. Logan's headache returned to pound at his temples.

Knowing her, she'd probably refuse to let him in.

Just as his mother was refusing his father. Because Jonathon Chase was having ill luck with his woman too. As Logan watched, his father continued banging on Logan's apartment door with his palm.

**Laura, for God's sake, open up!"

Logan couldn't hear the precise words of his mother's muffled response, but judging from his fa-

ther's expression, it wasn't what Jonathon had wanted to hear. Unsure exactly what to do, Logan halted, standing between the two apartments. The older man turned his glare from the door to his son.

*'Your mother