gas stovetop. “Nice pans.”
“Skillets.”
“Nice. I got skills, too. I can hunt. I can fish. I’m a good shot with that gun of mine, if you was close enough.”
Alexander’s brows wobbled into a frown. “Is that a hard feat?”
“Don’t’cha worry. Anyone breaks in, I’ll wet their pants.”
“You’ll make them wet their pants?”
“Right. Wet pants. Nobody be messin’ with me.”
The doorbell chimed, and Logan had never seen a man leap so fast to answer the door.
“Probably Nico dropping in.” Relief saturated Alexander’s voice. Logan grinned.
“Hey,” Nico said, voice slightly deeper than Alexander’s. “I’m starving.”
Humor and horror tinged Alexander’s reply. “You’re in for a treat.”
“Where is he?”
“He said I looked ‘plum tuckered out.’ He’s cooking.”
“He’s in the kitchen?”
“Sifting through my cupboards.”
A snicker. “I see that’s getting you hot and bothered.”
“Definitely one of those things.”
They moved inside. Nico overshadowed his brother by a foot, and it looked like he lifted weights. A ton of them. His face was square-ish, hair not quite as blond as Alexander’s, and his smile stretched widely.
Nico settled on a bar stool across from Logan. Alexander smiled. “You guys catch up.”
Nico snagged Alexander’s sleeve. “Where are you off to?”
Alexander’s gaze darted to Logan. “I forgot to tell Mom what side dish to bring Friday.”
Nico released him, humming. “Uh huh.”
Alexander dashed upstairs.
“Friday?” Logan asked.
“His birthday,” came Nico’s distracted reply.
Logan filed that info away. Especially handy if tonight wasn’t the success he hoped.
Nico grinned. “Definitely missed the accent last time,” Nico said.
Shrugging, Logan busied himself preparing dinner.
Nico’s gaze snagged on the cans and he paled worse than his brother. “Is that part of dinner?”
“Stone and Water is the best brand out there.” Best, and completely fictitious.
“What a pity I ate already. So, it seems I didn’t ask you enough questions in our interview. Let’s remedy. What brought you to our town?”
“Uh, all that good fishin’.”
Nico nodded. “Passing through or settling down?”
“Well now, that there depends.”
“On what?”
“If I fit here.” Logan opened another can. “Now tell me, what do I need to know about Alexander?”
“What do you know already?”
“His name.”
“Ah.”
“Fill me in?”
“Alexander is an art curator—”
“Art curator?”
“Essence Gallery, down the street?”
Essence? Logan walked past it every day—hell, twice today. He frowned. “But these walls are bare.”
“Nothing is ever quite good enough.” Nico pointed to the white wall behind a two-seater. “Every so often, he’ll hang art there, and a day later take it down.”
Nico sighed. “But he’s exceptionally successful at his job. He started at Frasier’s Museum of Art on their curating team before going solo. Now he works with up-and-coming indie artists and collectors. He’s even been published in Clover.”
“The art magazine?”
Nico grinned. “That’s the one.”
“Why does he need a roomie?” Logan mused.
“Why do you?”
Logan shrugged. “I was crashin’ on a friend’s couch. Technically, I could use my trust fund to purchase my own property—parents are old money. They’re divorced, we don’t get along but . . . I don’t like living alone.” He cleared his throat. “And I’m not ready to invest in lookin.’ Alexander?”
Nico’s smile wavered. “Dad has chronic heart disease and it’s expensive. Alexander and I pay for everything not covered by his insurance. Alexander puts in more right now, but I’m working on landing a raise at the library.”
Oh.
Alexander’s step sounded on the staircase; Nico and his brother shared a silent conversation.
Logan sucked a piece of possum—well, chicken—into his mouth.
Alexander’s brows almost kissed his hairline. “This is how much I value growth, Nico. This much.”
Logan turned on the front element. Hungry flames shot up, and Logan reared back. “Fire. Spoon.” He wielded the wooden spoon like it was an extension of him.
“Wonderful. The culinary instincts of a caveman.”
Logan settled the pan over the flames and spooned in his casserole. “Lid?”
Alexander swung off his chair, produced a glass lid, and settled it over the pan.
Logan side-eyed him, hiding a smirk. “Caveman?”
“It’s . . . uh . . . a compliment.”
“I’m sure it is,” Logan said sarcastically.
Nico coughed hard behind his fist, eyes sparkling with glee. “I think you’re the best thing to have happened to my brother in . . . ever.”
He what?
Alexander cleared his throat.
Here it comes. He was about to disagree.
Toss Logan out on his ass.
“I’m happy to have you here as well, Logan.”
Logan gaped at his new roommate. The actual fuck?
“I look forward to getting to know you.”
Had the possum trick not come across clearly? He lifted the open can and tipped half into his mouth.
“Really look forward to it,” Alexander said.
Well, damn. Logan would have to up his act.
Chapter Five
LOGAN
* * *
Tuesday
The moment Alexander parked