Loving Logan - Sammi Cee Page 0,17

box slightly for the little boy to look in. “Can you point to which one you’d like for me? Pepperoni or cheese?”

Jakey glanced at me from under a furrowed brow, then stared into the pizza box. Logan waited patiently, not hurrying his nephew to make a decision, and I liked him a little bit more. Hearing him talk about his nephew was one thing, the way his face lit up when he did it was another, but watching his patience with him was a turn-on and a half. Finally, Jakey’s lips twitched as he slyly pointed with a finger from each hand at both sides, the one with the pepperoni and the one with the cheese.

Logan burst out laughing, and I couldn’t help but chuckle along with him. “Alright, I’ll let you have one of both now, but don’t eat too much and make yourself sick. When you’re full, you stop. Agreed?”

Jakey nodded enthusiastically, sitting up higher in his seat and squirming as he waited on Logan to pull his two slices out, both of them stringing cheese in their wake. Once Jakey had been served, Logan transferred that box to the bottom and put the pizza of meaty goodness on top. “Oh yeah,” I said, rubbing my hands together as Logan opened the box and the hamburger, sausage, and pepperoni came into view.

Logan shook his head and laughed, but relieved the box of two slices for himself. Once I pulled out two, I shut the box. Logan poured Coke into one glass, then held it out to me. “Switch.”

I took the offered drink and handed him the cup of ice so he could get his own. When I looked over at Jakey, his penetrating gaze stared back at me, right into my soul. I shifted nervously wondering if this was it. Maybe the kid already didn’t like me.

Instead, he finally focused on his own plate and picked up a slice when Logan said, “Thank you for waiting for us, Jakey. You have such good table manners. We all have food on our plates, so let’s dig in.” It was my turn to raise a brow at Logan.

“Eating together as a family was important to Haley,” he explained. “She had us all trained not to take a bite until everyone had been served. My mom liked that so much that she picked up the habit as well. It’s how Jakey’s been raised since he could eat on his own so he’s always waited patiently. Isn’t that right?”

Jakey nodded, with a full mouth.

“That’s a really nice tradition.” Logan nodded, and a hint of sadness clouded the still gray orbs. “I think it’s really nice that you’re keeping so many things…in place.”

Logan swallowed and smiled appreciatively, obviously noticing that I’d caught myself before saying alive. “It’s comforting to us all, I think,” he said, vague for the child’s sake.

I agreed and dug in.

By the time Logan took Jakey up to bed, we’d watched Finding Nemo, and it had become abundantly clear that, for the most part, Jakey was nonverbal. At first, I thought he’d been quiet because I was a stranger, but the more I’d watched how seamlessly they operated without Jakey speaking, I knew this was their norm. After Jakey had sucked down his juice box, Logan had grabbed a bottle of water and held it up before the boy, asking him if he’d like water or—then he’d tapped the side of the Coke bottle—soda. The child had pointed at the Coke, and his uncle had told him he could have a little.

After we’d cleaned up from dinner, Logan had brought in a plate containing peanut butter cookies on one side and brownies on the other. Without waiting to be asked, Jakey had pointed at the brownies, and Logan had smiled and placed one on a napkin in front of him. The same process had then been repeated to pick a movie. Logan had held three options in front of Jakey, who’d pointed at the one he wanted, and his uncle had put it on.

“Sorry, I hope you didn’t mind waiting. It takes a while since we have a whole routine,” Logan said as he walked nervously back into the living room where I sat on the couch.

“Nope.” I lifted my cellphone up. “I played a game so I didn’t even notice time passing.”

Logan’s nervousness disappeared for a second as he grinned. “You and those candy games. You’re obsessed.”

“Hey, this one says it’s good for your brain function.”

Logan chuckled and dropped