“Melody…who…”
“I believe Lori is free.” She raised an eyebrow at Logan. He nodded his head. Victoria was the last person she wanted anywhere near this document and Logan knew that.
She moved to the door, looking back at Logan and Claire. It took all her will power to walk out of the room, leaving the two of them alone behind a closed door. She shook her head. He’s not going to ask her to marry him, Melody. She’s out of his life…you need to trust him on that.
It took only a few minutes for Melody to dictate the contents of the statement to Lori, retrieve the printed copy and return to her office. But it felt as if she’d been gone far too long.
When she opened the door, Logan was standing by the window, Claire still sitting in the same chair. Melody mentally chided herself for thinking anything would have happened. Logan turned, the pain on his face somewhat lessened.
Melody placed the paper in front of Claire, laying a pen on top of the document.
“Read this carefully. It’s your sworn statement of fact. If anything here isn’t accurate, tell me. Otherwise, sign here.” Melody pointed at the document. “I’ll witness the signature.”
“Is that it?” Claire turned to Logan. “What about…Logan? About us?”
Logan was shaking his head. “There is nothing left Claire. You know that. It was over from the minute you took Danny into our bed.”
“But I thought that since…you agreed to meet…that you wanted to see me.” The tears started again and Claire pulled another tissue from the box, sniffling as she twisted it in her hands.
Melody took the signed document and walked quietly behind her desk but remained standing. Logan was still at the window, his eyes on Claire. The anger had left his face but he looked tired, drained. His voice was flat and emotionless
“No, Claire. Don’t read into this what’s not there. Go home, go back to your child…to Danny, if that’s who you’re with.”
Claire shook her head. “No. I’m not…we’re not together. He left when he found out about the baby…that I was expecting.”
“Well, then I’m sorry for that. But there’s nothing I can do.” He’d moved away from the window, standing behind the edge of Claire’s desk. Melody felt his fingers brush against hers and she involuntarily wound her fingers loosely though his.
“There’s someone else now, Claire. I have someone else.”
“Oh.” Claire’s voice was small, almost inaudible and her eyes moved between Logan and Melody. “Oh…I see.”
“But even if there weren’t someone else, ye tore my heart out, Claire. There’d be no going back, not after what ye did.”
“I know…I just hoped.” With a final sniffle, Claire rose, retrieving her purse from the chair beside her. “I’ll go now. I see you’re happy. If it makes a difference, I am sorry, Logan. I never wanted to hurt you.”
“Aye, but you did, Claire.” The cold sound of Logan’s voice sent a shiver down Melody’s back, and she had a brief moment of pity for Claire.
Melody let go of Logan’s hand, walking toward the door. “Victoria can take you down to the lobby. Let me remind you the statement you gave is under oath, and a legal document. I would ask that you keep it confidential as well.”
Claire turned back to Logan. “But what do I do about Mr. Ashton?”
Logan’s laugh was harsh. “Ye could tell him to go to hell, if you’d have the mind. Ye should have told him that in the first place. But you can tell him you’re not a liar and not interested in ruining my career just to line his pocket.”
“If Mr. Ashton continues to pursue you, or this campaign of lies, I’d advise hiring an attorney of your own and handling it that way. I can’t do anything for you, since I represent Mr. MacKenzie.” Melody glanced at Logan.
“I think we’re through here. Thank you for your time.” Melody opened the door, depositing the shaken Claire with Victoria.
When she turned back, Logan was sitting down, elbows resting on the table, his head in his hands. Melody closed the door quietly behind her. She walked behind him, wrapping her arms around his neck, her hands resting on his chest, her head beside his.
He raised his head, leaning back against her, his hands over hers.
“Are you alright?” She whispered the words against his cheek.
“I’ll be fine. I feel like I’ve been on the losing end of a bar fight though. My head hurts something fierce.”
“Well, this is over. We know what she wanted…”
“Aye. It wasn’t what she wanted though. It was what Ashton wanted…to ruin me. He’s not satisfied with just stealing my money, he’s interested in making sure I never make any more.”
Melody kissed his cheek. “I know. I’m not really sure how much lower that man can stoop.
“It’s bad enough that he’s out to ruin me but it galls me that he would use Claire. She’s just a simple girl from home. You saw her…she’s got no sense about how things would have turned out.”
Logan turned, looking up at Melody. “Thank you, Melody. For being here, for being kind to the girl. I know this was hard for you. But you don’t know how much it eased my mind having you here.”
The tears she’d been trying to hold back ran down Melody’s cheeks. “It’s us together, Logan. Always. There’s nowhere else I would have wanted to be, even though it was hard…for both of us.”
Logan rose, pulling her against him. “Aye. But now we know what we needed to. There is no child, or at least no child of mine. And it was Ashton behind all of it.”
Melody rested her cheek against Logan’s chest, breathing in the scent of his cologne, his own warmth beneath that. She closed her eyes, savoring the feel of his arms around her.
They were quiet for a moment, Logan slowly running his hands over Melody’s back. As relived as she was to find out the child was not Logan’s, something tugged at her mind. A question she needed to ask. But she wasn’t sure she wanted to hear the answer. She lifted her head, and his gaze met hers.
“Are you disappointed at all? I mean, that you don’t have a child?”
Logan brushed a stray tear away from her cheek with his thumb. “Truth? As much as I want a child, I didn’t want one this way. By deceit or tricks, or with a woman who slept with my best friend. A woman who dinna have enough respect for me to stand by me. OR to leave.”
He held her face in his hands, his eyes searching hers. “When I have a family, it’ll be with the woman who loves me, who’s been by my side through whatever hell has tossed at us. And that’s you, Melody. I love ye, ye ken that. You’re the only woman I want bearing me children.”
He bent his head, his lips finding hers. His kiss was gentle and soft, his lips and mouth and tongue reassuring Melody more than his words ever could how he felt. She melted into the kiss, forgetting where they were, letting Claire slip from her mind.
A soft knock on the door broke the moment. Melody pulled away from Logan, moving behind her desk, as he turned toward the window.
“Come in.”
Victoria’s head appeared around the door frame. “Oh, I’m sorry. I thought you were alone.”
“It’s fine. We’re almost finished here. Mr. MacKenzie was just leaving.”
“Aye. I’m on my way out. Thank you for your…assistance today, Ms. Lawson. I’ll be in touch.”
And then he was gone. Victoria trailed after him for a few steps, but it was apparent he knew his way to the lobby and wasn’t waiting for an escort. Melody watched her in the doorway, frowning. Finally Victoria came back into Melody’s office, papers clutched in her hand.
“Did you need something, Victoria?”
“I have this…” She held out a sheaf of paper. “For your review and signature. It can be filed then, if it’s okay.”
“Thanks. I’ll take a look.” Melody took the papers, setting it aside. She opened Logan’s file, shuffling through the documents, looking for the packet of photographs Ryan had shown her.
Now that the issue with Claire had been resolved, at least for the time being, Melody was anxious to deal with Ryan, on several fronts. To have him removed from the case and to try and seek an out of court settlement from Ashton. And to put to rest, if she could, the question both she and Logan had over who took the photograph of Melody with Logan.
As she pulled the manila envelope from the file, she realized Victoria was still standing in her office.
“Anything else?” Melody resisted the urge to tap her fingers on her desk. She still had the hunch that Victoria was somehow connected with Ryan, but she had yet to put her finger on the specifics or find a way to prove it. All she knew was that she didn’t trust Victoria. It bothered Melody that she felt this way, without any proof, and that it made her short-tempered with the woman. But right now, Victoria wasn’t…couldn’t be…a priority.
“No…well, I was just wondering. Mr. MacKenzie…is he seeing anyone?”
Melody looked at the woman, her brow furrowing in disbelief. What the hell is she after now?
“Not that I’m aware of. It’s not relevant to the case and, frankly, none of my…or your…business.” She pulled the photos out of the envelope, tapping the edges on her desk.
“Oh, I know. But, he’s just so…sexy. And nice. Not that I’m looking at him just as a good looking guy, like a sex god or anything. He just seems like such a sweetheart.”
“I’m sure he is.” Melody cleared her throat. “Victoria, working here, you’re going to come in contact with a great many celebrities. It would pay for you to learn to distance yourself, to remain professional.”
“Yes…it’s just…I think about what it would be like, meeting someone famous, like him, and having them fall in love with me. Didn’t you ever fantasize about that?”
“Absolutely not. Victoria, really. This is not the way to conduct yourself here at the office. If you want to have fantasies about clients, please do not bring that into my office. Now, I have work to do. I’ll bring you the complaint after I’ve read through it. You can close the door on your way out.”
Victoria turned and left, the door closing softly behind her. Melody sat in amazement, and horror. If Victoria were fishing for information about her and Logan for Ryan, she certainly wasn’t even trying to be subtle. Melody made a mental note to talk to Joe Hunter in the morning, to ask about having a memo put in Victoria’s file. As distasteful as it was to Melody to think about firing someone, in this case, Victoria was practically giving her reasons to let her go.
Melody shrugged, turning back to the photos. I’ll deal with her tomorrow.
She laid the photos out on her desk. There were ten in all, counting the one with her and Logan. All of them were in black and white, all showed Logan with a woman. A beautiful woman…every time.
The prickle of jealousy running along her spine bothered her. Logan had told her he’d been with other women, mostly to ease the loneliness of being on the road. He’d been open and honest about all of it. And Melody knew that rock stars were magnets for groupies and hangers-on.