LITMIR.BIZ

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become a desirable commercial location, yet several of their tenants were paying rent that was significantly under market value. He and his partners didn’t plan to increase rents dramatically, but gradual raises seemed appropriate.

      As for the Crystal Connection?

      Even if it didn’t fit with the other businesses in the building, the shop and its coffee were popular. Logan had noticed rocks and crystals on office desks and hanging from the rearview mirrors of various renters. Whether it was due to Kevin’s enthusiasm in supporting the shop, or people’s natural liking for those things, it was hard to tell.

      “What do you think, Logan?” Adam asked.

      “What’s that? My mind was wandering.”

      Adam chuckled. “Are you in love?”

      “No.” Logan gave him a dark look. “And no more pushing, okay? I’m leaving romance to the rest of you.”

      Smiles swept across their faces. Being the only unattached member of the group made him the odd man out. He was reluctant to explain that he questioned his ability to fall in love and that he didn’t think it was fair to a woman to make a half-hearted commitment. Who knew? Maybe his emotional detachment came from looking at life through a camera lens. Or maybe it was the other way around. Maybe he’d chosen photography because the camera was a mask, hiding his true feelings.

      He tried to clear his head. “What was the question, Adam?”

      “I was referring to the Jessica Project.” They’d taken to calling their expansion plan the Jessica Project since she was the key to getting what they wanted. “Do you think offering six months or a year of free rent might convince her?”

      “I can’t say,” Logan replied. “She’s worried about moving to a space that isn’t visible from the main street. I’m sure signs and advertising could resolve the issue, but she seems doubtful.”

      Nicole leaned forward. “Basically, we won’t know how to make this work until you’ve spoken with her again.”

      “Right. I wanted to get information about Jessica from Kevin, but he’s in Chicago with his new granddaughter, so I decided to just go ahead. It probably would have been a bad idea, anyway. The friendship is so close Jessica even calls him ‘Uncle Kevin.’”

      “I didn’t know the baby had come,” Rachel said. “His daughter wasn’t due for another couple of weeks. What did they name her?”

      “And how big is she?” Nicole asked before he could reply.

      If Logan had needed proof he wasn’t father material, this was it. He’d felt frustrated, rather than interested, when reading Kevin’s email. He hadn’t replied, either, because it hadn’t occurred to him that there might be details he should ask about.

      “Sorry,” he apologized. “I was focused on the issue with the Crystal Connection. I’ll forward the email to everyone.”

      His chagrin must have shown on his face because Adam laughed. “Don’t feel bad. Blame it on being a bachelor. It’s only since Cassie and I started talking about having more kids that I pick up on that kind of stuff. You’ll see.”

      Logan tried to conceal his instinctive reaction. Adam’s wife was raising her teenage niece and nephew, so by marrying Cassie, Adam had gotten a ready-made family. It was admirable, but Logan was surprised they wanted more children.

      As for the “you’ll see” remark? Once again it was an assumption that someday he’d join their married-with-children ranks. How many times did he have to tell them it wasn’t happening?

      “Don’t worry about it,” Rachel said gently. “I’ll send flowers and a gift from the agency.”

      The assurance reminded Logan of his mother and father. Ever the diplomats, they’d faithfully sent an appropriate gift, card, invitation or whatever was required—his father called it “playing the political game.” But in Rachel’s case, she genuinely cared about Kevin.

      “That would be nice,” he muttered.

      It was nice; he just wished he’d thought of doing it himself.

       CHAPTER THREE

      THE NEXT MORNING Logan wondered whether getting coffee would be awkward, but Jessica simply gave him an impersonal smile and went over to the coffee corner.

      “What brew does Mr. Magellan Einstein Stanley want to explore today?” she asked.

      Logan liked the modified nickname, though Einstein hadn’t been an explorer. “How about a latte? I missed breakfast this morning and at least it has milk.” He glanced at a glass case that hadn’t been there the day before. “I see you’ve expanded to an assortment of fresh food items.”

      “Grams told me that customers have been asking for food besides candy, granola bars or potato chips. This is from a local bakery in the town where I live. They’ll package a selection for me and I’ll pick up the order on my way to the store every day. We’ve talked about me carrying a few of their sandwiches, but this morning I told them the idea is on hold.”

      Ouch.

      At a guess, Jessica had put the idea on hold because Moonlight Ventures wanted the Crystal Connection to move.

      Feeling like slime, he took a bran muffin from the display case. “This looks tasty.”

      “It’s supposed to be high in protein and fiber, but mostly it’s delicious. I’ve sampled everything I’ll be carrying. I didn’t want to stock anything I haven’t tried myself. My favorite is their cottage bread with jalapeño and cheddar, mostly because it’s savory instead of sweet.” She frowned at one of her insulated pots and ran her fingers over a brown stain on the bar towel beneath.

      “I take it you don’t have a sweet tooth.”

      Jessica lifted the pot and set it in the sink. “Not in the morning. After lunch I have to use all my resistance so I won’t turn into a basketball.”

      Without thinking, he cast a swift glance down her well-formed figure. She wore a dress of soft fabric that flowed around her curves.

      Logan reminded himself that their contacts were business-related and nothing else. Even if Jessica was available and interested, dating one of their tenants seemed a bad idea. Besides, call it old-fashioned, he’d pegged her as a forever type of woman. He might not be a properly warm and sensitive guy of the twenty-first century, but he knew better than to get involved with a woman who needed more than he was able to offer.

      Once his coffee was shot with hot milk, she poured it into his cup and handed it to him. “Can I get you anything besides coffee and a muffin?”

      “This is all. Have you checked with Penny to see if tomorrow evening will work for you?”

      Her face tensed. “It’s fine. My grandmother is already planning a taco-and-jigsaw-puzzle evening.”

      “She must enjoy having a young great-grandchild so close.”

      Jessica nodded. “She’s thrilled. And it’s a relief for me since it gives my daughter a second adult to count on. When we lived back east my parents were too busy to spend time with her, so it’s mostly been just the two of us until I moved to Seattle last year.”

      It sounded as if Cyndi’s father wasn’t in the picture and Logan wondered why. Jessica was intelligent, attractive and appeared to have a pleasant personality, though those qualities didn’t guarantee a successful relationship.

      “That’s great,” he said. “I’ll be here at closing time, if that sounds good.”

      “If you don’t mind, I could use a few minutes after closing. Sometimes I have late customers and then I need to deal with the daily receipts.”

      “Then

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