‘But a fluffy pink dressing gown. I’d say she’s up to her old tricks there.’

  ‘She likes to play her games.’

  ‘I can see that.’

  ‘Love! Let me in! You’ve embarrassed me enough. Come on.’ She unlocked the door and laughed. He walked in and shit it hearing Owen’s laugh from behind.

  ‘That’s it. Come ‘ere.’ He chased her around the room and pulled her onto the bed. ‘You have to pay for that.’ He pulled her dressing gown off, then kissed her down her body. The baby monitor went off. Robbie was awake.

  ‘He certainly has impeccable timing.’ Sighed Logan.

  ‘Let me get changed. I’ll get him.’

  Emilia went to Robbie who had calmed down a little.

  ‘What’s up, baby? Are you lonely?’ She kissed him. ‘Or hungry?’

  ‘Eyaahhhh.’

  ‘Hungry. Let’s get you breakfast. Then maybe you can meet Owen.’ She carried him to the kitchen, fed Roger and got Robbie’s bottle. As she was feeding him, Owen came out of the bathroom. Still in his borrowed clothes.

  ‘Is this the famous little guy?’ Asked Owen. She smiled and nodded. He walked over to them both. ‘Hello, I’ve read a lot about you. You’re adorable.’ He wasn’t paying Owen any attention. Too focused on his bottle. ‘No wonder Logan fell in love.’

  ‘Logan’s not in love with us.’

  ‘Em. That’s mean. You can deny your own feelings for him, but it’s unfair to take away his. He’s not got the issue. You have. At least be strong enough to admit that.’ Confronted Owen.

  ‘I don’t want to talk about this.’

  ‘You never do want to talk about feelings. It’s what makes you Emilia.’

  She snapped around. ‘It’s not what makes me Emilia. Being a good mother, being independent, being able to reply on myself is what makes me Emilia.’

  ‘I’m sorry, that was uncalled for. I just don’t think you should let Daniel get in the way of what could be a pretty good life. He’s already ruined it enough. Don’t let him ruin Logan.’

  ‘I don’t want him to.’

  Their conversation was cut short when the man himself walked into the kitchen.’

  ‘Lowan!’ Screamed Robbie.

  ‘Good morning.’ He smiled. They both replied but were quiet. ‘Have I missed something?’

  ‘We were just talking about… old times.’ Smiled Emilia, giving him a kiss. ‘Funny times, weren’t they?’

  ‘If you class sleeping on the streets funny. Then sure.’ Smiled Owen.

  ‘I need to apologize, Owen. I was rude last night, I wasn’t expecting you and I was a bit grumpy.’ He scratched his neck and smiled awkwardly. ‘After all, I wasn’t in a decent state.’

  ‘I didn’t mean to cock-block you.’

  ‘I’m used to it.’ He chuckled.

  ‘Well, you two certainly didn’t hold anything back last night, did you?’

  They both gasped. ‘You heard?’ Asked Emilia in horror.

  ‘Em, the whole of England bleeding heard.’ She was a very bright shade of red. ‘It’s nice to know he knows what he’s doing. And I will accept your apology, Logan.’

  He too was red, ‘Thank you.’

  She smiled at them both, ‘Two of my faves getting on. Now, I really must do some work. There’s been too many distractions recently.’

  Logan took Robbie from Emilia and kissed him. ‘Good morning, cheeky. Did you sleep well?’ He smiled. ‘Urm, if you need to borrow any clothes, Owen, just ask Em to get you some. Then maybe we can try and sort your bike out later.’

  ‘Thanks, I really appreciate it. I’ll join you and do some work, Em.’

  ‘I’ll go and take the boys out, love. Do we need anything?’

  ‘Oh, I made a list.’ She said, handing in to him and kissing his cheek.

  Logan had been gone awhile. Emilia and Owen were working away, chatting in between. Owen was an author working on a sequel to his book.

  Ping!

  Anthony: Any decision yet?

  ‘My boss keeps pestering me to take on another column.’ She sighed.

  ‘What’s wrong with that?’

  ‘I’m already writing four a week. Five seems a bit much. I already feel busy enough, I don’t know how long I have left with Logan. Seems a shame to throw it all away on work.’

  ‘When do you leave?’

  ‘Middle of January. I’m going back to New York.’

  ‘Is Logan going with you?’ He asked.

  ‘No. he doesn’t want to leave his family anymore. He lived in America for three years and he’s just come back. He went off the rails, I’ve heard. I still don’t know why. A girl I think? She shrugged and carried on working.

  ‘Can’t you stay here?’

  ‘I’ve thought about it. But America is my home.’

  ‘Do you miss it? America?’

  ‘Well, no.’

  ‘Then it’s not home. You know if you don’t miss somewhere, then it’s not your home.’

  ‘I know, but I worry about work. I can’t leave my job. Logan is getting paid by Anthony too as my childcare, so neither of us would have a wage if I left. Then what would happen?’

  ‘Surely Logan can find a job easy enough with his degree.’

  ‘He’s a qualified teacher too. I’m trying to convince him to apply apart time. He’s not having it though. He loves caring for Robbie.’

  ‘Does he want you to take on the extra column?’

  ‘Yeah, plus then he gets more too.’ She sighed deeply.

  ‘Why don’t you make a compromise? You take on the hours if he does part time. He can still get paid by Tony for the hours he babysits. You’ll just have to get your work done whilst Logan is home, or Robbie is asleep.’

  ‘We’ll see.’

  The day went as normal. Owen’s bike was salvageable, and they spent the day moving him into the apartment he had rented for a few months. He had wanted a change of scenery, and decided England was the place to go.

  Logan met up with Adrian for a chat, whilst Emilia was editing a column and Robbie was asleep. Out of curiosity, she searched teaching jobs and noticed the local high school was offering a part time English teacher. Three days a week. That would be perfect for them. She could easily work around his time table with that. She printed it out and left it on the counter for him to see.

  Anthony: Emilia. I need to know. Now. Please answer asap.

  Emilia picked up her phone and sent her reply.

  Chapter Eight

  Logan unlocked the door, he spotted Emilia on the couch working away, and walked to the counter. He threw his keys on the top and placed a bag of stuff on it. He spotted the advert and read it. Emilia’s doing. She wanted him to get into teaching. Even he had to admit he could do more. He loved Logan and caring for him, but they were managing perfectly, and he did want a bit more job satisfaction.

  ‘Emilia. What’s this?’ He came behind her on the couch and put his arms around her showing her the ad. ‘What have you been up to?’

  ‘Come on, handsome. It’s perfect. It will give you more of a purpose.’ She leant back.

  ‘I know, but-’

  ‘It pays better.’

  ‘I know-’

  ‘And I know you get bored when he’s asleep and I’m working.’

  ‘Emilia-’

  ‘And I took the extra column.’

  ‘Em-’ He was shocked. ‘You did?! Love, that’s great. Good for you.’ He placed sloppy kisses to her cheek.

  ‘Ew, stop it.’ She giggled. ‘At least apply for the job. For me.’

  ‘Fine. I will.’

  A few days later, Logan arranged for Emilia to meet Sebastian.

  ‘Hey, beautiful. I need you to come somewhere with me?’ He smiled, taking her hand. She was just watching TV with Robbie on her knee.

  ‘Where?’

  ‘It’s a surprise. Put Robbie in his pram and we’ll go.’ She was having a lazy morning and was still in pajamas. He had been out already that morning for a job with Roger. She had stayed in bed until he returned, giving him another workout when he got back. ‘You in a lazy mood?’ He snuggled into her neck.

  ‘Yeah, do we have to go out?’

  ‘It’ll be worth it. I promise. Go and have a shower and change. I’ll look after Robbie.’

  They were walking through the park, Logan pushing the pram, holding Emilia’s hand. They chatted about his teaching application, but he hadn’t heard anything yet. Then the surprise was unveiled.

  Sebastian was sitting on a bench with his wife. Emilia couldn’t believe her eyes, neither could he.

  ‘Emili!’ He got up and ran over to hug her. ‘It’s really you!’

  ‘Oh my God! Sebastian! What are you doing here?’

  ‘I moved back here a few years ago. Logan talked about you at the lad’s night and we wanted to surprise you.’ He said, them both holding onto each other.

  ‘How are you?’ She beamed. ‘I can’t believe it.’

  They walked off together, discussing the events of their lives since they last met. Logan and Amanda took Robbie to the park knowing they would be gone a while. They had a lot to catch up on.

  ‘I’ve never seen Sebastian so excited. They must have been close.’ Smiled Amanda.

  ‘Aye, I think they were. Emilia didn’t really have many friends in New York. Sebastian and this Owen bloke are the rare exception.’

  ‘She seems to have a type. You all look rather similar.’ She laughed.

  ‘I don’t think her and Seb ever-’

  ‘I know! I didn’t mean it like that. I meant she just seems to befriend that type.’

  ‘I’m glad she’s making friends. It might give her more reason to stay. Especially now Owen and Sebastian are here.’

  It turned out Owen and Sebastian had met previously and were also reunited, as Owen had gone for a walk himself.

  That day, Emilia was carefree. She seemed more open and flirty with Logan, but also seemed to appreciate England more and more. He hoped she would stay, but he knew it was a long shot.

  The week went quite normally. Emilia was now writing five columns, but she was still quite ahead of her work. Logan had applied for the teacher’s job and was waiting for his interview date. Which he was nervous for. There was lots of talk about the local seven aside match which was a new local event. The team had two consist of two women, and a child under twelve.

  The team consisted of Sean, Emilia, Fiona, James, Sebastian, Adrian, and Alex, with Penelope and Logan as subs. Owen had claimed he was good at football, but his injuries prevented him from stealing Logan’s spot. He would have beaten him himself, if it came to it.

  At the sidelines, Logan was looking after Robbie. Their first match went well, Emilia and James were playing great. Sean was saving goals, left, right, and center. The atmosphere was great, with everyone laughing. Logan watched her running about, appreciating the view, knowing she would be in a very good mood later. He was going to be taking advantage of that.

  Their second match was just as successful. In fairness, the other team had less skill and less competitiveness. They won.

  Their third match was played against some of the other men, which they drew. At least no friendships would be harmed. At lunch they all sat on the grass eating sandwiches.

  ‘Dad! Did you see Em’s amazing goal? It was well cool!’ He grinned. ‘She’s better than all of you.’

  Emilia was flattered. ‘Not as good as yours. Scoring against Paul.’

  Alex was looking tired. He offered for Logan to take his place, which he accepted. Penelope was watching Lucas and Ellie and agreed to watch Robbie.

  It was time for their next match. The other team was tiring, which they used to their advantage, especially Logan’s fresh legs.

  ‘Em! Pass!’ He shouted, she crossed it to him and he scored.

  ‘Yes!’ Cheered James. ‘Good one, Uncle!’

  ‘Not bad after all, am I?’ He teased Adrian. They won.

  It was their last game and they were against a good team. They would have to work hard to win this one, and there was rumor that the team was playing dirty.

  ‘Right, Sean. Save the goals. That guy kicks them hard and I’ve seen him trip people. James, stay out of his way. I don’t want a flat son, or for you to be injured before a game that actually matters.’ He nodded. ‘Em, stay up front. Logan, middle. Let’s do this.’ Said Adrian. They ran onto the pitch and the whistle blew.

  It started well for them. Adrian got in an early goal. Sean nearly lost his head from a shot, but it missed. Emilia scored two. The big guy on the other team was getting annoyed. An over competitive dad for sure, with an even worse son, who hit James. The ref blew his whistle.

  ‘Hey! What do you think you’re doing?’ Shouted Adrian at the boy. His dad squared up to him.

  ‘Leave my kid alone.’

  ‘Not when he punches my kid.’ James was claiming he was fine and to get on with it. The ref sent the other boy off for poor sportsmanship.

  The game continued, and James scored a goal. The other team got one in against Sean.

  Logan was on the run for a goal, he slipped past the defenders until he felt an almighty force hit his calf and his ankle buckled under him. He went down in pain.

  ‘Logan!’ Shouted Emilia.

  The whistle went again.

  ‘Get off!’ He shouted. Logan had been kicked in the leg by the dad. ‘You’re an awful example to the kids.’

  Logan was screaming in pain. Emilia ran over to him, he told her to stay away. He was holding his leg and shouting.

  ‘Don’t touch me!’

  The medical crew came on. It wasn’t a bone injury but a flesh wound. The dad’s studs had taken a chunk of his flesh away.

  ‘he’s sprained his ankle too.’ Said one of the medics.

  ‘I’m fine! Stop touching me!’ He cried.

  Everyone was crowded around him. Emilia was next to him supporting his head.

  ‘Shh. They’re doing their jobs.’ She told him. He was seating in pain. ‘You’ll be fine. Stop being a baby.’ She stroked his forehead.

  They took him into an ambulance and took to the emergency room. He went for an x-ray. Nothing was broken. They stitched up his leg and bandaged it up.

  The rest had stayed to carry on. Alex was back playing. He’d told them to carry on, as they had a good chance of winning.

  They had. They had all received a medal and Emilia took Logan’s on his behalf. They won the gold and had a picture taken as a group, without Logan.

  Emilia picked him up from the hospital, whilst Fiona and Adrian babysat. He had to have crutches for a week, even though he insisted he was fine. His leg was bandaged up which was revealed by his shorts.

  ‘Hey, you.’ She smiled, kissing him. ‘We won.’ She gave him a hug. ‘Anything serious?’

  ‘No, just these things for a week. I can feel it now though.’ He smiled weakly. He looked exhausted. ‘I have a pretty nasty wound which is probably going to scar they told me.’

  ‘Not the end of the world. Come on, let’s get you home. Robbie misses you.’ She helped him into the car and kissed his head.

  Emilia realized pretty quickly that injured Logan, was annoying Logan. He refused to let her do anything for him, and kept limping about on his leg, without his crutches.

  ‘You’re supposed to use them for a reason.’ She put his arm around her and took him to the couch. She sat him down and lifted his leg up. ‘Just rest.’

  She walked to the kitchen to make him a drink and he was back next to her. She sighed at him. He insisted on making his own drink and took the juice off her.

  ‘I’m not an invalid.’ He moaned. ‘I can make myself a drink.’ He was also grumpy with the pain.

  ‘Just let me look after you.’ She took the juice back off him. ‘Go and sit down.’

  ‘Emilia. I’m not a child.’ He spat.

  ‘I know. But you’re injured.’ She took hold of him again and walked him back to the couch. ‘Sit there.’ She put his leg back up and sat him back. He pulled her onto his knee.

  ‘Why don’t I show you just how well I am?’ He whispered against her hair. His mood was all over the place. ‘Come on, Em. For being so brave.’

  ‘No.’ She tried to pull herself up, but he had hold of her waist. ‘Let me go.’

  ‘But I really want you. If you want to do something for me, do this.’ He smirked.

  ‘No, you need to rest.’ She removed his hands and got up.’

  ‘Emmmilliiaaaaa.’ He whined. He pouted at her.

  ‘You’re worse than Robbie. Sit down and shut the hell up. What do you want for dinner?’

  ‘It’s my turn to cook tonight.’

  ‘This is an exception. What do you want?’ She put her hands on her hips.

  His voice went low. ‘You look good, I must say. Come on, tell me what you want?’ He winked.

  ‘Logan. Stop being…’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Nothing.’ She walked away from him and started dinner. Robbie was asleep, exhausted with all the excitement.

  She was halfway through dinner when she felt Logan press himself into her and his arms hugged her tight.

  ‘I’m sorry.’ He kissed her collarbone. ‘I’ve been annoying. Forgive me.’ She tried not to smile, but he was too adorable.

  ‘How can I? You’re still walking around on your leg.’ She didn’t react to him.

  ‘I don’t like being useless.’

  ‘You’re not. You’re just hurt. You need to recover. Go and sit on the couch, I’ll bring dinner over and then we’ll watch a film. Okay? If you want to do something feed Robbie.’ She felt him nod. She watched him hobble over to Robbie. He looked like a kicked puppy.

  Robbie was sitting in his play pen near the window and Roger was watching him. Logan picked him up, he started screaming his lungs out, he was in the middle of throwing some blocks and wasn’t happy to be disturbed. He refused to drink the bottle and kept crying.

  ‘Hey, come on. It’s just milk.’ Robbie pushed it away. ‘What up with you?’ He bounced him up and down. He kept crying.

  ‘I think he was enjoying playing.’ Laughed Emilia, walking over with the plates. ‘Maybe he isn’t hungry yet.’ She took him and put him back in his play pen where he calmed down and grabbed his block.