Sophie Oak - Back in Bliss

Logans story is a long time in coming and I feel the need to say a few words about how hes changed and grown over the course of eight books and two different series. I didnt intend for him to be such a player. He was a throwaway character, meant only for comic relief. And the Russian mob came to town and he became so much more for me. Logan doesnt have a terrible background. Theres no grand pain in his childhood. In fact, it was almost idyllic. I got to write a character from the moment he learned the world was broken to the moment of his realization that he has the power to heal. For me, Logan has gone from a silly boy to a man who can make the choice to survive and thrivethe same choice many of us make every single day. I thank you all for taking this journey with me and for becoming a part of my own personal heavenBliss, Colorado.

I hope we have many more adventures ahead of us.

Bliss, Colorado

Fifteen Years Ago

Please dont tell his moms. Seth had to talk for Logan because his teeth hadnt stopped chattering yet. And his lips were just the slightest bit blue.

Seth took a seat at the bar, the smells from the kitchen making his stomach growl. It was stupid. He always ate more here even though he lived on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. His mother liked to tell him that the world revolved around Manhattan, but he never got mac and cheese there. Ellen Glen-Bennett always made mac and cheese.

And chocolate chip cookies. Gosh he liked cookies even though his parents thought carbs were the devil. He lived for the three months he got to spend in Bliss.

Ellen frowned his way as she placed a steaming mug of hot chocolate in front of Logan. I do not understand boys. I swear. What on earth got into Logans head? The river is still very cold even during the summer. Did he fall in? Were you boys horsing around?

He and Logan looked at each other. No horsing around. Just Truth or Dare. Jamie had bet Logan that he couldnt last two minutes in the cold waters of the Rio Grande, and Logan had decided to jump into the river rather than tell Jamie how often he masturbated.

Seth would have just told him. Not the total truth, of course, but some approximation of it. But not Logan.

Ellen shook her head as though she knew she wouldnt get an answer out of them. Im going to get another blanket and throw his clothes in the dryer. Boys?

Logan trembled in the seat beside him, his head swinging toward Seth. His teeth chattered as he spoke. Dont tell Ellen about the dirt bike. We can fix it up.

It was a summer of what his mother would likely call very bad choices and what Seth just labeled as fun. The week before, Jamie had taken their friend Max up on the bet that he couldnt drive their brand-new dirt bike up the mountain. Hed gotten it up, but hed come back down really fucking fast. Like way faster than the bike. The bike had kind of smashed into Jamies head.

It had been cool and funny, and Logan was right. Ellen would be pissed. She might not let them stay out at the man cave again. He loved the man cave. Sure, it smelled bad, but even that was kind of cool.

How did you do it, man? That water was so cold. Logan had just stood there and took it like a man while Jamie had counted down the seconds and Noah held a lasso ready to catch Logan in case the current swept him away.

Maybe they hadnt thought through that plan as thoroughly as they should have.

The key is to just survive ten seconds, man. You can survive anything for ten seconds. And then you go for another ten seconds and another and before you know it, youre done. I use it when my moms are lecturing me on getting my school work done, too. His voice was almost back to normal, but his hands were still shaking.

A heavenly aroma hit Seths nose as Ellen returned with another blanket. She opened the oven and took out the cookies after tossing the blanket around Logans shoulders. Noah and Jamie joined them, looking at their stepmom with worshipful eyes.

Ellen frowned as she opened a jug of milk and poured four glasses out. So now that we know Logan is going to survive, would anyone like to explain why Jamie looks like he went through a meat grinder?

She was so calm. If Seth had walked in like that, his mother would have had a conniption fit, not because she loved him and was worried about him, but because she would have been deeply concerned about what the neighbors would say.

Jamie shrugged. I fell. Its cool.

Hed fallen down a mountain and theyd spent days trying to heal him.

Ellen sighed. All right, but next time call me. Ive got to start dinner.

She turned away and disappeared into the pantry. The tension deflated and everything was normal again because everything was always normal in Bliss. He felt normal in Bliss.

Way to deflect the mom unit, man. Noah held up his hand for a high-five.

Jamie slapped his palm against his brothers. Thats the way we do it, brother. I learned from our dads. Thats how you handle a mom. Its how well handle Callie one day.

Noahs eyes rolled. Were not marrying Callie. Shes like our sister.

Shes the most devious thing ever. We should totally marry her, Jamie said.

Callie had been the one to come up with the plan to fix Jamie up. Sure, he was going to scar, but he was alive. Seth had to admit, Callie was pretty cute, but she had a thing for Max and Rye.

Noah gagged a little. Not happening.

Jamie sighed. But I like Callie.

Seth looked over at Logan. Who are we going to marry?

It was said with the trepidation of a boy who wasnt sure of his place. Hed always been at the top of his class, but that wasnt where hed wanted to be. He wanted to be here. With his best friend and his family.

Logan shot him a grin even as he pulled the blankets tighter. Do you really think we can find someone to marry us? I dont know. Its a tall order.

But it was everything he wanted. A family with his best friend. In his town.

Damn, man. I think any woman would want to marry you after she finds out how long you can stand in the river, Jamie said with an admiring glance Logans way. Were going to call you River Man from now on.

No, Captain Freeze because his balls didnt drop off, Noah offered and then frowned. Tell me your balls didnt drop off, man.

And then they were all joking and laughing and downing chocolate chip cookies.

He only had twenty-two days until he had to go back to New York, and then a whole year would pass until he could come home again. He would count every single day off, marking it on a calendar. But one day

Yeah, well find someone. Seth was sure. It was his destiny. His and Logans.

Georgia Ophelia Dawson looked at her boss and gave him what she hoped was a brilliant smile. He was the best man shed ever met, and he deserved this huge crowd that obviously idolized him. They admired him for his brilliant mind, but Georgia was falling for the softer side of the man. You know Seth Stark is a big deal.

Seth turned to her, the lights of the stage shadowing his face. He was so sweet, and she couldnt imagine how he was going to walk in there and talk to five thousand stockholders, but shed made sure he looked damn good. His Armani suit fit him perfectly, and hed been shined to a brilliant jewel. He was really quite hot once shed forced him to trade his glasses in for contacts and gotten him into the right clothes. And the man liked the gym. She hadnt had to fix his lean, six-foot-two-inch body.

Seths lips quirked up. You make me feel that way.

She kind of sort of loved him. But she still couldnt get freaking Logan Green out of her head. Why was she stuck on a small-town deputy when she had a sweet-as-pie, brilliant billionaire in front of her? Not that Seth was really interested.