The sky darkened behind him as he hunched over his desk, absorbed in concentration. Sometime after sunset, his office door sailed open.
He didn't bother looking up. "Go away."
"You look like something my cat hoarked up last night."
Logan glared at Rick beneath the shelf of his brows. "A disgusting, hairy blob of puke. I'm touched."
"Don't forget the mouse entrails."
Logan dropped his pen. "Do you need something? Or did you run out of people to annoy?"
Rick sighed regretfully. "Everyone else went home. It's eight o'clock on a Friday night. So yeah, you're it."
"Go home to your wife and your happy life. Leave me alone."
"Vivi has friends over for a scrapbooking party." He shuddered. "I'd rather hang out with rattlesnakes."
"Keep bugging me, that's what you'll get."
"Yeah, yeah. All rattle and no bite."
Logan shot to his feet. "Try me."
Rick slanted him a look. "You're the crankiest son-of-a-bitch when your heart's broken."
"Nothing's broken," Logan muttered. Decimated, pulverized, reduced to a pathetic heap, maybe. But not broken. No one would break him.
"When was the last time you slept?"
"Don't remember."
"When's the last time you had a beer?"
"Too long."
Rick nodded toward the door. "I've got a twelve pack of winter lager, your favorite microbrew. Let's hit your place, shoot some pool. It's been a long time since we hung out."
"Not in the mood."
"Dude, you'd be doing me a huge favor. I mean, scrapbooking? C'mon, you'd really leave me to that horrific fate?"
Logan scratched his unshaven jaw. "You know you're bad off when your only alternative is me."
Rick eyed at him solemnly. "I'll owe you."
"Fine." Logan exhaled. "I was sick of signing my name for the thousandth time anyway."
"Thanks, man. You're a lifesaver."
At least someone appreciated Logan's skills in that arena.
After a few hours, and more than a few beers, he felt less like cat vomit and more like himself. Except for the monster-truck-sized hole in his chest where his heart used to beat. They shot pool, best out of six. Logan won, as usual. For a guy with sniper training, Rick was a lousy shot on the pool table. It felt good to win at something. Since he'd just lost the most important thing in his life.
"Heavy thoughts, my friend." Rick knew him way too well. His friend dragged out a kitchen stool and sat at the counter while Logan rummaged for food. "Care to share?"
"Nope."
"Logan, this is killing you."
"Whatever."
"So you're going the denial route." Rick tapped his fingers on his beer bottle. "That's not going to get her back."
"Screw that," Logan growled. "I did nothing wrong." Small comfort. He hadn't come home last night because he couldn't handle sleeping in his bed without her.
"It's no way to live, Logan."
Existing was a better description. The thought of going through the rest of his life without Allison amounted to a living hell. His eyes stung hotly. He blinked, took a long pull of his beer. His favorite seasonal brew and he barely even tasted it.
"Nothing makes sense without her," Logan admitted. "I don't know. I guess somehow she thinks by putting a guard on her, I was smothering her, or something. Oh, and all I care about is the baby."
"If you and Allison went back as far and you and I do, she'd know better."
"Well, we don't. And she doesn't know. It's not about the baby-I mean, it is. Of course it is. But it's not only about the baby, never has been. I wanted her in my life before she got pregnant."
"Have you told her that?"
"I think so." Logan slapped his palms on the granite counter. "I don't know. You think you're doing things right until she tells you you're not."
"Welcome to the rodeo. Step right up, you've got yourself a permanent front row seat."
"Can I get a refund?"
Rick chuckled. "Doesn't work like that, man."
"She talked about needing to compromise. Then she accused me of stifling her, keeping her caged. What the hell?"
"I'll interpret. Compromise means meeting her halfway, each person gives one-hundred percent. Not one person giving fifty-percent and the other giving one-fifty. Without balance, the whole thing collapses."
"Yeah, she mentioned something about balance," Logan muttered. "And then I opened my big mouth and accused her of running like she always does."
"Ouch."
"Not my finest moment, but I was right."
"That keeping you warm at night?"