The Billionaire's Marriage Contract(63)

“No, I had a long talk with Hank, and we talked about a few things we had been putting off since my mom died. It was something we should have done a long time ago. Frankly, if we had, maybe I could have kept my father from selling his business.”

“That still doesn’t explain the photos.”

“Hold on. I’ll get to that. I decided to shut the bar down. For too long it had been the place where I let my buddies hang out, and I figured it was as much a reflection of me as anything else. I was going to close it for a few months, renovate it, and reopen it as a brewpub with a whole new staff. I figured it would show some entrepreneurial spirit.”

“Get to the photos, Logan.” Amy said. As she waited for his answer, she paced around his living room, looking at his leather couch and his big screen TV. She tried to remember what she had seen in him. All she could think was that he needed to grow up.

“I didn’t know about the photos. I really didn’t. When I decided to close up, the staff was pissed. They all said I had betrayed them, but Sarah, I think you remember her, took it the hardest. She said I was lying to her and everyone else and that she was going to show the world what a piece of trash I was. I thought she was just blowing off some steam. I didn’t know she had taken the photos.”

“Where is she now?”

“In town. I’ll deal with her. I handled things poorly. This isn’t the first time we’ve fought. I know I messed up and I shouldn’t have acted like that around you. I’m sorry, Amy. If I had known anything like this would have happened, I would have done things differently.”

“So what prompted the change of heart and the talk with Hank?”

“I had a chat with your husband the morning you left. You can ask him.”

“A chat?”

“He threatened to kick my ass if I so much as talked to you again. I invited him to. I figured that it was as much your fault as it was mine anyway. Plus if he did fight me, my father might call off the deal, and I’d have a chance to show him I was serious about growing up and taking on responsibility.”

“So what happened?”

“He said he’d pass up the deal a hundred times to save his relationship with you. Not that it matters.”

“Why not? What are you talking about?” She had no reason to believe a word Logan said to her, but she wanted to hear him out anyway.

“My father sold him the company that morning. Ethan just asked him to hold off for a while. Hank’s already preparing for the transition, but I think he’s getting impatient. When I found out it was a done deal, that’s when I decided I needed to start making changes in my life.”

Amy felt like Logan had just hit her over the head. She felt off balance, and she braced herself against the wall. Why would Ethan hide the sale from her? Amy took a deep breath and tried to push the thought out of her mind. “Let’s just focus on what’s happening now. Are there any other pictures?”

“No. Look, I was into you. Obviously I made a few bad decisions, but I won’t lie to you. You won’t have any other problems from me. Sounds like you and your husband have enough to work through without me mucking things up any more than I already have.”

“What do you mean?”

“If you could see yourself in the mirror right now. You look like I just stole your puppy. I get it; you’re caught off guard by the stuff about the sale. You look like you’re ready to puke. If your husband is hiding things from you, that’s not something I need to get in the middle of. Like I said, I have enough problems of my own. I got the message loud and clear. I’m staying out of your business. I just don’t get what I need to do to show you I’m serious.

“Get serious. Stop messing around with married women. Stop drinking all the time and playing rock star. Closing that bar sounds like a great first step, but figure out what you want to do in life and stay out of trouble for the next few months. I don’t want to read your name on some gossip site. I don’t want to see your face under some headline, and I don’t want to explain to your father why you’re causing him so much trouble.”

“Is that all? You have a deal,” Logan stood up and held out his hand. “I really am sorry. I didn’t mean for this to happen,” Logan offered.

“I’ll let you do me one favor. Help me avoid your father until I leave the state. I can’t look him in the eye after all of this. I feel sick to my stomach just imagining what he must think of me. I feel sick just thinking about what I think of me.