Chapter 0314
Frank sat down in the empty recliner across from the couch. His feet flat on the ground, his hands on his knees, he leaned forward, staring us down.
“We’ve warned you about your grandfather as much as we could,” Frank said. “We knew it would be difficult for you, facing off against him on your own. We were determined to help you however we could, but didn’t know yet how we could.”
Tammy returned into the room with a bubbling bottle of champagne and four glasses. After handing a glass to everyone, leaving her own on a side table, she filled them one by one starting with Logan and me. After filling Frank glass and then her own, Frank spoke again.
“Tammy. The binder.”
Tammy startled so much, she nearly dropped the bottle. Slowly, she lowered it down.
“Are you certain, Frank?”
“We’ve been keeping it for a reason, love. The time is now.”
Tammy left the bottle of champagne on the end table and disappeared again, this time down the hallway and into one of the bedrooms.
“We’d hoped, I think, that your grandfather’s desire to maintain his legacy with you as his heir would force him to be more cordial with you than he ever was to us. Unfortunately, here we are,” Frank said.
Tammy returned with a red binder. It was an older style, worn around the edges. It looked like something they had bought thirty years ago.
“Show them,” Frank said.
Tammy handed Logan the binder. He placed it on the coffee table and opened it. Inside were a series of handwritten letters addressed to Tammy and Frank… from Mr. Hatfield Senior. There had to be at least fifty of them.
Each was more unhinged than the last, threatening the Christopher’s, heckling them, demanding they return Logan and then, once that happened, that they stay out of his life. At this point, the letters also accused the Christopher’s of making Logan soft. As if showing him kindness as a child had somehow
ruined him.
There, Senior also, perhaps inadvertently, revealed his plan for Logan.
He is my tool to use as I see fit. He will need to be broken and reshaped, due to your negligence and lack of a heavy hand, Know this, I will reshape Logan in my image and he will do exactly as I say. He will work where I say. Marry who I command. He will never be the weakling you intended him to be.
“God, what an asshole,” I grumbled aloud.
“A narcissist, too,” Tammy added.
I held onto Logan’s hand, but he seemed okay reading through the letters. In fact, he started to look a bit
excited.
“If we can verify the handwriting, we could use this on the website,” he said. In a flash, that excitement
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Chapter 0314
faltered. He looked up at his parents. “This would put you in the bullseye again, though.”
“So long as we have you and Hazel, there isn’t anything he could take from us that we aren’t ready to lose,” Tammy said.
“We’d hoped these letters would be useful someday.” Frank said. “I’d be happy to see them put to good use. We might have one more thing to share, but I need to speak with Tammy privately for a moment first.”
“If it’s what I’m thinking, you already know my answer is yes,” Tammy said. Lifting her hand, she touched the ring on her finger.
Frank smiled at her, a soft, affectionate smile that spoke of their many happy years together.
Tammy began removing her wedding ring.
I gasped, “We couldn’t!”
“This ring belonged to my mother,” Frank said. “It might not be as large and pricey as a Hatfield family ring, but it still holds significance in the Christopher family. If you would accept it…”
“We would happily give it,” Tammy said. She held the ring out toward Logan. “It would bring me comfort to know our family tradition carried on.”
“Are you sure?” Logan asked, awe in his voice and his eyes. I recognized it, as I felt the very same within
“As a heart atta
“As a heart attack,” Frank said.
“Very,” Tammy said and lowered the ring into Logan’s open palm.
Logan looked at me, and I beamed at him. The other ring was beautiful and special, but this was no less heartfelt.
I lifted my left hand, and Logan clasped it. Gently, he slid on the ring. It was a little big, sliding too easily around my finger, but we could have it fitted. The princess cut diamond was much smaller than the Hatfield family ring, but it sparkled in the dim light, beautiful and well–loved.
I didn’t need a big diamond. I needed a symbol of family and hope and love.
This ring, encompassing all those things and more, was absolutely perfect.
I held the ring up to the light, admiring it. “I love it,” I said to the room, when I realized they were all watching me.
“A marriage is more than rings,” Tammy said. “It’s your commitment to each other. Your love. And your bond to the family the two of you have made by your pairing.”
Smiling. Logan leaned in and lightly kissed me. I laughed against his lips.
For all the hardships of the past few weeks, and all the pain of today, this was a bright spot of sunshine. With this, I felt recharged, ready to return to the fight, no matter what I faced.
But first, before anything else, I had something very important to tell Logan.
I took Logan’s hands in mine and laced our fingers together. Turning toward him on the couch, I started.
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Chapter 0314
“Logan. I’ve been meaning to tell you. All this time, and never said it. But let me make it plain. Flo-
Logan’s phone rang from his pocket, Interrupting me and fully ruining the mood.
He tried to ignore it. “Go on.”
But it was loud and I really didn’t want to tell Logan I loved him for the first time with that noise stealing his attention. Not to mention the worry of who could be on the other side of the call.
“It’s alright,” I said, leaning back. I could wait a little longer. It could be important.”
Logan frowned, but nodded. Reaching into his pocket, he withdrew his phone. I could see Dylan’s name on the screen. Earlier, we’d sent him pictures of my apartment, so he knew what was going on. Maybe he had an update.
Logan answered the phone and brought it to his ear. “Yeah?”
Tammy, Frank, and I all exchanged nervous glances.
“Yeah, she’s here,” Logan said. “Okay. One second.” He pulled the phone away from his ear. “He go on speaker.” Logan clicked to make that happen. “Dylan?”
“Can you hear me?” Dylan asked, his voice crackling through the speakers.
“Yeah,” I said.
“We can hear you,” Logan said.
wants to
Dylan sighed deeply. “I hate to be the one always bringing the bad news, but I guess as my attorney and your friend, this is my burden.”
“What happened?” I asked. “Are they disparaging Logan somehow? Have they threatened you again?”
“No and no,” Dylan said. “This time, it’s you again, Hazel.”
I braced myself. “What are they saying now?”
“Senior did some digging, I guess. He pulled up old public records. Hazel, I hate to ask this. Did you know you’re adopted?”