All of Me Read online

  ***

  Tess leaned on the handle of the mop and frowned at the sparkling floors. There must be something wrong with her when she got a kick out of seeing the café looking so good. It didn’t matter how tired she was, she always helped make the floors clean and tidy for the next day.

  “You missed a spot.” Logan was leaning against the doorframe, smiling across the room at her.

  “I’ve missed a big spot.” Tess left the mop in the bucket and walked toward Logan. She grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him close. “When did you get home?”

  “Twenty minutes ago,” he murmured against her lips. “Flight was delayed.”

  Tess wrapped her arms around his shoulders and brushed her mouth against his lips. “I’ve missed you.”

  “Missed you, too.”

  Tess leaned into his body and kissed him long and hard. For the last six days, Logan had been in Arlington and Las Vegas, searching for information about Abiba and the bomb that had destroyed so many people’s lives. He’d visited soldiers that had been with him in Afghanistan, met with explosive experts and people who specialized in terrorism.

  She’d missed his early morning visits, the sound of his voice after a day at work. And she missed the feel of his body when he pulled her close, wrapping her in a cocoon of heat. It had been a long six days.

  Logan kissed her nose. “How’s everything in your world?”

  “Annie’s got a cold, Sally has gone on camp with her students and Molly’s busy working on her new book. Oh, and Senator Gibson is now behind bars awaiting trial.”

  “An eventful week.”

  “You could say that. Did you find what you were looking for?”

  Logan looked away and for a split second Tess dreaded what he was about to say. Then she told herself not to be silly. He’d gone looking for answers and had come back. Everything he needed was here in Bozeman, including her, if he wanted to be part of her life.

  Logan held her hand and took her through to the kitchen. “I talked to someone who works for the Department of Defense. The Army completed their investigation of the bombing of our school eight months ago. Abiba wasn’t a suicide bomber.”

  Logan’s eyes filled with tears and Tess gave him a hug. “How did it happen?”

  “Someone gave Abiba a box before she came into the school. One of the Sergeants who was helping that day, stopped her before she walked through the door. She said it was part of the shipment that had come from the States. We’d been waiting for more reading books and it was so heavy that she thought it must be them. The Sergeant offered to carry it for her, but she laughed. She wanted to be the first person to see the books. He left to help with the rest of the boxes. By the time he got to the truck the bomb had exploded.”

  Tess could only imagine what it must have been like after the explosion. Horrific wouldn’t come near to describing what the families and soldiers must have gone through. “Has anyone told Abiba’s family she wasn’t a suicide bomber?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Tess looked into Logan’s eyes and she knew what was coming next. “You’re going back to Afghanistan, aren’t you?”

  Logan nodded. “I need to. I feel responsible for what happened that day. I became friends with Abiba’s family. They’re good people. I need them to know that she didn’t betray them. She thought she was helping.”

  Tess tried to think logically, to be supportive and understand why Logan needed to go to Afghanistan. But she couldn’t. “It’s too dangerous. You could get killed.”

  Logan cupped her face in his hands. “I have to go. When I was in Afghanistan, I learned something that changed the way I thought about war. We were all there because we were fighting for what matters. I used words and pictures, the soldiers used weapons. Finding out the truth about Abiba matters. Telling her family and making sure the other children are okay matters as well.”

  “What if you can’t find her family,” Tess said softly. “What will you do then?”

  “I’ve talked to Elizabeth Connor, the nurse who’s working at the Orphanage in Nau Deh. Abiba’s family and some of the other children are still there.” Logan wiped the tears off Tess’ face. “I need to do this. It’s important.”

  Tess took a deep, shuddery breath. She shouldn’t have been surprised by what Logan wanted to do. His deep sense of loyalty was part of what she loved about him. But the reality of that loyalty was taking him back to a country that was still at war. He could be killed or injured, or worse still, choose not to come back.

  “I’ll be careful.”

  “I know you will.” Tess kissed him and held him close. It didn’t matter how careful he was, someone could take his life in the blink of an eye. She didn’t want him risking his life, but she knew he had to go.

  Logan’s arms tightened around her.

  She kissed the side of his neck and sighed. “When are you leaving?”

  “Tomorrow morning.”

  And just like that, Tess’ world tilted on its side and she felt as though nothing would ever be the same again.