Chapter 230

Susan smiled. “Go on.” She signaled the cameramen, who immediately moved into position.

I stopped paying attention to them after that, too distracted by the way Logan shifts in his seat to look right at me. He takes my hands in his, rubbing his thumbs along the back of my knuckles.

“Hazel… When we met, I was so certain that you were the only one for me that I wanted nothing more than to marry you. Things became complicated after that… We lost track of each other. I didn’t know you were my wife when I made you my assistant.”

He shook his head a little, but his smile stayed, even if it’s somewhat exasperated.

“I could have handled things better – treated you better. But you supported me as the best assistant I could have asked for, and more. So quickly, you became someone special to me all over again.” He laughed. “I guess you could say I fell in love with you twice.”

I sucked in a sharp breath and hold it.

“I think I would fall in love with you a third time, if I ever lost my memory,” Logan said. “It’s so easy to love you. I’m sure I would fall again and again.”

“You… love me?” I whispered.

“I must have said it before?” he asked. At my small head shake, he lifted my hands and pressed them to his chest over his heart. “I love you, Hazel Whitaker.”

My heart, so full of love, felt like it was going to burst out of my chest. Happiness flooded through my veins. I was so light I might have lifted off straight from this couch and floated to the ceiling, if not for Logan’s grip on my hands holding me down and keeping me centered.

I’d wanted to share my own feelings with him for some time. The revelation felt so long overdue, that I didn’t know where to start.

Maybe, like him, I’d start at the beginning.

“I was heartbroken when we met. I’m sure I’d sworn off men altogether, so certain that remaining single was the only way for me to live without heartache. Unfortunately, I don’t remember much of our initial meeting, but for you to have changed my mind in so short of time… You were the one, even then. Even if it took me a long time to realize it a second time.”

Logan squeezed my hands. Beneath my palms, his heart raced, pounding hard against his rib cage.

“I didn’t want to fall in love with you. In fact, I tried my best not to,” I said.

I laughed, remembering how hard I had tried to fight back my feelings.

“Before I knew it, it was already too late. I was drawn in by your passion and your strength. Over the past few months, my respect and admiration for you has only grown. Maybe it’s always been there, and I’m just remembering now.”

“Hazel…”

I looked deeply into his eyes, finding the love I feel inside reflected back to me. That love wraps around me like a warm blanket. In its comfort, I’m able to find the words that I should have said months ago.

“I love you, Logan. With all of my heart and soul. Being your wife makes me so unbelievably happy. I don’t know where our future leads, but I can face anything with you at my side.”

“I feel the same,” he said at once, his eyes bright, his smile wide. He moved his touch from my hands to my upper arms and pulled me closer. When I was within range, his lips fell onto mine.

Closing my eyes, I surrendered into the kiss, perfect and sweet like so many that had come before, and so many that were sure to follow.

As enraptured as I was in Logan and this moment, I forgot totally about Susan, Mabel, and the cameras – until the kiss went on so long that Mabel cleared her throat.

At once, I pulled back. Logan blinked a few times, glancing around. He must have been as lost as I had been, adrift on the private sea of love we’d created for each other.

The red light was illuminated on the camera, indicating that it was recording. Susan was sitting in her chair watching us with abject curiosity. From beyond the camera lens, Mabel, smiling, gave me a thumbs up.

“Please,” Susan said, “Don’t let us stop you. This interview has taken a turn for the best, allowing our viewers to see a piece of your life. Your devotion to each other… it’s not typical, I can tell you that. It might even be an inspiration to our viewers. Why don’t we accept some live calls?”

“Live calls?” I asked, finding my voice again. “I thought this was being pre-recorded.”

“Why, we went live at the start of Logan’s love confession,” Susan said. “We even cut into our regular broadcast to bring this news.”

Anxiety started to grip my insides, but looking back to Logan, he was calm as could be.

“I, for one, think this is a fine decision,” he said. “Hazel and I have nothing to hide. The world is curious about our relationship, and now they can see for themselves that it is genuine.” He smiled at me. “Our love is real, Hazel. Let the world see it.”

In a perfect world, everyone outside of Logan and myself wouldn’t have any business knowing anything about us, unless we ourselves chose to share it. But we didn’t live in a perfect world. In this imperfect one, where Senior tried at every turn to drag us through the mud, we had to share our relationship with friends and strangers alike.

“Let’s take our first caller,” Susan said.

The producer set down a cell phone with a speaker attachment. I assumed the calls were screened from somewhere else and then patched to this phone, because I never heard it ringing. Distracted as I was, I was sure that I would have heard that.

The producer nodded at Susan.

“Go ahead, caller,” Susan said

“Logan and Hazel…” a female voice said, voice crackling through the speakers. “I couldn’t have been more wrong about you. With everything that was being said about you on TV, I couldn’t believe the two of you could actually be in love. But seeing this… It reminds me of my late husband and me…”

The next caller was equally as supportive. “This is what love looks like…”

The third offered me a direct apology. “I’m sorry I believed all the bad things they said.”

Logan and I smiled at each other. Relief filled me. Maybe things were finally turned around for us. With the public’s support, we certainly stood a better chance of standing against Mr. Hatfield Senior.

“Let’s accept one last caller,” Susan said. “Go ahead, caller. You are on the air.”

“Yes, I have a few things to say,” a woman said.

I froze at once, recognizing that voice. Immediately, I grabbed onto Logan’s wrist. His brow pulled together. He likely recognized the voice too but couldn’t place it as quickly as I could.

But then, he didn’t have to hear this voice his entire life.

“Everyone thinks these two are so in love,” Natalie said. “Well, I have a few things to say about that.”