Scout slept soundly in the passenger seat, his head resting on my bag. The vet had explained everything I needed to know to help him heal quickly and safely, and had even given me a printout for Luke.
I stroked his back, wishing I could take him home. It wasn’t an option, though. I wouldn’t do that to Oliver—or Scout.
Once I’d parked at Luke’s apartment building, I scooped up Scout, swaddled him in a thick blanket, and made my way upstairs, cradling him like a baby.
The apartment wasn’t hard to find; it was the first one on the second floor. After I knocked once, Luke opened the door looking anything but sick. He stepped aside, allowing me to enter, and there sitting on his futon was Julia.
“Hey Cassandra,” she said cheerfully, standing and approaching me.
I should’ve felt surprised to see her, but instead I was simply happy for them. There was a natural vibe between them that spoke more loudly than anything else. They’d be good together.
Julia cupped Scout’s face. “Hey there, buddy. How you feeling?”
“He’s still a little sore, but he seems happy to be out of that place,” I explained. My gaze was on Luke, however. He was standing slightly behind Julia, admiring her kindness for Scout.
She looked up to me. “I bet. They don’t like to be out of their comfort zone for too long. We had a dog growing up, and he hated whenever we were away or he’d have to go to the vet.” She looked away thoughtfully. “Miss him. He was family.”
“What was his name?” Luke asked sweetly.
“Larry.” She looked back at Scout, a cautious grin tugging at her lips.
“Larry?” I laughed.
“Did you name him?” Luke asked.
She released a breath, obviously debating whether she wanted to answer. My curiosity was piqued.
“No, I would have preferred something stylish for him. Larry, however…” Her body suddenly shook with laughter. “You don’t want to know.”
“Oh, no you don’t! Now you have to tell us,” Luke teased.
“Maybe you should ask Logan,” she suggested.
I slouched down on the futon and petted Scout, who was on my lap. “No, no, I’d rather hear this now.” I chuckled, readying myself for what could have Julia of all people chewing her perfect nails.
“All right. Larry was the name of Logan’s imaginary friend,” she confessed.
Luke spit out his laughter and I sat there staring, my eyes wide, jaw dropped. Logan had an imaginary friend?
“Shut. Up!” I gasped.
Julia sat beside me, stroking Scout’s tail. “Swear to God. Drove my dad nuts, or so I was told. I wasn’t born yet, but Lawrence still cracks on him about it. Dad bought the dog supposedly so there was a real Larry for Logan to talk to.”
I was laughing so hard my chest ached, and my breath was all but lost. “Now that’s adorable! How old was he?”
She raised her shoulders. “Don’t know. I think six or seven? Larry was already there when I was born.”
“I can’t picture a little Logan having an imaginary friend,” I said, sitting back.
“Me either, but good to know,” Luke said, his expression revealing obvious amusement.
“He’ll kick your ass if you tease him,” Julia warned with a smile. “Lawrence is the only one that gets away with it, and even still, Logan hates it.”
“Wow, the things I learn about your brother,” I said, my smile still locked in place.
“Oliver had one too,” she explained.
“Seriously? An imaginary friend?”
“Yeah, which means when you and Logan have a child—which will be named after me, FYI, in case you forgot—I’d keep an eye on that.”
Julia and Luke were both snickering, but my laugh had ended abruptly.
“Lovely,” I grumbled. Logan and me, with a child? I wasn’t ready for all that just yet.
Scout limped out of my lap and collapsed down on the couch against Julia.
“He likes you,” Luke said, leaning against the wall and watching her.
“I’m glad. I like you too,” she cooed, petting his ears.
I pulled the paper bag from the vet out of my purse and stood, holding it out to Luke. “Here’s everything you need to know, and some meds they gave him.”
He nodded and walked the bag to the kitchen table. I followed.
“You don’t feel good, huh? Well, I’ll come by every day until you do,” we heard Julia promise Scout.
Once Luke and I were in the space designated as the kitchen but still in the same room as Julia, he spoke. “Don’t worry about him. We got it. How long you thinking he’ll be here?” The look he shot me told me the longer, the better.
I smiled. “At least a week. The vet said dogs heal quickly, but until he’s at full strength it’s best he stay here.”
“No problem. I don’t mind at all.” He leaned in and whispered, “I need you to feel her out for me.”
“What? When?” I blew out in a hushed voice, staring nervously back at the living room only a few feet away. Could she hear us?
“I’ll go get some blankets to make him a bed,” Luke said more loudly than necessary, eyeing me for my understanding.
Okay, I guess now is when. I gave a slight nod and watched him leave, disappearing into his bedroom. Reluctantly, I turned to Julia, considering my words carefully.
“Thanks for helping him with Scout,” I started.
“Of course. I’m more than happy to.” She glanced at the bedroom door Luke had disappeared behind, then back at me. “He’s a good guy,” she said softly.
I stepped closer, my hands kneading together. “He is—which is why I’m curious if you’re, you know, interested in him…I mean, as more than friends.”
Her gaze dropped back to Scout as she released a heavy sigh. “There’s no point to it.”
I sat back down beside her. “No point in dating someone you like who likes you back?”
She perked up, but only slightly. “He told you that?”
“He did, but he didn’t need to. It’s obvious. You have to see that.”
“Maybe in time we can be more, but for now I don’t want to ruin things,” she said, looking completely miserable.
“Ruin things how? Did something happen?”
Her hand stilled on Scout’s back. “Yeah, Logan happened. I’m not going to let him get to Luke like he did Mark.”
My spine straightened painfully. “Get to him?” I breathed.
She looked right at me, fury written all over her face. “Logan thinks he can control my life, but eventually it will backfire on him,” she spit out. “Wait and see.”
“Okay, so this is the most comfortable blanket I could find,” Luke announced, strolling back out of his room.
Still processing Julia’s words, I was surprised she’d already cleared away her irritation and replaced it with a polished smile directed at Luke. Everyone needed a calming force in their lives, and it seemed Luke provided that for her.
I, however, was unsure what to say. What had Logan done to Mark? Seemed Jax and I weren’t the only ones with secrets in Harmony.
Luke placed the neatly folded blanket on the floor, then sat on the other side of Julia, Scout between them.