Forever Logan by Elena Matthews (animal farm read .txt) 📕

speak, my radio goes off, alerting me to an emergency.

“That’s me. I need to get going. It was nice to meet you both. And, sir, if you can, make sure Miss Sass in there”—I point to the house—“gets her brake light sorted. I don’t just like your daughter. I really like your daughter, and I’d hate for anything to happen to her,” I tell him wholeheartedly.

“Will do, and enough of the sir. Call me Dave.”

“Sure thing, Dave.”

I hold my hand out, and he shakes it.

“Thank you for looking out for my little girl. Your brother Nate told me you were the reason she got out of the second fire alive.”

I shrug my shoulders. “Yeah. I mean, I didn’t carry her out, but I bargained with the asshole to let her go.”

“Doesn’t matter how you did it. All that matters is that she’s alive. So, thank you.”

Anything for her.

“I like you, Logan,” Dave says a moment later. “Ally hasn’t been the same since those fires. She’s been struggling…but you bring the feisty side out of her, and I haven’t seen her like that for a while. Keep up with what you’re doing.”

I let out a snort, scratching the day’s worth of stubble. “I don’t think I even have to try and piss her off; it just comes naturally.”

“It’s what us men do best.”

I tell them good-bye and begin to walk toward Joe in the awaiting car when the sound of Dave’s voice carries through the street and stops me in my stride.

“Next time Remi and Nate come over for dinner, you should join us.”

I turn to him and smile. “I might just do that.”

I throw him a salute before turning back around and getting into the passenger seat. Joe wastes no time and puts his foot on the gas while switching on the siren to get to our next emergency.

“Took your time, didn’t you?” he gibes while I click my seat belt into place.

“Sorry, man. I got caught up.”

Without looking away from the road in front of us as he speeds through the city, he asks, “Does she like you yet?”

I bark out a laugh. “No, but her mom and dad do. In fact, her dad was trying to marry us off; he liked me that much.”

He lets out a humored breath. “Wow, it’s usually the other way around—the girl likes you, but her parents don’t.”

“What can I say? I have the ability to charm the socks off a nun.”

“So, you’re not giving up on her then?”

“Hell no. I’ll wear her down. It’s only a matter of time.”

“It finally happened, huh?” he says.

“What did?”

“You grew the fuck up, man. Congrats. I never thought I’d see the day when Officer Logan Jensen was pussy-whipped over one chick. And not just pussy-whipped. In fucking love.”

Yep, neither did I.

As I step through the entrance of the Mexican restaurant, I don’t even have to see Ally to know she’s already here. I can sense her and those beautiful rolling eyes. She’s probably rolling them right now, knowing she has to survive an evening with me while planning a wedding. Good. I hope I piss her off the entire night just so I get to feel her wrath. I love that wrath. And according to Ally’s dad, he hasn’t seen her feisty side for a while, and he told me to keep it up. He literally gave me permission to keep pissing her off. He’s like my spirit person. He’s fucking awesome.

When my gaze moves to the left, I finally spot her in a booth, looking down at a menu. The mere sight of her, seeing how gorgeous she is, makes my heart constrict almost painfully. Instantly, I can tell she hasn’t made an effort. Her hair is piled on top of her head, she has zero makeup on, and she’s wearing ripped jeans and an old and very faded Sesame Street T-shirt. It’s clearly for my benefit. She must think if she dresses like a slob, I’ll find her less desirable. But what she fails to understand is that no matter what she wears or how she looks, she is still the prettiest chick I’ve ever laid eyes on. I know some girls look hideous without makeup on, but she’s as beautiful without makeup as she is with it on. She has a complexion most women would die for.

I make my way over to her, and she startles as I drop into the seat beside her.

“If it isn’t the apple of my eye,” I tell her, grinning like a five-year-old.

She glances over to me, grinning back. “And if it isn’t the pain in my ass,” she greets back as I shrug off my jacket.

I briefly glance down at my watch to see it’s a few minutes after seven. Huh, where are Nate and Remi?

They said to meet them at seven, and there’s no sign of them.

“Where’s the soon-to-be wedded couple?”

She sighs, looking back down at the menu, studying it hard. “They’re running late. It seems Nate couldn’t shower alone, and one thing led to the other. They’ll be here soon.”

“That’s my boy,” I praise. “Though, I have to say, you keep crappy company. You either get stood up or they can’t be bothered with being on time. You should get some new friends.”

She tips her head to the side, eyeballing me. “Yeah, some new friends without annoying twin brothers.”

I tap her cute little button nose. “You love me really.”

“Yeah, like a friggin’ hole in the head.”

She turns back to the menu just as a waitress approaches.

“Hi there. I’m Lacey, and I’ll be your server tonight. Can I get you a drink?”

Since we’re eating Mexican food tonight, I ask for a Corona. She turns her attention to Ally, who just asks for water.

“You sure you don’t want a drink? I hear they have the best margaritas here.”

The waitress pipes up, her voice light, “He’s right. They really are the best. If they didn’t get me drunk, I’d be drinking them while on shift