Brave the Storm, Season 2, Episode 3 (Rising Storm) by Lisa Mondello Page A

inspecting it. “I’d better get this in the refrigerator or all the frosting will melt before the birthday girl arrives. Are you going to be working a shift tonight, son?”
    Logan lifted the hinged section of the bar top that separated the space behind the bar from the rest of the pub. “Why? How big is this birthday party going to be?”
    “Oh, it’s just a family from out of town. But since they’re on the road, they wanted to make it special for their little girl who is missing a birthday party at home. But I saw some news crews in town earlier when I was shopping and I wondered what that was all about. I thought maybe they were having a concert in the square.”
    Logan cringed. “ Damned press.”
    Sonya looked at Logan with a sympathetic motherly eye. “Well, despite Storm’s insignificance to the entire state of Texas, we do have a state senator who lives here, who’s running for reelection, and who’s news-worthy. Or at least gossip-worthy,” she amended with a frown.
    Logan blew out a breath. “Rush is trying to spin this whole Dakota and Ginny bullshit to his advantage.”
    “Watch your mouth,” Sonya said, giving him a quick warning glance.
    “Sorry.”
    Sonya picked up the cake box. “What makes you think that?”
    “He called me.”
    “What? Sebastian Rush had the gall to call you again?” Sonya took a protective step toward him. “What did he want with you?”
    “It’s okay, Mom. It’s the same old thing. He wanted to parade me out to the press as if he had anything to do with my service in the military. As if that makes him something special.”
    “What an ass!”
    Logan chuckled at the apologetic look Sonya cast him.
    “Don’t worry. I told Rush to get lost. I’m not going to be his little puppet.”
    “Thank God. He dug his own grave. Now let him lie in it.”
    His mother disappeared into the kitchen and left him behind the bar. It was early, but already the place was hopping which was just as well, since a slow bar meant too much time to think about Ginny or Sebastian Rush or anything else. Better to just lose himself in his work.
    Tate Johnson and Mary Louise Prager sat at the end of the bar and talked. Every once in a while he’d walk down to where they were sitting to see if they wanted another drink or some food.
    Logan had left it to his mother to handle the birthday party for the family who was just passing through town, although Logan did lend his voice to sing Happy Birthday, which made the little girl who was turning ten years old while on vacation very happy.
    Logan was putting dirty glasses into a rack at the bar when his brother Patrick came into Murphy’s. He waved as Patrick made his way to the bar. He was still dressed in his EMT uniform instead of his normal jeans and T-shirt.
    “Just getting off a shift?” Logan asked.
    Patrick shook his head. “I just dropped off a patient at the hospital and saw the news crew setting up in front of Rush’s headquarters. Did you know Sebastian was giving an interview today?”
    “I don’t care what that piece of shit is doing. Want a beer?”
    Patrick slid onto the barstool and shook his head. “I’m still on duty.”
    “Then what are you doing here?”
    “Anyone around who can relieve you behind the bar for a few?” Patrick asked.
    Logan didn’t like the sound of Patrick’s voice. “Mom’s in the back doing the books. Why?”
    “Get her to come out here. You’re going to want to see this.”
    “See what? What the hell are you talking about?”
    “Senator Rush is giving an interview and you’re the star topic.”
    Logan slammed a fist on the bar top. “That no good sonuvabitch!”
     
    * * * *
     
    “I don’t want to hear it.” Anna Mae said. There’d never been a time she couldn’t look her sister in the eye, but today was a first. It was a first for a lot of things.
    Anna Mae could still feel Chase’s lips on her mouth. His kiss was more than what she’d remembered all these years. When she’d