He turned to the side so Abby could hear him. “Stay here,” he said. “I’ll deal with this.” She did as she was told, not even removing her helmet, and he was guessing she wasn’t too keen on being recognized. She probably knew most of the police in this area.
Logan took a deep, calming breath and pulled off his helmet as he swung from the bike to stand facing the officer. The man was young; they were usually the worst, out to prove something. Logan kept his face expressionless.
“Nice bike,” the officer said. “Is it yours?”
Like he was going to say no. “Yes.”
“You can prove that?”
Logan made a snorting sound, but he turned to Abby who was still wearing his jacket. “My wallet is in the inside pocket.”
She reached inside, pulled out the wallet, and handed it to him. He took out the paper and passed it to the officer. Everything was in order. The guy could be as difficult as he liked, but there was nothing he could get Logan on. He just had to wait it out. It wasn’t as though he wasn’t used to this.
Beside him, Abby’s fingers were tapping against the leather of the seat as the officer took an age to look at the papers. Then he glanced across at Logan. “I’m going to call this in.”
Logan gritted his teeth but managed a casual shrug. “Go ahead.”
“No, wait,” Abby snapped, irritation clear in her voice. She pulled off the helmet, and her hair fell loose around her shoulders. “Is there a problem, Officer West?”
So she did recognize him. Logan didn’t know whether to laugh or warn her off. From the expression on her face, he probably wouldn’t succeed in the latter. She looked pissed.
The man turned to her, a frown drawing his brows together at the interruption. Then he actually looked at her and went very still, his eyes widening, like a rabbit caught in the headlights.
This time Logan couldn’t quite stifle his snort of amusement.
Officer West swallowed. “Sergeant Parker?”
“Obviously. You were going to phone something in. What exactly?”
“Um. Er…”
She raised a brow.
“There have been a number of bike thefts recently. We’ve been told to keep an eye out.”
“Fair enough. I take it there’s a problem with Mr. McCabe’s paperwork?”
He swallowed again, glanced down at the paper in his hand, then back at Logan. “No problem.” He handed it to Logan and cleared his throat. “Drive safely.” Then he walked back to his patrol car, got in, and drove off.
“Asshole,” she muttered.
Logan chuckled. “You’re fierce when you’re pissed off, Sergeant Parker.”
She turned from glaring after the police car to study him. “And aren’t you? Pissed off, I mean. There was no reason to pull you over and no call to make a big deal out of it once he’d seen the paperwork.”
“No point in being pissed off.” He grinned. “I’m not saying you’re all assholes, but there are enough. If prison taught me one thing it was to stay cool. I swore ten years ago when I got out, that I was never going back. So I smile and I nod and I make sure my paperwork is in order.”
She shook her head. “I’m impressed.”
“Good, I’m impressive. Now, let’s get you home. You must be exhausted.”
Chapter Eleven
“Are you going to tell me why I’m hearing a whole lot of rumors about you?”
She glanced up from her desk and considered ignoring Jack’s question and finishing up her application form instead. A vacancy had come up in the detective bureau, and she was going for it. This was all she’d wanted since she’d joined the force, and finally it was within her grasp. She’d passed the exams a year ago and had been waiting for a suitable opening.
But she supposed Jack had a right to ask. They hadn’t repeated the date yet, and to be honest, while she was sleeping with Logan—or if not sleeping, then fulfilling his sexual fantasies—she didn’t feel she could date anyone else. But Jack was a friend, maybe more, and she owed him honesty at least.
Except she didn’t want to talk about Logan.
He was nobody’s business but hers.
“I have no idea.” She should have known that prick West wouldn’t keep his mouth shut. She’d been getting strange looks since she’d come on duty last night, but only Jack was brave enough to ask her outright.
He perched on the edge of the desk. “Rumors involving you, a Harley, and Logan McCabe in the early hours of yesterday morning. I might have discounted them, except I know for a fact that you know McCabe. What’s going on?”
“It’s nothing to do with work.”
“So what is it to do with?”
She pursed her lips while she decided what to say. Logan was in their lives now, and she was convinced he was here to stay. He’d made it very clear he planned to be a big part of Jennifer’s life. That wasn’t something she could, or even wanted to, keep a secret long-term.
“Logan is Jenny’s father.”
He rose to his feet and stood staring down at her. “What?”
“Logan McCabe is Jennifer’s father.” She pressed a finger to her forehead wishing the conversation was over. Or better yet, that it had never started. “He didn’t know until recently, and I’d really rather you kept it to yourself for now.”