Finally, A Family. Callie Endicott

meeting in Nicole’s office, which was the only one large enough for four people. Space was at a premium for the agency. Kevin McClaskey, the previous owner, had been a one-man show. He hadn’t expected to expand, so he’d sectioned off most of the building and given long-term leases to people like Penny and Eric Parrish. Still, Kevin’s overall office area was larger than he’d needed and it hadn’t seemed an issue when they purchased the talent agency and building. They’d remodeled the office space extensively and had been fairly happy with it, but as each partner arrived, they were feeling increasingly cramped. Not to mention wanting more rooms for training purposes and other needs. His own office wasn’t much bigger than a closet.

      “I see you didn’t have time to change your clothes again.” Nicole tossed him the beach towel she had waiting. More than once on his trips to Seattle he’d arrived at a meeting wet or covered in mud from a photography outing, so she’d learned to be prepared.

      “Nope.” Logan’s jeans had dried on the drive to the city, but despite his efforts to brush them off, they were stained with dirt and forest debris. He set his cup on a low table and covered a chair with the towel. “But I got some amazing shots.”

      Adam chuckled. “You always do.”

      “Here, take a look.” Logan went over and inserted a memory card into the computer, bringing the images up to display on a wall-mounted television. One of the big remodeling expenses had been getting the best wiring and electronics into their offices.

      “They’re wonderful,” Nicole said after seeing a number of the photos.

      Adam nodded in agreement. “Absolutely. Are they for a magazine?”

      “Actually, I’m doing a calendar, and a publisher has approached me about doing a book on the Pacific Northwest.”

      “I’ll buy the first copy,” Rachel promised. “But I wonder, are you going to be torn between full-time photography and the agency?”

      The not-so-delicate question was probably something they were all wondering about.

      “I’ve thought about it,” Logan admitted. “But while I love the challenge of getting a great picture, I also want to work at the agency.”

      The discussion shifted and they compared notes on several prospective clients.

      None of Logan’s friends seemed concerned by his answer. They’d put contingencies into the partnership agreement in case any of them decided to go another direction at some point, but he didn’t expect to change his mind about Moonlight Ventures. Being a talent agent would require him to find a balance between his competing interests.

      Those interests didn’t include a family, even though his parents had begun fervently lobbying for grandchildren. His father was a retired diplomat and his mother a former protocol expert. Now they wanted to dive into being grandparents with the same intensity they’d brought to embassy duties and official dinners. In fact, they acted as if marriage and kids were items on a list that everybody needed to check off.

      Logan had firmly told them not to start buying baby booties; he intended to stay a bachelor. His decision partly stemmed from the fact that he’d seen too many bad relationships to have any faith in marriage. The statistics on divorce weren’t encouraging. But the biggest reason was his own questions about whether he had what it took. He doubted he had the personality and commitment to make a marriage successful. After all, he’d have to change his personal life far more than a move to Seattle would require, and he couldn’t see that happening.

      Ultimately, it would be best to be an honorary uncle to his friends’ children and leave the uncertainty of marriage and parenting to them.

       CHAPTER ONE

      Seven months later...

      LOGAN SAT IN his car, gazing through the early spring rain at the Crystal Connection. It rained a lot in Washington in every season, which must be why it was called the Evergreen State.

      Even in the dark weather, the crystals in the windows moved and winked with every breath of air inside the store. Small spotlights had been focused on them so they were sure to capture attention. He didn’t understand why some people were so crazy about crystals and the New Age mysticism surrounding them, but that was their business. The problem was that he and his partners needed to expand and the crystals were directly in the way.

      There was a knock on the window and he jerked; he’d been so deep in thought that he hadn’t noticed Rachel Clarion approaching. Rachel Kessler, he reminded himself, since she’d joined the ranks of the recently married. Not only that, she was pregnant.

      “What’s up?” he asked, getting out of the car.

      “Nothing much. Where is your sports car?”

      “Traded it in over the weekend. I enjoyed it, but I decided to get this smaller hybrid since I want a place outside the city. I’m keeping the SUV for my photo ventures into the mountains.”

      “Simon has talked about getting a hybrid ever since Livvie learned about fossil fuels in school.” Her face glowed at the mention of her new husband and his daughter. “He’s a sucker when it comes to Livvie.”

      “So are you.”

      “True.” Rachel laughed.

      She adored her stepdaughter and was happy in a way Logan had never seen his friend before. He’d worried about her after the accident that had ended both her modeling career and first marriage. But everything had changed after she moved to Seattle and met Simon Kessler. Now, except for a few bouts of morning sickness, she seemed truly at peace. Logan just hoped it would last.

      “I saw you brooding over here,” Rachel added. “Is there a problem?”

      “Just gathering my thoughts about the situation with the Crystal Connection. Today is my first official day as a regular agent and I need to evaluate how to approach this particular issue.”

      She made a face. “Being a landlord is my least favorite part of owning Moonlight Ventures.”

      He nodded.

      The rapid growth of the agency had surprised him and the others. It was partly from name recognition since they were all known in the modeling world, but now they were victims of their own success. Even with Logan starting to work full-time they needed to hire junior associates, but they just didn’t have space to accommodate anyone else.

      As partners they shared administrative tasks and it was his turn to take the lead. Actually, it was well past his turn. So he was evaluating options for expansion...which mostly meant seeing if there was any way to move the Crystal Connection to another location in the building.

      “It’s a challenge since the new owner is Penny’s granddaughter. She has a young daughter close to Livvie’s age,” Rachel told him. “I’ve been tempted to try setting up playdates between them, but it’s tricky. I suspect we won’t be popular once we’ve broached the subject of the shop moving.”

      “That makes me feel a whole lot better.”

      “Sorry. On the positive side, it’s possible Jessica will like the idea of having a larger space for the same rent. We can’t know until we ask. In any case, I’ll leave you to beard the lioness in her den,” Rachel said with a sympathetic smile.

      “I probably won’t do it today. First I’m going to check commercial real estate listings of rental spaces so I have other options to offer.” They’d agreed they should pay the costs of a move, along with advertising to announce a new location—even if it was just around the corner of the building—but Logan wanted to start the discussion with real estate listings in hand. For all they knew, Ms. Parrish would love the opportunity to break her long-term lease and relocate somewhere else entirely.

      “Sure you aren’t being cowardly?” she teased gently. “Jessica isn’t that fierce, except