BWWM Interracial Romance 3: Family Heart by Elena Brown

independently-owned café was known for interesting and innovative “coffee cocktails,” combining flavors that made them taste like freshly-baked cookies, or even—in one strangely alluring case—a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Jessica looked over the menu, musing over odd combinations like pineapple and cayenne, and ginger and jalapeño with coconut. She thought to herself that she would just take something relatively plain—maybe a hazelnut latte with the bourbon whipped cream.
    “Hey sweetie,” Gail called out, walking quickly to where Jessica sat. “I’m sorry I’m running a couple of minutes late—and I’m even sorrier that I have to dash in a minute, but I got you a suitable replacement for my company.” Jessica balked as Gail approached and kissed her on the cheek.
    “A suitable replacement? Gail, I wanted to hang out with you!” Gail gave her a hug and looked at her with eyes full of mischief and just a twinge of doubt. “What are you up to?” Gail shook her head.
    “Nothing that won’t be for your own good. Now I have to scoot—I’ve got a date to get to.” Gail grabbed a coffee to go and rushed out, and Jessica considered following her friend. For a long moment, irritation consumed her; if Gail had found a date that she wanted to go out with, why hadn’t she called to cancel? It wasn’t like her friend to be inconsiderate. As Jessica was considering making her exit, someone approached her table. Jessica looked up and saw Logan standing a few feet away from her, still dressed in his work clothes, though his hands and face were obviously freshly cleaned, his hair brushed. His dark brown eyes were full of hope and doubt as he stood silently watching her, waiting to see what she would say, how she would react.
    “What are you doing here?” Jessica asked, more confused than accusatory. “Are you—shit. Gail.” She waved him over to the opposite seat at the table even as anxiety bubbled up inside of her. Gail had set this up; there was no doubt of it.
    “I wanted to talk to you about—everything,” Logan said, picking at imaginary lint on the table cloth. “Gail insisted that we had to talk in person; I’d been wanting to call you but I didn’t know where to begin.” Jessica swallowed the lump in her throat, taking a deep breath to slow down the rapid pounding of her heart. She was glad to see him and dreaded talking to him at the same time.
    “I guess I’d be willing to talk,” Jessica said, keeping her voice carefully level. She wasn’t going to cause a scene; she wasn’t going to be the one to make things worse. “I thought… when you didn’t call…” Jessica took another deep breath, exhaling on a sigh. “I thought you’d made up your mind.” She stole a glance at Logan, catching the slight puffiness around his eyes, the look of fatigue and loneliness that clung to him. He wasn’t a man who had reunited with his wife happily—that much was clear.
    “I have made up my mind,” Logan started. “I realized that I’d been fooling myself. Rosanna hadn’t changed—maybe she can’t change.” Logan shook his head. “The only reason she was coming after me like that is because she’s lonely and wanted attention.” Jessica nodded slowly.
    “And you were… you thought she really wanted you, and you were going to try and reconcile.” Logan shrugged.
    “I had wondered. I never did anything with her, Jess. I thought I was doing what was best for Zachary—at least looking at reconciling with his mom. But while Zachary needs to have Rosanna in his life, I don’t have to have her in mine. I’m not going to have anything to do with her other than Zachary ever again.” Jessica felt her eyes stinging and wondered if she felt more relieved or concerned, more contented to be in Logan’s company or worried that he would tell her that he hadn’t decided to try and make things right with her.
    “I should have given you a chance to explain,” Jessica admitted. She