Chapter 13

Lorraine approached the bed after a beat. She picked up Logan's shirt and held it out to him, saying, "You have a good figure, but the A/C is turned down a little lower today. You should put this on before you catch a cold. Otherwise, I'm going to get it." Irene would think she had deliberately lowered the temperature to make Logan catch a cold. Logan silently took the shirt. Then, he explained, "I usually sleep without a shirt on." Lorraine didn't say anything. At least he didn't sleep in the nude. Logan ultimately put the shirt on as he didn't want Lorraine to think he was some pervert, and he knew she didn't intend to sleep with him that night when she handed him his shirt. Well, there was no rush. They were strangers before marriage. They would be moving too quickly if they were to take things further at this point. "Logan." Lorraine sat by the bed and said, "We barely know each other now. I think… we shouldn't do anything for the time being. Is that okay?" He looked into her eyes and realized she was quite erudite with her glasses on. Smiling, he said, "Don't worry, Lorraine. I won't force you into anything if you're unwilling. I can wait since you're not ready." "Thanks for understanding," she said gratefully. "You don't have to be so polite with me. We're married, after all." Logan got out of bed and said, "You take the bed with the kids. I'll sleep on the couch." "How about you take the bed? I'll make do on the couch." Earlier, she had asked him whether he minded sleeping on the couch. His reaction told her that he did. Logan was new here, and it only made sense for her to be more accommodating as his wife. He stopped and turned to look at her. Then, he pinched her face gently and said, "I'm a man." Lorraine didn't say anything else. Once he walked away, she touched her cheek and muttered something to herself. She handed him the pillow and blanket Irene had prepared. "Goodnight." "Goodnight." After that, they settled in their respective spots and went to sleep… not that Logan could fall asleep. Despite that, he didn't toss and turn on the couch. He didn't want to disturb Lorraine. He didn't know whether it was because she was exhausted from her work or just felt at ease around him, but she fell asleep very quickly. After a moment, he sat up and looked at the bed. Lorraine and the kids were sound asleep, leaving him to pass the night alone. Honestly, it was mainly because he wasn't used to sleeping on a couch. Logan sat there briefly before bringing his pillow and blanket back to the bed. He moved the kids slightly closer to Lorraine to make space for himself. Then, he lay beside Finnegan, tucking the sheets tighter around the child before falling asleep. The rest of the night passed in peace and silence. … When Lorraine woke up, the sky had barely started turning bright. Tons of cherries needed to be handed over to the fruit merchants today, so she had to head to the orchard earlier to help pick the fruits. She habitually grabbed her phone to check the time before getting up. She pattered over to the wardrobe to grab a change of clothes and changed into them right there before heading to the bathroom to wash up. When she came out of the bathroom, she picked up her glasses from the bedside table and put them on. The world became clear, and she met Logan's dark gaze. She was taken aback. Who was he? Why was he in her room and bed? Logan sat up and smiled at her. "Morning, Lorraine." Lorraine blinked a few times, finally remembering yesterday's events. She smiled awkwardly. "Morning, Logan. I forgot all about us getting married. I was actually wondering who you were and why you were in my bed." He was already starting to get used to her forgetting him. It looked like this was a side effect of a shotgun marriage. It was going to take some time for her to get used to suddenly having a stranger in her life. "Did I wake you?" she asked. "No, I usually get up at this hour." "Oh." Suddenly, Lorraine remembered she'd changed in the room instead of the bathroom. Had Logan already been awake then? Had he seen her changing? Also, hadn't he slept on the couch last night? When did he get into bed with her and the kids? She hadn't noticed a thing. There was a chance Logan had watched her changing, but Lorraine wasn't dumb enough to ask him about it—it would only make them both feel awkward. She said nonchalantly, "I'm heading to the orchards. I have a ton of cherries to hand over to the fruit merchants today. Mom will make breakfast, so you just need to bring the kids downstairs later." "You're leaving so early?" Logan asked. "Yeah." Lorraine wasn't the type to dilly-dally. She kissed the children before leaving. Logan watched her and felt his face once she was gone. He mumbled, "Why didn't you kiss me? Aren't I good-looking enough?" Lorraine knew nothing of this. When she went downstairs, she saw Irene already bustling around the kitchen, preparing breakfast for everyone. Irene came out of the kitchen when she heard footsteps. "Are you picking cherries again today, Raine?" "Yeah. I'm heading out now." "Aren't you going to have breakfast first?" "No, I'll have some when I get back later," Lorraine said while walking out. Irene followed her and watched her get into the pickup truck before driving off. "It's the second day of her marriage, yet she's still going to the orchards. Is work the only thing she can think of?" She sighed. Lorraine was the most outstanding among her children, but she returned to the countryside after that incident. She then changed her career path to establish orchards and become a farmer. Lorraine was also incredibly career-oriented and barely left the orchards. When the fruits were ready to be harvested, she worked around the clock. But even when she had no fruits to harvest, she stayed at the orchards. Charles and Irene couldn't be blamed for nagging her to get married. If they didn't push her, she would likely remain single for the rest of her life. Irene stared in the direction Lorraine had left for a while longer before heading back into the house. Then, she saw Logan. "Up already, Logan? Why didn't you sleep in? It's still early." She was delighted with him and always smiled when facing him. That was why Lorraine had complained about Irene forgetting about her now that there was Logan. "I'm used to waking up early for a morning run," Logan said. "Oh, that's a good habit. Go ahead and do what you need. I'll go prepare breakfast." "Okay." Irene headed back inside while Logan ran along the main road stretching before the Somner residence. Half an hour later, he returned for breakfast. Then, he got the children ready for kindergarten. It was the start of another regular day.