Chapter 7

For a second, Logan was exasperated. He and Lorraine had only gotten married that morning. It was only the evening, yet she couldn't recognize him already. How forgetful could she be? His upbringing and manners made him suppress his temper. Smiling gently, he said, "Yes, it's me." Now that Lorraine had her glasses on, she could see what Logan looked like. She realized that her words could be rather hurtful, so she said, "I didn't have my glasses on during our blind date, Mr. Moore, so I didn't see what you looked like. I only asked to be sure because I don't want to get the wrong guy." She smiled at him and continued, "I didn't expect you to be so handsome. You look like the male lead in those TV shows! I've never met a man as good-looking as you. I feel like I've lucked out with you." Logan smiled, not knowing what else he could do. They barely knew each other, so there was some distance in their interactions. Lorraine's gaze landed on the twins. "These must be your children." Luna suddenly stepped forward and wrapped her arms around one of Lorraine's legs. She looked up at Lorraine, blinking innocently. Then, she said sweetly, "Mom." Lorraine couldn't resist such an adorable child, and her heart melted when she heard Luna call her that. She immediately bent down to lift Luna into her arms. "Say that again, sweetheart." "Mom!" Luna cried out. Lorraine was so delighted that she pecked Luna's cheeks a few times. "What's your name, sweetheart?" "I'm Luna Quall, Mom. My brother is Finnegan Quall. I really like you!" Luna wrapped her arms around Lorraine's neck as she spoke sweetly. Lorraine's heart melted into a puddle at her words. Logan and Finnegan watched them. They couldn't help thinking what a good actress Luna was. Luna had been putting on an act at first, but after Lorraine held her in her arms, she couldn't help thinking about how different her embrace was from Logan's. It was warm and secure—it felt maternal. She genuinely liked Lorraine and wanted her to be her mother. "I like you, too, sweetheart. You're even more adorable than in your photos and so pretty." Lorraine felt like she had lucked out with this shotgun marriage. She didn't have to go through pregnancy and the pain of labor to get two adorable children! Logan couldn't help thinking she was different from all the other women he had met. It was no wonder he had chosen her. The other women hated the thought of being a stepmother, but she seemed to love it. "I need to work for a while longer before I can head home, Mr. Moore. Would you and the kids mind waiting for me in the orchard?" Lorraine didn't want to let Luna go but didn't forget about Finnegan and Logan. "I'm fine with that," Logan said. Lorraine turned and headed back inside the orchard with Luna in her arms. She said, "How about I pick you some cherries, Lulu?" "Yay! Thanks, Mom!" "Oh, you're such a dear." Lorraine couldn't help pecking Luna on the cheek again, and Luna returned the favor. The distance between them closed immediately, and it was already as if they were genuinely mother and daughter. "You didn't need to buy so many things, Mr. Moore. It's good enough that you came." She reached out to help Logan carry some of the gifts. Of course, she wouldn't force him into anything if he didn't need her help. Smiling, he said, "I couldn't come empty-handed to meet your parents." Lorraine smiled without saying anything else. She could tell that meeting her parents was an important matter to him. He was even wearing a suit for the occasion. Despite being a construction worker, he didn't look out of place in a suit. In fact, it made him look more handsome and debonair than ever. She was willing to bet Irene would break into a grin upon seeing him. Most other construction workers became tan after working under the sun all day, but Logan wasn't like that. He didn't look the slightest bit like a construction worker. There were a few cottages inside the orchard. Those were where Lorraine and her workers usually stayed. She brought Logan and the kids to her cottage and told him, "You can wait here for now, Mr. Moore. I'll be done with my work soon." She turned the lights on and left to pick a basket full of cherries. Then, she came back and called the children to the table with a smile. Logan said considerately, "You should go back to work." Lorraine agreed. They were married now, not strangers. Acting all polite with each other would only make them seem distant. She rubbed the children's cheeks before leaving to continue counting the fruits with the fruit merchants. Once she was gone, Logan gave the kids two cherries each. "These are very sweet, so you can't have too many. You can have two each just to see what they taste like." Then, he asked Finnegan, "What do you think of her, Finn?" Before he could say anything, Luna said, "Mom's embrace is very motherly. I like her, Dad." Logan smiled. "Oh, so you weren't just putting on an act?" She said matter-of-factly, "I really do like her. It's great to have a mother. Really great!" Her vocabulary was limited because of her age, so she couldn't think of other words to describe how much she liked Lorraine. "Mom's smile gives me a…" Finnegan cocked his head, trying to think of the right word to use. Logan confirmed, "She makes you feel at ease, right?" Finnegan nodded vigorously. That was the phrase he'd been looking for—at ease. Her smile made him feel comfortable, and it was very sincere. It wasn't like those other women interested in Logan. They only pretended to treat him and Luna well when Logan was around. But once Logan's back was turned, they would complain about how he and Luna were excess baggage. They talked about how he and Luna had latched onto the Moore family as Logan's children when they were from the Quall family. The twins were young, but they could tell who were the people who were sincere to them. Logan asked, "I suppose that means you're both okay with her, right?" Finnegan and Luna nodded their heads. They both wanted Lorraine as their mother. Smiling, Logan caressed their heads. … Lorraine didn't keep them waiting for long. She quickly finished counting the fruits and collected her payment before hurrying back to the cottage. "Let's go, Mr. Moore. I'll take you and the kids back to my house. "My mom has prepared a feast for dinner. I told her this afternoon that you and the kids were coming, and she's been busy in the kitchen since then." She lifted Luna into her arms and held Finnegan's hand. Meanwhile, Logan picked up all the gifts he'd bought and followed her out of the cottage. There was a pickup truck parked outside. Lorraine opened the back door and carried the children into the car before telling Logan, "You can just put everything in the back, Mr. Moore. It'll be much easier than carrying everything around." Logan silently did as told. When he was done, he found that Lorraine had already gotten into the driver's seat. He looked at her for a while before deciding against saying anything. He got into the front passenger seat. He wanted to drive, but Lorraine moved quicker than he thought. Since it was too late, he wouldn't say anything. This was the twins' first time riding in a pickup truck. It wasn't as comfortable as the car they usually took, but they remembered what Logan had told them. So, they remained silent as he had. They didn't want to accidentally expose Logan's wealth. It was just that this was their first time lying to someone, and they were helping their father to lie to their mother. It stressed them out.