Working alongside Darcy Fitzgerald in the kitchen didn’t suck. Logan freely acknowledged that. He kind of liked talking to her. He kind of liked her, as much as or maybe more than he had last summer. This was surprising, because he rarely—make that never—felt even a spark of interest in a girl who came preapproved by his family.

Yeah, he liked her, but she wasn’t his type. Life was simpler without the complication of a divorce survivor. And she didn’t even look like his type, particularly at the moment, in the floppy hat and shapeless robe. That layered-on style made her look like a human coat tree. Still, she had a fun personality and a cute smile. She was the type of girl to have as a friend, nothing more.

“Time for the beach,” he said. “You’re going to love it.”

“Lead on, Kemosabe.”

He walked through the breezeway and held the back door for her. His folks’ place had all the perks—an infinity pool and lush gardens, a small grove of orange and calamondin trees, a tennis court, a golf course bordering one side of the yard and on the other side, a scenic path through a bird marsh leading to the beach.

“Not too shabby,” she remarked, pausing to get a phone picture of a group of roosting flamingos.

“We spend every Thanksgiving here. The setting is not exactly traditional, though.”

“Traditions are overrated,” she said.

“Yeah? Which ones?”

“The ones that throw you together with people you don’t get along with and force you to pretend to have a good time.”

“Ouch.”

“Those are the traditions I’m talking about.”

“Well, when you put it that way...”

“Sorry.” A grin flashed beneath the wide brim of the hat. “Obviously my divorce did a number on me. I’ll get over it. I take it you got through yours.”

“More or less intact. The hardest part is splitting Charlie’s time. Makes me mental.” He ground his back teeth, thinking about the past couple of months. “The worst part for me is that he’s moving with his mother and stepfather to Japan.”

“Whoa, Japan?”

“My ex’s husband is in the air force. They’re moving right after Christmas, and they’ll be away for three years.”

“Sounds challenging.”

“It’s totally screwed up, but I’m going to have to make it work. Charlie has been flying on his own back and forth between his mom and me for the past couple of years, so he’s an old hand at it.”