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"Mr. Joe," Sadie said, little brow furrowed as she stared at Mellie's boyfriend, "you're funnin' me, aren't you?"
"Now why would you say that, littlest Logan?" Joe replied, grinning widely at Mellie's niece.
Somehow on their last date the subject of Sadie's current interests had come up, probably while discussing which of the many colorful and notorious past Logans the only current member of the newest generation was likeliest to take after, and his eyes had lit up in a way she might have called disturbing if she hadn't already been subjected to half a dozen lectures on chemical reactions in the weeks since he'd bought her that first drink at Clyde's bar. It was what she liked to call his sciencing look, and sure enough, he'd suggested a culinary experiment to the girl first thing at the next Logan family barbecue. And privately, Mellie thought that particular interest might just stick, because Sadie'd followed him out to Jimmy's new garage with at least as much enthusiasm as she'd ever shown for the pageants her mother and stepfather enrolled her in.
"I know what batteries are. They're all chemicals and 'lectricity and stuff. They're in cell phones and cars and a bunch of my brothers' toys. But those are potatoes." Sadie pointed to the lumpy root vegetables lying on the tool bench next to a few other miscellaneous odds and ends.
"Indeed they are," Joe replied, still grinning, picking one up and turning it around in his hand. "You think there aren't any chemicals in here? I thought your aunt said you been watching a lot of Top Chef."
"Well, yeah," Sadie replied, frown deepening as she crossed her arms over her chest. She was wearing a gauzy tutu that day over pale-washed jeans and a white tee shirt with the words 'Yes, Chef!' in sparkly pink cursive; the whole effect was too adorable for words. "But when they say food chemistry, they mean flavors, not 'lectricity."
"Well, you been missing out, then. Ask your daddy sometime about what you can do with a little bleach, some salt substitute, and a couple bags of gummy bears. Or," he interrupted himself, wincing slightly as the pointed toe of Mellie's shoe nudged his calf, "maybe wait until you're a little older for that one. But today, we're gonna take these potatoes, a few wires, some nails and pennies, and power us a lightbulb."
"For real?" Sadie asked again, eyes widening as she glanced at the rest of the objects on the bench.
"For real," he nodded solemnly back. "Now, I'll be the one makin' the cuts, but I'll talk you through all the rest of it, and you'll see for yourself."
"Show me," Sadie demanded, stepping closer and watching carefully as he picked up the knife.
Mellie watched their two blond heads bend together over the tool bench and caught her breath as her own chemicals suddenly made it known that she was already a lot more in on this guy than she'd expected. Small community like theirs, of course she'd known who Joe Bang was before he'd gone inside; a brain like his, there'd been nearly as many expectations heaped on him as there'd been on Jimmy before life's disappointments had derailed both their upward trajectories. But where Jimmy had resigned himself to hard-working jobs after losing his dreams of the NFL to a knee injury, Joe had decided to solve his family's misfortunes through crime. She was one to talk, of course; but still. A convicted safe cracker wasn't exactly the kind of guy she might have dreamed of settling down with.
She'd only sat next to him at the Duct Tape that day because she knew he was fit as hell – from the glimpses she'd got as she'd absolutely peeked at the back seat while he was changing the day of the robbery – and because of the way he'd appreciated her back, both for her looks and for her way behind the wheel. He'd made some remark about her having his life in her hands three times already – counting the measurements she'd supplied for the hidden compartments they'd used to escape the prison – and offered to pay for her drink, and she'd thought, what could it hurt?
Many a woman had thought the same dumb thing, Mellie was beginning to think, before finding themselves in over their heads. Joe wasn't exactly sweet – she still didn't know what he'd been thinking, teasing her that her name rhymed with 'smelly' when she'd picked him and Clyde up in Moody's Mustang – but he had a way of fixing his whole attention on her that made her feel seen. Not just the only Logan to escape the family curse – more by virtue of 'working her Mellie magic' on anything that got in her way than any essential difference from the rest of her family – but a grown woman with talents and an identity all her own. Money wasn't an issue, and wouldn't be unless he told Fish and Sam where he kept his stashes again. He got along well enough with her brothers, and he'd obviously already charmed Sadie. And last but not least, he fucked like a machine, and actually made sure Mellie enjoyed it as much as he did.
If she hadn't got him out of her system yet, she was starting to think she might not want to. And maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing.
"What are you thinkin'?" he asked her sometime later, after Sadie had run back into the house to show her potato battery off to the rest of the family. "You had an awful serious look on your face just then."
She rolled her eyes at the faint suspicion in his tone, then reached up to link her arms around his neck. "Oh, nothin'. Just thinkin' about what you said about the future. We might have another budding chemist on our hands there, if her momma don't forbid any future science lessons."
"I suppose that'll depend on whether she puts those lessons to any ill use," Joe replied, a mischievous light in his eyes as he settled his hands on her hips. "You wouldn't think so to look at her, but then, I have met you."
"I'm going to take that as a compliment," Mellie said, smirking back at him, then stretched up the few inches between them to close the conversation with a thorough kiss.
There'd be more words on the subject later, of course. But for now, she was going to enjoy the moment and let the future take care of itself.