“Glad I could be of service.” Owen stood and grabbed his dishes.
“I’ll get those.” Betsy pointed at him. “Leave them there.”
“Oh, no. You’ve seen enough action today.” Owen had covered his regurgitated food with his napkin at the first hint of oxygen. “I’ll take care of them. I’m sure trash baskets and sinks look the same in all fifty states.”
In the kitchen, he scraped his plate, rinsed it off, and laid it in the sink. Then he took a clean paper towel from the roll and put it in the basket over his trash. As he walked back into the dining room, Jenny stood.
“I can help clean up, Betsy.” Jenny picked up her own plate and glass.
“I can too,” Mabel said.
“Us too,” Rick said, earning him a warm smile from his wife. “You kids get your plates.” Hope rolled her eyes and laughed.
Betsy’s eyes glimmered. “You’ve all left this old lady speechless. I hope you’re not thinking of asking for a refund.”
The group broke out into laughter.
Betsy stood and faced Owen. “I hope you stay longer than a week, like you said you might.”
“Ah. Funny you bring that up.” He shoved his hands into his pockets, and Betsy followed him out of the dining area. “I was going to talk to you later, but I’m actually leaving tonight.”
Betsy’s smile vanished. “Well, that’s too bad. Who am I going to look at now?” She placed her hands on her hips. “Have you seen the men in this town?”
Owen put a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sure you’re not giving them enough credit.”
“Ah. I hope if you ever come back this way, you’ll stop here.”
“I wouldn’t consider anywhere else.” Owen winked, then pointed his thumb toward the door. “I’m going to get some air.” He started to walk away, then pivoted back around. “Betsy, I’d like to talk to you this afternoon if you have time.”
“I have all the time in the world for you.” She patted him on the back. “Besides, I need to at least try to talk you into staying the rest of the week.”
Owen made his way out the front door. Glad to be alone and out of any residual spotlight from the weirdest breakfast experience of his life, he rested against the tall column and took a deep breath. Jenny saved my life, and I didn’t even say thank you.
Chapter 15
Jenny waited for a moment after Owen made his exit, then walked over to Betsy. “The kids loaded the dishwasher, but Hope and Mabel wanted to know what do with the leftovers.”
“I’ll put the plates together.” Betsy checked her watch. “My grandson can’t deliver them today, so I’ll have to go make the rounds.”
“Honestly, Betsy. I’m off work today, and I’d love to do it. It’s been a while.”
Betsy patted Jenny’s cheek. “Thank you. I should have everything ready in a jiff.”
“Great. I’ll check back shortly.” Jenny had certainly fulfilled her ten-minute obligation to Sammie, so the trip was secure, but she wanted to ask Owen a few questions. Not wanting to make a scene about following him, she slipped outside and pulled the door shut behind her but held on to the screen door.
Behind him, she took the opportunity to appreciate what she saw. Owen was standing with his shoulder against the column and his arms crossed in front of him. The pose accentuated the biceps under his sleeves. His strong yet slender frame could have easily have been that of a male model. Betsy had been right from the start when she called Owen handsome. But he was more than that. He was downright sexy.
The screen door slipped from her fingers and slammed shut. Owen jumped and spun around.
“Sorry.” Jenny giggled the word. “I was trying to sneak out, but I ended up sneaking up on you.” She hoped her embarrassment at getting caught wasn’t obvious.
“Oh, I’m fine. I was lost in my own head, so I didn’t hear the door open.” Owen’s posture appeared more rigid now. Jenny searched his face but his expression wasn’t giving anything away.
Sheesh. “If I’m bothering you, I can go back in.” Jenny took a step back.
“You’re certainly no bother. Please,” he said, stepping aside and motioning for her to join him. “Would you like to sit?”
“I would,” she said. Relief flooded through her. This guy was a bit odd. One minute he seemed warm and open; the next, he shut down like a clam.
In gentlemanly fashion, he pulled out one of the chairs for her. After she sat, he walked to the other side of the accent table and took a seat. “I should have said this in there.” Owen cleared his throat. “But thank you for what you did. I—”
Jenny took a good look at him. With his stiff posture and pained expression, she thought he must be dealing with some personal issues. “You’re welcome, and I’m glad I could help.”
Owen cleared his throat again, and although he had rested an arm on the table, he sat like a statue.
“You can tell me to mind my own business, but is everything okay?” Jenny leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand.
“Oh, I’m good.” His mouth turned up at the corners, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes.
“You seem... on edge. I’m a great listener if you feel like talking to a stranger. Trust me, it’s therapeutic.” As long as the stranger doesn’t become a good friend who ditches you. Jenny crossed her legs and adjusted her dress so it fell evenly over her legs.
“Oh, I don’t want to bore you.”
Owen glanced out to the yard when two squirrels at the base of Betsy’s trees began to squabble over a peanut. He stood and opened the lid to the small square basket where Betsy kept their treats, pulled out a small handful of nuts and tossed them over. The squirrels raced for them, shoved what they could into their mouths and found a spot where they could eat them.
“So, you know all about Betsy’s stash, huh?”
Owen chuckled. “Yeah, we have squirrels at home, but I don’t see them much where I live.”
Jenny nodded. Good spot to transition. “So, you like animals?”
Owen straightened a bit. “Yeah, animals are cool.”
“Cool?” Jenny couldn’t get a sense of this guy to save her life. It wasn’t like she knew him, but why was he so uncomfortable around her? “I have a friend who lives in Florida, and he loves animals. Sort of.”
Owen tilted his head, and his eyebrows crinkled. “Sort of loves animals? Or sort of a friend?”
“You’re a perceptive one.” Jenny blew out a breath and sat back. “Now, I won’t bore you with my drama, but he definitely loves animals.”
Chapter 16
Owen had fought to keep some distance between himself and Jenny, but his resistance was weakening at a rapid pace. She was as easy to talk to in person as she had been on eMatch. More than beautiful, he thought as her kind eyes searched him. And, boy, did he want to know what she had to say about Jeff—although she’d already told him and just didn’t know it.
“How much drama can a friend be?” Owen asked, trying his best to sound innocent.
“Oh, more than you know, let me tell you,” Jenny huffed. Peering at him from under her lashes, she said, “You might know him.”
The way Jenny was looking at him struck a chord of fear in him. Does she know who I am? His hands broke out into a sweat, and he ran them down his thighs. When those long lashes of hers fluttered, his throat went dry. She made him want to spill his guts and tell her everything for as long as she’d listen, then beg her forgiveness.
“He lives in Destin, too,” she continued. “And I figure since Destin is so small and you two are in the same line of work, you must know him.” Jenny straightened up and eyed him eagerly.
Total misread. She’s going to pump me for information.
“His name is Jeff Morgan. Do you know him?” Jenny leaned onto her elbows. “You must know him.”
Owen forced himself not to squirm in his seat. He wanted to run. Just get up and dash away like one of the squirrels. Hide on the highest branch and not come down until the coast wa
s clear. “I’ve heard the name.” Truth. I’ve heard it all my life. “We probably know some of the same people.” Also true. There. He hadn’t lied. Exactly how had he ever considered coming here and just being himself? As if that could work.
“Oh, that’s too bad,” Jenny said, glancing down at her hands.
The door opened, and Betsy stepped out on the porch. “The meals are ready, Jenny. There’s quite a few today.”
Jenny spun back to Owen. “Want to go with me? Help me deliver? It’s kind of like delivering Meals on Wheels, except I already know everyone.”
Owen’s jaw dropped, and he consciously closed his mouth. “Sure. I mean, of course I’ll help.” Wondering if the universe was playing some sort of cosmic trick on him as punishment for what he’d done, he stood and patted his pockets. For a moment, he wondered if he could climb out one of the upstairs windows. “Just let me grab my keys.”
“I got mine!” Jenny disappeared into the house and returned with a small clutch and two big bags. “Ready to go?”
“I guess so,” he said, trying for an upbeat tone. He promptly took the bags from her and followed her around the house to her vehicle. “Nice. A Wrangler girl, huh?”
“Oh, yeah. I don’t think I’ll ever go back to driving a regular car. But I do wish gas prices would drop again. I love driving. Destination or not.”
“Sounds like you appreciate the simple things in life.”
Jenny shrugged. “I try to,” she said as she opened her door and grabbed what Owen only knew as the “Oh Shit” handle, then hoisted herself up and into her seat.
She’s so perfect. He climbed in and couldn’t resist studying her while she started her Jeep and backed it out before putting it in drive. Kicking up gravel as she pulled out onto the street, she hit the gas and drove way too fast.
Owen gripped the armrest on the door.
She glanced at him. “What?”
“Nothing,” he said, switching his gaze to his own window. He couldn’t tell her what he was thinking—that she was the total package and he wished he hadn’t screwed everything up so badly. That he loved that she was a country girl at heart, big on brains and compassion, with looks to top it all off.
And that she was a maniac driver.
He couldn’t say any of it.
“You were staring at me.”
“Sorry!” Owen’s brain tripped over its own thoughts and hindered words from forming beyond his apology. Change the subject fast! “Um, so, you’re a veterinarian?” Jeez Louise. Just being near Jenny made him stupid. “You said you’re a doctor but you don’t usually work on people.”
“I am. Fresh out of school... finally.” She flashed a grimace that made him laugh. “For a while, it seemed like I’d be a student for the rest of my life. Now I’m working and in massive debt like a real adult.”
“Ouch.” Lame response, he knew.
“It’s all good. I’ll get it paid off before I die.” She tossed a grin his way before stopping at a little bungalow-style home. “Be right back.”
Jenny jumped out and opened the back gate on her Jeep. Retrieving two ‘to-go’ containers like one might get at a restaurant, she stacked them on top of each other, then hurried to the house.
The front door swung open, and a small gray-haired man on a walker appeared. Jenny stepped inside and disappeared from Owen’s line of sight. When she reappeared, her hands were empty. Wrapping the man in a hug, she patted his back. With an animated goodbye, the man smiled after her, waving from his front door.
Jumping back into the Jeep, she picked up right where she had left off. “Anyway, it’s all worth it. I love my job.”
“What do you do for fun?” Owen asked, figuring that if he kept control of the conversation, it would stay safe—although he still needed details about her trip to Florida. Tricky.
“I’m not that exciting. I’m kind of a homebody, really. My best friend drags me out of the house semi-regularly. She claims I’d be a hermit if it weren’t for her coming to my rescue. I like to read. Write. Binge-watch CSI. Do you watch any shows?”
Owen remembered her saying she liked shows involving forensics but decided not to mention it. “Can’t say I do. I try to spend as much time outside as I can when I’m not working.”
“I don’t blame you a bit. My friend—well, ex-friend, Jeff—he surfs.”
Owen cringed inwardly. That hurt. But to be fair, he had ditched her.
“Have you ever surfed?” Jenny asked.
“A few times.” Why had he mentioned the trigger word—work?
“I think I’d end up drowning if I tried. I’ve used the Styrofoam boards. Boogie boards. Those are fun, and you don’t need nearly as much balance.”
Owen chuckled. “Boogie boarding is awesome too. You just can’t go the same distance. Maybe you should ride a wave runner next time you’re in the water.”
“I might do that, since I’ll be at the beach soon.” Jenny took a quick right and parked in front of a dainty yellow house with a white fence. Owen thought it resembled a tulip. “Be right back.”
Owen wondered if she would say that every time. It was cute.
Jenny repeated her deliveries six more times, giving every recipient a few minutes of her time, big smiles, and a hug. This girl. His heart constricted.
“Last house,” Jenny announced. “Be right back.”
Owen snickered.
“What?” Jenny frowned.
“Nothing. You know, you should have let me drive. You’ve done all the work.”
“I don’t mind.”
Jenny grabbed the last two containers and pushed the door closed. Then she whipped around with an amused expression, ready to say something. Owen guessed “Be right back.” But when he met her eyes, something in the universe shifted, and he couldn’t turn away. Jenny obviously felt it too, because her eyes softened and she gazed back at him.
“Hurry back,” he said.
Jenny blinked several times in rapid succession as if she were coming out of a trance. “I will.” She turned and headed up the walk.
Until now, Owen hadn’t noticed the poor shape of this house, one that looked like it’d been on its last legs since the century before, with the door hanging on one hinge, and the mailbox gaping open, exposing a stack of mail. The bowed roof couldn’t possibly handle the weight of one more rain drop, and he noticed Jenny had to step around something to get to the front door. None of the fanfare she’d shared at the other homes happened at this one.
Silently, she climbed back into the Jeep.
“What’s the story here?” Owen asked her.
“This is Mr. Hidy’s place. His wife passed a few years ago, and then his only child, his son, the next year. He let everything go. Speaks to very few people.”
“He’s got mail in his box.”
“Oh! Good eye. Be right back.”
Owen smiled and watched Jenny pull out a stack of mail over an inch thick and take it up to Mr. Hidy’s door.
Chapter 17
Jenny tapped on the door and let herself in. “Mr. Hidy, you had mail. I thought I’d bring it in.”
“Thank you. Just leave it on the table by the door.”
The small table was already overloaded, but a single piece of paper with big red letters caught her attention. DISCONNECT NOTICE. She scanned the sentence underneath it. The date scheduled for disconnect was tomorrow. “Mr. Hidy. I wasn’t snooping, but this paper says your lights will be turned off tomorrow. Did you get this taken care of?”
“Don’t go in my things!” he screeched.
“I didn’t,” Jenny said in a soothing voice. “It has big letters to get your attention, and it worked because it made me look.”
“Sorry.” He calmed as quickly as he’d riled. “Sorry, Jenny.”
“Do you want me to read you the dates?”
“No.” Mr. Hidy turned away. “Don’t worry about me. Have a good day.” He sat in his broken-down recliner and scooped a spoonful of yogurt into his mouth.
“Have a good day, Mr. Hidy.”
He didn’t respond. Slipping the paper off the table, Jenny held a finger to the items on top of it so they wouldn’t tumble off. Quickly, she closed the door behind her and left Mr. Hidy in peace.
On the verge of tears, instead of getting right back into her Jeep, she opened the back and folded the bags that’d held the containers. With no other way to stall, she took a deep breath and climbed in. Tucking the bill above her visor, she threw Owen the best smile she could.
“We’re all done. Thanks for riding along. It’s nice with company.”
“You’re welcome. What’s wrong?”
“So many things, but I won’t bore you with the details.”
Owen’s brows drew together. “Why do you always say that?”
“Say what?” Genuinely confused, Jenny looked at him and waited for his answer.
“You always say, ‘I won’t bore you’ or ‘I don’t want to bore you.’ You’ve done it several times in the very short time since I met you. Do you think you’re boring?”
“I did say you were perceptive, didn’t I?”
“Yes. Yes, you did. Let me just tell you, you’re anything but boring.”
Tears sprang to her eyes, and she wanted to drop her head down on her steering wheel and sob. Actually, dropping it on Owen’s chest would be a better option.
“Hey, now. What gives?” He waited, and when she didn’t answer right away, he said, “Spill it. What happened in there?”
“In where? Oh, in Mr. Hidy’s.” She pointed at the place. “Nothing, really. I saw he had a disconnect notice for tomorrow, so I stole his statement.”
Owen drew his head back. “What are you going to do with it?”
Jenny wiped away a stray tear and giggled. “Pay it, silly.”
“Can you afford to do that?”
Jenny tilted her head and stared at Owen. His concern was sweet. “I make decent money, you know. Not as much as big city vets, but still.”
The Conflicted Billionaire (The Conflicted Love Series Book 1) Page 7
