But he’d wonder why she hadn’t contacted him after he’d paid Mr. Hidy’s bills, right? It wasn’t like she had his number. But Betsy might have pointed her in the right direction.
Her heart and soul fought a valiant battle, but exhaustion won out, so she shut her computer down. “Good night,” she called out to Cal as she headed for the door. “See you tomorrow.”
“See you,” Cal called back. “Want me to walk you to your car?”
Jenny snorted. “I’m good.”
As she locked the front door to the clinic, her phone rang. She fished it out of her purse and answered. “Hey, Betsy.”
“Hi, Jenny, dear. You still at work?”
“Just locked up, actually.”
“Do you have a minute? I hate to bother you before you have a chance to breathe and all.”
Jenny smiled as she opened the door to her Jeep. “You’re never a bother, Betsy.” Throwing her purse into the passenger seat, she wondered why Betsy sounded a bit off. “What’s going on? Do you need more doggie treats?”
Jenny pulled herself into the car and sat, leaving her door open, while she talked to Betsy. It felt like fall. The cool breeze was delightful as it blew across her flushed face.
“No. I got a phone call from a woman named Molly, and she asked me to have you call her.”
A hard lump formed in Jenny’s throat. She held the phone away from her mouth and groaned quietly but with dramatic flair before quickly returning it to her ear.
“Also, right before you left, Owen gave me his card and asked me to pass it on to you, but things happened fast and he left town. I ended up getting sick, and by the time I thought about it, you were gone on your trip.”
Jenny frowned and pulled a knee up to her chest, leaning forward against her thigh. “Is everything okay, Betsy? What kind of sick did you get?”
“Oh, the kind that slowed me down for a little while. I’ll tell you more about it later, but I wanted to give you this Molly’s number. I can give you Owen’s too, or you can stop by and grab his card.”
“Molly was Owen’s friend’s wife,” Jenny said. Her heart stuttered in her chest. And the dog’s name in the article. Weird! Owen’s lies had had her practically chasing another woman’s husband, not to mention the fact the woman had whacked him right in the face. Shame heated her cheeks and renewed the unease she felt over Owen’s dishonesty.
“Yes. You met her,” Betsy said.
Jenny detected a trace of humor in her voice but ignored it. Not funny.
“Oh, man. Okay, just give me her number.” She opened the center compartment, grabbed a pen and found an ATM receipt. “What’s the number?”
After she let Betsy go, she drove straight home. Wanting nothing more than to be in clean, comfy clothes, she showered and changed before she made any decisions. The first number she dialed once she had settled on her couch was Sammie’s.
“Hello,” Sammie sang when she answered.
“You’re never going to believe this!”
“Oh, really? Yay!”
“No, not yay.” Jenny rolled her eyes. “Definitely not a good thing.”
“Okay, I’ll try to sound less excited. Spit it out.”
Chapter 26
None of Owen’s meetings in Novato had gone as expected, which was fine. The experience just gave merit to the fact that he’d been second-guessing his idea to open a chain of B&Bs. He’d been so desperate for something different, he’d pounced on the first idea that came to mind. If he was honest with himself, he simply wasn’t interested in buying up more property for hospitality. Besides, the company had plenty of reps to keep the business booming. They could make the purchases. He didn’t need to do it.
The problem was, he didn’t know what he wanted to do. He couldn’t just loaf around alone. Okay, he had Molly the dog now, and she was certainly his bright spot. It’d only been a few days, and she’d already warmed up to him. Trusting him a little more each day. Observing him with those brown eyes. Likely wondering if she could trust her own judgment.
“Believe me,” he told her. “You’re not the only female wondering if you can trust me.” He had a fierce sense of protectiveness for his new family member, and being at that shelter had sparked something in him. Sure, he could always donate more money, but he needed to be a doer. If he wasn’t going to spend time working for the business firsthand, he needed to be productive. But in what capacity? That was what he didn’t know. Maybe he’d volunteer at a few shelters. Open one? Find a few to support regularly?
The call from Betsy had given him something to work on for the time being. Although he was grateful to have a mission, he wished the circumstances were a bit different.
Since he was in California, he took Molly to the beach. As it turned out, she loved the water. She didn’t frolic and play. Instead, she walked straight into the waves that cascaded gently onto the shore. After they had walked for a while, Owen rented a surfboard and took her out on it. They floated together as she sat next to him contentedly.
“You’ve been in the water before, haven’t you, girl?” he asked.
Owen wondered what Molly’s story was and decided he’d call the shelter later to see if they could find any additional information on her. Maybe after spending some time in the water, he could teach her to surf. Maybe she already knew how. What dog didn’t put up even a bit of a struggle?
As the two of them drifted on the board, so did Owen’s thoughts. He wished he could get Jenny out of his head. If he could only have one chance to explain. Once or twice, he’d considered calling her at work, but she’d specifically told him to never speak to her again. He’d already pushed it by writing her, but the chances of her ever seeing that note were slim.
A light bulb went off. “I should have thought of that before, Molly!” The dog’s ears perked up at hearing her name, and she looked at him. “I can send a letter to her job. It’s not speaking, and it’ll be a little less intrusive.” But his stomach twisted at the thought. He’d intruded unforgivably already. He needed to leave her in peace. He owed her that and more.
“Molly,” he said, getting the dog’s attention again. “I’m going to leave her alone. It’s just you and me for the foreseeable future. Maybe we should find a place here?”
He ignored the pang in his heart that came with his decision and pushed on. Being near the water was a must, especially having this little girl who shared his love for the deep blue, but he wanted to stay away from Destin for a while. In fact, he didn’t think he’d ever move back.
“Let’s get out, girl.” With careful movements, Owen slid off the surfboard and paddled toward the shore. When Molly stood for the ride, Owen let out a gleeful laugh. Her gentle panting resembled a smile. This little dog was meant to be with him.
Shortly after returning to his room, his phone rang. It was Jeff. He answered right away.
“Hey, man,” Jeff greeted him after he answered. “Do you have time to make it to Houston sometime soon?”
Owen’s gut twisted. He wanted to go, but he would have to look Molly the human in the eyes again after how much he’d hurt her. Might as well get the hard part over with. “I can be there anytime, honestly.”
“Well, get here when you can and just come on over.”
“Okay. See you sometime tonight or tomorrow. Oh—I have a new dog.”
“That’s cool. Just bring it with you.”
“Just so you know... her name is Molly.” The line went quiet, and Owen rushed to fill it with sound. “She came with the name. I don’t want to change it since she knows it.”
“You’re trying to get us killed, aren’t you?” Jeff asked him.
“Not at all, but you’ll love her.”
“You’re killing me, man. Let me tell Molly in advance.” Jeff sighed. “Normally, she would love it, but after what’s happened...” Jeff’s words fell away.
After a few back-and-forth texts, Owen received a message saying the jet could be ready later that night. “Let’s do i
t.” He hung up and looked at Molly. “I hope you like flying as much as you do the water.”
On the plane that night, Owen reclined in a comfy chair and was dozing when he felt pressure on his thigh. Opening one eye, he saw Molly the dog standing on her hind legs. “You want to sit with me, girl? C’mon.” He patted his leg, and she launched herself into his lap. After completing one circle, she cozied down and rested her head on his forearm. They stayed that way, dozing together, until the plane landed in Houston.
An hour later, he was sitting comfortably on the couch in Jeff and Molly’s living room with Molly the dog snuggled on his lap. Molly, the human, sat with her legs tucked underneath her. Jeff was next to her with his legs propped on the coffee table.
The most uncomfortable part of the conversation was over. Owen’s friends had forgiven him. Molly, however, threatened to beat him if he ever did anything that idiotic again. He promised it would never happen again, especially after seeing the whupping Jeff had taken. Then they fell into their normal routine. He didn’t deserve their forgiveness, but he was grateful.
“It looks like she’s become a daddy’s girl,” Molly said in a baby voice causing Molly the dog’s ears to twitch.
Owen grinned. “She’s so low-key. I’m going to try to find out more about her tomorrow. You should have seen her in the water with me. Totally calm, like she’d done it a million times before.”
“Maybe we should head out to Galveston tomorrow,” Jeff said, looking over at Molly.
“I’m game,” she said.
Owen nodded. “That’ll be fun.”
“How long can you stay?” Jeff asked before taking a sip of his coffee. “I have a couple days off. We could go bowling or something.”
“I have to leave the day after tomorrow, actually.”
“Back to business?” Jeff stated more than asked.
“No. I won’t be going back to Destin anytime soon.”
“What?” Molly straightened. “Why not?”
Owen’s eyebrows shot up in response to Molly’s strong reaction. “I’m stepping back from my role in the company. Patty is more than capable, and there are plenty of reps to do what I was doing, anyway. I’ve decided to be less involved.”
“Where will you live?”
“I’m not sure yet. I’m sort of flying by the seat of my pants.”
“Then why leave so soon?” she shot back.
Owen chuckled as he watched Jeff peer at his wife from the corner of his eye. “I need to stop back in Dover for a couple of days.”
Molly glanced at Jeff, then looked away. “That’s cool,” she said, twisting her mouth. “I guess.”
“Is it?” Owen tilted his head and studied her and then looked at Jeff and back at Molly.
“Why are you looking at me that way?” Molly asked.
“Is there some sort of silent conversation going on between you two?” Owen asked, wagging a finger at them. Then he grew serious, realizing what Molly must be thinking. “Molly, I’m not going to bother Jenny. She doesn’t want to speak with me, and I’m going to honor her wishes. However, I will be seeing Betsy. She already knows the story. Maybe she’ll pass it on.”
“So, you really went through all that just to let her get away?” Molly huffed.
Owen gaped at her. “I’m so confused right now.” Sitting back, he rubbed his head. “But what am I supposed to do? She told me what she wants from me, and that was never to speak to her again.”
Molly threw her hands in the air and groaned, causing Molly the dog to lift her head. “Oh my gosh. She was hurt, angry, and embarrassed! What did you expect?”
Owen drew his brows together. “What are you saying? You think I should contact her? I wrote her a message on eMatch—”
Jeff, who’d stayed silent through the exchange between his wife and his best friend, sat at attention. “You what?”
“As me. I changed the name to Owen K and sent her a message, but she’s never written back.”
“She probably hasn’t seen it.” Jeff’s mouth twisted. I mean—why would she log back on?”
“Exactly,” Molly agreed. “Besides, she’s been out of town and all.”
Owen’s gaze snapped to Molly’s. “How do you know that?”
Molly’s eyes darted to Jeff, who just stared at her. “Don’t look at me. I didn’t know anything.”
“Maybe Betsy mentioned something. I can’t remember.”
Owen shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. She’ll never trust me now, anyway.”
“You’re insane,” Jeff said. “You flew to Kansas, rode economy on the first flight, and stayed at a B&B to see this girl. You should at least give it a shot.”
“I don’t even have her number,” Owen said.
Molly squirmed on the couch and sighed.
“And I probably won’t see her while I’m there. She works—”
Molly shook her head. “It’s late. I’m going to bed. Cowards bore me.”
“Yeeowch!” Owen fell back on the couch. “That hurt.”
Jeff grimaced and closed his eyes, remaining dutifully silent.
“The truth usually does,” Molly said with a sigh. “Good night.”
Chapter 27
Jenny lay on the couch thinking about the conversation she’d had with Molly the day before. The woman had practically begged her to forgive Owen. Apparently, he and Jeff were BFFs like she and Sammie were. And like her and Sammie, Jeff and Owen had known each other since middle school. Hence the reason Molly was so forgiving after all the mayhem Owen had caused that day.
If Molly could forgive him after what he’d done, she should do the same, right? But every time she contemplated picking up his card from Betsy, she hesitated. Once she had it in her hands, had his phone number, she’d be forced to decide. To call or not to call?
“Ugh... life.” Jenny sat up on her couch and crossed her legs. She needed a distraction, so she logged into her three social media accounts one at a time, but nothing grabbed her attention. The same old political debates between her uncles, food pictures from her Aunt Maxine, and a few funny memes from Sammie.
Ten minutes later, she found herself logging into eMatch. “Whoa!” Her eyes widened. “Sixty-three messages!” She hadn’t been on in a while.
When she and Owen-pretending-to-be-Jeff were writing back and forth, she’d deleted all her new messages. Uninterested in talking to multiple men at once, she’d figured it was only fair not to spark their interest. Now she took the time to read them at least partially before deleting them. Most were only one or two lines.
After the third “You’re so pretty” message in a row, Jenny grunted. “Can’t you guys read my bio?” Not that she wanted them to. The last thing she wanted was to start talking to someone new. In fact, she should close her account.
One guy had posted a picture of himself with his dog. “Good choice, but still not interested,” she told his picture, and clicked Delete.
After the first twenty messages, she grew tired and clicked Select All so she could delete the rest in bulk and be done. Just as she clicked Delete, her eyes caught a familiar name.
Owen.
“Oh, no!” The message disappeared before her eyes. “Undo! Undo!”
There was no Undo button?
“There has to be an archives folder somewhere.” She searched the page frantically, and finally, after she had clicked on three little dots next to the envelopes, the site took her to the trash.
Within thirty seconds, she was staring at an email from Owen K.
“It has to be him, right?” Not necessarily. The universe could be in a humorous mood, but who else would use a big I’m Sorry meme as their profile picture? She clicked on the message, her heart slowing as the first line confirmed it was from her Owen.
Jenny, it’s me, Owen.
Rubbing her palms on her pants, she read his petition to finish the entire message. “You don’t have to worry about that,” she assured him.
You certainly don’t owe me a m
oment of your time, but I would be grateful for a chance to explain. When I opened the eMatch account in my friend’s name, it was only meant to be for one night. A single conversation. You see, in my life, I’m surrounded by people who know me, who want to talk to me, and who have interest in my life, but it’s for all the wrong reasons. I craved interaction with someone who didn’t want to talk numbers or business or try to impress me with their own wealth.
Jenny’s throat thickened. This was the honesty she always had sensed in him. He was telling the truth. How could she know to the depths of her soul otherwise?
I didn’t plan for you, though. How could I possibly know I’d meet someone special whom I wanted to keep speaking to for the rest of my life?
Unshed tears pooled in her eyes. He’d written this so long ago. Why had she waited so long to check her account?
The longer it went on, the harder it became to tell you the truth. I contemplated it a million times over, but I just didn’t have the guts. I felt like, if I risked it, you might decide to never write again. When I came to Kansas, I struggled with how to best handle it, but when I invited you to dinner, I had finally decided to come clean. If you walked away, at least you’d know who I was and know the real me. But, as you know, it didn’t work out that way. I caused more damage than I ever thought possible. I’m so sorry for what I put you through. You’re the best person I know, and I wish you all the happiness in the world. You deserve everything. Owen K.
Jenny slumped back on her couch, and a few tears escaped and slid down her cheeks. An urge to reply generically to protect her own emotions came over her, but she didn’t know how to be anything but who she was: up-front and honest.
She sniffled and hit Reply.
Owen, I’m so sorry I haven’t replied sooner. I was getting ready to delete my account when I saw your name. Full disclosure: I know you gave Betsy your card for me, and I’ve thought about picking it up a thousand times. One of the multiple things that held me back was your spotlight on Pawsome Stories. What you did for the animals and the shelter was wonderful. I’ve never doubted your compassionate heart. Okay, maybe for two seconds while I was stewing. Okay, it was longer than that, but only because I was hurt and embarrassed. My life history is full of people who lied to me. My parents. My ex. I can’t handle anything less than plain truth. When I saw your story, I wanted to reach out right away, but I was worried you would think I was only doing it because of money, and that is the furthest thing from the truth.
The Conflicted Billionaire (The Conflicted Love Series Book 1) Page 12
