You know, I miss my friend Jeff so much. I miss our talks, exchanging stories, and having messages to look forward to. I think I can live with Jeff’s name being Owen. Jenny.
She wondered if she should include her signature sunshine.
“Yes. Yes, I should.”
Sunshine emoji in place, she was moving the cursor over Send when a thought hit her.
P.S. The real Jeff and Molly love you very much, and Molly should have been a lawyer. She’s quite persuasive.
Chapter 28
“It’s too bad you have to go already, man,” Jeff said as Owen grabbed his toothbrush and toothpaste off the counter in the guest bathroom.
Just as Owen was about to agree, his phone rang. “One sec,” he said to Jeff, and answered the phone. “Hi, Betsy.”
“Hi, Handsome,” Betsy wheezed.
“You sound terrible! So, you’re sick again?” Poor Betsy.
“I’ll be okay, but I was hoping to catch you before you headed this way.” She stopped to take a breath. “I’ve got full-blown pneumonia now. The doc says I probably picked something up from a guest.” Another pause and a cough. “Sorry. I’ve been extra-tired from having the flu, so my immune system was likely shot. Can I let you know when I’m better?”
“Of course! I hope you have someone waiting on you hand and foot for a change.” Owen glanced at Jeff.
“My grandson is here. He’s helping me, but I had to run off the guests. I’m ready to do something different, and since my kids don’t want this place”—Betsy stopped for air again—“I need to let it go.”
“Betsy, let me know if you need anything. I’m serious.”
Betsy paused and started to speak, then stopped abruptly. “Thank you, Owen. I’d better go.”
“Take care, Betsy. I’ll wait to hear from you.”
They said goodbye, and Owen disconnected.
“Why do you look so worried?” Jeff asked.
“She sounds terrible. I wonder where her family is, and why her grandson is the only one helping her.” Owen rubbed his chin. “And she had to ask her guests to leave, which means she had to refund their money.”
Jeff’s eyebrows shot up. “Are you going to save the day as usual?”
Owen gave Jeff a What are you talking about? look and rolled his eyes.
“Don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m referring to, man.” Jeff grabbed one of Owen’s undershirts from the stack and shook it open. Then he swung it over his head and let it rest flat on his back. Stretching his arms in front of him, he pretended to fly about the room.
“I should be recording this,” Owen said dryly.
“Super Owen here to save the day!” Jeff held a fist up.
“Shut up.” Owen grabbed the next shirt on the stack and tossed it in Jeff’s face, making him grunt.
“At least they’re clean.” Jeff tossed both shirts back at Owen. “So, what’re you going to do?”
“I’m not sure yet,” Owen answered honestly. “I need to decide where I’m going to stay.
“Stay here.”
“I mean permanently. I don’t want to live in Houston. It’s an hour from the beach and Galveston—” Owen wrinkled his nose. “I love it, but—”
“Yeah, I get it.” Jeff shrugged. “Not the prettiest beach in the world.”
“I think I’m going to keep my appointment,” Owen said as Molly the dog sauntered into the room. “Where you been, girl?”
“Playing with me,” Molly the human cooed from the doorway. “She’s awesome. We’re M and M!”
Jeff snorted at his wife’s joke. “Laaaame.”
“You got her to play?” Owen’s brows shot up. “In what way?”
“She likes to play fetch.” When Molly said the word, Molly the dog’s ears twitched and she began to pant.
“That’s great. I think she’ll open up faster when I get a place she knows is home. All we’ve done is go from one place to another since I adopted her.”
“Don’t worry. She’ll understand that you’re home.”
Owen smiled and crouched down to pet Molly. When she took a step closer before planting her rear end on the floor, everyone laughed. “Well, you’re not pushy, but you get your point across.”
“So, you’re going to go see Betsy even though she told you not to, but you still won’t see Jenny?” Jeff arched a brow and leaned against the bedpost.
“That’s about right,” Owen said as he stood. He shoved the unfolded shirts back in his bag and zipped it up.
“Have you even checked to see if Jenny has written back?” Molly asked as she bent down and picked Molly the dog up in her arms. “You’re such a big girl.”
“Whoa, she’s wagging her tail!” Owen grinned. “Bringing her here was a good thing. You two should come with me.”
“I would, man. But I have to work tomorrow,” Jeff said.
“You own the company. You can’t reschedule?” Owen asked.
“Our company isn’t like yours, mister.” Molly poked him in the arm. “We still have to be more hands-on.” She spun around and pointed. “Can I check out your laptop?”
“Um... sure. I guess,” Owen said. “What exactly do you want to look at? It’s pretty much like your Mac.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not going to look at your search history, perv. What’s your eMatch password?”
“What! No, no. I’m not giving you that. I’d rather you look at my search history.”
“I don’t blame you,” Jeff huffed, earning himself a glare from his wife. “What? You just want to play matchmaker, Molly.”
“It doesn’t matter, anyway,” Molly said with a shrug as she sat on the edge of the bed. “Your password is saved.”
“I knew I should have kicked you both out of here,” Owen said, running a hand over his face.
“You have a new message,” Molly quipped.
“You lie!” Owen snatched his laptop from her hands.
“Hey! How rude.” Molly stood up and rose to her tiptoes, trying to see over Owen’s shoulder. “What did she say?”
When Molly squealed, Owen spun around to see her draped over Jeff’s shoulder as he carried her out of the room. He nearly howled with laughter. “Thanks, man!”
“Welcome!” Jeff called back.
Owen could hear Molly threatening her husband. The silence that followed was much too sudden.
“Ew,” Owen muttered, and he closed his door for multiple reasons. Then he sat on the bed and lay back on his elbow. Molly the dog stared at him from the floor. He patted the bed in invitation, and she didn’t hesitate. “Good girl!” He hugged her to his chest, where she got comfy as he read his message.
Relief shot through him as he read Jenny’s message. While she might be hardcore about some things, she was still forgiving. The only thing was, her message sounded like she just wanted her pen pal back. Maybe she wasn’t interested in anything other than friendship.
Owen groaned and lay flat on his back. Scratching Molly the dog’s ears, he looked at her beseechingly. “What should I do, girl? Write back or just go? I’m tired of being pen pals.”
He sat up and hit Reply. But a new message popped up before he could start typing.
Chapter 29
Jenny jumped off the couch and spun toward Sammie, who was still sitting with Jenny’s laptop on her knees. “Why would you do that? I would never have sent that message.”
“Which is precisely why I did it. Duh!” Sammie looked down and refreshed the page. “Hey, I think he’s on. Is that what this green bubble is?”
“No, no, no.” Jenny rushed to look where Sammie was pointing. “Oh. My. Gosh. Samantha Margaret Finch!”
Sammie flinched at the use of her full name. “Oh, now you’ve gone too far.”
“Me!” Jenny screeched. “What is he going to think when he reads that? That’s something a teenager would have sent to a crush anonymously.”
“He’s probably already read it.” Sammie shrugged.
Jenny paced back a
nd forth, running a hand through her hair. “My heart feels like it’s going to beat out of my chest.” She sat in the rocker she never used and tried to calm down, using her toes to rock herself.
Sammie snorted. “You look like a crazy person doing that.”
“I feel crazy right now.” Jenny’s voice rose again. “You told him I thought he was hot and he should just call me. You put my phone number in the email!”
Jenny’s phone buzzed where it lay on the couch, two cushions away from Sammie.
“Ah! Bet that’s him.” Sammie gave her an exaggerated wink and reached for the phone.
“Oh, no, you—”
Jenny leapt out of the rocker and dove over the coffee table onto the couch. Sammie had the phone in her clutches, and Jenny grabbed her wrist. The laptop slid to the floor as Sammie screamed and laughed. She tried to wiggle away, but Jenny put her full weight on her.
“Stop! That tickles!”
“Give me my phone!”
“Only if you answer it!” Sammie gasped.
The phone stopped mid-ring. Jenny gave up the fight and went limp. Sammie elbowed her until she moved to the side.
“You’re so freaking strong.”
“I have to be, to lift big dogs.”
“Hello? Hello?”
Both girls froze and looked at each other. That masculine voice had come from the phone that was still in Sammie’s hands.
Jenny covered her mouth, and Sammie’s eyes widened.
Jenny pointed at the phone and waggled her finger at Sammie, then put her finger to her lips to warn her not to say anything.
“Hello? Is anyone there?”
Sammie thrust the phone at Jenny and made a talking motion with her other hand. Say something! she mouthed. Jenny shook her head furiously, and Sammie put her hands in her armpits and began to flap her arms. Jenny gaped. Sammie had some nerve calling her a chicken.
She snatched the phone from Sammie’s hand and took a deep breath.
“Hello?” she said, trying to sound as normal as possible, but the line was dead. On one hand, she was relieved, but on the other, she was absolutely mortified. “How will I ever be able to speak to him again?”
“Ugh!” Sammie threw her head back dramatically and groaned. “You can’t hold yourself back your whole life!”
“I’m not. Remember, I kissed him! And it wasn’t just a—” Jenny puckered her lips and pecked at her hand. “No, it was a full-on sexy kiss, and more than one.” She collapsed on the couch. “It was special.”
Sammie clapped her hands. “Pull it together. All you have to do is tell him—” She pointed in a random direction. “‘My best friend sent that message because she wanted to say for me what I wasn’t willing to say.’” Sammie stood, crossing her arms over her chest. “How’s that for honesty?”
“I need a drink,” Jenny croaked.
“Oh, let’s go make you a nice cup of tea,” Sammie said, primly heading into Jenny’s kitchen.
“I was thinking maybe something stronger.”
“Okay. Sure. We’ll let the bag stay in the water longer and not add sugar.”
“Funny,” Jenny said dryly.
Chapter 30
Owen exited the guestroom with his messenger bag over his shoulder, his travel bag in his hand, and Molly the dog walking next to him.
When he entered the living room, Jeff and Molly were cuddled on the couch, eating pretzel bites watching a show on Netflix.
“Want one?” Molly offered.
“No, thanks.” Owen shook his head.
“Why do you look so confused?” Molly asked.
Jeff snickered. “Women will do that to a man.”
Molly shoved him on the shoulder, which only made him laugh harder.
“So,” Owen said, “I got the one message you know about, and I was getting ready to reply when another one came through. It sounded nothing like what Jenny would say, but she left her number. I called, and I heard two women doing—I’m not sure what. Fighting or something. Then I heard voices, but I couldn’t make out what they were saying. Anyway, after that, everything went silent. I think her account got hacked.”
“Oh, that sucks,” Jeff said. “But you feel like the first message was Jenny?”
“Yeah, I just replied to that one.”
“What was the phone number?” Molly asked.
“Seven-eight-five-something. I’d have to look.”
“That’s the right area code.”
“True.” Owen’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and glanced at the screen. “My driver is here.” After a quick round of hugs, he and Molly the dog took off on their next adventure.
He was going to stop in Dover, Kansas.
Chapter 31
“You threw my laptop on the floor,” Jenny said as she carried her tea and cookies from the kitchen.
“No, I didn’t,” Sammie called from the kitchen. “You attacked me, and it fell during the struggle. Big difference. Sure you don’t want a sandwich like mine?”
“Nah. I’m good with cookies. I wish there was ice cream, but I don’t feel like going out.” Jenny set her cup and saucer down so she could grab her computer, which rested on its side half-open.
Sammie came out of the kitchen with a plate that held her sandwich, some BBQ chips, and a couple of cookies. “Too bad we can’t do what they do in Topeka. You can place the order online, and they’ll run it out to your car.”
“We could,” Jenny grinned. “But we’d be gone longer than we want.”
She refreshed the eMatch screen, which was still up from when Sammie had decided to be invasive. When she saw the new message, her heart sped up.
“Exactly.”
“He wrote back,” Jenny said with a calm she didn’t feel.
“He did?” Sammie set her food on the coffee table and scooted over to Jenny. “What’d he say?”
“Pretty much that he was happy I wrote him back, and I don’t have to worry about him thinking I’d ever do anything because of money. He says he knows I’m more honorable than that.” Jenny’s throat thickened, and she cleared it. “And!” She threw Sammie a scornful look. “He thinks my account has been hacked. He says he received a second message from me that didn’t sound anything like me. He tried to call the number they left, but he couldn’t make out what he was hearing, so he hung up.”
“Don’t make a big deal out of it,” Sammie said, leaning against her. “Just explain and move on with the conversation. Where do you think this will go?”
“I honestly don’t know, but I’d like to find out.”
“Are you willing to move to Destin if it came down to it?” Sammie asked, retrieving her sandwich and putting her bare feet up on the coffee table, earning herself a glare from Jenny. “Sorry.” She removed her feet and took a huge bite of her sandwich.
“That’s jumping the gun a bit, but yeah, I’d move.”
Sammie’s eyes widened. “You’d leave me?”
“Ew. Close your mouth. And what do you mean, leave you? I’m surprised you haven’t already left me.”
Sammie shrugged. She set her food down on the coffee table again, jumped up and headed toward the kitchen. “I can’t do this tea. I need a soda.”
“Grab one for me too,” Jenny called after her.
Sammie returned with two Dr. Peppers and handed one to Jenny.
“Give me a minute,” Jenny said, turning to her computer.
Owen, I wasn’t hacked. My crazy, immature but well-meaning best friend sent that message. That’s my number. Keep it and let’s talk sometime soon. I don’t know what any of this means or where it will or won’t lead, but I’d like to find out. All the uncertainty is making me crazy, and I think we’ve at least come far enough to be ready for real-time communication. Jenny.
She put her sunshine emoji in place, hit Send, and closed the laptop. “He wasn’t on, so he’ll see it later. At least we’re both back to checking regularly.”
“True, dat!” Sammie said as she
pushed Play on Twilight.
Jenny rolled her eyes. “We need popcorn.”
“Are you pregnant or something?”
“Now I really wish I had some popcorn so I could throw it at you. Let’s go get some good food and then come back and watch our movie.”
“I just ate a sandwich.” Sammie looked at her best friend incredulously, then shrugged. “Okay, let’s go. I want ice cream now.”
Chapter 32
As Owen settled in for his flight, Molly the dog had a pep in her step she hadn’t had before, and it made him grin. “Want a treat, girl?”
Her eyes brightened and her tail wagged.
Owen had figured out that she loved string cheese when he opened one at Jeff’s house. That was the most excited he’d ever seen her, but he wasn’t sure if it was good for her, so he had to do a quick search online. He figured he’d get a second opinion from Jenny and just not overdo it for now. He’d ended up sharing the package with her.
Taking a deep breath, he considered the days to come. He felt like a homeless billionaire. He could buy just about any property he wanted as long as it was for sale, but he didn’t have a place that felt like home, and hadn’t for a long time. Soon, he’d have to either pick a location or go back to Destin.
The idea of returning to Destin and the people he knew there made him ill. He’d be there often enough for business. No, he wouldn’t move back. California was an option, and Virginia had nice beaches. Maybe Georgia or South Carolina. Or Delaware.
The Conflicted Billionaire (The Conflicted Love Series Book 1) Page 13
