“Brody just told you the worst thing I ever did.”
“I told her the worst thing you think you did,” Brody clarified. “I agree with Rain and Claire. Not your fault, man.” Brody turned to Claire. “He’s the older brother. He always protected me from our old man as a kid. His mother, too, until she left.” Brody looked him dead in the eye. “Look how well you looked out for Rain and the girls when I was gone.”
Owen sighed, not knowing what to say when Claire, Brody, and Rain all praised him for trying to do the right thing.
“Now, tell me the worst thing he ever did,” Claire demanded of Brody.
“He stole a candy bar when he was ten from the grocery store. He felt so guilty about it, he went back the next day, confessed to the manager, and paid for the candy bar. He swept the store every day after school for two weeks.”
Claire feigned a look of horror. “You didn’t.”
He couldn’t help himself and laughed.
“Face it, Owen, underneath the bad-boy McBride rep, you’re just a good guy,” Claire said, squeezing his arm. He took her hand and kissed the back of it, feeling better that she saw him in a good light and made him rethink the events of that night. He’d always feel guilty for what he did, but it didn’t hold the sting of shame it once did.
“Best thing he ever did?” Claire asked both Brody and Rain.
“Took care of Rain while I was gone and Rain was raising the girls on her own,” Brody said.
“He’s a loyal friend and an even better uncle,” Rain added.
“Those things I already knew,” Claire said. “Any guy who has tea parties with his nieces in public has to be a really great guy.”
Owen still held her hand in his and gave it a squeeze.
“How about you? Best and worst thing you ever did?”
“Best thing I ever did was spend my senior year of college taking care of my ailing grandmother. Best year of my life. She taught me to cook and sew and I got to know her better in that year than I did growing up. She lived an ordinary life filled with some extraordinary moments. I used to make her tell me the story about how she met my grandfather and married him against both their parents’ wishes. They were married for fifty-two years and happily renewed their vows three times, the last one on their fiftieth wedding anniversary.
“Worst thing I ever did, not tell a friend her boyfriend hit on me and lied that I thought he was a great guy. She really liked him. A month after he grabbed my ass and kissed me, she found out he was cheating on her. Completely shocked, she told me what happened and must have read something on my face because she asked me if I knew. I told her what happened and that I thought the guy was a jerk, and she didn’t need him. Too late. She was pissed I didn’t tell her, blamed me for the whole incident, and said I was jealous. That was the end of a really good friendship.
“Oh, and I apparently tried to stab you last night.”
Owen laughed, along with Brody and Rain.
“He probably deserved it,” Rain teased.
“No, he took care of me last night and I appreciate it.”
Claire yawned, reminding him neither of them got much sleep last night.
“I need to take you home. It’s late and you need to get some rest.”
He’d paid the check for the table during dessert, so everyone stood. Just because he needed to, he brushed his hand down her long hair, placing his hand at the small of her back to lead her out behind Brody and Rain. Despite Brody and Rain joining their date, he felt it went well, and he’d gotten to know Claire better. Maybe it hadn’t been the intimate evening he wanted, but somehow this seemed better. He liked seeing her with Brody and Rain. The women hit it off.
Outside the restaurant, Claire stopped beside him. He shook hands with Brody and hugged Rain. “Bye, beautiful. I’ll come by and see the girls soon.”
“Any time you want. Bring Claire.” She cocked her head in Claire’s direction, then pulled her aside for their goodbye.
Rain and Claire stood together talking, so Brody pulled him aside. “Everything at her place is set up. The directions are on the table.”
“Thanks.”
“Sorry about crashing your date. I really didn’t know you were coming here tonight, but I think it worked out.”
“You stayed so Rain and Claire could get to know each other. Claire doesn’t have many close friends in town and you knew they’d hit it off.”
“Claire has a lot of Rain’s finer qualities. I like her. I’m glad you like her. It’s about time you made me an uncle.”
Owen laughed. “If you keep showing up on all my dates, that’s probably not going to happen.”
“I’ll back off. I was worried about her after last night. No word on Dale?”
“Nothing.”
“Let me know if you need help with him. I’ve got your back.”
“I’ve got yours.”
Owen went to Claire, wrapped his arm around her back, put his hand on her hip, and drew her close. She leaned in to him. He wanted to believe it was only because she wanted to be close, but he felt her fatigue in the sigh she let out.
He looked down at her bandaged feet. “How are you feeling?”
“Tired. A little sore, but I had a great night.”
He gave her a squeeze to his side. “Me too. We’ll see you guys later. I’m taking her home.”
Chapter Thirteen
* * *
CLAIRE SAT NEXT to Owen in his truck, tired from the long day, and at peace to be quiet with each other. She liked the comfortable silence. His hand settled over hers. She turned her hand to link fingers with his and gave him a squeeze. He returned it, briefly letting his gaze stray from the road ahead to settle on her and sweep down her body and back to the road. The look was enough to keep her warm, but the heater pumped out hot air to ward off the chill of the night. The stars glowed overhead. The lull of the engine relaxed her as much as Owen’s presence.
“I had a really good time tonight.”
He cast her a sideways glance; his charming smile made her insides turn over. “Even though my brother crashed our date.”
“I like him. Rain is really great. Does Brody mind you calling her beautiful all the time?”
“Not at all. He knows how much I love Rain, and I’m just being affectionate. Brody and I grew up wild on the ranch, the old man drinking himself into oblivion most every night. We never had a normal home life. When I came back to town to help Rain with the girls, she made me part of their family. I learned what a real mother is, and how to be a father figure the girls can look up to and respect. So, yeah, I call her beautiful, not because she is on the outside, but because she is on the inside where it counts the most.”
“She means that much to you.”
“She’s my sister and the best friend I’ve ever had besides Brody.”
“I always wanted a sister or brother,” she admitted.
She had to admit his affection for Rain showed in the way he spoke to her and the obvious bond they shared. She understood his need to belong to a family, since his childhood sounded anything but ideal.
“Do you visit your parents in Briargate often?” he asked.
“I stayed in town after the separation and through the divorce. I needed to figure out what I wanted to do. I managed a restaurant and bakery. I wanted to find something similar, but less demanding of my time. I also needed a break from friends and family whispering and talking behind my back. If I heard one more ‘It’s too bad they couldn’t make it work,’ I seriously think I might have screamed until I lost my voice.”
“So you moved here and opened the shop.”
“Well, not exactly that straightforward, but yes. The asshole left me in debt up to my ears and ruined my credit. I lived with my parents for eight months and worked my regular job along with every part-time and odd job I could find to pay off the debt.”
“I hate that asshole.”
“Me too. He still owes me a hundred grand from the divorce settlement,
which he refuses to pay.”
“Can he pay?”
“Despite the crap he made of our marriage and finances, he makes a decent living as an account executive at an ad agency.”
Owen glanced at her with a skeptical glare.
“You see why I trusted him to take care of our finances. He’s accountable at work, but apparently hiding things from me was his favorite pastime.”
“You should go back to court and make him pay.”
“I could, but then I let him back into my life for another round of arguments and excuses.”
“Good point, but you shouldn’t let him get away with not paying you.”
“He won’t. I put a lien on his house.”
“Smart.”
“He taught me to cover my ass.”
“It’s a really nice ass.”
She giggled. “Thanks.”
They drove into her driveway and the outside porch and garage lights came on automatically. “Hey, how did that happen?”
“I asked Brody’s contractor to send over an electrician to put the motion lights up. The back door is still boarded up, but the new door should be installed tomorrow.”
“And the bill will come to me, right?”
“I took care of it.”
“Owen, no. I can’t let you do that.”
“It’s already done,” he said, sliding out of the truck to come around and open her door for her. She had to admit, she liked his charm, generosity, and manners. She found it so rarely in other men these days.
He held his hand out to her and she took it. His warmth seeped into her skin and sent a zip of electricity up her arm. Their gazes locked in a shared moment of awareness. She’d forgotten how wonderful the beginning of a relationship felt. The quickening of her heart from just a look or simple touch of hands. The warmth that washed through her system when the connection between them intensified until all she wanted to do was reach out, wrap her arms around him, and draw him close. The way a kiss blanked out her mind and made her want to lose herself in the moment.
She stopped beside him on the porch and dug through her purse for her key, but Owen opened the door for her. She stared up at him and he smiled that smile she was getting used to seeing whenever he did something without her knowing.
“I took the spare key from the kitchen and came back this afternoon to let the electrician in.”
Something beeped, filling the entry with the loud noise. She turned to the sound and found a keypad alarm panel on the wall. Owen punched in a four-digit code.
“That wasn’t there when we left this morning.”
“Did I mention the alarm company came by at the same time as the electrician?”
“Let me guess, you paid for that, too.”
“Guilty.”
“Not going to happen.” She dumped half the contents of her purse on the side table by the sofa and found her checkbook and a pen. She held them in front of her and glared at Owen.
“How much do I owe you for everything?”
“How much do I owe you for bringing Dale into your life, the headache you’ve had since yesterday, the stitches in your feet, the busted-up door, and the loss of your sense of safety and security in your own house?”
“You didn’t bring that guy into my life. It’s his fault this happened, not yours.”
“I don’t feel that way, and you won’t convince me of it.” He reached out and traced her cheek, down her neck to her hurt shoulder. “I stayed last night to make you feel safe and because I needed to know you’re safe. I can’t spend every night on your couch until they find Dale. Not when I want you the way I do.”
“Owen, you can’t say things like that.”
“Why? It’s the truth. Although I hate what happened to you last night, I’m glad I met you. So, the security system is for your peace of mind and mine. Come over here and follow the instructions on the sticky note next to the keypad to reset the password.”
She huffed out a sigh. “This isn’t settled.”
“Fine. Buy me lunch tomorrow, and we’ll call it even.”
“I’d have to buy you lunch for a year to pay you back for all of this.”
“Deal. I’m fine with that.”
She glanced over her shoulder and gave him a disgruntled look and a shake of her head. He smiled, which made her laugh. “Stubborn.”
“Yes, I am when it comes to you and your safety.”
“Dale probably realized he got the wrong house and you and I aren’t a thing and won’t be back at all and this is all for nothing.”
“Let’s hope, but I’m not taking any chances.” He moved in behind her, and she felt the heat of him down her back, but he didn’t touch her. He leaned his head in close to her ear. “We do have a thing.” His deep voice sent a shiver through her body.
She wanted to lean back into him, but didn’t. They barely knew each other.
His warm hands settled on her shoulders, his fingers gently massaging her tight muscles.
“Punch in the new code.”
She did, trying not to sigh out her pleasure as his strong hands worked out the knots in her neck.
“The number is one, three, seven, nine.”
“Why are you telling me that?”
She turned to face him, admitting what he’d already guessed earlier. “Just in case something happens.”
“All you have to do is call—anytime—and I’ll be here. If something happens—you hear a noise outside, you see something that isn’t right, anything that scares you—hit the emergency button. The cops will come and the alarm company will call me. If the alarm is tripped for any reason, a break-in or even a fire, they’ll dispatch help and contact me.”
“You know, it took a while for me to settle in here alone, a new town and business, living on my own really for the first time. Now, I’m nervous.”
He reached for her, pulling her close and wrapping his strong arms around her. He settled his head against hers and just held her close.
“You did all that. You’ll get through this. If you don’t want to be alone, I’m happy to stay with you.”
She wanted him to stay, but she couldn’t let Dale win by taking away her independence and sense of security. “You’re right. I’ll be fine. You made sure I’ll be okay.”
“I’ve tried, but unless you’re in my sight, I’ll worry.”
Owen let out a deep sigh and hugged her close. He leaned back and looked down at her. “Do you want me to take you to work tomorrow?”
“I’ll drive myself. I don’t want to put you out any more than I already have.”
“I’m not put out in the least. It’s my pleasure to spend time with you.”
To prove it, he leaned in and kissed her. She thought nothing could compare to the kiss they shared at her shop, but she’d been wrong. This kiss was soft and slow, a melding of mouths and something more. His lips met hers again and again in light caresses. She sighed and he dove in, taking the kiss deeper and sliding his tongue inside to taste and tangle with hers. She gave herself over to the kiss, the moment, and him.
Everything felt right. She’d never been with anyone and let go, but with Owen she knew she could and he’d protect and treat her right. He had since the moment he walked into her home and life yesterday.
Owen ended the kiss, though she didn’t want to stop. She wanted to hold on to him all night. His gaze swept her upturned face. His eyes smoldered, telling her he felt the same.
“I’ll say goodnight.” He traced his finger over the side of her face, drawing a lock of hair back behind her ear. “Take your meds and get some sleep, Claire.”
He hesitated a moment before he let her go and opened the front door. She wanted to call him back, take him to her bed, and give in to the overwhelming need building inside of her every second she spent with him. Something held her back. Not only had they just met, but she wasn’t sure she wanted him to stay just because she feared being alone in the house again. She didn’t want to take that intimate step
and discover her mixed-up, lust-laced feelings weren’t the real thing.
“Owen.” She hesitated, wanting to call him back into her arms to give her that sense of safety she’d felt moments ago. “I had a really great time tonight. Thank you. For everything.”
“It was my pleasure. See you tomorrow at one thirty for lunch. Lock the door and set the alarm.”
With that he left, making her laugh. She’d said she’d pay him back for everything he did with lunch. Apparently, he’d taken her up on the offer, and they had another date. She let out a soft squeal of delight as happiness and anticipation rippled through her whole system. She thought she’d never sleep, thinking Dale might come back to hurt her to get to Owen. Instead, Owen gave her something else to think about. Him.
Chapter Fourteen
* * *
DALE STOOD NEXT to the tree, the bark scraping against his arm, but he didn’t care about the rough abrasion against his skin. He tipped the bottle to his lips and gulped down the last of the whiskey like a soda. The sting burned his throat and gut, but not as much as the sight of that damn lawyer walking the hot blonde up to the porch.
The motion lights surprised him. He’d come by earlier to scope out the situation. He might have gotten the wrong house last night, but he followed the lawyer to her shop this evening. If they didn’t know each other before, they knew each other well now. It didn’t take the lawyer long to make his move, kissing her in the store. Maybe the asshole learned his lesson last night and stopped seeing his wife and moved on.
He liked her long hair, the curve of her full breasts, and the sway of her hips. He hated the way she looked at the lawyer, her eyes going right to his handsome face. Dale wanted to punch in that smug smile. The lawyer thought he could have any damn woman he wanted. McBride had the blonde, he didn’t need to go after Shannon, too.
Dale threw the empty bottle at his feet and stormed off into the night, thinking of a new plan. A better plan.
Chapter Fifteen
* * *
Falling for Owen Page 9
